Where is Your Heart At?

Chapter 11: Just what I needed...

Where is your heart at?

Chapter 11

Just what I needed

The more Gadget listened to the CB radio the more he suspected it was planted there. Or at least...figure it was impossible. How could Claw have taken over the city so easily? Why wasn't Quimby doing anything? He ran his fingers over his face before he heard a crackle and a low chuckle.

"Hello there Gadget." Claw chuckled as he kept speaking. "Your little niece misses you soooooo much."

Gadget's jaw tightened as he picked up the receiver pushing the button along its side.

"If you harm a hair on her head I am going to end your existence completely." Gadget normally kept himself in check, no threats, no harm. It wasn't his way. Yet when it came to his baby all bets were off.

"Ah, I'm sure you will. You are coming up on a cottage I stayed in a little while ago...you'll find a present sitting on the kitchen table. It's just for you." He chuckled. Gadget shook in anger. His knuckles were white as it held the steering wheel, and he was seeing red.

"Let me speak to Penny." He ordered. Claw hated taking orders from people, he wasn't that kind of guy, yet here he was holding the CB up to the toddler. Pulling the tape from her mouth and smiled.

"You miss your uncle?"

"Unka?" she looked around expecting to see him. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Penny, Penny! Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" He asked, waiting for the answer, yet the only answer he got was a cry. A long demanding cry. Gadget growled

"Give her back!" Gadget banged on the steering wheel of his car.

"Oh temper temper. She's fine, she's being fed and all that other baby stuff." Claw chuckled. Gadget rolled his eyes and sighed.

"She's not a baby, she doesn't need to be changed, and she eats solid foods. Have you...Have you just been feeding her a bottle?" He asked him. For some reason this amused Gadget, Claw didn't know anything about infants much less toddlers.

"The cottage Gadget...go inside." Yup he was amused now.

Gadget parked his car out front of the cold looking cottage. It even looked like the roof was ready to fall in. It was totally abandoned. He slowly made his way into the house.

The front door had already hit the floor. The middle of it had fallen inward.

"You know this is a trap...right?" Gadget hummed as he looked inside. His flashlight goes back and forth within the interior. There were footprints on the dusty floor all around them. He spotted one in particular. A set of bare foot prints the size of his pinky finger. She was okay to stand then she was alright. Mentally however was another issue.

He took a deep breath and walked over to the table. It creaked as he walked along the damaged flooring. A small box, and a picture. The box was even wrapped up.

"Be careful, John."

He reached over to pick up the picture and looked at it. He screwed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth together as tightly as he dared. He wasn't sure if these teeth were real nor not, but oh he was sure they would have shattered if they weren't.

The picture had Penny in Claws arms with her mouth taped up. Tears running down her face. This was torture, when he got his baby back he wasn't going to put her down ever.

"But what about the box, John?" He looked at the box and picked it up. He turned it over and scanned it. There wasn't anything of concern really...at least that's what he could see. It was just a box. Just something else to torture him. Oh his head hurt.

He unwrapped the box and lifted the lid. There was a soft chink noise and a timer started.

"Run!" John ran out the door and out into the yard just as the cottage burst. The shockwave cartwheeled Gadget into the trees. He lay flat on his chest in the splinters he had created.