Albert ignored his throbbing head and evaluated the situation. He was standing, that was evident. The metal wall behind him felt cold and hard. Clamps fastened across his hands, feet, and throat held him spread-eagle, immobile. His sour body odor told him he was imprisoned for several days.
A faint crack of light appeared in the darkness. As it grew brighter, heavy feet pounded the floor. Relieved to discover he was not blind, Albert stood at attention and waited. Keys rattled. A door swung open, and light flooded in. In the sudden glare, he stood exposed to whatever came next.
“Well, I’m glad you’re awake. Saves me some trouble. The captain wants to see you. And don’t you look a sight!” A harsh laugh echoed against the walls.
As Albert’s eyes adjusted, he strained to glance down. All his clothing was removed except for long johns. The special tools and hidden devices were gone.
The man holding the lantern studied him. He sneered at Albert’s expression. “Oh, did you think Captain would let you keep your toys? Hm. I thought you would be bigger, to fit your reputation. You’re just a light weight.”
A whistle sounded, and then a hollow voice called, “What’s the hold-up? Bring him to me.”
An elbow poked him in the ribs. As he drew in a sharp breath, a man bent and fumbled with the clamps on his feet. Next came the hands, and lastly, the hold around his neck came off. Albert’s knees went weak as he was freed. A shove from a hefty fist caused him to stumble headfirst. As he fell, a hand grabbed him by the collar of his underwear.
The man with the lantern held it high. The light revealed a twisted grotesque face. Blackened teeth appeared when he snarled, “Move!”
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Albert struggled to stand and gripped the door frame for balance.
A fist gripped him by the back of his long johns and shook him free. “Not much bigger than a scrawny cat.”
Lit only by the lantern they moved forward along a dark corridor. In bare feet, he stumbled along following the bobbling light. As blackness closed in behind them, Albert focused on their steps and counted them. His hand trailed along the wall seemingly for support but also searched for clues. A cold handle, hinges, slits in the panels; their locations in the dark could be useful.
It was a ship, a steam powered device. The pistons pounded and vibrated through the wall. His ears picked up the whistle of released steam. How did he get on a ship? Or more important, how long was he unconscious? If this was a kidnap for ransom, well getting his father to pay was iffy. They did not have the kind of money that was usually demanded.
Reaching a dead end, the man grasped a protruding knob and shoved the wall aside. A small, enclosed room appeared.
“Get in!”
He was pushed in by that aggravating fist. His eyes flashed with anger. One day the man will regret that.
They all squeezed in the small space. Setting his lantern on the floor, the man nodded at his companion. He gripped the panel and pulled it shut.
A finger poked Albert in the rib. “Don’t move.”
It took both men to crank a metal handle on the wall. At each squeaky turn, they jerked upward.
Ah, they were in some kind of lift. Albert leaned back against the wall and studied his companions in the lantern’s light.
The two men were huge. One was tattooed completely over his arms and his neck. The other looked like a giant bear, burly hair and beard covered his face. They did not appear too smart, though.
Out loud, the tattooed man counted the turns, every now and then skipping a number. When he reached forty, Tattoo stopped and shoved the door open. He growled at the metal wall before him and looked up. The box was three feet below the floor. “Ah, missed it again.” They gave two more turns and raised it even with the floor.
The two men stepped into the room, leaving Albert alone in the lift. Deciding not to be too eager, he waited with arms crossed and leaned against the wall.
“Dr. Timmons, come in. You two oafs, escort our honored guest into the room.”