Neverwhere: The Sequel, Pt. 2 by Owen Burns and Eamon Polanski

Read the first part of Neverwhere: The Sequel here.

Door spent most of the night searching for a rat to lead her to Richard, she knew that every rat would know exactly where he was by now, new in the rat kingdom spread like wildfire. But there was always conflict between the rats and the humans, fights over territories, fights over food and so on. So when Door went looking for a rat to guide her to Richard, it was no easy task. It took her most of the night, but she finally found someone, a small, dark brown rat named Joe with a raspy voice. They walked for a long time, always dark, always damp, how the rats liked it. Around mid-day Door got suspicious, “Where is Richard, exactly Joe?” Door said “It seems like we’ve been walking for a very long time” “We have” said Joe “We will arrive at our destination soon” Joe looked down, but not before Door noticed the slightest smirk on his face, she stopped, “Where are we going?” she said “Why haven’t we gotten there yet? where are you taking me?!” Door stopped, so did Joe, they stared at each other for what seemed like a long time. Door calculated her chances of getting away, she could take Joe, but at any given moment, there are around 10 rats in a 20 foot radius, seen or unseen. Door turned to run, but Joe jumped at her, she fell on the ground and turned around and kicked him, he hit a nearby wall, and she turned to run, but she turned to see about 15 rats behind her, she instantly new that she had no chance of getting away, her only chance would be if there was a wall but there wasn’t one anywhere close, she was surrounded. At that moment, Joe jumped at her again, and she fell, hitting her head hard on the ground, as the world around her went black, the last thing she saw were the rats closing in on her.

Door woke up, she was propped up against a wall next to someone, she couldn’t quite see his face. “Hello Door. I’ve been waiting for you.” It was Old Bailey “Bailey! what are you doing here?!” asked Door. “Well I was having a conversation with your darling husband Richard over there, but he most inconveniently passed out again.” Door looked at the man again, her eyes, having adjusted to the light, could now make out Richards face, still dim in the light, but undeniably him. “What do you want with us Bailey?” She asked “Oh my dearest Door, I think you know perfectly well why you’re here!” Said Old Bailey “Where is he? Richard has been quite adamant about not telling me.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about Bailey!” Said Door “Door, you can stop playing innocent here, we both know that you know, and we both know that I’ll find out one way or another, so you might as well just tell me now.” He said. Door was getting confused, she didn’t know where she was, why she was there, or what Old bailey wanted to know. she didn’t know what to do.

Richard was confused, “What do you mean ‘You’ve got me’? Bailey? Why am I here? and why am I tied up?” “Richard, I say ‘I’ve got you’ because it was ME that kidnapped YOU and brought you here. You are here because you have information that I need. And you are tied up because I don’t want you trying to escape while I’m trying to talk to you.” Richard was still confused, “What information could I possibly have that you want?” he said. “It’s very simple Richard, just tell me what I ask you, and you can go.” said Bailey “Fine Bailey, what do you want to know?” said Richard. Bailey walked over to Richard, knelt down so that he was at eye level with Richard, and simply said “Where is the Marquis?” Richard was slightly taken aback by the question, “The Marquis? What do you want with him?” he asked “Don’t try to play dumb with me Richard!” Bailey yelled “Where is he?!” Richard didn’t know what to say, honestly not knowing where the Marquis was, he just stared blankly at Bailey. “Fine” Bailey said “We’ll do it the hard way.”

Door gasped for breath, Her head was soaking wet and the back of her head hurt from where Bailey was holding onto her hair. She was breathing hard, “I told you! I don’t know where he is!” she said. Bailey sighed “Well, I guess we’ll just have to try again!” and he dunked her head back down into the bucket of water.

Richard opened his eyes, his hair was still wet from earlier, but he didn’t care about that now. From his vantage point lying on the ground, he could see Bailey, standing over a woman, dunking her head down into a bucket, the same bucket that had recently had his head plunged into it. His heart sunk, for just then, he heard a voice yell out “I told you! I don’t know where he is!” “Well, I guess we’ll just have to try again!” Bailey said. It was Door. He got Door. He quietly shuffled to his left, trying to get further behind Bailey so there was less of a chance that he would see him. Once he was behind Bailey, he started trying to get his hands free. The ropes were tight, and he couldn’t get them free. He looked around, to his left he saw a broken piece of glass, he shifter his weight around so that he could drag the glass closer to his hands with his legs. Once the glass was in his hands, he positioned it so that the jagged edge was pressed against the ropes, and rubbed it for a few while until he got his hands free. Once his hands were free, he used the glass to break the ropes around his body binding his arms. He was free from the ropes, he stood up, holding the rope tight in his hands, walking quietly towards Bailey.

The Marquis was running, fast but quietly. The news had spread fast in the rat world about Richard and Doors kidnapping. He knew at once why they were taken, it was him, Bailey needed him out of the way to complete his plan, and after months of searching, he had made up his mind about - what he thought was - the easiest way of finding him. He also knew that it was just a matter of time before Bailey had them killed when he realized that they didn’t know anything about where he was. He started passing lookouts, so he knew he was getting close. He had to hurry, Richard and Door depended on it.

Door was getting tired, every time she gasped for breath, she got less and less, she started getting dizzy. Bailey just kept asking about the Marquis, and she just gasped for breath, concentrating on not passing out. It was getting harder and harder.

Richard was walking slowly toward Bailey, Door was looking bad, she was about to pass out. He lunged. He quickly wrapped his rope around Baileys neck, Bailey was grabbing at his hands and arms, gasping for breath, Door was on the ground, coughing up water and gasping for breath. Bailey was getting weak, he kept grabbing at Richard’s arms, but it was less to get them away from his neck, than to just be doing something, anything. it didn’t work, he passed out, fell to the ground in a heap, still breathing, but unconscious.

Door was being shaken, she opened her eyes “Door! Door wake up! We don’t have much time!” It was Richard, Door was on the ground, Bailey was lying a little ways away from her, unconscious with a rope on the ground next to him, Richard shook her again, “DOOR! You have to get up! we need to get out of here!” She shook her head and water splashed down around her. She stood up, shaky, but she could still stand, Richard was looking through a door by the corner, he motioned for her to come over to him, and she did, slowly, her head hurt and she was still a bit dizzy. “We need to find a way out of here” Richard said, “Do you know why they kidnapped us Door?” said Richard “Do you know why we are here?!” “No I don’t” Door said “I went looking for you after you left, I met a Rat named Joe and he said he was leading me to you, and then I was ambushed, the next thing I know, I’m in this place being half-drowned by Bailey! Do you know” “I have no idea, we can figure it out when we get out of here.” He said, and they ran out of the room.