Then There Was Two -- Part Two

     Chuck entered a room set up as a lab. "Oh, wow. Maybe this place isn't haunted, but inhabited." He looked around. "Wish I knew what happened to the rest of the fellas, though."
     A door opened on the far wall and Whitey peaked out. "Chuck?"
     "Whitey!" Chuck exclaimed, then ran over to him. "What happened to you?"
     "I just went into the kitchen... next thing I know, I'm down here. I've been hidin' in this closet for about twenty minutes now," Whitey replied. "What happened to the others?"
     "Last I knew, Slip, Sach, and Bobby were still in the livin' room," Chuck said.
     "Awe, quit you're shovin'!"
     "That sounded like Sach!" Whitey said.
     "Yeah, an' whoever wanted us to join them down here," Chuck said, then added, "back in the closet. Maybe they won't find us an' we can surprise 'em."
     They went in the closet, just as the door to the hall opened. A 'doctor' and three other guys accompanied Sach.
     "Where did the other two boys get to, Stevenson?' the doctor asked.
     "The closet, sir," Stevenson answered, quietly. "I saw one of them come in here abouta minute ago."
     "Lock the closet door, then. That will keep them out of our way," the doctor instructed.
     "Yessir," Stevenson agreed, then went over and locked the door.
     Inside, Chuck tried the knob. "Hey, they locked us in here."
     "So much for surprisin' 'em, then," Whitey said.
     Back in the lab, "What of the other two boys upstairs?" the second thug asked.
     "Keep watch over them. I don't want them spoiling my plans," the doctor said.
     "Hey, doc, I feel fine, see? I don't need to be no patient, I don't have then patience for it!" Sach argued.
     The doctor glared at him for the pun, then smiled. "Now, now, my boy, the procedure will be quick and it won't hurt... much."
     "I was afraid you'd say that," Sach commented.

     "I'm tired of this. Let's search the place," Slip said.
     "I'm with you," Bobby agreed.
     "'Course, ya are, ya haven't let me go since Sach disappeared!" Slip said, then shook himself loose of Bobby's grip. "I got a feelin' we ain't the ones in the moosoleum, so I figure there's trap doors and other t'ings like that. All we gotta do is find one of 'em, an' we'll find the others."
     "Let's get lookin', then," Bobby said.
     "Check that wall over there, foist, since that's where Sach vamoosed," Slip said.
     They went over to the corner and checked the wall.
     "It won't budge," Bobby said.
     "Maybe there's a hidden lever or som'en," Slip suggested.
     They searched again and came up empty.
     Slip leaned against the fireplace and rested his arm on the mantle. "Nutin'. I just don't..."
     The wall turned to reveal a hidden hallway.
     "Well, whadya know," Slip said. "C'mon."
     "What else?" Bobby said, and followed him into the hall.

     "Can't we talk this over, fellas?" Sach asked. The doctor continued about what he was doing. "Guess not." He paused a beat. "Hey, doc, what're ya plannin' on doin'?"
     "The doctor stopped and smiled again. "You'll see, my boy."
     "Oh," Sach said, then paused. "That don't tell me much."
     The doctor turned to two of his 'orderlies'. "Riley, Schwartz, prepare the table."
     "Are we gonna eat? I hope so, I'm hungry," Sach said.

     Chuck slapped his forehead.
     "Poor Sach," Whitey commented.
     "An' poor us, we can't do nothin' to help him," Chuck added. "Com'on, let's keep tryin' at this door. If we work on it enough, we might just get outta here."
     "That or they'll let us out," Whitey said.
     Chuck glared at him.
     "What'd I say?" Whitey asked.

     "Wish I'd brung a flashlight or some sunlight, I can't see hardly nutin'," Slip commented.
     "Wish we never came here," Bobby said.
     "Hey, I thought it was a real job. How was I s'posed to know we'd be the main course for a buncha ghosts or som'en?" Slip said.
     "Yeah, just don't go so fast, I can't really see you anyore," Bobby said.

     "But, fellas, I ain't tired. I'm hungry, but not tired. I thought we were gonna eat," Sach said.
     Schwartz and Riley did prepare the table: they tied Sach to it.
     "Sir, the other two boys are in one of the secret passageways," Stevenson said, turning away from a monitor.
     "Good, prepare for them," the doctor said.
     "Hey, doc, ya know what?" Sach said. "I don't like you an' I don't think you're even a real doctor, so there! He stuck out his tongue.
     The doctor smiled again, then turned and left the room, followed by his 'orderlies'.
     "Boy, that guy smiles an awful lot," Sach said, then fidgetted on the table. "Gee, I wish they hadn't gone to all this trouble for me. All this just for me, such a waste."

     "Oh, Chuck, hurry up, they left Sach alone out there," Whitey said.
     "An' he's talkin' to himself. I've got ears. 'Sides, lock pickin' takes time," Chuck said.

     "Slip, there's a light!" Bobby said.
     "I see it, whadya think I'm movin' t'wards," Slip said. "An' get offa my back before I t'row ya *into* the light!"
     Bobby backed off a little. "Sorry, Chief."
     "That's betta," Slip said.

     "This would be easier if they'd left the key in the lock," Whitey commented.
     "Oh, com'on, it ain't like I do this for a livin'!" Chuck argued. "Hey, I think the knob's loosenin' up!"

     Sach sat as much as he could and looked at the closet door. "Who's there? Whitey?"

     "Oh, boy!" Whitey exclaimed. "It's me, Sach, an' Chuck's here, too!"

     "Hey, I think I heard voices," Bobby said.
     "You're always hearin' voices, usually your own," Slip said.
     They reached the end of the passageway and looked out the doorway, into... another hallway.
     "Well, if that don't beat all, another hallway," Slip said.
     "Atleast we're prob'ly gettin' closer to findin' the others," Bobby said.
     "Yeah, now we just gotta check every room until we find 'em or whoever else is here," Slip said.
     They began checking every door.

     "Just about got it..." Chuck said
     "We'll be out in a minute, Sach!" Whitey said.
     "Hurry up, fellas, these guys've got some pretty bad intentions for me an' I'm still hungry!" Sach said.
     The closet door finally opened and Chuck and Whitey landed on the floor.
     "We're free!" Whitey exclaimed.
     Chuck got up and grabbed Whitey's arm. "Com'on, ya dope."
     They ran over to the table and freed Sach.
     Sach put an arm around each of them. "Thanks, fellas, ya prob'ly saved my life!"
     "We ain't outta the woods yet," Chuck commented.
     Whitey and Sach looked at each other.
     "I didn't know we were in the woods," Sach said.
     Whitey shrugged.
     Chuck rolled his eyes. "Com'on, an' let's go find Slip an' Bobby an' get outta here."
     They went to the door and piled into the hall.
     "Which way?"Whitey asked.
     "Wait a minute!" Sach said. "When the Chief ain't around, I'm in charge. Now... which way?"
     "Let's try this way," Chuck said, then led them down the right side of the hall.

     "Where'd those guys go ta?" Slip asked, leaning against the wall.
     "Why don't we take you boys to them?"
     "I think we found the 'ghosts'," Bobby said.
     The doctor and his 'orderlies' stood in the hallway, blocking the other side of it.
     "Routine 4!" Slip said. He and Bobby charged the doctor and his men, but quickly became overcome.
     Sach, Chuck, and Whitey rounded the corner and found the ensuing fight. Chuck and Whitey joined in the fight while Sach acted as referee.

     Slip dusted his hands off. "Good woik, boys. It's like I kept tellin' ya this place wasn't haunted, just conjested wit' some goons 'ere."
     "But, Chief..." Sach began.
     "I don't wanna hear it. Ya got me? We'll just tip off the cops unanimously and leave it at that," Slip interrupted.
     "Well, I'm still hungry so instead goin' back ta work, can we go back to renovatin' Louie outta banana splits?" Sach said. Slip belted him with his hat. "What was that for!?" He replaced his cap.
     "For stealin' my last line, that's what for," Slip said, placing his hat back on his head.

The End