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WR2K4 - Dick Dastardly's Ending - 5

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Chapter 5
The Search


The morning of the race arrived and the racers slowly awakened and wandered out of their rooms, some more eagerly than others. The lobby, which had been quiet the night before was now bustling with race officials, reporters, camera men and hotel staff. There was commotion over the huge amount of snow that had fallen overnight and the race officials were wondering if it was too dangerous to race or not. Most of them agreed that it should continue, as their sponsors wouldn't be happy. And so, the snow plows were ordered on double duty and that was the end of that debate.

Max was at the bar downing glasses of milk with a furious look on his face. His back was hunched and every time anyone moved close to him he'd let out a small grunt and shift further away. He was in no mood for an interview either and threw milk at a cameraman who tried to engage him. Everyone could see how rattled he was. Very out of character for the usually chirpy pilot.

Julie and Ryan were relaxing in a corner of the bar area with a cup of coffee and were people watching. They prefered to be out of the way while everyone was in business mode, as it was just far too much to handle. Racing? Fine. But, crowds? No. Too much trouble. And some of the cameramen had forgotten to wear deodorant.

Julie was just taking a sip of her coffee when she spotted Muttley wandering around forlornly, as if looking for something. She shouted him over and gestured for him to take the empty seat beside her. His ears pricked up, but his face still wore a look of worry as he hobbled over and jumped clumsily into the chair.

"What's up with you, then? You look fed up!"

"I don't blame him," piped up Ryan, "I would be having to put up with this for too long."
Muttley attempted to explain in his own way, but Julie just couldn't understand him. She'd only known him a short time, so she hadn't mastered his form of communication. So, he hopped off the chair with a thud and gestured for her and Ryan to follow him.

"OK, we'll follow. Hold on."

The two necked their coffees as best as they could and stood up to follow Muttley as he hobbled his way to the lifts. He had no intention of going up those stairs again in his state.

With the button pressed, Muttley looked up to his followers with another worried look and hopped into the lift as soon as the doors opened. Julie guessed that he wanted to return to his room, so pressed the correct button and off they went. Once the lift had reached it's destination, the scruffy hound rushed as fast as his cast would allow towards his door, opened it and flopped inwards pointing towards the bed.

Julie and Ryan ran after him, helped him back to his feet and looked to where he was pointing. There was Dick's bed, completely pristine and untouched.

"Wait, where is he?" Julie looked down to Muttley. "He's not been back all night?"

"Weird. Where is he then?" Ryan checked the other room while trying to get as much information out of Muttley as he could. "Wait..." He looked out the window to see Dick's car missing from the hotel car park as well as Rachel's. "Where's his car? Where's Rachel's car?"

"What!?" Julie ran to the window to double check for herself. "That doesn't make sense. Rachel's car was there last night when I said night to her in her room. So was Dick's."

"You don't think they was stolen, do you?" Ryan raised a brow. The situation was indeed odd. "Well, I imagine Dick went out, but if Rachel was in bed when you left her then it'd make sense that someone had stolen it."

Muttley interupted and shook his head. "Nuh-uh!"

"Oh? You know what happened?" Julie leaned down towards Muttley. "Try to explain."
The flustered canine attempted as best as he could, gesturing wildly to tell his story, but to no avail.

Suddenly, a race official burst through the door. "Muttley, go fetch your master. We're on for the race. We need to head to the starting grid in 30 minutes!"

"Yeah, uh. About that." Julie raised a finger. "He's not here."

"What!?"

"He hasn't been all night by the looks of it." Ryan pointed to the untouched bed. "See."

"What... But..." The official scratched his head, his curly ginger hair wobbling around like coiled springs as he did so. "Then, where is he?"

"Beats me," said Julie folding her arms. "We'd also like to know where my daughter's car has gone."

"And Dick's car is missing too." Ryan pointed out the window and the official walked over to look.

"This is outrageous! He is needed in 30 minutes! He can't go wandering off like that!"

He was suddenly interupted by a plump, bald official peering through the door. "Er, 'scuse me. But, er... Have you seen racer 13?"

The ginger official spun on his heels. "Rachel? No, why?"

Julie and Ryan's eyes widened. "She's not here either!?"

"No, I looked in her room to give her the time sheet, but she wasn't there. Her bed was messed up and her case was in there, but she wasn't. I just assumed she was having breakfast. But, she wasn't in the dining room."

Everyone looked at each other with a mix of confusion and concern.

"What is going on? You don't think they both went for a drive last night and got lost? Or... Snowed in?" Julie did not like this one bit. It had dropped to a horrendously cold temperature the night before.

"Get a search party together." The ginger official snatched the clipboard that the other was clutching and began to scribble down information. "Tell Mikey, Deena, Nick, Dave and Oscar that there's a situation. But, don't let on to the media. We can't afford to have them get in our way. If we do this quietly we are more than likely going to find them quicker. Got it?"

"Y-Yes! I'll go do that." The plump official ran as fast as his little legs could carry him down the stairs and into the lobby. He found all the people he needed to and quietly explained the situation to each of them. Unfortunately, when he reached Dave, the race co-ordinator, everyone was being exceptionally loud.

"Car double zero and car thirteen are missing along with their drivers."

"What?" Dave cupped a hand round his ear in an attempt to hear.

"I said, car double zero and car 13 are missing and so are their drivers!"

"I can't hear you!"

"I SAID..." The tactic of privacy came to a screeching halt as he yelled out what was wrong just as everyone went quiet. "DICK AND RACHEL ARE MISSING!"

Everyone in the room turned to look at him, the cameras began to whirr, click and flash and they were both mobbed by press. The racers that were in the lobby, Peter (Who had managed to make it), Luke, Blubber, Sarge, Meekly, Rock, Gravel, the Ant Hill mob, Max and Rufus and Sawtooth all began to mumble amongst themselves.

"What's goin' on?" Rufus nudged Luke.

"I dunno. But I sure don't like th' sound of it."

Peter scratched his head. "I only saw them last night at the hospital. I don't understand, I would have thought they'd have been back."

"Listen up boys!" Clyde yelled for the mob to assemble. "We got us a search an' rescue on our mitts. It could be tricky, the snow is pretty bad."

Everyone was in agreement. They would assist in any way they could to find them and they all headed to find the racing president. Max, on the other hand, simply sighed and made his way to his car without a single word.

Outside the racers found Julie, Ryan and Muttley with the officials who were co-ordinating the search and offered to help. After much deliberation over how it would put the race at risk, or delay it, they decided that, with all things considered, it was fine. They would postpone the race for 3 hours while they searched and not a moment longer.

"OK, listen up. We're going out in teams." The ginger official had taken to a large wooden box that was used to house TV equipment with a megaphone. "I want the group of staff to my right to go out with the group of staff to my left. The Ant Hill mob, you go with Sarge and Meekly. Rufus and Sawtooth, you're with Luke and Blubber. Peter, I want you to go out with Julie and Ryan. Rock and Gravel, you..." A club flew past his head. "Just do what you do. Max, I want you t..." He was interupted again, this time by Max who snorted angrily and stomped to his car. "OK then. I guess not. Pat Pending, you're with the Gruesome Twosome."

There was a pause.

"Pat?"

"He's not here!" A voice yelled out from the crowd.

"Thank the gods," muttered Julie under her breath, which caused Ryan to snicker.

"Oh, er... Has anyone seen him?"

The entire group shook their heads and began to talk amongst themselves again. What was going on? All these people missing? Penny in the hospital? It had gone crazy!

"I guess," continued the ginger official, "I guess we'll be looking for him too. Right, off you go. Report back at 09:50."

The crowd dispersed to their vehicles and one by one made their way out of the car park. Peter was walking to his car with Julie and Ryan when he noticed Muttley trying to hobble after them. He never had a great relationship with the dog, but the way he looked was just pitiful. He stopped and reached down to him, picking him up in his arms. "Hey there, champ. You can ride with me if you want. I bet you're as confused as everyone."

He placed Muttley in his car and turned to Julie and Ryan. "This is all so very strange. First Penny, now this? And I can't help but feel nervous now Pat has vanished."

"Yeah, I know," sighed Julie. "It's like the whole world has gone to pot!"

"You don't think he'd..." Peter looked down at the floor and Ryan knew exactly what he was thinking.

"No, he wouldn't have the balls to try and get to Penny again. She's safe."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry. I'm here babbling about Penny and I bet you are both worried about your Rachel."

Julie patted his arm. "Let's get going. The faster we find Dick and Rachel, the sooner we can get this race over with."

They all got into their cars and set off the freshly plowed roads, the thin layer of snow under their wheels crunching as they went.
It sure has been a while, huh?



Wacky Races and Characters © Hanna Barbera & Heatter Quiggley

Rachel, WR2K4, Julie, Ryan, Ralph, etc © Me 2002 - Present
© 2014 - 2024 LadyIonia
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