Dargo Entertainment Store

Aaron ignored the nervous feeling in his stomach and smiled awkwardly at the guys around him. After years of rejection and humiliation at high school he was hoping to join the Dargo gang. All he had to do was kill judge Irwin Hall. He thought he had already done that, but instead he had killed his wife Gayle and placed the judge in critical condition.

"Let's get the job done right this time," Jacob, one of Dargo's gang members shoved an 9mm into Aaron's nervous hands.

"Right," Aaron nodded quickly. "Like I said, consider the old man dead."

"And like I said," Jacob growled at him. "He isn't dead until the news announced his funeral."

"Right," Aaron blushed. "Of course."

"Look," Jacob stopped walking before they entered Jacob's Honda. "I don't need you backing out and squealing on us. If you don't have the guts to do this in person just tell me now."

"No!" Aaron proclaimed desperately. "I got this!"

"You better."

Jacob nodded at four other gangsters who entered two other cars in the parking lot. They revved their engines and took off. Aaron looked down at the gun he held in his shaking hand. He just had to do this one thing and they would accept him. He gripped the handle tighter and vowed to kill the old judge.

"The Flight of Hawk and Dove"

Part 3: The Voice Inside

By T. L. Veselka

Dargo Entertainment Store

"Shit!" Hank swore. "We're locked in here in the dark and they're driving off to kill dad!"

"You've got to be kidding!" Don couldn't believe this was happening. This day kept getting worse and worse. First his brother had forcefully dragged him from a protest at the local University only for them to drive home in time to witness some gangsters doing a drive by on their home.

His mother was dead and his father was in critical condition at the hospital. The same gangsters that had killed Don and Hank's mother were even now on their way to kill their wounded father. Here he was locked in a closet in the gangster's headquarters unable to do anything to save his father.

"There has to be a light switch!" Don told Hank. "See if you can find it, maybe we can find the key."

Don could hear his older brother Hank groping about desperately trying to find a light switch. Don backed up against the wet mop that was against his back as much as he could. His brother had a nasty temper when he was upset and he wouldn't make it any better by getting in the way.

"I found it!" Hank exclaimed excitedly. Don heard a clicking sound, but there was no light. "The goddamn thing isn't working!"

"I'd give anything to be able to help Dad!" Don lamented.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am, Hank," Don said. "Don't be stupid."

"I didn't say that," Hank said, for once he spoke in a quiet tone.

"You didn't?" Don realized it hadn't sounded like his brother's voice at all.

"No," the voice said, almost amused. "I did."

Don felt an electric tingle of fear race up his spine. "Who are you?" Don groped about, but there wasn't room for anyone else in the closet. "Where are you?"

"If you really mean what you have said I can give you the means to help your father," the voice told them, completely ignoring Don's questions.

"What's the catch?" Don asked nervously.

"Who cares?" Hank asked. "Yes, we both mean it. Please, help us."

"Very well," the voice said. "Hank Hall, when danger reveals itself you will become Hawk, the emissary of Chaos. Donald Hall, you will become Dove the representative of Order."

"What?" Hanks asked. "What kind of bullshit . . ." Suddenly Hank stopped talking. If he was feeling anything like Don it was no wonder. Don felt as if was high and sick all at once. He grabbed his swimming head and as suddenly as it had begun the funny feeling was gone.

"I feel incredible," Hank gasped. "I feel like I'm having a major adrenaline rush, better than when I score a touchdown."

"If this is what that feels like it's no wonder you love playing football so much," Don agreed. "It's amazing."

"Break down the door and save your father," the Voice told them.

"Break down the door?" Don asked incredulously.

BLAM! IT sounded like an explosion in Don's ear and light poured into the closet. There was no one where the voice had come from. Don turned and gaped at Hank, at least he was pretty sure it was Hank.

"Nice tights," sneered Hank's voice from the figure that stood before him. Don looked down at himself and groaned.

Hank was in a masculine red and white outfit that covered everything but his mouth. Don was covered in a powder blue and white outfit with a short white cape trailing behind him. Both of them were transformed and at least twice as bulky as they had been.

"Let's just get out of here and stop those bastards!"

"Which car did you bring?"

"I brought the minivan," Don answered.

"Of course," Hank rolled his eyes. "We'll take my car."

"Fine!" Don agreed. They leaped out of the closet and raced out to the store, amazingly there was no one there to see them run out. They hopped into Hank's car and he squealed his tires racing out of the parking lot.

They sped down the business road going almost double the speed limit. Normally Don would have spoken out against his brother's recklessness but for once he encouraged him to drive even faster. They had to save their father.

"Can't this thing go any faster?"

"Not if you want to live to save Dad!" Hank told him.

The wail of a siren suddenly sprouted up behind them. "Shit! The cops! We don't have time for this!"

"Drive!" Don told him. "Maybe they'll follow us and help dad!"

Hank looked at him in surprise then stomped on the gas pedal, screeching around another turn. The police car followed, hot on their tail. They were trying to hit his bumper and Hank groaned. He wasn't going to be able to reach the hospital in time if they kept this up.

"Whoever sent that voice," Don pleaded out loud. "Please, intervene one more time and let us reach the hospital."

"Now you suddenly get religious when you're in real trouble," Hank growled at him. "Typical liberal."

"I am not praying," Don refuted. "I am not talking to God."

"You're talking to some unseen force," Hank growled. Don wondered if his brother arguing with him somehow helped him concentrate.

"Whatever gets us there," Don shrugged.

"Typical."

They raced through the streets barely dodging the other cars and even a few pedestrians that screamed after them. Don looked back at the pair of cops in the patrol car. One of them was pulling out a gun.

"O crap!"

Suddenly Hank swerved making Don take his gaze back to the road. It seemed as if his "prayer" was being answered before his very eyes. A huge tractor trailer truck was now blocking the cops from continuing after them. They had barely missed colliding with it themselves.

"That was close," Hank, or Hawk as the Voice had named him, proclaimed, his voice shaking.

"I never was into racing," Don sighed.

"You were never into anything risky."

"I protest."

"That's not risky in America."

"Yes it is."

"It's a guaranteed right."

"Listen to us," Don moaned. "Our father might be killed any minute and we're arguing about stupid shit."

Hank didn't say anything, but he scoff like he did at almost anything Don said. It seemed like they had been racing for ages when suddenly the hospital suddenly loomed in front of them.

"Do you know where they are keeping Dad?"

"Of course," Don said. "I actually came to the hospital when they took him."

"You get to dad, make sure he is alright, I'll warn the cops," Hank ordered.

"Right!" Don raced away, running faster than he ever thought possible.

Hank also turned and ran, but he wasn't going to find a policeman at all.

Elmond City Hospital

Jacob raced down the hospital hallway. He had already sent Aaron off to kill Judge Hall with two of his trusted thugs, Dan and Jordan. Now he and two more of his gang were racing down the halls causing as much havoc as possible. As soon as the police showed up they would split up and Jacob would call Aaron, letting him know it was safe to get rid of the old man.

An old woman walked down the hallway fragilely, clutching desperately to her walker with every step. Garrett, one of Jacob's fellow gangsters, shoved her down and kicked her for good measure. The old woman cried out in pain and shock. They sneered at her and ran on.

"Stop!" a call came.

"The cops already!" Garrett called out.

"Guess again," the voice sneered, suddenly close behind him.

They glanced back to see a strange sight. A very strong man dressed in red and white tights was overtaking them. For a second Jacob drew a blank. He had heard of the likes of Superman and Batman, but he didn't recognize the man following them.

"Shoot him!" Jacob commanded.

Luke turned and fired at the red and white figure, but missed and was knocked out with one swift punch for his efforts. Jacob cursed and raced away as fast as he could, leaving Garrett to deal with the man in tights.

Jacob grabbed his cell phone and quickly dialed a number.

"Aaron! It's Jacob. Get the old man, now!"

"But I can see the cops still standing there!"

"I don't care! Kill them if you have to, just get the judge!"

Jacob hung up his phone and turned around just in time to see the man in red and white's fist coming straight for him.

Don had wasted a few precious moments trying to convince the hospital guards to let him pass, but in the end he had forced his way past them. He was running up to his father's room, and a terrible sight greeted his eyes.

There were two policemen backed up against a wall, each with a gangster holding a gun to his head. The policemen were obviously frightened. The door to his father's hospital room was open.

Don gritted his teeth. He hated violence, he had always said that it solved nothing, but now he had to use it or his father was dead, perhaps he already was. Don rushed forward, feeling his charged legs pound against the floor with a strength and speed that even an Olympic athlete would envy.

He smacked one gangster against the head with his fist, causing him to fall to the floor. The other gangster wheeled about, gun in hand. Don used a karate chop he had learned as a kid to knock the pistol from the punk's hand. He followed it with a swift uppercut to the young man's chin.

Without hesitating Don raced into the hospital room then stopped dead in his tracks. The same punk who had shot up his family's house stood with a pistol lodged against his father's temple.

"Don't take another step!" the kid shouted. He was obviously nervous. "If you move even a little I'll kill him."

"Don't do it," Don's mind was racing. "You haven't done anything yet, if you stop now you will get off easily. There are two policemen outside the door and there are more surrounding the hospital as we speak."

"You're lying," the punk shouted. "No one knew I was coming here."

"I did," Don said. "That's why I am here now, and I warned the police."

"You'd better listen to him," Don's father said in a tired husky voice. "I'll make sure they go easy on you."

"Shut up!" Aaron shouted, jamming the barrel a little harder against Judge Hall's temple angrily.

Somehow Don's luck changed for the better and a siren sounded outside the window. Automatically Aaron looked out the window to see if Don was speaking the truth. Don raced forward and flicked the boy's hand up. A shot went off, piercing the wall. In a rush of surprise Don twisted the boy's hand, and heard the wrist bone snap. Aaron gasped and let the gun drop. Don hit him hard. Aaron fell stumbling back, unconscious before he hit the floor.

Hank came rushing in at that precise moment, panting heavily. The two brothers looked at each other then down at their barely awake father. Police were rushing to Aaron grabbing him and the gun. Hank and Don, or Hawk and Dove as they would become known, raced from the room before the police could react.

Later a police file was filled by Hank Hall about his mother's murderer and his stolen car. The car was found, curiously, in the hospital parking lot. The next day Irwin Hall was released from the hospital for personalized care at home, his status was stable. All of the six gangsters were arrested and taken to prison, though all of them refused to talk. Vincent Dargo is still in prison. There was a funeral held for Gayle Hall, but that is a story for another time.