CHAPTER 4

I'm back with a new chapter, everypony. No one guessed the cameo appearance from chapter 2. It was the pony version of Anthony Melchiorri from Hotel Impossible. Maybe none of my readers are familiar with a show about an angry guy from Brooklyn who rips toilets out of the floor and kicks in doors. Heh. Anyway, this volume is shaping up to include a great deal of detective work over anything else, and is a little more boring than I wanted it to be. It is what it is. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review.

"So Princess Luna told you that all these new weapons were stolen?" Dash asked.

"Yep." I replied simply.

"Aannnd that's what you were worried about..."

"Afraid so." I answered. We walked down the street in the business district, on our way to the next stop in our investigation. From what the princess had told me, I had already pieced together a dark little mosaic of why the weapons were stolen, and how they were going to move them.

"Where do you think the weapons and stuff are?" Budder asked, trotting up beside me, and brushing a lock of her messy dark blonde mane out of her face.

"Still with the thieves." I said. "Probably either in wagons on their way somewhere, or in a central location."

"I know you're good, Drake..." Dash commented. "But how the hay do you know that?"

"Remember those diamond smugglers?" I replied. "These criminals are all about as habitual as a bunch of squirrels. Gather the nuts and stash 'em in the tree."

"Um...in laypony's terms, Drake?" My marefriend insisted.

"Alright. Look at it this way, those weapons cases are heavy. They took ten of the crates from the warehouse, and three more from a wagon. Now, they need ammunition too, so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that they somehow acquired some already, and a lot of it. So add probably another five or six cases of arrows. They probably found themselves a few more swords and daggers too, and if they're equipping an army, you can bet they have food and maybe even armor."

"That's a bunch of stuff..." Budder added.

"Yep." I said again. "Imagine trying to move or hide that amount of military hardware."

"So where are we going again?" Dash asked.

"First stop, right here." I replied, gesturing to a business at the back of a wide lot full of wagons and carts of various size.

"A...We-Hawl?" Dash asked incredulously.

"Where else do you go when you need to move your belongings?" I returned with a grin. We entered the office, and I walked up to the desk, where a stallion sat. I pulled my ID and badge, and held it up for the employee to see.

"Can I help you?" The light gray earth pony asked.

"Yeah, we're conducting an investigation. We were just wondering if you've rented a few wagons to anypony about a week ago. They would have payed in cash?" The stallion quickly looked through some forms.

"Just the typical single-wagon rentals..." He replied. "That's all we've had for the past month...and not many of those. I'm sorry I can't help you."

"Everything helps." I replied. I motioned to Dash and Budder. "Come on." We left the wagon rental business, and continued our walk. We stopped at another establishment that rented carts and wagons, but were met with the same lack of useful information as we were at the first. I knew that the weapons thieves no doubt had gotten ahold of some wagons to move their hardware, and that meant they'd either rented or stolen them from somewhere. Unless they already had them, but I hoped with every fiber of my being that they wouldn't throw me a curveball like that. I loved predictable criminals, and detested the truly smart ones. They were always harder to track, and sometimes had a funny way of finding their way into positions of authority.

"What now?" Dashie asked.

"Well..." I sighed. "I guess it was too much to ask for some high-profile criminals to walk in and say 'Hey, we have a big heist we gotta do, can you rent us some wagons, pal?'"

"When has that actually happened?" Budder asked.

"Probably has..." I answered glumly. "Just not to me. Nope, we actually have to go find the criminals."

"At least we get paid pretty good for it." Dash argued.

"Yeah, it's a living. It's still a drag sometimes..." I whined.

"Heheh." Dashie laughed. "Oh man, sweetie...you can be so lazy sometimes."

"Says the queen of slacking." I shot back with a grin.

"What about me?" My sister asked, wanting in on the conversation.

"Oh you, angel?" I replied. "You have selective hearing disorder."

"Wha..."

"Means if I say 'Budder, clean your room and you can have some of that cake', all you hear is 'hey Budder, come eat all of this cake.'"

"Heehee...yeeeaaahhhh..." My sister admitted sheepishly.

"Alright, I have an idea." I said. I hailed a taxi, and fortunately for the sensitive ears of civilized ponies in the area, one stopped. We climbed aboard. "You know any weapons stores in town?" I asked the driver.

"Sure, mac. I know a couple of 'em." The stallion pulling the taxi answered."

"Well, take us to the best one first." I stated. I tossed four bits into the till. Soon, we were off to another part of the city, where pawnbrokers and thrift stores seemed to thrive. We pulled up to the curb next to a business called 'Sword and Buckler Weapons, Inc.' We climbed out of the cab and entered the store.

The inside of the business was like a museum of warfare. A glass counter lined three sides of the shop, and behind the counter, on the wall were racks of swords, sabers, knives, spears and nearly every type of armament ever used in the history of Equestria...ever. I swear I actually saw an original longbow from the classical period hanging directly above a poor-quality ornamental halberd made for home décor. A pale green stallion wearing an old-fashioned white lace-up shirt came out of a back room as we entered. He had a bushy gray mustache, a graying mane, and looked like he came out of a historical reenactment.

"Can I help you today?" He asked. He eyed me up and down. "May I see that sword, sir?" I looked at Dash and shrugged, pulling my sabre and handing it to the shop owner grip-first. "Very nice, sir. Manes and Company Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber." He stated, looking over my sword. "I assume you're military, and this is your weapon?"

"Yes sir." I replied. "Lieutenant Drake, Military Police Division. I'm officially attached to the Cavalry." He smiled, and looked down the edge of the blade.

"Seen some use, lieutenant..." He muttered. "You have a few little dings on the edge of the blade..."

"I served on the frontier." I said. "It saw some use, yes."

"You want to sell this?" The proprietor asked.

"No. That's my favorite sword." I said with a grin. He handed it back.

"I don't blame you." He sighed. "So what can I help you with?"

"I'm conducting an investigation on...a weapons-related case." I said "Have you by any chance had anypony come in here and buy a bunch of crossbow bolts recently?" The stallion sighed.

"They really ought to change the law..." He said. "Crossbows are illegal for civilians, but the ammunition isn't? Doesn't make any sense. What do they think...that somepony's gonna buy crossbow arrows without the weapon? What'll they do with 'em, throw them at somepony?"

"I take it you've sold some, then." I stated. He looked a little nervous. "You won't be in trouble for it, don't worry. We ain't after you, sir. We're after the ones who have the means to use those arrows."

"Right..." He sighed again. "I should have known they were up to something. The one stallion had military ID, and claimed that he was buying them up for extra ammunition for his platoon to practice with. Went on about Army regs keeping him from getting arrows to train with."

"How many did he buy?" I asked. The weapons dealer walked back to the back room, and returned with a folder, which he sat on the counter. The three of us moved closer as he leafed through his records.

"Here it is, sir. They bought three full cases of crossbow arrows. That's four hundred and fifty bolts." I let out a whistle. "That's not all though. That was sixteen-inch arrows. They also ordered four cases of twenty four-inch arrows. You can't use those in a standard crossbow." I knew there was only one use the criminals could have for the longer arrows, to use in the larger field weapon they had stolen.

"They buy anything else?" I asked.

"Oh yes." The stallion answered. "Largest private purchase I'd had in years. Aside from the arrows, they bought...lessee...ten double-edged daggers, four halberds and those four old Army wagons I had out back for years."

"Wait! Did you say wagons?" I interjected.

"Yeah, I had four old Army wagons sitting in the back lot. I didn't think I'd ever be able to get rid of 'em. Those two stallions bought all of them on the spot."

"Who picked them up?" I asked.

"The two came back with eight other stallions the next day. They hitched up and pulled them off."

"Okay...believe it or not, you've probably helped me crack this case sooner than I would have otherwise." I said to the stallion.

"I'll help all I can." He stated proudly. "I don't want anypony doin' anything illegal with anything they buy here. That's all we need in this country is more idiots with weapons, causing more laws to get passed, ruinin' our right to keep and bear arms! If I'd have known their intentions, I would have refused the sale."

"You said the one stallion had military ID?" I asked.

"Yep. He had the card. Said he was a sergeant in the reserve, if I remember right. The other guy...the sergeant pony said he was in his platoon." The shopkeep explained.

"You remember what he looked like?" I asked.

"Big tall stallion, dark green coat...tan mane and tail, both cut short...had a scar on the right side of his face." The stallion said, moving his right hoof down across his eye and cheek.

"Uh-huh...the other pony, he have army ID too?"

"Didn't see it." Was the reply.

"Those wagons...olive drab? With the covers?"

"Yep."

"We appreciate the information, sir." I said gratefully.

"I feel bad about selling that merchandise though..." He added. "Let me do you a favor. You said you like sabers, right?"

"I guess I do..." I answered.

"Half off, anything you want in the store." The owner smiled.

"Huh..." I mused, "really sir...anything?"

"Yeppers."

"Oh no..." Dash groaned, putting a hoof to her head. I looked around at the weapons on the wall, finally seeing something that caught my eye like a glow in the dark.

"That saber..." I said, pointing to a sword on a rack. The store owner nodded and walked behind the counter, taking down the weapon.

"Manes and Company, Model 1840 Light Artillery. Direct copy of the..."

"Prench Hussar saber." I finished his description as I took the sheathed sword. It was a beautiful military saber, with a blade slightly more curved and upswept than my cavalry saber. It was a lightweight, fast, lethal instrument, used more for slashing attacks than anything else. I pulled the saber and held it out, before giving it a spin, and quickly bringing it to a position of present arms, a salute given with a saber, before placing the weapon back into its polished metal sheath.

"What do you think?" The owner asked.

"I'll take it." I nodded.

"Ah man...like you need more swords..." Dash complained. I grinned at the owner.

"How much?"

"Half off? That makes it...sixty bits."

"Sixty bits?" I remarked. "That's a steal." I took out a fifty-bit bill and added another ten bits from my bag.

"Want me to wrap it up for you, sir?"

"No thanks, I'll wear it home." I said with a smile. "Thanks again for the information, sir."

"Go get 'em, lieutenant." The stallion said, as if cheering me on. "Feel free to use your new purchase on 'em if you need to." We walked out of the store, and I paused on the sidewalk and turned to Dashie.

"You know, I kinda like that old stallion." I commented.

"Yeah, 'cause he's got a few more weapons than you do..." Dash shot back. She pointed at my new sword. "And what the hay are you gonna do with that while we're here?" She asked.

"Wear it?" I shrugged. "You wanna wear this one?"

"Heck no! I'm better with my hooves than you are with an old sword!" Dashie said boastfully, standing on her hind legs and punching the air with her forehooves. I chuckled.

"Alright, alright. Let's drop one of these swords off at the hotel, and then get back on the case. I know exactly what I'm looking for now."

So ends chapter 4. Drake's got a new toy, new leads and maybe he'll be able to wrap the case up soon. In fact, this volume will be done within the next three chapters or so. Then, I can start on one of the better volumes in the series. I will try to get chapter 5 up sometime tonight, or early tomorrow afternoon if I burn out early. Day three of no energy drinks, and I'm really starting to feel it. Ugh...So anyway, please review, and until next time, thanks for reading, everypony!