It has been two weeks...two mind-numbing weeks of class. 18 credits is more like 18 kicks to the nads, but it is what it is. I have been wanting to do some more with Shenhua, Lotton and Sawyer, they're such fun characters to write with. That and of course: The Lab, The Doctor, The Benefactor, Mr. Lin and his...charming, I'm sure...Rascals, and our favorite mafia heads Mister Chang and Miss Balalaika are all back in action!
The Doctor was nearing his wit's end. He had spent weeks searching for the Twins and he still couldn't find them. He'd tried the obvious places first: churches, orphanages, hospitals, the fire department and the police station. Nothing. The Church on the hill was a dead end as well. He'd been told by the gum-popping nun that God was out playing golf and he should…in politer terms, sodomize himself. How could someone with such a foul temper and nasty mouth wear a nun's habit? The Doctor pushed the thought from his mind and checked his list. There was only one place left for him to check and that was the old military airfield.
The Doctor winced as gravel and rocks from the dirt two-track clicked against his BMW E36 sedan. He didn't even so much as glance at the two signs by the gate. He also failed to observe the silhouette target and its many holes. If he had, things may have gone differently for him.
The dirt road ran between the runway on his right and the old facility buildings on the left. The Doctor stopped outside what he figured was the old commander's house. It was a wooden, two storied structure with a wrap-around porch. On the porch at the front of the house was a worn sofa, a clothes dryer and humming washing machine. To the left of the house was a two-car garage with a pair of Sambar deer antlers mounted on the wall above and between the doors. In front of the garage was a dark blue '59 Ford F-250, splattered with mud. Next to that was a red '65 Pontiac GTO, riddled with holes, up on blocks with its hood open and its four flat tires stacked against the garage. Its engine hung from a hoist and dripped fluids into a pan. Three clotheslines were tied to the front porch post and a t-shaped metal pole next to the garage's driveway. Cut-off jean shorts, black tank tops, white button-up shirts, black slacks, blue jeans, mechanic jumpsuits and rows of socks hung from the lines, drying in the breeze.
The Doctor stepped out of his car and looked around to see if anyone was home. He could hear a series of sounds coming from the right side of the house: Whack!...Whack!...Whack! and then Ping!...Ping!...Ping! The Doctor rounded the corner and saw a man with blue jeans, a blue Corona t-shirt, steel toe boots, a bandaged left leg, and ball cap; splitting wood. He'd score the surface of the logs with the ax and then pound wedges into the logs with a sledgehammer to break them.
"Well howdy there!" The man waved and put down his sledgehammer. "Can Ah help yah sir?" The Doctor was taken aback by the accent and cheery demeanor. Most people he'd encountered had been less than happy to see him. He adjusted his glasses, cleared his throat and began his rehearsed story.
"Why yes you can help me. I am Agent Smith from the Department of Health…"
"Whoa there Seabiscuit, yer from tha Gov'ment?" The man interrupted him, his smile slowly fading from his face. "We ain't too fond of seein' agents 'round here…"
"Oh. Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I shall try to be brief. Now…"
"Ah'm sorry to be interruptin' again, but you don' look like yer ah field agent."
"You…you don't say?"
"Yah look a little under-done; like you've been spendin' time in ah lab under fluorescent lights rather than outside in tha sun."
"Oh…I have never tanned well."
"…Fair 'nough. So as you was sayin'."
"Yes, well, I have had two subjects from my research facility escape. They are very dangerous and it is of utmost importance I find them."
"That sounds like ah potential problem. What do they look like?"
"A male and female with blonde hair of slim build, about 13."
"Humm…" The man said, scratching his beard and looking quizzically at The Doctor. "What kinda research didja say you were doin'?"
"I didn't and it's classified."
"'Spose it'd be, wouldn't it? So what makes 'em dang'rous?"
"Well, uhmm…it's…" The Doctor wavered as his story was picked apart. 'What is it with this man? His accent makes him sound about as sharp as a bowling ball.' The Doctor thought. 'But he keeps asking all these questions I never even thought to prepare answers for!'
"Ahmm…that's classified as well."
"'Course it is." The man hooked his thumbs into his belt and walked towards The Doctor; stopping next to a waist high stack of split wood. "So…lemme git this straight." The Doctor hadn't fully grasped how tall the man was and now stood nervously in his shadow. "There's been an escape from ah classified lab, two subjects whose condition is classified, they's dangerous but as to why is also…classified?"
"That's right sir."
"An' then, tha Gov'ment sends an' old fogey like yerself, fifty pushin' sixty, bombin' around in ah $40,000 car, with no partner agent, no back-up, no badge, no gun an' no description 'sides gender, hair an' age…" The man's smile came roaring back as it widened into a face filling grin and he began to laugh. "Don' mean to be rude, but Ah think yer lyin' to me. Now, here in Roanapur, we's all one big, stupid-happy family, so why don'cha jest be honest with me an' Ah'll see what Ah can do?"
"Very well, I can see being dishonest isn't going to get me anywhere." The Doctor conceded. He figured he would get further with the truth and maybe just intimidate what he believed was a simpleton. "I'm in the employ of one of the directors of Extra Order, a mercenary company. Perhaps you have heard of them?" The man looked over at the GTO, down at his bandaged leg and grumbled out:
"Yeah, we've met."
"Well, I've been conducting some research on their behalf and two of my subjects escaped. My employer is furious of course, he's even considering calling in some extra help. He runs an organization that has a local branch here in addition to his E.O. connections."
"Oh? An' who'd they be? Gangs 'round here are like ticks in summer, everywhere an' all up in yer business."
"I'm told they're one of the fiercest in the city. Surely you have heard of the Roanapur Rascals?" The man's face clouded over and the grin slumped to a scowl.
"Agent Smith, if tha's yer real name, Ah'm 'fraid you've overstayed yer welcome." He reached behind the log pile and pulled out an M1928A1 Thompson sub-machine gun. The Doctor turned deathly white and took a few shaky steps backwards. He was expecting at the most an old side-by-side or handgun, not a Thompson!
"Now yah seem ah decent man an' Ah don' wanna shootcha. Jest git in yer car an' skedaddle. Do that an' we won't have any problems."
"I must protest! I don't understand!"
"Didn' you see tha sign?" The man asked, clearly puzzled. "Ah don' want anyone runnin' with Mr. Lin or any of his Rascals comin' 'round here. Now please git lost an' stay there 'fore you start tryin' mah patience." The man hadn't pointed the gun at The Doctor yet, but he had a feeling the man had used it before. Without a word, he turned quickly and hustled to his car. His fingers fumbled with his keys and once the car was started, he stood on the gas pedal and headed for the gate. As he did, the man in the blue Corona t-shirt pulled out a pad of paper and pencil from his back pocket and took some quick notes:
BMW, blue-grey, ding in right rear fender, Plate: Alpha Charlie Tango, Oh-Seven-Niner. Desc: Male, white, grey hair & beard, full. 50 – 60. Avg height. Portly, glasses. Knows about H & G
. . .
"Hello sir!" The Doctor tried to pass himself as cheerful and optimistic but came off as a nervous wreck. "I was just about to call you."
"I'm sure you were." The Benefactor wheezed over the phone. "And you were going to call with good news right?"
"Well, I have at least determined where the subjects aren't…which unfortunately seems to be everywhere."
"So no good news." The Benefactor beckoned for Silas. "Doc, I'll be honest with you. You're a good researcher but a shitty detective. I'm pulling you off of this. Go back to the lab, do whatever voodoo it is that you do."
"Okay…but who is taking over the search?"
"Someone who is a little more competent with these sort of things. I'll call you later. Oh, real quick; how is the new intern working out?"
"Not very well, he's dead I'm afraid. He was checking a lead and triggered a shotgun trap. The man at the residence is a raving lunatic. He believes that aliens are trying to scan his brain so he wears a hat made of tinfoil and has wallpapered his apartment with the material."
"Eh, oh well. Too bad, so sad. Talk to you later." The Benefactor hung up and rubbed his temples, his head consumed in a growing migraine. "Silas, assemble a squad. Find those kids…alive."
. . .
"I really need to find a cooler ride. This is just…humiliating." Lotton thought as he maneuvered his moped through traffic. He'd wanted something with a lot of style and power. But without a successful bounty for weeks and paying his share of rent at Shenhua's, it was all he could afford. "Maybe a '69 Camaro SS…or a real motorcycle like Sister Eda rides." As he passed the Yellow Flag, the Roanapur Raider roared overhead, headed for the mainland. Country had asked Lotton to watch the Twins while Lagoon was gone. Lotton had been promised the flight was a short hop; a few hours out, a few hours back. No big deal.
Lotton shut off the moped, adjusted his backpack and walked inside the house. Hansel and Gretel weren't in the living room, which was strange. Usually they were waiting for him on the couch, excited for the newest game he'd brought. He figured they must be upstairs so he started to hook up the system to the TV. He turned the TV to the news as he fiddled with the cables. Maybe there was a new bounty that would be announced and he wouldn't want to miss out on that. His recent attempts hadn't gone quite according to plan but that was no reason to stop trying. Perhaps Shenhua could give him some lessons or pointers; she seemed to be a lot more in-tune with assassin work. As Lotton messed with the game system, he turned up the volume as the arrest reports were announced. Because of the sound, he didn't hear the soft footsteps on the stairs or the tip-toes creeping up behind him.
. . .
"Sawyer, why we go to Bumpkin's?" Shenhua asked as Sawyer wove her truck through evening traffic. "I have better thing to do!"
"Because Lotton invited us…to hang out…and you told him…you had nothing…better to do tonight."
"Well maybe I think of something." Shenhua crossed her arms and looked over at Sawyer. "Besides, you always over at Bumpkin's by yourself, why you bring me?"
"Because…you like…Lotton." Sawyer said; smiling as Shenhua's cheeks turned red.
"Whaaa?! Me and Wizard? Girly you go dinky dow!"
"I'm just calling it…as I see it. You've been…sweet on him…ever since…he saved us from…the fire at the docks…and took us…to the hospital."
"You only see what you want to see. What about you? You play games with Lotton on TV."
"But that's…really all we do. He's a good friend…to me. We hang out…but he's too…dramatic for…my taste."
"Oh, so you no like Wizard?" Shenhua asked with a hint of relief in her voice. "Not your taste? Hmmm…" She studied Sawyer who was trying to focus on the road under Shenhua's scrutinizing gaze.
"What?"
"Yes…I see now. It so very clear to me."
"What is?"
"I think I know your taste. You like, how they say, down-home?"
"I have…no idea…what you're talking about." Sawyer slowly turned pink and tried very hard to avoid eye contact with Shenhua.
"Yes you doooo…" Shenhuah jeered. "You like Bumpkin yes?"
"No! What would…make you think that?!" Sawyer shot back a little too quickly. 'It's not like he'd like me back anyway!' She thought, her fingers curling tightly around the wheel. 'I mean, why would he? I'm short, pale and I look like a twig next to Shenhua, Revy and Eda…and that Jane too! I can barely talk to him sober, I mean, he's just soooo…I mean, he's such a nice guy, but isn't a pansy like Rock. He always asks me how I'm doing, gives me books and actually talks to me like a human being…oh wait! The other week after the Yellow Flag. I was so drunk; I hope I didn't say anything stupid. I mean, we did hang out, but I just passed out on the couch, it's not like anything happened. Oh well, it wouldn't matter anyway. Who would want the quiet girl with no self-esteem, scars and a cut throat? Why can't I be more like Shenhua or Revy? More confident, more sure of myself and not caring about what other people think about me…" Sawyer sighed and glanced at herself in the mirror. 'And not looking like I haven't slept in a week wouldn't hurt either, while I'm dreaming. And speaking of dreams…the other day I showed up to watch the Twins and Country was walking back from the hangar without his shirt on because he'd gotten hydraulic oil all over it…oh my God…'
"Sawyer! Pay attention!" Shenhua yelled; yanking on the wheel as Sawyer got lost in her thoughts. The truck swerved hard right and they nearly missed a line of cars. Sawyer glanced at the lead vehicle and saw the driver glaring back. He had a laborer's build, deep set eyes under a heavy brow. The scars across his head looked like he had used it to break rocks for a living. So intense was his glare that it chilled Sawyer to the bone and left her with an uneasy feeling; the man was pure evil.
"Hey! You okay? You nearly kill us."
"Yeah…I'm fine. Sorry, I was just…" Sawyer mumbled as she drove through the airfield's gate. 'I really need to stop daydreaming like that.' she thought.
"Never mind. We here now." Shenhua jumped out of the truck and sauntered across the lawn to the porch. "Lotton?! Twins! Where you at?" She called as she and Sawyer walked through the front door. "Lotton! Why you laying down on job?" Lotton was on the floor in front of the TV, wriggling like a fish on the deck, trussed up with the controller cables and extension cords. He rolled over and managed to spit out the paper towels jammed in his mouth.
"The Twins!" He gasped. "They're having a flashback!"
. . .
No one was sure what had caused it, but Hansel and Gretel had flipped their lids. Their minds retreated somewhere deep into their consciousness as darkness retook them. Visions of nights spent in terror, the pain of broken bones and hunger came flooding back, all congealing into a feeling of overwhelming panic and rage. The fury at their years spent suffering helplessly built and built, boiling over as their brains went into full panic mode. They had crept downstairs and knocked out Lotton, tying him up with the game controller cables. Gretel then flipped over the coffee table and took the M1928A1 Thompson and five thirty round magazines underneath it. Hansel had walked outside to the stump where Country had been splitting logs. Planted in the stump was a felling ax, nearly as tall as Hansel and equipped with an eight inch razor sharp blade. Hansel took the ax in his hands and wrenched it free of the stump. With the ax over his shoulder and the Thompson cradled in her arm like a beloved doll, Hansel and Gretel joined hands and walked through the airfield's gate. They made a left hand turn onto the main road and headed for town.
. . .
"So what we do now?" Shenhua asked as she helped Lotton untangle himself from the cables.
"We have to find them quickly." Lotton stood, adjusting his coat and ensuring his sunglasses were in place. "They're not in their right mind; God only knows what they're going to do. They could be on their way to start a massacre."
"Ehhh…sound like lot of work. Why we risk butt for Twins? Bumpkin only pay $50 per night. It not worth it."
"And here I was thinking you were pure Taiwanese." Lotton marched out the front door, leaving Shenhua speechless. "I never thought you'd bring dishonor to yourself by breaking a promise."
"What that you say?!"
"Country asked us to watch over the Twins. He didn't say 'Only if they're at the house' or 'Only if they're at the airfield'. He said 'Make sure they stay safe and don't hurt themselves or anyone else, no matter what.'" Lotton drew one of his C96 Mauser Broomhandles and checked the chamber to ensure it was loaded. "So, I'm honoring my promise and going to find them." He looked back at Shenhua. "You're not backing out on them…on me…are you?" Shenhua fidgeted irritably on the porch. She was wrestling between what she felt was going above and beyond the call of duty and having her integrity called into question. Still, Lotton was right. A promise was a promise, even if the promise paid for shit. Besides, she couldn't let Lotton go by himself, he'd probably get lost. She reached into her coat and drew her kukri knives, twirling one on its tether.
"Very well Lotton. I go. Sawyer, you drive."
. . .
"What's the plan Silas?" The man in the shotgun seat asked.
"We're going to split into two groups. One will post, the other will push. It will start on one end of the neighborhood and work its way down. The second team will be in place to intercept."
"Just like driving deer with hounds to the hunters?"
"Exactly like that." Silas said, leading a convoy of black sedans through the city. The cars were full of Extra Order soldiers, a squad assembled by Silas himself. His entire working life had been given to E.O., a twenty year career that started at the ripe old age of 14 in Bucharest. Now he was an assistant and bodyguard to one of the organization's directors. It was an extremely coveted position, only attained by a proud, highly skilled and trained few that…
"Silas! Look out!" The man in the passenger seat yelled as two children appeared in the sedan's headlights. Caught by surprise, Silas slammed on the brakes and narrowly missed the kids. The car skidded out of control, hopped the curb onto the sidewalk and plowed into the front window of a liquor store. Bottles rained down on the hood and roof of the car, covering it in a sticky sheen of rum, red wine and tequila.
The rest of the convoy, four cars behind Silas, screeched to a halt. The other soldiers, numbering twenty in all including Silas's vehicle, stepped out of their cars. Since this was supposed to be a snatch and grab of two kids, none except Silas were carrying guns to eliminate the chance of 'accidents'. They did have chains, pipes, bats, brass knuckles, if they were carrying anything at all besides their E.O. issued knife. So they felt at a serious disadvantage when they saw Gretel and her Thompson.
"Ei bine, salut acolo!" She cheerily called to the nervous group of soldiers. "Fratele meu și cu mine suntem atât de foarte plictisit. Vei juca cu noi?" (Romanian: Well hello there! My brother and I are so very bored. Will you play with us?) The two smiled, showing off their pearly white and frighteningly sharp canine teeth. Silas stumbled out through the liquor store window, dripping wet and smelling very strongly of Kahlua.
"That…that's them!" Silas reached into his coat and drew his gun, a custom Kimber 1911: match grade trigger, extended beavertail grip safety, barrel extension and compensator, threaded for the attached suppressor and loaded with twelve rounds of 0.45 ACP hollow-points. "Don't just fucking stand there! Get them, alive!"
The men charged en masse, hoping to overwhelm the Twins with sheer numbers. Gretel opened fire and cut down three soldiers with a thirty round burst, a smile splitting her face with each shot. The soldiers hit were shredded by the rounds, their organs exploding through their backs into the faces of the men behind them. When their bodies fell, the next line of soldiers tripped on the corpses and collapsed in the pools of blood and matter. Gretel laughed with glee at the sight, dropping the empty magazine to load another thirty rounds.
Hansel didn't wait for a target, he took the proactive approach. He rushed forward axe held at a low ready on his right side. His first swing was upwards and caught the lead soldier in the groin. The blade, sharpened by Country until he could shave arm hair with it, sliced through the soldier clear up to his sternum. As the axe head cleaved his body, the soldier let out a blood curdling shriek that brought out a grimace of joy from Hansel. Using the soldier's momentum, Hansel tossed the man over his shoulder and pulled the ax free at the same time. Hansel now had one soldier on either side of him with their backs turned. He swung for the one on his right and decapitated the man with one swift, clean cut. The resulting burst of blood doused the next soldier who put up his hands to shield his eyes from the hot, blinding spray. Hansel swung the ax again and the next soldier's innards poured from the gash to his abdomen, splattering all over the sidewalk. The ax had passed so easily through the soldier that Hansel found himself over-extended. Another soldier managed to grasp the upper section of the ax handle and tried to pull it away from Hansel. The man's torso exploded from the seven 0.45 slugs Gretel put through him for his trouble, showering Hansel in blood. But it was enough of a distraction for the mob to congregate on Hansel. The ax was wrenched from his hands and a baseball bat sent him flying down the sidewalk. Hearing her brother cry out at the blow, Gretel began running to assist him. One of the soldiers who had tripped on the bodies earlier staggered to his feet as Gretel ran by. He drew a small black, yellow and pistol-like object from his coat and took aim. The Taser barbs fired and stuck in Gretel's right shoulder and hip. Her body convulsed with the influx of 50,000 volts and she fell to her knees. As her muscles twitched, her trigger finger locked up, firing a full magazine of rounds in the air. The pulses of electricity over, the gun fell from her hands and she collapsed to the street.
"Well…he said alive…" Silas said, standing over the two limp bodies, pistol at his side. "Just not how much alive." He sneered at the Twins as his men began to gather up their wounded and casualties. "I'm going to break a bone in each of your bodies for every one of my guys you killed." Silas hauled back and started kicking Hansel with a reinforced combat boot but stopped mid-kick as a truck swerved around the corner and started his way.
. . .
"Did you hear that?" Lotton was leaning out the passenger window with ears pricked and eyes peeled.
"It sound like gunfight." Shenhua said as another burst echoed from the next block over. "I always like bringing knife to gunfight. It so much fun. They never expect it." Sawyer made a hard left and came upon the rear of the convoy of sedans. The soldiers had their backs turned, occupied with subduing Hansel and Gretel and picking up what was left of their comrades. Sawyer turned on the radio and tuned it to one of her favorite stations:
This is RPA, Roanapur Punk Army! We're in the middle of a Two-fer-Tuesday, playing two great punk hits back-to-back! If you don't like it then fuck you! This is The Ramones!
"Sawyer look out!" Shenhua yelled, tensing up as the truck gathered speed. "We going to hit that car!" Sawyer turned and laughed at the assassin's petrified face.
"I know. That's the idea." Sawyer said; grinning as her radio blasted:
Hey, Ho! Let's go! Hey, Ho! Let's go! Hey, Ho! Let's go! Hey, Ho! Let's go!
They're forming in a straight line! They're going through a tight wind! The kids are losing there minds!
The Blitzkrieg Bop!
Sawyer sideswiped the sedan and sent it rolling up the street, crushing a soldier too slow to get out of the way. With the music rattling windows, she whipped the truck around and brought it to a rubber-squealing stop. The trio jumped out of the cab, Lotton and Shenhua in front while Sawyer disappeared behind the truck.
"Who the fuck are you and who taught you how to drive?!" Silas screamed, veins pulsing in his head. He trained his 1911 at Lotton and Shenhua, the tip of the suppressor shaking with his rage.
"Yes, an excellent question! Who are we indeed?" Lotton said, the fading light reflecting off his sunglasses. "Well I shall tell you who we are. We are the hand of justice, striking down miscrea…" Buhhmmpp-ahh-bummm!...Buhhmmpp-ahh-bummm!...Brum!Brum!Brummmmmmm! Lotton's monologue was cut short by Sawyer starting up her chainsaw. She didn't even wait for them and ran past Lotton and Shenhua with the chainsaw's engine revved up.
Hey ho, lets go! Shoot 'em in the back now! What they want, I dont know! They're all reved up and ready to go!
They're forming in straight line! Theyre going through a tight wind!The kids are losing their minds!
The Blitzkrieg Bop!
"So sorry Lotton." Shenhua patted him on the shoulder as a crestfallen look filled his face. "I appreciate you try and bring drama to work, but now not time or place. Maybe next time?"
"Next time it is then. I suppose I should start shooting now?" He asked as he drew his guns.
"Yes, I think that best."
Sawyer entered the fray first, charging at the terrified soldiers with her chainsaw at the ready. Silas fired at Sawyer, Thwack!...Thwack!...Thwack! but the rounds bounced harmlessly off the chainsaw's guide bar. The soldier closest to Sawyer swung a lead-filled steel pipe, throwing his whole weight behind the blow with the intent to cave in her skull. With a shower of sparks and the grinding of saw teeth on steel, the soldier's blow was blocked and he stumbled forward. Sawyer reversed her swing and the chainsaw ripped through the soldier's neck.
Shenhua threw her first kukri and the blade pierced a soldier's sternum. She pulled back on its tether and as it burst free, she threw her other knife, curving its path in an arc by pulling on the tether. The blade decapitated one soldier and then slashed open the chest of another, the blade continuing in a long arc. The line then snagged the next soldier and started coiling around his neck. With a sharp tug, his vertebrae snapped and his body crumpled in a limp, lifeless heap.
"Who the fuck are they Silas?" An E.O. soldier yelled as they took shelter behind a car. "Commander didn't say anything about resistance!"
"Fucked if I know!" Silas fired at Shenhua but she moved about too quickly for him to make an accurate shot. Still, she felt the rounds buzz by and when she looked down at her coat, there were three brand new holes in it. Lotton returned fire and his higher velocity rounds sailed through the car doors. A 7.92mm bullet struck the man next to Silas and blasted out through his chest, his breath exploded with a loud whoosh as his left lung collapsed. Silas looked around to see how many of the original twenty were left standing. He counted eight…including himself.
'This isn't good, so much for numerical superiority.' He thought. 'Should I call this in? No, not yet…' His train of thought was interrupted as Sawyer's chainsaw chewed its way through another soldier, throwing blood across the car's hood and windows. 'Okay, I'm calling this in.' Silas pulled out his phone and tried to dial his Commander's number but he dropped it as Lotton opened fire on his car again and the phone rolled underneath to the exact center, just out of reach.
Hey ho! Let's go! Shoot 'em in the back now! What they want, I don't know! They're all revved up and ready to go!
"Sawyer! You find Twins yet?" Shenhua called as she nonchalantly dispatched two more soldiers.
"No…I haven't had…a chance to look."
"Miss Shenhua, duck please." Lotton ordered and Shenhua flattened herself onto the pavement. Lotton fired at the two soldiers rushing Shenhua, Crack! Crack!...Crack! Crack! With the closest threats dispatched Lotton turned to look for more targets. Silas stood, moving around his car and fired at Lotton. Three rounds hit Lotton in the chest and knocked him down. As Silas fired the third round, Shenhua threw a kukri his way. The blade missed his torso by a hair and embedded itself in the car behind him. The bladed did slice through his right tricep, causing his arm to contract and limp-wristed the gun as it fired. Because Silas had slackened his grip, the gun didn't recoil properly and the spent shell stove-piped in the ejection port. He moved to clear his pistol but Shenhua's second knife knocked it from his hand and also stuck in the car. Deprived of his primary weapon, Silas improvised. He wrapped the tethers around his arms and heaved.
"Oh…fuck." Shenhua said as she was pulled across the street so quickly and with such force that her feet left the ground. With a split-second before impact, Silas side-stepped Shenhua and she crashed face first into the side of the car. She staggered to her feet and drew one of her throwing knives, intent on gouging Silas's eyes out. With her arm up Shenhua exposed her abdomen and Silas slammed his knee into her gut. The air was forcibly expelled from her lungs and was followed by a mouthful of blood. The wound from Eda's Glock ripped open and Shenhua collapsed in a writhing ball of pain.
Sawyer ran to help Shenhua but was blocked by the two remaining soldiers. The first swung his crowbar at her and she parried with the guide bar once, twice and on the third swing Sawyer bumped the chainsaw's trigger. The chain kicked back the crowbar straight into the man's face and the blow shattered his nose and broke the zygomatic arch under his left eye. She turned to the last soldier, standing nervously with a baseball bat and shaking knees. He wavered at the sight of the pale, smiling girl covered in blood, pointing a chainsaw at his chest. As Sawyer advanced, the radio in her truck kept playing:
Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go! I wanna be sedated! Nothin' to do and no where to go-o-oh! I wanna be sedated! Just get me to the airport! Put me on a plane! Hurry hurry hurry! Before I go insane! I can't control my fingers, I can't control my brain! Oh no, no, no, no, no!
The bat clattered to the ground as the soldier turned tail and sprinted for his life. Silas stooped to pick up his pistol and cleared the ejection port. Once it was functioning again he fired again at Sawyer and the gun's slide locked open as he ran out of ammunition. Sawyer shielded herself from the rounds and attacked. She swung down from above, aiming for Silas's head. He blocked with the only means he had, his pistol; holding it by the frame and suppressor. His arms shuddered as the chainsaw chewed its way through the 1911's slide. He was able to shove the chainsaw back and dropped his empty and now useless gun. He sprang back away from the chainsaw aimed at his heart and started to laugh as the motor sputtered and died.
'What the actual hell?!' Sawyer thought as she looked down at her chainsaw, wondering what had gone wrong. She felt a twinge of panic when she saw the gas tank on the side and the 0.45 caliber gash that ran along the side. One of the bullets she had deflected with the guide bar had traveled down and hit the tank and now she was out of fuel. 'I really should have gotten the upgraded model…' She thought, looking down at her now useless weapon. 'Spent the extra money…oh well.' She dropped the chainsaw and started backing away from Silas.
"What's the matter little girl?" Silas sneered, throwing open his coat. "Not so tough without your toy are you?" He pulled a metal rod from its case on his belt, tapping the base in his palm. With sweep of his arm and flick of the wrist, Silas deployed his first and favorite weapon: a 24 inch titanium-steel riot baton. Faced with the new weapon Sawyer backed up farther and felt something roll under her foot. She looked down and saw the baseball bat, a Louisville Slugger. Keeping her eyes on Silas she picked it up, felt the handle wrapped with athletic tape and the dings and nicks in the wood. 'Just like the first one I had.' She thought.
Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go! I wanna be sedated! Nothin' to do and no where to go-o-oh! I wanna be sedated! Just put me in a wheelchair, get me to the show! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Before I go loco! I can't control my fingers, I can't control my toes, Oh no, no, no, no, nooo…
Silas swung his baton and aimed to break Sawyer's neck. She knocked his baton aside and took her swing, aiming to break his knee. Her blow landed high on his upper leg and Silas grunted with pain as the strike bruised him to the bone. He stumbled back, wildly swinging his baton to create distance between them. Limping on his right leg, Silas swung across Sawyer and opened up his left arm. For his carelessness, Sawyer bashed Silas's arm and could feel the tremor of his elbow breaking resonate through the bat.
It was getting hard for Silas to see as the pain radiating from his elbow made his eyes water and vision blur. He tried to maintain his balance while clasping his arm to his chest, mitigating the pain by a small degree. Frustrated and enraged by being outmatched by Sawyer, Silas swung with all his might and Sawyer's bat splintered into a flurry of pieces. One of the shards broke free from the bat and struck Silas on the cheek just below his eye. He flinched from the pain and closed his eyes in reflex. Sawyer looked down at the shattered bat in her hands, the shaft tapering down to a fine point. With all the strength she could muster in her five-foot-one frame, Sawyer lunged forward and drove the splintered end of the bat through Silas's chest with such force that she lifted his feet from the pavement. With the bat still protruding from his chest, Silas collapsed as blood bubbled over his lips. His fingers scrabbled over the bat, trying to decide if he should or even could try to pull the bat from his chest. His hands fell slack on his chest as blood pooled underneath him. Sawyer picked up her chainsaw and walked over to Silas as he struggled to breath and knelt down beside him.
"What's the matter…little boy…" She said as Silas faded away. "Not so tough…without children to beat…are you?"
. . .
'Oh that's a rib, that's definitely a broken rib…maybe two.' Lotton thought as he slowly sat up. He hadn't been able to buy the body armor he'd wanted that came with the ballistic plate. Instead, he had settled for regular soft armor. It had stopped the bullets from penetrating but the force from the rounds made him feel like he'd been hit with a nine-pound hammer, thrice. He rolled over and forced himself to stand, his head swimming as he staggered to his feet. He could see Sawyer helping Shenhua back to the truck. Shenhua had taken off her coat and wrapped it around her reopened wound and the white cloth was stained dark red with blood.
"Go and look…for the Twins." Sawyer said as she dropped the loading ramp on the truck, Shenhua was in no shape to climb back into the cab or haul herself into the back. "They're probably…one of the cars" Lotton stumbled over to the first car, holding his stomach and wincing with each step. The trunk one that one was empty and so was the second one. As Lotton stumbled to the third car, he heard a muffled thump. He reached the car and the loose license plate rattled as something slammed against the trunk. He picked up a dropped crowbar from one of the E.O. soldiers and forced the trunk open.
"Mister Lotton?" Hansel said as he peered through the gap Lotton had opened. "What're you doing here?"
. . .
"An' so then, tha husband looks at his wife an' says: 'What're we gonna do now? We've been thrown outta tha church AN' tha Home Depot!'" Country finished his joke as Lagoon disembarked from the Roanapur Raider.
"Ha! You know what Bumpkin?" Revy said, trying to look like she wasn't laughing too hard. "Your jokes don't suck half as bad as when you first got here. Must be Stockholm Syndrome."
"Oh, c'mon Mizz Revy, you laugh more than yah let on…hold up." Country stopped at the edge of lawn around the house. His head swiveled left and right, eyes searching for something the rest of Lagoon hadn't picked up on. "Somethin' ain't right…"
"What's up Bumpkin?" Revy asked, trying to see what Country was looking at.
"Mah ax is missin'." Country nodded to the splitting stump. "That 'n' Hansel an' Gretel ain' runnin' out tah see us, Mister Lotton's scooter is here but Ah don' see him an' there's ah set of tire tracks in mah driveway Ah don't recognize."
"Well maybe they're in the house?" Rock suggested, crossing the yard. He opened the front door and called inside. "Hansel! Gretel! Lotton! Where are you? We're ba…ck…" He trailed off as he saw the mess in the living room. "Uh, Country?"
"Yeah Rock, what's up?" Country stepped inside and his face turned gray when he saw the flipped coffee table and the empty brackets where the Thompson and magazines had been hung. "Aw…nuts an' bolts we're screwed."
"Are you thinking flashback?" Benny asked as he too surveyed the living room. "That's what I'm thinking."
"Yep. It's what Ah'm thinkin'. Aw shit, Mizz Balalaika's gonna roast mah ass alive fer this…"
"Not if we find them first!" Benny said as he ran back outside. "Well c'mon Country! Get your truck keys and we'll go find them!"
"Why're you so anxious tah help?" Country asked as he climbed inside the truck and the old Ford engine rumbled to life. Benny and Dutch clambered into the bed and Rock and Revy sat in the cab.
"Well, if they're gone that means no more tutoring, no more $15 an hour and no more free lunches."
"Is that all they is tah you?" Country looked at Benny in the mirror. "Ah meal ticket?"
"Maybe I enjoy their company because they're capable of holding an intellectual conversation now, which is quite refreshing I might add." Country raised an eyebrow in the mirror and kept staring at Benny. "Okay, they're kind of starting to grow on me! Now get driving before they do something like start a street fight." As they headed for town, Revy spotted Sawyer's truck headed towards them. She waved out the window, pointing to the Yellow Flag's parking lot.
"Where did y'all disappear off to?" Country asked Lotton as the two parties met in front of the Flag.
"Just into town, the Twins had a flashback." Lotton said; wincing as he gingerly stepped out of Sawyer's truck. "They ran into some guys that I think were from Extra Order…it is an absolute disaster back there."
"Country! We're sooo sorry!" Hansel and Gretel cried as they ran around the truck. "We didn't mean it!" Country caught the two of them as they hugged him, looking like they were about ready to start bawling. "We were doing so well and messed up, it's all our fault! We let you down! We're sorrr…" Gretel said, lower lip quivering.
"Hey, hey now! Tha most important thing is that yer okay. Now can yah settle down fer ah bit so we can git this sorted out? We'll worry about tha flashback later, okay?" Country's tone had changed drastically to something soft and it almost didn't belong to his body. Upon using it though, the Twins began to settle down. Country picked them up and set them on the tailgate of his truck and asked if they needed anything.
"Could you do that one song for us?" Hansel asked. "Please?"
"Now? Can' it wait?"
"Pleeeease? It'll help us feel better."
"Oh all right, twistin' mah damn arm…Ahem, hem…hem." Country cleared his throat and looked around at everyone else. "Not used to such ah large audience. Okay, how did that one go?" Country cleared his throat again and after a few pitch adjustments, began to quietly sing.
To Canaan's land Ah'm on mah way, where tha Soul of Man never dies…Mah darkest night will turn to day, where tha Soul of Man never dies.
Dear Friends there'll be no sad farewells, there'll be no tear-dimmed eyes…Where all is peace an' joy an' love, an' tha Soul of Man never dies.
Tha love light beams 'cross tha foam, where tha Soul of Man never dies…It shines an' lights tha way to home, where tha Soul of Man never dies.
Tha Rose is bloomin' there fer me, where tha Soul of Man never dies…An' Ah will spend eternity, where tha Soul of Man never dies.
Mah life will end in deathless sleep, where tha Soul of Man never dies…An' everlastin' joys Ah'll reap, where tha Soul of Man never dies.
Ah'm on mah way to that fair land, where tha Soul of Man never dies…Where there'll be no partin' hand, where tha Soul of Man never dies…
It was a sight to see, or rather hear. Country's speaking voice wasn't as deep as Dutch's naturally but he sang with a voice much lower than he talked. His singing voice ensured he wasn't going to be opening at the Opry any time soon but it was enough for the Twins. They calmed down instantly upon hearing the words. The two grew very quiet and looked like they were ready to drop off to sleep. As Country finished the song, Gretel even stretched and yawned. They lay down on the truck bed and started snoozing right in front of everyone. Country just chuckled to himself and asked Lotton how he was doing. Lotton countered with his own question and asked what sort of magic Country had just worked.
"Oh that? Mah Mom used tah sing that to me all tha time, 'specially if Ah had ah bad dream. One night when they had ah real bad nightmare, figgered Ah'd give it ah try. They checked right out an' went back tah sleep, works on 'em every time. They seem tah really love that little tune, Tha Soul of Man never Dies. Glad Ricky Skaggs an' Mister Rice wrote it up, saves me ah lot of grief. Anyhow, yer lookin' ah little banged up there Lotton buddy."
"Just some ribs, nothing serious. Shenhua is the one you need to talk to though." Lotton said and Country headed for the back of the truck. "Oh, and she's not in a good mood, so look out."
"Bumpkin! Bumpkin that you?!" Shenhua gasped from the back of the truck, holding her stomach. "I no get stomach opened for $50! How much you think cost for hospital?!"
"Okay, okay! Don' worry 'bout it none, Ah'll do what Ah can do." Country turned back to Lotton who was unzipping his now ruined ballistic vest. "What all happened?"
"The person who can answer that best is Sawyer." Lotton said as he dropped the shredded vest. "Shenhua and I got taken down fairly early and she did most of the fighting by herself."
"Did she now?" Country asked, walking over to Sawyer. She was standing off by herself, trying to avoid attention. "Yah went full punk on 'em didja?" Sawyer surprised even herself by smiling at Country and laughing.
"Yeah I did…baseball bat and all."
"Well Ah am eternally grateful fer that. Ah don' know what Ah'd do if somethin' happened to tha Twins. You really saved them an' me by extension yah know."
"Eh…it was nothing."
"Yer bein' modest. Hey, since yer tha hero an' all, how's 'bout Ah treat yah to dinner as ah thank you?" Sawyer blushed red and nervously twisted her shirt sleeves in her hands.
"Do you…do you mean…like a date?"
"Exactly like one." Country said, cracking a signature grin.
"Well…then…I'm free on Saturday…if that's okay."
"Saturday it is."
. . .
"Boss, this is Cho."
"Go ahead, what's happening?" Chang asked as he put the scouts on speaker.
"The man we're following from the scene has crossed into Rascal territory. He hasn't stopped running, not even slowed down. But his friends were definitely E.O. troops, no doubt about that."
'So, Extra Order and Mr. Lin's hoods are working together?' Chang wondered, looking out over Roanapur harbor. 'Well that's bad news.' He took a drink and listened to Cho finish up his report. Chang told them to keep following the man and alert him when they had new information. He walked past his bodyguard on the way to the bar. Biu stood by in his usual place, wherever his boss went, he went.
"So do you think this guy will lead us to the lab Shenhua told us about?" Biu asked as Chang settled back onto his lounge chair.
"Most likely. I can't think of anyone else who would be hosting a place like that in this city."
"Well, why not any of the other major organizations?"
"Well, the Italians are unorganized as shit. Remember when they tried to use the Twins to kill off Balalaika and got their asses burned instead? They couldn't keep something like this under wraps. The Colombians; don't even get me started. They couldn't plan this out if you gave them a ten year head start. It's amazing they function on a day-to-day basis. That only leaves us, the Russians…and the Roanapur Rascals. We know it isn't us and isn't the Russians."
"We do?"
"If Hotel Moscow had the lab, they wouldn't have patrols sneaking all around the city looking for it, now would they? They think they're stealthy but are no match for a cop used to hunting for people in a crowded city. That only leaves Mr. Lin and his Rascals. Now the only question is the actual location."
"If it's in there, we'll find it eventually. Man, a lab where people are brought back to life! Can you imagine what we can do with that?"
"Oh, don't worry." Chang smirked as he lit up a cigarette. "I have a few ideas, just to get us started. They thing we need to worry about is who called in Extra Order. Lin can't possibly afford that kind of hired help, not after Country turned his mansion into swiss cheese and everyone inside into hamburger. Hmmm…I think I'm going to make a few phone calls…"
. . .
"Capitan. This is Corporal Rurik and Private Sokolov reporting."
"Go ahead."
"The main target has entered Rascal territory. Secondary targets One and Two are following."
"Excellent, continue to monitor their activity." Balalaika said and hung up the radio headset. It was a stroke of brilliant luck that a fight between Mr. Lin's rented out Extra Order troops and an unknown party had erupted in the city. Now they could follow the retreating man and see where he went. It was just a mission to confirm what she already knew, narrow down the search area.
"The squad reported in Capitan?" Boris asked as he entered Balalaika's office. "Your face says they had good news."
"Indeed Sergeant. We've confirmed the lab is in Mr. Lin's territory. There's just one hiccup is all."
"Extra Order troops."
"Exactly. Mr. Lin by himself is weak, especially after Country gutted his officers ranks with his Corsair. He must have a connection we don't know about to get such high quality help on such short notice."
"Extra Order won't be a problem for us Capitan. It will be refreshing to fight at least somewhat trained troops instead of drug pushers and pimps."
"Oh, I do not doubt the men's abilities and agree completely with you Sergeant. The question is who called in Extra Order if not Mr. Lin?" She pulled on her cigar and looked across the city where she knew Chang's office was. He was probably sitting next to his pool, smirking like he knew some dirty little secret.
'I think I'll have to give him a call.' She thought, reluctant at the idea. 'He has that annoying habit of always having something interesting to talk about.'
. . .
Ah, this was fun to write. I love Shenhua, Lotton and Sawyer or "The Terrible Trio" I like to call them for short. It's been interesting to keep everything straight with Balalaika, Chang, Lagoon, The Doctor and Benefactor all running around. So far I don't think I've mixed anything up, let me know if I did, plot holes and all that...stuff. As I always say, I hope you enjoyed reading this latest chapter, will continue to do read and will share your thoughts with me in the review section!