First Mutant
By David D. Amaya
Chapter 12
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Near Potomac Raceway, Fort Washington, MD 1905 EST. Day 18
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Agent Nichols surveyed the racetrack just north of his location. Even though it is closed on Mondays, it is hoping with activity.
"Eight patrols near the stables, in jeeps mounted with machine guns," he told himself while looking through night-vision binoculars. "Fifteen scumbags dressed as field hands patrolling the perimeter on horseback, all carrying semi-automatics. No visible guards near the pasture or the field house were the signal is coming from.
"Twenty-three to one. This is not good. I will have to find a way to even the odds a little."
"Then I guess we'll just have to go in with one arm tied behind are backs, bub."
Drawing his weapon while spinning around, Agent Nichols found himself pointing his Service pistol at a short muscular man wearing a mask who kicked the gun out of his hand.
Nichols then shot a scissor-kick to the man's head, which was expertly blocked, then followed up by an elbow to the agent's head, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The man then produced six claw-like blades from behind his wrists.
"Wolverine stop!" said a familiar voice that came running up from behind them.
Using the distraction, Nichols drew his backup weapon and pointed it at the two men.
"UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE! HANDS IN THE AIR!" He bellowed at them.
Wait Kordel! A voice inside his head pleaded, staying his hand.
Two women and a blond man landed from the sky like graceful birds, while a redheaded woman and a man in a long coat came running up to them.
He recognized those who chose not to mask their faces, and then lowered his weapon to low ready stance.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked them.
"Helping you, Agent Nichols." Said Storm.
"Eye, lad," said Banshee. "We could'ne just let ye go off by yerself. You'll be needin' help on this one."
"I can assume then you are all mutants?"
"Yes, Agent Nichols" said Cyclops. "We're the X-Men."
So Cyrus was wrong about them after all.
"I have read all the active reports on you," he told them aloud. "This is something out of your league. The President's son is being held captive here at this racetrack. I do not know who is responsible for the abduction, but they apparently know that Kilowatt is a mutant and that knowledge must be a motivating factor.
"Scott, I mean Cyclops, as per title 51, section 18 of the United States Code, I am asserting field authority, as I am the only Federal law enforcement officer on-site and I am officially deputizing the X-Men to assist in the rescue of a federally protected hostage."
"Okay G-Man, but Jubes better not start callin' me Five-O because of this!"
"All right, Agent Nichols," Cyclops, replied "You've seen the layout, how are we going in?"
"We might as well do this by the book."
Nichols reached into his open car trunk and removed a large black grease board then drew a diagram of the track and the position of all the main buildings.
"Kilowatt is wearing a pendant that has a hidden GPS chip. He was not informed of the tracking device, so his captors would not know he has it on, so he must still have it with him. He is in this field house near the pasture," he indicated on the board.
"There are 23 guards on the outside, some are patrolling in jeeps armed with machine guns through out the complex, and there is a large number on horses patrolling the perimeter armed with semi-automatics, and an unknown number on the inside."
"There are seven guards inside that building," said Phoenix shutting her eyes tight. "All of them are armed with energy weapons."
Kordel then donned a ballistic helmet and removed a shotgun from a large gear bag. "I will lead the breech unit. Because of the extent of your mutant abilities I shall require the assistance of Wolverine and Gambit," he said as he pointed to the X-Men in question. "Once we insert and extract Kilowatt we might have to blast our way out. Once we gain entry the rest of you must create a diversion and hold off any advancement of the enemy forces once we extract."
"Phoenix, can you tell if Cyrus is hurt in any way?"
"Yes, Cyclops. They have an inhibiting collar on him. He's locked in a box and buried in a shallow pit near the center of the field house. He's heavily sedated and is suffering hallucinations, but he's physically unharmed."
"Once we extract Kilowatt we will fall back to this point and retreat."
"Quit yer yappin' G-Man and let's get goin'!" Wolverine said as he lit a cigar. "Let's move Gumbo, the fun's just startin'! "
Another dream started for Cyrus.
This time it sounded like a war.
He could hear the explosions, the gunshots, and the terror-filled screams.
Then the pounding on his grave again.
Someone was there.
No, he's gonna kill me! he thought.
"UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"
"FUCK THE SWEET TALK, G-MAN! LET'S GET HIM OUTTA HERE! BUST THE LOCK GUMBO, WE'LL COVER YOU!"
Those voices, he thought, still groggy and too weak to call out.
Another loud bang, followed by a flood of bright light blinded him again.
Cyrus strained to focus on the three men who stood over him.
"Open Sesame mon ami." said the kneeling one.
"CYRUS!" exclaimed the other. "We have Kilowatt! We are extracting NOW!"
"Lariat," he whispered.
"It's me, Cyrus," he said as he climbed down the grave and pulled him out of the small coffin.
Cyrus, still too weak, just slumped in his arms, and into blackness.
"Cyke, we got the kid! He's okay! We're bustin' out!"
"Professor, we've recovered the President's son, he is unharmed. We're going in."
"Excellent my X-Men," Xavier replied. Then he added the two words he had vowed never to order.
"No quarter. The safe rescue of the President's son is the paramount concern."
"That's it X-Men!" shouted Cyclops. "Phoenix, Rogue, take out those jeeps! Banshee, Storm, take care of those horse riders! I'll cover the rescue team!"
With reckless abandon generally reserved for the Danger Room, the X-Men decimated the mercenaries that were keeping the President's son hostage as four figures came running out of the field house.
Gambit threw charged cards, clearing a path for Agent Nichols who had the unconscious form of Cyrus Parkman over his shoulder, while Wolverine jumped upon three thugs who tried to fire on the Secret Service agent.
Agent Nichols lone concern was the young man over his shoulder. Now having rescued him, he had to make his escape.
Running to were he had left his car, he put Cyrus in the passenger seat while he climbed into the driver's side and hit the gas.
While Cyclops was Optic blasting the charging jeeps that still advanced, he noticed that one was retreating.
"Rogue, follow that jeep and find out where they're headed! The rest of you fall back to the Blackbird!"
"I'm on it Fearless Leader."
"Gumbo, where's the G-Man and the kid?" Wolverine asked when he noted they were no longer behind them.
"Don't know, homme, he was right here!"
"He must have fled with the President's son, fall back!"
Agent Nichols didn't care about the local speed limit as he pushed into fourth gear.
He didn't care about the laser burn that the energy weapon carved to his right arm.
And though he could not have done it without them, he didn't care if the X-Men was still slugging it out with those mercs at the track.
The passenger seat held the son of President Parkman.
And that's all he cared about right now.
"This is almost over Cyrus," he vowed to the still unconscious 12-year-old mutant he swore to protect. "You will be home before you know it."
Looking through his rear view mirror, he finely saw the jeep behind him leveling the machine gun at him blowing out the rear window.
Swerving to avoid being hit by the gunfire, Nichols drew his Service pistol and while driving with his injured right hand, pointed it out the window and returned fire.
Emptying the 15-shot clip he then concentrated his efforts on evading the seemingly endless barrage of gunfire.
Until they flew off into the air.
"Don't ya worry none, sugah, y'all in good hands now," said a voice from beneath the car. "Cyclops, I got 'em were headed back your way."
A few moments latter, Rogue came soaring over the treetops with a black Mustang over her head, then sat the muscle car driven by an astonished Secret Service agent, down near the Blackbird.
"Jus' go ta show ya, secret agent man," Gambit told the Secret Service agent as he exited the car. "Sweet ride like dat one, the fine woman, dey be picking you up!"
Just then, a low moan from the passenger's side focused Agent Nichols attention, opening the passenger door he pulled Cyrus out to examine him.
"Cyrus," Nichols said lightly slapping his face trying to wake the President's son. "Cyrus, wake up. You're safe now. It's me, Lariat."
"Water," was the first word out of his still parched throat.
"I keep a flask of Avian in the glove compartment!"
Storm reached inside for it and handed it to Phoenix, who put the metal container to Cyrus' lips.
Cyrus, Phoenix called telepathically. You can wake up now. You're safe and with friends.
Cyrus looked at the redheaded woman who was still a bit out of focus and smiled weakly and said an unspoken thought before blackness claimed him once more.
Thank you.
"His pupils are dilated and unresponsive, his respiration is shallow and his skin is cold and clammy," Nichols replied. "He's going into shock! I must get him medical attention!"
"We'll take him in the Blackbird," said Cyclops. "We have medical supplies onboard and we can get him to a doctor faster than your car can."
"Thank you all for helping rescue ... GUN!" he shouted as he leaped in front of the X-Man and right into the sniper's cross hairs as he was hit square in the center of his bulletproof vest instead of Cyclops' heart.
Gambit threw a charged card at the would-be assassin and it exploded upon impact with his weapon as Wolverine pounced upon the assailant.
Unsheathing his claws, be displayed them up close.
"All right, bub. Start talkin' or you could start dyin'. Who kidnapped the President's kid!?"
"I ain't talking to you, mutie freak!" he spat.
"Wrong answer, rookie." He said as he dragged him out to were Agent Nichols fell and was removing the Class III trauma plate that saved his and Cyclops' life. Wolverine pushed the gunmen to his knees then forced his hands behind his head in a textbook control position.
Agent Nichols held the steel plate with the large dent in its center and smashed it into the side of the gunman's head knocking him to the ground then he forced him back up by his hair. "I'll ask again, who kidnapped the President's son!"
He spit in Kordel's face. "Go to Hell, fucking mutie bastard!"
Nichols threw him to the ground, wiped his face with his sleeve, and shot him in his left hand. The merc bellowed in pain.
"I will ask one last time!" he bellowed as he forced him back to a control stance. "Who kidnapped the President's son!?" Agent Nichols pressed his Sig Sower at his temple.
"No, Kordel! Please don't shot!" the Phoenix cries out as she psi-scans the paid mercenary. "He doesn't know who is behind Cyrus' kidnapping."
"We ain't jus' gonna let him go, are we secret agent man?"
"Walk away," he replies while placing his handcuffs on the man. Once restrained he places his weapon to the back of gunman's head. "I will be rejoining you momentarily."
"NO KORDEL! Do not do this!" Storm pleads with the federal agent. "The X-Men do not kill!"
"Unfortunately for you, asshole," he whispers in the gunman's ear. "I am not!"
"But I AM," the Phoenix replied closing his eyes. Suddenly the mercenary tensed up then slumped out of Kordel's grasp to the ground unconscious.
"I removed his memories of the rescue and that Cyrus is a mutant, but when the authorities arrive he'll tell them everything he knows of the abduction."
Agent holstered his firearm. "Well done, at least Ops will get a corporative suspect. Now let us get Cyrus to a doctor."
End of Chapter twelve
© David D. Amaya 2007