Part 5- Showdown at Your Toast
Landtear watched with anger as Ren, her two brothers, Bean and Hank Adams destroyed the Tin Lizzie.
"The deal is still on the table." said Tawny.
"What of Ren, Bean, and the others?" asked Landtear.
"I can convince them to not do anything." answered Tawny. "Even Dr. Hank Adams."
"What?" exclaimed Landtear. "You know Adams?"
"He helps me with tech stuff." replied Tawny. "He's a little strange, but he has a Ph.D. And he's a gentleman."
"He used to be my chief scientist." said Landtear. "He quit."
I wonder why, thought Tawny to herself.
"Things aren't looking good now." said Tawny. "Five teens plus your ex-chief scientist. Six people total. And there were only two before. Take my deal and spare yourself much trouble."
"I should deal with a left wing fanatic?" asked Landtear.
"Would a fanatic make an offer like that?" answered Tawny.
"You are deceiving me." said Landtear.
"No." responded Tawny. "What do I gain by that?"
"Power over me." said Landtear.
"No." replied Tawny. "I want nothing to do with you. Ditto for Ren and the others. We have other things to do."
"Like what?" asked Landtear.
"Oh, live our lives." replied Tawny. "Ren has school. I have school and causes. Hank had research and gadget building. Lewis likes his pranks. Donny has athletics. Bean has his gear and school.
"Do you think I'm a fool?" mocked Landtear.
"Only if you refuse my deal." replied Tawny.
Landtear bellowed with rage and said,
"How dare you lecture me!"
"Whatever." replied Tawny.
"Computer, run Jerry Lewis videos." said Landtear. ***
Ren, Bean, Hank, Donny, Lewis and Twitty sat around a table in the Stevens' living room.
"I'm Hank Adams AKA Velociraptor." said Adams.
Ren explained all that had happened.
"Bean, I think the rest of us could use some alien tech help." said Adams.
"Ok." replied Bean. He produced the artifact that had given Ren and him powers and said,
"Touch this and think of what you need to rescue Tawny." said Bean.
Everyone except Ren and Bean touched the artifact.
"Cool." said Donny. He now held a heavy club with two spikes. One was above the other and perpendicular to the lower spike. A gutendag.
"Neat." replied Lewis. "A high-powered slingshot."
Twitty found himself with a crossbow. Adams found himself with a fighting stick like Bean's plus tele- and pyrokinetic powers.
Just then the phone rang. It was Landtear. Ren told Bean and Hank to get on the extension phones.
"This is Kenny Landtear." He said. "Let's talk Tawny."
"First of all, we need to speak to her." said Ren. "Now. Or nothing happens."
"I'm impressed." said Landtear.
"Don't mention it." replied Ren. "I speak to Tawny-right now."
"Very well." said Landtear. He put Tawny on the phone.
Ren and Tawny conversed.
"Enough." said Landtear. "Meet me at Your Toast in three hours."
"Ok." said Ren.
The gang re-assembled in the Stevens living room. Ren spoke,
"Landtear's going to meet us at Your Toast to discuss Tawny's release."
"You trust him?" asked Lewis.
"No." answered Hank. "I don't. He'll pull something."
"That's why Hank and I are going to Your Toast." said Ren. "The rest of you will hide yourselves in the mall."
"I know several secret ways into it." said Lewis.
"Cool." replied Ren. "Bean, you and Twitty use my computer and get as much info as you can."
Bean, Twitty and Lewis got to work. Ren and Hank started working out strategies. Donny fixed some food.
The drive to Your Toast was silent and nervous. Hank drove to the rear of the mall and dropped off Bean, Donny, Lewis and Twitty. Then he and Ren drove to the front.
Both Ren and Hank got out and scanned the mall with binoculars Bean had given them. They saw the extra people and weapons that Landtear had emplaced. Ren confirmed this with Bean.
"Let's go." said Ren. "Move in."
Ren and Hank cautiously entered the mall, scanning for ambushes. Bean reported nothing different. They proceeded to Your Toast. Their footsteps echoed eerily in the empty mall.
The whole food court was empty as the mall. Landtear sat at a table in the middle of Your Toast. Ren and Hank seated themselves.
"Hello." said Landtear.
Ren and Hank nodded in reply.
"I believe we are here to talk about Tawny." stated Hank.
"Direct as always." said Landtear.
"Thank you." replied Hank.
"You understand the deal?" said Ren.
"I do." replied Landtear. "I give you Tawny and build the telemarketing center elsewhere. You do nothing do to me and say it's all a misunderstanding."
"Basically, yes." replied Hank.
"How do I know you will keep your word?" asked Landtear.
"Why would we break it?" replied Ren. "What do we gain?"
"Power over me." said Landtear. "Blackmail and threats."
"Leave us alone and we'll leave you alone." responded Ren.
"I agree." added Hank. "Take the deal, we both win."
Landtear laughed.
"You let a teen girl speak for you?" he said.
"If she speaks well and is correct, yes." replied Hank. "Ren did both."
"Interesting." replied Landtear.
"So where's Tawny?" asked Ren. "I want to go back to my life."
"Same here." added Hank.
"A little hard up, Hank?" sneered Landtear.
"Ren's got more than you, Kenny." replied Hank.
"Like what?" he scoffed.
"Morals and class." snapped Hank.
Landtear bellowed with sarcastic laughter.
"That's so pathetic." he said.
"No more talk." said Ren. "Produce Tawny right now, we'll do what we agreed to."
Bean came over the comlink, saying there was an ambush in progress.
"Call off the ambush, Landtear." demanded Ren. "Now!"
"There's not one." he said smoothly.
Landtear rose in the air as if lifted by an invisible hand. Choking sounds came from his throat.
"Do it, scum!" said Hank savagely. "Make your goons leave. Now!" Hank gestured and invisible fingers tightened on Landtear's throat.
"Yes." Landtear choked.
Bean confirmed the calloff. Hank released Landtear and he hit the floor gasping.
"Let's go, Ren." said Hank with disgust.
Landtear watched with anger as Ren, her two brothers, Bean and Hank Adams destroyed the Tin Lizzie.
"The deal is still on the table." said Tawny.
"What of Ren, Bean, and the others?" asked Landtear.
"I can convince them to not do anything." answered Tawny. "Even Dr. Hank Adams."
"What?" exclaimed Landtear. "You know Adams?"
"He helps me with tech stuff." replied Tawny. "He's a little strange, but he has a Ph.D. And he's a gentleman."
"He used to be my chief scientist." said Landtear. "He quit."
I wonder why, thought Tawny to herself.
"Things aren't looking good now." said Tawny. "Five teens plus your ex-chief scientist. Six people total. And there were only two before. Take my deal and spare yourself much trouble."
"I should deal with a left wing fanatic?" asked Landtear.
"Would a fanatic make an offer like that?" answered Tawny.
"You are deceiving me." said Landtear.
"No." responded Tawny. "What do I gain by that?"
"Power over me." said Landtear.
"No." replied Tawny. "I want nothing to do with you. Ditto for Ren and the others. We have other things to do."
"Like what?" asked Landtear.
"Oh, live our lives." replied Tawny. "Ren has school. I have school and causes. Hank had research and gadget building. Lewis likes his pranks. Donny has athletics. Bean has his gear and school.
"Do you think I'm a fool?" mocked Landtear.
"Only if you refuse my deal." replied Tawny.
Landtear bellowed with rage and said,
"How dare you lecture me!"
"Whatever." replied Tawny.
"Computer, run Jerry Lewis videos." said Landtear. ***
Ren, Bean, Hank, Donny, Lewis and Twitty sat around a table in the Stevens' living room.
"I'm Hank Adams AKA Velociraptor." said Adams.
Ren explained all that had happened.
"Bean, I think the rest of us could use some alien tech help." said Adams.
"Ok." replied Bean. He produced the artifact that had given Ren and him powers and said,
"Touch this and think of what you need to rescue Tawny." said Bean.
Everyone except Ren and Bean touched the artifact.
"Cool." said Donny. He now held a heavy club with two spikes. One was above the other and perpendicular to the lower spike. A gutendag.
"Neat." replied Lewis. "A high-powered slingshot."
Twitty found himself with a crossbow. Adams found himself with a fighting stick like Bean's plus tele- and pyrokinetic powers.
Just then the phone rang. It was Landtear. Ren told Bean and Hank to get on the extension phones.
"This is Kenny Landtear." He said. "Let's talk Tawny."
"First of all, we need to speak to her." said Ren. "Now. Or nothing happens."
"I'm impressed." said Landtear.
"Don't mention it." replied Ren. "I speak to Tawny-right now."
"Very well." said Landtear. He put Tawny on the phone.
Ren and Tawny conversed.
"Enough." said Landtear. "Meet me at Your Toast in three hours."
"Ok." said Ren.
The gang re-assembled in the Stevens living room. Ren spoke,
"Landtear's going to meet us at Your Toast to discuss Tawny's release."
"You trust him?" asked Lewis.
"No." answered Hank. "I don't. He'll pull something."
"That's why Hank and I are going to Your Toast." said Ren. "The rest of you will hide yourselves in the mall."
"I know several secret ways into it." said Lewis.
"Cool." replied Ren. "Bean, you and Twitty use my computer and get as much info as you can."
Bean, Twitty and Lewis got to work. Ren and Hank started working out strategies. Donny fixed some food.
The drive to Your Toast was silent and nervous. Hank drove to the rear of the mall and dropped off Bean, Donny, Lewis and Twitty. Then he and Ren drove to the front.
Both Ren and Hank got out and scanned the mall with binoculars Bean had given them. They saw the extra people and weapons that Landtear had emplaced. Ren confirmed this with Bean.
"Let's go." said Ren. "Move in."
Ren and Hank cautiously entered the mall, scanning for ambushes. Bean reported nothing different. They proceeded to Your Toast. Their footsteps echoed eerily in the empty mall.
The whole food court was empty as the mall. Landtear sat at a table in the middle of Your Toast. Ren and Hank seated themselves.
"Hello." said Landtear.
Ren and Hank nodded in reply.
"I believe we are here to talk about Tawny." stated Hank.
"Direct as always." said Landtear.
"Thank you." replied Hank.
"You understand the deal?" said Ren.
"I do." replied Landtear. "I give you Tawny and build the telemarketing center elsewhere. You do nothing do to me and say it's all a misunderstanding."
"Basically, yes." replied Hank.
"How do I know you will keep your word?" asked Landtear.
"Why would we break it?" replied Ren. "What do we gain?"
"Power over me." said Landtear. "Blackmail and threats."
"Leave us alone and we'll leave you alone." responded Ren.
"I agree." added Hank. "Take the deal, we both win."
Landtear laughed.
"You let a teen girl speak for you?" he said.
"If she speaks well and is correct, yes." replied Hank. "Ren did both."
"Interesting." replied Landtear.
"So where's Tawny?" asked Ren. "I want to go back to my life."
"Same here." added Hank.
"A little hard up, Hank?" sneered Landtear.
"Ren's got more than you, Kenny." replied Hank.
"Like what?" he scoffed.
"Morals and class." snapped Hank.
Landtear bellowed with sarcastic laughter.
"That's so pathetic." he said.
"No more talk." said Ren. "Produce Tawny right now, we'll do what we agreed to."
Bean came over the comlink, saying there was an ambush in progress.
"Call off the ambush, Landtear." demanded Ren. "Now!"
"There's not one." he said smoothly.
Landtear rose in the air as if lifted by an invisible hand. Choking sounds came from his throat.
"Do it, scum!" said Hank savagely. "Make your goons leave. Now!" Hank gestured and invisible fingers tightened on Landtear's throat.
"Yes." Landtear choked.
Bean confirmed the calloff. Hank released Landtear and he hit the floor gasping.
"Let's go, Ren." said Hank with disgust.