• Chapter Six:

    “Aren’t you going to answer your phone?” Maria, he had learned her name was, asked him as she handed him an ice pack for his eye which was beginning to swell. Khey looked down , and read the called ID displayed, and shook his head a little.
    “Nobody I know. I’ll check my voicemail later.” He nodded and gave the girl a smile and accepted the token thankfully.
    “Sorry about that shiner. Pops gets a little carried away sometimes.” She canted her head sideways a bit as she leaned forward to investigate Khey’s lump. She didn’t say anything regarding why he’d been hit though. No one had said anything about it at all since the big man had stormed off into the back room and locked himself in. “Guess you’ll be head’n out then? There’s not much reasoning with him once he’s gone and locked himself in there, just so yahs know.”
    Khey shook his head. “No. I think I’ll wait around for a little bit. I’m hoping he calms down a bit and re-thinks my offer.” Though Khey had his doubts, he saw no point in going so far as to take what had felt like a hammer to the face and at least not stick around long enough to see if had been worth it or not.
    Maria pulled up a chair, and sat on it backwards facing Khey, legs straddling over the sides and arms folder over the backrest. She huffed a small sigh. “You don’t know him very well, mister. I’d say he’ll be in there till morning.” Khey was surprised that with all that had happened the girl was still being more than friendly with him.
    Khey decided to pass the time by talking with Maria, and learned quite a bit about her and her father. The two of them had been working the Bolts and Bullets for eight years. Before that Maria told him that she and the big man had been traveling across Halmahera from the Drazzak region. That had been where the big mechanic had found her, and the girl said that before then she didn’t really remember much because of how young she was.
    The whole time the girl spoke, Khey gave her his full attention. By the time she had finished her tale, Khey was surprised to see that the sun had set outside. He stood that he ad lost to much time, when Maria chuckled and ‘reminded’ him of the effect of Central’s tall skyscrapers on the daylight. Khey nodded and sat back down, even though he was wondering how long he was willing in to invest in this man. Maria told him to wait down in the store while she went upstairs to make some dinner, and added that the smell of food might coax her old man out.
    While she was gone Khey decided to check his voicemail, and was surprised to hear the voice of the cute girl from the other day. She had sped through the message as well as her number, but Khey was good at remembering things, and stored it in his phone’s memory for another time. Maybe he would call her up for a cup of coffee once things had settled down a bit.
    Another hour or two passed. Outside, the streetlights began to flicker to life and the distant sound of thunderclouds beckoned the coming rain. It was getting late, past midnight already. The sound of thunderclouds grew nearer and Khey’s eyes shot open as he bolted to his feet as the realization hit him. “That’s not-” His own words were cut off by the loud crash of the heavy door to the workshop slammed open.
    “What the hell?” Khey looked over, and a confused and amazed look crossed his features as the owner of Bolts and Bullets Inc. ambled through the doorway encased in a massive suit of armor that was more than armor. It was…more. It was if the metal worker had made some type of golem and was wearing it as armor. It was awkward looking, yet awe inspiring at the very same time.
    Big iron hands reached up and removed the helmet, making the man’s head look far to small for the body it now belonged to. But the moment he spoke Khey was instantly reminded of why they called him ‘the Storm’ back when he had served in the Empire. His voice was quick as lightning but rumbled deeply like thunder. “Tanks”.
    “Yeah.” Khey still wasn’t sure how far he could trust the man, but no matter how you sliced it, George Storm was his only option now. Khey knew that it was all or nothing from here on out.
    Within the bulky machine sensors blipped and the white haired soldier turned engineer looked out a window. He flipped a switch which doused the lights, then another which made automated sheets of metal come down to cover the doorway and window. Khey was a little impressed with the level of technology this man displayed in such a slum of a place. The man of metal looked down at Khey, who could see anger welling up into his eyes. “I count two.” Came the tactical and hauntingly strong voice.
    Khey gave a smirk, and decided to roll the dice of luck once more with this man. “Does that mean your in?” There was a pause as the great metal beasts calling thunder drew ever closer.
    “One condition.” George replied.
    Khey managed to hide his enthusiasm poorly. “Anything. Name it!”
    “Maria. She doesn’t need to know any more about my past, understood?” His rock-hard eyes and tone of voice was that of unquestionable authority. Give a salute and a grin to his new cohort, Khey nodded. A moment later a the deafening sound of the tanks came to a halt, and a spotlight hit the front door accompanied by a voice transmitted through a megaphone which Khey was hoping to avoid hearing again for a while.
    “Khey, we’ve got your surrounded. This is Special Agent Cross. Ive got with me the First and One-o’-Third Armored Group. Come out peacefully and nobody gets hurt. You have my word.” There was a little feedback as the megaphone kicked off.
    Inside the Bolts and Bullets Khey received an angry glance from the metal giant. Ignoring both the glare as well as the KGU agent outside, Khey gave George Storm, aka William Argonas, a sidelong grin. “So what should we call you? I think we’ll go with Storm. Its got a ring to it, and its something familiar.” Khey absently wondered how many other aliases the man had used over the last few years.
    “Works for me.” Khey thought he saw Storm smile a little. “I always did like that nickname.” He made a fist with his right hand and a metallic ring sounded through the air as a broad blade extended swiftly from Storms forearm. With the opposite hand Storm picked up a what looked to be a heavy twin barreled machine gun which looked to have been intended to be vehicle mounted. The ease by which he did so made Khey wonder what else this suit of his allowed Storm to do.
    Another command from the megaphone. “Last chance to come out. We will not hesitate to open fire.”
    Storm chuckled a bit, which made his suit move only slightly. “I’m glad to know my tax dollars are going to be spent to blow up my own store.”
    “Yeah, and how exactly do two tanks constitute us as ‘surrounded’?” Khey decided than that he liked this man, and was glad he had come all this way to meet him.
    As if out of nowhere, Maria came lugging a big box of ammunition - a few links of it protruding from a corner. The thing looked to be a little to beg for her but still she was managing alright. Her voice came from behind the ammo box, “Once this is over remind me to give you a good kick for not testing this deathtrap first.” She looked up at it with a smiled and grunted a bit as she attached her burden to an attachment on the suits back. “But I’ll admit I am surprised to see that scrap pile even started up, let alone walking.”
    Khey interjected. “So, you wanna fight your way out?” He made a point to look over the hodgepodge machine suit once again before continuing. “Past at least two M-class tanks and a squad or two of dismounts?”
    Maria pulled Khey out from in front of her dad as the machine gun gave a loud CA-CHUNK as two rounds were chambered. Outside, shadows of people moving around silhouetted near the entryway. Khey surmised they were troops preparing to breech.
    The spotlight cut and for a moment the world went silent, all that could be hear was the stead drum of the tank engines outside and the sound of Storms suit. Khey smelt tobacco, and looked over to see the red cherry of a lit cigar clenched in Storm’s teeth. From the little light it gave Khey could see that the man had put on a grim war face, no doubt from years of practice. Through the cigar Storm spoke. “You take her and try to get out the back if you can. I’ll stay here and negotiate with our friends.” The twin barrels began to spin in an elliptical motion, and key realized it was kind of like a backwards revolver, meant to cut down on the need for barrel cooling, as well as allow a much larger size round to be fired repeatedly.
    Before Khey had time to answer the front door exploded inward as the shaped charge went off. But the veteran did not wait for what he knew came next and began firing red hot rounds out through the doorway. Being so close the sound was deafening. Maria pulled Khey into the back hallway were Khey promptly pulled out his phone and began dialing the very first number that came to mind. It began to ring.
    “Who the hell are you calling?” shouted Maria over the sound of gunfire which was now traveling in both directions. Khey just lifted a hand to silence her as he plugged his free ear to try and hear as the receiver picked up on the other end. The voice answered questioningly, and he cut her off not having time for formalities.
    “Do you have a car?”

    Chapter Seven:

    Rachel sped down the intercity highway, passing cars occasionally. She fought down the urge to slow down to the speed limit, compromising with only going ten over. But she didn’t have to go far, so she focused on the ‘then’ more than the ‘now’. She crossed over to RT 31, and entered the Industrial District. Quickly she checked the address again for the eight or ninth time, slowing as she saw a blockade on the road ahead. She took the first available exit and made her way to the south side of town.
    She wasn’t thinking about what she was doing, and she knew it. She knew that tomorrow morning there would be no tea with cinnamon, no newspaper to read on another quiet day. She was thankful that she had the next day off, at the very least. But mostly she knew she just wasn’t thinking. No rationing out this highly irrational course of action.
    As the streets got narrower her speed slowed to a safe pace. She was in a hurry but there was no point if she were to get into an accident along the way. Stopping at a red light she began tapping her fingertips on the steering wheel as she double checked the street names. Manor and 6th. She knew it wasn’t far now. She could make out the sounds of weapons fire off in the distance. From inside of her car it was as if it was coming from a move, not real at all.
    She passed Manning and saw the two big tanks taking a hail of gunfire from within a store and any doubt she had evaporated. Her heart beat like a piston, hard and fast. She turned left onto Emry, slowing to a stop once she reached Kyle Young Square. It was a big open area, a massive circular intersection with roads leading off in every direction. Not two blocks away she could hear the main guns of the tanks open fire, shaking the very ground and sending a rattle through her car.
    After the first volley the world fell dead with an eerie, dead silence. She about jumped through the roof of the car as the back door opened and a teenage girl jumped in followed by the man from the coffee shop, Khey. “Go!” He shouted up to her, obviously in no mood to explain himself. She hesitated only for a moment. When the main guns of the tanks blasted to life once more her foot instinctively slammed down on the gas peddle sending he tired squealing.
    Behind her she could hear only parts of something being said by the girl to Khey, something about another person. Where they leaving someone behind? She imagined herself being stuck in that store as it was bombarded by the military, the roof crashing down on that pour soul.
    She snapped out of her little nightmare just in time to see a man flagging her down, standing in the middle of the road. Her foot stomped on the brake and the little coupe came to a squealing halt just a foot or so before the man. The girl in the back seat pushed her head up, gripping the front seats. “Dad!” she yelled. She could see the girls words register relief on his face, and he moved to the front passenger side and got in. He was a big man by all accounts, broad shoulders and a muscular build. He was a bit older looking, mid-thirties or early forties if she had to guess. His long white hair was matted with sweat and dust, and she noticed he was gripping his right shoulder with his opposite hand.
    “Go, now.” He told her, tone strong and deep, as if there was somehow no urgency yet at the same time no second guessing to be had. She found herself driving down the road at a quick rate before she had even time to think about it. That is when her mind registered the smell of blood.
    “Your hurt!” She yelped, seeing the glistening red liquid trickle around his fingers trailing down his arm.
    “I’m fine.” He nodded forward to indicate she should keep her attention on the road. “We should take a left here and head-” He began again, but Khey cut him off.
    “We need to get to Central Library. We can make it there from here in less than ten minutes. By then they will be leaving whatever is left of your store.”
    Rachel Heart had a puzzled look on her face, as if she had just seen two dogs conversing over the morning paper. If she hadn’t already been in a daze of confusion and near-panic, she was now.
    “The library? You just had tanks shooting at you, and you want to go read?” Rachel could see out of the corner of her eye that the girl was leaning forward wrapping what she could of her slender arms around the big man, her father. The man was speaking in a hushed tone to her, but Rachel could hear the tones of comfort in his voice.
    “They wont look for us there, and I have a a friend who can help us out.” Khey’s words were not really helping to settle the torrent of growing chaos that was swirling around in the young pharmacists mind, but it was at least a direction in which to focus her thoughts in for the time being.
    An hour later the four of them sat in a small basement study room of St. Marci’s Library in Central Plaza. The big man, whom Khey referred to as Storm, had a first aid bandage around his wound which Rachel had applied at the young girl’s request. Maria, Storm’s adopted daughter, from what Rachel had been told during their informal introductions, was only fourteen. She felt almost nauseous when she thought of such a young girl getting caught up in something like this, even though the pharmacist still wasn’t exactly sure what this was to begin with.
    Maria came down the stairs from the lounge upstairs with two cups of hot coffee - likely from a vending machine, one in each hand. The first she gave to her father, who nodded with a slight smile. Then, to Rachel’s surprise she brought the other to her.
    “Thank you for your help.” Maria handed Rachel the Styrofoam cup and smiled gratefully. Rachel’s still jumbled thoughts all got put on hold, even if only for a moment, as she took in the maturity of this girl. Rachel thanked the girl for the coffee, and both shared a moment of peace in a world that had just been turned upside down for the both of them.
    “What, nothing for me?” Khey asked with a grin as he leaned back in his chair, feet propped up on a table. When Maria shot him a glare that could freeze a campfire he sat upright and kept silent for a few minutes. Storm stood up, and stretched his shoulder a little to get out the stiffness she figured. He nodded a silent thank you to her before speaking, eyes diverted to Khey as his tone was gruff and ridged. Storm’s brow bunched and she thought she saw Khey flinch a little bit when the big man thumped a heavy palm onto the table.
    “I think it is about time that I know what going on, Mr. Eldon.” The use of the formal name was not lost on Khey, who seemed to gain back his composure as well as his easygoing attitude.
    “It is more than a bit complicated to explain.”
    “My store, my HOME, just got wasted by a tank group led by the KGU! Complicated is not the word I would choose if I were you, young man.” Storm’s voice was just short of a roar, and Rachel could imagine how he got his name.
    Khey made a calming motion with his hands, encouraging his angry companion to sit. “Alright, alright. How about dangerous? I’m sure you of all people can put two and two together.” Khey was getting his second wind, his back straightening and his tone taking on a as yet unseen measure of seriousness. “However, I am not going to lie to you.” His lavender, gold streaked eyes purposefully looked to her, then to Maria sitting near Storm. “But I would suggest that they both leave before they get any more involved.”
    She didn’t know why she felt sad now, she decided that in the back of her mind she had been hoping for some sort of adventure. But she got the hint, she was not wanted. No big surprise there, but she figured that this was better anyway. Being with the most wanted man in Halmahera wasn’t something she could see herself doing anyway. She stood to leave.
    “What am I suppose to do?” came Maria’s voice. “I’ve got no where to go.” Her thin arms crossed over her chest in disapproval as a sour look donned on her face.
    “She stays with me.” Storm put in, obviously not being totally in love with the idea himself. Khey shrugged, having no real objections to their decision.
    “I’ll just be going then.” Rachel said meekly as she made her way to the stairs. She met Maria’s eyes on last time and saw the girl mouth another silent thank-you. Rachel prayed to the Lord that He would watch over the child.
    Rachel made it up a couple stairs when she heard voices from the lounge on the next level up. The words were muffled, but she could make out the sounds of the voices themselves. One was the night-shift curator who had let them in and given them a place to stay. The other she had to concentrate on for a moment before realizing who it belonged to. It was a man’s voice, not too deep but it carried a formal weight to it. And then her mind snapped the last piece of the puzzle together. It was the man who had asked her those questions yesterday at work, the man from the KGU.
    Turning back around and looking down the stairwell she could see that none of the others could hear the voices from where they were. She quickly made her way back down the steps and rushed over to them and told them what she had heard. “We have to go now.” She said softly, incase their voices might carry upward.
    “We? What happened to getting out of this while you still could?” Khey asked her, an honest sense of concern lingering on his expression. Rachel decided that she had greatly underestimated this man, and decided then that she was in foe whatever might happen.
    “I’m gunna’ see this through for the same reason I left my apartment in the middle of the night to go pick up some stranger I met once in a coffee shop” Rachel had a sly grin on her face, a new expression for her.
    “And that would be because…?” Khey asked, hands open with palms up with a curious look on his face.
    “I’ll tell you when I get that part figured out.” She gave the handsome man a wink, then looked to the other two -her new friends- with a smile. “Now lets go!” she called, waving them toward the rear entrance. Nobody argued.

    Chapter Eight:

    George Storm, formerly William Argonas - Sergeant of New Crystania’s 78th scout platoon, now sat in the backseat of the small red 89’ Dragonfly coupe traveling 80mph down RT 161wondering to himself what he had gotten himself as well as his daughter into. His shop was gone, along with most likely everything in it. No home, next to no money, and nothing but the word of a man he had met only yesterday as to where they were now headed.
    The sun had come up and Khey was in the front driving, Rachel managing to get some sleep next to him in the passenger seat. Maria was asleep too, her head resting in his lap as she was curled up next to him in the back. They had been on the road close to two hours now, and they were still within the city limits. Khey had told him that they first needed to make sure no one was following them before they made it to their next destination. At the moment, George didn’t really care much either way. Last nights tussle with the armored unit had more than taken its toll on him, body and mind.
    There was nothing back on Manning St. for him now. Bolts & Bullets Inc. was a smoldering pile of ruble, and it tore him up inside to know that his invention had succeeded but now sat decimated along with everything else he had worked for these last few years.
    He resigned his mind to the matters at hand, knowing that brooding about the past would get him nowhere. Precedent anything that Khey had on his agenda came Maria’s safety. He hated the thought of dragging her into something so obviously dangerous but knew that there was no place for her safer than with him at the moment. But he did keep the option in his mind that, should he find somewhere safe for her to stay, he would not let his emotions get in his way and see to it she was kept away from harm.
    Throughout the day and onto the next they made stops at different places around the city. A few were quick enough that he and the girls would just wait in the car, but most called for the three of them to go and keep themselves busy while Khey conducted whatever business he had come here to do, Storm knew haw to keep a low profile, and wasn’t worried about calling to much attention to them. With what was left of his money he bought himself and Maria a new, clean outfit to wear.
    He kept to his style of jeans and a short sleeve, black collared shirt. Along with his work boots he blended in fine with the majority of the working class. Maria, refusing every dress or skirt Rachel suggested, went with the same motif as her fathers, jeans and a t-shirt. Rachel thought that though the tomboy look seemed to suit her fine, she could see that a very pretty girl was underneath as well.
    Opposite of Khey, who tended to talk in length to people, the girls remained quiet for most of the time. He figured he knew why the young blonde girl, Rachel, was so silent. He guessed that she was often lost in thought about what she had gotten herself into, much as he was.
    Maria, at least, had not put up a fuss when he could tell that Khey’s errands were getting on her nerves. She had always been a very direct girl, and all this running around didn’t suit her one bit. The teenager had spent the day either tinkering under the hood of Rachel’s car or keeping a watchful eye on Khey, her father’s would-be employer. He knew that the girl was still deciding what to make of the man, and as he thought about it he too realized that he was still coming to some sort of conclusion in that regard as well.
    By the end of the day they were finally headed out of the city, headed west on RT 210. He sat in the front passenger side, as Khey still insisted on driving for the time being. In the back seat Rachel made a comment about how it seemed the car was running smoother. Khey nodded an agreement, even if he was unaware why it was doing so. Storm saw Maria’s smile beam through the rearview mirror and he gave her a little wink. So far so good, he thought to himself. But he knew such smooth sailing would only last so long with a man such as Khey.
    “Mind if I ask where we are headed?” Rachel asked, peeking her head up from the rear.
    Khey smiled, and looked over his shoulder to her, that mischievous grin back on his face. “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to let you in on the surprise early.” He paused for a second.
    “Well then, where are we going?” She repeated her question.
    Looking forward again, Khey smiled like a kid with a new toy. “We’re going to see an old friend of mine in Shattereign.”
    “And why are we going there?” Maria asked the obvious question.
    “Well, I need an airship, of course.” And Khey hit the gas and they sped down the road, the car silent as the he and the girls sat slack jawed. Airships were outlawed years ago.
    COMMUNICATION FROM: SA CROSS
    TO BE RECEIVED BY: GEN SILICA

    CROSS: Reckage cleared, sir. No bodies found.
    SILICA: He escaped? Again?
    CROSS: Yes sir, it seems he now has at least one accomplice.
    SILICA: I don’t care about his lackeys, Cross. FIND HIM!
    CROSS: Sir, this “lackey” constructed a class C exo-suit out of scrap metal.
    - the line remains silent for a minute -
    CROSS: From what we could recover, it does look a lot like our own prototype, sir. But I was under the impression that this technology was still in the developmental stages in the Spec Labs.
    SILICA: It is.
    CROSS: Permission to request additional support, sir?
    SILICA: Denied.
    CROSS: But sir -
    SILICA: You were given two Defenders along with two dismount squads and all you accomplish is to make a mess all over the In. Dist. In the middle of the night.
    CROSS: Sir -
    SILICA: Your orders for now are to follow and observe. Not to detail or arrest. Understood?
    - again the line is silent -
    SILICA: Your chance will come. Don’t forget about patience. Take a step back and bather some Intel for us. We cannot afford another Kensington here, Cross.
    CROSS: Yes sir…

    - End of Transmission |

    Chapter Nine:

    Agent Cross sat once again in the back seat of his black, government issued SUV. And again his two companions sat in silence as their superior brooded over what to do next. But the only thing on Benjamin Cross’ mind at the moment was how close he had been to victory, only to have it stripped away under shadow of night.
    He had brought the full force of a last minute mobilization that he could muster, and though no great force, it still would have, should have been more than enough to capture one man. Tanks, troops, roadblocks, he had pulled in every piece of support he could muster at that late hour. But it had still fallen short of his goal. Khey Eldon had still gotten away, and on Heaven knew were he had headed next. The trail had went cold again. He had scoured the city following reports of possible sightings of the supposed get-away car, but it was a very common model in the city. Even in the late night there was sufficient enough traffic to mask their escape.
    Cross leaned back and stared up at the roof of the vehicle, eyes not really seeing. He had sent wire communication over a secure line to his superior, and had been summarily put on ice so to speak. He was denied all support in the apprehension of the terrorist codenamed Twighlight, who had been Cross’ mark for what seemed like so long now, even though it really had only been a matter of a month or two. He had been pouring so much of himself into this investigation that time itself seemed to stretch out, slowing every single aspect of his life.
    He had not been home in weeks, spending his nights in the office back room catching a few hours sleep while he waited on reports to come in. Now, with another defeat harking over him, his exhaustion was catching up to him at an alarming rate. The deep circles under his eyes and the weariness in his muscles were only the smallest parts of it now. He had lost a considerable amount of weight, and it showed. His once healthy, strong form now looked more gaunt and pale.
    His mental ponderings were disrupted by Kairns. “Ben, I think we should take a couple day, recoup, and start again fresh on Monday. We can send out some of our Watchers to try and get eyes on, but running yourself into the ground isn’t helping.”
    Ben. Kairns had called him Ben. It wasn’t the first time, and he could remember that last time his fellow soldier had used such a level of formality that both of them had been on the loosing side of a rather unpleasant bar fight. Luckily for them Kirst had shown up, the big man more than enough to turn the tables.
    “Yeah, alright.” He looked forward and managed a bit of a smile. “Your right, Dillon. Mind dropping me off at the office? I’ll grab my car and head home from there.” He gave a reassuring nod to his friend, who was looking a bit skeptical. “And I promise I wont do anything involving this case until Monday morning.”
    Cross saw Kirst look back at him though the rear view mirror, a skeptical look edging his eyes behind his shades. Cross put up his hands in the prayer gesture. “On His honor, I promise.”
    “Deal. Monday morning it is. We’ll give it our all then.” Kairns said with a thankful smile.

    An hour later Cross stood in his house, a small two bedroom place off the east side of the Palaceum. He spent the rest of the day in quiet contemplation. He made himself dinner, and went to bed early. The housemaid that the Empire proved its ranking officals had kept things neat and tidy, ad he had insisted. The next morning he went into the bathroom to shave and brush his teeth. But when he looked at himself in the mirror he couldn’t get the thought of his failure to leave his mind.
    “I can’t loose this fight. The Empire may not survive whatever wicked schemes that man is planning.” Cross spoke to his reflection, standing there as he was with no more than a towel around his waist.
    He moved from the bathroom and went to his closet. He opened it up, and pulled out the foot locker at the bottom, placing it on his bed. He methodically undid each of the three latches, and slowly opened the lid.
    Inside rested his field gear and special weapons. A black vest with sectioned armor plates that offered the maximum mobility and protection. His custom .45 caliber gun-blade, the handle of a pistol yet with a couple feet of carbon steal bade affixed in an utterly artistic masterpiece. It’s design was a bit or a reliquary but he loved it. It had been given to him by his father.
    Along with a few other pieces of equipment, the lockers contents were his personal battle gear. All black, it was an imposing sight to behold as he looked at himself wearing it in the full-length mirror in his bedroom. Sleek, deadly, and the perfect thing for the job. Benjamin Cross had no intentions of giving that monster three days of peace. No, he would take action himself, using any mean necessary.
    He put on a black overcoat that went to his ankles, and went out to the garage. Sitting next to his car was his bike. V twin, eighteen-hundred CC’s of state of the art technology, retrofitting onto a racing style motorcycle. He mounted it, and revved the engine, the sound of its fuel-injection system giving a high pitched noise to compliment the deep blast from the muffler.
    He donned his helmet and then pulled out onto the street, heading towards the outskirts. He had a few more lines he could tap, the ones that were best consulted away from the eyes of His Majesty’s enforcers. He had brought many drug dealers and smugglers down this way, all for the greater good. And he would bring down Khey Twighlight Eldon regardless how many stone had to be up righted, or how many stores be destroyed.
    His mind drifted for a moment to the glimpse of the mechanical creation that had held his forces off long enough for the criminal to escape, and then what had been left behind in the ruin of the shop. Cross knew that he needed more information before he could hope to purge his adversary from this world.
    And it was information he would have.

    Chapter Ten:

    Maria sat with a disappointed look on her face atop the hood of Rachel’s car. Rachel was taking a mid-day nap in the backseat, her father and Khey inside the wooden shack that sat in the middle of nowhere. They were about a ten minute drive from the northern coast, and had pulled off the main highway about an hour and a half before stopping at this little rest stop.
    Whatever the girl had been expecting from Khey’s wild allegations of airships and the like she had found them more than a bit exaggerated. There was a plane, if it could even be called that. It was a little eight passenger plane that sat on the narrow runway about a quarter mile off the road. The thing looked to have seen better days. It was far from what she would call serviceable, or an airship for that matter.
    From what she remembered reading about them in school, Maria knew that airships had been used in the last Great war as aerial fortresses. They were massive, the size of a battleship, and had the capability of staying in the air indefinitely through a mixed system of lift and alternate propulsion devices. They had been used by the empire as flying aircraft carriers, launching planes and paratroopers from on high. They had been outlawed after the war because of how effective they had been. That was the way the Empire worked. Once they won with the biggest gun, they outlawed it so it couldn’t be used against them.
    The two guys had been inside for almost half an hour, and Maria was getting impatient. By the time they finally came out she had a cross look on her face. But her expression changed to a confused look when she saw Khey with a wide grin, but her dad with a look of cold worry. The difference between the two of them was night and day.
    Khey strode up to the car, and peered into the rear window. He gently woke Rachel, and she got out of the car to stretch. Maria could tell that the last couple of days were taking their toll of stress on her, but she seemed to be managing well. Maria guess she herself wasn’t much different. Everything had happened so fast that it all almost seemed unreal. But it was.
    “Are you fine ladies ready to get flying?” Khey said with a chipper tone, smile practically consuming his face.
    “Your ‘airship’ is a little on the ‘crappy plane’ side, don’t-cha think?” Maria said with an obviously unimpressed tone. Khey only grinned the wider for it, which was a bit unnerving to the rest of them. Still her father said nothing, but the cold tone was still apparent on his face.
    “What’s wrong, pops?” She asked, unable to stand the look.
    “Uh, well…” He cleared his throat, searching for words apparently.
    Khey interrupted. “Come on, don’t spoil the surprise, ‘pops’ .” Khey laughed, and began to usher them towards the runway without further explanation. She heard him tell Rachel that her car would be taken care of in the meantime so she didn’t need to worry about it. To Maria, that thought didn’t seem to comfort the woman in the slightest.
    Their pilot was a very thin, not to tall man. He was dressed in outdated aviator gear, cargo pants, heavy jacket with a fur collar, and big goggles which he wore as a headband. Retro was an understatement with the guy. His scruffy black hair and stubble chin only added to the questioned appearance of the man who would be holding their lives in his hands for how long she didn’t know.
    He smiled, and gave a little two-finger salute as they approached his plane. Now that they were closer, Maria was able to see that he had kind looking eyes, and an easy look about him. She wasn’t sure why, but that seemed enough to calm her worries about the young man, who looked not much older than Rachel.
    “Hey there everyone. I’ll be your pilot this afternoon, you can call me Robbie.” He and Khey shook hands like old friends.
    “That plane of your looks…” Rachel spoke up, but held her words, Maria figured she knew them, and tossed in the end of the woman’s sentence for her with a grin added on.
    “Decrepit.” Robbie laughed as if someone had just told the funniest joke ever.
    “Well, I can agree that the Pelican has seen her share of better days,” Robbie winked to her “but I promise she’ll do just fine.”
    With little more formalities, the group boarded the plane, and soon enough the engine was humming loud. The take off was bumpy, but once they got into the air things smoothed out considerably. Maria thought to her self, at least this thing doesn’t feel like its about to shake itself apart.
    The flew north toward the ocean, and in half an hour they were soaring above blue waters with no land in sight. Maria hadn’t slept much in the last couple days, and felt the vibrations of the flight lull her to sleep. Her head rested on Rachel, who didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

    Suddenly she was awoken by a jostle. Her eyes came open groggily, no telling how long she had been asleep even though it had only felt like no time at all. Hurry, hurry someone was whispering to her. Then louder, it was Rachel.
    “Look out the window, Maria!” She shook the last bits of sleep from her and peered out the window, bright light making her eyes squint as they adjusted. But when they did, her jaw dropped agape at the sight she now saw out of the little port window.
    “Its… its…” She muttered.
    The pilot looked back with his easy grin. “It’s the Zolumous. Commanded by Captain Alexander. Beauty, isn’t she?”
    Dominating the sky was a massive airship. It was something out of a fantasy book, having parts retro fitted here and there. Its gigantic main wings looked to be a hundred yards long each at least. It had big jet engines suspended from each one. There was a big deck on top, and Maria could make out people waving them in. It was a runway.
    As they came down Maria awed at the massive dirigible style balloons that were attached to a second set of wings that angels at a forty-five degree angle from the middle of the hull. Her head spun as she though about all the possibilities of such a craft, all the engines and cooling units and computers and on and on.
    The plane came to a halt on the runway atop the airship, and all disembarked. Maria and Rachel looked like they had a thousand questions but neither spoke. Her father looked around with a more solemn appreciation. Khey and Robbie their pilot walked over to the people who had been waiting on the runway for them and exchanged words that she couldn’t make out over the roar of the wind. The vessel rocked as afterburners at the rear blasted to life. Maria felt her knees weaken at the thought of such immense power output. She was a kid in a candy store. A outlawed, stadium size, beautiful candy store.
    Khey motioned them inside the big bay doors. Inside it was not like she expected it to be. She expected it the be all pipes and metal. Instead the corridors all looked like they belonged in a house for the most part. With the exception of the lines hat ran along the ceilings corners, and some valves and things here and there it reminded her a lot more of a residence than an aircraft.
    “Captain Alexander is waiting for us up in the bridge.” Khey looked back from his conversation with the crewmen of the Zolumous. “Don’t worry, he’s really a nice guy once you get to know him.”
    “Just don’t get him upset.” Robbie put in with a wink. “He’s know to be a little rough with people he doesn’t know.” Rachel looked a little worried by the statement. Maria couldn’t help but get caught up in Robbie’s infectious smile, as she kept her eyes on a constant san taking in every little piece of machinery and décor she could. She could really learn to love a place like this. In the back of her mind she was already dreaming about being the captain of her own grand airship, sailing the skies free.
    It took about five minutes to make their way to the bridge. It was at the front of the ship and two levels down. The lift had been a wonder, she had to work her mind to figure out how they managed to run all the cabling inside the ship. But Robbie told her it was a secret, which she took as his way of telling her he was quite sure either.
    The bridge was the size of their old store. A big deck with several rows of computer equipment and people manning them. The front of the aircraft was a big half-circle sheet of what she figured was a super strong plastic. It was like a hugs window that shown the great ocean with nothing left to the imagination. In the center of all the ordered chaos of screens and atop a balcony that rose above the main deck stood a man.
    He was big, as tall as her father, but the thick furs he wore and the big bushy black beard made him look bigger. He wore an ornate pirate hat, but even though Maria would normally have found it a bit on the funny side, she could not bring a smile to her face as the man looked at her and she saw that his face was scarred horribly. It looked like the man had been burned, the left half of his face being a different color than the other, the skin looking leathery. His left eye was covered with an eye patch, another cliché, but one with it’s meaning not lost to the girl. From head to toe this man, Captain Alexander, was an image of what a pirate should look like in her mind and then some.
    “Come up, my friends.” The Captain motioned with a hand covered in rings to them, and they ascended the stairs to his overlook. He spoke in a heavy accent she couldn’t place but her mind tied it to a place far to some northern mountains and harsh ways of life.
    The five of them stood before the big man. She and Rachel stayed towards the back, letting Khey, her father, and Robbie take front. They spoke shortly about acquiring passage north, and Khey added he had some other business he wished to ask the Captain in private. Maria wondered again where they were headed, but couldn’t take her eyes of the dangerous looking man long enough to ponder the point.
    The gruesome man saw her eyes darting about him and sneered. “You have a problem with something, girl? Maria shrunk back behind her father instinctively, though there was a fire inside her that wanted her to contest the man’s harsh tones. Her wall of protection was enough for now though. Rachel put a hand on her shoulder for reassurance, and frowned at the Captain, who’s frown grew at this.
    “What, no both of the wenches have a problem?” The worlds rolled of his tongue like short angry stabs of accusation.
    Her dad stepped up, standing eye to eye with the man with a looks of stone on his face. Everything on the bridge stood still in silence as the two appraised each other. Not even Khey stepped in to try and ease things. Maria guess that his eye remember what happened last time he had upset her old man.
    “You two?” Alexander grumbled.
    “Yup.” Was the machinist’s only reply.
    “And why is that?” Alexander looked ready to hang the man before him.
    “Because your not the Captain of this ship.” The room was dead silent and the black bearded Captain looked to have been slapped in the face, until a wicked smile crept across his face.
    “Oh, now what makes you think that, boy?”
    “I had the honor of fighting against Captain Robin, the last commander of this ship, at the battle of Hess. And your not him,” He turned to Robbie with the smile of an old man. “but I do remember that he had a son. Alex, if I remember right. Alexander Robin.”
    Robbie smiled. “I’m impressed.” Maria and Rachel stood in silent confusion. Khey gave a grin and Maria knew he had been in on this prank.
    “Then who’s the big…,” Maria paused, “guy?”
    The real Captain gave his actor a thumbs up. :Not a bad job Orion, but these folks had the upper hand.” Orion smiled and bowed his head.
    As he did his body became enveloped in a field of shimmering lights and dazzling colors. Maria had to look away for a second. When she looked back there was a thin woman standing in his place. She had a simple work outfit on, and long golden hair. But then Rachel saw that her ears were long and pointed. She practically jumped forward and awed up at the woman, Orion.
    “Are you an elf!?” Orion smiled and nodded. She had read about her kind in old books, but she had never seen one or even knew if they were really real.
    “And was that…MAGIC?”
    “Yes it was. You’re a cute kid, you know?” Orion bent down and put her hand on Maria’s cheek as she spoke. Her voice was soft and beautiful to listen to. Maria was caught up looking into her dazzling emerald eyes.
    “Sorry if I scared you. No hard feelings?”
    Maria smiled and gave her a thumbs up. “All good here.”
    Khey clapped his hands as if complimenting the performance. “Well, as much as I love a good show, I think we need to get to our rooms.”
    Robbie, now known as Captain Robin, looked over curiously. “Why so soon?”
    Khey pointed over to where Rachel sat unconscious on a small couch. “That one passes out as soon as Orion pulled her rabbit out of the hat.”
    Maria thought she might feint too with all the things flying through her head at mach speeds. And she could even begin to try to smile any less. Candy store indeed.