by M L Dunn
“Stay next to me,” Count Vasili said. “Listen for my instructions. My vampire premonition is particularly sharp today.”
When the line was formed, the battalion commander shouted and they began to gallop toward the base. The soldiers at the base were forming behind the wall, using the sand bags to steady their rifles as they took aim at the invaders. The partisan commander shouted again and they spurred their horses a little faster.
The ranking officer over the soldiers inside the base brought his sword up and shouted at the men along the wall. His order was passed down the line and Tom knew as soon as he dropped his sword, the Red Army soldiers would let loose with a barrage of fire. Tom didn’t like their odds.
The Tempest was just then passing overhead.
When they were two hundred yards out, the partisan commander ordered them to spur their horses into a sprint. It was a magnificent sight, more than a hundred black horses in a single line charging over a field of white snow.
The officer inside the base lifted his sword just a little higher then. He was just about to order his men to open fire when the Tempest sounded her foghorn. The blast filled the air so loudly, Tom could not even hear the sound of the horses’ hoofs landing upon the frozen snow and then Count Vasili smiled wryly at him just before there was an explosion not far out from the base, only fifty yards in front of the wall, but this was only the beginning, because then a line of explosives, each fifty feet apart, went off one after the other. Boom, boom, boom they went one after another. Tom counted five blasts and then ten, and finally at a dozen different spots along a line, sticks of dynamite were set off, each shooting a geyser of snow a hundred feet into the air.
The snow spread out across the sky like a curtain drawn between them and the enemy, so thick Tom could not see the soldiers the other side of it.
As they charged into the white curtain blindly, the enemy began firing, but they could neither see the enemy nor could their enemy see them. A few partisan did fall, but then, just ahead of him Tom saw the wall of sandbags. His horse charged straight at it, and he held on tightly as it cleared the wall and landed inside the base.
Count Vasili grabbed the reins to Tom’s horse and brought it to a quick halt. They jumped off, but Tom could only see a few feet any direction as heavy snow fell all around him, but then a soldier appeared and tried to stick him with a bayonet. Tom slid to the side of it and knocked the soldier out with the butt of his rifle. Still he was not able to see but a few feet around him, but the sounds of hand to hand fighting had commenced all along the wall. A horse appeared and ran past him.
“Behind you,” Count Vasili yelled and Tom turned quickly around and saw nothing, but then a soldier emerged from the falling snow. Tom swung his rifle around and hit him in the side of the head, knocking him out, before he’d even known Tom was there.
He took a few steps forward and came across a partisan and a Red Army soldier engaged in a knife fight. Tom knocked the soldier out and then another appeared, but before the soldier could fire his weapon, a hand appeared out of the whiteness and knocked it down. Count Vasili then knocked the soldier out.
“I had it,” Tom told him
Count Vasili looked at Tom doubtfully. “I do not mind saving your life repeatedly,” he told him. “It is my honor.”
They began moving through the falling snow. Tom came across another partisan and soldier in a death match and knocked the soldier out, but Count Vasili knocked out two.
“To your left,” he shouted and pointed and Tom turned and knocked a pistol away before it could be fired. He knocked the Red Army Major out then.
Several partisans gathered around Tom and they began moving through the mist of snow knocking one soldier out afer another, or in the case of the golems, tossing them high into the air. The Red Army soldiers began to surrender then, dropping to their knees and setting their rifles on the ground.
Count Vasili ordered some men to stand guard over the captured soldiers and then the rest of them began moving toward the docking station as the air cleared. A few more shots rang out, but then the soldiers that way began to surrender also.
Chapter 56
The Dauntless, flying only eighty feet above the ground, emerged out of the fog and came into view a few miles from the Vladivostok station. Just minutes before the ship had begun hailing the station, and a partisan had answered them that everything was fine for their arrival.
Tom, dressed in a Red army uniform now, was standing atop the docking platform awaiting the zeppelin’s arrival. Count Vasili was just down the platform from him, similarly attired, but the count had chosen to wear his scarf still so his outfit would not look so drab and plain. A number of partisans were hidden just out of sight in the warehouse just behind them.
As the Dauntless approached, it dropped its mooring lines and other partisans disguised as Red Army soldiers grabbed them and hooked them on to the giant motorized pulleys that would drag the ship up against the platform like a harpooned whale up against the side of a whaling ship.
When the airship was finally secured to the platform some forty feet above the ground, the partisans would storm the ship as soon as Rollo threw open the doors to the cargo hold. Hopefully everything had gone as planned on board and Rollo had not been discovered.
The cabin door opened first and the gang plank was lowered. A sergeant said something to Tom as he stepped off the zeppelin onto the platform and Tom turned his back to him, acting like he was busy watching the men near the pulleys. The sergeant said something to him again, but when Tom did not answer him, he looked around suspiciously, not seeming to recognize anyone there. He unsnapped his holster and went to draw his pistol, but then a loud bang came from inside the cargo hold of the ship. Whatever it was, it had dented the cargo door from inside, a bulge in the steel door poked outwards. The sergeant looked toward there as he drew his pistol.
Then both cargo doors were thrown open and Trunk fell out backwards and landed on the platform. He was knocked out cold. As Rollo stepped into view Count Vasili shouted and dozens of partisans came running out the warehouse onto the platform and then inside the ship.
The sergeant near Tom went to fire at them, but Tom stepped forward and knocked him silly with the butt of his rifle. Shots rang out from inside the ship, a couple of partisans fell, but several dozen more stormed inside the cargo hold. Tom saw one Red Army soldier hurled out onto the platform and he figured Rollo must have gotten a hold of him. Tom started across the gangplank into the ship and ducked into a doorway as a soldier fired at him from around a corner.
Partisans following him exchanged fire with the guardsman until he retreated, but then Tom and the partisan stormed down the hallway until soldiers appeared and began firing at them. Bullets zipped both ways as the partisans fought their way down the hallway and up the stairs while Red Army soldiers tried to hold them off. The fighting was intense, but then the King’s Guard retreated further inside the ship when they saw they were gunned.
Tom led a group of partisans down the next hallway as rifles were thrust around corners and fired at them, but they pushed forward, answering with overwhelming fire power. They were about to break into King Havel’s suite of rooms when, suddenly, from around the corner before there Dino rushed out toward them with several guardsmen following him. Tom and the partisan fired at him, but the bullets glanced off him and Dino reached them, grabbed hold of a partisan and threw him down the hallway and then another.
He went to grab Tom then, but Tom grabbed a chair set in the hallway and threw it at his feet. Dino tripped and fell and the whole ship shook. Dino got back on his feet as Tom tried to retreat from him, but the hallway was jammed with partisans now and Tom was unable to flee. Just as Dino grabbed hold of him, something shot past his eye.
The steel net wrapped around Dino. The small barbs at the end of the net stuck into his stone-like hide. Dino could not lift his arms then or even shuffle his feet. Tom looked back over his shoulder and saw Dante holding a golem gun.
Just then the door to the king’s suite of rooms blew off their hinges like an explosive charge had been placed on it. The wood door flew down the hallway towards them, but it smacked Dino in the back and knocked him down. As he fell he took several partisans down with him, but they were not badly hurt.
Tom looked toward the room then and saw Esmeralda step into view. She raised her arms and a jolt of electricity shot out her fingers. Tom and some others dropped to the floor and avoided being hit, but a few partisans behind him were struck, causing them to be thrown backwards through the air.
Tom expected her to hit them with a second blast, but then Esmeralda screamed as a brilliant flash of light lit up the entire room. Tom was blinded by the light and could see nothing for a moment, but he could hear bodies falling to the floor.
Count Vasili rushed past Tom then, ordering the partisans down the next hallway and they immediately rose and stormed toward there. Shots rang out, but what few guardsmen were left, began to surrender. Count Vasili helped Tom up off the floor then and winked at him as they calmly approached the king’s suite. As he stepped inside, Tom held his rifle out in front of him, but then saw Red holding a gun on a dazzed-looking Mr. Slang and King Havel. Red winked at him then.
Esmeralda was out cold on the floor and Miss Kensington was using a cord from the drapes to bind her hands.
“Where’s Rebecca?” Tom asked desperately.
“Back home in Transylvania,” Red said gesturing toward Miss Kensington.
Tom looked at Miss Kensington and noticed she was wearing Rebecca’s dress and he realized then what Red had done. Miss Kensington had used a spell to make herself take on Rebecca’s appearance. That’s why Red had delivered a fake ransom note, to secure the items she would need to concoct the potion.
“You didn’t really think I would risk Rebecca’s life did you?” Red asked.
Tom looked at Red, dumbfounded. Red slapped him on the back and laughed. He’d used Miss Kensington to ambush Esmeralda.
A shot rang out from the floor above them then.
“Where is Colonel Popov?” Count Vasili asked.
Red shook his head.
“We must see that he is not killed,” Count Vasili said rushing out the room and Tom ran after him.
Right at the bottom of the staircase that led up to the ship’s bridge, a few last guardsmen were trying to hold off the partisans.
Count Vasili ran there and began shouting for the partisans to hold their fire and then Tom heard Colonel Popov shouting from around the corner at the end of the hallway.
“Colonel Popov,” Count Vasili yelled from the other end of the hallway. “Please cease fire.”
“Go to hell,” Colonel Popov yelled back.
“I must talk to you,” Count Vasili yelled. “You must be made aware of the truth.”
His plea was met with silence.
“I’m going to come closer,” Count Vasili yelled stepping out into the open. “Please do not shoot. We are both working to save the monarchy.”
“The hell you are,” Colonel Popov yelled.
“Please let me explain,” Count Vasili said starting down the hallway slowly. “We are not enemies.”
Count Vasili carefully approached the far end of the hallway. Tom went part way there and then Colonel Popov stepped out also. He seemed surprised to see Tom. Count Vasili began speaking to him in Russian as Colonel Popov looked at the partisans at the end of the hallway. He surrendered then. They had control of the Dauntless.
Chapter 57
Bishop to King’s Seven
They brought King Havel, Mr. Slang, and Esmeralda to the hallway just below the bridge of the Dauntless. Miss Kensington came along as well. It turned out Prince Marko was not aboard, accidently left behind in Transylvania City for the time being. Stone and Rollo showed up then shoving Dino ahead of them, having cut him out of the steel net, but his hands were tied with thick rope.
Red approached Rollo and said something to him and Rollo started back down the hallway. Red came over to Tom carrying an alarm clock with sticks of dynamite taped to it.
“Is that from Krakov’s casket?” Tom asked.
Red nodded yes as he withdrew a pistol from his pocket and handed Tom it. “Here’s your gun back,” he said.
There was a clock on the wall in the middle of the hallway and they lined their prisoners up underneath it including Colonel Popov. The rest of the King’s Guard, except one sergeant who was allowed to stay at Colonel Popov’s side, were taken down to the barracks below and kept under guard by the partisans.
Tom felt the Dauntless lifting into the air then and the ship’s engines came on and the ship was once again in flight. They were waiting for Count Vasili to return as he had gone to see that the Dauntless was put into the air.
The count had also radioed the Tempest and informed them they had taken control of the Dauntless. The Tempest was only a couple miles ahead of them, having circled back to see what had happened at the Vladivostok station and now they were flying slowly to conserve fuel. Finally Count Vasili returned and joined Red and Tom in the hallway just below the bridge.
“I have something to show you,” Red told Colonel Popov when Count Vasili returned. He showed the colonel the bomb he’d removed from Krakov’s casket then.
“What is that?”
“A little bon voyage gift Mr. Slang placed in Krakov’s casket. I removed it before Krakov was loaded on to the Tempest.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s simple enough. That night at the Halloween Ball, Mr. Slang hired Krakov to kill Princess Alexi. He tried to frame Count Vasili for it. He also sent the note threatening Prince Marko’s life to throw us off some. After Krakov failed, Mr. Slang here figured he’d blow the Tempest out of the sky with her aboard instead.”
“Why would he want to kill Princess Alexi?”
“Just carrying out King Havel’s wish. Your Royal Majesty here wanted her dead once he learned she’s not his child. She’s Anna and Prince Yuri’s daughter. He learned that from the mid-wife that delivered both babies that tragic night twenty two years ago. After learning this, King Havel knew that Anna planned on bringing this knowledge to light. That’s why Anna kidnapped Princess Alexi, not to hold her ransom, but to save her from her evil uncle and reveal to her that she is her mother.”
King Havel stepped forward then. “Inspector Meriwether is it?”
“Yes,” Red said.
“This has all been very amusing inspector, but even if your story was true it is of no importance. I am still King of the United Realm of Russians and Kreatures, even if, as you have dreamed up, I did plan the death of Princess Alexi. Nothing is going to change that. Certainly you could have me thrown out of the Dauntless to my death, but what will you have accomplished? You’d soon be joining me. Red Army marines will overrun this ship when we reach the docking station at Royal City. That is unless I order then to stand down. I suggest we begin some kind of negotiations.”
“I liked your first suggestion better,” Red told him. “About throwing you out the ship, but I’m not finished speaking yet, so shut up. Got a little surprise for you,” he said shoving him back in line.
Tom noticed Count Vasili wore a slight grin on his face. He winked at Tom then.
“Colonel Popov,” Red said. “What is your title?”
“I am a colonel in the Red Army of the U.R.R.K.”
“Don’t you hold some other office also?”
“I am Protector of the Realm.”
“What if I told you King Havel here is no king at all and that he has no right to rule your country. Another has.” he said noticing the crown the king was wearing then and reaching over and taking it off his head.
“Just you’re saying it means nothing. Even if he is a bad king he is still king.”
“What if King Nikola decreed otherwise?”
“Then I would be forced, even be honored to see that King Nikola’s decree was carried out.”
“Here you go,” Red said reaching in and pulling something out of his pocket. It was an official looking document that he handed to Colonel Popov.
“What is that?” King Havel asked.
“A decree signed by your father on his deathbed. Got his signature and the seal of his ring on there even. It restores to Prince Yuri his right to succeed him as king.”
“Where did you get it?” King Havel asked.
“Pandora…uh Anna that is, has been holding on to it these many years. Count Voorhees delivered it to her that same night twenty two years ago. It was turned over to me just recently.”
Red turned back to Colonel Popov then. “With King’s Yuri’s death, even if he was king for only a few minutes, that right falls to his eldest child – that would be Princess Alexi. She holds the right to rule the U.R.R.K. and your rightful title,” Red said pointing at King Havel, “is prisoner.” Red handed Colonel Popov the crown he’d removed from Havel also.
“I’m sorry,” Colonel Popov said handing the document back. “Without the testimony of Count Voorhees or some member of the Administration who witnessed the signing of this document. I cannot remove King Havel from the throne. I’m sorry.”
“Yes,” King Havel said. “I suggest you turn your weapons over now. I may allow you to keep your heads if you do so immediately.”
“Interrupt me again,” Red said. “And I’ll see to it that you lose your head. Rollo bring our guest out here, will you?” he yelled down the hallway.
They all listened to Rollo’s heavy footsteps coming down the hallway toward them. When he turned the corner Tom saw he had Mr. Jordan, the man who had welcomed him to Britannia, with him. King Havel stared at him.
“How did you get here?” the king asked clearly bewildered.
“Inside a crate labeled Vamp’s,” Mr. Jordan said. “Mr. Rollo let me out. It was quite cramped, but at least I wasn’t penned up as long as you’ll be,” he told King Havel.