by M L Dunn
“Tell Colonel Popov here who you are,” Red asked of Mr. Jordan then.
“My name is Mr. Jordan. I was assigned to your realm when King Nikola ruled.”
“Yes I know,” Colonel Popov said. “Did you witness the signing of this decree? Is it official?” he asked excitedly.
“It is,” Mr. Jordan said. “I also know that Princess Alexi is the child of King Yuri. I was there in the room when Anna gave birth to her. I watched her switch her child for the daughter of Diana, that night twenty two years ago.”
Red nodded at Tom then and gestured for him to hand Colonel Popov the rifle he was holding. Tom hesitated, but Red indicated it was okay and Tom handed the weapon over then.
“What happens now it entirely up to you,” Red told Colonel Popov handing him the document and crown once again. “What will you do?” he asked, but before a stunned Colonel Popov could answer, Mr. Slang began clapping, causing everyone to look at him.
“I suggest you shoot Inspector Meriwether,” Mr. Slang suggested.
Colonel Popov swung the rifle toward Mr. Slang. “Maybe I shoot you.”
“That would be a mistake. If you want to save poor Princess Alexi’s life that is,” Mr. Slang said. Everyone looked at him incredulously. Mr. Slang turned to Red then. “Play chess do you?”
“You’re the second person to ask me that in the last few days,” Red said. “I have taken an interest in the game just recently.”
“You’ve played this game wonderfully.”
“Thank you.”
“I used to play my younger brother when we were children.”
“Did you?’
“He never could beat me. So do you know what he began doing?”
“What?”
“When he was sure he was going to lose, he would reach out and knock all the pieces off the board – ruin the game.” Red looked intently at Mr. Slang then, waiting for what he would say next. “I’m going to do that now - ruin everything.”
“How could you possibly?”
“There’s still a bomb on board the Tempest,” he said glancing at the clock just above his head. “It will pop that zeppelin like a balloon at precisely 3 o’clock. I’m the only one who knows where it is onboard.”
Everyone looked at the clock. It was eight minutes until 3 o’clock.
“I don’t believe you,” Red said.
“You will.”
“You were never near the Tempest. You couldn’t have put another bomb aboard. Sergeant Hightower made sure nothing was brought on board there without being carefully looked through.”
“I managed it still,” Mr. Slang said confidently. “I suggest we all step onto the bridge. We can radio the Tempest from there or we can have a nice view of it blowing to pieces. It’s your choice inspector. Hand your weapons over or watch Princess Alexi and the others on board die.”
“I’ll play along with you,” Red said. “Let’s all go up on the bridge.”
“Why don’t we leave the witches here?” Mr. Slang suggested waving a hand at Miss Kensington. “Wouldn’t want her to do anything rash.”
Red glanced at his wife. “Stay here a minute dear, won’t you?”
Miss Kensington looked at her husband. “All right dear,” she said finally.
The rest of them walked up onto the bridge. The ship’s captain watched as they did. Besides him there was the helmsman and a navigator. The captain asked, in Russian, something of Colonel Popov and Colonel Popov seemed to tell him to just keep a steady course.
Looking out the front of the ship’s bridge, the Tempest could be seen a mile ahead. Stone was the last to come onto the bridge, pushing Dino ahead of him. Everyone spread out across the room. Tom stood next to the captain and Red was on the other side of him. Colonel Popov was next to Count Vasili when he suddenly took Count Vasili’s rifle from him and handed it to the sergeant.
Mr. Slang stood next to King Havel against one wall and Count Vasili was a few feet from them. Rollo was just next to Red. Stone went and stood on the other side of the bridge against the wall, making Dino go there with him. Mr. Jordan went there also and stood just by the window looking out at the Tempest ahead of them. Colonel Popov came and stood in the middle of the room just next to the helmsman in front of Tom. The sergeant was closest to the stairs they had just come up.
“There’s a clock there,” Mr. Slang said pointing to one hanging just above the helmsman. “It’s two seconds fast,” he said comparing it to his watch. “Might want to keep your eye on it.”
Suddenly Colonel Popov brought his rifle up to his shoulder and pointed it at Red, but he did not fire. “I’m sorry,” he said as Tom swung his pistol up and pointed it, his arm fully extended, at Colonel Popov. “I need you both to hand your weapons over,” the colonel demanded, glancing at Tom, before looking at Red once again.
The ship’s captain pulled a gun then and pointed it right at Tom’s head, holding it right up next to his ear. His hand was shaking and he was nervous holding the gun on Tom. Colonel Popov gestured for the sergeant to hold the rifle he’d given him on Count Vasili.
“What’s going on colonel?” Red asked, still holding his gun on Mr. Slang. “I thought you were with us.”
Guns were pointed every which way. Any one of them fired would set off a chain reaction of bodies falling over like dominoes.
“I am,” Colonel Popov told Red. “Believe me I don’t want to do this,” he said, “but I must protect the queen. I cannot allow a bomb to go off on her ship.”
“He’s bluffing,” Red said gesturing at Mr. Slang.
“I do not care for Mr. Slang,” Colonel Popov said. “But he is a very cunning man and I believe him when he says there is bomb there. He does not bluff.” The colonel looked at Mr. Slang then. “Get on the radio, tell them where the bomb is,” he pleaded as he glanced at the clock.
Mr. Slang gestured toward Red’s gun pointed at him. “I’d love to. As soon as Inspectors Meriwether and Flynn hand their weapons over,” Mr. Slang told him.
“I’m not going to do that,” Red said. “At least not until I get some proof there’s a bomb on board the Tempest still.”
“You have it already,” Mr. Slang said pointing at the alarm clock Red was holding.
Red glanced at it. “Nothing new here,” he said.
“Look at the bottom; you know already that I took two clocks from the shop in Transylvania City.”
Red flipped the clock over and glanced at what was written on the bottom of it. “Damn it,” he said.
“What?” Tom asked.
“It’s from the Strigoi hotel,” he said angrily. “He stole it from there.”
“That’s right,” Mr. Slang said. “That makes for three clocks which means three bombs. One of which is about to go off on board the Tempest unless I radio over there and tell them where to find it.”
“You have your proof now,” Colonel Popov said glancing at the clock again. “Hand your weapons over.”
“Not yet,” Red said. “I want to know how he got it aboard. This may all be a trick.”
“I will not wait much longer,” Colonel Popov said adamantly.
“He’ll kill all of us,” Red said gesturing at Mr. Slang. “He has to after what we know now.”
“Then we will die.”
“He’ll kill Princess Alexi too.”
The colonel glanced at Mr. Slang.
“Doesn’t have to be like that,” Mr. Slang said. “There’s not much time though.”
“You must turn your weapons over,” Colonel Popov demanded.
“No,” Red told him.
Colonel Popov was losing control, he was desperate to save Princess Alexi’s life at any cost, even his own. It was just a matter of time until he fired at Red, so that Mr. Slang would reveal where the bomb was and then Tom would be forced to kill him.
The clock seemed to be ticking especially loud as Colonel Popov took a step toward the radio. He still held his rifle on Red and Tom still held his on him as the colonel rea
ched over and turned the radio up until the sound of static filled the bridge. He picked the handset up then. “Calling Tempest,” he said. “Pick up Tempest.”
It was Titan who answered. “This is Tempest.”
“Standby Tempest,” he instructed. “Repeat. Standby. Important instructions to follow.” He took his finger off the button then. “Please tell them where the bomb is,” Colonel Popov pleaded with Mr. Slang.
“As soon as Inspector Meriwether hands me his weapon and frees Dino.”
Red glanced at the clock. He made no move to turn his weapon over. “Tell me how you got the bomb aboard first,” he said looking at Mr. Slang.
“No,” Mr. Slang said. “Stone,” he said then. “Maybe you could help out here.”
“Huh? How?”
“Why don’t you take Inspector Meriwether’s gun from him? The deal I made with you still stands. Red Army marines are going to storm this ship when we land. There isn’t much time before the bomb goes off. Take his gun and I’ll call the Tempest and tell them where the bomb is. You have my word the rest of you can return home to Transylvania. Except for Count Vasili.”
“That’s good enough for me,” Stone said. “I’m afraid we lost,” he said to Red.
When Stone took a step closer, Red turned his gun on him. “Stay back Stone.”
“That gun could never stop me,” Stone said taking another step, slowly, toward Red.
Red moved back. “Rollo,” he said.
Rollo hesitated, but then he moved in between Stone and Red.
Mr. Slang looked at the clock, but Stone was doing the talking now. “They won’t hurt the princess. She’ll just be banished along with her mother to some barren tundra somewhere. You’ll see to that won’t you Mr. Slang?”
“Something will be arranged,” Mr. Slang said. “Rollo, let him take that gun from Inspector Meriwether. You’d be doing everyone here, including yourself, a favor.”
“Everyone except for Count Vasili,” Stone said.
Rollo looked over his shoulder at Red.
“Go ahead Rollo,” Stone said. “He’s not smart enough to save himself; you’d be doing him a favor.”
It was obvious Rollo was considering the idea. Red backed away from him until he pressed up against the barrel of the sergeant’s rifle. He glanced at Tom, but Tom directed his gaze toward the clock. It was three and a half minutes until the hour.
“Let’s just go home,” Stone said. “Count Vasili is only getting what he deserves. I just want to get my luggage off the Tempest and go home.”
Red looked at Count Vasili and then Mr. Slang. There was nothing that could be done for Count Vasili.
“What will become of the princess and Anna?”
Mr. Slang glanced at King Havel, who rose then.
“If she abdicates her right to be queen in front of Mr. Jordan here,” King Havel said pointing at him the other side of the bridge. “I will promise no harm will come to either of them. A simple banishment will suffice.”
Red dropped his weapon then. He stepped forward to hand it to Mr. Slang. Colonel Popov lowered his weapon.
“Wait,” Tom yelled as he suddenly swung his gun toward Mr. Slang just as he accepted Red’s weapon. Mr. Slang held the pistol out in front of him, his finger on the trigger. He need only to raise it a few inches and it would be pointed right at Tom. Everyone was frozen, waiting for Tom to act. “What did you just say?” Tom asked pointing at Stone, but not taking his eyes or gun off Mr. Slang.
“Nothing,” Stone said. “I just want to get my luggage and go home.”
“You said you needed to get your luggage off the Tempest,” Tom said. “When did you pack your bags, before or after you went and made a deal with Mr. Slang?”
“He packed them for me.”
Mr. Slang swung his gun up and both men fired the same time. Tom was struck just on the outside of his frame, near his rib cage while Mr. Slang was hit just below his shoulder. Luckily, the ship’s captain decided to get involved, and Colonel Popov shouted at him to lower his weapon. Mr. Slang slumped into a chair as Count Vasili took the gun from him. Tom, bleeding some, stepped toward the radio and grabbed the microphone.
“Tempest, Tempest, this is Dauntless, pick up, pick up,” he shouted into it.
There was the crackling of the radio for what seemed a long time and then Titan’s voice came over the radio.
“This is Tempest. Who is this?”
Tom looked at Stone. “Tell him where your bags are. Tell him to find them and open them.” Tom said as he pressed the button to keep the handset open for Stone to shout into.
“Titan this is Stone. My luggage is with yours. Start opening all my bags, there might a bomb in one of them.”
“What?”
“Better hurry.”
It was two minutes until the hour. A crackling sound came over the radio as they waited. Miss Kensington, pushing Esmeralda ahead of her, came onto the bridge then. Everyone eyes darted between the clock and the radio.
“He’s found the luggage,” Pandora’s voice came on the radio and announced.
Again the only sound was static as Tom looked ahead, out the window, toward the Tempest.
“Did he find the bomb?” he shouted.
Silence.
“We threw his entire luggage out,” Pandora’s voice finally came over radio and announced.
They looked out the window and saw several bags falling through the sky.
“That’s all my stuff,” Stone said watching it fall through air.
“Did you find the bomb before you threw the luggage out,” Tom asked over the radio.
“No,” Pandora said. We just threw his entire luggage out.”
“Is it in there?” Tom shouted at Mr. Slang.
Mr. Slang looked toward the clock on the wall. It was one minute until 3pm. “You’d better hope they threw his small, black bag out.”
“The small, black bag,” Tom told Pandora. “Did you find the small, black bag?”
“He’s not sure,” Pandora relayed. “Titan is not sure if he threw that bag out or not!”
“Make sure,” Tom yelled over the radio.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Mr. Slang said.
“It’s too late,” Colonel Popov said looking at the clock.
Everyone watched the clock. Finally the minute hand clicked forward. They all looked out the window toward the Tempest as two more seconds passed and then the bomb exploded!
The Dauntless shook from the blast and shockwave, but the explosion came from the ground just below them. Titan had thrown the right bag out!
Red smiled then. Colonel Popov crossed the room toward him. They shook hands as the ship’s captain put his gun back in a drawer and pulled out a small bottle of vodka. He turned his back to them while he took a quick drink. Rollo and Stone shook hands even. Red went and hugged Miss Kensington. Count Vasili came toward Tom, and Tom went to shake hands with him, but Count Vasili embraced him instead. Colonel Popov and Tom smiled at one another and shook hands then.
When Tom turned to look at Mr. Slang, he had vanished.
“He’s gone,” Tom said. Tom rushed down the stairs after him. Count Vasili was right behind him. They saw Mr. Slang turn the corner at the end of the hallway headed downstairs. Colonel Popov was just behind them and then Rollo. They spotted drops of blood in the hallway. Tom was also bleeding, pressing his hand against his rib cage, but he followed after Mr. Slang still. They blood trail led into the cargo hold. Count Vasili was the first to the door, but Mr. Slang had barred it shut with something, it would not budge.
“Bust the door down,” Tom ordered Rollo.
Rollo kicked it with his foot and the door broke off its hinges and shot across the cargo room floor. They rushed in the room. The cargo hold door had been thrown open. A rope was tied to the handle there. They looked down and saw Mr. Slang sliding down the rope despite his wound. They were only eighty feet in the air. Colonel Popov fired at him, but missed as the rope swayed and dangle
d Mr. Slang in the air. Mr. Slang slid all the way to the ground. They could no longer see him then as the falling snow obscured their view behind the airship.
The End of one story and the beginning of another
Queen Alexi was able to bring about the end of the civil war dividing her country with the promise of reforms. She rules now with the full support of all her subjects. It helps that Count Vasili is her Counselor, Colonel Popov her Captain of the Queen’s Guard and Titan as her personal bodyguard. Things look promising.
Anna lives in the Royal Castle with her. Marko accepted a position as Ambassador for the U.R.R.K. and seems more than content to let his cousin rule.
Stone returned to Transylvania City and was granted amnesty for all his previous crimes. Presently he is training boxers at Dempsey’s Gym. Havel is locked away in the King’s Tower, nobody visits him much, not even his wife. Dino was sentenced to twenty years in the dungeons of the castle. He claims he was under Esmeralda’s spell, but no one believes that. She is locked up near him if they want to talk about it.
Krakov was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in the U.R.R.K. but his wife and son are allowed to visit him regularly and someday he will be a free man once again in his homeland. He’s promised to change his ways.
What vampires and goblins that wished to return to the U.R.R.K. were allowed to do so. A number of them did, but Fixx was not one of them. He was enjoying his celebrity status too much.
Mr. Slang was never found, but there are rumors he was seen here or there.
Of course Tom did not quit the TCPD since Red never had endangered Rebecca’s life, but he may have considered it if he’d known what was going to happen after he got back.
He got a call from Detective Rohev with the Vampire Force asking if Tom would meet him. So Tom met him at the hotel bar inside the Fountain Hotel and after Tom told him about his trip across the pole, Rohev laughed, but then said that was not the reason he had got in touch with him. Detective Rohev had discovered something in the woods of Draculia and he asked Tom for his help with it.
“I’m afraid something very vile has happened,” he said. “My life is in danger. As will be yours if you choose to help me, but there is no one I can trust inside my own department.”