by Herb Hughes
“I’ve got to pry one of the boards off,” Dokie said.
“Make it quick,” Teddy huffed with labored breath. Then he added, “And quiet.”
Dokie pulled out his pocket knife and pressed the button on the side. The long, spring-loaded blade snapped into place. He winced from the loud click it made. It had never seemed that loud before.
He clung to the wall for a moment, holding the ends of the boards with his left hand and the knife with his right. There was no sound to indicate that a guard had heard them, so he slowly worked the blade under the right end of the lowest board. Teddy’s grunts were getting louder as Dokie tried to pry the right end of the board away from the window frame. It wouldn’t budge. He put his body into it and felt the board start to give a split second before the world collapsed beneath him.
Dokie suddenly found himself tumbling to the ground. His feet hit hard, and he felt an immediate, jarring pain in his knees then he rolled onto his back. There was a sharp sting in his left hand where he had tried to hold onto the board over the window. He shushed Teddy Cheng, who was lying on the ground moaning, then sat up and looked at his hand. There was a splinter half as long as his pinky finger sticking out of his palm. He stared at it for several moments, not understanding how one splinter could hurt so badly.
Teddy sat up and reached over and snatched the splinter out, sending another sharp pain through Dokie’s hand. “You’ve got to pull them out fast,” Teddy whispered. “Good thing there was plenty of splinter to grab hold of. The pain goes away quickly after you get them out. That’s what momma always said.”
“It still hurts like hell,” Dokie whispered back. He shook his hand as if that would clear the rest of the subsiding pain. Then he put his hand behind him and said, “But it’s getting better. What the hell was that all about?”
“When you started wiggling so much, I couldn’t hold you any longer. Sorry, man.”
“Next time, send me a notice first.” They both stood up. “Nobody’s come out yet. Maybe there’s no guard here.”
“If there’s no guard, this isn’t the place you’re looking for,” Teddy whispered. “There’s no doubt McGurke would have a secret project guarded around the clock.”
“Yeah. That’s what worries me. With all the racket we’ve been making, a guard would have heard us by now.”
“Could be he is asleep. If they’ve been using this place for secret projects for two years and nothing’s happened in all that time, it would be easy to get a little lazy this time of morning.”
“Maybe, but if we don’t quit making all this noise, he won’t be asleep for long. Okay, boost me back up. I got the board started. Should be easy to get off now.”
“Oh, no. That won’t work, dude. You may be short, but you’re no featherweight. I can’t hold you up.”
“Hmmmm... We’ll have to get Satin over here so I can stand on her.”
“Negative. We need to get out of here.”
“Not till we find out what we came to find out.”
“How are you going to keep a horse still and quiet while you climb all over it?”
“Can’t be any louder than your grunting, or us rolling around on the ground.”
Teddy took in a deep breath and glanced around. There was nothing to hear and no movement to see. He whispered, “Maybe we did get lucky after all. Maybe the guard’s asleep. We’ll give it a try.”
“I’ll go back and get Satin. When I get up on her back, you hold her still while I get the board off.”
Dokie walked Satin to the window and got her to inch as close to the building as possible, then he stepped into the stirrup and lifted up. Instead of sitting in the saddle, he climbed onto the top, again leaning against the building for balance. Satin shuffled nervously and snorted loudly. “Sssssh,” Dokie warned the horse. Teddy patted her on the nose to try to settle the animal. It seemed to help.
Dokie worked the right end of the board loose. Using the right end for leverage, he pulled the left away from the window and handed the board down to Teddy. There was a small oil lamp on a desk flickering brightly enough for him to see something piled all over the top of the desk, parts of some sort. He squinted his eyes, trying to see better, but it was a big room, and the light was low. He saw more tables to the right with more small parts on top, but he still could not tell what the parts were. Could be anything. There were bins at the back of a couple of tables, and he could see that most of the bins were full. But full with what? It was too dark. “There’s no question they’re making something here,” he lowered his head and whispered, “But I’m not sure what. I’ve got to go in.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, man. Besides, if they’re hiding something, the windows will be locked.”
Dokie removed the next higher board so there would be enough room for him to slide inside then worked his blade between the upper and lower sashes. This was not the first time he had done this. In short order, the lock was unlocked, and Dokie was able to slide the lower sash upward. “It’s not locked anymore,” he said as he hoisted himself up into the window frame and disappeared to the inside.
“Oh, shit,” Teddy whispered to Satin.
The building had a crawl space underneath so the drop to the floor on the inside was much shorter than the drop to the ground outside the window. Dokie was able to lower himself without jumping. He placed his feet noiselessly onto the rough wood floor and walked over to a table that was covered with metal parts. A few of them looked somewhat familiar, but most didn’t. He picked up something that looked a lot like a trigger. In fact, he was sure that’s what it was. He laid it back down and went to the other tables. He found more small parts, but nothing that was put together.
This was the right place. It had to be, but there was no assembled rifle of any type, nothing to indicate that McGurke’s scientists had developed repeating rifles. What if they were working on something else, some other way to eliminate Rhinos, something he might not recognize? What was he going to tell Jack? He had to learn more. He had to see what was in the other rooms.
This was going to take longer than expected, and he didn’t want Teddy getting spooked and running away, so he leaned out and whispered, “Nothing positive here. I’ve got to check the other rooms. Hold tight a little longer.”
“Hurry it up, dude. I’m ready to get out of here.”
“Just hold tight. We’re okay.”
Dokie walked over to the door and slowly rotated the knob. He pulled it open a tiny sliver and peered down the hall. Empty. There was a door directly across the hall and another a little further down. After that, the hall opened up to the building lobby.
Grabbing the oil lamp, he slipped out into the hall. Slowly, he opened the closest door and held the lamp up to light the inside. A bathroom. He closed the door and tried the one further down. The knob would not rotate. His pulse quickened. If the door was locked, this might be the room he was looking for.
His knife blade was too large for picking locks, but Dokie kept a small metal rod for that purpose. He set the lamp down on the floor and felt around in his pocket until he found it. There were a few small metal-to-metal clicks while he worked the lock mechanism, and in the quiet they seemed louder than they should have been, but within seconds he was able to rotate the knob and open the door.
It was black inside. He lifted the small oil lamp and extended his arm through the doorway. Pay dirt! Three times over.
Three rifles lay on a cloth covered table in a room with no windows. He tip-toed over to the table and took a closer look. There was no mistaking these rifles. They were not run-of-the-mill homebuilts. The barrels were shorter, but the main difference was the bullet clip that stuck out of the bottom of the rifle. He had seen pictures of them in Earth books. These looked similar. There was only one answer. These three weapons were, undoubtedly, repeating rifles.
McGurke had done it. Or, more appropriately, his scientists had. They had developed repeating rifles, and instead of saving the city
from Rhinos, and saving lives in the process, McGurke was keeping it a secret from everybody until he was ready to play his hand in his own little political game. Well, big political game. McGurke didn’t do things ‘little’.
Dokie looked the three rifles over. They weren’t exactly the same. The one on the right must have been an earlier prototype. It was as roughly made as the average homebuilt. A few of the parts looked as though they were hand cut in a hurry and banged around with a hammer to make them fit together. The rifle in the middle was much nicer, but the one on the left was the best. It looked better than any homebuilt Dokie had ever seen. He picked it up, lifted it to his shoulder, and took aim at the wall. It felt comfortable in his hands. The wood stock on this one was polished and smooth.
He pulled the rifle back down and admired it for a moment, but only a moment. He had the information he needed. But, more importantly, he had the repeating rifle in his hands. There would be no need to come back. Jack might be mad at him for stealing it, but, at the same time, Jack would be so happy to have it he would forgive Dokie right away. Wouldn’t he? Sure! It was time to take the rifle and go!
He grabbed the lamp and left, carefully closing the door behind him, then tip-toed back to the first room. He thought about the bullets. The rifle would be useless without bullets. Leaning over the table, he looked for a way to release the bullet clip. There was a small metal lever next to it. He couldn’t get his finger between the lever and the stock to pull down, so he tried pushing to one side. He heard a click, and the clip fell out of the rifle, dropping onto the table top. The sudden clank of metal on wood made him cringe. He glanced through the door, but he saw and heard nothing. The bullet clip had only fallen a couple of inches, so the sound was not too loud.
Even in the relative dark of the small oil lamp, he could see lots of bullets receding down into the clip. Perfect! He had everything he needed. The little man was so excited he was shaking. This was better than a dream. He had not only found the right place, but he had a repeating rifle and a clip full of bullets. Jack would be happy!
The window was low enough for Dokie to stick his head out but, without some sort of boost, climbing out would be a little harder than getting in. He slid a box of parts across the floor, slowly and quietly, and stopped it under the window. Then he set another box on top of the first, grunting as quietly as possible while lifting it, but the sound that escaped his lips and the thud of wood box against wood box in the absolute quiet inside the building were way too loud. He took another quick glance down the hall. Still nothing. There must not be anybody here, he thought. Even if they were sleeping, we would have woken them by now.
He went back to the table and looked at the clip. How did it fit back into the rifle? How did it secure? He slid it back inside the slot. It seemed okay. It looked like it was as far in as before. Time to leave. He turned and started tip-toeing toward the window, but after a couple of steps the clip fell out of the rifle and clanked loudly on the floor. Dokie cringed again. Falling all the way to the floor, it had been more than loud this time, and the bang had that high-pitched metal ringing to it. Even if a guard had been sleeping, he wouldn’t be now.
Dokie grabbed the clip and shoved it into his pants pocket then climbed the boxes and flipped his legs around and out the window. He took one quick glance through the hall door, and his heart leaped into his throat. He could see the tell-tale flicker of a swinging lamp. The guard was coming! Rifle in hand, he dropped out of the window. “Go,” he said in a half-whisper and half-shout as he was falling onto Satin. “Guard coming!”
That was all Teddy Cheng needed. He ran for his horse at full speed. Satin was high enough to stop Dokie’s fall, but the little man was lying across the saddle instead of sitting on it. By the time he climbed upright and pushed Satin into a run, Teddy was mounted and coming out from the trees. They took off down the road at full speed. There was a burst of thunder behind them, a gunshot.
“Go!” Dokie shouted.
“I’m going!” Teddy said.
They didn’t look back. They kept on racing as fast as their horses could run. Dokie braced himself for a bullet in the back, but the guard must not have had a repeating rifle because there were no more shots before they rounded a corner and were out of sight.
As they raced through the darkness of the tree-lined road, Dokie realized it was unlikely the guard would have a repeating rifle. This was a secret project, and only a few scientists would know what the project was about. It was doubtful the guard would know what he was guarding. He would be issued a standard homebuilt.
They didn’t slow down for almost a full klick then Dokie motioned that they needed to stop. They rested their horses a moment.
“That was close, man,” Teddy said. “That damned guard shot at us. Thank goodness he missed.”
“What’s that,” Dokie asked, pointing to a wet spot on Teddy’s leg.
“What?” Teddy reached down and touched the wet spot on the outside of his thigh then looked at his fingers. “Blood. Oh, shit! I’m hit! That stupid guard shot me. Oh, God, it’s starting to hurt, too. Damn, it burns!”
“You didn’t even know you were hit?”
“Huh? No. I don’t know. It didn’t hurt or anything. I mean, it was a little sore, I think, but… Shit! I don’t know, dude. It hurts like hell now, though. It burns!”
“We’ve got to get going,” Dokie said. “They’ve got telegraph in that building. I saw the line coming in across the street. I bet McGurke’s got it in his house, too. Asshole thinks he’s above the law.”
“Hell, he is above the law. He pretty much owns the law. We’re in serious trouble, man. And my leg hurts now. Bad. Nice and safe outside, my ass!”
“I’m sure he has people looking for us, and they’ll be watching this road. We’ve got to get back and get your leg fixed up. There’s a field to the right, a little further. We can work our way over to the next road then come back into town from a different direction, where they’re not looking. Come on. We’ve got to get you to a hospital.”
“With a gunshot wound? The doctors will ask a lot of questions.”
“Simple. You were cleaning your homebuilt and accidentally shot yourself. Let’s go!”
Chapter 43
Jonathan McGurke was an early riser. There was much to do to make sure his empire ran smoothly, so he went through his paperwork pile as he took breakfast at his desk, a daily routine. There was a knock on the door. A brief moment of irritation flashed over the businessman’s face. He did not like being disturbed during his early morning ritual, but he knew Lowell would only bother him for something urgent. The irritation faded quickly.
“Come in, Lowell.”
“Sorry to bother you, Mr. McGurke. Urgent news.”
“Please, do go ahead.”
“We had a break-in at Knoll Creek a couple of hours ago.”
McGurke lurched forward, spilling coffee onto his desk and lap. “What! Who found out about Knoll Creek? How the hell did they find out? Was anything taken?”
“We don’t know who it was. The final prototype is gone. The guard saw two men on horseback. He was able to wound one of them before they got away. He found blood on the road.”
“Got away? What the hell is going on? He should have shot them both the moment they got into the building. Hell, you train your men better than that, don’t you? How the hell does something like this happen?”
“I do not know, Mr. McGurke. I can only guess.”
The businessman stared at Lowell then rubbed his chin a moment. “A couple of hours ago? Why wasn’t I told sooner? The guard should have telegraphed as soon as it happened.”
“He said he chased after them, sir. He lost their trail in the woods and only telegraphed after he gave up and came back to Knoll Creek.”
“My, God! Training is your job, Lowell. What have you been doing? He should have known that his first priority was to send us a telegraph and his second was to stay at Knoll Creek and protect the place. What if
those two had only been a diversion? We could have lost everything!”
“Yes, sir, Mr. McGurke. He is well trained. He is fully cognizant of what he should do in all circumstances, but he failed to follow his training. My guess is that he became complacent. He was sleeping. He must have been surprised by the thieves and only had time to fire one shot as they rode away. He wanted to make amends for his failure, so he tried to track them down. When he couldn’t find them, he gave up, came back, and finally sent the telegraph.”
“Bring this idiot to me. I’ll deal with him. But first, we’ve got to get that rifle back. Immediately! That sneaky son-of-a-bitch of a Rhino hunter is behind this. I’ve ruined him, and now he’s desperate. I don’t know how the hell he found out about Knoll Creek, but we can’t let him get away with this. All my plans will be ruined. Find Wheat. Now!”
“Yes, sir.”
“I know how he found out. That ugly little man has been sneaking around. He’s good at sneaking. What’s that ugly little turd’s name?”
“Dokie.”
“Yes, that’s it. Find him, too. One or the other of them will have our rifle, and I want it back. I am sick and tired of those two getting in my way. They can rot in jail. Oh, Lowell, have the stable bring my carriage around. I need to pay our wonderful Mayor a visit bright and early this morning.”
“Yes, sir,” Lowell said. He left the room in a hurry.
Chapter 44
“What the hell do you mean ‘no,' Davis? ‘No’ is not acceptable anymore. Now you listen to me. You’ve made a mess of everything. EVERYTHING! Andropov is a failure. Wheat is worse. He’s some sort of devil from hell!” McGurke punched the Mayor in the chest with his finger and shouted “You” but let the word hang in the air a moment before continuing, “And I had an agreement. You are to fire Andropov immediately. Lowell Johnston will replace him. And Wheat needs to be in jail. Without bail. I don't want to take a chance on him running away before his execution!”