by Leo Nix
They arrived at Alice Springs in the evening and settled into the military camp for the night. They'd driven hard the final two days, only breaking for meals and toilet stops. The group were cranky and short tempered, all they wanted was a drink and bed, which is what they got.
The next morning Major Thompson found Sundown and McFly, and took them across the parade ground to see General Hughes, the commanding officer, Australian Third Army.
Throughout their trip Sundown milked the major to learn what type of person the general really was. He wanted to be fully prepared before he shared his plans. He had dreamed the meeting many a time but it was always inconclusive, even his Shamus spectre didn't help much.
The sun was shining, the day cool and the Nissen hut was warmed by a cheery fireplace. The general met them at the door and shook their hands.
“Welcome to Third Army, Sundown. And so this is McFly?” He hesitated, “strange name it reminds me of someone…”
McFly decided to help him out. “It's a nickname from the 'Back to the Future' science fiction films of the 80's. Apparently my interest in fly fishing had something to do with the name.”
“Of course, of course! Now I remember, Marty McFly, yes!” the general said enthusiastically while shaking McFly's hand a second time. “Please, come in and take a seat, I hope you've all had a safe drive across the Simpson?” he asked a little more soberly as he invited the three visitors to be seated.
The general sat behind his enormous desk on a raised chair, his little legs dangled without touching the floor. The three were seated below the level of the general.
“Before we get started, General Hughes,” began Sundown, “I would like to thank you for providing support to our community at Birdsville. You're men performed outstandingly against the terrorists at Mount Isa, preventing them from mounting a full scale assault on us. I would like to commend Major Thomson and Captain Lewis, for showing initiative and bravery against a foe many times their numbers. Fortunately we hit them before they were ready for us. Your command took them down a few notches. I don't expect they'll be coming our way for some months while they regroup and reinforce their battalion.”
The general smiled with delight. “That's brilliant news Sundown, absolutely brilliant!” He almost bounced up and down in his chair. “I told the major that if he could manage a contact or two while on patrol, then he should hit them where it hurts so they don't get back up in a hurry.”
Sundown wanted to take and hold the initiative so drove forward. “General,” he began formally, “I believe you are the highest ranking officer in the Australian armed forces. It is appropriate that I place myself under your command, as head of the Australian Third Army.” The general's grin was a mix of amazement and delight, he didn't expect this tough, successful warrior to be so easily manipulated.
“General,” continued Sundown fully aware of the impact he was having on the man. “Major Thompson is a competent officer whom I am quite prepared to work alongside.” Major Thompson didn't flinch, he knew what was coming, they'd spoken about this moment, at length, over the past week.
“I would like to offer you Sundown's Commando and to join your contingency. I, myself, will remain it's commander, Colonel Sundown, and I'm prepared to take on the task of organising other commando's in our region to come under you as part of Third Army.”
He stopped when he saw he had made an impression. Now he waited to see which way the general would swing. Sundown had learned, in his years as a scientist in organisations where ego's ruled above and beyond the science, that silence was power.
The general nodded to himself. His little legs swung back and forth under the table. The three visitors could clearly see the emotions of joy, lust, pleasure, fear and cunning play across his face like a light show.
He finally stopped moving and bobbing about, “Sundown, I take it you wish to be my second in command, my 2IC?” Sundown nodded. “I could do with a real live hero by my side.” The general paused, thinking, and again the emotions played havoc with his face. “Colonel? That is ambitious, why not Lieutenant Colonel? No?” Sundown shook his head, he wouldn't settle for less than full colonel.
“I was thinking Brigadier General but thought one general in the army was enough, you don't need another.” Sundown said what General Hughes wanted to hear, confirmation that this was not just a grab for his title and position.
“Done! 'Colonel Sundown' it is then!” He banged his fist on the table and, leaning forward as far as his girth allowed, he shook Sundown's hand. “Well I must say, I didn't expect that from you. This is just marvellous!”
His head bobbed up and down again as he spoke, “Tomorrow we'll parade and appoint you as Colonel Sundown, second in command of the Australian Third Army.” He called to his duty sergeant and rattled off a set of orders for the day and to prepare for tomorrow's formal announcement.
“Gentlemen, would you care to remain with me a little longer?” He walked around to McFly and shook his hand as he ushered him out the door, then paused.
“McFly, how would you care to be adjutant to Sundown's Commando? We'll need someone bright and brave. I hear you served with distinction in most of the battles your commando have won. What say we give you the rank of captain? Captain McFly?” General Hughes was on a roll and revelled in his power at the head of an organisation that now held the most successful civilian-soldier on Australian soil.
McFly stood still, turned, then held out his hand. He knew he had been offered a gem of a deal. “General Hughes, Captain McFly at your service.” They shook and McFly turned to Sundown and the major. “Sir, I shall inform the men and start the ball rolling from our end. I'll speak with the duty sergeant on the way out to see how I can be of assistance.”
Sundown nearly choked as he held back a laugh, 'smart-arsed bastard,' he thought to himself.
The day was a whirlwind of activity as news spread of Sundown's arrival and his appointment as 2IC to Third Army. Within forty eight hours of arrival, Sundown had achieved what he and Andy had hoped for, ever since Major Thompson set his foot on their door step.
At the Alice Springs reception on the evening of his appointment, Colonel Sundown took the major aside and spoke to him.
“Vic, we've got work to do. I need you to look after the general, keep him busy, happy and informed of everything we do, except certain things of course.” The major nodded careful not to spill his red wine.
“I'm going to commandeer the Cessna and head out with McFly to every survivor community we know of, to spread the word that Sundown's Commando is now fighting with Third Army. Do you think you can keep the general amused and compliant while we are away?”
The major tipped his head back and downed the rest of his wine then stepped back into the reception room to bring back another two, downing the second before answering.
“Damn it, Sundown, I was hoping to go with you but I see what you mean. Hughes now sees me as another of his heroes. So either myself, you or one of your boys needs to be on call. But yes, I'll do it.”
“Vic, I've got to get back to the reception, I can see Pedro annoying the crap out of Lorraine and Shadow. But I'll meet with you and the general in the morning, and we'll nut this out. Thanks, mate, I owe you.”
It was way past midnight when the party ended and Sundown invited his commando friends to walk with him along the Todd River road back to their motel rooms. It was quiet and the air cool. When almost at their motel, Shadow called for them to stop.
“Shhhh! There's noises down in the riverbed, sounds like screaming… or crying.” They all stopped and listened. The moon was out, it shed an eerie glow as the noises now became louder. Someone was screaming in pain and there were more voices, shouting…
“There's a fight or something happening down in the river,” said McFly.
Lorraine then said, “I know that voice, the one yelling, that's John, the rigger who started the fight at the Marree Hotel the day you arrived. I heard he brought his boys to Alice Spri
ngs and it seems he's still here.”
Together they walked down into the dry river bed to see if they could help. Pedro was asleep in his wheelchair. A combination of drugs and alcohol was needed to achieve that feat. Sundown was grateful because he knew the old man would want to stay and fight.
“It's certainly those rigger boys, Sundown, it sounds like they're killing some people down there, be careful,” said Pinkie as she hurried with Lorraine to help her push the wheelchair to a safer position. Sundown told Lorraine and Pinkie to stay with Pedro while the rest of them carefully walked towards the sounds of violence.
The funny thing about the desert under a full moon is that it can sometimes appear to be as bright as daylight. Combined with the white river sand, it was bright enough for the four commando's to see John, and two of his boys, beating up two young aboriginal youths. The three men were dressed in military police uniforms using their batons to viciously bash the two boys.
“Hey, stop that, you bullies!” yelled Shadow as they approached closer. They could now clearly see the three MP's who recognised Sundown's group immediately. They stopped beating the teenagers and stepped forward together, their batons at the ready.
“Fuck off, Sundown!” said John clearly. “We're Military Police now and we caught these arse-holes stealing chickens.” He looked at the uniforms on McFly and Sundown. “You have no jurisdiction here, we're the police, you're just grunts, piss off.”
“Leave the boys alone. Go on your way, John, and you won't be placed under arrest for assault of civilians,” replied Sundown, putting his arm out to stop Shadow stepping closer.
John raised his baton and stepped forward, “You just don't listen do you? I said, piss off and leave us to do our job!” he hissed and took another step forward.
“I said, leave off, step back, corporal, stand down and you will live to enjoy another day. You want to face off with me, you will lose, I promise you that.” Sundown's voice was menacing, cold, his demon straining to break free of the tight reins that held it at bay.
Shadow settled it when she ducked under Sundown's arm to kick at one of the MP's just as John swung his baton at the kung fu champion of Marree Hotel fame. Unfortunately Shadow mistimed her kick in the dim light. The heavy baton struck her on the side of the head and she went down with a cry. McFly immediately ran to her side and Bill stepped forward to cover her body. Another blow was aimed at her head but it struck Bill on his arm and he yelped. The blow fractured his wrist causing him to collapse to the ground in pain.
All this happened in a split second and the demon slipped it's reins - Sundown was now powerless to control it.
He never left his knife more than a few feet from his knife hand since the mines fight. He usually had it strapped to his calf. Sundown now reached down and pulled it free.
A flood of heat and power hit his chest and the knife in his hand felt soothing, arousing, it was almost sexual. It drove a lust for blood exploding inside his brain. The demon stood over Bill and Shadow's bodies as McFly stood up beside him to protect his partner.
“McFly, leave it, please,” wheezed Sundown his conscious mind almost beyond reach, “this is out of your control, you're not responsible.” But McFly stood his ground as the other two MP's started to surround the small group.
“Leave it be, McFly. Take Bill and Shadow and walk away. You haven't seen a thing.” Then Sundown was gone. Gone into dreamland, a space where he felt nothing, no tension just warmth and joy. Then he felt pleasure, the blood lust of his demon, and he smiled deep inside. 'Oh yes! Give it to me NOW!' his demon's voice screamed inside his head.
Chapter 12 - Alice Springs Demon
Lorraine and Pinkie were struggling to get Pedro's wheelchair upright. The wheels stuck in the sand and it tipped over, spilling poor Pedro onto the ground. There they wrestled with a drunken old man who started giggling to himself. He grabbed at the girls as though he was dancing with them, his legs whole and his body forty years younger.
But only a dozen metres away lives were about to be snuffed out.
The demon was in control at last, it's power released it launched itself at it's nearest enemy. As the man brought his baton down the demon easily blocked and struck in a single movement. There was a rapid blur of hands and elbows as the demon's left forearm knocked the MP's baton arm off it's line of destruction and the pommel of Sundown's commando knife slammed upwards crushing the man's larynx.
The demon's first victim collapsed, clutching at his throat, choking his life away. His soul was released to find another expression in the universe, it's current one ended.
Neither John nor the other MP noticed. It happened so fast the MP was still moving forward towards McFly who was busy throwing his wife, Shadow, over his shoulder.
John, like his two mates, was drunk. He had a knife in one hand and his police baton in the other. “Come on Sundown I've got something for you. And where's that bitch girlie who was here a minute ago, I've got something quite different for her!”
The heavily built ex-rigger took one step too close to the demon who, with a swinging kick took his front leg out from under him. As he staggered backwards on his one leg, the big man used the momentum to flip into a defensive position and stood back up. His baton raised above his head he came at Sundown with renewed vigour.
John's crazed look reminded McFly of a madman, he saw that John had the clear intention of killing Sundown.
McFly was defenceless, he had Shadow on his shoulder and he hadn't quite had time to stand up and move her away from the fight.
There came a voice in his mind, “Duck!” it said but he stood up instead, wondering where the voice had come from. The third MP ran the few metres separating them and smashed his baton down onto McFly's shoulder. The blow was so fierce that it knocked him back to the ground and Shadow tumbled heavily onto the sandy riverbed.
Bill was crouched, holding his broken arm, but when he saw the MP beat McFly to the ground he immediately stood back up. He placed his good arm and shoulder between the MP and McFly, to protect his mate's exposed head. The MP swung his baton again and again trying to break through Bill's defences, but despite the vicious blows, Bill refused to step back.
With one eye on John now screaming as he ran towards him, the demon lightly kicked the other MP's knee, then grasped his raised baton arm. The MP tilted his head back for balance and the demon took the opportunity presented to slice the man's throat.
Sundown liked to keep his knife razor sharp, just for this reason. A gush of hot blood erupted from his enemy's wound and the MP collapsed to the ground. He only had time for a gurgled groan before his life slipped into the next dimension.
Just as Sundown began to straighten John was on top of him. Slightly off balance, Sundown dodged the swinging baton. He stepped sideways as John's knife blade swung at his stomach, then he swayed back again as John twisted his torso to bring his knife around to slice at Sundown's throat.
Sundown now popped into semi-consciousness to briefly witness time slow down. He saw the demon flip his commando knife and hold it by the blade, then he disappeared again. Ducking John's swinging knife the demon bent and side-kicked, knocking his enemy backwards several metres. The MP doubled over and let out a 'whoosh' sound, but the kick was easily absorbed by John's over-sized gut.
“You stinking old shit head!” grunted John, “I'm going to carve you up for dinner, mate, military uniform and all. I've jurisdiction, civilian and army! I fucking rule! I'll kill you and your missus and these little toadies right here. This is where you'll die.” He let out a maniacal laugh, then began to swing his baton around and around above his head. John advanced the single step that now sealed his fate.
The demon opened it's mind again, as he pulled back his right arm he allowed Sundown to watch. With his knife blade was between his finger tips he threw the perfectly balanced World War Two commando knife. Inside his mind Sundown observed, fascinated, as his knife left his fingers, turned once then entered John's eyeball. It pierc
ed John's brain with a wet 'thunk'.
Sundown watched as John stood dead still, not a muscle moved for several seconds. Then, like a useless marionette, its strings cut, John's soulless body collapsed in a heap of senseless limbs to the ground.
“Sundown! Sundown!” he heard Lorraine and Pinkie crying his name. He pulled himself back from the edge of darkness.
“What? What?” he was lost in his mind not wanting to leave this wonderful feeling of pure ecstasy.
“We've got to leave here… there's three dead MP's… we have to get away… now!” said the voices around him. In a daze Sundown let them lead him away. Not long after, he was in a soft bed and in a deep sleep.
They were seated at the kitchen table in Sundown's motel room, trying to work out how to manage this disaster.
“Damn it, how good is this. He's second in command of the Australian Army for half a day and already he's committed three murders.” Captain McFly was severely bruised and in considerable pain. Bill sat beside him at the motel table while Lorraine bandaged his fractured wrist. Shadow was nursing a sore head and Pinkie was fretting as she made tea and coffee for everyone. Pedro was asleep in the other bedroom, snoring loudly.
“What are we going to do, McFly?” asked Pinkie, struggling not to cry.
“We're all wounded and out of action for weeks now. Shit!” he swore again starting to feel himself losing control. The frustration, disappointment and fear pressing to get the better of him. “Damn that moron, John! The bloody psychopath! He's spoiled everything!”
Shadow sat up and looked at McFly. “Calm down and think, McFly! Why don't we get Major Thompson and Captain Lewis in here and explain, maybe they'll do something. All of our troops will jump through fire to help us. What about we find Sergeant Tobi or Corporal Hassam?”
“Hey yeah! Yeah, that's a great idea!” McFly settled and his head began to clear. “Pinkie, can you run around to the camp and get one of our men, anyone, they can find Sergeant Tobi, he'll help us. Tell him everything and do what he says. But go now, please,” said Captain McFly, Adjutant to the second most powerful man in Australia.