by Arthur Butt
Bev gasped. "Me? How could I –?" The inside of Bev fell quiet. She shouted, "WHAT – ARE YOU NUTS? NO WAY!" She swung in a wide circle and zoomed off toward the lab as fast as possible.
"Bev, what are you doing?" I tried twisting the yoke back toward Morgan's army. She had frozen the controls tight. "Go back!"
"Not on your fat human fanny's life will I." She kept trucking, ignoring my tugs.
"Bev, we can't return to the lab!" Kat shouted, her fingers white as she gripped the console. "Morgan's army is gonna search every inch of the place – go back to town."
"No, we have to attack the army!" I yelled, waving my hands in the air. "You're a Battle Evasive Vehicle. This is what you were made for."
"You're right, big boy, Battle Evasive, and I'm doing it – evasiving!" Bev retorted.
"Bev, stop – now. This is a command."
She slowed, came to a rolling halt.
I glared at Kat and she stared back at me, wild-eyed. "Kat," I pleaded, "We're out here now. By this time they've electrified the grid and blocked the entrance, there's no choice, they have to. We can't return and we can't go to the lab, you said so yourself. We either fight and help our pops, or squat here – turds on a rock."
Kat sat frozen, her brows knitted while she thought. A vibration tore through Bev, and then another, the concussion of the tank blasts as they attacked the wall. A part of Morgan's army split off from the main body and were heading our way, encircling half the town in the process. Kat glanced at the screen, focused on me, her face screwing up in frustration.
Finally, she released a moan of rage, and targeted me with a glare of exasperation. "Well, I guess we have no choice now do we?" she snapped. She said to Bev, "Swing about, honey, I guess we've got to fight."
"I don't wanna!"
"Neither do I, baby girl, at least not this way, but someone" – her eyes shot pure evil — "wants to be a hero. Don't worry, everything will be all right."
"Yeah, Bev, remember who you are. Battle, right?" I shouted. "Battle Bev, the meanest machine here!"
"R-rig- right. Gonna kick some tank."
"Ready?"
"Mean, mean – gonna kick some tank!"
"GO!"
Bev crept in a circle and we started toward town. As we moved, the part of the army, which shadowed us in our erratic flight, shifted and tailed Bev toward Paradise Cove.
The tanks with Morgan's soldiers were the newest kind; Lithium power, steam driven monsters, with hardened steel hulls and depleted uranium armor. As we arrived at town, they fired at the wall, huge chunks of concrete and metal flying every time a shell exploded.
The infantry lagged behind, scrutinizing the barrier, waiting for holes. Some of the soldiers fired rockets; others peppered the top with laser and solid shots. The flank of the army, which joined again with the main troops, did not shoot. I think they wished to capture us alive without destroying Bev. I hoped.
"Do you think Pop and the others took off already?" I whispered to Kat as the wall disintegrated before our eyes.
"I don't know. Wait –" A solid chunk of masonry, part of someone's front stoop, flew back over the remains of the barrier. The missile landed fifty feet from a tank sending up a cloud of dust. "Nope," Kat said, "They're still in there fighting."
"We have to take out those tanks," I yelped. "Bev, do something, quick."
Lasers flashed from her hull, and her Gatling guns spoke in short, rapid busts. Both solid shots and beams deflected off the armored sides of the tanks.
"It's not working," I shouted, "but we have to stop them somehow!"
"The tanks are thinking the same thing about us," Kat moaned back to me. The turret of one of the armored behemoths swung in our direction. "Bev, watch out!"
Bev swiveled to the right as a shell exploded on the earth where she passed through. The blast scooted her forward and sideways.
"Fire back, Bev, use your rockets!" I screamed. "Beat him!"
Two puffs of smoke swished away, red and white fire erupted from the tank, accompanied by black smoke and flames. The machine rumbled to a halt.
"Battle Bev – Battle Bev – Battle Bev!"
"You killed 'em," Kat and I cheered.
Three shells and a rocket slammed into Bev, spinning her around in a circle and lifting her into the air. "They shot me," she moaned, "Ouch – I'm hurt!"
I took a quick glance into the cargo bay where the shells hit. Bev's hull showed dents in spots.
All pretext of preserving Bev vanished. More soldiers leveled rockets; muzzles of tanks aimed our way. From somewhere mortar shells peppered around us.
"You gotta destroy the rest of those tanks, Bev." Kat's face was red from crying. She shouted, "Let those bullies have everything you've got!"
"I'll do more than hand out presents," Bev snarled back. "Shoot me in the caboose, will they?" Lasers, rockets, and explosive shells flew out of her, slamming the tanks, transforming each into smoking heaps. "I'll teach 'em."
The bulk of the soldiers launched their attack on the remains of the wall. They swarmed over the electrical grid and ignited – dark flies landing on a bug zapper.
Canisters of chlorine bombs lobbed through the air at the survivors, exploding over their heads, or dropping between their legs to release greenish-yellow gas.
More men fell, but others surged forward over their dead bodies, pushed from behind by the weight of the army.
"We've gotta move closer," I said, "if we slip inside, those troops will be afraid of hitting each other."
"What good will it do?" Kat shook her head, trembling in horror at the churning mass of screaming men. "There's too many. We can't defeat all these soldiers – we can't."
"Get ready to take over the controls if necessary." I struggled into Bev's cargo bay and clawed at a locker, hauling out the milk crates with Doc's spider bombs. "Bev, make a run through the soldier's ranks and open your cargo doors. I'm going to start tossing these out."
Bev's door dilated wide, and a solid shot immediately zipped past my ear to ricochet off the inside wall. I ducked and snatched up an armful of bombs and heaved them out as we raced by.
As each bomb hit the earth, they sprouted legs and scurried off into the ranks of soldiers. More shots flew at me, and three rockets slammed into the tail end of Bev's hull. A fireball swept over her from the front to back. The blasts deafened me and filled the cabin with acid smoke. I dragged the crate to the edge of the door and dumped the remaining bots hastily.
"Don't explode them yet, Bev!" I yelled. "I want to unload the rest and get us away from here before you do."
I crawled back into the bay and yanked another box of bombs to me, dragging the crate toward the door. I heard a whistle and glanced up. The dents in Bev's hull had become cracks, and air sucked through the openings, creating a breeze whipping my hair. I wrestled the bombs to the hatch and ordered, "Bev, swing around and make another pass."
"I hurt, I hurt," she moaned.
Before I tossed out more bots, I glanced along her outer hull. Our paint job of purple and pink had vanished, replaced by black streaks lining her body. Even her shiny original coating was gone. Instead, burnt, pitted metal covered her. In a few places, she was twisted and glowing an angry red.
"It's okay, honey," I heard Kat screaming. "Everything will be all right."
"Ye – yeah." Bev came about for another pass.
Soldiers leaped out of our way as Bev plowed through their ranks again. Every few feet I dropped a handful of bombs, watching them bounce and skitter along in our wake, careful to make sure they didn't fly back into the bay.
More shots zipped our way, a laser beam flashed over my shoulder, putting a neat hole through Bev's hull. She jumped, the snake, duckling, and rat bots, which we secured on the rear wall, broke loose and scattered all over the deck. The flying orb rolled forward against the pilot couches. Kat flinched and ducked her head until she realized what it was, and then stared back at the view screen with terror and released a moan.
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br /> "Oh, no!" Kat pointed at something out of my sight.
"What?"
Her voice trembled. "More troops."
I hauled myself back far enough to see the screen.
Behind the soldiers, on the horizon, a second wave of vehicles and men raced toward us in a ragged line.
"There's nothing we can do right now," I said. "Let's worry about this bunch first – we'll deal with those other guys later."
At the wall, a backup of soldiers developed. The electrical trap was down, probably over-loaded, but piles of bodies and the debris from Pop's trebuchet, made it impossible for Morgan's men to advance in any order. On top of the wall, four figures hurled canisters down on the remaining troops. A poisonous fog swirled along the ground in puffs where they landed.
Out on the field before the town, the sides of Morgan's army curled around the wall on either side. One flank drifted toward the river.
"Bev, quick! Drive those soldiers back – they're gonna capture Pop and the others."
She shifted gears with a lurch, disengaged from the fight, and made a long, looping swing, which brought her to the end of the enemy line. Copying an enraged bull, Bev dove into the men tossing them aside, while flashes of light from lasers winked on and off her screen. She slowed, picked up speed, as she plowed up along the wall.
"I – I did it," Bev moaned.
"Get out of there, Pop," I muttered. "We bought you time, now git."
He must have read my thoughts because the figures vanished.
"Our dads and the others are taking off," I said to Kat. "Let's give these guys one more kick in the rear and do the same."
Our first and second batch of spider bombs had scampered away, lost among the advancing troops. I hauled the last two crates of bombs to the hatch and tossed more out. "After we dump these we'll blow the whole thing, okay, Bev?"
"Tr-tr-try," she stuttered. "Too many, hurt, can't control –"
"Hunter, mo – more troops coming from the northwest," whispered Kat in desperation.
I started tossing out the contents of the third box, laser fire hit Bev, and another rocket slammed into her body. I heard her moan.
"Hunter, those other troops – they're not Morgan's men – it's Mr. Whitehorse and his people."
"You're kidding?" I emptied the remainder of the crate and crawled back to my seat.
A line of motorhomes surged toward the rear of Morgan's army. Horses raced alongside, their manes flying and tails straight out, while the men and women sitting on their backs fired rifles and screamed. Behind the first line came other cars. The whole mob yelled their heads off.
High above our heads, the helicopter sent rockets streaking downward to explode among the advancing Amerijuns. One of the motorhomes burst into flames as it took a direct hit.
"We have to do something," Kat moaned. "Morgan will kill them all."
"Bev, what do you have left to stop the helicopter?" I yelped. "Something – anything!"
"No-no-noth –" her voice stuttered. She lurched forward, slowed, and shot off.
The flying ball rattled back against my chair. I pointed to it and whooped, "Use it! Bev – your eye – see if you can hit those blades."
The orb rose, shook itself, and zipped around the cabin, banging into the walls before it flew out the hatch. It streaked for the sky heading for the helicopter.
"Hunter, I can't believe it! Those other troops aren't Morgan's either. Captain Smith and his soldiers are attacking," Kat whooped, bouncing in her seat with joy. "We might win this thing after all."
The freedom fighters drove in on Morgan's troops from the other side in ten ancient army Humvees with battle flags streaming behind.
Explosions started going off around us – the spider bombs, shaking Bev side to side. "Bev, not yet!" I screamed, "I still have one more crate to throw and we're too close." I sprang out of my seat toward the hatch to drop the last box.
The crate had disappeared.
A huge explosion rocked us. Bev hurled into the air, a feather blown in the wind, and slammed to Earth. I smacked into the deck and crashed against the ceiling at the same time. The air whooshed out of my lungs and I couldn't breathe. Everything flashed grey with white light, streaking across my mind. In the background, Kat cried and a soft weight landed on my back.
"Hunter," she sobbed, "are you all right? Please, say something."
My lungs started pumping and I replied, "Ugh."
Kat grabbed me by my side, hauling me over as if I was a rotten log. Eyes stared in mine and her hair covered my face. I blinked, struggled to stand, and she pushed me back down. I mumbled, "What happened?"
"Bev set off all the bombs at once." Kat allowed me to sit up and tried pulling me to my chair. "A whole bunch exploded right under us."
"Huh?" Why was Kat trying to drag me? I weighed twice as much as she did. I touched my pants – blood covered my bum leg. I didn't feel a thing.
We were speeding up and slowing down, running in crazy cuts as if Bev were out of control. I shook Kat's hands off and staggered to my seat.
Bev had dropped into manual. I grasped the steering yoke, yanking until I brought her under control, and straightened us out. I fed power to the propulsion system and she took off in a straight line again.
On my right, the shattered ground fractured into huge pits, ruts and mounds of earth lay everywhere in front of the wall. I glanced to my left; Mr. Whitehorse and his horde swarmed over the balance of Morgan's men with hoops and savage bellows. In front of me, Captain Smith's band made a flanking movement, crushing the side of Morgan's men who tried to escape in every direction.
Above, grey smoke dissipated, the helicopter was gone – so was the flying orb.
John and Robert Whitehorse rode by on ponies, waved rifles at us, and kept galloping. A bloodstained, mud splattered motorhome passed us. I just had time to see Annie waving to me from the passenger's window before they too, disappeared from view.
I twisted Bev's yoke, and we fell in behind the motorhome until it stopped in front of the ruins by the town's gate. Kat and I stumbled out and met Mr. Whitehorse and Annie, John and Robert rode up next. Dust and sweat covered both brothers along with the largest smirks I'd ever seen.
"Where'd you guys come from?" I found myself beaming, too.
"The council agreed to keep traveling south and see if we could help your town," Mr. Whitehorse said. "Probably the first time in history the Amerijuns saved the settlers from the cavalry." He laughed aloud.
John dusted himself off and said, "When we heard the sounds of the fighting Dad tromped on the gas." He nudged Robert. "Some ride, huh?"
"Yeah, same as I imagined our people did in the old days." Robert glanced at the motorhome. "Sort of, anyway."
"Hunter, you're hurt!" Annie dropped to her knees, dabbing at the blood congealed on my thigh with the tail of her shirt.
Kat hooked me by the arm. "This way, Hunter. Let's take you back to Bev and find a dressing for your leg." As she pulled me away, I heard her mutter under her breath, "Before she takes her whole shirt off."
We climbed into Bev with grunts, and Kat made me sit down in the cargo bay. My pants leg already had a rip where flying metal nicked me, so Kat tore it more until a long, ragged gash showed running down my thigh. My stomach got queasy and I could almost feel the pain, whatever slashed me cut me good. Kat rummaged through the lockers searching for the first aid kit with no luck.
"Bev, where do you keep the bandages?" Kat complained, slamming the door. "I have a wounded warrior here who needs attending."
No answer.
"Come on, Bev, stop playing around, this is serious." Kat wrenched another locker open and dumped the contents of the drawers onto the deck. "Oooh, never mind! I found it myself."
Kat hurried back and cleaned out my wound by pouring stinging stuff on the gash, which burnt crazy. She squeezed antibiotic on a dressing and wrapped my whole thigh in gauze. "I'm the walking wounded," I chuckled. I touched all the padding on my leg. "G
ood job."
Kat kissed the tips of her fingers and placed them on the bandages. "There, mamma fixed – all better."
"Thanks. Now help me up." We hauled me to my feet and I limped back to the controls. "We might as well drive into town and down to the river – make sure our dads set off all right."
Mr. Whitehorse and John poked their heads in the door and Mr. Whitehorse hollered, "We'll be out with our people. Where can we find you when we're done?"
"Straight along the main street," Kat called back. "You'll see the high school on the left, the river on the right. We're checking to see if our dads have left."
I had a thought. "Oh, and Mr. Whitehorse, you saw those other soldiers? They're on our side."
He nodded. "I figured as much when they opened fire on Morgan's soldiers. Don't worry, they're safe, we won't attack any."
I sat back, took a deep breath, and let it out in a slow sigh. "I think we did it, Kat." I slapped my armrest and said, "Fighting's all over – we won. Bev, down to the river and we're done for the day. You're a hero, well done, kiddo."
Bev still refused to answer.
I figured she was mad at me. She had a right after what I'd put her through. "Oh, okay," I said, patting her controls, "be this way. I guess you deserve a rest. I'll do it myself."
I guided us around the wreckage clogging the streets and to the beach. The dock was empty. We got out and walked to the end. I heard a yell from downriver. Cruising into view around the bend was a boat with four people: Pop, Mr. Brennan, Bill, and Roy. They waved and motored up to the dock.
"Dad!" Kat ran out and hugged her father. I hobbled after her.
"Hunter." Pop grabbed me in a bear hug and lifted me off my feet. "What happened?" He saw the bandages on my leg. "Are you all right? We heard all the explosions and decided to return and make sure you two escaped. Where's Morgan's army? Are they still attacking?"
"Destroyed." I told him about the spider bombs, Mr. Whitehorse, and Captain Smith and his men. "It's all over. I saw a helicopter in the air – I think it was Morgan. It's disappeared."