“That’s fantastic! I don’t feel particularly merciful at the moment. Those sky pirates will feel threatened if we drop bombs on them,” Priscilla mentioned.
Gable nodded his head. “Help me roll this bomb onto the platform.”
The pair slowly rolled a bomb onto the window.
“I’ll watch for targets and you can pull the lever,” Priscilla suggested.
Gable grasped the metal lever and said, “You’ve got it. I want those sky pirates to pay for their actions.”
Priscilla monitored the window until she saw biplanes come near the trap. “I found three biplanes! Release the bomb!”
The casino owner obediently pulled the lever, triggering the trap door. Underneath the airship, one of the sky pirates saw the trap open.
“That’s probably a death trap! I’m not sticking around to find out!” the pilot griped before he leaped out of his biplane.
The thug deployed his parachute as the bomb fell out of the armory. It detonated on the empty biplane and completely destroyed the vessel. The explosion also severely damaged two more biplanes.
One of the sky pirates realized his engine had been damaged from the explosion. “Those Steampunks won’t leave us alone! The heck with this battle!”
He pressed a button on the control panel and was abruptly ejected from his seat. The terrorist flew through the sky until he grabbed a rope that dangled from the zeppelin. He climbed up to reach the Steampunk vessel’s peak.
The third sky pirate also reacted from the explosion. “I can’t control my plane! This is a last resort, but I need to get out of here!”
Like the previous sky pirate, he ejected from his injured biplane. He deployed a parachute and sailed through the air. However, a hang gliding sky pirate carelessly flew into him. The parachute was destroyed while the two villains struggled.
“Get off my hang glider! It’s not designed to carry two people! I can’t steer if you’re dangling on me!” the hang gliding terrorist yelled.
The other sky pirate countered, “Stop complaining! My plane was destroyed! Take me to the battleship unless you want to die!”
Soon, both of the thugs were throwing punches at each other. During the scuffle, part of the right wing became damaged and the hang gliding sky pirate lost control of his vessel. The hang glider spiraled downward and the two men could be heard screaming until they disappeared from sight.
*****
Meanwhile, on top of the zeppelin, Reb pulled out her sword and faced two sky pirates who served as scouts.
“Tell your captain to give up! We’re not letting you kill us or take over the zeppelin!” Reb hollered.
One of the terrorists aimed his electrical rifle at her. “That sword isn’t going to scare me! Have a taste of our modified electricity!”
He fired an electrical current at Reb, but she successfully tumbled out of the way. She stood up and fired an arrow at the terrorist. The wind veered Reb’s arrow in the wrong direction, but it still distracted the sky pirate nonetheless. She quickly hobbled forward and sliced his rifle in half with her sword.
The second sky pirate also pulled out a sword. “If you prefer sword fighting, I’m comfortable with that! I won’t need green electricity to kill you!”
Reb turned in his direction and stood in a defensive position. “Don’t expect this to be easy! I’m getting pretty good at using my blade!”
The two rivals swiped at each other and clanked their swords together. Reb moved forward and swiped at the sky pirate’s head, but he ducked to avoid the blow. He countered and swiped at her several time. Sparks flew through the air when their swords clashed. Reb swung her blade downward and then the sky pirate held his weapon in a defensive motion. The enemies pressed their swords together until he pushed her out of the way. Reb momentarily stumbled but quickly regained her footing. The sky pirate assaulted her, but she eventually proved to be the better swordsman. She knocked him down and held the sword against his throat.
“Wait! Steampunks are supposed to uphold morality! Think about it!” the sky pirate pleaded.
“There must be a way to communicate with your captain! Tell me the truth or I’ll slice your neck open!” Reb threatened.
The terrorist believed her words. “Don’t kill me! We have wristbands that function as communication devices! Here, take it!”
He handed the wristband to Reb and she placed it inside her pocket. “Somebody needs to remind your captain that he isn’t a conqueror.”
*****
The sky pirate who had escaped from Gable and Priscilla’s bomb climbed up a rope. He climbed to the top of the zeppelin and spotted Reb. He pulled out a handheld electrical gun and aimed it at her. Reb immediately fired one of her arrows and struck his right ankle. The sky pirate hollered in pain and dropped his weapon. His gun tumbled over the zeppelin’s edge. The weapon landed on top of a hang glider and electrocuted another sky pirate. His body violently convulsed, and then he fell off the hang glider.
Reb interrogated both of the remaining sky pirates. “Shouldn’t there be more of you on top of this airship? I’m feeling suspicious right now about where everyone else has gone.”
“Most of them climbed inside the zeppelin. But the majority of our crew is flying in the biplanes and hang gliders, or they stayed on the battleship. We outnumber the Steampunks in this atmosphere. You’ll never take down our captain,” one of the sky pirates warned.
“We’ll see. I’ve seen a lot of difficult enemies. None of them have been able to beat me yet,” Reb replied.
She grabbed one of the ropes and quickly scaled down the zeppelin.
Chapter 15
Gable and Priscilla exited the armory to continue their search for the members of their family.
“That armory is a jackpot. I just know that something in that room will help us rescue Oliver and Maggie. We need to find the rest of my family so we can gather more weapons,” Gable explained as they stalked through a corridor.
Priscilla kept her metal fan available. “I hope it’s that simple. We can’t let anything happen to our kids. I’ll never recover if they don’t survive.”
Gable held her hand and spoke in a reassuring tone. “Everything is going to work out in the end. I need you to stay strong. Oliver and Maggie need a mother who can handle the pressure. Do you remember what happened in Louisiana? You were a deadly femme fatale. I know you have a fighting spirit and it’s going to help us move forward.”
“You’re right, but the stress of these terrorist attacks weighs heavily on me sometimes,” Priscilla admitted.
They heard footsteps so the couple quickly crouched along a wall.
“Don’t say anything. Maybe they’ll go away,” Gable whispered.
Someone found them and aimed a double-barreled shotgun at the pair.
“Wait! Don’t shoot us!” Priscilla shouted.
Giles pulled back his weapon and looked at them in disbelief. “I didn’t realize it was you guys. It’s really good to see a couple of familiar faces.”
Beauregard showed up and joined the conversation. “Those sky pirates have been terrorizing us all day long. Where are the kids?”
“They kidnapped Oliver and Maggie. We need help,” Priscilla moaned.
“I’m trying to figure out a way to rescue them. We found an armory loaded with biplanes, jetpacks, and weapons. Maybe you can help me create a plan?” Gable suggested.
Giles thought about it for a moment. “I’m sure we can find a solution. Do you know where the sky pirates are keeping the kids?”
“We assume they’re being held hostage on the flying pirate ship. It doesn’t make sense to hide them on the zeppelin,” Gable replied.
“There’s an armory? Heck, I want to know where that room is located!” Beauregard declared.
“We can take you there. Let’s go before those sky pirates show up again,” Priscilla insisted.
The group carefully walked through the corridor and headed toward the armory.
*****
On the other side of the zeppelin, Percy and Savannah had found the cockpit. The couple stayed out of sight when they spotted two sky pirates who were piloting the airship.
“I knew there would be trouble in the cockpit. How are we going to eliminate those creeps? That green electricity will kill us,” Savannah said quietly.
Percy responded, “Go for the copilot. I’ll cover you.”
They swung the door open and Savannah used her whip to harness the copilot’s left arm. Both of the sky pirates were surprised by the ambush.
“Let go of me!” the copilot demanded.
Savannah yanked on her whip and pulled the sky pirate out of his seat. “Why do you guys always have something to say? I’ve heard too much whining from terrorists like you!”
The copilot landed roughly on the floor and Savannah kicked his face to knock him out.
“What are you doing? If you mess with the controls, the zeppelin will crash!” the pilot hollered.
Percy grabbed the steering wheel and tried to push the sky pirate away. “Shut up! This is a Steampunk vessel and we’re regaining control!”
The pilot also fought for the steering wheel. “You can’t beat us! My captain has an arsenal of planes and weapons! Give up and leave the cockpit!”
Both of the men pulled on the steering wheel, causing the zeppelin to shift from one side to the other.
Savannah tried to maintain her balance. “Percy, hurry up! The airship is rocking back and forth!”
In another corridor, Gable, Priscilla, Giles, and Beauregard pressed their bodies against the walls as the zeppelin swayed.
“Did somebody attack our vessel?” Priscilla wondered out loud.
“Maybe the engine is running out of fuel!” Beauregard replied.
Gable argued against his client’s idea. “It can’t run out of gasoline! The zeppelin is powered by a steam engine!”
“I feel nauseous! This is like traveling on the sea!” Giles complained.
Elsewhere, Malcolm lost his balance and fell on the floor. “Now what’s happening? This flight doesn’t make any sense! If this turbulence lasts for much longer, I’m going to throw up!”
Reb couldn’t control her rope as it swung outward. “This isn’t good! I don’t know what’s happening to the zeppelin, but the pilot is definitely losing control!”
She slammed against the airship’s outer shell covering as it swayed to the other side. The process repeated when it swayed again, causing her to clank against the zeppelin once more. After a few more mishaps, she lost her grip and fell through the sky.
Chapter 16
Reb screamed as she fell through the air. She landed on top of a sky pirate’s biplane. The female Steampunk clutched the wings as she hoisted her body on top of the flying vehicle.
The sky pirate had a difficult time maneuvering the biplane with Reb’s weight now on it. “Where did you come from? Get off my plane! You’ll get us both killed!”
Reb hung onto the biplane while her legs flailed. “One of us needs to disappear, but it’s not going to be me!”
She unbuckled the thug’s seatbelt, grabbed his shirt collar, and threw him out of the biplane. The sky pirate screamed then deployed his parachute.
“I hate Steampunks!” the villain shouted while he sailed to the ground below.
Reb climbed into the seat and took control of the aerial vessel. She examined the controls and held onto the steering wheel. “Okay, it’s time for me to teach those sky pirates a few lessons. How do I fly this darn thing? I’ll just have to figure it out.”
She flew toward some of the enemy vessels for a confrontation.
*****
Meanwhile, in the cockpit, Percy punched the sky pirate. The criminal became unconscious and fell to the floor.
Savannah sighed. “The zeppelin is finally steady again! I feel seasick!”
“Sorry, but I had to regain control of the airship,” Percy said in a sheepish tone.
The cockpit’s door flung open and the couple immediately drew their weapons.
“Don’t attack me! We can’t afford friendly fire!” Malcolm yelled, as he raised his arms in the air.
Percy laughed. “We’ve been searching everywhere for allies. How did you find the cockpit?”
“By accident. I’ve been wandering through the zeppelin to find help. Reb was with me, but she decided to climb on top of the vessel,” Malcolm replied.
“And you let her do something crazy like that? I can’t believe it!” Savannah complained.
Malcolm defended his actions. “You know about Reb’s stubbornness! She was determined to make the sky pirates pay for this attack!”
Percy rubbed his forehead. “That sounds like Reb. We need a plan. What should we do next?”
Savannah looked at the controls. “I hope one of you is familiar with aviation. This zeppelin needs a pilot.”
“Let me see. There should be an autopilot button,” Percy said, as he checked the display of lights, buttons, and switches.
He eventually found the autopilot button and turned it on.
Malcolm was curious and asked, “Where are we going? Earlier today, it felt like the zeppelin turned around.”
Percy checked the coordinates. “We’re heading toward the Rocky Mountains.”
“This was a flight to Washington D.C. Why are we flying to the Rocky Mountains? We’re backtracking to the west,” Savannah muttered.
“I don’t know why, but these sky pirates want this airship for some reason,” Percy mentioned.
One of the sky pirates headed toward the cockpit yelling, “Get away from the controls! You have no business here!”
Malcolm immediately slammed the door shut before the terrorist could use his electrical gun. The sky pirate pounded his fists on the door until another siren blared. Inside the cockpit, the three Steampunks heard the noise.
“Another booby trap?” Malcolm wondered out loud.
Before the sky pirate could flee from the cockpit, a trap door opened and dropped him outside the zeppelin. The thug screamed and fell through the vessel’s shell, then plummeted through the cloudy atmosphere. Soon, the trap door safely closed and the alarm stopped.
Percy opened the door and saw a clear path through the corridor. “I guess it was a booby trap. The sky pirate is gone.”
“I won’t complain about that. At least he’s not splattered all over the ceiling. Reb might be able to handle massive amounts of gore, but I have trouble handling that type of situation,” Savannah commented.
The trio left the cockpit and Malcolm said, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Reb got her spunk from somewhere.”
Savannah patted his shoulder. “So you are capable of handing out compliments. Keep that in mind when you find a decent girl.”
“I’m probably beyond help at this point,” Malcolm grumbled.
“It’s better to be patient and wait for destiny to take its course. Many people will settle for leftovers, but you can find something more substantial. In the meantime, let’s find Reb and the rest of our group,” Percy explained.
*****
Gable, Priscilla, Giles, and Beauregard entered the armory and searched for useful items.
“This is where the weapons and transportation are located. I want to use one of those biplanes to rescue Oliver and Maggie,” Gable stated as he turned on a light.
Giles carefully studied the various items. “It’s probably our best option. I hope you realize that’s a deadly mission.”
“I’m not afraid to die for my family. Can you help me?” Gable asked.
“Of course. Those kids are part of the Nelson legacy. I’ll find a way to help you rescue them,” Giles said in a reassuring tone.
Priscilla motioned to the zeppelin’s supply of bombs. “Gable and I dropped one of those bombs on a squad of biplanes. Maybe we should use more of them.”
Giles shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We could miss and destroy civilian territory.”
&nb
sp; “I suppose that’s true. It just seems like we need a lot of reinforcement,” Priscilla commented.
Beauregard picked up a long rifle that was grafted with brass and copper. “Look at these weapons. We should be able to scare those sky pirates out of the atmosphere.”
“They’re not going to be afraid of our weapons. It will take an effective strategy to conquer the enemy. By the way, has anyone seen Reb? I thought she might be with you guys,” Giles queried.
Priscilla shrugged. “Sorry, but we haven’t seen her since before the attack started. Hopefully, she’s all right.”
“Reb is probably busy saving the world. I wish she were here to help us figure out the right strategy. Her ideas are nuts, but they usually work,” Gable muttered.
Beauregard returned the specialized rifle to it’s resting place on the shelf. “We’re not getting anything done. What do you guys recommend?”
Gable offered up a plan. “I’ll take a biplane and fight my way to the battleship. Giles, I’ll need backup.”
The attorney pulled a jetpack from a shelf. “This jetpack will do the trick. I can move freely through the sky and get rid of assailants, while you head straight to the enemy vessel.”
“You’ll need a weapon. This room is full of resources, but you need something that can be carried in flight,” Priscilla mentioned.
“This armory has a lot of options. You could use a harpoon gun, a rotary gun, a crossbow, or a flamethrower,” Beauregard suggested.
Giles picked up a hefty weapon and said, “I want this bazooka. It should pack enough power to blow up those biplanes.”
“I’m coming with you guys. Right now, a dose of vengeance will probably make me feel better,” Priscilla stated boldly.
Gable placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, but you need to stay here.”
She wasn’t having any of it and said, “This isn’t a debate! I’m a mother who has the instinct to protect my children!”
“Priscilla, this is serious! It’s going to be dangerous! What if something happens to me and Giles? I need you to stay here in case our plan goes sour! Oliver and Maggie need someone to stay here as backup!” Gable explained.
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Vendetta Page 20