“I shouldn’t be glad to see a person die, but this gives us a terrific opportunity. Let’s find a way to get out of this building,” Gable recommended.
They hurried away from the office and tried to find an exit.
*****
Back in San Francisco, Percy and Savannah remained trapped in the airport. Percy tried to find a clever escape route.
“There’s a bunch of people here. I’m sure we can find an exit and leave without the employees seeing anything,” Percy said.
Savannah kept an eye on their crowded environment. “That would be great. I’m tired of wasting time in this airport.”
The couple fought their way through the crowd of Steampunks. Eventually, they reached a side exit that was supposed to be used for employees.
“Nobody is watching. We need to pick up our luggage because people will hear the wheels,” Percy stated.
Savannah lowered the handle on her luggage. “I’ll do what’s necessary to get out of here.”
Percy used his body to prop the door open while Savannah walked through the doorway. He followed her and then they quietly walked through the backdoor route. After a few moments, they exited the airport and hurried to the parking lot.
“That worked perfectly!” Percy triumphantly declared.
“You’re a good improviser. Hopefully, we can reach Las Vegas in a handful of hours,” Savannah said, as she wheeled her luggage.
*****
Nero barged into his empty conference room and immediately noticed that Gable and Priscilla had escaped. The crime boss growled and then he threw a chair across the room. It slammed against a wall and landed on the floor. “I can’t believe it! How did they escape?”
Bella hurried into the conference room and was equally stunned at the sight. “I don’t understand what happened.”
Nero lost his temper, whipped around, and slapped his partner’s face. She was shocked by his act of aggression.
“Your incompetence is becoming painfully clear! So far, you haven’t accomplished anything correctly concerning our plan! My hostages escaped! Reb and Giles are probably still alive, and nobody has captured those kids yet! Now two friends of the Nelson family are running amok in our casino!” Nero ranted.
Bella shoved him. “You’re equally guilty of this outcome! I seem to remember you being in charge of interrogating Gable! Why couldn’t you torture him and the wife until he agreed to sign the contract?”
Nero defended his failure by shouting, “It was complicated!”
“I just think the Nelsons are smarter than you! Somebody finally stood up to your thuggish behavior!” Bella argued.
Their confrontation was interrupted when a henchman dialed into Nero’s communication device. “Sir, we have a serious problem.”
Nero unhooked the communication device from his belt. “Now what?”
“There was an incident at the cargo hangar. Part of our inventory was destroyed. I think that woman, Reb Nelson, was involved,” the henchman reported.
“Is she still at the cargo hangar?” Nero asked impatiently.
The henchman wasn’t sure. “I don’t know. She could be hiding somewhere.”
Nero tucked away the communication device and gave instructions to Bella. “Drive to our black market area. If you want to torment Reb and Giles, this might be a good opportunity.”
Bella smirked. “Gladly. I have an axe to grind with that pair.”
She strutted out of the conference room and Nero went to work preparing his submachine again.
“Nobody rejects me. Gable Nelson and his entire family are going to die,” Nero muttered as he reloaded his weapon.
Chapter 14
Reb and Giles poked their heads around a pile of boxes. Both of them were covered in dirt from the missile’s explosion. The enemy’s helicopter flew around the vicinity.
“So much for my new hairdo. How are we going to escape that helicopter?” Reb pondered out loud.
Giles kept a wary eye on the mafia’s helicopter. “We need to destroy it. I don’t have that kind of firepower. What about you?”
Reb held up her baton. “I don’t think my bronze baton is going to take down a helicopter. Actually, I have a miniature crossbow strapped to my wrist, but that won’t be strong enough either.”
Giles shook his head. “That means we need to find something in the cargo area.”
“I hope you realize mobsters are all over this place,” Reb warned.
“We can be sneaky. This place has a lot of boxes here that can give us cover,” Giles discussed.
Reb planted her baton in the dirt. “All right. I’ll follow your lead.”
The duo cautiously left their shelter of boxes but their plan was disrupted when the helicopter fired another missile at them. The missile destroyed the boxes, sending a hail of wood and merchandise through the air. Reb and Giles hurried away from the disaster. Giles knew his wife’s speed was more limited, so he improvised. Along the way, he grabbed a rope that was fastened to a hook.
“I have an idea! Try to hide behind something!” Giles hollered.
“What are you doing?” Reb asked, in a confused tone.
Giles swung the rope above his head while he said, “You’ll see!”
He slung the rope through the air and successfully snared one of the helicopter’s skids. The mafia vessel yanked the rope and pulled Giles off the ground. He climbed the rope while Reb watched anxiously.
The helicopter pilot noticed his unwanted passenger. “Dang it! These Steampunks are relentless!”
He swerved the helicopter in a different direction, swinging the rope, with Giles still on it, through the air. The male Steampunk used to his enhanced strength to tightly grip the rope. Giles continued to move upward until he grabbed one of the skids. He climbed inside the helicopter, alarming the mob pilot.
“This is for shooting us with missiles!” Giles threatened, as he grabbed the pilot’s shirt collar.
The pilot tried to push Giles away. “Screw you! This is my job!”
Both of the men wrestled as the helicopter weaved uncontrollably toward one of the bungalows. Reb tried to follow the helicopter, hobbling along the ground. Giles used his enhanced strength to overpower the pilot. He punched the pilot a few times and the helicopter remained out of control.
“You’re dependent on fancy upgrades to fight us! I can tell your primitive body strength isn’t good enough to fight me!” Giles said, as he pressed the mobster’s back against the control panel.
The pilot couldn’t fight back. “Go ahead and kill me! My boss, Nero, will finish me off anyway if I can’t kill you guys!”
Giles felt like he learned something valuable. “Nero is the mob boss? That doesn’t surprise me.”
While the helicopter remained unmanned, it spun around and flew closer to the ground.
The mobster panicked. “We’re going to die!”
Giles looked at the bungalow. “Make a jump for it!”
The Steampunk leaped out of the helicopter and landed on the bungalow. His opponent also jumped out of the helicopter, but his landing was much rougher. They watched the helicopter as it crashed to the ground and exploded.
“That was intense!” the mob pilot said before he fainted.
Giles frowned. “Are you kidding me? I see this much action every year.”
Reb grabbed a ladder and dragged it over to the bungalow. She propped the metal ladder against the bungalow’s wall. “Are you okay? That looked pretty rough.”
Giles climbed down the ladder, and replied, “It was only a helicopter. You’re the one who got blown up by a flaming cannonball, dropped through the sky by a flying battleship, and irradiated by a nuclear reactor.”
“You’re so modest. Did the pilot survive?” Reb asked, as she kept the ladder steady.
Giles stepped onto the ground. “Yes. We should leave him up there where he can’t cause trouble.”
“Do you have any more ideas?” Reb inquired.
“No, but
we’ll figure something out. The pilot admitted that Nero is running the mob. We should head deeper into the hangar to find more answers. Nero and his crew are up to something and it might be really bad,” Giles explained.
Reb gripped her baton tightly. “Okay. This time we need to stay in the shadows. I’m sure Nero’s henchmen have a plethora of submachine guns. We can’t outrun that type of gunfire.”
“We’ll try to be safe. Let’s head in that direction,” Giles said while he pointed north.
The couple took advantage of the nighttime darkness while they lurked through the cargo area.
*****
Eventually, Oliver, Maggie, and Parker reached the parking structure of Nero’s casino. They hopped out of the Steampunk vehicle and headed to the entrance.
“Please, tell me that you have a real plan this time,” Parker pleaded with Oliver.
The older boy responded, “I’m going to be completely honest, we’re winging it.”
Parker groaned. “I can’t believe you want to take on the mafia without a plan.”
“Guys, the best plans are spontaneous. I don’t think Mom had a master plan when she rescued us from terrorists in the bayou. Dad hijacked a biplane and rescued us from sky pirates last year. Aunt Reb always does everything on impulse and she’s defeated pirates, bandits, cannibals, and all kinds of whackos. Let’s stick together and we’ll figure it out,” Maggie boldly stated.
Parker was impressed by her bravado. “Nice. You know what? I might be able to help you guys. My technical skills are pretty good. I should be able to pull up blueprints for the Dieselpunk building on my cell phone. If your parents are being held as hostages, I might be able to find the right location.”
Maggie looked over Parker’s shoulder while he examined data on his phone. “Smart guy. You should hang out with us every time a crisis happens.”
“Is this legal?” Oliver wondered out loud.
“Not even close, so don’t say anything to the police,” Parker replied.
Maggie rolled her eyes. “Who cares? It’s not legal for those mobsters to shoot at us either.”
Parker looked at the blueprints. “It’s got to be the top floor. I think that floor has very limited access. There should be a secret elevator on the west side of the building.”
“All right, let’s find out if those blueprints are accurate,” Oliver mentioned.
The three kids headed in the correct direction and soon found an industrial elevator that was locked from the public.
Maggie was disappointed. “This elevator has a keypad, which means we need a secret code.”
Oliver shrugged. “I heard Nero’s lucky number is 1945. We should give it a shot.”
He plugged in the four numbers and unlocked the elevator.
“Dude, how did you know that?” Parker asked with disbelief.
“I hear a lot of rumors at the high school. Teenagers aren’t very good at keeping secrets. The number 1945 makes sense anyway. Nero is obsessed with everything from the 1940s,” Oliver explained.
The elevator door opened and then the kids stepped inside.
Maggie took a deep breath. “Our parents can’t shelter us forever. We need to face these kinds of problems and handle them bravely.”
The three kids rode the elevator to the top floor and then the door slid open. Oliver checked to make sure mobsters weren’t in the corridor.
“I think we’re okay. Follow me,” Oliver quietly ordered.
They exited the elevator and walked through the corridor, feeling paranoid about surprises.
“It’s really quiet,” Maggie whispered.
“Maybe this won’t be too bad,” Parker mentioned.
Their peace was short lived because a mobster soon found them.
The villain pulled out his submachine gun. “You’re those Nelson kids! We have plans for you!”
All three of the kids turned around and stared at the mobster. He fired the weapon, causing the kids to flee around the corner.
“Keep running! We need to get away from these mobsters!” Oliver insisted.
Their tormentor hurried around the corner and fired his submachine again. Oliver, Maggie, and Parker ran into an office and hid from the grafted bullets. The mobster riddled the wall with gunfire. The three kids cowered from the crumbling wall.
“How are we getting out of here?” Parker asked.
Oliver tried to stay away from the gunfire. “I don’t know!”
The mobster walked closer and continued to fire his submachine gun. He accidentally pierced a fire extinguisher and then it sprayed ice all over his body. The mobster coughed while the flurry washed over his face.
He couldn’t see very well and stumbled through the hallway. “Why did I shoot the fire extinguisher?”
Due to his poor vision, the henchman slipped near a stairway, tumbled down a flight of stairs, and broke his neck.
Maggie felt hopeful when she didn’t hear any more gunfire. “It’s quiet again. Maybe the mobster is gone.”
“Probably. Let’s get out of this office and find our parents,” Oliver recommended.
The three kids left the office and headed down a hallway. Two men stepped in front of the trio, prompting the kids to scream. One of the men knelt in front of them.
“This isn’t a very safe place for kids. What are you guys doing here?” Beauregard asked.
Oliver was relieved. “Steampunks! You guys are definitely better than mobsters.”
“I remember you guys on the airship last year. Unfortunately, we’ve been running into enemies all day long. We need to find a safe place for you guys,” Malcolm insisted.
Maggie argued, “I don’t want to run away from our problems!”
“That’s what you say now. I have a feeling those mobsters will change your mind,” Malcolm commented.
Beauregard stared at Parker. “Who are you? I thought Gable and Priscilla only had two kids.”
“My name is Parker. I’m one of Maggie’s friends. Reb and Giles keep in contact with me too, but that’s a really long story,” Parker explained.
Their conversation fell short when Malcolm and Beauregard couldn’t move.
“I can’t walk!” Malcolm growled.
“Neither can I!” Beauregard said, as he tried to move his legs.
Both of the men were pulled through the air and landed on the ceiling. They were completely stuck against a giant magnet that was fastened to the ceiling. The three kids were confused.
Malcolm gritted his teeth while he tried to move. “Magnets! I can’t believe it, they’re nightmares for us!”
“This will be a really pathetic way to die!” Beauregard complained.
Two mobsters laughed while one of them let go of a lever on the wall. They walked through the hallway and pulled out their submachine guns.
“We found a whole group! Nero will be pleased!” one of the mobsters declared.
The second thug aimed his gun upward at Malcolm and Beauregard. “I love these magnets! They make it so easy for us to kill Steampunks!”
“Leave them alone! I don’t understand why you have to bully people who are different!” Maggie shouted.
One of the mobsters chuckled. “We’re just exterminating some vermin! After we get rid of these guys, we’re coming for you next!”
Parker quickly rolled a trash bin across the floor, catching the two mobsters off their guard. The trash bin knocked them down, giving Oliver a chance to hurry across the hallway. He pulled down the lever and turned off the magnet. Malcolm and Beauregard fell to the floor and then Oliver hurried past the fallen mobsters to rejoin his group. The terrorists were furious when they stood up.
“Now all of you are dead!” one of the mobsters shouted.
They opened rapid gunfire on the Steampunks, but the group disappeared around the corner. One of the villains proceeded to follow the group, but his partner protested.
“Wait! My gun is jammed!” the mobster complained, smacking his weapon.
�
�Hurry up! We’re going to lose them!” the other mobster said, and he rushed back to his partner.
Eventually, the jammed submachine gun worked again, accidentally firing up into the air. The grafted bullets pelted the magnet and its safety restraints. Both of the mobsters looked at the ceiling when they heard a cracking noise. The magnet broke away from the ceiling and fell down. Both of the mobsters screamed before the magnet flattened them and splattered blood in the hallway.
Chapter 15
Reb and Giles slinked behind some of the boxes trying to remain hidden. They tried to stay in the darker sections of the hangar along the walls. Multiple henchmen worked in the cargo area, loading crates in various locations. Some of the mobsters drove forklifts and carried boxes from one section of the hangar to another.
Giles peered from behind the boxes. “This is a ton of cargo. The rumors must be true. Nero is running a black market operation.”
“That’s for sure. Look at all of those boxes. What do you think they’re selling?” Reb wondered out loud.
“I have some theories. Did you ever wonder where terrorists, like pirates and bandits, get their high tech weapons? Maybe they buy specialized weapons that can kill Steampunks.”
Reb furrowed her eyebrows. “You’re probably right. I think they’re selling other stuff too. Some of those crates might contain valuable merchandise likes rare jewels and ancient artifacts. Even coal is a hot commodity. It’s how we get our steam power. Earlier today, one of the mobsters bulldozed a bunch of crates that were full of liquor.”
“Yeah, there’s something going on in the center. Let’s head up the catwalk and get a better view of the operation,” Giles suggested.
Reb was wary of his plan. “Okay, but we need to be really quiet. I don’t want those mobsters to start shooting at us.”
The couple tiptoed up the stairs and crept across the metal walkway. They crouched down and watched the henchmen from an elevated view. Several giant crates were gathered in the center of the hangar. A few mobsters opened one of the crates and examined a huge combustion engine.
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Vendetta Page 30