“Did an animal get inside the air conditioning system?” the mobster asked in a confused tone.
“He’s distracted! Let’s go!” Priscilla insisted.
They headed down the corridor until Bubba popped out through an air conditioning vent. The small robot scurried over to the mobster and bit his left ankle. Gable and his family were stunned by the sudden ambush. The villain howled in pain and dropped his weapon as the mechanical prairie dog attacked again and again. Bubba climbed up the mobster and clamped his jaws on the evildoer’s forearm. Eventually, the villain pried the small creature off his arm and tossed Bubba across the hallway. Gable caught the prairie dog in his arms and their enemy fled in the opposite direction.
“I’m not sticking around to fight robotic monsters! Screw you guys!” the mobster hollered while he ran away.
Gable looked down the small animal. “What is this critter?”
“That’s Reb’s mechanical prairie dog, Bubba. He’s been following us around today. We left him in the Jeep, but I guess he didn’t stay,” Parker explained.
The family continued to walk down the hallway and Priscilla said, “So, how did you guys steal Reb’s Jeep? None of you are old enough to drive yet.”
Oliver was embarrassed. “It was my escape plan. Those mobsters tried to kidnap me too.”
“I’m just glad we didn’t see that part,” Priscilla muttered.
“Yeah, we were going to tell you about it, someday. I figured you’d pass out if we said anything right now,” Maggie admitted.
*****
On the other side of the building, Malcolm and Beauregard found an elevator and rode it down to the garage level. They exited the elevator and walked through the parking structure.
Beauregard was relieved. “I’m glad we got out of that building. Hopefully, Gable and his family will escape too.”
Malcolm glanced at the rows of cars. “I think we need to find Reb. According to the kids, she’s trapped in a mob lair.”
“How are we going to find it? The desert is a huge place,” Beauregard pondered out loud.
They walked next to a vintage Dieselpunk car that was streamlined and decorated with chrome. The unusual vehicle caught Malcolm’s attention.
“Maybe we can start with this snazzy car,” the sports commentator remarked.
Beauregard raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious?”
“Look, we don’t have directions. That means we’ll have to explore and figure it out,” Malcolm said.
The German man busted the window with his fist, shocking Beauregard.
“You’re breaking into someone’s car! That’s illegal!” the artist shouted.
Malcolm chuckled as he opened the driver’s door and unlocked the vehicle. “Come on, buddy. This car must belong to one of those mobsters. It has that distinct Dieselpunk style.”
Beauregard felt uncomfortable with Malcolm’s actions. “Fine, but I’m blaming you if the police arrest us.”
“Give a minute to hot-wire it. Reb taught me how to make this work,” Malcolm commented.
Beauregard watched his friend. “A lawyer taught you how to break the law? That makes perfect sense.”
Malcolm used a couple of wires to start the car’s engine. “It’s a useful skill in a dystopian society. Let’s hit the highway!”
The two men exited the parking structure in the Dieselpunk sedan. They drove down the busy streets, but the peaceful journey was interrupted when four mobsters started to follow them on motorcycles.
Beauregard looked over his shoulder. “Dang it! Mobsters are coming after us again!”
Malcolm tightly gripped the steering wheel. “We can shake them!”
He drove on the sidewalk and skidded past other cars. Pedestrians jumped out of the way as Malcolm tried to shake off the motorcycles. He cut back onto the street again and weaved around numerous cars. Malcolm’s driving skills were erratic, but it helped them to avoid the terrorists.
“You’re going to kill us!” Beauregard yelled.
“This is a chase scene! I’m not going to drive the speed limit or use my turning indicator!” Malcolm protested.
The mobsters also weaved around the Steampunk vehicles. One of the villains armed a grenade and tossed it at the sedan. Malcolm sped ahead and the grenade exploded on the street, damaging a few Steampunk vehicles. Another mobster tossed a grenade at the two men, but Malcolm drove across the sidewalk and avoided the explosion. He went back to the street and tried to avoid their enemies.
Beauregard’s heart pounded in his chest. “Grenades! I hate those things!”
“You brought a gun today! Do me a favor and take out some of those henchmen!” Malcolm demanded.
“You’ve got it!” Beauregard agreed.
The artist rolled down the window and then he carefully leaned out of the opening. Beauregard aimed at one of the motorcycles and fired his handgun. One of the bullets successfully popped the front tire on a motorcycle. The tire flattened and the mobster fell onto the pavement.
“Come on! His aim can’t be that good!” the mobster complained, while he lie on the ground.
Malcolm continued to drive erratically on the street. “Good job! I know you don’t like fighting, but that was a great shot!”
Beauregard sat back in the passenger seat again. “Don’t get used to it!”
One of the mobsters drove next to the Dieselpunk sedan. He pulled out a miniature submachine gun and aimed it at Malcolm. “It’s time to end this car chase!”
Unfortunately, another mobster tossed a grenade at the sedan. He missed the target and killed the mobster who wielded the mini gun. The explosion sent blood and pieces of the motorcycle careening through the air. Parts of the motorcycle rained on top of cars and the crowded sidewalk. Several pedestrians ran out of the way, while bits of metal landed on the pavement.
Malcolm resisted the urge to laugh. “See? This might work in our favor! The mobsters will just kill each other!”
“I would find this situation more amusing if our lives weren’t in peril!” Beauregard remarked.
One of the mobsters armed a grenade and threw it at Malcolm’s car. The sports commentator swerved out of the way, and the grenade exploded against a light post. The light tipped over and fell in the mobster’s direction. He looked at the post and screamed. The light post squished the mobster and his motorcycle, causing blood to pool on the street.
Malcolm felt optimistic. “There’s only one mobster left! We’re doing pretty good!”
“Don’t forget to get on the highway! We need to reach the desert!” Beauregard insisted.
The final mobster followed them in hot pursuit. He weaved in and out of lanes, trying to get closer to Malcolm and Beauregard. The mobster drove close to the Dieselpunk sedan, but he accidentally swerved into the next lane. A semi truck honked its horn while it drove directly toward the motorcycle. The mobster panicked and froze while the massive vehicle came closer. It hit the motorcycle, killing the thug and destroying his vehicle.
Malcolm safely drove onto the highway. “That took care of those mobsters! Now we can find the cargo hangar!”
Beauregard pulled up a digital map on his cell phone. “I still don’t know where this hangar is located. Maybe I can find some directions online.”
“Don’t count on it. The mafia isn’t going to post their address on a website,” Malcolm replied.
After a while, they spotted the cargo hangar in the desert from a distance.
“That must be the site. I can tell somebody has a lot of cargo boxes over there,” Beauregard mentioned.
Malcolm tried to figure out a plan. “Definitely. Hold on tight. We’re going to take an off-road shortcut.”
He drove the sedan onto the desert floor and headed to the hangar. Eventually, they drove very close to the cargo area.
Reb and Giles heard someone driving a vehicle when they exited the hangar.
“Please, tell me that car isn’t a mob vehicle,” Reb muttered.
Giles
didn’t have a clear answer. “I don’t know.”
Due to the nighttime darkness, Malcolm didn’t see them until it was too late. He slammed into the pair and smashed the front of his car.
Malcolm halted the vehicle. “What did I just hit?”
Beauregard’s face turned red. “I think we found Reb and Giles.”
Chapter 17
Gable cautiously walked through a corridor with his family and Parker. It didn’t seem like they were surrounded by enemies, but Gable couldn’t see their environment well enough to know for sure.
“You guys need to be really quiet. We don’t want to draw attention from those goons,” Gable whispered.
They heard footsteps heading in their direction, then Nero and two of his thugs found them. The three mobsters drew their submachine guns.
“Get them!” Nero ordered.
The Nelsons, Parker, and Bubba hurried around the corner while their enemies fired rapidly in their direction. Gable slammed into a supply room’s door and busted it open. They scrambled into the small room while the mobsters ran down the corridor.
Priscilla was nervous about their situation. “Gable, we’re trapped!”
He realized they were unarmed and defenseless. “I’ll figure out something!”
Parker looked at some of the supplies. “Guys, we should grab some of the stuff in this room! Take pen, pencils, or anything like that!”
Oliver understood his point. “You’re right! I think we’re getting out of here without a scratch!”
“Exactly what are you plotting?” Priscilla asked in a skeptical tone.
The three kids grabbed pencils, pens, and markers.
“You’ll see!” Maggie replied.
“Don’t try anything bold! Those mobsters have submachine guns!” Gable demanded.
The three kids knelt on the floor as the mobsters walked closer.
“Trust us! This is going to work!” Parker responded.
They peeked through the doorway and rolled the supplies across the floor. All three of the mobsters slipped on the supplies and fell to the floor. Nero crawled further back in the hallway, while one of his henchmen accidentally fired his submachine gun at the ceiling.
The mob kingpin complained, “I can’t believe we’re being defeated by a bunch of stupid kids!”
The two henchmen looked at the ceiling as a light fixture became dislodged. It fell on top of the two villains, electrocuting them. Nero turned over on his back and witnessed the deaths of his followers.
Gable hurried everyone out of the supply room. “This is our chance to escape! Run!”
The Nelsons, Parker, and the robotic prairie dog fled from the supply room, hurried down the hallway, and disappeared around the corner.
Nero stood up and grabbed his weapon again. “At this point, I’m not interested in buying the casinos anymore! I just want to kill this family! Nobody is allowed to give me this much trouble!”
He heard Bella page his communication device. “Nero, I need your help! I tried to eliminate Reb but she escaped!”
“Do I have to finish everything around here? Stay in the hangar! We’re going to kill the entire Nelson family and anyone who gets in our way!” Nero bellowed.
He ended the discussion and prepared to leave his building.
*****
Back at the cargo hangar, Malcolm and Beauregard remained in the sedan.
Malcolm was afraid to move. “Are you sure I ran over Reb and Giles?”
“I think it was them, but it was too dark to know for sure,” Beauregard admitted.
Reb punched out the driver’s window and grabbed Malcolm’s shirt collar. “Next time, watch where you’re driving!”
The two men screamed at her sudden appearance.
“I didn’t mean to run over you! Show us some mercy!” Malcolm begged.
“We had good intentions! Honestly!” Beauregard said claimed.
Giles joined them and cracked his neck. “That’s why we have grafted skeletons. How did you guys wind up here?”
Beauregard exited the Dieselpunk vehicle. “We found Gable, Priscilla, and the kids. Somehow, the kids knew you were inside this cargo hangar.”
“We had an interesting chase scene. If you guys want to help us, I can explain some things: We’re dealing with mobsters, and they’re armed with submachine guns that can penetrate our clothes,” Reb explained.
Malcolm also exited the car. “Beau and I figured out that part. They tried to kill us inside Nero’s corporate headquarters.”
“Did you say Gable and his family are stranded there?” Giles asked.
Beauregard nodded his head. “Yeah, but I think Gable will find a way to keep his wife and kids out of harm’s way. He’s very dedicated to them.”
“I’m really worried about my relatives, but we can’t help them over here. Nero is hiding giant diesel engines in this hangar. I have a feeling he used one of those engines to blow up the new casino. We need to find a way to destroy them or he might blow up more buildings,” Reb discussed.
“That sounds really serious. Do you guys have a plan?” Malcolm inquired.
“Never. Improvisation is the way it works for us,” Reb admitted.
Beauregard felt apprehensive. “I think it would be more intelligent to fight the mafia with a plan.”
“They attacked us in the middle of a normal day. We didn’t have time to prepare for anything. Do either of you have a gun?” Giles pondered out loud.
“Beau has a gun, but I don’t have a long-range weapon,” Malcolm replied.
Giles handed his throwing knives to Malcolm. “Well, these knives might help. I hope you’re comfortable throwing weapons.”
Malcolm held one of the knives in his hand. “It should help. How are we going to attack these mobsters?”
“Stealth will be our ally. The four of us need to stay hidden among the cargo until we find a weapon strong enough to destroy those combustion engines. I’m sure it will work out perfectly,” Reb explained.
“That sounds like a difficult task. However, I guess we just need to push forward if someone is going to stop those mobsters,” Beauregard replied.
Giles pulled out his Steampunk gun. “All right. You guys take the left side of the hangar. Reb and I will head to the right.”
“You’ve got it. Hopefully, we’re still alive at sunrise,” Malcolm commented.
The group split up and headed to opposite sides of the hangar. They crept behind the various crates and heavy equipment to avoid being spotted by enemies.
Beauregard looked at the masses of henchmen who worked in the hangar. “How are we going to blow up a bunch of diesel engines with this many mobsters in the way?”
“Stop overthinking our situation. I know it looks bad, but we need to push forward. We’ll find a way to make this plan work,” Malcolm argued.
They ran behind a large bulldozer and hid behind it.
On the other side, Reb and Giles hid behind a pile of boxes.
“I have to admit, our situation looks bleak,” Reb admitted.
Giles placed his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Just keep moving.”
Just then, one of the mobsters snuck up behind them. “What are you doing? Trespassers aren’t allowed here!”
Reb opened her coat. “What are you talking about? We have pinstripes! Doesn’t that make us part of your group?”
The terrorist hit an alarm. “Intruders! We have to protect the cargo!”
“Nice try, Reb! We need to get out of here!” Giles hollered.
He took her hand while they scurried across the hangar. Several mobsters opened gunfire on the pair. Reb and Giles hid behind another pile of crates, avoiding the hail of bullets. Giles peered around the corner and fired his gun, nailing a mobster’s left bicep. Reb aimed her miniature crossbow at an enemy who was located on the catwalk. She fired, but the arrow deflected off the railing. However, it prompted the mobster to run in a different direction.
“This isn’t w
orking! How are we going to survive?” Reb complained.
“For now, we just have to return fire!” Giles said, as he fired his gun several times.
Malcolm and Beauregard realized their friends were in peril. The artist peeked around the bulldozer and fired his gun, grazing a mobster’s thigh. Malcolm threw one of the knives into a mobster’s shoulder. Both of the men cowered behind the bulldozer while the mobsters fired submachine guns at them.
“There’s too many of them!” Beauregard yelled.
Malcolm tried to cover his head. “I know! Stay down!”
*****
Meanwhile, Percy and Savannah sailed quickly across the highway.
“Now we’re finally moving! We should hit Las Vegas soon!” Percy said confidently.
Savannah stretched her arms. “It took nearly all night, but we’ll finally get there.”
Percy took his right hand off the steering wheel and he gently placed it on her thigh. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to find Reb, Gable, and the grandkids.”
Savannah held his hand and she replied, “You’re right. Thanks for giving me reassurance. It’s been a long trip and you’ve been very patient with me.”
“Our past gives both of us a lot of reasons to worry. It’s important for us to remain strong,” Percy stated.
*****
Elsewhere, Reb, Giles, and their companions were assaulted by mafia gunfire. Pieces of wood flew through the air while Reb and Giles huddled behind the boxes.
“These crates won’t hold up for much longer!” Giles declared.
“We need to make a run for it or those henchmen are going to kill us!” Reb yelled.
Giles picked up Reb, and then he bolted through the cargo hangar. “I’m sorry, but we need to move a lot faster than you can run!”
“Works for me! Just don’t get us killed!” Reb said, as her husband dodged gunfire and weaved around cargo.
They reached a bungalow and Giles put Reb down. Giles pounded on the door while Reb spun her baton around like a propeller to deflect the bullets.
“Thanks for having my back!” Giles shouted.
Reb sweated. “No problem! Keep working on the door!”
Giles busted the door open and the couple hurried inside the bungalow. They slammed the door shut while the mobsters continued to fire their weapons. Reb and Giles shoved multiple boxes in front the door.
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Vendetta Page 32