“Terrific. Now we’re completely trapped,” Giles muttered.
Reb pulled out two vials and handed one of them to her husband. “In that case, we need to show them our bigger, nastier, and uglier side.”
Giles furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the red ooze.
Chapter 18
The mobsters ceased their gunfire and heard something pounding against the bungalow’s door. One of the mobsters kept his weapon drawn and slowly walked closer.
“Those Steampunks are plotting something,” he commented.
Another mobster joined him. “What is that sound? I can hear them grunting and scraping around in there.”
The entire crew cautiously waited for Reb and Giles to take action. Suddenly, a giant creature plowed through the bungalow’s door and knocked down two of the mobsters. Several henchmen ran out of the way while a mutated rhinoceros galloped through the hangar. The creature used its horn to break cargo boxes and equipment.
“It’s a monster! Run for your life!” one of the mobsters shouted, as he ducked for cover.
One of the villains hid behind a forklift, but a monstrous tiger found him and roared in his face. The thug screamed and fled from the creature.
“There’s two of them!” he bellowed.
The tiger clamped its jaws on the mobster’s ankle and flung him across the hangar. He screamed and landed against two more henchmen.
Malcolm and Beauregard also fled from the mayhem.
“I would recognize mutated Steampunks anywhere! Reb and Giles made a bold choice!” Beauregard shouted while they ran.
Malcolm looked over his shoulder. “This might be our last chance to get rid of these mobsters, but I don’t want to become collateral damage!”
The two beasts rampaged through the hangar, tearing apart boxes, construction equipment, catwalks, and walls. As a result, pieces of the hangar were tossed in every direction. The thugs screamed and fled from the hangar. Soon, the two monsters reached the area that held Nero’s combustion engines. The giant rhinoceros slammed into one of the boxes and sent an engine tumbling across the ground. Some of the henchmen ran out of the way while the engine broke into pieces. Meanwhile, the tiger slashed at a cargo box with its claws and exposed another engine. The mutated feline jumped on top of the diesel engine and used its jaws to rip the machine apart. Meanwhile, the rhinoceros used its horn to tear another engine to pieces.
Nero saw the destruction while he was driving on the highway. He witnessed the hangar literally collapse to the ground and his henchmen running away.
“What’s going on? Those Steampunks are destroying my black market center! I won’t let them get away with it!” Nero growled.
He drove off the highway and headed across the barren desert as a shortcut.
Meanwhile, Beauregard quickly climbed up a ladder and reached one of the remaining catwalks. “This is nuts! Reb and Giles are tearing this place apart!”
Malcolm slid underneath a crane, assuming he was safe. However, the mutated rhinoceros used its horn to knock over the crane. Malcolm ran away from the intimidating monster and he said, “Come on! You’re supposed to be on my side!”
More of the mobsters fled from the hangar.
“I’m not getting paid enough for this!” one of the henchmen complained.
“Screw Nero and Las Vegas! I’m flying back to my hometown in Minnesota!” another mobster shouted.
After the combustion engines and most of the cargo hangar were destroyed, the two mutations reverted back to their human forms.
Giles rubbed his sore face. “I don’t know what happened, but the results look quite effective.”
Reb pulled a piece of cable out of her mouth and then she flicked it away. “When in doubt, a monster might do the trick. Nero’s black market will be useless now.”
The couple walked back to the bungalow, completely naked.
“Let’s retrieve our clothes and then we can find the guys. They don’t need to see this much of our bodies,” Giles remarked.
Reb laughed. “It would serve them right. Beau was the one who was strutting around naked in his apartment when you went to check on him a couple years ago.”
She slapped her husband’s butt as they walked to the bungalow.
Chapter 19
Gable looked at a large air conditioning vent while his group tried to find an escape route. “Do you see that? I’m pretty sure that shaft is big enough for us to crawl inside. It will be an effective way for us to avoid Nero’s henchmen.”
Priscilla didn’t want to argue with him. “I’m not sure if that’s the best solution, but we need to avoid gunfire. Let’s try it.”
“I’ll lift you up to remove the vent,” Gable instructed.
He knelt down and used his shoulders to hoist her up. Gable hung onto her legs while Priscilla yanked off the air vent.
She tossed the vent aside then said, “That’s it. Help me inside the shaft and then have the kids follow me.”
He hoisted Priscilla into the shaft and responded, “No problem. We’ll head through the shaft in a single-file line.”
Gable helped Oliver climb inside the shaft. Maggie picked up Bubba and then Gable hoisted them inside the shaft too.
“Are you mad at me?” Parker asked.
“No. I just want to get you and my family out of this building. You’ve done a lot for us today. I’m sure your parents must be really worried,” Gable replied.
Parker sighed. “My parents are probably too busy to notice anything.”
He helped Parker climb inside the shaft. Finally, Gable jumped up and pulled himself inside the shaft to follow his family. The Nelsons, Parker, and Bubba crawled inside the metal air conditioning shaft, staying away from the mobsters.
Gable made an effort to learn more about Parker. “Tell me something, Parker. When you arrived in Las Vegas, were you going to say anything to me and Priscilla? Obviously, you spent some time with my children while you were here in the city.”
Parker’s face turned red. “I didn’t think you would approve.”
Priscilla joined in the conversation. “Maybe Gable and I were a little bit closed-minded before you guys met. We’re very protective over Maggie and Oliver. I know you and Maggie were communicating online a lot. The world is full of scary people. You learned that today. So we tried to keep her safe.”
“I understand,” Parker replied.
“You’re a very bright young man, Parker. The pens and pencils were a nice trick,” Gable commented.
Parker appreciated the compliment. “Thanks.”
“Did you know Parker is a genius with computers like Grandpa? Maybe he should work for Grandpa someday,” Maggie mentioned.
“My dad will expect me to take over his oil business,” Parker admitted.
Oliver felt cramped as he crawled through the shaft. “Is that what you want? Follow your own dreams.”
Parker thought about it. “I haven’t put much thought into careers. It seems like that’s years away.”
“You have plenty of time to figure out career goals. Don’t grow up too fast. Adulthood has a lot of complications,” Priscilla responded.
“Deal,” Parker said with a smirk.
They reached another vent, giving the group a chance to escape. Priscilla punched the vent cover and sent it flying against the wall across from them. She flipped over and landed on her feet. Then she helped each of the kids reach the floor. Gable flipped out of the shaft and also landed on his feet.
Priscilla brushed off her dress and corset. “It was really hard to crawl through that elevator shaft in my dress.”
Gable hugged her. “You’re such a trooper. We’re almost done.”
They ended up next to an elevator. Gable punched the button and the elevator’s doors opened. The entire group, including Bubba, entered the elevator and they rode all the way down to the ground level. They were relieved when the elevator doors opened, revealing fresh, but still somewhat dusty, air and the streets of Las Vegas.
The group exited the elevator and walked on the pavement. They watched cars zip along the street and people enjoying the nightlife.
Priscilla held Oliver and Maggie’s hands while they strolled toward Gable’s casino. “Okay, we made it! This has been such a long night!”
“Somebody needs to get rid of those mobsters. Can we call pest control?” Maggie remarked.
“We’re going to call the police. I’m not letting anyone put my family in danger,” Gable sternly replied.
Bubba chattered as they walked.
“Does anybody know what this robot is saying?” Oliver asked.
“No, but Reb said he tries to communicate with people,” Parker mentioned.
The Nelsons, Parker, and Bubba finally reached Gable’s casino and then they entered the lobby.
*****
Meanwhile, Reb and Giles walked, fully clothed, through the decimated hangar. It was a grave and spectacular sight with chunks of cargo, metal, and wood lying everywhere.
“We made quite a mess, but it was an effective way to get rid of those mobsters,” Giles said.
Reb straightened her jacket. “Hopefully, it will be a smooth journey from now on.”
“Don’t count on it,” a familiar voice remarked.
The couple looked up and saw Bella standing on a somewhat intact catwalk, holding a submachine gun.
“I thought you left with the other mobsters,” Reb mentioned.
Bella aimed her weapon at them. “Clearly, I’m not a coward like Nero’s henchmen. The two of you are very destructive. Nero will be upset when he sees the cargo torn to pieces. I saw your entire rampage and the aftermath. Giles, you have a remarkable body. It’s too bad that you’re wasting it on a scrawny woman with hideous scars.”
Giles tossed an insult at the mob woman. “Is that what you think? I see a stunning Roman goddess with battle scars that show her bravery and perseverance.”
Reb felt smug. “Did you hear that? He views me as a Roman Goddess. Giles has a very strong opinion about you too. Darling, what did you call her again? I remember now. He called you a cheap slut!”
“Say that again! I dare you!” Bella shouted, as she fired bullets at them.
Reb and Giles dispersed in opposite directions to escape the gunfire. Giles hurried behind a broken crane, while Reb dove behind some mangled crates.
“We pressed too many buttons,” Giles commented.
Reb tried to catch her breath while she peeked between a couple of crates. “No kidding! Can you see her? I don’t have a very good view from my location.”
Giles carefully peered around the crane, but their adversary wasn’t on the catwalk anymore. “She’s gone. Where do you think she went?”
Without warning, Bella leaped on Giles’ back and tried to strangle him. The male Steampunk stood up and tried to get rid of her.
“Men are not allowed to reject me! I’m going to make sure it ends badly for you and Reb!” Bella ranted while she clung onto Giles’ back.
“Get off me, you psychotic witch!” Giles roared.
Reb used her baton to smack Bella off his back. The mob woman tumbled across the floor.
“You should pick on a more dominant opponent, like me,” Reb said, as she unsheathed her sword.
Bella stood up and pulled out a French-style rapier sword. “All right. I took fencing lessons for almost ten years. This should be an even match.”
Nero pulled up to the hangar’s remains and exited his vehicle. He hurried to the cargo area, but Malcolm and Beauregard surprised him.
“Stop! We’re not letting you cause any more trouble!” Malcolm hollered.
Nero pulled out his submachine gun. “Shut up! I’ve had enough of Steampunks like you!”
He fired at the two men, prompting them to scramble behind their Dieselpunk car.
Beauregard covered his head. “I can’t stand these submachine guns! We’re defenseless against them!”
“Hang on, buddy! I just need a minute to think!” Malcolm insisted while grafted bullets penetrated the vintage sedan.
“You’ll need to think quickly! Pretty soon, those bullets are going to kill us!” Beauregard protested.
Inside the hangar’s ruins, Reb and Bella faced each other with sharp blades.
Bella stared at her opponent, suspicion in her eyes. “What are you waiting for?”
Reb shrugged. “After you.”
“It will be my pleasure,” Bella said, before she swung her weapon at the female Steampunk.
Their swords clashed and then Reb spun out of the way. She tried to run her blade through Bella’s torso. However, the female mobster stepped out of the way and she attacked Reb again. They continued to swing their weapons at each other until Bella aimed for Reb’s head. The female Steampunk ducked and used a counter attack.
“Home wrecker!” Reb growled.
Bella continued to attack her. “Cripple!”
“Slut!” Reb shouted.
“Axe killer!” Bella hollered.
Reb swung her blade again. “Terrorist!”
“Freak!” Bella shrieked, as she attacked her opponent.
Reb scooted backward as Bella assaulted her. The female mobster’s fighting skills were surprisingly advanced. Eventually, Bella scraped her sword against Reb’s weapon and successfully disarmed the Steampunk woman.
Bella held the tip of her sword against Reb’s throat. “I thought you would give me a more impressive fight. Now it’s time for me to kill you and collect my $100,000 reward.”
Reb snickered. “Look behind you.”
“I’m not falling for that trick!” Bella yelled.
Giles roughly grabbed his enemy’s hair and pulled her away from Reb. Bella screamed and dropped her sword. Giles picked up the mob woman and held her above his head.
“Stop screaming! I deserve better than a bimbo like you!” he bellowed.
Giles used his mighty strength to throw Bella into a pile of rubble. The defeated woman groaned from the impact and quickly passed out.
Reb triumphantly raised her fists in the air. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
“Are you okay?” Giles asked with a worried tone.
“Peachy,” Reb said, as she wiped sweat from her forehead.
Giles took her hand and they left the hangar. “Let’s go. We need to find Beau and Malcolm.”
Chapter 20
Nero continued to fire his submachine gun at Malcolm and Beauregard.
Malcolm looked at some cargo behind them. “We need to make a run for those boxes! Try not to attract his attention!”
“Got it!” Beauregard responded.
Both of them hurried behind the crates and waited for help.
Nero pelted the sedan with bullets as he walked closer to the vehicle. He peered behind the car, but Malcolm and Beauregard were gone.
He reloaded his weapon and stalked the territory. “Here’s what I think about Steampunks. You’re kind of like cockroaches. There’s a ton of Steampunks and it’s hard to exterminate you. It’s absurd that people like you rose to power. However, I’m glad that you got rid of those brainless Utopians. I’m a well-educated businessman who can turn this dystopian landscape into a profitable world. Unfortunately, I can’t accomplish enough with your culture in total control. I suppose we have one thing in common, though, we both care about survival and domination.”
Malcolm and Beauregard were nervous that Nero would find them. However, the mob kingpin’s communication device interrupted his search.
“Nero, are you at the cargo hangar?” Bella weakly asked.
He answered the communication device. “Bella, you don’t sound well.”
“Reb and Giles beat the living daylights out of me. I could use your help,” Bella admitted.
“Stay where you are. I’m going to find you,” Nero said, then he ended the message.
The mob boss hurried deeper into the demolished hangar as he looked for Bella. Eventually, he found her lying in a pile of ruins. Nero put down his
gun and knelt beside her.
“You came. I’m so glad,” Bella said, when he lifted her head.
Nero remained stoic. “They hurt you. I’m going to make them pay for that.”
Bella felt relieved by his soothing voice. “Are you disappointed in me?”
Nero pulled out a knife and plunged it into her chest. “The word disappointed isn’t strong enough. I guess you’re not good enough to rule next to me. However, we had a lot of fun and you were a good business partner. Good-bye, Bella.”
Bella coughed, a look of betrayal was in her eyes before she passed away.
Malcolm and Beauregard split up and stalked Nero into the busted hangar. Beauregard pulled out his Steampunk gun and aimed at the kingpin. He fired the handgun and missed. Nero immediately picked up his submachine gun and aimlessly fired in their direction. Malcolm and Beauregard took cover behind various objects.
“Why did you have to miss?” Malcolm growled, from where he hid behind a slab of combustion engine.
“Fine! Maybe you can do better!” Beauregard replied, while he crouched behind an excavator that was turned over.
Nero walked through the hangar and said, “I’m not afraid to die! Everything is gone! Hopefully, I can eliminate some of you before the end comes!”
He became distracted when a miniature arrow flew past his right shoulder. Nero whipped around, and looked directly at Reb and Giles.
“You’re such a sore loser,” Reb gloated.
Giles aimed his handgun at their enemy and fired several bullets. Nero ran to the left side of the hangar and hid behind a bulldozer. The mobster prepared his weapon again and then he ran into the middle of the hangar. He fired the submachine gun at the Steampunk couple, but Giles grabbed Reb and the pair hurried behind some ruined merchandise.
Nero walked in a circle and fired his weapon in multiple directions. The Steampunks cowered behind their makeshift hiding places.
“That’s part of your problem! Steampunks don’t use a lot of submachine guns! You just don’t have enough firepower!” Nero ranted.
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Vendetta Page 33