Freelancers: Falcon & Phoenix

by Thackston, Anthony

  “I did but—“

  “How about we skip the reunion?” Falcon says.

  Phoenix stands up and smiles at Little Wang, glad to see he’s still alive. ”What's the plan?" She asks Falcon.

  "If Big Wang finds out his brother is in here, this place will become a pressure cooker," Falcon says.

  "Don't bring any fighting in my place, Falcon," Stack warns.

  "I don't intend to. We're gonna get out in the open." Falcon puts a hand on Little Wang's shoulder. "Once we do, you'll need to calm your brother down. Best case scenario, you both leave. Go back to the capital."

  "Worst case?" Phoenix asks.

  "You both come after us but give us a head start," Falcon says.

  "Why should we do anything you say?" Little Wang brushes Falcon's hand off his shoulder.

  "For starters, we could shoot you right here then go after your brother. But you like that idea less than I do, so how about this? You make this work, you get my contract."

  "You already tried that. I'm not a Freelancer."

  "I heard you say the same thing to the doctor." Phoenix starts. "You gonna promise what I'm owed to everyone?"

  "Fine. Then option one. Only it's non-fatal but really painful. Like a knee." Falcon points his gun at Little Wang's knee.

  "Ok!" Little Wang holds his hands up. “I can do it. You'll probably only get the head start, though."

  “That’ll work." Falcon holds his hand out.

  Little Wang stares at it.

  "You're in the Freelands," Stack says.

  Little Wang takes his hand and they shake. "Deal," he says.

  "Ok. We go out and head for the main street. Phoenix?" Falcon says.

  "You're not leaving me here."

  "I don't want to. I need to lead him back here while Little Wang keeps him calm. I need you to keep him in sight in case this goes wrong."

  "What does that mean?" Little Wang asks. "What's she gonna do?"

  “Hopefully, nothing. Ready?" Falcon opens the door and they all step into the alley. Without the indoor sound buffer, the cacophony of gunfire fills their ears. It’s even louder as Falcon leads them down the alley, farther into town.

  Bullet casings fall off of the roof like metal raindrops. The three of them pass undetected all the way to an intersecting alley. Falcon looks around the corner and sees Big Wang returning fire from a defensive position while two Freelancers in the alley, trade shots with him, back and forth. One of them is hit. It's not fatal but it takes him out of the fight.

  Falcon watches as the wounded man crawls, backwards, trying to get better cover. He dashes around the corner and grabs the man, dragging him back to their position.

  "Hey, you're—”

  Falcon socks him in the jaw. One punch and he's out. He lays the unconscious Freelancer against the wall before returning to the corner and peering around in time to see the second Freelancer run out of the alley.

  "Looks clear. Phoenix, keep the others down. We only need to get his attention. Let him come to us," he says to Little Wang. "Let's go."

  The three step into the intersecting alley and move straight to the corner. They watch as Big Wang takes fire from people on roofs and others posted up behind vehicles.

  "He's pinned," Phoenix says.

  Falcon steps onto the open side walk with Little Wang beside him. Phoenix stays just inside the alley, ready to provide cover fire.

  "Big brother!" Little Wang shouts.

  "Wang, over here!" Falcon joins in.

  The air cracks with repeating gunfire from all directions.

  "Big brother! Come this way!" Little Wang waves his hands around and yells. "He can't hear me." The younger brother runs out to the middle of the street.

  "No!" Falcon runs after him.

  "Big brother! Brother Wang!" Little Wang continues to shout.

  "Falcon!" The shout of a Freelancer calls out amidst the gunfire. A bullet hits the street right by Falcon's boots. Phoenix takes aim at the shooter and pins him down. Another bullet almost hits Falcon. Phoenix spins to return fire.

  Big Wang stops firing at the sight of his brother running toward him. He watches as the shooters turn their attention from him to the man running after his little brother. Big Wang fires at the other Freelancers. He and Phoenix do their best to keep the bullets from hitting the two in the street. It's a lot of area to cover and the sound of gunfire seems to be getting more hectic as the shooters from the higher ground have the better advantage.

  Another shot narrowly misses Falcon as he reaches out for Little Wang. Just as his hand is about to grasp the little brother's shoulder, a single gunshot echoes in Falcon’s ears. Amidst the rain of bullets It is the only one he hears as his hand grabs nothing but air and Little Wang falls to the ground, that one bullet having punctured his chest.

  Big Wang watches his brother fall to the concrete. Phoenix continues to provide cover fire to little effect. Falcon's eyes move from Little Wang's lifeless body to Big Wang. The world seems to move slower even as bullets rain down, hitting the concrete around him. The big brother and Falcon's eyes lock.

  "Phoenix,” Falcon mutters. He's in the worst place he could be.

  "Falcon!" Big Wang bursts from his cover in a blind rage. "I'll kill you!"

  30

  Falcon runs as fast as he can, away from the wrecking ball of a man while bullets continue to fly down from all sides along the main street.

  "Phoenix!" Falcon yells.

  She fires her gun at Big Wang. Her shots are accurate but they do nothing to slow him down. A couple of other Freelancer bullets find their marks but are equally ineffective. In his anger, nothing short of a headshot will keep the bigger brother from his goal.

  With Big Wang charging after him and other Freelancers trying to shoot him, it's hard to think clearly as Falcon runs straight toward a building before realizing it’s a dead end. He stops just short of going through the window and spins around just as Big Wang tackles him, crashing right through the window.

  All of the air escapes Falcon’s lungs as the full weight of the enraged brother lands on him. Big Wang swings wild fists down on the Freelancer. Some of them hit the floor. Some of them just hit arms doing their best to block the strikes.

  A giant right fist comes down and hits a forearm. A left hooks down, hitting a shoulder. Falcon reaches up, trying to grab Big Wang's throat. Even if his hand wasn't swatted away, there was no way he would have been able to get a good grip around the large neck.

  Another fist comes down. This time it hits Falcon in the chest just to the right of his sternum. If it had been dead center, the force of the blow would have probably cracked bone. As it is, there will be a large bruise but nothing preventing Falcon from fighting back or, at the very least, defending himself.

  Falcon finally gets a clear shot and sends his fist right into Big Wang's chin. He probably does more damage to his own knuckles as the older brother barely notices.

  "You got my brother killed!" Big Wang's right arm comes down.

  Falcon catches it but he's nowhere near strong enough to hold it with one arm. He brings his other hand up for reinforcement, leaving himself open to another attack. "I tried to stop him."

  Big Wang brings his other fist down but something hits him from behind, throwing off his balance. His fist hits the floor right next to Falcon's head. The Freelancer looks at it then back up at Wang, shocked as Phoenix’s head appears over the big man’s shoulder, her arms wrapped around his neck.

  "I ran out of bullets," she tells him.

  Big Wang rises up on his knees, giving Falcon the room he needs to move out of the way. He leaps to his feet and watches Wang grab Phoenix’s arms, almost effortlessly, prying them from around his neck. He reaches back, grabbing her jacket and flips her over.

  Falcon braces himself to catch the airborne Phoenix and just manages to cushion her fall as the impact knocks him to the floor.

  Big Wang stands, fists clenched. Falcon helps Phoenix to her feet. Her hand goes s
traight to her injury.

  Big Wang glares at Falcon. "My brother is dead because of you."

  "You sent him after us," Falcon calmly tells him, hopeful that he can stall long enough for Big Wang to start feeling the bullet wounds and, maybe, stop all of this from continuing.

  "You should have never brought that trash to us," Wang tells Phoenix.

  "Your Emperor should have left me alone," Falcon responds.

  "You kill my brother, now you insult my Emperor."

  "I didn't kill Little—”

  Before Falcon can finish, Big Wang is already charging him. Phoenix shoves Falcon out of the way but the enraged brother doesn’t care who he gets in his grasp. He grabs Phoenix by the throat and lifts her up. Falcon rushes at the man and jabs him in the side multiple times, trying to get him to release Phoenix.

  Something hisses through the air. A dart enters the back of Wang's neck. He releases Phoenix and clamps his hand over the spot. She gasps for air while Big Wang turns his attention to the latest attacker.

  Stack stands just outside of the broken window, a dart gun in hand. He fires again, hitting Wang in the shoulder. The big brother shuffles forward before falling to his knees. His hand extends as if reaching for Stack before the large man crashes to the floor on his side.

  "I got him!" Stack calls over his shoulder into the street. "The contract is mine. Anybody wanna argue?"

  Freelancers on rooftops bring their guns to resting positions. Those in the street stand from their places of cover and start to, grudgingly, walk away, disappointed they couldn't get Falcon. Phoenix can't tell if it's some kind of respect they all have for Stack or if it's out of fear. Either way, no one questions his claim.

  "You need to get out of here. Both of you," Stack tells them. "Anybody sees you, that's my reputation.”

  "Can you bring a car around?" Phoenix asks.

  "Let's take the back door," Falcon says. "Go straight to your place."

  Stack nods and steps through the broken window. He gestures toward Big Wang. "What about him?"

  "He took a few shots. They looked non-fatal. If he wakes up, I'm sure the doctor can take care of him," Phoenix says.

  They walk toward the back of the building. Stack opens the door and sticks his head out. He signals for Falcon and Phoenix to move to the side as another Freelancer walks through the alley.

  "Hey, Stack,” the man says. “Good job getting that contract."

  "It's what I do." Stack puts on a show.

  "You wouldn't need any help with transportation would you? I can make you a real good deal."

  "You know I only run solo. What's your busted ride gonna do that mine can't?"

  "Come on. That's a huge score. What are you gonna so with all of it?"

  "Buy your house, freeloader. Get your skills up and maybe you'll get the next big haul."

  The Freelancer shakes his head in defeat and walks away. Stack watches as he rounds the corner out of sight.

  "Is he gone?" Falcon asks.

  Stack raises his hand, waiting a few seconds to make sure the same guy doesn't come back. "Wait here."

  Phoenix watches Stack walk to his metal door and put in the combination. The door pops open as before and he signals for Falcon and Phoenix to follow him. Cautious from the recent ordeal, she looks both ways before she and Falcon dash across the alley.

  The metal door seals with the same thud as before. “The minute no one sees me starting to head west, they're gonna get suspicious,” Stack says.

  "Can we take one of those?" Phoenix looks at the two shiny vehicles.

  "That's the plan." Falcon walks toward the cars.

  Stack walks to his workbench. He lifts the strange gun. "I took this thing apart, piece by piece. But I can't tell you what it fires, how many times, or if it even works. The only way to know is to pull the trigger. But for all I know it'll just blow up."

  Falcon looks back at Stack, still analyzing the gun, and grabs the edge of the tarp covering the large object near the cars. "Stack?"

  "Yeah?"

  “You calling this one Rachel Two?”

  Phoenix can't help by smile at the sight as Falcon pulls the tarp off of the fastback underneath.

  Stack turns around. "Oh no. No. No. No. You got two prime ladies, ready to go, right next to it. You're not taking that one."

  The vehicle in question is by no means shiny. It's not even that clean. The doors of the car look like they've been painted with rust. The door handles are no more than steel cables. The bumper looks like half of a steel girder and the windows are covered by metal slats. Falcon walks around the side and glances at the four exhaust pipes coming up the side. The deep tread tires have a metal shield covering the top half of each. And the trunk door is replaced by two fuel drums with a hose running straight into the gas tank.

  Falcon shakes his head. "They used to say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

  "Falcon..." Stack starts.

  "I'm truly honored. Everybody wants it. Stealing it would be one thing but you built one from the ground up. I don't know what to say."

  "Say you'll take one of the others.”

  "It's perfect," Phoenix says.

  "Thanks," Falcon and Stack overlap.

  Phoenix approaches the car. "It's got the power and the fuel capacity. Like the Emperor said, a perfect balance. We're taking it."

  "Look. I can't just let—”

  "Stack, We've gotta go back through the Waste, again. These other two are great but you know they won't take the hits. And the way they drink, we're gonna have to stop one too many times,” Falcon says.

  Stack looks at them both then at the cleaner cars before his eyes finally rest on his armored car. He sighs. "Fine. But you know I'm coming with you. I'm not letting her out of my sight. Think I wanna lose it like you lost yours?"

  “What’s her name?” Falcon asks.

  “Jerin. And you better not get a scratch on her.” Stack tosses Falcon the odd gun. "Load up."

  Falcon puts the gun in the back seat while Phoenix puts a pack together containing a few ammo magazines and bottles of water. Stack loads his bike, sliding a lever action rifle into a scabbard.

  "What are those?" Phoenix whispers to Falcon.

  He turns and watches Stack putting the modified sticks of dynamite into a satchel. “Those things are gonna cause more problems than—”

  "I know how my inventions work. You just worry about my car." Stack walks to the garage door and pulls a chain, opening it.

  Falcon grabs a couple of pistols from the gun rack. "These too?"

  Stack nods, mounts his bike and straps on a helmet. "Let's roll out." He walks his bike out of the garage.

  Falcon gets in the driver's seat. Phoenix climbs into the passenger side.

  "How's that wound?" Falcon asks.

  "It's fine. The pills work."

  Falcon starts the car. A smile creeps across his face as he revs the engine, shaking the entire car under its power. He slides his hands across the steering wheel. Everything about it is familiar to him. “Hello, Jerin. I know you're not mine but we're gonna be best friends," he says to the fastback.

  Stack waves for them to exit the space and Falcon eases on the gas pedal, driving the car out through the garage door.

  "Hold up!" Stack yells as he hits a clicker and watches the garage door close. They all wait till the door rests on the ground with a loud clank.

  On the main street, Phoenix looks through the slats over her window. "They're just gonna leave him there?"

  Falcon looks through her window to see Little Wang, still in the street. "Freelancer reminders. They don't always make sense."

  "We can't leave him."

  "No, we can't." Falcon turns the car toward Little Wang.

  The armored vehicle stops next to the little brother. The two inside scan the street for any Freelancers who might make a move on them. No one seems to have a gun. Just normal Freelands citizens.

  "We can't take him with us, though," Falcon
says.

  Phoenix looks at the shattered window he and Big Wang crashed through. "There. His brother. He should be with his brother."

  Falcon opens his door. Phoenix grabs his arm. "I'll do it. They didn't like you, anyway."

  There is no response as she opens her door and steps out. Falcon watches her, regretfully, make her way to Little Wang. She shows little sign of added strain as she gently lifts the younger of the two brothers. The pills must work really well.

  Phoenix carries him into the building where Big Wang remains, lying on the floor. She watches as his large body rises and falls with each breath. At least he's still alive. She lays brother next to brother. "I'm sorry. I'll find a way to make this up to you. I don't know how but I will. Take care of yourself."

  Stack watches Phoenix walk out of the building and raises his hands to his sides, in question. She returns his look and her expression says it all. It had to be done. Life and death doesn't always mean a shootout. Stack looks back ahead in understanding as Phoenix gets in the car.

  "Was Big Wang alive?" Falcon asks.

  "Yeah. Still sleeping." She rocks back somewhat as Falcon hits the gas.

  The feeling of remorse hangs heavy in the car.

  “Thanks,” Phoenix says after a moment.

  "For what?"

  "Getting me to the medic. You kept your end of the deal. Might have saved my life." She looks at him. "Thanks."

  31

  Stack is the first through the gate in the north, followed closely by the armored car. Falcon doesn’t bother trying to conceal his identity since the metal slats provide plenty of cover.

  "We're back in the Waste. This section is about as wide as the Native Line so we'll be through it fast. Just keep an eye out," Falcon says.

  "You don't have to remind me." Phoenix readies ammo magazines and sets them securely between the front seats. She checks the ammo in both pistols before chambering rounds in them.

  Falcon listens to the sound of the guns as Phoenix prepares for a fight. "It would be nice to not get shot at for a while."

  "How fast can this thing go?"

  "It's quick. Even faster if I use the nitrous."