“A gas station,” said Crack. “Not bad, kid. Not King Solomon’s Mines, but not bad. Did your mutt find this?”
Danny didn’t answer.
“I SAID – DID YOUR MUTT FIND THIS!” Crack screamed.
“Y-Yeah,” said Danny.
“That’s better. Where’s the cap?”
Danny nodded toward an area in front of the building.
“Show me,” said Crack. He motioned to someone behind Danny, and started walking toward the spot Danny had indicated. The huge man they called Chuckles took Danny by the arm and dragged him to meet with Crack. A small pile of rusted machinery littered the ground a few feet from where they stood.
“This?” said Crack, pointing at the pile.
“Yeah,” said Danny.
Crack walked over and kicked away some debris. Beneath it was a metal pipe extending about six inches above the ground, topped by a round metal cap.
“Have you opened it?” Crack said to Danny.
Danny shook his head.
“Well, how do you know there’s still gas down there?”
“Zonk knows.”
“Zonk knows, does he?” Crack said sarcastically. “Well, we’ll see what Zonk knows. Mansur, keep an eye on the kid. Chuckles, see if you can get this cap off.”
The huge biker waddled over to the pipe protruding from the ground. With a great deal of effort he assumed a kneeling position directly over it, and gripped it with both of his massive hands. His face contorted grotesquely as he strained to turn the ancient cap, which had probably been frozen in position for dozens of years.
At first, the obstinate cap wouldn’t budge, but finally it turned, a little at first, gaining momentum as the giant continued to strain.
When Chuckles reached the final few threads, a blast of high-pressure vapour blew the cap into the sky with such a force that it knocked him to the ground. The biker lay stunned for a few seconds before finally struggling to his feet.
“Good job, Chuckles,” laughed Crack. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”
There was a stench of gasoline, and vapour continued to blast from the opening for about thirty seconds before the pressure finally equalized.
“Now,” said Crack. “Let’s see what’s down there.” He picked up a small pebble from the dirt beneath his feet, and walked up to the opening. He knelt down and positioned his ear close to the tank outlet, then dropped the pebble into the hole. Almost immediately Danny heard a faint ‘plop’ as the stone hit the captive gasoline.
“Shit,” said Crack. “It’s half full – looks like that mutt of yours knows his gas. Chuckles…” he called. “Put the cap back on and cover everything back up.”
Crack walked back over to Danny, and they returned to the spot where they’d stood earlier. Swallow still lay cringing on the ground.
“Any idea where that cute little doggy is right now?” Crack said. Unexpectedly, he placed a hand gently on Danny’s shoulder.
“Do you think you could find him, son?” he said, warming to his fatherly tone.
“Maybe…” answered Danny.
“Well, you know…” said Crack, I might be convinced to spare you if you could help me find that sweet puppy.”
Danny felt sick to his stomach. He dared not look Crack in the eye, for fear of revealing his loathing and terror. Instead he stared at the ground. Death was incredibly close now.
The Search is Over
With encouragement from both Lacy and Richard now, Zonk set off with his nose to the ground. They continued east. Richard estimated that they'd been gone for about an hour; Keller must be wondering what had happened to them. At the same time, he judged that they must be getting close to what he guessed would be their final destination – the Wild Rose area.
“Listen,” said Lacy.
They could barely make out the buzz of motorcycles in the distance.
“We’d better go,” Richard said. “From the direction, I’d say whatever those bikes are doing has something to do with Danny. We’ll catch up with Jim on the way.”
They climbed the ridge and headed to intercept Keller’s path. Occasionally they heard the whine of motorcycle engines waft toward them on the breeze. Every time Richard caught that sound his stomach churned, as he imagined what might be happening at this moment to the person he cared for most in the world, the brother he’d vowed to protect. After a ten minute ride, they caught up with Keller. Richard guessed they were no more than a half-mile from the Wild Rose area.
Keller was picking his way along the main road, which was heavily strewn with everything from boulders to small trees. They rode up beside him and he stopped. Lacy dismounted and walked up to meet them.
“This is Lacy,” Richard said to Keller as she arrived. Lacy moved up and shook his hand. “She’s a friend of Danny’s.”
“A friend, eh?” said Keller with a smile. “What’s with you Hamptons anyway? Trapped out in the wilds of Surrey and you both come back with beautiful women on your arms. Must be some kind of genetic thing…”
Lacy blushed deeply.
“Well Lacy,” Keller continued, “it’s good to meet you. How in God’s name did you two hook up?”
“No time to explain,” said Richard. “We’ve got to go right now. It’s probably best if we take the car, the horse and the bike. We might need them all if we run into Crack. Zonk can ride in the car with you, Jim.”
“Horse? Zonk?” said Keller. “What the hell have I been missing?”
“It’s a long story,” answered Richard. “I’ll fill you in later. We’ve been hearing the sound of bikes all the way over here. We’re going to follow it and I’m hoping it will lead us to Danny. We’ll ride ahead. You follow as best you can.”
“You got it,” said Keller. “Go on, get going. It’ll take me a few minutes to get the beast moving. Just try to stay in sight.”
Richard and Carrie took off, moving as quickly as they dared while trying to limit the whine of their own bike. After a few minutes Richard glanced back and spotted Lacy not more than twenty or thirty yards behind them. The horse seemed to be well suited to this terrain. Much farther back, barely visible now, was Keller in the Black Cherry.
Suddenly they heard a flurry of gunshots.
“Oh my God,” said Richard.
Carrie twisted the accelerator, and both Lacy and Keller moved into the distance behind them. With a backward glance Richard saw that Lacy was somehow keeping up, having pushed Serena into full gallop. The shooting continued for several minutes then abruptly stopped. The scream of the bikes faded into the distance. As Richard and Carrie approached the Wild Rose area, they heard another single gunshot. The whine of motorcycles rose again, very close now, but then there was silence.
They cut their engine and walked the bike to a hill overlooking the space Richard had found earlier. At its base, they found the bodies of two men lying on the ground. They were riddled with bullet wounds and wore the colours of the Ripper gang.
“Looks like they had a problem convincing Crack he was trespassing on their territory,” said Richard. Nearby, he spotted another body – one he recognized as Blackie – one of Crack’s men. They hiked to the crest of the hill, hid behind some rocks, and looked down.
Below them stood a crowd of men and several motorbikes. Richard recognized a few of the men from Crack’s compound. He scanned to his right and his heart nearly stopped. Danny! For a moment he studied his brother’s face, savouring the moment. He was so close – yet all he had fought for over the past weeks could still be destroyed in a fraction of a second and he'd be powerless to stop it.
It was clear that Danny, and another man he didn’t recognize, were being held captive by the bikers. He studied the group more closely. Aside from Danny and the other prisoner, he counted nine men and six bikes. At least half the men were clearly armed. Crack was talking to Danny’s fellow prisoner, a small thin, dark man dressed in filthy rags. After a few minutes of talk, Crack reached out and half-choked the man, then
threw him to the ground.
Richard was startled by a sudden movement right beside them, and was shocked to find Lacy had moved in next to him without him hearing the slightest sound. He returned his attention to the group below. The little man with Danny was probably this ‘Swallow’ character – the one who had kidnapped him. When Crack tilted up the gas station sign, Richard read the title and saw the drawing of the flower.
Cherry Blossom? Not Wild Rose? He thought. What the hell?
He watched as the giant, Chuckles, removed the cap from the outlet, and saw that Crack had found what he was looking for. He leaned over to Carrie and Lacy.
“We’ve got to make our move,” he whispered. “Crack’s got what he wanted. He’s got no reason not to kill Danny now. Lacy, this isn’t your fight. You’re too young to be risking your life. Take the horse and hide out in the woods. If we come through this we’ll find you.”
“No,” said Lacy.
“That’s not…” said Richard.
“I’m coming with you,” Lacy cut him off. The expression on her face told him it was pointless to argue.
He studied the group below one last time. Chuckles still knelt over the gas outlet, replacing the cap. Mansur stood near him, idly kicking at the surrounding debris. Danny, Crack and Swallow were farthest away, a few yards from the main group of bikers.
Richard nodded at his companions and the three of them crawled quietly back behind the crest of the hill to the spot where they had left Serena and the Mosquito.
Chaos
“I wonder…” Crack said to Danny, idly fingering the gun in his belt. “Do I really need you to find the mutt?” His other arm left Danny’s shoulder, and scratched thoughtfully at the stubble on his chin.
“I think you’re going to be more trouble than you’re worth. We’ve got the gas. I don’t think you’ve really got much of a bargaining position, do you.”
Crack stepped back and began to draw the gun from his belt. Slowly and deliberately, he hefted it in his hand and stroked the barrel. Danny’s knees began to buckle and he felt like he was going to faint. Crack raised the lethal weapon to point at his head.
Danny opened his mouth to speak. From somewhere above came the accelerating whine of a Mosquito. Crack and the others turned to face the hill.
“What the fuck!” Crack screamed.
It was a bizarre spectacle – Richard and another woman riding full throttle down the hill on a Mosquito, followed just behind by Lacy…Lacy? Riding a horse? Danny couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Is this a joke?” Crack yelled. But the attackers moved so quickly they were on the group before any of them even had time to reach for their guns.
***
Richard held on tight as Carrie gunned the Mosquito at full speed toward a tight knot of men standing just to Crack’s left. At the last second, she yelled, “Now!” and they both jumped off the bike. The speeding machine smashed into two of the men, sending them both flying. As she hit the ground, Carrie drove an elbow into the head of a third, who lay on the pavement momentarily stunned and confused.
Richard landed on his feet running. He stopped himself and turned to find that Crack, already holding a gun, had overcome his shock and had him in his sights. Richard had no time to grab his own gun or even jump out of the way. Crack’s finger was tensing on the trigger when Carrie, using the momentum of her leap from the bike, slammed into him, and the shot fired harmlessly into the air.
Crack recovered quickly and clipped her across the face with the back of his hand, knocking her to the ground. He was about to use his next bullet on her when Richard leapt at him, smashing his head against the pavement and stunning him momentarily. Richard jumped up and cast desperately around, looking for Carrie.
She had staggered to her feet and was wrestling with Pig, who tried to draw his gun. She slammed Pig’s hand against her knee, knocking the gun to the ground, and struggled to draw her own weapon. Pig turned and punched her in the face with the full force of his right arm. She collapsed and didn’t get up.
No!” yelled Richard as he flew at Pig. The two wrestled on the ground, hands at each other’s throats.
***
Lacy pushed Serena at full gallop into another group. One of them managed to fire his gun, but the shot whistled over her head as Serena knocked him to the ground. The gunshot drove Serena berserk, and she charged forward, bucking violently. A deadly front hoof caught the nearest biker under the chin, lifted him right off his feet, and threw him several yards away. Lacy fought to stay on Serena’s back; the poor beast was beyond all calming, striking out blindly at anything that moved.
Lacy finally threw herself free and leapt out of the frantic horse’s path. Serena continued her rampage, standing rampant and launching herself at the biker who had fired the gun. Still lying on the ground, he fired again.
The bullet took her squarely in the chest, and she bellowed in pain and terror. Lacy screamed. Serena was slowed, but not stopped. She continued on, blood gushing from her wound, finally collapsing on top of the screaming shooter.
Now on her feet, Lacy was confronted by another gang member. As he reached for his gun, she dove at him and they wrestled for the weapon. Her opponent was soon joined by one of the two that Richard and Carrie had originally knocked down. The new man grabbed her by the wrist and threw her to the ground. The one she had been wrestling raised his weapon and trained it at her head.
“What a waste,” he said, about to pull the trigger.
An explosive roar echoed from above, and all stared up the hill. A monstrous purple machine flew over the crest headed directly for them. It careened down the gravel slope, horn blaring and engine screaming full-throttle.
“Holy Shit!” yelled Lacy’s attacker, as the car veered toward him. He took aim at it and fired. His shot blasted a hole in the left side of the windshield, but the purple behemoth kept coming. Finally he turned to run. The machine veered to catch him in mid-flight, and threw his body twenty feet across the pavement. The driver then pulled an impossible U-turn and headed for the closest knot of still-standing bikers, who by now were running in all directions.
***
Richard kneed Pig in the head, broke free from his grip and jumped to his feet. He glanced inside the Black Cherry and saw Keller, a huge smile on his face, hauling on the steering wheel of the massive machine, throwing up dust and turning to mow down the remaining bikers.
By now Crack had recovered. He picked up his gun and began firing at Keller. Richard jumped him again and knocked the gun some distance away, but not before one of the shots hit their mark. The Black Cherry skidded to one side, slid into a pile of debris, stalled, and rolled to a halt.
Suddenly all was strangely quiet. A small yelp from inside the Black Cherry broke the silence. Both Crack and Richard stared at the dust settling over the vehicle. A pair of white paws emerged through the torn rear window.
“Get that fucking dog!” screamed Crack, forgetting the fight and even his own gun. He jumped up and sprinted toward the smoking car. Zonk climbed groggily out of the back seat onto the trunk, stepped toward the rear, and hopped to the ground. He ignored Richard and the others and ran off to the south. Crack and the remaining bikers took off after him.
Richard cast around for his companions. Lacy was on the ground about ten yards away. She wasn’t moving. She straightened a leg and rolled over. He searched in a panic for Carrie. He couldn’t see her anywhere. Finally she staggered from the far side of the Black Cherry. She passed around the front of the car, threw open the door, and began to drag Keller from the driver’s seat. Richard ran over to where Lacy lay.
“Are you alright?” he asked her.
“Yeah, I think so,” she answered. She was covered with cuts and dust, but rose shakily to her feet.
He rushed over to where Carrie and Keller lay beside the car. Carrie was cradling Keller’s head on her lap.
“Are you okay, Jim?” Richard said as he reached the pair. The look on Carrie’s face tol
d him the answer.
A ruby-red stain spread across Jim Keller’s chest as he lay in Carrie’s arms. Richard sat down next to his friend.
“Guess I shouldn’t have made that last turn,” said Keller.
“It was my fight,” said Richard, fighting to choke back his tears. “I should never have gotten you involved.”
“But it was a good fight,” said Keller, a wheezing quality entering his voice.
Richard couldn’t speak.
“It was a good fight,” Carrie answered him.
“Look,” said Keller in a near whisper, “don’t worry about an old man like me. I’ve lived my life. I got no complaints. Hell, I got to drive the Black Cherry all over Surrey – just like the old days.”
Richard stared at the ground.
“Worry about Danny,” said Keller, through laboured breath. “That’s why we came out here, isn’t it?”
With that his body went limp in Carrie’s arms. It was the first time since he’d met her that Richard had ever seen Carrie openly weeping. He felt drops of moisture on his hands, and realized that he was weeping too.
Keller’s last words snapped him out of his grief. He scanned the area, then looked at Carrie, saying, “What happened to Danny?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I didn’t see him after the fight started.”
Richard looked up at Lacy, who was standing close by.
“I was too busy with the fighting,” she said.
“Oh my God,” said Richard. “We can’t have come this far and lost this much to fail now!”
Swallow
When Richard and the others first began their attack, Danny was frozen to the spot, trying to absorb what was happening. Suddenly he was hauled backwards by his leash, and a hand was roughly clapped over his mouth.
Eldorado Page 24