"But, Mr Zo," said Charlie Yuletide. "That man's an experienced killer. You don't stand a chance against him."
Asdoel winked at Charlie. "That's what you think. But poor, old Johnny Alpha doesn't have the advantage that I have. A little blue pill I've been taking religiously for the last forty-eight hours. A pill that boosts my metabolism and turbocharges my reflexes. Alpha doesn't stand a chance against me. No ordinary human - or even mutant - can possibly beat me."
"My husband likes a fair fight," said HMKZ sarcastically.
Asdoel Zo just smiled and said, "Johnny Alpha is dead."
The powder magazine had been built in a natural cave system that ran under the fort. There were three cave chambers in all. Their walls were lined with a natural fungus that provided a constant illumination and which had the additional benefit of offering no risk of accidentally igniting the caves' contents.
The first two caves were small antechambers used to store small barrels of gunpowder. The third cave was the largest and contained several dozen more powder barrels and a few crates of ammunition, but its floor was mostly clear. Its rear wall was covered with tall stacks of wooden boxes, most of which were full of dynamite. Some of the boxes, however, were fakes and concealed the doorway that led to the secret tunnel. When the steel-lined door was opened, the fake boxes swung out with it. This door now stood ajar. Johnny and the others had entered through it some ten minutes earlier, led by Preacher Tarkettle.
Now they were busy preparing a surprise for Asdoel Zo. Granny Haxer and Tarkettle were occupied opening the dynamite boxes, taking out the slick, waxed, orange sticks and braiding their fuses together. Meanwhile, Middenface was moving carefully around the floor of the cave with a barrel of gunpowder, which had been punched open at one end with a knife. A steady flow of black granules spilled onto the floor. Middenface was engaged in creating a trail of gunpowder in an elaborate spiral pattern.
"Don't let the rings of the spiral get too close together," said Johnny. He was following Middenface, carrying bundles of dynamite with fuses that had been braided by Granny and Tarkettle. Johnny carefully trimmed the fuses to specific lengths and then laid the bundles of dynamite so that the fuses were buried in the trail of gunpowder.
"Ah, Johnny, you know how I enjoy home decorating," said Middenface. "Don't go intruding on my creativity."
"If you lay that gunpowder trail too close together the spark can jump the rings. Then the dynamite will go off prematurely. Which means before we have a chance to get clear back down the tunnel." Johnny displayed a crooked grin. "Then something will really intrude on your creativity."
"You're such a worrier, Johnny," said Middenface. "If you like, when I'm finished I'll go around the spiral with a piece of wood from one of the box lids and scrape it along the floor to guarantee an even spacing."
"Good thinking," said Johnny, accepting another bundle of dynamite from Granny Haxer.
"Johnny," said Granny. "Are you sure that Asdoel Zo's daughters won't be around when this little fireworks display goes up? I don't mind blowing up Zo and his henchmen, or even that viper of a wife of his. But I'd hate to put paid to a couple of kids."
"Trouble yourself not, my good woman," said Preacher Tarkettle, squinting with concentration as he twisted the fuses together on five sticks of dynamite. "Lorna and Jodi are safe in orbit on the Charles Neider. I had this information from none other than Mrs Zo herself, this very morning, so you may assume it's correct."
"And Middenface," said Johnny, "you'll be pleased to know that there aren't any of the gardening girls around either."
"No," agreed Tarkettle. "Mrs Zo has seen to that. Sent them packing. She is, to put it mildly, a jealous woman."
Johnny winked at Granny. "So no innocent women or children," he said. "We can enjoy this little explosion without guilt."
"It ain't going to be no little explosion," said Granny Haxer. "When the gunpowder ignites all this dynamite, half a mountain is going to drop on Asdoel Zo."
"Now, is that any way to repay the hospitality of your host?" said a voice from the doorway. Johnny and the others looked up to see Asdoel Zo standing there, holding a pistol on them. Beside him his wife stood with a rifle. Standing behind the Zos, and looking distinctly uncomfortable, was a man Middenface didn't recognise.
Asdoel Zo saw Middenface staring at the man and said, "Allow me to introduce Charlie Yuletide. I hired him as a kind of on-screen host for the video I've been making about this little adventure. He sings songs to link the segments. Oh, and by the way, everybody put your hands up."
Middenface set down his barrel of gunpowder and put his hands in the air. "You've been filming us? Without our consent? That's unethical."
HMKZ grinned. "Glad to see you've still got that dry sense of humour, Archibald."
"Only my friends call me that," said Middenface coldly.
"I suppose it was a little unethical," said Asdoel Zo. He stepped into the cave, keeping his pistol pointed unwaveringly at Johnny, whom he had clearly identified as the most dangerous person in the room. HMKZ followed him, keeping her rifle on the others. The man called Charlie Yuletide reluctantly followed her. He was apparently unarmed. "But nonetheless," said Asdoel Zo, "my lovely wife has been filming your adventures with a concealed camera from the start."
"That was one reason I was so pissed off that you wouldn't let me come along on the Queen Victoria undersea prison break," said HMKZ. "I missed out on some good footage."
"But hopefully we haven't missed any footage of your recent adventure in the desert. Some satellites orbiting over this planet have been recording it for me to watch when I get back."
"Let me get this straight," said Granny Haxer. "You rich ghouls have gone to all this trouble just so you can make some home movies of us?"
"I'd hardly call them home movies. And that wasn't our sole aim," said Asdoel Zo. "We also wanted to participate in your exploits with you. Especially my adventure-loving wife."
"And you're participating now, eh?" said Johnny. The cold glow of his eyes never moved from the barrel of Asdoel Zo's revolver.
"That's right," said Asdoel Zo. "I had to be here for this. It's the grand finale. That's why I asked Charlie Yuletide here to join us. I wanted him to witness it so he can write a song for the closing credits of the video. Something suitably heart-rending and home-on-the-range."
"I have to say I'm not comfortable with this, Mr Zo," said Charlie Yuletide. "I was employed as an actor and singer. No one said anything about being an accomplice to murder."
"Well, you're one now, so just shut up," said Hari Mata Karma Zo.
"You're not an accomplice, Charlie," said Asdoel Zo soothingly. "Just a witness."
"I still don't want any part of this," said Charlie Yuletide.
"Too bad," said Asdoel Zo, the soothing tone quite absent now. "Just stay put if you know what's good for you."
"So what happens now?" said Johnny. "You just gun us down?"
"That's entirely up to you, Johnny," said Asdoel Zo. "Things could go that way, sure. But I'd like to offer you one final chance of survival."
"Don't trust him, Johnny," said Granny Haxer.
"At least listen to my proposition," said Asdoel Zo. "I'm giving you the opportunity to go up against me, man to man, in personal combat."
"Me against you?" said Johnny contemptuously, looking at the soft body of the rich man, sleek with decades of good living.
"Sure, Johnny. Old west style. We walk ten paces, turn and draw. The fastest man shoots the other man down. And if you beat me, you and your friends go free; unharmed and handsomely rewarded." Asdoel Zo fished his phone out of his pocket and quickly stole a glance at the clock on it. His eyes flickered back to Johnny and his gun never wavered from Johnny's head.
"What do you know, it's high noon, local time. What do you say Johnny?"
"Let's do it," said Johnny Alpha.
Johnny and Asdoel Zo stood back to back in the courtyard. The shuttle had been flown back outside the fort to cle
ar space for the duel. The high, hot sun blazed down on the two men and the onlookers. HMKZ held her rifle on Granny Haxer, Tarkettle and Middenface. Charlie Yuletide stood sullenly behind her.
Both Johnny and Asdoel Zo wore gunbelts, with a single holster strapped to their right hips. In Asdoel Zo's holster was the Remington .44. Johnny's holster contained the same Manhattan .36 that he'd been supplied with for the desert blood hunt. The two men stood waiting tensely for the command to begin.
It was HMKZ's job to issue the command. But she seemed to be characteristically milking the moment for all it was worth. "Asdoel," she said. "We don't have to do this, you know. We could all just go and have a drink and forget the whole thing."
"We couldn't possibly do that," said Asdoel Zo. "A man's got to do what a man's got to do, right, Johnny?" Johnny Alpha didn't reply.
HMKZ persisted. "Listen to me, Asdoel. It's not too late to shake hands and call it a day."
"I don't think Johnny wants to shake my hand," said Asdoel Zo. "Now, quit pissing around and give us the starting signal."
"All right, if that's the way you want it," said HMKZ. "Get ready and take your positions."
"We are ready," snapped Asdoel Zo, "we have taken our positions."
HMKZ opened her mouth to speak. Charlie Yuletide stepped forward. "Mr Alpha! Don't do it. He's taken some kind of pill to speed up his reflexes - ooof." This last sound was made by HMKZ stepping smartly towards Charlie and slamming him hard in the stomach with the butt of her Volcanic repeating rifle.
Charlie Yuletide fell to his knees, doubled over with pain. "Don't interrupt me when I'm about to give the starting signal," said HMKZ mildly. Then she pointed the rifle at Middenface and the others again. "And you lot can stay put too."
"Come on, let's get on with it," said Asdoel Zo impatiently. He was still standing back to back with Johnny Alpha.
Middenface looked desperately at his friend. "Johnny. You heard what that fella said. Don't go through with this."
"I don't reckon I have much choice," said Johnny.
"Now, that's the frontier spirit," declared Asdoel Zo. "Come on honey, let's get this show on the road."
HMKZ said, "One," and the men took a step away from each other across the stone courtyard. The sun was high in the alien sky, directly above them, so they cast no shadows. "Two," said Hari Mata Karma Zo. She slowly kept counting and the men slowly paced away from each other.
"Ten," she said finally, and the two men turned, drew and fired. Two guns went off, the sound of the shots strangely frail and trivial in the hot air of noon. Both men stood facing each other for a moment.
Then Asdoel Zo crumbled and fell backward on the flagstones. Johnny Alpha stood looking at him for a moment, then turned and aimed his gun at HMKZ. But the woman had already dropped her rifle and was striding across the courtyard to her husband. She was moving quickly and yet in a strangely controlled way. She didn't run.
She knelt by Asdoel Zo and took his hand. There was a spreading, red stain on his chest. His eyes were wide and staring. "Get medics," he rasped.
"No dear," said his wife in a soft, comforting voice. "I'm afraid it's too late for that."
"No... isn't."
"Yes, it really is, Asdoel. Listen to me, Asdoel. Those blue pills you were taking were just sugar. Do you understand? I substituted sugar pills for the real pills."
He stared at her. "Why?"
"You should have left that big, zebra-striped slut alone," said Hari Mata Karma, formerly Zo. "She was the last straw."
Johnny and Middenface's ship, the one they had been plying their trade in before Asdoel Zo had hired them, had been transported in the hold of the Charles Neider and was now sitting in the desert half a kilometre from the fort. It was a battered but serviceable stellar clipper, which had served them in good stead for years. "There's plenty of room in it for an extra passenger," said Middenface.
"I'm obliged, boys," said Granny Haxer. "It's only a couple days back to my home on good old QS718. I won't be underfoot during the journey. I'll cook for you." The old woman stood with Johnny and Middenface outside their ship as they waited for the horses to approach.
There were three horses, galloping towards them from the fort in the mountains. Desert dust swirled around their hooves. All three horses were black, and so were their riders. As they emerged from the shimmering distortion of the heat haze, the riders resolved into three women, or one woman and two girls. All were dressed in the black of mourning.
Hari Mata Karma and her daughters rode up to the space ship and reined in their horses. Middenface saw that the horses were sweating heavily and he saw why. In addition to their riders, the horses were also laden with black silk sacks, each the size of a large pillow. HMK swung out of her saddle and released the sacks onto the ground. They hit it with hard thuds. She had three sacks on her horse. Each of the girls had two.
Seven black sacks lying on the ground. "What's that?" said Middenface.
"Your payment," said HMK. "We were going to pay you with sacks of gold dust, western style. But that would have been a rather modest payment. So we opted for bags of platinum dust instead."
"Platinum?" said Middenface.
"Yes, and with the recent demand for the metal in implant technology I think you'll find that it is worth a considerable amount."
"Seven sacks," said Johnny.
"One for each member of the posse," said HMK. "Not counting me, since I was never really one of you. We're paying for all seven, and the survivors - which is you three - get to keep the dead member's spoils. That was Asdoel's little notion."
"We'll only take what's ours," said Johnny. "We'll leave the rest."
"Are you sure?" said Middenface hastily. "We could use the money for good causes, maybe donate some to charity and that sort of thing."
"We'll leave it," said Johnny. "It's got blood on it."
"What a romantic notion," said HMK. "Well, come on girls." She whirled her horse around and galloped off, followed closely by her daughters.
"Didn't even say goodbye," said Granny Haxer. Middenface went to the sacks lying on the ground and picked up three of them. He carried them into the ship, sagging under the weight of them. Granny Haxer followed, but Johnny remained standing outside for a moment. He went to the remaining four sacks, took out a knife and sliced each one open. The slashed sacks spilled out pale metallic dust. The wind began to pick at the shiny dust and carry it off as Johnny walked back towards the ship. The hatch closed behind him with a heavy thud as he entered.
Then the engines of the ship screamed for a long moment, kicking up a wild swirl of sand. The mechanical blast also caught the platinum dust, swirling it out of the sacks.
The engines of the space ship began to empty the sacks and, as the ship moved upwards, disappearing into the endless blue sky, the desert wind took over, shaking the sacks and carrying away the precious powder, until the last of it was gone, scattered over the mountains and the plains, and the bones of the dead.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Cartmel started writing television scripts as a way of earning a living while concentrating on becoming a novelist, but things weren't quite that straightforward. His TV scripts led to him being head-hunted by the BBC to script-edit the legendary science fiction epic Doctor Who, then another hit show, the hospital drama Casualty, where he got to decide who would die each week. He tore himself away to become lead writer and script editor on the cult sword and sorcery classic Dark Knight for Five. Television work led to scripting comic strips (including Judge Dredd) and, finally, back to novels, including his eerie thriller The Wise. Cartmel's previous novel for Black Flame was Judge Dredd: Swine Fever.
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Day of the Dogs Page 22