“All is well, I assume, Captain?” Boots asked.
“Yes, sir. The lightning factory should be within range of the ships telescope in an hour.”
“An hour?” Persi asked, “I would think more like fifteen minutes.”
“Absolute, but we must move away from the compound, as if we are leaving, then look back at them through the telescope. Should we need to move closer, or land, I will maneuver the ship to do so.”
“Very good, Captain, carry on. We are only here to enjoy the morning,” Boots said, turning to the railing.
Persi nodded at the captain and followed suit. “What do you expect to see, my love?” she said.
He looped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I expect to see a large building, with a large courtyard containing both men and equipment and that, my dear, is all that I expect since I have no reason to doubt the Nightwalkers.”
Persi’s pursed her lips and narrow eyes indicated to Boots that was not the answer she was looking for.
“Dearest, I don’t know,” he said. “I assume a weapon of some type will be on the premises, if indeed it is a weapon that is being developed. I assume a weapon capable of the kind of power needed to rain lightning down on a town will be large and not easily moved. I also assume there will be some type of holding area for the Nosferatu they have captured and a laboratory area for doing whatever it is they think they can do with the creatures.”
“And do you have a plan?” she eyed him carefully with a look that projected his answer should not display a bit of folly.
Boots smiled, and kissed her forehead. “As the captain has indicated, we will float to a distance that should make them believe we are leaving, or at least not interested in them. We will mount our telescope and make some strategic and tactical observations. At some point we will decide when and where to land. In truth, we might have done better to left Daedalus at our last anchor and used the Icarus. However, that horse has left the starting line.”
Though not satisfied, Persi decided not to push and looked out over the railing into the beautiful mountain morning.
An hour later, the Captain called ‘all stop’ and the ship slowed and began moving with the local currents. From their position they could see the road, and the rectangular shape that was Tesla’s facility. They could see no activity but without the assistance, they did not expect to.
Joseph and Nicholas carried a long wooden trunk up to the deck. The container was roughly the size and shape of a coffin. Opening the box, they pulled out a wooden stanchion, tipped with a long brass post and swivel. They attached the stanchion to a place on the deck rail and placed the brass fitting post side down into its top leaving the swivel to spin. Together, they lifted out a huge telescope and mounted it on the swivel.
“It’s ready, sir,” Nicholas said to Boots.
“Thank you Master Nicholas,” Boots replied, walking up to the device and pointing it back at the facility.
After what seemed several minutes, Persi finally nudged Boots. “Well?”
“You may look my love and I will let you draw your own conclusion before we compare,” Boots said.
Persi stepped up onto the trunk then moved her eye against the rubber eye-piece. “Hmm,” she said, adjusting the knobs. She pulled her face away from the telescope and stepped down from the box. “Well, that is interesting.”
“I thought the same,” Boots said.
“No movement, of any kind. No smoke from any of the several chimneys,” Persi said.
“And there was a light snow last night. I saw no fresh tracks, neither giant foot prints nor velocitor wheel,” Boots said.
“Sir,” Joseph said from the telescope, having decided to take a turn.
“Yes?” Boots asked.
“There appears to be a man on top of the largest building looking at us through some type of double spyglass,” Joseph said.
“What?” Boots asked.
“Yes, sir,” Joseph said. “Now he’s waving, wait he stopped and looked to the ground. Sir, there are several people coming out of the big building and into that courtyard area. They seem to be very ... is animated a word?” he asked, looking at the pair.
They nodded.
“Then they are very animated. I never seen people so animated.”
“Let me see, please,” Boots said, moving back to the device. After looking for several seconds and adjusting every knob at least once, he spoke succinctly. “Joseph, run and tell the Captain to proceed all ahead full for the compound.” He pulled his face from the lens, “Now!”
“What is it Boots?” Persi asked.
“Good news and bad news,” Boots said.
“Good news first of course,” Persi said.
“It appears that Mr. Tesla has climbed atop the large building and is frantically requesting us to rescue him.”
“Oh, indeed, then of course we must. How did he get himself on the roof?”
“I suspect it was due to the bad news.”
“Which is?” Persi asked.
“I believe we can say with certainty that the missing Nos are at this facility, and they are loose.”
Persi slipped behind Boots to the telescope as a vibration rolled through the ship indicating the giant engines had started up. She looked through the lens and recognized that the man on top of the building was indeed Nicola Tesla and he was now jumping up and down on top of a crate that he had somehow dragged to the roof. The ship rocked and Persi placed her hand out and took hold of the railing as the Daedalus turned quickly toward the compound.
“Oh, Boots. It appears the Nos have either heard or smelled Mr. Tesla for they are looking toward the roof and becoming more frenetic. Wait, they are running back into the building, oh Boots, we need to hurry.”
Chapter 31 – Rescuing Mr. Tesla
Boots was on the maneuvering deck and had lifted the speaking tube. “Mister Parry, when I give the word, I want all engines shifted to full reverse. Send Joseph up with the Sharps and have him mount it on the port side, load it and stand ready for action.”
“Yes, sir,” said Parry said from the tube.
“Also, send Nicholas and Morris. I want them to break out and fasten a rope ladder on the port side and prepare to assist a climber to board.”
“Yes, sir. They are heading your way now. They’ll grab the ladder on the way up. Remember, the longest ladder we have is sixty-five feet.”
“Duly noted, Mister Parry,” Boots said, watching the roof tops of the facility grow quickly as they approached at speed. Joseph arrived with the large case that held two Sharps .50 caliber steam repeaters. He headed forward and mounted it on a portside station. Wrestling a bundle of ropes up the stairs, Nicholas and Morris followed him. They took a position aft and disconnected a ten-foot piece of the railing. Placing the bundle away from the edge, the two men tied trailing ropes to cleats that were visible after a section of wooden deck was removed.
“300 yards and closing,” Captain Grimm yelled from where the telescope was mounted. “Descend 100 feet.”
“300 yards and closing, Mister Parry,” Boots yelled into the tube. “Descend 100 feet and prepare for full reverse in 50 yards.
“300 yards, aye,” Parry said in reply. “Descending 100 feet. The Engine room is prepared for full reverse in 50 yards, on your mark.”
The Daedalus dropped quickly as the engineer energized powerful pumps, pulling suction on the lift bladders and compressing the hydrogen into steel tanks located in the ships bilge.
“At altitude,” Parry yelled up through the tube.
“Joseph, prepared?” Boots asked.
“Ready, sir,” Joseph yelled back.
“Nicholas, lower the ladder,” Boots yelled. “Parry, all back full.”
Nicholas and Morris rolled the ladder over the edge and it dropped out of sight as the entire ship shuddered and throwing everyone on deck forward. Boots held on to a railing, Joseph did the same, but Nicholas and Morris, who had been crouching at the ladder,
rolled forward and crashed into Joseph, knocking his feet from under him. All three men fell together in a heap.
Their approach was flawless and should have drug the ladder directly past Tesla but when they were on the other side of the building they looked back and Tesla was jumping down, even more frantic.
As they watched, three Nosferatu gained access to the roof and moved toward Tesla.
“Boots, the ladder,” Persi yelled, leaning over the railing and looking beneath the ship. “It’s tangled.”
“Parry, hard left rudder and all flank, push her around hard. We missed and are going to make another pass. Nicholas, quit fooling around and get the ladder untangled.” The three men were still attempting to disentangle themselves from each other. “Joseph, off the floor and assist Mister Tesla by shooting any creature that gets too near.”
“Yes, sir, sorry sir,” he said, finally gaining his feet.
Morris followed and they both moved to the ladder and attempted to shake it loose.
The Daedalus swung about sharply to the left and ran back down the same bearing it had come. Joseph left his position and dismounted the rifle, moved to the starboard side. He quickly cranked up another rifle mount and secured the second .50 caliber. Seconds after mounting the large rifle, it hissed and boomed, and a Nosferatu tumbled off the roof near Tesla, who was now rummaging through the box on which he had been standing.
The rifle hissed as the steam charged the breach, then boomed again, knocking a second vampire back and off the roof. The third vampire stopped and seemed to assess the situation. Boots found this interesting considering that most of what they had been told about the Nos in no way indicated they were thinkers, but lived more by violent instinct.
The Nosferatu backed away and disappeared down a roof hatch. For a minute it looked as though Tesla was in the clear, then four more Nosferatu appeared on the roof.
“Mister Boots,” Nicholas yelled, “this ladder is not untangling. We need to haul it back in to get it unstuck.”
The rifle sounded again and one of the advancing Nos lost a leg in a splatter of dark liquid. Suddenly, Persi was at his side. “Boots, the vampires, they’re on the roof.”
“Yes, dearest, and it appears we will fail,” he said as the ship flew over the top of the building for the second time.
“No, Boots. The Nosferatu are out, on the roof, in the day, the daylight, Boots.”
“Hmm, yes. Not good,” he said. “Joseph, continue to hold them off Tesla. Daniel, you and Nicholas pull the ladder in and untangle it. We will try again. Mister Parry, hard to port. We will try one more time.”
Parry acknowledged and the ship shuddered again on the turn.
The rifle hissed and boomed and two Nos fell, the bullet having passed through both. Boots thought they just might have a chance to save the scientist, then a hatch in the roof erupted with Nos. Where there was one, now there were ten and they were moving quickly toward Tesla, who was not completely visible due to his location behind a large brick chimney.
“Mister Boots, the ladder is hung on something below. We cannot draw it back up.” Morris reported.
Persi tilted the unused rifle and gently pulled the trigger. It boomed, then again, then again.
“Nicholas go below and get a rope, quickly,” Boots said. He glanced at Grimm who had a face resigned to the reality of the scientist’s death below. Boots shrugged and Grimm returned a nod.
“Captain, Mister Boots, the male Nightwalker is using the line locker to sleep in. I cannot get the rope”
“Holy hell,” Boots yelled in frustration and was about to descend and forcibly evict their guest when he heard a rumble from below. They all ran to the railing in time to see several Nos run across the roof to the spot where Tesla had been, except Tesla was no longer there. They moved over then passed the roof and Nicola Tesla was nowhere to be seen.
“Did he fall?” Persi asked, herself in danger of falling overboard as she leaned out for a good look.
“I see no body,” Grimm said.
“Nor I,” said Boots.
“Nor I,” said a heavy Croatian accent behind them.
They turned to see Nikola Tesla unstrapping a large hissing steam powered device from his back. They strode across the deck to welcome him as the pack slid from his back and hit the deck where it knocked something loose. Steam erupted from it, propelling it across the deck and over the side.
“My aerovelocitor,” he gasped as it shot into the sky.
They ran to the starboard side and watched as the device, propelled at high velocity, flew downward toward the roof of the large building, then through the roof. A second later, it exploded inside the building. Steam and smoke began rising through the hole.
“Ah, well ...” he crossed his arms, “it did its job.”
Suddenly, from where the rope ladder hung from the deck cleats on the port side, a Nosferatu vaulted onto the deck, its teeth bared, growling a drooling. It took a step toward Persi who was the closest. She screamed, hands scrambling for the gun holstered on her calf beneath her dress while Grimm removed Mister Shipley’s Sundowner weapon from his jacket. Neither had time to pull the trigger before the Sharps hissed and boomed from the front of the observation deck and the Nosferatu flew from the deck and over the edge, its head going first in a huge spray of blood.
They turned to see Joseph sitting on the rail, one leg entwined in a rung of the railing, and leaning backward over sky. His eyes were wide and he held tightly to the rifle with both hands. “It was the only way I could swivel the gun inward,” he said.
“Thank you for your bravery, Joseph,” Persi said. “Would you like a little assistance in returning your feet to the deck?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, the words escaping from the tight line across his face.
Chapter 32 – Tesla Tells All
Grimm moved to help Joseph to firmer footing, while Boots strode back to the maneuvering deck. “Mister Parry,” he said into the tube, “set course for Aspen. Contact the airfield manager and get us a berth for the night. I assume you will want to conduct some maintenance after stressing the engines like we did.”
Parry’s voice sounded from the tube. “Very good, sir. Did we get him? Did we rescue Tesla?” he asked.
“Well, we certainly assisted. Set normal watch stations. I will get Cook to begin lunch preparations, and thank your men for me – good work.”
“Thank you, sir. I will pass it on. Parry out.”
Boots collapsed the tube and joined the others in the middle of the deck.
“Welcome onboard the Daedalus, Mister Tesla,” Persi said, extending her gloved hand.
The scientist took it and bowed without kissing it. “The honor is mine of course.” He turned to Boots, offering his hand. “And I consider your actions more than an assist.”
Boots accepted his hand with a nod.
Tesla nodded back. “Had you not responded to my request, nor positioned the ship as you did, my actions would have been rendered useless.”
“Well, we were fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time,” Boots said.
Boots looked across the deck where Morris and Nicholas were wrestling the remainder of the ladder to the deck. “Mister Morris, I believe your other talents will be more useful to us right now. Please return below and throw something together for us. I think something that includes Brandy.”
Morris nodded and left, leaving Nicholas to secure the bundle. “Must have gotten knocked loose when the vampire jumped up and caught it,” he said to Boots.
He nodded and motioned his arm to the stairwell, “Mister Tesla, perhaps we could adjourn to our dining room for refreshments?”
Tesla nodded and they started for the stairwell.
“Sir,” Joseph said, having finished removing the Sharps from the mount, now had an eye to the telescope. “The Nos, there is something wrong. They appear to be smoking,” he said, then jumped back from the eyepiece. “Holy mother of ... Mister Boots, that vampir
e I was watching, it just went up. I mean, it just burst into flames.”
Persi made it to the telescope first and witnessed a second vampire suddenly erupt in flames. “Oh, me. Boots, the Nosferatu’s ability to walk in the daylight must be temporary.”
Boots, Tesla and Captain Grimm stood at the rail and looked at the roof from which Tesla had escaped. Even now, a quarter mile away from the compound, Boots could see several fires burning on the roof.
“It appears your assumption is correct,” he said as another fire sprung up. “Nicholas, use the telescope to count the bodies, please.”
“Yes sir,” he said, then could be heard calculating out loud. “Three, no five on the ground. Thirteen on the roof – wow, that one just went up with sparkles, and ...” he paused for a second while he twisted a knob. “One in the courtyard.” He looked at Boots. “Nineteen, correct? There were twenty, then that Nightwalker girl reported there was only nineteen, right?”
Persi nodded, “Yes, Aiyana said she only felt nineteen when she breached the compound.”
“Well then, that accounts for them all.” Joseph said, “Reckon it was that Duke’s doing that they could come out in the sun?”
“Possibly,” Boots said.
“Oh, no, this is truth,” Tesla said, turning toward them. “Duke Narcissa, as he called himself, was indeed experimenting on these vampires. I actually only found out this morning, right before they left me and unlocked the cells of the beasts.”
“Apparently he did not want you to survive,” Persi said, lifting one eyebrow.
“Apparently,” Tesla agreed.
Boots once again made motions toward the stairs. “Mister Tesla, Persi?”
Persi nodded and preceded them. “Grimm,” Boots said, “Perhaps you could aid Master Joseph in re-crating the telescope, then join us in the dining room?”
“Yes, sir,” Grimm said.
Joseph took a final look through the telescope as something man-sized stepped away from one of the many chimneys on the roof. Joseph pulled back and rubbed his eyes.
“Everything all right, Joseph?” Boots asked.
The Lightning Lord Page 21