Rex Chase: A Novel

by Tim Wheat

  “My dearest Anelie. Won’t you please wake up and join me for breakfast?”

  With lightning quickness, Tricia sprang from the bed and stabbed at Hoff’s neck in a vicious attack with a fork.

  “My name is Tricia. My name is Tricia,” she repeated as she struck. “I’ll kill you.”

  At almost the same instant Angela Hoff rose, and began her ferocious assault, plunging a fork into Hoff’s inner thigh.

  “Die.” She screamed in a shrill voice as she bit a chunk of flesh from his right arm.

  Though he was no longer a young man, Dietrich Hoff’s instincts remained sharp. With his massive left hand he struck a violent blow to Tricia’s neck, knocking his wife unconscious, and sending her sprawling onto Angela. The additional weight slowed her attack and he delivered a concussive blow to the back of her skull. Still stunned, Hoff managed a smile, and though he had suffered thirteen puncture wounds, began to laugh.

  “I underestimated the two of you,” his laughter increased as he wiped the blood running down his neck. “If had knives, I could be dead. What are you inept people doing out there in the hallway?”

  Hoff turned just in time to see two guards attempting to enter the room at the same time. He only hired the best, but the assault happened so fast, they were caught back on their heels. Sometimes, even trained soldiers could not guard against a surprise blitz attack. As they came to attention at his side, Hoff continued.

  “At ease, buffoons.” He huffed the words as he turned back to the twins. “Well played, ladies. Well played. Pick her up and bring her with us.” He motioned to Tricia Hoff who lay unmoving, and the soldiers reacted. “That’s quite enough excitement for now.”

  Hoff watched as the two guards lifted his wife and removed her from the room. He marveled as she passed through the invisible field without any trouble. His onboard team had tested a new theory using the stolen equation, and his force fields could now be tuned to allow passersby. In time, the fields would be made permanent installations, and the iron bracelets would no longer be necessary, but the technology was new, and Hoff was impatient for further development.

  It seemed he had gotten to the equation’s inventor before he had shared it with the mathematics community, and his trusted contact assured him no physical copies existed in the United States. In actuality, he trusted no one, however, and the only hard copy of the equation now existed in his shirt pocket. One scientist was dead for writing it down on a chalkboard, and Dietrich doubted another man would disobey him. Though the others had protested, claiming it was easier to work with the equation visible on the board, Hoff felt more comfortable knowing it was now secure only in his men’s minds. He took a handkerchief from his pocket, secured the equation, and pressed against the wounds on his neck while taking in a deep breath.

  “This day is just getting started and someone has stabbed me already.” He let the deep breath out and took notice of the blood stain on his inner thigh. “I guess I’ll be eating my breakfast with the doc.”

  *******************

  54.

  Darkness gave way to light and Rex Chase awoke in a place he had never seen. He brought his left hand up to brush the hair from his face, but an intravenous line impeded his movement. Blinking hard, Chase’s eyes adjusted to the light and he noticed Chief lying in a bed next to him.

  The last thing Chase remembered was losing his grip on Chief and passing into oblivion. Now, it appeared they were in the medical bay of a ship. A porthole to the outside, bathed the room in light, and he breathed deep, relishing the salty air.

  Chief stirred next to him and Chase took note of his friend’s condition. He had thought him dead while in the water, but it was obvious Ahiga had pulled through the ordeal. His breathing was normal, skin color good, and a bump on the head seemed his lone injury.

  “You awake over there man?” Chase asked his longtime friend.

  “I guess.” George opened his drowsy eyes and took in a deep breath of air as he yawned. “Where are we, anyway?”

  “Fifty bucks says we got picked up by that frigate,” Chase wagered with a smile plastered across his face. “I bet we’ve been in here a few hours at the most.”

  “Are you going to give me odds?” George said.

  “On what?”

  “Ten to one says we’re not on any U.S. frigate. I know I’ve never been on a transport where they fit me with shackles.” George held up his right arm, and showcased the long iron band, then pulled back the blankets to show two more on his legs. “At least we match.”

  Chase looked at his arms and legs, revealing the same iron bands.

  “These aren’t shackles, though” he observed as he pulled the IV from his arm and got out of his bed. “Look mom, no chains.”

  “Either way, I think you owe me five hundred bucks,” Chief said as he removed the IV from his own arm and massaged his stiff muscles. “I feel like someone dropped me down a flight of stairs.”

  “I didn’t give you the odds,” Chase began inspecting the entryway to the room as he replied while grinning. “Anyway, it was a pretty short flight of stairs.”

  “Maybe you need to hit the weight room when we get home,” Chief said. “I would have lowered you down gently.”

  Chase laughed at his friend’s good natured ribbing. Something was amiss, though, and it eluded him. His wrists and ankles tingled when he touched the door, and he thought it might be electrified.

  “Chief. Come over here and touch this door. Tell me what you feel.”

  Ahiga, who had been sitting on the edge of his bed, rose deliberately, then sat back down.

  “Do you think you could bring that door over here? It’d be a lot easier for me.”

  Chase knew his friend was tough, and if walking was painful, he wouldn’t push.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Chase’s voice remained calm as he approached his comrade. “Why don’t you let me give you a quick once over?”

  “I know you’re getting two doctorates but I didn’t know one of them was an M.D.”

  “I have a pretty detailed map in my brain on human anatomy,” Chase said while prodding his friend’s body. “I’m just going to make sure everything is where it’s supposed to be.”

  Chase did a head to toe assessment of George that lasted fifteen minutes. He began by donning a stethoscope which had been lying nearby and counted his patients pulse while listening to breath sounds. He moved his hands over the rest of George’s body, checking for broken bones, or anything out of place. Though Chief winced on a number of occasions, Rex concluded him to be free from serious injury.

  “Other than bumps, bruises, herpes and gonorrhea, I’d say you’re in tip top shape,” he teased.

  “I asked your mom to be gentle,” George snapped. “I wish she would have warned me of the STD’s though.”

  “Easy buddy,” Chase laughed at the quip. He had been handling sexually charged jokes about his mother for years. “I think you’re right, though not about my mom. Somebody doesn’t want us getting out of this room.” He pointed toward the porthole. “They even welded the window shut over there.”

  “I can’t say I’m itching to get in the water again anyway.” George shifted his weight, rose to his feet, and rubbed his stomach. “I could go for a steak from Anthony’s.”

  “You should be fine for a swim. It’s not like you did anything last time,” Chase teased, knowing George had always been a better swimmer. “I’d say we could have swum another…”

  Both men’s heads turned in an instant as the sound of a metal object rapping on the door interrupted their dialogue. They stood unmoving as the hatch unlocked, the door opened, and a large man with a machine pistol and club stepped inside. In the corridor behind him stood two other men with machine pistols. Chase looked at Ahiga, nodded, and both men relaxed.

  “Hello there, boys,” Chase motioned toward Chief. “I’m afraid we’ve misplaced our weapons. They must be in our other hospital gowns.”

  “Shut up and put these
on.” The soldier, dressed in U.S. Navy gear, tossed two similar outfits on the nearest bed. “No more talking, either. You’re going to see the boss.”

  “No, no, that won’t do. I look terrible in Navy. Do you have anything Army?” George wisecracked and paid for it with a ferocious blow to his left triceps. Chase winced, and his instinct was to rip the machine pistol from the other man’s exposed stance, but the two guards in the hallway had things covered. Instead, he watched as Chief feigned injury, and fell to the bed groaning. “I think you broke my arm.”

  “You will comply now,” the soldier responded in a deadened voice. “Get dressed, and no more talking.

  The brute exited the room and the two friends met eyes. Chase blinked two times and both knew what to do. When they had been young boys, perhaps eight or nine, the two youngsters had learned Morse code. It had taken Chase a few minutes to master the language, but within a week George had it down as well. They used the code during church or school, either through blinking their eyes, or tapping on each other’s legs. It had been years since they had last used the code, but as they changed into their Navy clothes, they conversed as if it had been just yesterday.

  “What to do? Stop” George tapped on Chase’s shoulder.

  “No more stops. Go with them. No trouble give right now.” Chase tapped back.

  “Steal guns. Take over ship.” George suggested.

  “No good. Don’t know enemy strength, position. Don’t know where at in world. Meet boss. Questions answered.” Chase looked at his friend as they were both dressed. “Patience.”

  Ahiga nodded and the door opened as they both stood dressed in their uniforms. Chase donned a wide smile and without saying a word gave the men in the doorway a big thumbs up. He received a rap to the knuckles from the club.

  “Single file behind me,” the soldier barked. “Don’t try anything. We hear you’re a handful, and we’re ready.”

  Chase and Chief nodded as the soldier led them out the door. Packed tight in the hallway, the convoy totaled eight armed guards. Three moved ahead of the big man, leading the way, while four moved in behind. Chase shifted his eyes to the left and right as they moved down the corridor, but gleaned no information from the closed doors. He had never been on a Navy ship, but he guessed they were not as nice as this one. The Spartan nature of their previous confines was not the standard.

  Chase practiced obedience as they came around a corner, and in his peripheral vision, caught a glimpse of a stairwell leading up. He concentrated on his surroundings, and their route, but after a while became confused. The soldiers marched their prisoners for forty five minutes. They moved through corridors, made left and right turns, went up and down ladders and stairwells, and the strategy worked. Chase guessed he had seen a good portion of the ship, but when they came to a stop outside of an ornate wooden door, he hadn’t the slightest clue where they’d been. He and Ahiga stood shoulder to shoulder and Chase looked at his friend.

  “You memorize route?” He blinked.

  “Lost”

  The big guard rapped on the door three times with his club, waited a few seconds, then knocked twice more.

  “You may enter” came a booming voice.

  ***

  “Did you boys enjoy the tour of the ship?”

  As Chase and Ahiga’s eyes adjusted to the dim light in the expansive room, the guards moved them to a spot a quarter of the way down, and came to a halt. Thirty feet ahead, an enormous man sat in an authoritative position on a large throne like chair. Seated just to his right was a woman who was quite attractive, despite the gag in her mouth. Chase took special notice of her, looked to Ahiga, and before he even blinked, knew the reply.

  “Angela?”

  Chief’s eyes were ablaze in anger as he nodded his head. His mind poured through options at an astounding pace and he fixed his gaze back upon the man in the chair. He could cover that ground in less than a second, but that didn’t account for the four machine pistols dedicated to him. Relaxing his muscles and controlling his breathing Ahiga stuck to the plan. He would wait.

  Chase saw his friend’s body tense at the sight of the woman, and for a moment, thought he had lost him, but then Ahiga’s breathing slowed. He admired the amount of control it must have taken to see the woman you love in need and not act. Rex couldn’t be sure he would have done the same. His mind processed the scene, looking for an advantage, but a violent baton strike to the back of his legs interrupted his thought process.

  “Answer him.” The big guard shouted as Chase’s legs folded underneath his body.

  “Take it easy, Rolph.” The boss commanded as he rose from his chair. “Is that any way to treat our guests?”

  Leering, the soldier took a step back, and Chase decided to take a calculated risk. If their boss intended for he and George to be dead, they would have already been dead. Sweeping his leg to the left while spinning with all his might he focused the attack on the front leg of the guard. The blow landed just above the soldier’s foot, bringing his body parallel to the floor, and Chase smacked the machine pistol from his grip before the other man knew what was happening. With lightning quickness, and demonstrating no fear, Chase pulled the guard through the air by his left arm and delivered a crushing blow to his jaw. Teeth flew across the room toward the door as Chase took position behind the larger man, squeezing the life from his body.

  “That will be enough.” The voice of the man in charge boomed across the room once again, and Chase pushed his luck no farther. Releasing his grip and pushing the limp body to the side, he stood and took his place next to George, who sported a wide smile.

  “Edward Rex, Chase I presume.” His voice was menacing and his tone concise. “I must admit, I was a skeptic, but you deliver.”

  “Dietrich Hoff,” Chase replied in a steady voice despite his exertions. “I pictured you taller.”

  “Did you now?” Hoff countered, an evil smile on his face as he adjusted his collar.

  “Cut yourself shaving?”

  Hoff met Chase’s observation with a cold stare and directed his next statement at Chief.

  “You must be George Thomas Ahiga. I am told you are a dangerous man.”

  “Why don’t you send these guards out of here and we’ll find out,” Chief said.

  “Fantastic idea.” Hoff clapped his hands as he gave the next order. “You heard him men, everybody out.”

  The men filed out of the room, picking up their fallen compatriot, without saying a word. Neither Chase nor Ahiga flinched at the surprise move, but instead focused their attention on their captor. Dietrich Hoff stood a few feet away glaring at the two of them. His face was hardened, but showed no sign of concern. After the last of his troops had filed out he spoke again.

  “Well, you have me all to yourself. What shall we do next?”

  Adrenaline surged through Chief’s body as he closed the gap between himself and Hoff in an instant, Chase hot on his heels. All the pain, soreness, and stiffness disappeared as the endorphins coursed through his veins. He lowered his shoulder, preparing for impact with Hoff’s midsection, and witnessed Chase bolting past him. All of a sudden, and before either had expected, the shackles on their wrists and ankles tightened, and their momentum stopped as if they had run into a brick wall. Digging deep into their skin, the bracelets held fast, and blood began to seep from their wounds as the two men fell in a heap. Dietrich Hoff had not moved a muscle, and a wicked grin spanned the width of his face as he spoke again.

  “I’d like to introduce you young men to one of the first practical applications of the scalar energy revolution,” he lectured as the boys collected themselves. “I assume Professor Sarff informed you of the myriad of possibilities associated with this science. It is too bad he isn’t here to witness the application himself. Perhaps you could inform me of his whereabouts?”

  “I’m sorry, Angela.” George stood, his wrists and ankles bleeding, and addressed the woman he loved. “Your father is dead. I buried him where no one would
disturb him. I’m so sorry.”

  His heart ached as Chief watched her weep, but something seemed different. He brushed his doubts aside and focused again on the madman in front of him. Dietrich Hoff paid little attention, though, as he paced back and forth.

  “I’m sorry to hear of his death. He possessed a magnificent mind,” Hoff spoke with conviction as he addressed the woman to his rear. “My darling wife, dry your eyes. Your father was overweight and he drank a bottle of whiskey every day. We knew his time was short.”

  Neither Chase nor Ahiga could conceal their surprise as Hoff turned back to confront them. His face, which had become stoic, broke into a grin once again. He enjoyed toying with his captives.

  “Oh, I’m sorry; you thought she was in love with you?” Hoff retreated backward toward his wife, taking her hair in his hands, smelling it, and kissing her neck. Chase noticed she wore cuffs similar to their own, and deduced a force field incapacitated her as well. “My lovely wife can be quite the seductress. It was her allure that has been her downfall, however, because now she will die. I loved you my dear.”

  Chase watched in horror as Dietrich Hoff brandished a large knife, and inflicted a deep cut across Angela Sarff’s carotid artery. Time seemed to be in slow motion as a guttural roar emanated from his left. He saw his friend dislocate his thumbs, and tear his wrists from the shackles, leaving skin hanging from the irons. Launching his body forward, the ankle cuffs held tight as Ahiga thrashed against the invisible wall of energy.

  Hoff loosed a maniacal laugh as he slammed his hand against the back of his wife’s chair, releasing the field which held her body in place. She lurched forward, grasping at her neck, as blood spewed through her fingers onto the floor around her. Chase found himself to be a spectator as Ahiga wept bitter tears and called to the woman he loved. Tthe door across from Chase opened, and Hans entered the room, pulling a forty five caliber pistol from his belt, and shooting the writhing woman on the ground six times in the chest. An insane smile graced the weasel’s face and Chase no longer felt shock or horror. All emotion fused into a controlled rage like he had never felt before.