* * * * *
Jagger Jax spent his hour away from the Red Falcon shopping. He hadn’t had an abundance of credits in years. Not since he was the King of Pirates. But then, those were ill gotten gains and he was a wanted man, always looking over his shoulder for a lawman or some young pirate wanting to knock him off his throne. Which is kind of what had happened but he’d actually become a pawn in some grand scheme to kill the Coalition President. A doppelganger had taken over his life and he was sent to a mining colony on Mercury. The imposter had committed numerous hideous crimes, including rape and murder, under the guise of his name. However the assassination attempt failed and the truth had come out. Which lead to his pardon and his new appreciation for the value of hard work. Now he was free to walk into any store and legally buy whatever he had the funds to do so. It was a good feeling.
Granted the storekeeper had recognized him and, as they say, been sweating bullets the whole time. But Jax tried to not let that bother him. He had bought some traditional body armor, black BDUs, boots and a holster for his captured Graver Mk3. Not to mention, extra ammo packs and a hunting knife. When it was all said and done, he’d spent more than half of his advance from the Falcon but he felt good, better in fact than he had in many years.
Checking the time on his newly purchased chronometer, Jax headed to the meeting place even though he was early. To his surprise, he found the Red Falcon waiting for him.
“Wow, get a load of you? Looking good, Jax.”
The ex-pirate grinned. “Thanks. It was a new experience shopping but thoroughly enjoyable.”
“Thinking about taking up the trade?”
Jax shrugged. “Why not? I can’t get honest work without it being simple manual labor, not that there is anything wrong with that.”
“Bounty hunting isn’t all glamour. There are a lot of boring details and rules you have to follow to get your credits but it does allow you to travel.”
“That might be a good thing. Maybe I will find somewhere where no one knows my name. I doubt it, but there could be a place.”
DJ nodded. “That is always a possibility.”
The two hunters fell silent as they closed in on the location of the drug deal. If Mocha’s directions and information were correct, then they had less than an hour before the deal would happen. They hunkered down behind some garbage cans and silently waited.
When a wiry kid with super pale skin, bad acne and greasy brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail entered the intersection, they knew the casino owner hadn’t been lying to them.
Needles paced back and forth as they watched. Occasionally, he bent over and picked up a handful of pebbles and tossed them at some unseen target. Needles was the consummate picture of a man killing time. However, he stood tall and smoothed down his hair the moment a black stretched skimmer with dark tinted windows pulled into the intersection and stopped.
Neither DJ nor Jax had actually discussed their plans but since they were after the shipment of Moonbeam and not the supplier, the logical thing was to let the deal go down and hijack Needles afterwards for the rare spice.
Unfortunately, Mr. Murphy had different plans for them.
* * * * *
Murphy’s Law states whatever can go wrong…will go wrong.
The perceived perversity of the universe has long been a subject of comment and frustration. Precursors to the modern version of Murphy's Law are not hard to find; in a 1877 report of an engineering society, ‘It is found that anything that can go wrong at sea generally does go wrong sooner or later.’
According to the book A History of Murphy's Law by author Nick T. Spark, differing recollections years later by various participants make it impossible to pinpoint who first coined the saying Murphy's Law. The Law's name supposedly stems from an attempt to use new measurement devices developed by the US Air Force in 1949. Captain Edward Murphy, a development engineer from Wright Field Aircraft Lab, frustrated with a strap transducer which was malfunctioning due to an error in wiring caused him to remark – "If there is any way to do it wrong, he will" – referring to the technician who had done the wiring. The phrase was coined in adverse reaction to this and was eventually cast into its present form prior to a press conference some months later.
Not that it mattered about the history of Murphy’s Law; it was the bane of soldiers everywhere. For Murphy had the uncommon knack for rearing his ugly head at the most inconvenient times…such as now.
* * * * *
Shortly after Jennifer and Ryan had returned to their hotel room in Titan City, she had received a mysterious message. Even with Ryan’s extraordinary computer skills, he wasn’t able to back trace the message.
It was very cryptic and simply said: ‘If you are looking for an unbelievable story…be at Washington and Jefferson Street at a quarter till one am, local time. – PM’
Neither of them could find any reference to this mysterious ‘PM’ even after doing numerous searches and queries. However, their curiosity was aroused and they couldn’t resist checking out the lead. Grabbing their gear, they headed out.
Arriving early, they had found a nice vantage point on the first floor fire escape which overlooked the intersection. It was old and rusty but seemed stable enough. Even as they debated its strength, a wiry kid with greasy hair walked up. Not having any other choices, they squatted down and Ryan began filming.
It wasn’t long before a black limo style skimmer pulled up. When the doors opened, six thugs in black with blasters stepped out and looked around. They must not have seen anything that caused them concern because when their boss slithered out, Jennifer and Ryan knew that they truly did have an unbelievable story.
Up to this point, the general populace only believed that there were four intelligent species in the universe, the Terrans and the Sylvans were similar enough that they were easily accepted. During the war, the military had fought against the mantis-like Mantodeas and the lizard Lemurians enough times to be recognized. However, there had always been rumors of other species but no definitive proof…until now.
Jennifer guessed that the bug was twelve feet long and purple. She noted that it had eight legs and four arms which it used like hands, each with three very articulate fingers. The purple caterpillar-like creature began conversing with the greasy haired man. As she shifted positions slightly to get a better angle with the laser mic, Murphy decided it was time to join the party.
Murphy’s Law states, that whatever can go wrong…will go wrong. It has been the bane of combat personnel for centuries.
As Jennifer shifted her weight, the rusted bolts that were holding the fire escape to the side of the building gave way and the news crew found themselves falling. Several curse words and lots of bumps later; they found themselves surrounded by the six thugs with blasters pointing at them.
All Jennifer could manage to say was, “Aw shit!”
* * * * *
When DJ and Jax saw the two civilians fall into the circle of thugs, they knew they would have to act. They didn’t know who they were or why they had been on the fire escape but they both knew they the drug dealers wouldn’t let them live.
DJ silently berated himself for not setting up a secure tac-channel with Jax but it was too late for that now. He had to hope that the ex-pirate was as quick-thinking on his feet as he hoped he would be. Tapping him once on the back, DJ used the powerful CSA armor to climb the side of the old building; hoping beyond hope that the drug dealers wouldn’t kill the civilians quickly.
* * * * *
The purple-hued Geometrid scuttled over on its back eight legs and stood tall over the stunned civilians. When it spoke, its speech pattern was odd and the voice was deep and gravelly but it was English.
“Ho…ho…a spy for Absolem do we have?”
It took Jennifer a second to realize it was addressing her. “No, no, we were just…”and she paused. She instinctively knew that if she used her normal explanation as reporters, they were as good as dead. However, she wa
s at a loss to explain why they were on the fire escape.
Ryan’s quick mind came to the rescue. “We were making out.”
The purple caterpillar thing looked at them as if it didn’t understand which it didn’t. Turning its attention to the greasy haired it asked, “Talking about what are they?”
Needles leered at Jennifer’s ample breasts which were barely contained in her shirt at the moment. “Sex. The kid and the bimbo were about to have sex.”
“Your season it is? Location strange.”
“How many times must I explain it to you overgrown bug, humans don’t have a season. And we don’t do it only to mate, we do it for fun.”
In a very human-like way, the Geometrid shook his head from side to side. “Understand I do not, demonstrate.”
“With pleasure,” said Needles as he grinned and moved toward Jennifer. Grabbing her leg he added, “Come here, bitch.”
Ryan intended on preventing his partner’s rape and lunged at the dealer. He didn’t make it, as the butt of one of the thugs’ rifle connected with the base of his skull. For him, the fight was over as darkness consumed his consciousness.
Jennifer tried to struggle but the greasy haired Needles was stronger than he looked. When he ripped open her blouse, she was able to break free for all of about eight seconds until the caterpillar-looking thing grabbed her. His grip was iron. Feeling her bra ripped from her body, she steeled herself to resist to her last breath. If she was going to be raped, the son-of-a-bitch was going to have to work hard for it.
Even as she closed her eyes to spare herself the sight, she saw blinding flash of red and felt a wave of heat as Needles’ hands fell away from her body.
* * * * *
DJ had expected the smuggler and the dealer to question the civilians and do their deal before their execution. Rape had never even been a consideration. Even though he wasn’t in the most tactical position at the moment, he couldn’t stand by and let her be raped, not in this lifetime.
Looking down from the roof, it was at least a twelve story drop. Granted, the gravity on Titan was one-third less than that of Earth’s but still a fall from this height would be painful, if not deadly. Luckily for him, his CSA armor had those jump jets in his boots. Aiming his jump to place him dead center of the thugs, he jumped and only fired his boots enough to keep him below terminal velocity. Knowing that his first attack needed to be one of shock and awe, he fired off his flame thrower just as he landed.
Just as he’d hoped, the combined hard landing and fire knocked everyone aside, except the caterpillar thingy. Drawing his twin gladii, he powered them up with a flick of a switch and went on the attack. In close quarters, knives and swords were more effective weapons. Iaido and experience had taught him that. He cut and moved. Spun and slashed. Ducked and stabbed. Kicked and dodged even as the thugs fired their weapons blindly. Several other shots rang out from down the street as Jagger Jax entered the fray. In the chaos that followed, all thirty seconds of it, all the thugs and Needles lay bleeding or dying on the street. Only the purple hued Geometrid was still standing and that was because he was holding the female as a shield.
“Defy me, who are you?” it asked.
Without lowering his weapons, DJ slowly circled the giant caterpillar as his spoke. “I’m the Red Falcon. Who the hell are you?”
“Barney am I called in your tongue. No right you have to defy my will.”
DJ couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at the purple bug’s name. Someone had played a joke on the beast and he didn’t even know it. DJ decided to play a hunch. “Right? So Absolem doesn’t mind you doing business in his backyard?”
Even though the creature wasn’t human, his facial expressions reflected an emotion that could only be called rage. As it screamed its frustration, it happened to let go of one of Jennifer’s hands and she dangled out of the way still several feet off the street. But that was enough of an opening for him.
Firing his boot jets, DJ jumped and stabbed upwards. The combined force of his actions and the awesome cutting power of his swords allowed both gladii to cut through the hard carapace of the Geometrid and deep into the beast’s midsection. Neither blow was enough to stop the creature but it was enough to cause him to drop the reporter. Shots rang out again from somewhere behind him and fist sized holes began to appear in the creature’s carapace. Angered and injured, Barney lunged at the Red Falcon with its four arms.
Diving out of the way, DJ used his flame thrower to scorch the beast right in the face. More shots rang out but now one of the shooters was the brunette. DJ had to give her credit. Even with nearly getting raped she hadn’t shut down, she was fighting back. Having lost his blades in the belly of the beast, he drew his dual Graver Mk7s and began blasting away. It wasn’t long before the mammoth creature fell over dead.
Jagger Jax casually stepped over the fallen thugs. Any of them that moved, he fired a kill shot to the brain. “That was fun.”
Out of habit, DJ checked the power levels of his pistols before holstering them. “Strangely enough, you’re right.” He leaned down to check the condition of the young man and felt a strong pulse. Turning his attention to the brunette he asked, “You okay?”
Jennifer did her best of cover her breasts with her ruined shirt but said, “Yes…thanks to you two.”
“No problem ma’am, we just happened to be in the neighborhood.”
Jennifer shook her head. “I’m not going to ask why the Red Falcon and Jagger Jax are in Titan City, nor am I going to ask why they would be lurking in an alleyway. At this moment I don’t care. I’m just grateful that you two were nearby and stepped in to help.” Looking over at her partner she asked, “How’s Ryan?”
DJ shrugged. “Probably a concussion but I would guess no lasting damage. I’d get him to a doctor just to be safe.”
Before Jennifer could respond, Jax interrupted. “Needles is still alive. Want me to remedy that?”
DJ stood up and started to walk over to the drug dealer but Jennifer stepped in front of him. “Do you mind if I handle him?”
“Nope. Be my guest.”
Jennifer calmly checked the energy levels in her confiscated gun. It still had three-quarters of a charge, which was plenty of power for what she had in mind. When she reached the whining reprobate, she placed the barrel of the gun to his forehead. “How does it feel now? How does it feel to be completely helpless and at the mercy of someone else?”
Needles began pleading and begging. He began offering her money, spice, gems, anything and everything if she would spare him. One phrase was repeated time and time again. “Please don’t kill me.”
“I’m not going to kill you but I won’t let you do to some other girl what you almost did to me.” Jennifer shifted her aim lower…chest…abdomen and still she went lower until the barrel was hovering inches over his groin. Even as Needles tried to shift his body and get his manhood out of the line of fire, Jennifer squeezed the trigger. One round went through his privates and exploded out the back. Needles howled for all of about a half a second and curled up into the fetal position before the pain actually registered to his body and he passed out.
Jennifer tucked the pistol into her belt and turned to face the bounty hunter. “I think I’ll keep this gun as a token of my experience.”
DJ nodded. “A Rapier X-5, a good blaster…a bit old but very reliable. Take care of it and it will serve you well.”
Jennifer nodded and moved over to her partner. Helping him to his feet, Ryan was still groggy but able to kind of walk. She paused, looked back at the two hunters and flashed them her award winning smile. “Words cannot express my gratitude for what you have done here but it’s all I have to offer.”
Jax nodded his head and mimicked the action of tipping a non-existent hat. “Our pleasure ma’am.”
Jennifer smiled once more and disappeared into the night.
Jax watched them leave before turning back to his partner. “She’s wrong, you know.”
“What
do you mean?”
“Her words do mean a lot. I’ve never done what needed to be done just for that purpose. It feels good.”
“Yes it does, doesn’t it.”
Jax looked down at the corpses all around them. “What a mess!”
“Yep. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”
“Does this happen a lot around you?”
“Nope but if we live through this, I’ll introduce you to a friend of mine. Where ever he goes, trouble follows and soon after that the bodies begin to pile up.”
“Sounds like an interesting friend.”
“He’s the best.”
Jax nodded. “Okay, what’s next?”
DJ looked at the corpse of the geometrid and back at the black skimmer and an idea began to form. “Here what we’re going to do…”
Chapter 13
Absolem sat in his throne room and puffed on his qalyan.
His throne room was actually nothing more than a dilapidated warehouse nearby the closed down Titan City starport. It really didn’t matter to Absolem what the building once was. Now it was his abode and it suited his needs. The crime lord wasn’t happy at this very moment. Someone had stolen his supply of his favorite spice and no one in his organization would own up to it or to their failures. It was the latter which made him the maddest. Everyone makes mistakes and no one is above being robbed, as a master criminal he knew this better than most. But to think that no one would admit their short comings was unacceptable.
Since he was out of spice, he was smoking the dredges of his waterpipe. He’d had a slave drain the sacred water slowly through paper to catch the residue of the spice and then refilled. Once the paper was dried, it was ground up and placed in the fire bowl of the qalyan. It didn’t nearly have the flavor or effect of the spice but it was better than nothing. And to top all of that, he was listening to a message from a Cartel brother with potentially bad news for the both of them. Evidently, the bounty hunter they had contracted for a job in Confederate space was an imposter. The real Red Falcon was on his way to meet him now.
The Last Spartan 2: DJ's Mission Page 12