“Lance, grab on!” Dakota called out, even as Kai yelled the same to Ricky. Then Llamrei was beside Lance and Lady beside Ricky, one hand of each rider extended and grasping. Lance reached out and felt Dakota’s rock-solid grip take him and then he was up and onto the horse behind the boy in one fluid motion.
He looked over at Ricky, still pelting along, panting from exertion, his own hand grasping wildly for Kai’s. “Grab it, Ricky!”
Kai made a lunge, missed, and then swung his arm out again. This time they connected and Ricky flew up and back, landing heavily in the saddle behind an obviously relieved Kai. Both riders spurred their horses forward with strong kicks to their side just as the chopper crashed heavily to the ground behind them in a rending, grinding, crumpling mass of metal and plastic.
Lance glanced back, certain the thing would burst into flames, but it just rolled one last time and then lay there on the grass like a dead dinosaur.
Hair streaming like a wild animal’s, Dakota called out over his shoulder, “Where to now, Lance?”
Lance scanned the terrain ahead, glancing over a moment to make sure Ricky was safe, and then back ahead. He saw a paved road with no carts on it. “Try that road!” he yelled, pointing.
Dakota veered Llamrei in the indicated direction, and Kai followed just behind. As they galloped onto the road Lance saw the sign––Zoo Drive.
“Hey, I think this leads to the zoo!” he shouted, loud enough for both Dakota and Kai to hear. “Maybe we can hide in there.”
Dakota grunted, the sound almost lost in the wind. But they continued forward as Lance slipped his bow over one shoulder and pulled out his phone. He speed-dialed Ryan, praying there was cell service within the park.
In a moment, he heard Ryan’s crackling voice in his ear. “Lance, where are you?”
Lance could barely make him out. “On Zoo Drive!” he shouted into the phone. “I think we’re headed into the zoo.”
“Okay,” crackled his godfather as the signal wavered. “I got backup––” And then nothing. The signal cut out. What was he about to say, Lance wondered?
But he didn’t have time to contemplate an answer because suddenly from a side trail came two more of those stupid carts bearing more guys with guns!
Lance slipped the phone back into his pocket and called out to Ricky. “You take the first one, I’ll get the second!”
Ricky nodded and both boys whipped up their bows and nocked arrows with lightning speed, just as they’d been trained to do. Turning to shoot back while facing forward was awkward at best, but they twisted their trunks around as far as possible and fired. Ricky’s arrow missed, but Lance’s struck the rear tire of the second cart and sent it staggering off the road into the dirt.
“Yes!” Lance called out, but there was no time to celebrate as the passenger in the remaining cart had his gun raised and began firing.
Lance and Ricky both ducked as Dakota and Kai bobbed and weaved and controlled their mounts like drivers in an auto speedway. Lance poked his head back out to peek forward and his heart leapt. Just ahead was the zoo entrance, and three police cruisers blocked the road in front. Cops crouched behind each car aiming their weapons at the pursuing cart, but were obviously unable to get off a shot for fear of hitting either horse or riders.
He spotted Ryan and Chris crouching low, Chris with his bow cocked and aimed straight at them. Despite his terror, he grinned at his brother’s fearless stance.
“Dakota,” he called out, “can you jump her over the cop car?” He knew his dad had that ability, but wasn’t sure about the Indian.
“I can do anything with a horse,” the boy called back without hesitation. Then he glanced over at Kai. “Did you hear him, Laughs A Lot?”
“I can do anything you can, Cloudy Boy,” Kai shouted back.
Oh, great, Lance thought, this is so not the time to prove something. He looked across at Ricky as the horses bounded ever closer to the police cars and mouthed, “I love you, fool.”
Ricky mouthed it back.
Then they were airborne and Lance grabbed tightly to Dakota’s waist as Llamrei muscled her way high into the air. Lance looked down as the red and blue lights of the cop car passed beneath him, and then the horse landed deftly to the pavement on the other side, jolting Lance forward into Dakota’s back and nearly dislodging him. He looked over frantically just as Lady’s hooves clattered onto the pavement beside them and Ricky grinned like a fool.
Lance whipped around to see what was happening. His heart nearly stopped as Chris rose to his feet and fired his arrow before any police officers even got off a shot. It struck the incoming cart square in the left front tire and the vehicle careened off the road and into the dirt. The cops were up and running before Lance’s breathing even resumed.
Dakota turned to Kai and they let loose with an ear-piercing war whoop, swinging their fists into the air. Lance and Ricky joined the Indians in their whooping, while Chris pelted toward them. Lance slipped off Llamrei and scooped the boy into his arms.
“That was some shooting, little man!”
Chris grinned proudly, his arms tightly wrapped around Lance’s neck. “Damn straight.”
Lance laughed as Ricky joined them. The boys all hugged and held one another as Dakota and Kai trotted over on their exhausted, frothing mounts. Poor Llamrei, Lance thought. Not exactly the workout she was used to. He set Chris onto the ground and stroked Llamrei’s sweaty snout lovingly.
“Thanks, girl,” he said before looking up at Dakota and Kai sitting solidly and calmly atop the horses, and shook his head in amazement. “That was some incredible riding, guys.”
“That’s fer sure,” Ricky echoed with a nervous laugh. “I thought I was a goner a grip a times.”
Kai laughed and grinned at the impassive Dakota. “See, fool, I told you I could ride as good as you.”
Dakota grunted, but Lance could see genuine admiration in his eyes.
Kai looked at Lance and heaved a huge sigh. “Man, Lance, if I’d known the Round Table was this exciting, I’d have joined up a long time ago.”
Lance and Ricky chuckled, their wildly beating hearts beginning to draw down. It had been a rush, all right, Lance thought, a rush that almost killed them. Then Ryan and Gibson were there, checking them for injuries.
“Are you guys okay?” Ryan asked with breathless fear while Gibson hovered nearby, gun still drawn.
“We’re fine, nino, but I think Lady got shot,” Lance said, suddenly recalling the mare rearing so abruptly.
Kai dropped down at the same time Dakota slipped off Llamrei. Both boys examined Lady’s flank while Lance and Ricky joined them. Kai ran his hand over the smooth brown skin, noting a large bruise forming above her left thigh. He squinted in confusion at Dakota, who also leaned in for a closer inspection.
“She’s only bruised,” he said, clearly surprised, exchanging an uncertain look with Kai.
Ryan ambled over, Chris in tow, and sighed heavily. “Rubber bullets, Lance,” he said, his voice more gravelly than usual.
“Rubber?” Lance repeated in shock.
“Yeah. The center director who got hit, same thing. Bruised, but not hurt. We found this nearby.” He held up a hard, bullet-shaped chunk of hard rubber and handed it to Lance.
Lance rolled it around on his hand and tossed it to Ricky with a heavy sigh. “So he’s just messing with us,” he said quietly, shaking his head in disgust. “Letting us know he can take us out any time he wants.”
“Shit,” Ricky whispered in anger.
“Afraid so,” Ryan agreed, his voice heavy with fatigue.
Just then one of the uniforms sprinted up to Gibson. “Sorry, Sergeant, but they got away. Must’ve had a vehicle stashed.”
“Shit,” Gibson muttered under his breath, holstering his gun and looking at Ryan.
Ryan holstered his own gun. “C’mon, let’s get these boys home.”
Somber and thoughtful, Lance and Ricky walked beside Dakota and Kai as they led the two
horses back to their stalls. Chris pressed between his brothers and grasped one hand of each like he never wanted to let them go. Lance squeezed the boy’s hand lovingly, his thoughts on the attack. And his response to it, which set him to brooding all the way home.
†††
By the time they got back to New Camelot, video of the boys galloping down Riverside Drive and into the park had already been uploaded to the Internet and had become “Breaking News” on every local station.
Ryan had phoned Arthur and Jenny to let them know everyone was safe, and both adults were relieved, insisting on hearing all of their voices over the phone. Lance assured them they were uninjured and regaled both parents with the heroics of his Native brothers. When Chris got on the phone he gushed, “I took out this big-ass golf cart with one arrow.” Lance and Ricky could hear Arthur chuckling over the speaker.
By the time they got home, the current headline on every TV news broadcast was “Indians Evade Helicopter Attack in Griffith Park,” or something similar. Thus far, no one had connected the incident to the Round Table because no one had recognized Lance or Ricky, and the police were keeping mum on the details.
Ryan, in particular, was stunned to get a report that there was no pilot in the downed copter, just a dummy. “The thing was remote controlled,” he told Arthur and the rest after ending the call.
Gibson frowned, crinkling his eyes at the same time. “That means whoever this is, he’s got bucks. Big bucks.”
“Why do you think that?” Ricky asked.
“Cuz toys like that don’t come cheap,” the detective replied with a heavy sigh.
Lance considered a moment. The only really super-rich people he knew were Michael’s parents, except he never even met Michael’s parents. Why would they want to kill him? It was true, they were now under investigation since Lance had revealed Michael’s secret to the world, but could they be this vengeful? From what Michael had said, the answer was probably yes.
Arthur, in particular, praised Dakota and Kai effusively and suggested that at the next gathering after Christmas, “In honor of your heroism, I should like to knight you both into the Table.”
Kai grinned wider than Lance thought was humanly possible, and even Dakota’s eyes widened a moment in surprise before settling back into their usual narrow state.
“We would be honored to take the vow, King Arthur,” Dakota said, his voice deep and stately and very formal.
He glanced at Kai, who laughed and nodded excitedly.
Gibson left the Throne Room to phone the FBI in the hopes they might learn something from the crashed copter or the abandoned golf carts.
After initially sweeping her three sons into her arms and just holding them, Jenny had said little while the men discussed options. Obviously, future public excursions would require much higher levels of security, blah, blah, blah. She listened, but her eyes continually travelled back to the four boys dressed as Indians, her own two and the newcomers. Suddenly, it seemed to her that Lance and Ricky had become one with Kai and Dakota and that she had almost acquired two more sons. The four boys seemed in perfect sync with one another, and the devotion the newcomers had already shown her sons provided her with some measure of security. At least Lance and Ricky now had devoted backups who, it seemed, would do whatever it took to keep them alive. That knowledge slightly eased her pervasive anxiety.
†††
Later that night, after the Indian regalia had been put away and all four had debriefed on what had happened and ways they could better protect themselves in the future, Dakota and Kai both committed themselves to protecting Lance and Ricky from harm, which pleased the two in ways they didn’t even understand. They were virtual strangers, and yet these two newcomers were swearing fealty to Lance and vowing to safeguard his health. It was the Indian way, Dakota explained.
“Lance is the future chief, and the chief must be protected above all others,” he explained, which both pleased and troubled Lance in equal measure.
Lance and Ricky thanked them, and the two returned to Lance’s room for their customary time alone atop Lance’s bed. Even Ricky’s head resting in its usual spot in his lap didn’t lighten the dark mood that had fallen over him since their earlier adventure. And he knew why.
As Ricky gently held Lance’s hand and played lovingly with the fingers, Lance gazed sightlessly across the room, deep within himself, feeling fear and anxiety.
Ricky tried for a smirk. “It doesn’t take a soul whisperer to figure out something’s wrong. Cough it up, fool.”
Lance pulled his gaze from the roll top desk against the far wall and lowered it to Ricky’s inquisitive face snuggled up against his midsection.
Ricky’s eyes narrowed with fear. Lance looked haunted and devastated. “What’s wrong?”
Lance gulped and fought to control his voice. But emotion swirled within him like a tidal pool. “Today, Ricky,” he began breathlessly, “was a trial run.”
Ricky squinted. “I know. The asshole was messing with us. So?”
Lance shook his head forlornly. “No, Ricky, it was a trial run for me. A test, and I failed.”
Now Ricky sat up and pulled his legs in. “What test?”
“Remember that text, Ricky?” Lance went on, almost too afraid to speak. Ricky nodded. “He promised to kill you first, to make me suffer.”
Ricky shrugged. “So?”
Lance locked his wide, fearful eyes onto those of Ricky. “So they were after you today, not me,” he said, his voice barely a wisp of breath. “When you went down, Ricky, my heart stopped. For real. I couldn’t even breathe. I thought you were shot. I froze. If you had been killed, I’d have just knelt there and let them kill me.”
Ricky frowned, and then grinned. “I have that effect on people.”
Lance’s eyes turned stormy. “I’m not messing around, Ricky. I’m s’posed to be in command out there, a chief like Dakota keeps calling me. If I freeze people could die. That’s why he’s going after you first, to make me weak. To make me fail.”
Ricky placed both hands lightly on Lance’s cheeks. “You’re never weak, Lance.”
Lance shivered. “When it comes to you, I am.”
Ricky smiled, and looked lovingly into Lance’s haunted eyes. “You’re the most kick-ass chief ever, and you’d never freeze up, not even for me.”
Lance reached up and took Ricky’s hands from his face, intertwining their fingers and lowering them to his lap. “But I would, Ricky. That’s how much I love you. And that asshole knows it. He’ll use you against me.”
Ricky’s eyes became fiery. “Like hell he will.”
Lance turned sober now, taking on that commanding look that so reminded Ricky of Arthur. “Because I won’t let him. From this moment forward, I’m assigning Dakota and Kai as your personal bodyguards, along with me. When we’re out in public, all of the Round Table will be ordered to protect you first above all others.”
Ricky was aghast, his mouth hanging open in shock. “Lance, you can’t give that order. I’m not more important than Dad.”
Lance paused only a moment. “Dad has Excalibur. He’s safe.” Ricky started to open his mouth again, but Lance put a hand up to his lips to quiet him. “Look, you spent the last year protecting me, and now it’s my turn.” Again, Ricky tried to speak, and again Lance’s fingers to his lips cut him off. “He’s not after me, Ricky, he’s after you. He’s saving me for last, remember?”
Ricky stopped trying to speak and considered Lance’s words. He well recalled the text, and the guy did say he would die before Lance. “I can take care of myself, Lance,” he felt compelled to say, his pride forcing the words from his mouth.
“I can take care of you too,” Lance said with conviction.
Ricky’s eyes flared a moment. “I’m not a helpless little kid.”
Lance’s breath wavered on his lips, and his heart fluttered with anxiety. “No, you’re a bad-ass boy who’s the keeper of my heart and soul, and if anything ever happened to you
my life would be over. Don’t you see, Ricky? Without you, I’m nothing.”
Ricky’s hurt pride felt mollified by Lance’s earnest confession, and his heart swam with love for this boy who’d put his own life above his. “You’ll never be nothing, Lance. Thanks for watching out for me.” Then he smirked. “But it doesn’t change anything. I can still kick your ass one-on-one.”
Lance grinned, his fear dissipating slightly. “Aren’t you getting too old for make-believe?”
Ricky raised his eyebrows tauntingly. “You mean this isn’t a fairy tale?”
Lance’s grin dropped in shock. “Now there’s a word we forgot to mention to Ellen.”
They both cracked up.
†††
Christmas came and went as another warm, family day. The family attended midnight mass, at Lance’s insistence, and the Indian boys accompanied them. Everyone proclaimed the service beautiful.
The family made certain to give Kai and Dakota lots of presents to make them feel at home, mostly clothes and shoes because they hadn’t brought much with them from their reservations. They were flummoxed by the goodwill of people they’d barely known a month, and Lance reminded them that the Round Table was a family, and they were now a big part of that family. At Lance’s insistence, the newcomers were also given cell phones so they could all keep in constant contact.
Everyone chuckled on Christmas morning as the two boys turned the phones over and over in their hands, trying to figure out how to turn them on. Lance helped Dakota and Ricky assisted Kai in teaching them the most basic functions, especially calling and texting.
Jenny took lots of photos with her new camera and the hotel kitchen staff prepared a full course dinner of turkey and ham and numerous side dishes. A good time was had by all.
†††
At the next gathering, Dakota and Kai stepped forward for their knighting into the Table. By now, all of the Round Table had heard of their heroics in protecting Lance and Ricky, and thunderous applause greeted them as they strode forward, swords in hand.
Dakota had chosen a bright red tunic that blended well with the tribal headpiece wrapped around his brow. His straight black hair fell like water down his back, with feathers tied at strategic spots, separating sections out into layers. Dangling from each temple were multicolored beads and long hawk feathers, and the beaded circle on his forehead was framed in red. Lance thought he looked larger-than-life, proud and awed all at the same time. His demeanor, as usual, remained serious and stoic.
And The Children Shall Lead Page 17