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| Issue #4 Feburary 2010 |
“No Motorcycles in the Hall!” Written By Brent Lambert |
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The security complex’s front gate was in front of him and he punched the gas. His bike easily accelerated to 500 mph and he knew that the gate would be in front of him within seconds. Pressing a button on the side of his helmet, a green force field erected around the bike and allowed it to crash through the barbed gate with ease. Dozens of armed guards were posted inside the complex’s parking lot and Bullet Biker blew through them with ease. Spinning his bike around, Zarro dropped his shield and lifted up his arms to spray a hail of bullets on the security personnel. The bullets were all packed with microscopic devices that let off discharges of electricity powerful enough to put down a grizzly. If the bullets didn’t kill them then the electricity would finish the job.
Sensors were connected all through Zarro’s bike and they delivered information directly into his helmet. There were dozens of security guards coming to give him hell. They really had no idea what they were walking into. Sage wisdom would have told them to turn back while there was still a chance, but he doubted that these were the kind of men who took advice. Their objective was to protect the laser Zarro was after and apparently they held enough loyalty to Crane to give their lives for it. Such noble sacrifice disgusted Zarro because there was no profit in it. What did it profit a man to lay down his life for another? All it was really was a wasteful exercise in respecting some long archaic idea of honor. Zarro had no use for such ideas and would be glad to remove men who did. As far as he was concerned, they were completely useless.
Turning his bike to the large complex door, Zarro smiled under his helmet and waited for the slaughter. They were like old horses begging to be stomped into glue. It was a dying wish that he would have no problem obliging. Revving up his bike, Dillon kept his eyes glued on the complex door. His biking suit was hooked up with sensors that allowed him to mentally send commands to his motorcycle. The brief, slight vibrations grew closer and missile turrets rolled out of the side of the bike. They clicked into activation and Zarro fired out three missiles from each side. Each of the two-foot long rockets ripped through the air and crashed into the metal door with devastating force. A large explosion plumed into the air, but thanks to his helmet Zarro was able to clearly see through the smoke.
His attack had littered his would-be attackers with shrapnel and doused them in fire while creating a wide-open hole for him to pursue. Over the crackling fire, Dillon heard the chopping noise of helicopters. Cameras in the back of his helmet showed five gun ships coming for him. As much weaponry as he had, Zarro knew that he couldn’t fight them off. Besides, it wasn’t his job to. His job was to retrieve this laser and deliver it to Dr. Black. Any damage he inflicted was just a bonus feature.
It seemed like Crane was calling out the big boys and that just made Bullet Biker all the more curious about what exactly this weapon was all about. Revving up his bike, Bullet Biker shot into the smoke and through the hole. The blueprints for the building were uploaded into his vehicle so he wouldn’t have any surprises. Every turn and curve was known to him and soon he’d have his cargo.
Two motorcycles sped across the desert night side by side. They were like man-sized bullets zooming across the landscape aiming to strike at a threat neither knew the face of. Encapsulated in the sleek, hi-tech bikes were Billy Crane and his best friend, American Eagle. They weren’t able to communicate with each other normally since they were seated in their bikes much like someone was wrapped in their car, but they did have earpieces that allowed for conversation between the bikes.
“So just how pissed do you think they’re going to be at us?” American Eagle asked, his mind drifting back to the dates they had stood up. It wasn’t the first time eh had left Aami hanging, but he never liked doing it and she never looked like she was getting use to it. He wondered why she ever stayed sometimes.
“Well, I know I probably owe Christos foot rubs for a week and some ridiculously high-priced item,” Billy replied.
“Honestly, I never took Christos as your type of man. He seems to have an eye for the flashy,” American Eagle said. He remembered the firs time he met Christos and being stuck at how many children his outfit could have fed. Billy had come from a pretty humble background and now he was partnered up with a man who’s sense of fashion ran neck and neck with Miss jade. Saying that out loud would probably make Christos hire a hit man.
‘Underneath all the clothes and shoes, Christos loves me without condition. I know he’d be with me if I didn’t have a dime to my name.”
A perked eyebrow from American Eagle showed his skepticism. “That’s good man. Don’t get me wrong I like Christos. Just never really saw you with someone like him.”
“Well, who did you see me with?” Billy asked with a bit of a laugh. He understood where Jason was coming from, but he loved Christos and nothing could change that.
“Back in high school I saw you with a woman,” American Eagle said to the laughter of both men. “But I guess I figured your main squeeze would be a bit more roughneck than Christos.”
Considering the comment for a moment, Billy took a breath. “Truthfully, that’s who I saw myself with too, but along came Christos. He’s become everything I want and need.”
American Eagle joked in his best schoolyard voice, “Aww isn’t that sweet? Billy’s in love.”
“Oh please! Don’t try to play macho man. I’ve seen how you look at Aami.”
American Eagle could only smile because Billy was right. The way he felt about Christos was precisely the way he felt about Aami. Having her in his life made it hard for him to keep being the Southwest’s champion. He had heard stories from the others and how their family members were made into targets. He couldn’t’ bear the thought of something like that happening to Aami. She meant too much to him.
“Jason I’m getting a report from some of my men on the attacker. Apparently he’s riding some souped up bike. He’s currently inside of the complex. He has to be after the laser.”
“I think its time you come clean Billy on exactly what this laser is all about. No on one would go through all this much if-
“Fine. Just shut up and listen. We don’t have much time.”
Aami wasn’t sure why she was still eating dinner with Christos after he had drilled her, but she couldn’t let him think he was on to something. Staying and finishing out the meal made her look like she had nothing to hide and that she was undeterred by his questions. If she ran off she’d be throwing up red flags and the last thing she needed was someone snooping through her life. She wasn’t sure if Christos would even take it that far, but she couldn’t chance it. Aami needed her past to stay behind her.
“Do you love Jason?” Christos asked as he sloshed his wind around in his glass. His eyes looked like two shovels trying to dig their way into Aami’s heart.
“Of course I love him. What kind of question is that?”
“Because you don’t keep things from those you truly love,” Christos said as his two shovels continued to dig.
Aami wanted to scream at the bastard to stop. How could she go from liking to hating someone in such a short span? “I don’t know what makes you think that I’m hiding anything from Jason. I would appreciate it if you would drop the subject.”
“Of course,” Christos said. Aami could see his mouth said one thing, but his eyes said another. He wasn’t going to let his newfound hunt go. Not by a long shot. That scared Aami, but she was determined to not let it show. She had worked too hard to build he new life and there wasn’t a chance in hell that she was going to let Christos ruin it.
“So are you and Billy going to try and get married?” Christos cut his eyes at her and Aami shrugged. “I meant in Canada or something. Sheesh!”
“I don’t think Billy is too keen on marriage.”
Aami smiled like a cat ready to pounce. It was her turn to let her claws loose. “Maybe he’s just scared you’ll take him to eh cleaners. You already look like you suck up half his income.”
Christos’ face contorted into fiery anger and then quickly relaxed. “Touché! I guess I was being a tad rude. My apologies. It’s just that I like Jason and I wouldn’t want to see him hurt. Besides, I’m looking out for my own interests. If Jason is all mopey then Billy will have to console him and that’s less time he is spending with me.”
Her every word dripping with sarcasm, Aami said, “And none of it had to do with your own curiosity I’m sure.”
To think she was actually nervous about trying to impress this man earlier tonight. Now the whole idea of that seemed incredibly foolish. If he was really like this Aami wondered why Jason hadn’t noticed it.
Taking a sip from his glass, Christos said, “I thought you wanted to drop the subject darling?”
Aami was almost nauseous from Christos’s smugness. She hadn’t been mad before about Jason leaving, but she certainly was now. Part of her screamed to order a crème pie just so she could shove it in the pompous asshole’s face. As much as she didn’t like the man she had to quiet that part of herself and politely respond to him. The last thing she wanted to do was to put a wedge in Jason and Billy’s friendship because their significant others couldn’t get along.
“Of course. You’re right. I think its for the best we leave that topic alone.”
“So how are you getting home? Billy is sending for a limo to come and get me in about ten minutes.”
Holding up a pair of keys, Aami said, “Jason gave me the keys to the car. I’ll just drive to his place until he gets back.”
“Well, don’t worry yourself too much darling. I’m sure our boys will handle the problem.”
Aami gave the fakest perky smile she could muster. “I never worry about Jason. He always gets the job done.”
As she was about to get up out of her seat, screams came from the front of the restaurant. People were pushing each other out of the way with faces pale as winter breath and eyes wider than the desert sand. One large woman in particular was knocking people left and right as she scurried to get away from whatever had frightened her. It was like watching a rhino charge through a herd of buffalo.
Standing up from their seats, Aami and Christos looked to the front of the restaurant to see what had prompted such fear from everyone. It was a stampede of people though so they couldn’t see exactly what it was and Aami’s heart clenched up. A wet, sinking feeling was climbing down her back and her stomach was contracting. In the back of her mind, she knew what this was about. All she needed was visual confirmation.
And she got it when she saw the four men at the entrance.
The man in front of the group looked like he was probably in his mid-40s, but he was well-muscled and probably could hold his own well enough against any younger man. Everything besides for his skin was snow white from his long flowing to hair to his moustache to the spikes on his shoulder pads. Even the pike he was carrying was white, but it looked like it longed to be painted in a little red.
Standing slightly behind and to the right of the man in white was a hooded man who looked like a phantom since all you could see where his glowing yellow eyes from under it. Hanging from his belt was a sword that looked like it came straight out of Warcraft, but probably was a whole lot better at cutting. Chilly vapor billowed off of the man’s body like he had just come out of a freezer locker. If there was any one of the four men who scared the people into frenzy, it was probably him.
Standing next to him was a man in red and gold carrying a long sword. He had large shoulder pads and bands that ran around his arms and pants that were gold. The rest of his outfit was a dark, crimson red. Aami could almost swear the dragon tattoo on the man’s right arm moved and flowed like it was alive. He had a look of ferocity etched on his face like he had been in combat since the moment he came out of the womb. To look upon him was to see rage indented on a person.
The last man in the group had a black, spiky Mohawk that sat atop a bright lightning tattoo that ran down the middle of his scalp. Where his partner looked like a crazed killer, this man looked like a smug one. He was wearing a short-sleeved burgundy robe trimmed in gold along with gold bangles and trousers. His bare feet made him unique among his partners. Aami felt that those bare feet signified him as the most confident of them.
All she could do was stare at the four men. She ran memory after memory through her head in the hopes she could figure out who they were. One thing was certain for her though. They could only be after her.
“Darling, I think we need to be going,” Christos said once he saw the hooded man point at Aami.
Hesitating for a moment, Aami grabbed Christos’ wrist tight and said, “You go. This is about me.”
“Honey I don’t really care what it’s about. We need to get out of here. Now!”
Unknown to Aami, a tiny spark of fire ran out of Christos’ pinky and touched Aami. She looked bewildered at the man for a moment and then said, “Ok. Let’s go. We’ll use Jason’s car.”
As soon as they started running, the four men began to move. The man with the Mohawk unsheathed four throwing stars and flung them at his target. Almost without thinking, Aami pushed Christos to the ground and followed with him. Four throwing stars were embedded in a painting of a beautiful angel trumpeting the end of the world. Grabbing Christos by the arm, she said, “We got to keep moving. Come on!”
When they stood up the hooded man was only a few feet in front of them. He wagged a finger and said in a voice that was abominably cold as the Arctic, “You cannot escape The Four Winds. We are everywhere Silent Lily. We flow through everything.”
The memory hit Aami like a sledgehammer. The Four Winds. Dangerous assassins for hire. It seemed that Matrix had given up on retrieving her.
Aami pulled her hair back into a ponytail and pulled back her dress’s shoulder strapping allowing it to the fall to the floor. She may have now stood in only black Victoria Secret items, but she needed to be mobile. The move stunned all of the men in the room and despite themselves they couldn’t help to admire the frame.
“Your employer probably left out details about me. I’m not to be trifled with gentlemen so if you want some feel more than free to come and get it.”
Author’s Notes
Ok. Now that’s a little bit more like it. Bullet Biker and The Four Winds are going to be in the mix next issue. I’m having a great deal of fun writing them. Here are some links if you want to look up more about the characters or at least get a visual on them.
The Four Winds: http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/fourwindselektra.htm
Bullet Biker: http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/bulletbk.htm
