"The moon is blue and hangs low in the heavens," he said. "And this means what to me?" questioned Suki. "It's a song lyric," Max replied. He continued to stare out the window. "What song?" Suki wanted to know. "Sure beats the hell out of me," he replied. He glanced over at her and smiled. "That's Maggie's job," Suki said with a wink.
Max's fist slammed into the wall leaving a hole. He was really upset about this and he knew that there was only one option out of their current predicament. "Are you sure?" Maggie asked. She held the picture up to see it again. "It's not a glitch or anything like that?" "Yeah," Max replied. He plopped down on the sofa. Dejected. "Damn," Maggie said. She put the picture down on the table, and shook her head. "Copyrighted," Max whispered.
Suki could hear the changing in the rumble of the car. It sang to her that the car was going to be stopping shortly. "Time to earn our keep," she replied with Godhammer glowing. Max looked up from the paper he was reading and glanced out the window of the car. Still seeing only the darkness of the tunnel. "Ak-Ak," Suki called to the back. The huge norseman glanced up from the book of poetry he was reading. "You joining in or sitting this one out?" The subway began to slow down; Max folded up the paper he was reading and set it on the seat. He picked up his two pistols and placed them into his back holsters as he stood. "Are we set?" he asked her. "Yeah," she replied. Akimoto stood up and joined them at the door. He was wearing a gaudy Hawaiian shirt and dark sunglasses. "Next reality I am taking you shopping," Suki told Aki. "Oh really?" Aki replied. "What is the matter with the attire that I have on now?" "That's so Magnum," she told him.
Max awoke, convinced that he was hearing someone singing an ancient song.
Though it sounded distorted and warbled, as if coming through static, low
enough though that he could make out the lyrics. He brought his arm up to
his head only to find that an IV needle was stuck in his veins.
Pain
shot up his arm and that's when he realized that he was in a hospital.
His throat parched and his body ached as if muscles were being used for
the first time in a long time.
He was lying on a cot in some
infirmary. He sat up. The ward was dark but he could make out several
bunks from the low light. There was a nurse walking through the bunks,
checking in on the odd patient when she spotted Max.
"The dead has risen," the nurse said with a smile. "Well John, it's nice to see you up and about."
The moment that he walked through the door, he knew he was in big trouble. Max stood, scanning the room, noticing the devastation that was strewn about. Bodies scattered about like discarded toy soldiers after a child was bored with them. Max made no sudden moves, since he could feel a pair of eyes on him. He would have to thank Maggie later for that gift. "Brogan." "Ah Max," a voice said from the shadows. "It's good to see you again." "It's been a long while. You could have called." "I knew if I did this that you would come." Brogan stepped from the corner; he held a device in his hands that resembled a gun. "Like a bee to pollen." "Enough with the games, Brogan," Max said. He stood there staring at the man. "You killed me once," Brogan said as he stepped forward. "I doubt if you can do it again. I've evolved."
Max slammed his hand on the table, making Frank and Goner look up from what they were doing. Frank was reading the paper, while Goner was doing a Soduku puzzle. "What's up?" Frank inquired. Max ran his fingers through his hair before replying, "Still no word." "Well, after all it's been only 12 hours," Frank replied. He had folded up the paper and placed it on the table. Beside the 13 clips that were loaded and ready for battle. "Shouldn't there be a sign at least?" Max seemed more agitated than normal. "What's up, Boss?" Goner asked; he noticed this as well. "I'm not too sure," Max replied. "Something doesn't feel right at all."
"What's going on?" Angst looked about. She walked across the roof to the spot where Suki was camped out. Suki turned to look at Angst; she held a portable game player in her hands. She was in the middle of kicking alien butt. "Nothing much," Suki replied. "You're supposed to be on sentry duty," Angst said with a scorned look. "I am," Suki stated. She finished off the level and then quit the game. "It's boring. Just sitting and watching, it's like doing math or something like that." Angst sat down beside Suki and took the binoculars from their perch to do a quick glance. "Besides, Trump is in the tree across from the building," Suki said. "I hate that cat," Angst muttered. "You and Max both," Suki said with a smile. "I can understand why Max doesn't like the cat but what's your story?" Angst scanned the building and saw no movement. She scanned to the tree to find Trump sitting on a limb licking his right paw. He seemed to notice someone watching him so he peered toward Angst. "It's a long and complicated one," Angst said. "I got all night," Suki inquired. "Well I don't," Angst replied. She turned to Suki and winked.
Kelly's Diner sat on the outskirts of the city, a
rest stop or a last chance to get a meal before heading off into
destinations unknown. It was a relic from the past, erected during the
1950's and had managed to survive the radical changes as the city grew in
the distance.
It had changed hands many times but never its style and
that's maybe why the woman liked coming here every so often. She pulled
into a parking spot in front of the diner and stepped out into the crisp
morning air.
The waitress was sitting on the edge of the counter
taking a sip from her coffee when the woman entered. The waitress
straightened up from the stool and placed her coffee down.
"Good morning," the waitress said.
The woman nodded and said, "Indeed it is." The
woman was athletic, somewhere between her late twenties and early
thirties, wearing torn jeans and a tank top. Her posture was straight but
not arrogant. She stood at the door and glanced around and decided to
take a seat near the back.
"Do you want coffee?" the waitress asked.
"Yes
please," the woman said. She stopped and turned to face the waitress.
"Has there been a gentleman here? About 6'1. Sandy blonde hair?"
While gas fed the hungry car, Goner continued to talk about ramen
noodles. The Professor snored in the backseat. Goner was sitting in the passenger side and was making light
conversation; trying to stay awake. Max chuckled.
"All this talk about
food is making me hungry," Goner said as he spotted a sign declaring
Husky's House Truckstop to be just a mile down the road. "How about
you?"
Max shrugged a little, but now that Goner had suggested it he could feel the pangs of hunger growing. The Professor murmured something in his sleep. Max glanced back to check on him; it was rare to have him in the same plex coordinates. Max liked it but it also made him feel uneasy.
"There's
a restaurant another mile or so up the road," Goner said. "To my
recollection they serve the best hash browns and sausages evah!"
The
car pulled into the nearly full truckstop, with several rigs lined up
like soldiers ready to roll at a moment's call. Max found an empty
parking space in front of the diner. The Professor yawned and stretched. Max killed the engine and then turned
to the Professor and said, "You're buying!"
Goner looked at the empty backseat. "Max, who are you talking to?"
Goner was getting impatient with Angst; by all rights they should of been
in the battle. Though he had said he would wait as she prepared; it was the
least that a friend could do.
His cloak billowed in the warm
breeze; it seem to comfort him. He didn't like to be waiting, especially
if there was a battle going on. He looked over the horizon to see if he
could see anything from this vantage point.
He saw a glimpse of
lights near the river. It seemed like the Mysterious Mingos' were up to
their old tricks. He placed the binocs into the utility web of his
suit, and flexed his power gauntlets.
"Well, are you ready?" he asked impatiently. He hoped the tone of his voice would signify that this was indeed an emergency.
Angst
adjusted her mask and made sure that there wasn't a tear in the spandex.
After all, she needed to look her best for the entrance. And that her
plasma pistols where charged and ready to spew out hot death to those
who opposed her.
"Do you know what we are up against?" Angst asked.
"How am I supposed to know?" Goner replied. "I don't make the reservations. I just heed the call."
Max was munching on a hamburger when
he saw the news. It was on the television up in the corner of the diner
and was on low volume. But high enough just to make it out. He placed the
hamburger back down on the platter and looked around the diner to see if
anyone was watching the TV.
No one else was paying close
attention to the event that was unfolding on the screen. Max breathed a
little easier. It wasn't a big deal at the moment and maybe it could be
swept under the carpet if the agency worked quickly on it.
Shit's going to fly on this one.
His cellphone chimed.
"Max," Brogan said. "Have you've seen the news?"
"Watching some of it now," Max said. "What's the plan of action?"
"It's going to be hard for the boys to cover this one up," Brogan replied. "You know who they are going to shit upon for this foul up."
"Do we have a contingency plan?" Max inquired.
"Yeah," Brogan said. "But it's still going to end badly for someone."
Max signalled the waiter for the check; he took out a crisp $20 bill and laid it on the table and got up.
The bunker was hot and
stuffy and there wasn't much anyone could do about it. There was a poker
game going on at a table with several of the troops playing off
some of their paychecks.
Broom broke off from the poker game
since he was tapped already and didn't want to loose what little money
he had left. He saw that Pretty was up and he went to him like a moth to
a flame.
"Hey Pretty, you got any cigs?" Broom asked. He stood at
the foot of the bunk. Pretty was reading a western novel and peered over
the book to see who had interrupted the best part of the scene.
"What kind you want?" Pretty asked Broom; he leaned over and dragged a locker out from underneath his bed.
"Le Morte's if you have 'em" Broom said.
Pretty opened the locker and moved a few things around and ended up tossing Broom a package of Le Morte's.
"Cool!" Broom stated. He tossed a couple of bills at Pretty.
"Pleasure
doing business with you," Pretty called after Broom. He turned over to
Max and said, "I can't see what you like about that mag."
Max glanced
over from his bunk; he was engrossed in an article in the Fortean Times.
Something about string theory and a paperclip.
"It's educating," Max replied.
"I've got something for yah," Pretty said. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a zippo lighter and tossed it.
Max caught the zippo and looked at it. The design on it caught his eye.
"Well, I'll be," Max said. "Where did you get this?"
"Ancient trader's secret," Pretty said with a wink. "Besides, I owe you man."
