Brakken’s been wanting Sneak Queen for a year. Our shock weevils worked.”
“Who’s the funny-lookin’ guy?” Dart asked Borlund.
“Her distraction. We never woulda’ caught Sneak Queen if she was more alert. Bring her to the layer. Leave the fruit. We don’t need extra dead weight.”
“I’m leavin’ a Crimson Snagerz note. Once they know we have her, there will be a war they are in no way ready for.” Dart wrote a derisive ridiculing message and stuck it to the stranger’s forehead. “When he wakes up, he’ll tell them. It’s about time we snap some BoltLayers.”
“Grab Sneak. It’s time to get ready for battle.”
llll
As the stranger awakened later in the evening, a note was stuck to his brow. He took it off and began to read it.
We have your bitch sewer rat, and Brakken’s doing nasty things to her. If you don’t want her violated and killed like a mangy mutt, come get her. Bring every BoltLayer you have tomorrow afternoon at 2. They’ll be Crimson Snaggerz by tomorrow night.
“I have to get back to the Sagacious Knight.” His valkyrie was kidnapped! The stranger had to backtrack to the warehouse. His decision had changed. She made enough sense to him to stop his mindless journey to nowhere. She injected the information he needed, but would never ask for.
The oil barrel fires set by the homeless had shown the path back to the warehouse in a Hansel, Gretel breadcrumb fashion. The indigents avoided the strangely-dressed man as he traveled back.
llll
“Klannis isn’t back with that guy yet, it’s getting dark, and Feline’s Fetish isn’t that far away,” Rembrandt told Fischer in his preparation room. “Her ‘angle’ doesn’t seem to be working.”
“Haven’t you ever heard of patience?” Fischer responded. “Klannis is an artist. Sometimes, she likes to polish her work. Stop your pessimism. When has she ever not hit her target?”
“She’s flawless with known variables, but this guy is an unknown,” he said. “We’re not in our certainty bubble this time.”
“Look, the reason you’re my next is that your pessimism keeps me sharp… at the right times. This isn’t a skirmish brawl, so it’s not the right time. Tune it down, Rembrandt.”
“You stay sharp because I tame your arrogance. Klannis is out there without any support. The Skull Diggers left when their contract was done. Don’t slip into certainty in the downtimes. That’s when arrogance will kick your ass. Your leadership is on a 24/7 clock.”
“That’s why I always sleep with one eye open.”
One of Fischer’s men came into the room.
“That frilly dude is back without Klannis. He’s askin’ for you.”
Fischer smiled, “Bring him here.”
“We haven’t let him in yet. That's the BoltLayer protocol you set two years ago. If you don’t say yes, he’ll be bravin’ the elements for the rest of the night.”
“Come on, Rembrandt. We don’t want our asset to be eaten by mutant Nutrarats outside our front door.” They left for the front entrance.
“Allow me access to your layer, you thick caitiff! I command the sagacious knight’s audience!” the stranger yelled through the door.
“Without Klannis, we don’t know you, buddy,” the door guard yelled back.
“Stand back, Sabathia, I’ll handle it.” Fischer went to the door. “It’s Fischer, Collin! Where's Klannis?!”
“Someone called Brakken has her now! Allow me access!”
“I think Klannis hit her target, just not a favorable outcome,” he told Rembrandt and let in the desperate stranger.
“I applaud your graciousness, Good Sir Knight. We must hurry!”
“I thought you left us to fight your own dragon,” Fischer said.
The stranger gave him the note. As Fischer read it, he spoke.
“Your valkyrie is the carriage hitch to both our wild horses. You have to usurp and disrupt a dastardly kingdom, while I have to slay enough rogue knaves with Lord Sagen’s notice. Why did you not tell me there was a certain protocol to meet with Lord Sagen the Wizard?”
“Public relation’s not my thing, it's Chloe’s,” he explained. “They called her a sewer rat and a mangy mutt. We have to get our carriage hitch back, you in?”
“I am a guardian. Of course, I will be your ally for this siege.’Tis my duty to rescue damsels.”
Fischer looked at Rembrandt.
“She’s still 100. Never doubt our intelligence operative. Now, let’s go get Klannis back!”
Chapter Three: The Stranger’s Shocked Revelation
Fischer gathered all the BoltLayers in the middle of the warehouse and began to strategize. “Alright, we have until tomorrow afternoon to get Klannis free of those butchers.”
“Oh, posh!” was heard from the stranger they began to call Collin. “Have you never engaged in an expedient castle siege before?”
“They’re not in a castle, Collin. The Red Hooks took over the abandoned baked beans factory in the industrial district.”
“A castle, a factory, is it surrounded by a rampart?” Collin asked.
“If you mean a fence with razor wire at the top then yes. I guess you could call that a rampart.”
“Your time’s castles just go by a different title then. I just do not want to call this a ‘factory’ siege. Aside from the title, you have to know how to thwart your enemy. They gave you conditions. If you want to achieve victory, you must augment those conditions by accelerating your response to tonight.”
“You’re the royal guard, and probably have been in moe in more rescue attempts than any of us,” Fischer stated. “What would you need to get her back?”
“You are the one who needs a complement of experienced staunch archers and a stealthy infiltration squadron. We cannot poison their streams and halt their food supply. The word siege is a French term meaning to sit-out. We cannot starve them to attain victory. This will be a swift taking. Sitting them out is not what needs to happen in this rescue situation.”
“Siege is your word. We just need to get our girl,” Rembrandt said.
“You still need a course of action to rescue your valkyrie, Lad,” Collin said. “Your objecting statement of doubt is hindering your damsel’s rescue,”
“Shutup and listen, Rembrandt,” Fischer told him. “We’re on a tight timeclock. This has to be executed by midnight. That’s four hours from now. This is the real thing. There will be no practice runs. Listen to Collin if you want to see Klannis alive again.”
“You’re giving the tactics to someone who doesn't know what a cellphone is, let alone a skarge crossbow! This ain’t the ‘gauntlet-dropping joust for honor’ days. How would he know anything about the 22nd century?!”
“When was the last time a cell phone even worked in this time?!” Fischer got irritated with Rembrandt. “You’re too young to even know how they worked when they did. That’s just a word to any of us. I can show him a skarge crossbow, and I bet he’ll know how it works.
I let Collin tell me what we should do because war has always been a static excursion. Beat your opponent to win. 12th or 22nd century, it has never changed. You’ve tamed my arrogance many times. Now it’s my turn to tame yours. We don’t have time for your feckless protests. Brakken is hurting Klannis. If we don’t get her back because of your corrosive objections, I’ll personally kick your ass.”
Rembrandt understood his dislike for a stranger taking over the clan was just a petty possession hangup of his and backed off. He walked to Collin.
“Your duty is protecting ladies. This is personal for me. I like Klannis, and this just isn’t a thing to do haphazardly. If you get this wrong and she dies, you’ll have another entire clan to fight.”
Fischer smiled and showed Rembrandt the video of Collin’s fight again.
“Stop trying to be tough. You know the reason why I wanted him so badly. I trust him and our BoltLayers won’t kick his ass, he’ll kill them. Know your role, buddy. You must have forgotten the d
isplay this morning. I guess I have to refresh your opinioned attitude.”
Rembrandt remembered the swift takedowns of the kill squad leaders. He knew he had to readjust his prejudice and looked to Collin.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were an incredible tactician. Don’t mind me. Let’s get Klannis, please.”
“Can I see you?” Fischer pointed at his office.
Rembrandt knew he was about to get a well-deserved ass chewing, and went into the office with Fischer directly behind him. Fischer closed the door and turned to Rembrandt.
“What the hell was that all about?! Did you just snort some idiot dust five minutes ago?!”
“No, I’m just cautious about a stranger in this apocalypse. We’ve been dealing with the Red Hooks for years, and we’ve lost many people to them. We’ve tried everything to stop them and we’ve produced no results. Now you’re bringing in a stranger you have just met. You’re putting our retrieval of Klannis on a middle ages primitive royal guard when royalty went extinct a century ago. He doesn’t know anything about the here and now. Hell, he doesn’t even know who he is! This seems like you’re about to make a grave mistake here. We don’t get another chance in this world now. You make a mistake and fail, you don’t get to try it all over again! You fail, you get ghost-blanked.”
Fischer understood his dilemma. The Crimson Snaggerz killed his girlfriend last year. You can’t just shrug that one off and go on to the next day without that heinous tragedy affecting you. Rembrandt had some unhealed wounds, and when they captured Klannis, the scabs were ripped off to show the white puss-dripping ooze from those wounds.
“We have tried everything,” Fischer said. “I know that all too well. That’s why I’m giving this to a fresh new battle-hardened face. Yes, you’re right about royalty being extinct for a century. That’s why they’ll have no experience in these tactics. What’s ancient is brand new right now.
When Chloe told me he was from the 1200s, my mind opened to an all-new way to beat them by going, pardon this ancient expression, old-school on them. They could have devastating firepower, but a simple brick to the head will help us win. You can’t shoot straight with brain damage. Collin’s going to get us close enough to swing that brick with full force. You’ve trusted me since I took over leadership. I just want you to remember why you trusted me then. It’s time to continue trusting me now.”
Rembrandt thought about what he said, He did trust Fischer. The BoltLayers wouldn’t be in this warehouse planning anything if it wasn’t for him. He had always been right no matter how crazy his tactics were, they were still there.
“You keep doing that outrageous thing to me; making sense. If you won’t allow my sanity to go out to play for a while, I will go crazy from the imbalance. Thanks for keeping me stable. It's almost time to get Klannis back. Let’s go back to the strategy meeting of that royal guard. It’s about time we do those Red Hooks ‘old-school’.”
llll
The abandoned baked beans factory was lit-up that midnight. It seemed as if they were expecting company.
The BoltLayers were waiting to attack behind an old machining factory. Rembrandt saw the fluorescents beaming with a compassionless cold stark revealing menace.
“We expected this,” Fischer told Rembrandt and turned to his stealth ladies.
“Remember, it’s the Harmon generator in the rear, not the McKlellan. We want the surveillance lights disabled. Keep the factory lit. Retrieving Klannis in total darkness will be incredibly difficult when you can’t see where she is.
We’ll have the majority of the grunt soldiers out here. You should have just the core. Do you think you all can handle the core?”
“Klannis taught us all Brazillian Jujitsu and there's forty of us. We’re getting our teammate,” the infiltration leader said.
“Okay, Collin, you’re with the infiltration team. When they breach, you find Klannis and get her out of there,” Fischer instructed.
“By your leave, I shall become victorious by emerging from the castle with your valkyrie unscathed, Good Sir Knight,” Collin understood.
“Alright, Rembrandt, when the lights go, storm the fence with the rest. Drop any Red Hook coming out to fight. Your night-vision contacts, are they operable?”
“They’re working, Ficher. We tested them on the way here.”
“We got this. When the lights get snuffed, cause a little ruckus.”
llll
Chloe was in a very awkward position. She was strapped to a machine with her arms and legs spread back, suspended 4 feet above the factory floor. The coarse binding rope bit into her wrists and ankles. Her natural weight added to her suffering. This was her supreme stamina test.
A large shadowy figure walked slowly down the stairs of the factory floor. She had the smell of molded rotted beans assault her as the taller antagonist sauntered toward her. It was Brakken.
Brakken didn’t look like the brutish thug he was. The reason of Brakken being so menacing was that he portrayed authority and respect in this city while brandishing his transvestite status proudly.
Brakken wore many piercings about the face in a skin-tight lavender jumpsuit to accent his fake breasts. His face was powdered white with fire-hydrant red lipstick on his lips. The rouge highlighted the cheekbones mimicking a Native American ethnicity. Brakken’s ethnicity was more so of the French-European origin.
He walked closer to Chloe and began to taunt her.
“Ah, we finally caught Sneak Queen. You’ve been my wild hair for years. That was very stupid traveling through the cit unassisted. I thought you were smarter than that.”
“I’ve been in this dirt unassisted for months, Brakken. Your Hooks just got lucky this time,” Chloe said with a grimace.
“Don’t be mad you slipped. Even you can’t be perfect all the time. All my Snaggerz had to do was catch your careless slip. It took a few years, but you did slip. You should know this town is a relentless bitch. You shouldn't disrespect it by not staying attentive,” Brakken said.
“That would hold if I was a renegade. Your problem is that I’m not. The BoltLayers will come for me.”
“I thought you were the smart one,” Brakken said. “That’s what I want. We could never catch the lot of them all at once, they’re too slippery. My only alternative was to have them come to me. You’re the bait, honey.”
Chloe felt bitter being the unwilling cog to a dastardly contrivance.
“If I’m the bait, why are you trying to kill me right now by tying me to this machine?”
“I’m not trying to kill you, Sneak. You can’t catch your shark if there’s no blood in the water,” Brakken told her callously.
Chloe knew Brakken was doing this to humiliate her after never being able to catch her.
“They don’t know if I’m hurt or not. They have no surveillance in this smelly dump.”
“We told them we’d hurt you. I don’t want to be wrong.” He slapped her hard with a heavily ringed hand. “I’m a woman of my word.”
She spits blood on the factory floor and smiled at him through bloody teeth.
“You’re trying to catch the wrong prey. The BoltLayers aren’t sharks, so blood isn’t the correct lure. They’re Box Jellyfish, and they’ll poison your entire clan.
They’re smarter than the average clan. I’m going to enjoy seeing the look on your face when they beat you. They’re about to smudge your makeup, Lois.”
Brakken saw how arrogantly brash she was. He wanted to wipe off that rebellious grin. He walked to her unguarded body and punched her hard in the stomach.
“That wasn’t for them, I just hate your disrespect, Sneak. You think you’ll win, but who’s strapped to a canning machine right now?!”
She began to cough from the blow. He portrayed a lady, but he was no lady. She felt that punch rattle her spine.
One of his core men came to him in desperation.
“Brakken, the searchlights went out and the Snaggerz are being hit with arrows, they came ea
rly!”
“Send them all to defend except upper echelon. Call back the hunter-destroyers. Make them wear the armor and snap those Bolts. Go!”
As his man left, Chloe looked at Brakken’s panic.
“I guess they crashed your party before you got the chance to set out the plates. You’re about to get stung.”
He looked at her smile and punched her in the jaw.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re early. Even if they overtake us, they’re about to get a broken door-prize, Bitch!”
llll
The leader of the infiltration team took out her compu-lock pic and placed it on the back factory door near the receiving area.
“We’re in range. I have Klannis’s digi-signature. She’s on the factory floor, lower deck.” She showed Collin the virtu-map with her signature beeping. “Can you follow this?”
“Aye, lass, like an English Pointer bird-dog.”
“Good; follow this, and we’ll take out the trash to keep you clear. Get our prized quail.”
“Forward onto dawn, Goddesses of Light,” he whispered and began to get to Chloe’s beeping location. Outside wasn’t as quiet.
“To the left! Take that Hook down!” Fischer yelled to Rembrandt as he pinpointed a charging assailant.
The Snaggerz received two arrows to the chest. As the crossbow automatically reloaded, Rembrandt looked to Fischer.
“Sixteen down, the rest of Boston’s indigent population to go!”
“We’re just makin’ some noise to force an opening. Collin’s probably there already.”
“Let’s hope we don’t have to file a claim for a damaged package; up top!”
Fischer rolled back to get the proper distance to shoot the attacking Snaggerz. He received an arrow to the neck.
“Just shake rattle and roll, baby. We’ll be outa here in fifteen!” Fischer yelled and shot another. With those NVGs, the assault was tilted heavily in the BoltLayer’s favor. Inside was quieter but just as intense.
Remember Me Page 3
