Cassidy St. Claire and The Fountain of Youth Parts I, II, & III

by A. H. Rousseau

  “Huh,” he expressed.

  He stepped away slowly from the elevator before increasing to a more confident gate as he walked outside. He stepped away from the building and looked up at it. He was in the opera house.

  “how...” he wondered out loud, looking around quickly.

  After a moment to collect himself, he looked down the street, focusing on Peter Nichols, standing on the sidewalk, talking with two other agents as the busy citizens conducted themselves up and down the street.

  “Mister Nichols!” Gideon yelled, walking quickly toward him. Nichols looked over at Gideon, and after a moment of no reaction, was shocked. “Mister Atwater??”

  “The same!” Gideon hurried up to him. “No time to explain everything. Get every man we have together. Every single one.”

  “Good lord, what's happening?”

  “We are descending into the lair of the enemy.”

  ---

  Jebediah walked confidently down the walkway, past groups of other workers, taking in the scope of the installation. There were dozens, if not hundreds of men working down here. He stopped and lifted his work mask to look out toward the center of the cave, the verdant tree growing tall. His eyes lingered on it for a moment before he turned and continued walking toward the large central spire.

  ---

  Cassidy came up to the tree, hiding in the shadows behind a stalagmite. A small group of men, clad in heavy rubber suits and wearing masks with glass eye circles, worked beside the tree at an assembly of metal and glass tubes and containers, all arranged on a metal structure and framework.

  “Oh man, was she good,” said one of the men in a thick Texas accent from behind his mask as he locked the tops of metal tanks. “She rolled it around in her mouth, grabbed it hard with her hands. Damn near ripped it off. She was worth every damn penny. I got a lot of hair down there, so it's hard to work with. She was good.”

  Cassidy's lips curled up in disgust at this comment.

  “That's wonderful,” said the other man in a more cultured accent.

  “Haha!” replied the Texan. “Making you sick?”

  “No. While the idea of your hairy bits in some poor girl's mouth isn't the most appealing thought that I could imagine, you paid her. I'm sure she got her work's worth.”

  “And then some! Now, I know that you think you're too good to have a whore, but you should—”

  “I don't think I'm too good. Why does everyone down here persist in thinking that. I honestly don't mean to give people the idea that I think myself better than anyone. I'm here, doing my work. I just don't prefer to drink and debauch myself at every opportunity. I simply enjoy other things.”

  “Fairy. I knew it. You're a fairy.”

  “Yes. Yes. Because I don't want to fuck some underprivileged girl, I must be a poof.”

  “Underprivileged nothing! She had some fine things.”

  “How much did you pay her?”

  “Twenty-five whole dollars.”

  “No wonder she can afford fine things.”

  “And she's worth every penny with the way she can take it from behind. Now, she's a bit small, so I have to be careful to not knock her over when my gut slams into her when I'm really going at it.”

  “Oh for... Will you please stop talking to me?”

  “Blllleeeccch splorch!”

  The two men turned to the stalagmite behind them. “Did you hear that?” asked the Texan.

  “Just an echo,” said the other.

  At that moment, the entire ground around the tree began to glow brightly, increasing in intensity until a wave of light blasted out from the tree, temporarily filling the entire cavern with bright, blue, illumination. The two men didn't move a muscle. “What was that?” asked the Texan.

  Cassidy, on the other side of the stalagmite, was likewise perfectly still, looking down at her pool of glowing vomit, sitting on the rock just beneath the metal grate.

  ---

  Jebediah stood among the crowd on the walkway, everyone stopped and looking about in confusion. Everyone waited for a minute before slowly returning to what they had been doing. Jebediah stayed still a bit longer than everyone else, but likewise began walking. Crowds of men were loading onto the various rail cars that sat along the walkway and, one by one, were rolling out of the cave. He walked past a line of flat-topped cars, onto which small cranes were loading crates. He glanced over the rail and looked toward the center spire. His breath left him as he saw his prey: Roger Harker.

  Harker stood there, his hands on his hips, as he watched people move about. He watched with particular interest the buckets of water being carefully dispensed over the side of the rails and down onto the rocks.

  Jebediah stood there, not moving, not breathing. He let out a long exhale as he tried to temper his emotions. He bit his lip slightly as he thought. “What now, Ames?” he whispered to himself.

  ---

  Gideon waved a group of men off of the elevator. He pointed down the walkway to a shadowed area between a building and the cave wall. Mr. Nichols stepped off the elevator and came in close to whisper to Gideon.

  “Are you sure no one is alerted?” whispered Mister Nichols.

  “Quite,” replied Gideon. “They are busy moving. And whatever security they have is concentrated by the central tower. If we can disperse our men evenly throughout this section of the complex, we will control it without firing a shot.”

  Another man crept over to the two. “Ah, excellent,” said Nichols. “Mister Atwater, this is Agent Wilhelm, my right-hand man. He's a vicious fighter. Saved me from an alligator, once.”

  “Pleasure,” said Gideon, shaking Wilhelm's hand. “I hope your viciousness won't be needed today.”

  “How long has all of this been down here?” asked Nichols.

  “As best we can tell, twenty-five years or more,” replied Gideon.

  “Good lord... It's marvelous, really.”

  Gideon looked around. “It is at that. Now, hurry over with the others. When this next group comes down, our battle begins.”

  10

  Cassidy inched up toward the twinkling water. It looked so pure. So pristine. It was the most beautiful, delicious water that Cassidy had ever seen, flowing as she imagined water straight from a glacier would look. It bubbled and popped as it came out from between the beautiful roots and flowed around them, coruscating over the rocks, and down into the wetness around the tree. Cassidy licked her lips in thirst. She looked around. The two workmen were tromping down one of the walkways toward the center spire, oblivious. No one was aware of her presence... except for one. Anna stood on the edge of the walkway, Roger, Hoffman, and Mister Martin talking next to her. She looked out at Cassidy, trying to hide her panic. She watched as Cassidy slowly moved toward the water flow, her hands outstretched. Just as she was about to make contact, drops of water mere inches from her fingers, Anna's composure broke. She lunged at the rail and, grabbing onto it with both hands and leaning out, screamed to Cassidy at the top of her lungs.

  “CASSIDY! DO NOT TOUCH THE WATER! DON'T TOUCH THE WATER!” Cassidy looked up, then back at the tree, confused, but backed off quickly.

  Roger, Hoffman, and Martin all turned and looked out toward the fountain, catching Cassidy by the tree. “Cassidy?” Roger asked aloud. “Cassidy?!” he yelled with a smile. He walked up to the rail next to Anna and held his right hand out, presenting. “CASSIDY... SAINT... CLAAAAAAIIIIIIRRRRRREEEE!!!” he bellowed, echoing through the chamber.

  Cassidy was exposed. She stood there, out in the open by the tree as spot lights started lighting up around her and focusing in toward the center of the cavern. Roger walked over to a control box on the wall, opened it, picked up a mouthpiece and, with the click of a button, spoke into it. “Take her out,” he said.

  “Oh... balls,” Cassidy said.

  The chamber filled with the sound of gunfire as she dove behind the dry side of the tree for cover from gun shots that started to ring out from around the chamber. Bullets z
inged and ricocheted all around, fragments of stone and tree bounced off her body and the ground around her, and the sound of an alarm pierced the air of the cave as she tried to cover her head with her arms.

  Gideon, still in hiding with his ever-growing crew of Federal agents, turned to his impromptu army. “Sounds like our cue,” he said. “Let's go!” Gideon and his army exploded out from their hiding spots and started to take out security guards and anyone else who was armed. “Don't shoot the unarmed!” yelled Gideon as his group began to take territory. Workers scrambled everywhere as some were shot in the crossfire. The surprise attack was successful; Gideon was able to push forward quickly. As they went, rooms started to explode, sending shrapnel, paper, and fragmented equipment out through windows and doors. Chaos and panic reigned. A young, Hispanic man, dressed in work clothes, burst out of a door and attempted to run away. A gruff, pudgy man with ruddy skin fired a shot into the young man's back, killing him. Gideon grabbed the ruddy man by the shoulder and yelled in his face. “I said no shooting the unarmed!”

  The ruddy man barely emoted. He just stared back at Gideon through dead eyes. “A noble thought,” he said. Gideon and the man locked eyes until the man seemed to lose interest, turned, and continued to the front line. Gideon stood there, shaken, before he was roused from his shock by another explosion, sending shrapnel out into the cave.

  “They're destroying things!” yelled Gideon as an explosion knocked out a wall ahead, sending Agent Wilhelm over the side of the rail who screamed as he fell. “Be careful! Rescue anyone who looks like they need help!”

  Cassidy stayed pressed to the ground by the tree as bullets continued to zing by. She looked over a stalagmite to see Anna being forcibly loaded into a rail car. As the gun shots lessened compliments of Gideon's efforts, Cassidy got up to make a break for the battle. She was stopped before taking even a step by a young, scared man, wearing a large work suit without the mask and armed with a pistol. They paused, and in one quick motion, Cassidy used one of the metal cups on the table and splashed water into the young man's face. His face started to fizz and glow, with a sickly steam rising from it. He screamed and held his face, stumbling back, smashing into rocks as he ran. Cassidy looked at the cup, shocked and disgusted, and tossed it to the ground. Her daze was broken by a bullet zinging by and, after grabbing the young man's dropped gun, she bolted like an athlete for Gideon and his group, firing upon the perimeter as she ran.

  Gideon looked out over the cavern and saw Cassidy running toward him over one of the metal, grated walkways. “Give her covering fire!” Gideon yelled. His men then turned their guns to the security personnel around the room as Cassidy reached the ladder, ascending the thirty feet to the platform with superhuman speed.

  “Quite a party you have here!” said Cassidy to Gideon as she crashed down next to him, bullets zinging all about.

  “Just wait until you see the cake! It's amazing!” he replied.

  “Where's Jebediah?” Cassidy asked, removing her goggles.

  “Up there somewhere. He snuck ahead some time ago. He's out there looking for Roger.”

  “What?! That fool! What's he plan on doing, punching everyone unconscious?!”

  “He won't move unless it's called for, I'm sure,” replied Gideon.

  “You have more faith in him than I do.”

  Gideon then did a double-take. “What gives? Your eyes aren't glowing.”

  Cassidy held her hand up to her eye. “I don't goddamn know. I'm tempted to gouge the blasted things out.” she said as she readied her gun. “Time to start killing,” she said with a smile.

  ---

  George, Professor Jacobson, and Claudette all stood around the printing machine. Jacobson was leaning on the guard rail, eating from a food tray.

  “They provide you with really shitty food down here, don't they?” he asked.

  “It's food,” said George, a bit weary.

  “We should get back to the labs,” said Claudette. “We don't want to be here if people coming looking.”

  “Who cares at this point,” said Jacobson. “Let them find me here.” Just then, the distant sound of a horn echoed. “What in the bloody fuck is that?” asked Jacobson, annoyed.

  “It sounds like an alarm of some kind,” said Claudette.

  George sighed a bemused sigh as he looked around. “That's Cassidy,” he said.

  “What do you think we should do?” asked Claudette.

  “Nothing to do,” replied George. “You just wait for her to do what she wants and hope that things aren't on fire when it's all over.”

  Before either could answer, the personnel elevator clamped down and a man, lanky and young in mechanics clothing, exited. He ran up to the group.

  “Uh oh,” said Claudette.

  “Don't worry,” said George. “He's nobody.”

  “Are you the entire printing crew?”

  “Uh, sure,” replied Jacobson.

  “We've gotten the order to clear out,” the young man said, huffing and puffing. “Everyone's going top-side.”

  “What?... Now?” asked George.

  “Apparently,” the man responded, still out of breath. “I was just told to come get everyone out of the printing room as fast as possible. So here I am.”

  “But... But...” George stammered, trying to come with an excuse to stay. “I need to finish my work, otherwise thousands of dollars will be lost.”

  “Trust me, buddy, you don't want to be down here. I think they're going to blow the whole damned thing!”

  George's breath left him. “Blow it up?!” The man nodded. He looked to Jacobson and Claudette for something.

  “I think we better go,” said Jacobson.

  “She'll be fine,” said Claudette.

  “I know she will,” replied George. “I'm worried about us!”

  ---

  Cassidy, Gideon, and their impromptu army traded gun shots with the security forces scattered throughout the complex. Peering between boxes, Cassidy saw a large metal tank, cocked her St. Claire Revolver's explosive rounds, and fired one into the tank's side. The explosively decompressing gas sent shrapnel flying out and blasted some of the security men over the edge of the walkway and down onto the rocks.

  “Bully shot!” ejaculated Gideon, his eyes wide. “You do make a battle exciting!” Cassidy smiled and gave a small bow as she stayed hidden behind the crates. Gideon turned to some men behind him and motioned with his pointer finger. “Go around to the left! Get into those rooms!” The men nodded and ran down a small alleyway and into the buildings. Gideon turned back to Cassidy. “The rooms seem to be heavily connected. We can probably sneak around and flank them.”

  Cassidy didn't respond at first, she just gazed at Gideon, smiling, as he looked cautiously over the crates and fired a couple of shots. “You're turning into quite the field general,” Cassidy finally said.

  Gideon looked back to her. “What? No. This is... nothing... this is just my training.”

  “Regardless,” Cassidy replied. “It's impressive.”

  Gideon smiled. “Thank you,” he said just as they were forced lower by a rain of bullets.

  ---

  Jebediah stood, pressed against a wall as the gunfight transpired to his right, while to his left Harker helped load supplies and people onto a rail car. He gazed out through the mask, breathing deeply, controlling his anger, waiting for a moment, as people ran all around him, some carrying things, others simply in a panic. He stared at Harker, his fists clenched tight, a statue among chaos, as the crowd started to thin. Roger briefly made eye contact, confused by the immobile man, before his attention was drawn away.

  ---

  Cassidy and Gideon remained pressed behind crates for cover as they fired their weapons.

  “How much lead do you have left?” asked Cassidy.

  “Not much,” replied Gideon. “I worry that we have trapped ourselves down here.”

  As they spoke, the rain of bullets from the opposing side suddenly stoppe
d. Cassidy peeked up over the edge of the crate, then did a double-take as she watched, confused, as the remnants of the security force ran away from them toward the central spire.

  “What the hell? They're running!” Cassidy yelled.

  “Maybe they ran out of ammunition before us,” said Gideon.

  “Not likely,” Cassidy murmured as Gideon stood confidently up.

  “They're retreating!” he yelled. “Move forward!” Gideon's men started to push on cautiously but quickly. The security forces fired a few shots behind them as they ran but otherwise did little to resist.

  “Be careful,” said Cassidy. “Something's not right.”

  “I'm beginning to agree,” he replied before yelling to the other men. “Be careful! This may be a—“

  Gideon's orders were interrupted by a large explosion that blasted the whole of the walkway out into the cave, collapsing a number of the buildings. “Holy shit!” yelled Cassidy as they all dropped to the ground. After the explosion had settled, they all rose up slowly to see a twenty-five-foot wide gap in the walkway, with large spikes of twisted metal promising injury to anyone who attempted a crossing.

  Cassidy and the men ran up to the edge of the blast site, looking forward toward the central spire. In front of it were a series of rail cars, the last men and supplies loading onto them. The security force that had kept them all at bay hurried quietly and efficiently onto one of the cars. Along with them was Anna.

  “Cassidy!” yelled Anna as she pushed her way off of a car and into view. “I'm alright, Cassidy! I'm alright!”

  “Anna!” Cassidy yelled back. “I'm coming for you! No matter where they take you, I'm coming for you!”

  Harker shoved Anna roughly back onto the car. He then turned to Cassidy and smirked an arrogant smirk before nodding and giving Cassidy a condescending salute. Cassidy breathed angry and frustrated breaths as her body vibrated with fury and desire. She watched as Harker turned to walk onto the rail car.