Episode 174

                “All your bases are belong to us.”
                                Cats, Zero Wing

                “One expensive ass katana.” Sydney said, holding the elaborate sword out from it’s resting place in the first suitcase.

                “Mine.” Roland said, accepting the sword graciously.

                “One long brand, named Ulysses.” The dame continued, holding out the next sword.

                “Mine.” Armand said, half-standing up in the cramped van to take the long, straight sword from her.

                “One sawed-off shotgun, and innumerable rounds.” She continued, pulling the gun out of the third suitcase. Ledger said nothing as he grimly took the gun from her. “One screwed up, bastard lovechild of a broad sword and a katana.”

                “It’s called a Grosse Messer.” Morgan argued, taking the sword from her.

                “And I call it ‘phallic identification’ but whatever.” She said. She undid the fourth bag and took out a matt-black ninjato. “A midnight black, cheap-ass flea market katana-wannabe designed to be disposed of at a moment’s notice.”

                Everyone turned to Everett.

                “What?” He protested, walking into the back from the front seat to claim the sword from her.

                “Knights lived and died by their swords, Ev.” Sydney said, half-seriously as she handed the blade to him. “That’s why they were so special.”

                “Yeah, well, now with forensics, the ability to dispose of the blade is far more practical.”

                “We are NOT going to get into any conversation that involves the words ‘knights’ and ‘practical’ tonight.” Morgan argued. “We’re about to go marching into certain doom. I don’t want to be constantly reminded of why I’m here throughout the whole night.”

                “One rapier.” Sydney continued, pulling out the long, slender sword.

                “Edgar, do me a favor and don’t come back here and get it.” Armand piped up, getting some chuckles out of the others in the bare-bones van. Roland took the rapier and held it ceremoniously and respectfully, keeping it next to his katana.

                “And two sharp-as-hell short swords.” Sydney said, with the last weapons.

                “You make fun of Morgan’s katana for phallic reasons, but then you pull out two mosquito bites of knives and expect us to take you seriously?” Roland laughed guardedly, glancing at the knight’s chest as he spoke.

                “Roland, I will kick your ass right here, right now.” The dame warned.

                “It’s quiet.” Eli said, as he stood atop the battle mounts of the fortress, looking out over the expansive open fields that filtered out from the rocky walls that surrounded the fortress. “No birds, no animals of any kind.”

                “This is the desert, city boy.” Jericho smiled as he took in a deep breath of the hot nighttime air. “There’s not much wildlife at all. At least, not that makes sound.”

                “Still.” Eli said, cautiously. “I have my worries.”

                “How can you be worried?” Jericho asked. “There’s nothing to be worried about. Yet, anyway.”

                “Maybe I’m just bored.” Eli admitted after a moment, rubbing his face with his gloved hands.

                “You’re a sniper.” Jericho laughed. “You’re supposed to know how to kill time.”

                “Well, I didn’t bring my book with me, so what am I supposed to do?”

                “What are you reading this time?” Jericho asked, leaning on the rails of the fortress.

                “The third Harry Potter book. It’s really good.”

                “So I’ve heard.” Jericho started to say. But as he spoke, a beep rose up from his belt. The leader of the Hand of the Brotherhood reached down, pushing his black trench coat away to reveal his walkie-talkie clipped innocently to his belt. He grabbed it up, clicking it on. “Yes?”

                “We think we may have a disturbance at an entrance to the park.” Came the electronic voiceover the walkie-talkie.”

                “What kind of a disturbance?” Jericho asked.

                “I’m not sure.” The man answered hesitantly. “We’ve just had the . . . the cameras are down now.”

                “The security cameras?” Jericho asked rhetorically, looking at Eli as the sniper became all business. “I’ll be right down. Go to first alert.” As the two lonely figures walked into the fortress, the metal covers slowly descended down over the windows. With little motion and even less sound, the fortress moved into position.

                The van rumbled along the by-way roads, it’s bright lights flashing off the misty darkness of the early desert morning. The road was barely visible to giant vehicle as it rode down the innocent, two-lane road with the red desert standing like a quiet sentry in starlight on all sides.

                Ledger opened up his shotgun, sliding the first shells into the weapon. “What are you loading?” Roland asked.

                “12 gauge.” The black knight answered, sliding in the multiple rounds. “I’ll use the 12s until we get inside, then I’ll start with the solids.”

                “Speaking of getting inside,” Roland chimed, looking up at the front. “What is the plan?”

                “They’re supposed to have the plan.” Everett responded, watching the road. “The other knights at the conference took copies of the schematics to work on an entry plan.”

                “So, in other words, if it is just us, we’re screwed.” Roland said.

                “Essentially.” The leader of the knights nodded without turning back to him.

                Sydney sat back against the metal surface of the back of the truck. She looked over at Morgan as the renewed knight stared off into space. “You look good in red.”

                “Thanks.” He said grimly.

                “You know, I was always wondering . . .” She let her words drift off. Morgan didn’t pursue them.

                “If the security cameras are down, that can mean only one thing.” Eli said, walking through the door that Jericho held open for him and Mint. “That means that an offensive has started.”

                “You could be right, but there are other options.” Mint said, turning around as Jericho shut the door. “Jumping to conclusions isn’t the best idea. If it’s a simple problem, then expending excessive energy to get ready is a waste.”

                “What could it be?” Jericho asked.

                “We’ve had problems with foxes all through the construction.” The woman answered. “They chew on wires because we coat them in an all-weather finish. The problem is the finish smells like a local flower that stores water in its stem. The foxes, and some other animals, chew on the wires and don’t know it’s not a flower until the electricity shocks them.”

                “Serves the bastards right.” Eli grumbled.

                “Can it, scope eye.” Mint bit. She looked at Jericho. “We’ll send someone out to investigate. If there is a problem, they can report to us without any trouble. If there isn’t then we won’t have to waste an hour and a half getting this place ready for battle.”

                Jericho looked to Mint, then to Eli. He sighed and shook his head. Stepping a few steps past both of them, he walked to the door that they had all been standing ahead of. He took out a key from his pocket, unlocking a single box on the wall. A blue pad lit up.

                Jericho put his hand on the pad, turning it instantly into green. Next to him, a door opened up. The knight looked back at the two, then opened the door more fully. Eli moved to step on through, but Jericho stopped him with a hand to his chest. “Wait.” The knight said, stepping back again, opening the door more fully for Mint. The woman nodded, then stepped on through.

                But as she made her way through the door, a large command center spread out before her. Sloped at an angel like a tilted movie theater, four stations of four formed a cubbish network around the room, all sixteen cubes aiming at the wall-sized screen directly before Mint.

                “Welcome to command central.” The woman said, glancing at Eli and Jericho.

                “That’s the street light.” Everett said, lowering the map as the light went shooting by. “It shouldn’t be long now.” He called back to the others.

                “Good.” Roland yelled up. “It’s almost two thirty in the morning and my ass is falling asleep.”

                “Pity your mouth won’t.” Armand grumbled. Ledger looked over at the youngest knight and smiled. He held out his hand, shaking Armand’s hand respectfully.

                “Okay.” Edgar said, after several moments had passed. The others perked up at his words. “It should be somewhere around here.” As if on cue, the black van turned with the road and came around the bend of a series of sharp, twisted desert trees.

                Standing at the mouth of a small, dirt road was a tiny gas station, one that looked like it hadn’t been in use since the Regan administration. Largely glass walls stood out in it’s seemingly seventies retro style.

                And standing in the parking lot of the dark station was a seemingly endless collection of black and red-clad knights.