Chapter 69: Volume III: Chapter 6: Enter, the Specialists

“What do you mean we can’t ghost?” Merk asked. They’d all crowded onto the bridge, and Chleo couldn’t help but wonder how her brother was keeping up with all of them and the data he was analyzing from the ship.

“I mean we can’t ghost.” Mic said.

“But they’ll see us.”

“I know.”

Chleo’s dad put a hand on her shoulder as she watched Mic and Merk go back and forth in the void. Dai, Eelock, and Merks’ glows filled the space giving her a great view, her dad still preferring to stay hooded. She just wished she could see whatever they were looking at through the ship’s bridge window.

“They’re right there,” Merk said.

“I know.”

“We need to ghost.”

“I know.”

“Mic, what about the sensor shield we were working on?” Chleo’s dad asked jumping in.

“Already up,” Mic said. “I finished it right before they sent the shuttle down to the colony. We should be blind to their sensors. They won’t see us.”

“Unless they have eyes…” Merk said.

“… Right… then, they’ll see us.”

“Well,” Merk said “I feel better.”

Chleo watched as they all turned to look toward the bridge’s main window. No one was shooting, yet… so that was a good sign. She hoped the others would hurry back.

She hoped the others could hurry back.

~*~*~

“Dogs,” Weston said slamming behind a boulder so he could reload his six shooter. “Why do they always have dogs?”

“Those aren’t dogs, sir,” James said from beside him throwing some cover fire out to keep the Specialists pinned down.

“Are you disagreeing with me, James?”

“Never, sir.”

Weston scoffed, debating before grabbing three bullets from the top of the artillery belt crossing his chest and three from the bottom. That should do.

“So disrespectful. How did I get such a disrespectful Second in Command?”

“You’re a glutton for punishment.”

Weston nodded to himself. He had a point.

“James,” he said. His Second glanced toward him still laying down fire with his blasters. The endless ammunition was enviable but Weston preferred his custom shooters. “If you kill a dog, I’m not talking to you for a month.”

James smirked. “Promise?”

Weston paused giving him a look. James ignored him. Weston returned his attention to the situation. Tapping his Second on the shoulder, they ran out aiming for the last spot they’d seen Adeline’s Specialists. James kept a constant barrage of energy blasts flying toward the dock’s guardhouse. Weston lined up a shot… and fired.

The bullet flew, too fast to track, and embedded into the building’s metal wall. Bullseye. Apparently, he could hit the broadside of a barn. Take that Ryder. Weston ignored the stab of pain in his heart at the thought.

The wall began to melt. Weston fired another bullet through the hole he’d made, hitting the building’s far wall. It began to melt, as well. For good measure, he hit a third wall.

Weston and James slipped behind another boulder as the building collapsed.

“Not bad,” James said.

“Not bad?” Weston asked giving him an incredulous look. “I take down a building with three shots, and all you have to say is not bad?”

James shrugged. “It wasn’t…” Then, added as and afterthought, “sir.”

“Darn right, it wasn’t,” Weston grumbled. “Think they can use my guardhouse as cover. Only people who can use my guardhouse as cover are my people.”

Barking, growling, and a general pandemonium exploded to their left. They turned to stare

“Where was the kid again?” James asked.

“Over there… with officers Bright and Warner.” Weston blinked. “They’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

Something big whimpered.

“I’m sure.”

Something bigger growled to their right. They spun.

“I’m more concerned about us.”

A dog as big as the boulder they were using for cover, scales sticking out of its skin in place of fur, stared down at them drool dripping from its muzzle. A glob fell down onto Weston’s shoulder.

“Gross,” Weston said, face scrunching.

The beast snarled, the scales on the back of its neck raised. James reacted shooting it twice in the chest. The energy blasts bounced off of it. A set of overly large fangs snapped at their heads.

“See,” James said, as they ducked around the side of the boulder, “not a dog.”

The head followed them still snapping. James lined up a shot and pulled the trigger. A stream of energy blasts rammed into the beast, most bouncing off the scales lining its muzzle. A few disappeared into its mouth as it lunged for Weston.

The dog flinched back with a yelp. It let out a long whine before it collapsed with a crash, a few of its scales scraping against the boulder throwing sparks like flint on stone. It didn’t get back up.

“James,” Weston admonished.

James rolled his eyes, not even attempting to hide it. No respect. “Relax,” he said raising his blasters, “they’re set to stun.”

“Oh,” Weston said. “… Good job, then.”

“Mmhm.”

Weston leaned around him and shot at what was left of the guardhouse. He hoped they were still there. Then again, there wasn’t anywhere else to go. The space between the boulders and the docks was barren other than the lines of speeding mining carts floating through, and they didn’t have lanyards… he hoped. The, now collapsed, guardhouse was the only cover on the Specialists’ side of the field.

His bullet lodged into a fist sized rock on the opposite side of the building’s rubble. The rock began to glow red. One. Two. Three seconds passed then… Boom! The rock exploded out, becoming a makeshift grenade. Half of the debris flew behind the rubble followed by an agonized cry.

Weston turned to James. “Mine aren’t set to stun.”

“Clearly.”

The Second Point’s Specialists were a force to recon with. Adeline only recruited logical thinkers who received exceptional scores on her exam, a grueling five hour multiple choice monstrosity she compiled from quantitative data gathered from her most recent operations. From there, they went through months of unforgiving simulations until following the Second Point's protocols were second nature. They were intelligent, effective, and clinical, but there was a reason Weston’s forces were superior. They were predictable.

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Weston’s lower ranks were full of recruits Adeline would have promoted. He preferred his elite officers to think outside the box. His higher ranks were full of individuals who had proven their effectiveness in the field, people who could think on their feet and lead.

Specialists were no better than human computers, all original thoughts trained out of them until all that was left were the Second Point’s meticulously calculated plans. They always followed the most efficient path to accomplish their goal, they always worked in groups of three… and they always had dogs.

At least one dog and one Specialist down. Two to go.

~*~*~

Will scrambled back, rocks and dirt scraping his hands as an oversized lizard-dog snapped at his face. He rolled, dodging the next strike.

It had come out of nowhere, grabbing one of their guards and tossing him like a chew toy. He’d landed halfway back to the palace and disappeared between lines of floating mining carts. The second guard had put up more of a fight, but she soon followed the first. By the time the beast had turned to Will, they’d at least been able to pull their weapons.

“Any time, Melody,” Will’s mother yelled as she tried to shoot the animal. The hand-sized blaster she’d hidden under her shirt was doing as much good as his hornet had, the bolts sliding off the dog’s scales like water off wax.

“I got it. I got it. Almost…”

Will rolled again a fang nicking his arm. He bit back a shout trying to find his center. He was in control. He was in control. He was in… super deep trouble. He ducked flinging a foot up trying to catch one of the dog’s eyes. It connected followed by a yelp. Bullseye.

Will never thought he’d say it, but he missed sparring with the Neons. Merk was trying to keep up his training, but it wasn’t the same. The ship didn’t have nearly enough room for a true session.

“There!” Mrs. Mathews shouted looking up from her wristlet and flinging a handful of coins in the air.

Propellers unfurled, mimicking Chleo’s old watch, and flew at the dog’s face. A net of energy spidered out from the coins connecting them as they swung around wrapping the dog’s muzzle, then its head and neck. The coins zoomed away jamming themselves into the nearest cliff face. They melted welding themselves against the rock and slowly started reeling in the energy strands.

The oversized dog-lizard wasn’t interested in Will anymore. It started scratching and snarling at the energy trapping its mouth shut and leashing it to the cliff. The scales on its back were raised, its claws scraping the bedrock sending up sparks as the energy strands pulled it away.

“That should keep it tied up,” Mrs. Mathews said with a satisfied nod. “… at least until its Specialist comes to collect it.” Her face screwed up at the thought. “Speaking of… where are they?”

“Stuck,” Weston said coming around the corner, his guard, James, a step behind, with their weapons raised, “right in front of the docks.”

“Nice of you to join us,” Will’s mother greeted, helping Will to his feet as she ran a critical eye over the bite on his arm.

Weston turned watching the beast struggle against the energy leash pulling it closer to the cliff. “We had our own dog to deal with—”

“Not a dog,” James said under his breath.

“—Looks like the Specialists are down two.”

Will’s mother glanced at Weston raising an eyebrow as she pulled a plaster from her belt and pressed it against Will’s arm. The fabric stuck and shrank pulling the cut together and holding it place. Will couldn’t stop a sharp intake of breath.

“Impressive,” Weston continued, ignoring her look. “Where are Bright and Warner?”

Will’s mother turned solemn. “Your guards were flung halfway across the dome, that way,” she said.

Weston’s face turned hard. “James?”

“Their beacons are lit, sir, so they’re conscious. A team should be on the way to collect them.”

Weston nodded. “Good.” He let out a breath and cracked his neck. “We’ll continue to the docks.”

“But,” Will said. Everyone turned to look at him and he had to stop himself from taking a step back. He focused on keeping his face neutral. “It’s just… didn’t they blow up the pods?”

Weston smirked. “You let me worry about the pods, cousin.”

“Where’s the third?” Mrs. Mathews asked. Everyone turned to her and Will relished no longer being the center of attention. “You said the Specialists were down two dogs so… where’s the third?” she repeated.

“Probably with them,” Weston said, pulling four bullets from the bottom of his ammunitions belt and reloading his six shooter.

“Which would be…” Mrs. Mathews prodded.

“I hit one of them behind the guardhouse. Best guess, the others are still there.”

Will snuck a look around the boulder. His eyes widened. “Not much of a house anymore,” he said pulling back.

“Thank you,” Weston said, twirling his custom shooter and blowing across the barrel. Will’s mother rolled her eyes. Mrs. Mathews hid an amused smile.

“I think I saw a tail behind what was left of the roof,” Will said.

“That’s the thing about the Specialists’ dogs—” Weston said.

“Not dogs,” James muttered again.

“—they’re always too big to hide.”

“All right, Mr. Chief Security Point,” Will’s mother said looking between Weston and James, “what’s our approach.”

“What do you think?” Weston asked turning to his guard. “Knock ‘em and Block ‘em?”

“With what?” James asked, leaning back to evaluate the terrain. “Not much to block with out there.”

“What are you talking about? There are mining carts for days.”

James turned not quite able to keep the surprise off his face. “The carts…” he said. Weston stared. He blinked. “You want to use mining carts for a Knock and Block?”

“Why not?”

“Why…” James took a breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he looked like he’d lost a particularly grueling boca run hand. “Sure, sir… why not?”

Weston slapped him on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit, James!” He turned. “I call knock ‘em,” he shouted before rushing out into the open.

“Of course, you do,” James muttered. He turned back to Will and the others. “Stay close, Your Highness,” he said, then walked out clearly expecting them to follow.

“Why do I get the feeling Weston’s been bored for too long?” Will’s mother asked as they ducked out from behind the boulder. They crouched staying low only a few steps behind James.

“Because he just ran out into certain danger like a kid would run into Sugar Shoppe,” Mrs. Mathews said.

“Sugar Shoppe?” his mother asked as they approached the first line of carts.

“It was a candy shop on Luna.”

“It was the best candy shop on Luna,” Will corrected.

The carts nearest them began to rattle as they started to raise repelled by the group’s lanyards. They zoomed by, the lines stacking over their head and in front of them as they walked creating an effective shield. The first set of energy bolts blasted off of the metal. Will, his mother, and Mrs. Mathews ducked lower. James stepped to the side between two lines holding his lanyard in front of them and leaning his blaster far enough over to shoot around the rising carts.

“Maybe when all of this is over you can take me,” Will’s mother said, as another round of bolts blasted in front of them.

Will laughed. “If Mr. Mungow ever lets me back in, sure.”

Something blasted in the distance.

Will clenched a fist around the hornet in his pocket. It was a nice thought. He'd much rather be braving Mr. Mungow’s wrath than his cousin’s halfcocked plan. He sighed.

Someday.

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