How much is this going to cost me? (Private, PM to enter)

“Why are you looking for him?”

The question came from the old woman and it was meant to cut me like her cold eyes. Good thing I did not take it to heart. She was a crone, living in some old ramshackle excuse for a building, and she was as mean as a damn snake. I have come across many a salty Pirate who did not have this lady’s backbone. We followed the instructions to get here, as we had been doing all day, staying one step ahead of the soldiers who had been paid to see me and John into the grave. I was a bit surprised when after knocking on the rotting door there was an answer. I was expecting to find ourselves strung out by yardarm, but then the portal swung open to show me a pair of glowering eyes. The other piece I was not expecting was her question because I had not yet asked her about the heir.

Seems Avalanche moves fast when contacting their people.

“He is in danger,” I replied skipping the formalities of a polite exchange, “someone is trying to kill him.”

“Someone’s been trying to kill him since he was born. Now go away before I get mad and get my broom!” The old woman hissed while she was starting to slam the door closed.

I have never been one to rebuke with a good mood. I have never been one to rebuke with a calm mood for that matter either. I tend to get foul, short, and rather rude and nasty. I felt my blood boil just a bit at the woman’s impudence then I stepped forward slamming my arm in the door feeling its decayed wood almost snap. I saw her eyes grow big as I leaned in cutting off any chance she had of closing the portal now. My voice dropped to a whisper as I stared at her menacingly.

“We would not be here Madame if not for a mistake of a prodigious degree. We would not be here if our own lives were not now pulled into this chaos of your making and now find ourselves marked for death the same as the heir.”

I could feel John staring at me from behind, feel his frustration with me, but at this point caring was not my choice. When I become offended there is only my way, no other. The woman looked back at me with some surprise of her own now that the challenge had been laid down. The only thing left was too see if she picked it up, but of course I assured myself that would happen. “I can safely say the individual, nay group, trying to find this heir will come across him eventually because they are spending a considerable amount of money to insure he dies…very badly. Now, you can help us help him or you can stand in our way and tend to the preparations for his wake, which will it be?”

The old crone looked at me for a second, probably less, before she let go of the door and turned to let us in. I looked back a John and winked before walking through.

The method of convincing the old lady to talk with them wasn’t John’s preferred method of coercion, but then again it worked s the Shaman accepted it for now. He walked past the lady before turning back and asking the obvious question. “Is the heir still safe Esmeralda?”

“He’s been contacted, ” was all she offered. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“Does he know the danger he is in? Does he understand the danger he is in? ” John asked quickly with a demanding tone.

Esmeralda didn’t budge in her stance though. “He’s been informed. ”

“Then you haven’t told him everything. You’re making another mistake, like the one you made so many years ago that caused you to lose your chance at caring for him Esmeralda. You’re making the same mistake all over again. ” John stated calmly.

The words seemed to freeze the lady. She looked hard at John and tried to say something but only air came from her lips. She looked like a person torn in two, like an old sheet being ripped asunder from a high wind. When she spoke finally it was low. “I never meant to put him in harm’s way that night…I won’t put him in harm’s way ever again. ”

“I’m not asking you to, but we must speak with him. We have to warn him of what is coming for him Esmeralda. ” John replied with a soothing lilt to his voice.

The lady walked on unsteady legs to the wall by the door. She didn’t say a word as she took the steps and the quiet of the room made it feel like the place was closing in on Keiko. She finally stopped though turning to speak.

“That night, I had no choice but to take him to the medical technicians. He would have died if not for them and every second they used to save his life was a countdown for me. I knew as soon as they entered his number into the computers to ensure he was a licensed citizen and due the medicine I was going to have to send him away. I stayed as long as I could then I called a man I knew and he took him to a safe place, to a safe home and a mother and father who would love him like he was their own. ”

“You had no choice Esmeralda but to hide him from Thaniel’s family then. You made the only choice a mother in that position can make, to sacrifice for her child. ” John said trying to console Esmeralda.

She looked at him now with softer eyes, the words easing her finally. “Why after so long are they coming after him again? ”

“Greed has no time limits Esmeralda, no death that I know of. ”

“Then he will never be safe from Thaniel’s children? ”

John shook his head slowly. “He can be Esmeralda. He can be if he does what no one expects.”

The old lady stared at the Shaman for a minute as the wheels in her mind slowly clicked. Then when she realized what John was proffering she reacted rather violently. “You want him to come forward? Are you crazed? ”

“It is the best thing he can do Esmeralda. ” I found myself saying.

I had wanted to steer clear of this exchange, stay on a clear course and avoid the rocks of a bad conversation. I failed immensely as soon as I opened my mouth. I had no clue as to why I said it, the words just blurted out.

She looked at me in disbelief mixed with a heavy dose of incredulity. I wanted to tell her I was in the dark as much as she was when it came to my mouth. Sometimes the damn thing just went off on its own and said whatever it fancied at the time.

“Why would his coming forward stop all of this? ” Esmeralda asked me in a whisper.

“It would make him to visible to kill. The moment he took over Teidor he would be surrounded by people and thus unreachable. ” I explained.

It fell on deaf ears because Esmeralda just shook her head. “The family will not let him run that company one hour let alone one day. No matter who or how many people you put around him they will kill him. They made all the ones who helped him with the Phoebus virus disappear, every doctor, nurse, and even the janitors who mopped the halls. There is nothing the family will not do to makes sure he is dead! ”

I stepped forward trying to reach the old crone. “There’s no life in hiding now either. The family hired a whole army to kill the two men who were searching for him and they were only acting on a tip from someone else. Don’t you see? The family knows the game is up, as long as the heir was hidden and the secret buried they were safe. Now though the stakes have changed. The secret is no longer a secret and the family has to kill the heir before he can claim his rightful place. ”

Esmeralda looked to the floor and then back to me again. “Do you understand what you’re asking me to do, to put his life in danger again? ”

“His life is all ready in danger Esmeralda. What we need to do now is protect him the best way we can and that’s to take him out of hiding. The longer he stays hidden the more time the family has to hunt him down and do him in. ”

“[color green]I don’t know…I don’t know what to do! [/color]”

“You can let us help you Esmeralda. John here will not let anything happen to him, but he has to know where the heir is to help him. We have to move fast too, the family is already closing in on him…and you.” I implored.

It was ironic to me suddenly, pleading for someone else’s life like this. I had never begged for mine ever. I live by the rule of the wind letting it take me to wherever it needs me to go. What I find when I get there I deal with, as simple as that. And yet here I stand asking for someone to let me help them.

Very Ironic,

Esmeralda looked to be coming apart at the seams with the heavy decision she had to make. John felt her pain, was sympathetic with her plight now. She had chosen to hide the heir when there was danger and kept the secret of his whereabouts buried from the world for most of her life. Now though the secret was out and the Teidor family knew almost everything. They only needed to learn the location of the heir and they could safely take care of business. No one left to stand between them and the inheritan-

“Wait,” John said suddenly realizing something he had forgotten to ask the Gaff, “Why is the Teidor family chasing the heir? ”

“Because he can take the business and their fortune! ” Esmeralda spat.

“I don’t think so. ” John explained shaking his head. “I assumed Thaniel Teidor had named the heir in his will. We all did, but don’t you think the family would have changed the will. They must have known ahead of time and changed the will to put their own heir in control. ”

Esmeralda looked confused as she had a problem staying with John. “Then why kill him? It makes no sense if they have control. ”

“I’m sure the family changed the will, but there must have been something they did not forsee when Thaniel crossed over. They didn’t have to kill Bon & Scott if they have a person in place all ready. There would be no legal way for the heir to take control with the will changed in the family’s favor. ” John replied.

When no one spoke up the Shaman continued on. “Who took control of the company when Thaniel passed? ”

“I don’t know, but give me a few minutes to find out. ” Esmeralda offered.

She turned and left the room through a door that looked to be boarded up. When she pulled on a piece of rope the door and all three boards nailed to it swung open, all in one piece. John watched her disappear then looked at the floor. He chewed on his bottom lip quickly running through all the ideas and notions he had about the new twist. He tossed away the probable and the might be’s, the possible fell by the wayside, and that left just the impossible. One very long-long shot which was so farfetched it made the Shaman doubts it instantly, and yet he knew instinctually it was right because of that doubt.

The door swung open again and this time a large man stepped out. His neck was the size of one of Keiko’s thighs and his biceps bulged as he squeezed his hands open and closed repeatedly. He looked like ex-military, maybe from the Soldier Program or SeeD. John set his feet ready to strike if a fight started, but the man stopped short and just handed over another piece of paper.

“This is what you’re looking for. ” He said as Keiko took the paper.

“Is that the heir’s location? ” John asked.

“No, but it’s the reason all th- “

“He’s a twin, isn’t he? ” John broke in with a smile.

The ex-military man froze staring at the Shaman. It was a look of how-in-the-hell-did-you-know-that and John was happy to answer. “It’s the only reason they would be willing to kill Bon & Scott and myself. The heir’s a perfect match from head to toe. He’s a perfect doppelganger. ”

The man didn’t respond at first. John’s deduction had been right on the mark.

“Wait, wait, what is a dippledanger? And why does it matter if the man has a twin? ” I questioned. I was as lost as a blind man at sea without a compass I have to admit.

Before John could answer me though large man was speaking, he had obviously connected the pieces of the puzzle faster than I could. “Yes, he is part of a perfect pair. ”

At this point I was frustrated and just a little confused still. I had no idea why it would matter if the heir was a twin. Really, in the scheme of things it was not making sense for me. It still came down to someone was trying to kill us, me and John, for simply knowing there was an heir to the Teidor family business of making guns.

“Again I ask why it matters if the heir has a twin. ” I asked a second time with the irritation in my voice being very discernible.

And just like before the man answered. “Your friend here is quite the intellectual. The woman Mary Scotts gave birth to a baby boy and then the heir ten minutes later, a perfect match to each other. ”

I stepped back a little. “Are you saying there are two heirs? ”

“Two men and only one seat at the table, makes for a hell of a fight between family members. Now, add in another faction trying to control the outcome and you see where that leads you. ”

Well, it was making sense to me all of the sudden. This was the old shell game only on a grander and more elaborate stage. The marble under the cup was a little more than a smooth stone and the hands switching those cups around dizzily wanted more than just to take your money. Put the right man at the top, and who would know which brother was sitting on the throne per say, and the whole thing belonged to a sick puppet master. Any bets on who the other ‘faction’ was? Still, there were gaps I needed to close. “The Gaff only found the mention of one heir, no brother born to the woman who bore him. How did he miss that? ”

“The Gaff is very good, the best information ninja I have ever seen, and yet data can lie too. ”

“What does that mean? ”

The ex-military man huffed before speaking, as if answering the questions were beneath him. “Mr. Thaniel knew the trouble his affair would bring to his company. Never mind his legal wife couldn’t bear him a child to take the reins of the company, he suddenly had two from a mistress. You could almost smell the carnage coming and I assume he did as well because Mr. Thaniel was the one who orchestrated this whole debacle. He had the records changed, removed the mention of a second twin, and thought he was in the clear until the Gaff found that single document. ”

I looked to John then back. “He sent his own son away? ”

“Yes Ma’am, and he did it with a smile. You see, the only thing that concerned that bastard was the longevity of his company. If there were two heirs then the family would take sides and start a war that could sink Teidor Arms. Only one heir, no fight and the company lives on.” The ex-military man answered.

“Yet if there was just the one, ” I whispered finally seeing the last piece of the puzzle click home, “he could take the top spot and no one would know the difference. ”

“Yes Ma’am, ” The man huffed again.

“But who wants to switch the heirs, Shin Ra maybe?” I asked quickly.

The answer I was given did not make me feel better.

“Shin Ra isn’t involved in this. ” The gruff ex-military man said with a monotone voice.

John nodded in agreement while adding. “I agree, if they want something they usually just take it or acquire it through unethical means. This I think is being driven by a rival, a competitor with Teidor in the Gun market. ”

For the first time the ex-military man smiled and gave a small cold laugh that made your spine shiver just a little. “You are a smart one. From what we can tell it’s the Atlas Arms makers making the moves right now, only there’s a small problem. ”

“What? ”

“We’re not sure who is driving this scheme or how high up the chain it goes in Atlas. I was hoping it was just some defunct group trying to prove themselves by making a real ‘hostile’ takeover but the last few days…its seems larger. ”

The Shaman looked at Keiko for a second thinking then turned back to the ex-military man. “The men who chased us were armed with ‘Fury Arms’ weapons, an obvious tactic to point us in the wrong direction. Do you know who the soldiers are? Who hired them? ”

“No names we could find or trace. The men are trained soldiers but by whom we have no idea. There was a money trail a few weeks back but that’s gone now. We did hear about a shipment of Fury Arms being jacked a while back, but it was only once. Fury upped his security and nothing’s gone missing since. My take, your right about the misdirection, it’s an old Special Forces trick. ”

“So Atlas is using a free lance mercenary group outfitted with stolen weapons to draw attention away if anyone is tracking them down before they finish their job? ”

“You’re putting the puzzle together nicely, but you’ll need to go here to finish it out. ” The ex-military said one last time handing over the paper again. He didn’t say another word, just turned and walked out the door he had come in.

The room grew quiet with the exception of the paper being opened. John looked at the scratch of words on it then crumpled it in his hand. “I’ll have to destroy this later. ”

The look on Keiko’s face made John stop. She looked a little lost so the Shaman felt the need to explain a little more. “The paper, it’s the location of the heir. We need to find him and ensure his safety. I don’t think they’ll kill him now, but Atlas will try to kidnap him. If I’m right in my thinking, they will use the heir to take over the company from the inside. Being a perfect twin the family will never know of the exchange until it’s too late to stop it.”

Keiko’s face changed as she understood what the Shaman was saying. She turned ready to leave when the building shook from an explosion. The floor and walls buckled for a split second then blew inward sending debris flying. John felt a chunk of wall strike is back while Keiko ducked another piece.

Hiding was over…time to run.

When the walls started to explode around me I did not panic. I did not run for the door we came in, that would have been too easy for attackers. After being through so many Air Ship battles and so many hand to hand fights my timing is honed to a fine movement. I ducked and began to roll toward the door the ex-military man had used, or what was left of it. I saw John get hit but I knew his Jacket would protect him along with his size. Myself on the other hand, I needed to find as much cover as possible as quick as possible or I was in serious trouble. Still, as I evaded the flying chunks of wall all around me I laughed with a perverted thrill.

This was where I found my heart racing with adrenaline as I skirted the edge of danger. This was my element. This was where I lived and thrived.

The soldiers, no I did not have to see them to know it was another team of them finally tracking us down, gave us a second of breathing room which in the end was all we needed. I popped up by the door jamb from my roll with Mayhem out while across the portal John came to a stop by the opposite jamb. I noticed he had pulled his Tomahawk from the spot on his back. I looked into his eyes and without saying a word knew he was going to use the route the man form Avalanche had used to gain access to this hovel. It’s what I would have done, was about to do. I just nodded and flung the door open then ran through the portal going south down a hall away from the room. I looked over my shoulder once to see John ducking inside just as more ammunitions ripped into the room we had been in just seconds before.

The hall was dark and lined every few feet with small lights hanging from the ceiling. It was the first thing I noticed besides the fact the walls were not the same drywall as the room. The hall was built form a stouter product, maybe brick or stone. The second thing I caught was the fact the hall dropped slightly, the level ground dipping down. I might have stopped there but I heard the door upstairs being decimated by rounds so I took a chance this passage would lead us to some sort of safety.

John followed behind me though I was not sure how close. His damn shoes made every step quiet as a church mouse. I could hear his breathing but it was a wash next to mine. I just kept running as the hall filled with the sound of closing adversaries. Those damn soldiers sure were dogged ones, would it hurt them to stop and take a break? Then I felt the hall drop sharply and so fast I almost fell. The downgrade was considerable now and I still had no clue where we were going.

I just knew going back was not a choice I was willing to make.

The door behind John blew open with all the rounds that slammed through it, crumbled to the floor as he and Keiko ran down the sloping passage to what they hoped was an escape route. The soldiers had somehow tracked them to this hidden location, or maybe we brought them John thought. Maybe they had followed them to the Gaff’s then to Tifa’s then to here. It would make the best sense the Shaman considered with a snap thought as the floor changed grade and dropped even steeper toward an ending somewhere deep inside the city. So, if they were following us them let’s lead them into a trap John decided sprinting up to Keiko.

Then suddenly out of the semi darkness a thick metal grate appeared, the kind meant to keep people out for a long time. The ample bars ran from the solid stone floor to the more solid ceiling and maybe two inches separated them so there was no crawling between the poles. John stopped and noticed a gate in the middle of the metal barricade, fashioned from the bars, and he quickly scanned for a latch or a knob or something to open the portal. He could hear the sound of feet approaching from behind, a lot of feet belonging to a lot of men who were probably heavily armed. The Shaman secretly hoped there was no lock either, there was no time to cast a spell or summon help from the other side. It’d be a hell of a shame to run all this way only to be killed by a lock. Then his eyes spotted the latch, a large chunk of metal shaped into a bar that you lifted out of a thicker block…and beside it was a bulky lock made of the same metal.

John smiled as he lifted the latch and ushered Keiko through. As he dropped it closed she set the lock in place and clicked it shut. They both bolted down the hall, which over the last hundred feet had gone from a wooden floor to cobble stone and the walls to brick, like you were stepping back in time. As the pair ran on they could hear the sound of frustration behind them, the soldiers had run into the metal grate and afoul of the large lock. The smile on John’s face grew a little more as he saw the tunnel make a slight right turn, enough to obstruct the men behind them. A break, a chance to see what they could do to lose the men chasing them, and then the hall stopped and the pair ran out into a large room.

It was oval, maybe three hundred feet across, and filled with old trolley and train cars. It was instantly evident to John this place was a graveyard, a place to store the history of Midgar, and it was a great place to make a stand. Avalanche had used it for meetings, to hide from Shin Ra, and now the Shaman was going to use as a trap.

I had a general idea of what John was thinking, but to the specifics of what he was thinking I could not answer. The smile on his face though had me smiling I admit. We had to be close in planning if not on the very same page. I ducked low and followed the shaman closely until we reached the first old trolley where I felt it was best to separate and take on the soldiers singularly. I did not inform John of my intention, just made my decision and went about making it occur. The sudden disappearance may have caused the shaman some distress but that was truly the last thing on my mind.

The trolleys were all old and all in unequal states of decay. Some looked as if a quick wash and paint would have them running again while another just a few feet away barely resembled a trolley car. The bright spot though was all the cars had walls, nice semi-sturdy metal walls. I picked one just in the middle with solid walls to hide behind and a nice patch of shadow I could hide in. I picked the fourth seat in the row to my left as I entered and knelt down in between the benches. I sat perfectly still and listened carefully. The silence was all around and the only thing I could hear was the thump of my heart as it beat calmly along. I kept my breathing slow and steady, no help would it be if I let my breathing get away from me when trouble came calling. Keeping calm in times of high adventure is where I am a true master.

Then the sounds of the soldiers shooting they’re way past the gate, a burst of five rounds echoed as the men shot out the lock and latch of the gate. I hunkered in a little more in my hiding spot as I heard the soft tread of boots began to rebound all around the room. I left Mayhem in my sash and picked up a nice piece of metal shaft in my hand. I waited for the inevitable, a visit from one or two of the soldiers, when my eye caught a small beam of light coming from above. I looked up as the sound of boots grew closer and saw the hatch to the roof was just slightly askew. An escape hatch maybe? I kept the new information in my head as I waited for the men to come, and after a second they appeared

A two man team popped up approaching slowly from the outside the door I had come through just a minute or two before. It was then I saw the perfect set of footprints in the inch or so of dust and dirt that had accumulated on the floor after so many years down here. I was a little alarmed as those were my footprints and the soldiers had obviously used them just like a guide to find me.

Oh well, no time to curse spilt rum.

The first man in the group stepped up and started through the door toward me. I could see the large caliber automatic rifle the lead soldier was carrying and it matched the one the soldier behind carried, two rapidly firing guns against my metal pole…not very good odds. I was thinking I might be at a slight disadvantage when the room lit up with staccato flashes of yellow and the deafening blasts of automatic gun fire. Both of the soldiers spun as they’re comrades screamed out they had found someone hiding over here. It was my chance and I took it.

Neither man neither turned when I popped up nor did neither move as I threw the metal shaft long ways at them in a spinning motion. The long pole circled in the air twice before slamming into the lead soldier’s head with a loud ‘thunk’. I barely heard the man groan from the strike but I did see him pitch forward into his backup as I jumped up to the hatch in the roof. I disappeared out of it as the screaming below picked up, something about the bitch getting away.

I had to smile.

After leaving Keiko and slipping away into the graveyard of Trolley Cars, John made his way among the abandoned street cars. He ducked down and moved swiftly and silently into the dark shadows till he found the perfect place to setup. Inside one of the long cars the Shaman found an opening to the roof with a cover. A quick plan for escape and evasion came to his mind and John put in into action with a quiet jump.

The cover slid off with an echoing clack drawing the attention of the soldiers who were in pursuit mode after him. The Shaman’s enhanced hearing could pick up each footfall of each soldier, five in all, walking toward the sound of the falling cover. Then one of the men spotted footprints in the dust, fresh and small like a ladies. John knew instantly Keiko had been found. He didn’t have the issue of leaving footprints due to his moccasins but the Sky Pirate obviously had to worry. The Shaman could hear the men peeling off into two groups, two heading off flowing Keiko’s trail while the other made their way wearily toward his hiding spot. John had planned on leading the men in a circle then slipping out the gate and back up the long hallway but now that had to change. He knew Keiko could handle her herself well in a fight, but he was not about to leave her alone so with a quick thought the evasion plan changed with a snap. He stood on the empty rusted rails that would have held a seat come time ago and reached up hitting the roof of the car. The thump wasn’t loud, like someone putting a foot down, and it carried enough to alert the soldiers and draw them in just a bit more.

Then John moved into the shadow created by the wall of the trolley at the back, maybe six feet from the overhead hatch, and waited silently. It wasn’t a long wait as three shadows moved up slowly toward the car’s steps. The Shaman knelt down just a little more as he watched the three soldiers step up into the trolley car with their semi-automatic rifles pointed down the aisle. They hadn’t seen him yet, nor did they as the three treaded silently along. It took them maybe thirty seconds to reach the spot with the open hatch and John watched as the three surveyed the area. The trio never shined a flashlight or any other way of illuminating the dark toward him and that was probably due to the fact they didn’t want to ruin their night vision John assumed. It just helped him that much more.

The Shaman watched as the first man checked the hatch keeping his rifle pointed to wherever his eyes went and then with a nod to the opening he informed the others he was going up. The soldier let his rifle hang from its strap as he jumped up and pulled himself up through the opening. It looked rather painful as the soldier’s shoulders were just a little bigger than the opening but after a grunt he was through and out of sight. A few seconds ticked away then the soldier on the roof stuck his hand through the hatch and motioned for the others to follow. The second man followed the motions of the first and let his rifle hang from its strap as he jumped up and grabbed the side of the hatch. John waited till he started up, had just squeezed his shoulders through, when he jumped out from his hiding spot brandishing his tomahawk.

All at once the last soldier, who had been helping his comrade cram through the hatch, jumped back and squeezed the trigger on his rifle. John closed his eyes and was thankful for doing so as the fiery burst from the muzzle of the rifle lit up the inside of the dark Trolley car with bright yellow flashes.

The staccato sound of semi-automatic rifle fire echoed off those old walls loud enough to deafen me almost. I saw the bright yellow flashes and knew John had either drawn some on the pursuing soldiers into a trap or they had somehow stumbled onto his hiding spot. I seriously do not think any of these men had the skill to hunt down the shaman, but luck does happen to the blackest of hearts some days, Calico Jack being a perfect example.

As soon as I spotted the flashes though I was moving as quickly and quietly as I could toward the spot where all the action was happening. In my excitement though I forgot all about the two boys below me and all at once the roof started to rip apart as new sounds of rifle fire echoed. The one fool still awake must have had enough sense to at least try and fire back only he was doing it in a random sweep fashion. The roof on the other side of the hatch was still smoking where at least ten rounds had punctured it, a good distance from me. I crept away farther down the car’s roof as the soldier below decided that maybe intimidation would work better than just shooting off his large gun.

“Give it up Bitch! I’m gonna find you and I’m gonna put a hole in your CHEST!”

Dutifully noted my friend, I thought with a smile, only you have to find me first and that may be an order taller than you can complete. My ears, which were still ringing, heard a small plink and a second later the roof ripped open again as more bullets tore through. These were a little closer then I wanted and I silently slid to the left along the roof just as a new burst blew the roof open again. I heard his footstep again and it sounded right along side of me. I had a quick plan and decided it was at least a try. These old cars had no windows so there was nothing to impede me.

I slid down all the way to where the roof ended at the outside wall and took a grip on the small rail that ran the length of the car. This would take precise shooting, a deadly shot, so it was for the best I was taking it. I held onto the rail and leapt out, spinning so my feet switched place with my head, and turned a full circle while drawing Mayhem. My feet touched the outside wall of the car and there through the window stood the soldier, his weapon still pointing at the roof. He turned and actually got a look at me, smiling of course, as I shot him square in the chest with a single shot. There was a pop and a puff of white powder, the telling sign of a bulletproof vest being struck. I do not know how much protection it provided him but it was not enough as he dropped to the floor of the car out of sight.

I heard a groan and turned Mayhem toward the other soldier who was stumbling toward us. It took the same single shot to finish him off then I dropped my perch and headed off toward John again.

When the soldier began to fire his rifle and the inside of the old Trolley cat lit up like the sun was high overhead John had all ready closed his eyes. It still didn’t hold back the near blindness that was caused by the sudden bright flash and with his enhanced hearing the gunfire made his ears ring worse than it should have. Still John ignored the pain in his eyes and ears while dropping low into a crouch as the bullets flew over his head ripping into the wall of the trolley car and the legs of the poor man hanging from the hatch. The soldier let out a scream of pain but it was quickly drowned out by the sound of all the semi-automatic gunfire.

The Shaman didn’t have to see what happened next. The soldier crawling up through the hatch suddenly let go and dropped back into car and lucky for him his partner who had just shot him let of the trigger on the rifle. The break in the gunfire was exactly what John had assumed would happen and he jumped forward pressing the slight advantage he had gained. Somewhere up on the roof the soldier above was all ready moving to aid his comrades, there wasn’t much time to try and finish turning the tables.

The soldier who now had several new holes in his legs from friendly fire fell into his partner and John grabbed onto him pushing as he did. Both men fell back into the metal frame that formed the seats and the rusted metal broke form the amount of weight hitting it. John continued on driving the pile into the floor and then adding two quick punches to the top man’s face, insult to the injured legs. The blows end what being shot had started and the man passed out, and it was just in time too because from behind the Shaman heard the third soldier starting down through the hatch. He spun away from the pile and toward the hatch as the man popped back down through the hole halfway hanging from his waist. The move gave the soldier the best chance of firing with both hands and he did as the Shaman rolled under the discharge from the rifle.

John finished his roll right under the soldier safely out of range. He popped up and grabbed the soldier’s tactical vest with both hands and pulled with all his strength. With a yank the soldier dropped right down onto the floor with a loud thud that shook the whole car. The Shaman looked away from the obviously unconscious man and saw the last soldier up again. He had extricated himself from under his fellow soldier and was now pointing his rifle at John. A second passed, two more loud reports from a gun echoed in the underground room, and then the soldier pulled the trigger on his rifle.

There was a loud click, like metal hitting metal, but no loud thunderous boom of a round being discharged. The soldier just lowered his rifle and snarled. “Damn,

It was over quickly, but not that painlessly, as the Shaman dealt with the last of the hit squad. As John exited the car he saw Keiko coming up and smiled. He knew she’d best her group and from the looks of her smile she enjoyed every second of it.

The smile on my face must have been a dead give away to how much I was enjoying myself. There is nothing better my lads for that special Lady Pirate in your life than letting her run amok creating havoc at every turn without judgment. It will certainly help in those special times when it’s just the two of you and a bed. John just looked to me and smiled as he rallied up to me after dispatching the soldiers we had run into.

We had plans to try and find a way out of that morgue for old Trolley Cars, and then John took hold of my arm. It was not a hard grip meant to hurt, but one meant to warn. He had obviously heard something quicker than my ears had so I knelt and waited. At first I did not hear anything, but then the faintest of steps I could detect out of the dark. Another pair was coming for us, no, it was three, a new trio of pursuers. John looked to me and pointed over to another trolley car and a favorable hiding spot. I nodded and moved off silently as the shaman followed and we both arrived ahead of the sound of the gate being opened. We took refuge inside a car crouching as we walked all the way to the back. I looked up noting the new position we were in. My night vision was perfect thanks to my vest as I saw the three men moving across the room.

They moved along in the usual cover pattern, the front man keeping a watch forward while the rear kept their backs clear and the middle man watched the flanks. It always intrigued me how the military taught their men to move in such a manner. Would it not be better to let them move quickly and diligently from cover to target with a purpose? To have them do this cover and protect movement just asked for someone to take a shot at you, like I could have done a number of times. Instead though I looked to John and motioned I was going to move in around them and flank their left side. He motioned he would go for the rear man and I agreed with a wave of my hand.

We moved out and then split up. He went past another parked car while I trotted to a spot where I could climb up onto the cars. With a jump I made it up to the roof and then quietly over to where the soldiers had entered to find their three fellow soldiers John had taken care of earlier. I stood over them silently as they talked amongst themselves in hushed voices. I could have taken them right there, but the plan was to take them once they left the car and soon they were moving out again. I walked on top of the car step for step with them and when the trio had left the steps of the car walking out across an open spot I took my chance. When the middle man was in my sight I leapt from the rooftop and landed on my man squarely. I heard his grunt as he folded to the ground and I rolled away to safety.

There was almost no sound as Keiko flew off the roof of the trolley car and slammed into the middle soldier in the three man crew. The only sound was a faint whoosh, barely audible enough to be heard if one didn’t have a special hat that boosted your hearing. John heard her leap and moved with her getting behind the last man just as the Sky Pirate took out her man and disappeared in a roll under one of the dilapidated cars. The sudden attack froze the soldier letting John slip in behind and strike the man with a solid running blow to the head with a flat side of the blade from his tomahawk. In a flash John was gone as the body hit the ground.

In a blink two men were down and the third was left all alone. The lead soldier spun around to find both his men down and no one around. “Holy…GET UP!” He screamed.

Only neither man was moving, and they wouldn’t be for awhile. The soldier took three nervous steps swing his rifle barrel left to right in huge arcs trying to cover as much area as possible. A loud clang came from his left and he spun firing a three shot burst as his training taught him to. The bullets struck metal and ricocheted off with a high pitched ping.

“Damn!” He hissed just as another clang came from his right. He spun like a top ready to fire a burst into the dark to keep the pair of killers off his six. Only something came out of the dark right for his face and hit it like a brick. In the blink of an eye the last man fell flat backed onto the ground out cold, the tomahawk lying just a foot from him. John walked over and picked it up as Keiko watched and then both made a bee line for the wall opposite of the gate and the way they came in. John figured there had to be another door here the AVALANCHE members used to get back and forth from the safe house, which wasn’t safe anymore really.

When they reached the other side John went to looking running his hand over the cool brick walls trying to sense something out of place, a hidden door maybe. He was searching slowly when he heard a hiss from his left where Keiko was searching. The Shaman looked over and saw she had found the door out, triggered by an unassuming brick. He trotted over and they disappeared into the door letting it shut without a sound and just like that the pair was gone again. John led the way with Keiko right behind and both made their way down another hall slowly and cautiously. All the Shaman knew he was below the city and on ground he had no knowledge of, a bad combination. He kept his ears trained listening for any warning sound and after a few minutes of walking he heard something and brought the walk to a stop.

“There’s a group up ahead, get ready.”

The words John uttered made me shake my head. How many soldiers could have possibly chased us down into this hole? At this point I was sure we had at least a small army chasing us. How do I know this you ask, well I was once pursued by a small army for a crime that was not entirely mine to begin with. I did come to the aid of a friend who found herself in some dispute over the ownership of some baubles belonging to a duchess and for this I was harassed and harangued. I do not think the crime justified the pursuance or the fact the men who came for me wished to harm me. So now, when the shaman said there were more men, I simply sighed and reloaded Mayhem. If I was to be set upon by hired mercenaries then I would meet them with a full pistol.

Only John felt differently and with a signal ordered me back down the passageway to where it was about to enter the trolley car graveyard again. Then with another hand signal he told me stop and I did as he requested, not because I had to but because I wanted to. With my vest I was able to make out the hall finely, for the first time, and I saw what John was leading me to. There was a small alcove in the wall, just big enough for us to slip into and hide from whoever it was coming down the hall. I would have rather stood my ground and lay into the persons approaching us, but I was in a giving mood so I nodded and took my spot before Jon slid in. We stood quietly in the dark as the silence of the tunnel, a nice solitude that gave me time to reflect on just how I ended up in this spot. I will admit being snuggled up this close to John made me consider an undertaking of seeing just how his hands would feel running feel all over my body, but I stopped that quickly. It does no one any good to become lascivious and have no way of taking care of business, if you know what I mean.

So stood there feeling John’s chest rise and fall against mine, his breath hot on my neck, and tried o think about my ship the Half Moon. I had received no word from my friends and spies about the whereabouts of Calico Jack and at this point I was growing impatient with no information. I was starting to think some were covering for him and that I would need to take a more ‘personal’ approach to getting what I had need of to acquire. I would have to start with a known associate of Jack’s, not a friend as Calico never had one, but someone who ran with him and still and had not developed a taste for putting a bullet in the man’s head. I would need to see Scruffy Bill, or course I had to find him first and that would be no small task.

Then I heard the footsteps coming closer and I readied to jump out and attack…only John had other ideas.

With Keiko pressed up against him John could feel her heart beat quite easily. It was steady and from the rate she seemed a little bored. Maybe he, or the group moving up, could provide enough action to keep her awake. As the sound of approaching feet came closer the Shaman noted the sound was wrong, there was no hard sole of an army boot against the floor. The feet were shod in different show and from the sound they were smaller, all four of them. John kept hidden as the group neared and when the first shadow appeared he held Keiko in check with a hand to her shoulder. Then, when the last one had walked up, a short shadow John thought, he stepped out and grabbed it lifting the small body off the ground. As soon as his arms wrapped around it he knew this was not one of the soldiers chasing him.

“Ahhhh!”A young girl’s voice screamed out.

He quickly coverer her mouth with his hand and just for a precaution he focused his energy into his hands hardening them. It was just in time to because he felt the girl bite down hard as the leader f the group spun and shining a strong beam of light from a lantern. The glare blinded John for a second then he heard a hiss of someone instructing the group to be quiet, probably Keiko. The lantern was doused and the girl in John’s arms stopped fight and mercifully biting. He gently let down her down on her feet and she spun away from him quickly back to the safety group of her group. Someone went to speak and John held a single finger to his lips signaling the need for quiet then he pointed up the hall. The shadow in the lead only nodded and then the group moved back up the hall toward what the Shaman and the Sky Pirate hoped was an egress.

The group moved through the hall silently, John and Keiko meshing into it near the front to keep an eye on where they were going but still able to see where they had come from. The Shaman kept a vigilant ear up listening for any sounds as they walked. Soon they reached a set of stairs heading up to what looked a brick wall with a metal door. The leader, a young man John had discovered on the quiet journey, walked up and made a succession of knocks in a distinct pattern. A second knock answered back in a totally different pattern of knocks and the Shaman realized this wasn’t some code to gain entry, but a coded conversation. The boy was telling the person on the other side who he was and who was with him, which obviously included him and Keiko now. The boy sent a message across and waited and waited more and waited some more for a response. It seemed like it was taking forever for the person to respond and John started to think they were being denied access, but then the locks on the door began to open.

There must have been at least six clacks and pops before the metal portal opened and the boy stepped through. The group followed with John and Keiko in tow, into the room and with a snap the door closed again. John shut his eyes quickly as the bright light of the new room burned his eyes, blinding him for a second time.

I have never liked being in the dark, literally or figuratively, and right now I was not in a good mood about it. I had to fight my way out a room full of soldiers, after being chased into said room by the same bunch who were at the time trying to blow me up with rockets. This was after a first and second group tried to kill me this morning, the second also used rockets only this time they managed to level a very nice brothel, quite the shame I am sure.

Yet now I found myself in another room, momentarily blinded by bright lights, and being surrounded by what sounded like a lot of people. A man with a young voice spoke up as my eyes finally started to adjust to the room. “Who are you?””

“We are the poor persons fleeing an army of hired mercenaries, you must be AVALANCHE I presume.

“Maybe,” someone said, another young man from the sound of it.

When my eyes finally started to work again I could see we were definitely in a room somewhere below the city. The overhead lights were set to bake and I had to squint to see everyone. There were children all around us, ages varied as did boy and girl but all looked like street urchins. There was no leader on their side and John was still trying to get his pupils straight so I took over. “Where are we?”

“Secret, can’t tell you.” A little girl’s voice stated. I saw her to my left, maybe ten with curly blond hair.

“Listen little one, we are being chased by a group of very bad and very dedicated men trying to kill us. If they decide to follow and attack this room John and I would like very much to know which was to go.”

She stuck her tongue out at me and I just shook my head. The young man we first talked to took over for his group and spoke up. “The Colonel said you get a pass to the surface, but after that you’re on your own.”

I nodded and speaking still trying to find out our location. “Fine, we can live with that, but it would be nice to know where exactly we are.”

“Secret, can’t tell you.” The young girl said again defiantly.

I just smiled at her as she stuck her tongue out again before turning to the young man in charge. He swallowed hard before speaking. “We’re under the city, just south of Tifa’s bar. When you come up we’ll let you out and then you’re on your own.”

“As you expressed all ready,” I smiled trying to hide my growing frustration.

We waited for a few minutes, and then some more, and then finally some more before a door that was hidden on the north wall popped open. Another young man stepped out and motioned for us to follow, all of us. In a flash the whole group, all the children and us, walked out of the room. I was glad to be heading back to the surface. This tunnel adventure was not my cup of tea. Though I did wonder why AVALANCHE was using these children, they seemed too young to be working in a group with interest in subterfuge.

Oh well, I was going topside and that’s all that mattered to me.

The sun had started to slip down past the skyline of the city which meant late afternoon was slowly slipping into night. All the creatures would be out soon, the hunters and the damnable using the cover of darkness to mask their true intentions. It was also the perfect cover for John and Keiko as they came out in another run down hovel, or what looked like a burnt out building. AVALANCHE had perfected the use of the underground tunnels below Midgar and now they had the best way to travel or smuggle two very sought after individuals. As the Shaman made his way out of the concealed hatch into the night of the dark the young man who had led them to the exit gave one last order from the Colonel who had granted them passage after the information they had sought.

“Don’t contact us again, after you leave we don’t exist, understand?”

John simply nodded and watched as the hatch closed and slipped back into the background. AVALANCHE had also perfected the camouflage the Shaman thought as he turned his attention to the street out front of the rubble. Most of the walls were gone allowing the night air, insects, and anything else wanting a place to hide in. He looked around and found no one about, the place was empty and that wasn’t by chance John assumed. AVANLANCHE ensured it was not the resting place of any stray homeless, wouldn’t be good for your door to be blocked would it? John felt the paper in his pocket but he didn’t need to see it to read the address on it. The place was burned into his memory.

So, the Shaman thought to himself as he moved quietly and unobtrusively to the street, let’s recap where we are. Bon and Scott came to him to find the Heir to the Teidor fortune, only at the time John had no clue about that. He was only aware the men wanted him to hunt someone down and the Shaman didn’t do that, for anyone. The pair were promptly killed and found myself being hunted down next for talking with them. Fast forward past several exchanges and several hundred bullets and rockets and the search had changed. Now he was neck deep in something altogether different. The Teidor Heir was actually the oldest of twins. His brother was going to be named the head of the company supported by the family, only he wasn’t part of the family anymore. The brother was actually working for Atlas Arms, a competitor, in secret. What was his plan once he gained the reins of CEO, who knew? Maybe it was to run Teidor into the ground, or convince the family into a merger, it wasn’t any concern to John.

No, the concern was for the other twin, the real heir to the Teidor Company. Bon and Scott had come across the man’s history in a document provided by the Gaff and unwittingly put themselves right smack in the middle of Atlas’s plans. They were a threat. They were hunted down and eliminated. Now John was being hunted because they thought he knew, and he did now, which made him a threat. Only they didn’t know how much of one he could be. The Shaman reached the street, pulled out the shrunken form of Cetan Nigan and placed it on the street. With a spoken word, “chikala”, the motorcycle grew to its original size. As he climbed on John made a mental note to explain to Keiko what he had deduced. He gave the crystals a touch of his thumbs, spoke another word, and the bike roared to life while Keiko climbed on back. She just put her arms around his chest when the bike launched from the curb and raced down the street toward an unknown destination.

On the back of the motorcycle I listened intently to what John had put together from what we had learned on our adventures today. He laid it all out and I was able to follow along and see where this whole thing was heading for us. As the motorcycle sped along through the streets we were its perfect match racing step for step to a destined meeting with this heir and the mercenaries hired by Atlas, like two silver trails we moved. They were tied together this heir and John, joined by some insignificant meeting with two fools who were nothing but pawns on a game board they had no clue of. What if John had come out of the shop earlier or worse yet, had gotten into that vehicle? I can tell you for a certainty there would be no need to think about my play in all of this.

I had come into this as a friend, one who saw the need for help. I know I’ve told you before I am not one for compassion but John is and he has shown me the emotion more times than any other I know or have come across. Could I walk away from the shaman and disappear into the night? Would Atlas let me go now? I am sure by now one of the many wounded men we had left behind reported the second person aiding John. My presence was more than known though I doubt Atlas and its information ninjas would find much on me. I have lived off the grid as the Gaff calls it for most of my life. As far as I know there is no information available on me after I ran away from my home when I was younger, and I can tell you now I will make sure there is none after this is over. It does not matter anyway. I am here now and I plan on staying by the shaman’s side until I see whoever started this taken care of.

John never shared the location of the heir to me, only that he would say it once we were safe on board of his air ship. I kept close to his back and also kept an eye out behind for anyone following us. I spotted several vehicles that might have been following us, turned in our direction after we passed, but soon those turned down other streets and I had to tell myself to calm down. Not every person or transport was an enemy to us. The night darkened and the lights of Midgar turned into long streams as we sped out of the city toward a secret location. We were hopefully going to meet up with a few others to help us. I just hoped wherever we ended up the bed was soft as we moved along then out of nowhere we started to fly.

I let out a scream as we lifted free from the ground then I saw a rope hooked to the seat where John sat and it ran right up to the deck of a ship…

An air ship that appeared out of nowhere.

Back on the main deck of the Siang Tien Tang John ‘shrunk’ Cetan Nigan back to a small size and stored the bike in his pocket. He turned to Zheng and gave a quick order. “Take us to Dalmasca Estersand, to a small settlement on the banks of the river Nebra.”

Zheng’s ghostly eyes disappeared for a moment, as if rolling back into his head, and then popped back in with a blink. It was the usual mannerism of the specter when it was deciding on a course. It looked to John and spoke quickly. “I have a course, but we need to make haste Zheng. There is a man who may be in serious danger.”

The ghost only nodded and started the Sian Tien Tang on the course. As the air ship began to climb through the night sky Wahkan approached his friend with concern. “Where have you been all day, and who’s your new friend?”

John looked over to see Keiko standing by the rail watching all quietly and intently. “She helped me out of a tight situation, several actually.”

“Yeah, and why are we in a rush to Dalmasca? Is it another sticky situation?”

The Shaman only smiled and began the lengthy process of explaining how a small chance meeting with two men who may have been cheats led him to making a dash to a small village on the river Nebra to save a man from a conspiracy. It took several minutes and the whole time Wahkan’s expression never changed, it was stone from beginning to end. This didn’t surprise John, this was the giant’s persona and it never changed either. He had only seen Wahkan shocked once and he never wanted to again, to call it a ‘bad day’ wouldn’t begin to explain that time.

“So these Atlas people, their going try and kill this Heir because he would ruin their plan for the other fella they planted at the top of Teidor?”

“As simple as a conspiracy can be.” John said with a nod.

Wahkan shook his head. “I don’t know hoss, you seem to find all the trouble in the world and none of it the ‘easy’ kind. You didn’t run into snake people by the way? It’d be just like them to show up right now.”

His friend was talking about the sigil John was marked with, had been before birth, by the Great Serpent. The ‘snake people’ were the followers of the Serpent who had all pledged to the crawling one to kill the Shaman on sight. John always had to be on vigil for any sign of the Serpent and its followers and it would be just like them to take advantage where the Shaman was looking the other way. He nodded and spoke quietly.

“I’ll keep my eyes open friend, and I’m sure our lady Pirate will as well.”

“Well add my name to the list John. I’ll keep an eye on you from the air with Zheng.”

The Shaman just winked. “Thanks friend”

I may have said it before in some other chat, but John’s ship is quite nice. I was still catching my breath from being yanked off the road and hoisted onto the deck like we were but I was still able to get a good look see at this Siang Tien Tang. The deck had a nice shine as I looked down at it huffing to catch my breath, a very nice teak wood. I looked up to see the shaman talking with a man of considerable size and I do not mean his waist. I heard them talking about the Heir, John was explaining the situation and why we needed to make haste for a small village on the bank of the Nebra river in Dalmasca. The look the giant had was the same as the deck he was standing, blank.

I myself would have at least gasped at the news of the conspiracy.

John soon came over and after asking about gave me the directions to one of the rooms below deck. I made my way past the willowy figure guiding the Junk. To this day I still have issues with the fact the man is a ghost, a real specter. To know he gave up the life eternal on the other side to fly the sky again on this ship is man, or ghost, after my own heart. I would gladly shake his hand in an accord…if I could shake his hand that being. I found my way down below and to the room John said I could use. I noticed again how nice the Junk was, as nice below deck as it was above, rare thing on some ships. The room was a nice size and the bed was too. I did not even strip down, just climbed into the rack falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. After the day I had sleep was the first order of business.

I slipped into a dream sometime during said slumber, a nightmare relived I am afraid to say. I was back on the Half Moon watching as my crew turned on me. They had been driven to betray their captain by one Calico Jack and his words echoed in this vagary. My long black hair whipped behind me from the wind of the sea as I stood on the gang plank above the endless blue water.

“We be takin’ the ship now Captin’. We is all tired of followin’ you.”

“Really Jack, I wonder if these dogs heel as well as they follow. If not you will be following right behind me Jack.” I growled through gnashed teeth.

“Oh, now don’t be gettin’ upset Captin’. We hads our fun didn’t we?” Jack smiled trying to be coy but just looking stupid.

“I would not foul my bed with you again Jack, and do not think this over. I will find you and I will exact a heavy revenge on your flesh.”

Jack gave a quick laugh and turned to what was once my trusted crew. “A man can hope can’t he?”

Everyone roared with laughter, everyone but me and Silva. I noticed he did not look like a willing participant, and yet I hated him for letting this happen. Better to die with your sword in your hand defending your captain then crouching like a coward in the back afraid to be loyal. I was looking at him as Jack turned back round and with a push sent me falling off the plank and into the sea.

Only I never hit the water. In the dream I just kept falling and falling, end over end through endless space till finally I snapped awake. I was still in the bed, still on John’s ship, and soaked with sweat.

The trip to the small village in Dalmasca took two days even after passing through the Multiplex. Zheng took the Siang Tien Tang straight to the edges of the small hamlet early in the morning, close enough to walk in but not so near as to be seen by the local inhabitants. John and Keiko disembarked with a small leap to the ground then started off just as the Junk took to the skies again. The Shaman felt better knowing he’d have air support for the next few minutes watching him as walked in through a small front gate to the village. The wall that surrounded maybe 40 houses or fewer, elaborate mud huts from what John could make out was thick and tall enough to hold back the wilds of the desert. There were no guards he could see, but there were posts at the gate. The village probably had a small token force to keep the peace during the day and a small roving guard at night in case of emergency. John could easily see a host of animals trying to get in being thwarted at the first chance. The bigger ones probably made it a little more interesting while the ones he came to stop…they would tear this place apart.

John stopped the single soul walking on the dirt street this early, a middle aged woman, and politely asked where the Heir was. He only had the first name and nothing more, but it was enough for the nice lady to recognize and point out the house for the Shaman. It must have been his smile that rendered such a quick and precise answer. The pair made their way through the streets taking the directed route and soon the Shaman saw the house. He looked to Keiko and pointed at the domicile then headed over after she nodded. He reached the door and knocked noting the small wooden portal probably wouldn’t hold back a nice sized dog much less a full sized trained soldier. We better get him on board the Siang Tien Tang and out of here fast John thought as the door swung open.

The Heir was just an inch or two shorter than he was John noticed and his build was slimmer, the wiry muscles of someone who worked hard for a living. His face was covered with a beard and his dark brown hair was long falling down his back.

“Good morning sir, are you Phelan?”

The Heir smiled and nodded. “Yes, I am Phelan. I’m afraid the smith won’t be open till later if you need some work done.”. Phelan shift on his feet a few inches to the left to take his eyes out the rising sun morning sun.

The slight adjustment saved his life. The sudden pop of a ricochet slamming into the interior of the house was just a half second before the brush of the bullet as it passed John’s cheek. The Heir turned to look what was going on in his house thinking something had fallen. His inexperience might have given the sniper a second chance on his target but John was all ready dragging Phelan in through the opening to the house while screaming.

“SNIPER!”

Even as the bullet from the sniper clipped the stone of the entryway I was moving. I followed John into the hut and dropped low by the door drawing Mayhem form its holster. I did not watch the shaman or the heir, just looked over the edge of a square opening in the wall that served as a window. As soon as my hat peeked over the rim of the window another round clipped the wall sending dust and debris everywhere. I dropped back down to the floor before examining my hat and taking note of the new hole that protruded through the crown.

“Damn, I liked this hat!”

On the ground by a table that John must have flipped when he ran by I saw a small mirror, the kind a woman would to apply her face paint or makeup. I leaned over carefully making sure nothing stuck out of too much when I stretched. The last thing I needed now was to have a sniper deposit a round into me because I was too visible. My hand danced for a second looking for the reflective device as I watched the window but then I felt it and snatched it up darting back to my spot under the opening. I heard the heir ask John what was going on but I paid either of them little to no attention at the moment. I rigged up the mirror to my boot knife and held it up caddy-cornered to the window so I could see out onto the street. To my startled chagrin I noted people walking to and fro as if on leisurely stroll. No one was running for their lives or diving for cover from flying bullets. It was just another day here in the village, never mind the flies or heat or people trapped in the hut to your left.

“The sniper has us pinned down John. He’s probably a long way away too. I see no glint from the mirrors of a scope.” I called out giving a quick update to the others in the room.

I heard the Heir bark something else but just like last time I really did have my mind on other predicaments at the moment, particularly the three men moving slowly down the street toward us. It was not their staggered formation that caught my eye, the usual approach of a group of soldiers, but the fact they wore coats. It was a hot morning and threatened to get hotter, how in the deep blue sea were these fellows wearing coats and what for? My mind clicked away with the possibilities and it came back to one and only one. “John, we have unfriendly visitors dropping by in about a minute. I’m sure the sniper is going to keep us sitting right here waiting on them.” I explained.

I drew Mayhem and watched as the three men closed the gap on us. Some in the situation might have felt overwhelmed or lost, me, I was as comfortable as a child at school. I knew exactly where those fellows were heading…into my trap.

As the bullet from the sniper missed both John and the Heir the Shaman jumped into action. He pushed the started blacksmith through the open Portal and into the room. John moved them both with ease an as they neared a single long table he kicked it over. The table was barely on its side before he had the Heir behind it ducking down to take cover.

“WHAT IN THE HELL OF ARCHADES IS GOING ON?” The Heir screamed as he laid behind his eating table.

“There’s no time to explain, suffice to say you have been marked to be killed.” John explained pulling Matoskah from its concealed spot on his back. Its heft felt good, reassuring as he looked over the table’s edge to see Keiko by what served as a window. She was examining her hat which had a nice hole in it now.

“Are you crazy? Why would someone want me dead?”

John sighed and decided he had to tell the man something because it wasn’t everyday you woke up to someone trying to kill you. “To be quick and dirty about it, you’re the Heir to the Teidor fortune, the rightful CEO of the Arms Company now that your father has passed.”

The look on the man’s face was one of dumbfounded slack. He just starred as John went on. “”Thaniel Teidor was your true father. He had you hidden away when you and your brother were born because he knew there would be trouble. Now someone has put a price on your head to keep you from taking what is yours legally.”

“I have a brother…” The Heir whispered.

Keiko screamed that men were coming as John gave the Heir one last word. “If we don’t get you out of here he’ll be the true Heir.”. Just then the door to the small house blew in form a hard kick and the Shaman popped up ready to deliver a hard strike from his tomahawk to anyone coming in.


The sniper watched his men move into the house. There was no clear shot to take on the targets that ran inside just a minute ago. He would have taken a shot, just like he did when that hat with the plume popped up, if there was one to take. Instead he kept his eye through the scope trained on the hut watching and supporting his comrades. The sniper was dialed into his job watching and waiting that he never heard the beat of heavy wings. He never reacted until the weight of something heavy hit the back of his head plowing into him and the ground. He only heard the screech of a bird and the burning sensation of knives digging into his shoulders.

The man rolled quickly to his right dragging his rifle with him swinging it like a club. He looked over to see a large Golden Eagle leaping back into the air trying to get away. He pointed the sniper rifle at the raptor intent on blowing it to pieces for attacking him. Damn bird almost ripped his head off he thought putting the cross hairs on the Eagle. There was a small crack from behind sudenly; like someone stepping on a branch, and the sniper knew this time he was dead.

The Eagle was just a diversion.

He tried to roil to his left back away from what was coming for him but all he saw was a large man and the large club he was holding. Then there was just the black of unconciosness.

I knelt by the door getting ready for the first man to try and get in. I sure as hell planned on making him my first victim as I pulled the hammer back on Mayhem and it made that so very nice sound of clicking back into place. That small echo brought a smile to my face as I coiled up the muscles in my legs. Just after I yelled to John that company was about to grace us the front door blew in from a hard kick and in the usual soldier boy fashion the men started coming in, single file covering each other. This usually works, perfect assault formation, but not when the one you are trying to take down is waiting for you.

I call it flipping the trap, and it works very well when done right.

The first man in had his rifle lowered on the turned over table moving right for it, like a moth to a flame, and never even looked to his side. I let him take a single step past the door and then jumped into his path jamming Mayhem into his shoulder with one hand and grabbing the strap on his tactical vest with the other. I felt the muzzle of my pistol stop my forward momentum just an instant before pulling the trigger sending a fifty caliber round through him and right into the man behind him. Blood flew from the wound splattering both of us but I paid it no attention as he screamed out in pain. I yanked him then, off balance and in agony it was easy, right out of the way and just in time too. The blast of wind that flew by my right ear told me the shaman was in fight now and I figured he’d either tossed that tomahawk by me or the damn large knife. Either one would have felt like a small child screaming by my head, but when I heard the loud thud I knew it was the club.

I looked back to see the door way clear now. I saw a pair a feet being dragged back out of the way, and I heard someone screaming from the other side. “We’re here for the blacksmith, you give him up and we’ll think about letting you out of here.”

The soldier at my feet started to go for his knife so I gave him the back of Mayhem with a quick shot knocking him out cold. I looked over to the table and noticed the Heir looking back at me. He looked nothing like a multi-billion Gil owner of an arms company. How the hell did I end up in this hut in the middle of the unknown? I could have blamed him, the man cowering behind that table, but that would have been way too easy. I knew how I ended up here and I was going to make them pay.

“I think you better ask yourself where that sniper you had covering you went. I have not heard a shot from him lately, have you?””. I expected an answer but all I got was the sound of feet running away, disappearing into the other huts and alleyways. I hated that sound. it meant leaving was going to get a lot harder now.