There were times I wished I had followed in my Fathers steps and become a plumber. This definitely qualified as one of those times. The Spectran rifles pointed at me reiterated that thought over and over and over.
Who’d have thought investigating how money was disappearing from the local fresh produce distributor would lead to this? As the clinical part of my mind made the summarization that it looked like the company had been supplementing the wages of an invasion army, the soldier in red said with an evil grin, “You should have stayed home today, Detective.”
I braced myself for the impact of the bullets. Instead of the sharp loud concussion of automatic weapons being fired, a low rumble filled the air so deep and powerful that I could feel it penetrate deep into my body. A flock of birds took off in noisy protest. The stricken looks on the Spectran soldier’s faces caught my attention as they immediately jerked their heads up to look into the air. I didn't really care what the distraction consisted of, I was just grateful for the added few moments of life.
As one shouted, "Phoenix!" I had already hidden myself behind a large nearby rock, looking for the next hiding place a little further away from the Spectran rats nest I’d accidentally uncovered.
"He's gone!" One of the soldiers cried out.
"Was he one of the team?"
"That old man? Are you kidding?"
"I heard they're as good at disguise as our Exalted Leader."
"Hey, Marsden, I dare you to go looking for him."
"Enough! Return to base and man battle stations!"
The sound of running echoed the furious pace of my heart. And then I had to smile. A 58 year old goat being compared to G-Force? If I survived, that would make my year!
A quick glance around the rock as another low rumble shook the landscape confirmed that I’d been miraculously spared painful death. At least for the moment. Taking the opportunity, I quickly headed in the direction of my car. A quick report to the client, the last payment for services rendered, and it would be a good time to quietly disappear for a while. A change in appearance might also be a good idea. Don't want to accidentally run into one of those guys later and be recognized.
The ground below me suddenly became alive, surging up, breaking and erupting all around me. Fire, smoke, dirt, rock and vegetation shot up into the air through the new fissures. My world blurred as I ran, crawled, stumbled and danced my way clear. Even once I thought I was clear, I continued running.
My heart felt as if it were going to burst, forcing me to slow down. I stopped to lean against one of the large smooth granite rocks that the last ice age had left behind upon it’s retreat back into the mountains. The world once again steadied.
Well, those soldiers would be toast, if even half the rumors surrounding the G-Force team were even close to true.
"Taking out a small base was nice for a change. Even nicer was catching them all in a meeting." a pleasant female voice said, making me freeze.
"Need to stoke Zoltar's ego with a few more chants!" a male voice answered back with amusement. “I wish you’d vacated the base a little earlier. The missiles came a little close.”
The woman laughed, “Had to make sure to properly seal the base so there were no escapees! Besides, I gotta keep you boys on your toes!”
Not able to help myself, I looked around the rock. With the setting sun behind them their features were distorted and indistinct. The woman looked to be in jeans and a t-shirt, but the white unique uniform of the man was unmistakable.
When he reached up to his helmet and lifted it off, I couldn't turn away even if I’d wanted to. Dark hair spilled out, and he immediately bent slightly to kiss the face turned up to him.
A long kiss of considerable passion, obviously enjoyed by both.
Well, Aunt Merv in the Henhouse!
Now, wasn't that interesting! Was the woman one of their agents? Or maybe the Swan herself?
The snap of dry twigs made my poor battered heart skip yet another beat. The sight of a flash of green made it stand up and start performing a jig.
Immediately my mind turned to the two love-birds behind me, and I yelled out as loud as I could, "Spectra!"
Too late did I see that the burned, battered and bloodied soldier was still armed with a small handgun.
The pop that immediately followed sounded like the long-distance pop of a firecracker. I couldn't feel anything, but looking down I could see that the guy’s ordeal hadn't affected his aim. Looking back up, in what must surely have been only a second, the soldier was already on the ground, still and lifeless, with the Eagle standing over him. As I fell back and slid down the rock another flash of white appeared by my side. Strangely, I could feel her fingers, but not the bullet.
Oh wait, there comes the pain. Never mind.
"Detective Steve Hoffman, at your service, Ma'am." I said with a smile that cost me a lot of strength.
"What were you doing out here?" the Eagle demanded.
"Following a pretty little filly to find out where she was taking the money she stole. And here I thought she was just buying extra clothes. Foolish me."
"Looks like you'll live to learn from this. It's not as bad as it looks. Try not to move or talk and we'll see about getting you to help." the Swan said in a serene voice that reminded me what it was like to be a young man.
With another grin slightly smaller than the first, I couldn't help but, "A little advice from an old-timer: Be careful where you kiss next time."
Story Notes:
Many thanks to Bobbi for being such a willing Beta. Written for Dei's "The Goat's Tail Challenge".
Chapter End Notes:
One day I made the mistake of taking just one look at the idea generator. The first idea it brought up was:
A portion of the story is set another country.
The story finishes with a scene in/of a visit by an unexpected visitor.
The Story involves a rock.
Someone notices a kiss.
The story may incorporate a/n tragic detective.
Didn't need to look at a different one. Just opened up a new document and started writing! Darn it, I need to stay away from that dratted thing.
A portion of the story is set another country.
The story finishes with a scene in/of a visit by an unexpected visitor.
The Story involves a rock.
Someone notices a kiss.
The story may incorporate a/n tragic detective.
Didn't need to look at a different one. Just opened up a new document and started writing! Darn it, I need to stay away from that dratted thing.