Chapter 13

Chapter 13
“How Green Was My Valet”

       All the power in the town went out at the same moment, thanks Baxter and his patented “Teslavator’ device. It had not shut down any generators, nor damaged any power lines, it merely drew all the electricity out of every device and sent it into the clouds. Two minutes after the town was dark, the lightning rolled and the thunder rumbled and would continue to do so until Platt turned off his machine.
       Within the highly charged air, flashing particles would have blinded anyone not wearing the special tinted glasses that Mr. Mike created to counter the effect that Mary Jane had chemically created so many times before.
       The huge creatures around the city did not move. Nor did it seem they were in any discomfort or distress.
       Out of the factory came a troop of thirty or so, walking in close formation. Behind them,. but never leaving the building, stood “Boss” Feratu.
       J.J. had watched the stride of the only moving guard creature, and from it could calibrate exactly how long it would take them to reach any point in the town.
       On J.J.’s signal Mat let go the three gargoyle statues that had stood on the city hall for nearly one hundred years.
       But they did not fall directly to earth.
       With their heads wrapped the “aluminum/steel” wire Doc and Mary Jane had perfected, the massive statues swung towards the tower of the factory that loomed a couple of stories higher than the city hall. As they swung, they swept all but three of the blue-green creatures like bowling balls crashing through bowling pins.
       The three still moving creatures continued on without a notice of their companions’ plight.
       At this point Doc Thursday let fly, in rapid succession, three flaming arrows. Every shaft flew true, and went not only into the heads of the monsters, but through them.
       The three things stopped for a moment, as if mildly aware they shared a five inch gapping hole through their head. After an uncertain ten seconds, they fell to the ground.
       Seven pairs of eyes turned to the cadaverous figure in the factory window, but he was no longer there.
       Renny Field stood there for a moment, and then the window was spattered with red. The window now erupts as the shattered body of the mobster flew through it.
       Doc Faustus no longer had an ally on the inside.
       Now, something really unsettling happened.
       Three more of the creatures emerged from the factory. But these things were a good four feet taller than the others had been. Their mouths were more articulated. They were snarling.
       They emitted a growl that could be heard blocks away.
       They stood on the steps of the factory for a good two minutes, and then stepped aside.
       From behind them came “Boss” Feratu. But he was not alone.
       In his arms was a little girl.
       She couldn’t have been more than three years old.
       He held her roughly and she was terrified.
       “See this?” He shouted to whoever might hear it.
       “I have six more of these things inside, the last children in the city,” He smiled in a way that made the child cry.
       “If you do not show yourselves by the time I count 5, “ He waited for effect, “My beasts will feast before your eyes!”
       “1” He counted.
       “2” There was a touch of self-satisfaction in his raspy voice.
       “3,” He looked up at his giant servants and said, “Yummy, don’t you think, boys?” The growling increased.
       The terrified child sobbed.
       “4” He said as he looked around.
       “Alright,” came a voice, “You got us, let her go!”
       Mary Jane was the first to walk out on the street. When the monster released the child, the little one ran to the girl with the sword for comfort.
       Behind her was Doc Thursday, J.J., Mat, Mr. Mike & Baxter.
       “Kill them,” The white faced monster screamed at the blue-green faced monsters, “Kill them all!”
       The growling of the things increased, and now it came from all sides.
       The group was ringed by at least 10 of the great beasts.
       “Then, to celebrate,” Feratu smirked as he rubbed his hands together, “We’ll toss the lot into the vats.”
       The thunder rolled.
©2005 C. Wayne Owens

Chapter 14

Chapter 14
“Last Stand in Cedar City”

       Before the first of the monstrosities could take a step, Mary Jane had taken a piece of leather from behind her back, and strapped the child in it. Doc Thursday shot the last of his arrows over the heads of the oncoming creatures, but this one was stung with the amazing unbreakable wire that had been used to swing the gargoyles before.
       J.J. threaded the wire though the harness and with the quickness of thought the child was lifted into the air.
       All eyes followed the little girl as she flew to the top of the factory and into the arms of Doc Faustus. Clinging to his massive legs were the other children, every one safe and sound.
       The vampire growled in anger and frustration.
       Faustus handed the little girl to Igloo Magoo. With fatherly concern the little man took the girl and the other children and disappeared.
       “Didn’t I have him killed” Feratu mused.
       “He’s on our side now,” Doc Faustus announced, “And he will protect those children with his very life!”
       Doc tied off the wire on an outcropping of granite and then swung down to join his compatriots.
       “Leaping lightning!” Baxter Platt shouted, now as a battlecry.
       Blades glinted, non-kill bullets rang out and giant monsters fell.
       From the roof top there echoed three shots from a .45, and a moment later a giant monster fell over the edge toward the street. Children clapped their hands in victory.
       “I’m sorry Field wasn’t here to see this,”        Mr. Mike said, as he put his gigantic fist through the face of a monster.
       After a momentary flurry of action the street was silent.
       Seven pairs of eyes scanned the scene.
       The allies of science stood in a back to back circle, and around the ring were the littered corpses of blue-green giants.        Not one of those gargantuan creatures showed any sign of ever moving again.
       “That,” said Mat, “Was our second fastest fight.”* (*See “Doc Faustus and the Pacifists of Pago-Pago”)
       Doc’s eyes turned to the factory. “We still have one foe left to bring down.” He said as he moved to the door and ten long strides.
       The others were right behind him.
       As they burst through the door, they saw Feratu trying to climb out a window on the far wall.
       “That won’t work,” Shouted Doc Faustus.
       The bloodless face turned to them and hissed.
       “Man,” Said Baxter, “You can smell his breath from here.”
       They all agreed.
       “It’s” Doctor Thursday started. Mat finished for him, saying, “Surprisingly fresh!”
       They all nodded.
       The beast jumped from the window onto a catwalk. Doc and his companions encircled the floor under him. Every direction he attempted to move, he was countered.
       Now Doc and Mary Jane were on the catwalk itself, closing in on him. They were now all over the chemical vats.
       Doc jumped to grab the creatures’ arm and in countering the thing fell off the catwalk. Neither Doc nor Mary Jane could catch him.
       As the thing sank into the bubbling cauldron of evil, the scent of pine filled the air.
       Doc stood, leaning on the rail, and looked down into what would become one of the first major air freshener creation vats. “Thus ever, evil ends!” he commented.
       “Amen,” added all his aides.
       Let it ever be, so long as Doc Faustus and the Secret Science Six are there to stand guard for America and Humanity (In that order).


THE END
©2005 C. Wayne Owens