For the first time in a while I didn't have a nightmare, but I woke up and realized there was only 48 hours until the end of the world, a nightmare in itself. I went to my office door and looked around, and I noticed a package. A package, I had never gotten a package before. I opened it up and saw what was inside, a small case, very small, and very non-descript. I looked at the box and discovered that it was for a John Clark, what a great postal service we have nowadays.
I put the case into a very un-noticeable pocket in the back of my trusty trench coat, since it might be useful. No more then five seconds after that, a nice warm voice told me, "You have a fax." It was an address, 740 Lanset Drive, Old Chicago, IL.
Great, Chicago, first of all, half of the loop had been demolished in the blast, making it a very dangerous area, much like my hometown, and there is also a New Chicago. Second, I don't have a damn way to get there. So where do I go, the only person who might be able to help, Chelsee.
About 30 minutes later, I had a speeder, and a damned good one too. Chelsee sure has taste in speeders, not to mention guys ie. me. I flew the 3 hour trip to Chicago and got to Lanset Drive. Surprisingly, 740 was a hotel like the Ritz, a scum hole. I walked into the building and felt a knock on the head.
I woke up about 5 hours later, the clock on the wall told me this, with a sock in my mouth, tied to a chair. A man was sitting in front of me, with a grin on his face, and he took the sock out, "Sorry about that Tex, I needed you to bring you to a different place, and I didn't want you to know the location. I'll make it short. Take the green stone, here."
"Wow, this really helps, I ca-"
"Cut the crap Tex, I'm glad to get rid of it. Now, forgive me but, nighty-night."
I was out again. I woke up two hours later in the speeder, and flew off. About right when I was over Iowa, I noticed 4 gray speeders, following me. Now what? I looked down to the ground. I saw somewhere I could land the speeder to see if they were actually following me. I quickly moved the controls of the speeder, and set it nice on the dirt, being careful not to put any scratches in Chelsee's speeder.
As I predicted 5 seconds later, I saw the four speeders land behind me. I saw someone get out of one of the speeders, and another from out of the back seat of the first speeder. They walked up to my window which I winded down.
It was a woman in her thirties. They other guy was a body guard. They were both wearing black sunglasses....
"Mr. Murphy... Give us the stone!" They demanded, and with that, the woman revealed a gun which she pulled out from her jacket, and pointed out me.
"We also are willing to give you $250,000 if you cooperate with us"...
Are these the guys Johnson had warned me about? A quarter of a million dollars was tempting, but I had to remember what was at stake here, the lives of billions of people.
"No. I won't take any sum of money you're willing to give me."
The lady pointed a gun directly at my head, "Give me the stone or I'll shoot you and take it myself!"
I didn't have much of a choice. I reached into my pocket and grabbed the stone. At that moment I felt a rush of energy flow through me and someone, or something, else took control of my body. I grabbed the woman by her neck, I wanted to let go but couldn't. After a few seconds, a black shadow began to leave her body. It was sucked into my hand (the one not around her neck) and into the stone. Then I went for the men in the car, but before I could reach them, they all disappeared, right before my eyes. When they left, I dropped the stone and the surge of energy left me. I was back in control. I picked the stone back up and put it in my pocket.
What had just happened? That wasn't like me at all. Then there was that shadow that came out of the woman. Was that one of the shadows that Joseph had mentioned. At that point I remembered the black stone Chester had said Jules had when they dug up Pagunda's statuette. I now had the matching green stone, Kitunda's stone. I still had no idea what it all could mean. Nothing made any sense.
I went back in my speeder and sat down in the driver's seat. I felt a tap on my shoulder. Someone was in the back seat. I turned around ready to knock them out until I realized who it was. Chester Smith. |
