1899- Journey to Mars

“Looks like you’re surrounded,” John Carter said. “Give up.”

Billy cocked the revolver Ekka had kicked away.

The Chinaman smiled. His hand flashed to the wall and smacked it and the floor opened beneath him. He was gone.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Pat said.

“I think we should make our departure,” Avi said.

The crew of the Argent rushed to the elevator. Billy pulled the tasseled cord twice. The doors closed and the elevator dropped quickly.

“I don’t know how Guthrie did it,” Ekka said, “but we’ve got to get back aboard the Argent before he blows this outpost sky-wide and handsome.”

“Bixie,” Billy said, “how did you get those cuffs off?”

“Dere be white magics and dere be black magics...and den dere be tricks.”

“You’ll have to teach me that sometime.”

“Me too,” John Carter said.

“Count me in,” Pat Garrett agreed.

Bixie produced a pin and began doffing the cuffs of the remainder of the crew.

The elevator dropped nine floors and came to an abrupt halt. Avi nearly lost his footing, but Carter was there to catch him.

A howling wind blew down the corridor and for a moment shards of glass went with it. Once the glass was clear, Billy ran in the direction of the Argent with everyone following him.

“Hurry, dad!” Dakota shouted as they came into the hangar bay. Through the windows the Kraken swooped by past them, it’s black mass belching flame.

The air was going, quickly. Somewhere, further along the station arm, Guthrie had punched a gaping hole.

“Dakota!” Ekka shouted. “Close those doors! Now!”

From seventy feet away, Dakota Gostman obeyed his mother’s command and the ramp began moving slowly upwards.

A crowd of morts, lead by one of the orange-ha

ired and fanged corts ran at them from the opposite side of the hangar.

“We don’t have time for this,” Billy said, and shot the cort between the eyes. The fellow flopped back onto the deck. Billy knew he would be rising again, but by that time they would be past him.

John Carter howled at the remaining morts and, as a body, they all came to a halt, then turned and ran the opposite direction.

They made the Argent. The crew scrambled over the rising ramp and into the ship. Billy turned to see a dozen morts headed for them. The one cort he had shot got up from the deck, made as if to dust himself off, then pulled a firearm from his holster. Billy grabbed the chain by the wall, kicked the cotter pin out of the bracket that made closing and opening the door a slow business, and the ramp slammed into place. Panging sounds came from the other side.

“Mr. Burroughs!” Billy called.

“Already in the engine room!” the distorted voice came back to him.

“Good! I’ll need full power.”

“What about those big doors we came through?” Ian asked.

“After I’m through, they’ll have to install new ones.”

“After Guthrie is through,” Ekka replied, “they’ll need a new space station.”