Zombies
By Kenneth Hill
A Braden Mezo Adventure
From Hill Family Publishing
August 2004
Chapter 1
Operation Zombie
“Now let me get this straight,” Viper said. “Your brother George is an
anthropologist.”
“Archeologist,” Billy Wildman corrected.
“Right,” Viper continued. “An archeologist. And he discovered how
zombies were made thousands of years ago in an ancient Central American
culture.”
“Actually, according to his letter, a Dr. Watson made the initial
discovery. My brother just stole his report and I think he may have done away
with the good Dr. Watson. Not that he would put something like that in
writing.”
“And now he needs ten million dollars to find and develop the ‘Magic
Crystal Mine’ in order to create zombies? Is he nuts?” Viper couldn’t believe
he was having a serious conversation about zombies.
Billy had to defend his brother. “You’ll have to read his letter.
According to ancient folklore, the zombies were created as part of a strange
religious ceremony. When it was over they were given the antidote, something
called ‘Golden Power Dirt’, and returned to their normal state. I know it sounds
crazy but George and Dr. Watson had been working on this for over fifteen
years. Besides, he only needs two million to start. He wants the other eight
once he has a sufficient supply of the crystals. They found a small supply of the
formula, enough to do some preliminary tests on a few of the natives. But the
Magic Crystals can only be used once. The two million will be used to hire
guides and bribe government officials in order to operate the mine.”
“And what in the world would we do with the zombies after we had
them?”
“Revenge!” Wildman yelled. “I not only lost my yacht and one of my
best planes but my reputation as well. We lost over a thousand henchmen in
that last battle. Don’t you think it might be a little hard to find new recruits?
We could put together an army of five, ten, why not fifteen thousand henchmen.
All of them zombies and none of them getting paid.”
That got Viper’s attention. He was obsessed with the thought of revenge.
Mezo and his grandpa would have to pay for all the misery they caused. To be
killed by an army of zombies would serve them right.
“And if George is right about the crystals,” Wildman continued, “we
could make a fortune from selling them to other criminal organizations. I’ve
already talked to the head of SPECTRE and they’re very interested. Just think
of the possibilities, we could treat the water supply of a whole city with the
Magic Crystals then blackmail them for the antidote.”
“Does he know where this mine is?” Viper asked.
“Not yet. But he has a good idea where to start looking.”
“And what about the formula for the antidote? What was it, the Golden
Fairy Dust?”
“Golden Power Dirt,” Wildman corrected again. “No, we don’t have that
either. It wasn’t in Dr. Watson’s report. George thinks he knows how to get it.
The map is supposed to be in the possession of one of Dr. Watson’s assistants.
So what do you say, do we back him, or not?”
“Why not, where do I wire the money?”
Billy Wildman gave Viper the account number listed at the bottom of the
letter. He then put the letter in a file folder labeled “Operation Zombie.”
Chapter 2
The Mission
“Braden, thanks so much for coming on such short notice,” the president
began. “I know how busy you and your Grandpa Ken are but if the reports
we’ve been getting are true, this is serious.”
“I always enjoy my trips to the White House sir, but what kind of reports
are you talking about?”
“Well, this all seems so unbelievable that I’m not sure how to bring this
up. First, tell me what you know about zombies.”
Braden thought for a minute. “I read somewhere that according to
Anthony Pierce you could take some chemicals, mix them with some
ingredients, and create one. I don’t know how true that is. I’ve never heard of
it being done.”
“Apparently,” President Bush continued, “someone has figured out what
the chemicals and ingredients are. I just received a message from M in London.
According to one of their double agents in the SPECTRE organization,
SPECTRE is going to go into the zombie business. They’re taking the report
serious enough that they’re putting their top agent on the case. The CIA has
also been getting some strange reports about zombies in the jungles of Central
America. They did some checking and a Dr. Watson and his associate were
studying the legend of zombies in ancient Central America for the Southern
Illinois University in Carbondale. Neither they nor their assistants have been
heard from in weeks.”
“That’s very interesting sir, but where do I and the FIRE agency come
in? It sounds like James Bond and the CIA have everything under control. I
mean, I’d be thrilled to work with 007 again but just what part am I to play?”
“Dr. Watson’s assistant’s name is George Wildman. We did some
checking and it is Billy’s brother,” the president continued. He saw Braden’s
eyes narrow at the mention of Wildman. “Now you see where you come in.
You’re our top expert on Billy Wildman. And if he’s involved you can bet that
Viper is right there with him. You see why we’re taking the threat of zombies
serious, no matter how incredible it sounds?”
“Yes sir. Me and my team will get on this right away. Do you have any
idea where we start?”
“All we have so far are the reports turned into the university and pictures
of Dr. Watson. The reports coming into the CIA on the zombies were from
Costa Rica. I think you should start your search there.”
“I’m on my way,” Braden said. He shook the president’s hand and
started for the door. “I’ll be in touch,” he added.
Chapter 3
Spiders and Flies
Braden returned home, his mind racing. It was bad enough that he may
have to do battle with zombies but to also learn that Billy Wildman has a
brother. He was glad to be joining forces with his friend James Bond again. It
sounded like he would need all the help he could get to come out on top on this
mission.
“Mom, what do you know about zombies?”
“Not a lot. Why do you ask, honey?” Amy answered.
He told her about the meeting with the president and having to lead the
FIRE team on a mission in the jungles of Central America.
“Oh, that sounds serious,” his mom said smiling. “You be careful down
there. I’d hate to see you get eaten by a lion or something.”
Braden hadn’t thought about that. Lions, giant snakes, poisonous spiders,
this mission might be more fun than he thought! “I’ll be careful,” he agreed.
He helped his mom pack his clothes then flew his little jet, the Phoenix,
out to the property to see how his Grandpa Ken was coming along with the
repairs to the Blazer. As usual, he was met at the end of the short little grass
strip by his grandpa and Cindy.
“Buenos dias, Bradenito.”
“Hola, mis amigos,” Braden replied.
“You know, we really need a better way for you to land here,” Ken said.
“It’s kind of a pain to have to repack your drag ‘chute every time.”
“We could put a cable across the end of the runway and I could catch it
with a hook on the tail,” Braden suggested. “That’s how I used to land on
aircraft carriers when I was in the Navy.”
Cindy was surprised. “I never knew you were in the Navy.” He never
ceased to amaze her.
“Yep, just like my dad.”
“I think the cable is a good idea. We’ll get started on it as soon as I
finish with the Blazer.”
“I don’t think we’ll have time, Grandpa. As soon as we get the Blazer
back together, the FIRE team has to leave for a mission in Central America.”
Braden then filled them in on the details. The three agents went over the file
and decided that even against two Wildmans, they could handle it, even though
none of them had ever actually seen a zombie before. According to the reports
Dr. Watson sent to the University, his next report was supposed to contain the
formula for creating zombies. He was also supposed to have the map for the
Magic Crystal mine. That report never showed up. Hopefully, the Wildmans
and Viper didn’t have possession of them yet. “I thought we could load the
Blazer up on a cargo plane along with the Phoenix. We’ll probably need the
four wheel drive. I’m not sure what all 007 will have down there.” he
concluded.
“Sounds good to me. I’ve got the fender repaired and the rockets
working. Now, all I have left is to finish hooking up the smoke screen. It
worked so well on the Phoenix that I thought I would put one on the Blazer.”
“Sounds good,” Braden said. “I don’t know how long this mission will
take, so Cindy, you better pack plenty of hot chocolate.”
“And some magic cookies,” Ken added. “Some we could eat to keep
from being turned into zombies. Do you have a recipe for something like that?”
“How about chocolate chip?” she answered.
“Sounds perfect,” Braden said.
Braden and Ken loaded the Phoenix, the Blazer, and plenty of hot
chocolate and cookies, along with all their other supplies into a cargo plane for
the flight to Costa Rica. Braden continued studying the file during the flight.
“You know, Grandpa,” he began, “the zombies may not be our enemy. They’re
probably just victims of George Wildman. I think we should try to turn them
back to normal rather than just blast them to bits.”
“Guess you’re probably right,” Ken agreed. “Wish we had some idea of
the antidote.” The plane was only a few minutes from landing. “Holy cow!
Braden, check out that mansion down there on that island. It even has its own
runway. Bet it’s long enough to land a small jet on.”
Braden looked out the window. “That sure is nice. Wonder who lives
there.” A red light came on over the cabin door. “We better buckle up. We’re
getting ready to land.”
Down below in the mansion, Billy Wildman was also studying up on
zombies. They had to have some way to control them. Maybe hypnosis would
work.
His thoughts were interrupted by the scanner on his desk picking up the
Army’s air field. “Control tower, this is Mongoose One. Request clearance to
land.”
“Mongoose One you’re clear to land on Runway 15.”
Billy had never heard of Mongoose being used as a code name before. A
mongoose was an animal that hunted snakes. “Or Vipers,” he thought. “It can’t
be!” He had to make sure. Wildman picked up the phone and dialed.
“Army base. Corporal Adams here.”
“Corporal Adams, this is General Wild at the Pentagon. Did the plane
with the FIRE agents land yet?”
“Uh, they’re just getting ready to touch down now, Sir.”
“Then why wasn’t I notified?” Wildman yelled into the receiver. “What
were you going to do, wait till the mission was over before you called?”
“I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t have orders to contact anyone at the Pentagon. I
was told they’re mission was Top Secret.”
“It is, Corporal Adams! Don’t tell a soul that I called. You got that!”
“Yes Sir. Not a soul.” The Corporal was starting to sweat.
Wildman hung up and hit the intercom. “Viper, if you have time could
you come to my office? It’s about our old friends.”
Viper raced to Wildman’s office. Billy filled him in with what he had
just learned.
“Do you think they’re onto the mansion?” Viper asked.
“I doubt it. If they knew we were here, they would have showed up with
the entire Navy. It could be that they’ve already heard stories about the
zombies. Something like that would be next to impossible to keep quiet.
What’s important is that they’re here on our turf. We’ve got to set a trap for
them.”
“Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly,” Viper said grinning.
Chapter 4
Dead Man’s Cave
The Base Commander led the two agents to the conference room while
their equipment was being unloaded. James Bond was there waiting for them.
“Hello 007,” Braden said.
“Hello Braden,” Bond answered with a big grin. “I’m glad to see you
two again. We’ll need all the help we can get on this mission. Speaking of
help, Q-Branch sent you a present.” James handed Braden and Ken a small box
apiece.
Ken opened his box. “Sunglasses?” he asked.
“Not just sunglasses,” Bond answered. “These will let you see in the
dark as well. The right earpiece contains a laser in the front and a two-way
radio on the back. There’s a small switch you can push to turn the radio into an
amplifier powerful enough to hear a whisper a block away. The left earpiece
has a tranquilizer dart in the front. The rear part can be unscrewed and contains
an extremely powerful acid.”
“What, no Game Boy,” Braden asked, smiling.
The three took their seats as General Zach Smith, the Base Commander,
started the briefing. He pointed to a large map on the wall. “The trail you see
marked in red is the path of Dr. Watson and his associate, George Wildman.
They were traveling with several helpers and native guides. The last time any
of them had been spotted was over two weeks ago. That’s about the same time
we started receiving the reports of zombies. The red X on the map shows their
last campsite near Mono Grande, or Big Monkey. When we were asked to
investigate by SIU we found the camp totally destroyed. The blue X’s on the
map show where the zombies were spotted. None of this is a military matter so
that’s really all the investigating we’ve done. We have received orders from the
pentagon to offer you any assistance you may need. Any questions?”
The three agents looked at each other and shook their heads. Braden
spoke up, “I think we’ve got the picture, sir. I think 007 and I should search the
area of the zombie sightings from the air while Grandpa takes the Blazer to the
Mono Grande camp. We’ll meet there to search for clues and set up our base.
But first I think we should eat some cookies.”
Billy Wildman had built his own link to the CIA’s spy satellites. Now,
he and Viper were at his desk studying the pictures. They immediately
recognized Braden’s plane and Ken’s Blazer heading for the middle of the
jungle. Billy picked up the microphone to his radio and called his brother to
warn him that he could expect company.
“Don’t worry about it,” George Wildman replied. “I have forty armed
men with me and about one hundred and fifty zombies. We’ll take care of
them.”
“Be very careful,” Billy warned. “You have no idea how dangerous they
are. I’ll be there with my men as quick as I can. Mezo is not going to ruin our
plans again.” He then got an idea. “It looks like they’re heading for the Mono
Grande camp. Leave a map there with an X marking Dead Man’s Cave.”
George picked up on the idea immediately. “Right! Then we’ll put
explosives at the caves entrance. I think I’ll also leave a few zombies in the
cave just to keep them company.”
Billy turned to Viper. “I’ll take the men and try to take out Mezo and his
grandpa on their way to the cave. You stay here and watch those satellite
images. Call me on the radio if it looks like the army is going to send in back
up.”
Ken arrived at the camp saw and that the only place flat and clear enough
for the Phoenix to land had a large boulder right in the middle. He targeted the
rock and pressed the fire button for one of his rockets. The headlight folded
down and the rocket was on its way. The boulder was blown to bits leaving a
clear path for Braden.
The radio in the Blazer came to life. “Nice shot, Grandpa. I was
wondering where we were going to land.”
Braden set the Phoenix down and taxied next to the Blazer. “No sign of
George or any zombies. Let’s hope we find some clues here.”
Camp Mono Grande was a mess. It looked like Dr. Watson must have
put up a pretty good battle. The three spread out and began their search.
It was fifteen minutes later when Braden called Bond and Ken in to the
main office. “Look what I found! I pulled the desk drawer out and this map
was taped to the underside of the desktop. There’s an X on Dead Man’s Cave.
I’ll bet that’s where the Magic Crystal Mine is.”
“Or the antidote,” 007 suggested. They studied the map and saw there
was no place to land an airplane. “Maybe we should call the army and see
about borrowing a helicopter.”
“I’m not sure we’d find room to land that either,” Ken said. “It looks
pretty remote. I think we should take the Blazer.”
“Then we better get started,” Braden added. “Mom said I have to be
home before dark.”
Braden took his guns and ammunition from their hiding space under the
planes rear seat and loaded them into the Blazer. The three then pushed the
Phoenix into a storage shed and locked the door.
They had been following the path to the cave for almost an hour when the
Blazer was suddenly rocked by an explosion. Ken checked his mirrors and
reported, “Wildman’s men are coming up behind us on motorcycles. There’s
no way I can outrun them.”
Bond leaned out one window and was firing back with his Walther PPK
while Braden fired from the other window the 12-gauge machine shotgun. Ken
saw a big rock in their path and got an idea. He hit the button for the smoke
screen. As the Blazer filled with smoke, he hit another button that opened the
rear window. The draft from the open windows carried the smoke out the back
and into the path of the enemy, blinding them. The Blazer then fishtailed
around the rock. The lead riders ran head first into the boulder and the
following bikes plowed into them.
“What happened?” Braden asked between coughs.
“I was testing a theory,” his grandpa answered. “I thought the smoke
screen would be more effective if I let the smoke build up inside the Blazer
first. Then I could hit whoever was following me with a bigger blast of it.” He
wasn’t sure if his favorite grandson would buy the story or not. Still, it sounded
better than, “I must have hooked the valve up backwards.”
“Well,” Bond said, “at least you got rid of our attackers. Maybe the rest
of the trip will…” Before James could finish the sentence, they were rocked by
another explosion.
“Oh no!” Braden said, looking out the window. “Fifteen attack
helicopters. Let me out Grandpa. I’ll take care of them.”
Ken slowed down enough for Braden to jump out with his AK-49 and a
couple magazines of High-Explosive rounds. Braden opened up on the
helicopters while the Blazer was being parked under a rock overhang. Ken and
007 quickly jumped out to help with the battle. The most dangerous part was
avoiding the helicopters as they dropped from the sky. Bond was impressed
with the H-E rounds from the AK-49. He’d have to get one for himself.
With fourteen helicopters wiped out and the fifteenth sent on a hasty
retreat, the three agents continued on their journey. The Blazer was brought to
a stop at the edge of a deep ravine. Ken looked at the map. “Guess we’re
here,” he said pointing to a narrow line. “The cave should be less than a mile
ahead. I was kind of hoping there would be a bridge here.”
The three got out and looked around. There was a dead tree lying across
the gorge. One thousand feet below the tree was jagged rocks. It was their only
way to the cave.
Braden was startled by the sound of the PPK. He turned around and saw
the strangest snake he had ever seen in his life with a bullet hole drilled neatly
through the head. “Thanks,” Braden said. “It looks like we’re on the right
track. I think that’s a zombie snake. It must have gotten too close when
George Wildman was playing around with the crystals.”
They stared at the downed tree wondering who would be the first one to
cross. All three were willing to be a gentleman and let the other two go first.
The sound of the mountain lion behind them sent them racing for the other side.
Ken could have sworn that Braden passed him half way across.
The rest of the trek to Dead Man’s Cave was uneventful. Standing at the
mouth of the cave, Braden told the others, “One thing you should know.
According to the files I read, the caves in Central America are usually full of
very poisonous spiders.”
“Just what I was hoping to hear,” Bond said. “Is it too late to go get a
can of Raid?”
“I just wish we had some idea of what we’re looking for,” Ken said.
“We don’t know anything about the Magic Crystals and even less about the
antidote. Maybe we should take samples of everything. If you two are ready, I
guess I am too.”
The three agents entered the cave and began their exploration. About one
hundred yards inside, they heard the explosion at the mouth. “This can’t be
good news,” Braden said.
Chapter 5
Harry
The cave was enveloped in darkness. The three put on their sunglasses
and pondered their options. They walked back to where the mouth of the cave
used to be, now just a huge pile of rocks.
“I’d say we’re pretty much trapped,” James Bond observed.
“I’d say you’re pretty much right,” Braden agreed. “Let’s hope there’s
another way out of here. Or at least a hole where we could get a radio signal
through. Then we could call the army for help. Well, let’s get going.”
The cave was large and the going easy. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a
cave with a floor this flat,” Ken said. “This must have been the mine.”
“Did you hear that?” Braden asked. “I don’t think we’re alone in here.”
They switched on the amplifiers of the sunglasses. There was definitely
someone or something in the cave with them. They readied their weapons. It
wasn’t long before they saw the band of zombies coming around a corner, all of
them armed with machetes.
James Bond took careful aim at the lead zombie and was ready to fire.
“Wait!” Braden yelled. “Don’t fire unless you have to. These zombies aren’t
our enemies.”
The zombies kept advancing and Ken said, “I think we’re going to have
to, Braden. Enemies or not, I’m not about to let them hack me to bits!” He
leveled his 9mm Beretta. As much as he hated it, Braden had to agree.
Just as the three agents were about to open fire, a strange voice in the
back growled, “STOP!” The zombies instantly froze.
The figure that came to stand in front the agents was bizarre. He seemed
to be half zombie, half normal human. “My name is Harry,” it said. “What are
you doing in this cave?”
“We’re looking for Dr. Watson,” Braden replied. “This is my grandpa
and we’re from the U.S. government. And this is James,” he said pointing to
007. “He works for the British government.” He then told Harry about finding
the map at Mono Grande.
Harry said. “We wouldn’t have left a map behind at the camp. George
Wildman would have found it. That man is pure evil. I’m Dr. Watson’s
assistant. We found out that he was working against us when we accidentally
overheard him on the radio talking to someone named Billy. Dr. Watson took
the map for the Magic Crystals and I took the one for the Golden Power Dirt.
That’s the antidote for the zombies. Before I could get away, George used the
Magic Crystals on me. I had already taken a little bit of the antidote, a little bit
was all I had, and it kept me half normal. I want to thank you for not shooting
them,” pointing to the zombies. “They’re really just peaceful villagers. They
listen to me because I’m part zombie. There’s enough Golden Power Dirt in
this abandoned mine turn them all back to normal.”
“The Billy that George was talking to is his brother. He and his partner
Viper are our number one enemies,” Braden said. “It sounds like evil runs in
the family. But if you and Dr. Watson have the only two maps, who left the
one at the camp?” He thought about this for a little bit, then continued. “I’ll bet
they sent us here to trap us in the cave not knowing it was the mine for the
antidote!”
“If you have the Golden Power Dirt, how do we use it to turn you back to
normal?” Ken asked. “I don’t see any reason to leave these villagers as
zombies any longer than necessary.”
“The antidote just has to be sprinkled over our heads. It’s absorbed
through the skin along with being inhaled,” Harry answered. “But you don’t
want to turn us back normal just yet. As long as we’re zombies, we can see in
the dark. It might be best if you wait till we’re out of the cave.”
“If Dr. Watson has the map to the Magic Crystals,” Braden asked, “does
that mean he’s still alive?”
“I hope so. When he took off with the map, I saw George shoot him in
the leg. It was dark and the last I saw of him, he had disappeared into the
jungle. I’m sure he was going to the Magic Crystal mine to destroy it. It has to
be kept out of the hands of George Wildman.”
“And his brother and Viper,” Braden added.
James Bond looked around. “I hate to bring this up,” he said, “but we’re
still sort of trapped in this cave. Do you know of another way out?”
“That could be a problem,” Harry said. “There’s an air shaft that leads
straight up but the only way that would help is if someone dropped a rope down
from above. The only other exit is a small hole at the other end of the cave.
But it’s not big enough for any grown man to fit through.”
“How about a seven-year-old boy?” Braden asked. “Lead the way.”
Harry ordered the zombies to follow and led the group through the cave
to the small opening. It was a tight fit but Braden managed to squirm through.
“I’ll meet you all back at the air shaft as soon as I get a rope from the Blazer,”
he yelled back to them.
Braden ran back to the Blazer and was just getting the rope out when a
voice behind him demanded, “Don’t move a muscle!” George had left a single
guard at the Blazer just in case they managed to escape the zombies and dig
their way out. “Now turn around slowly and put your hands up,” the guard
said.
“But you just told me not to move,” Braden protested. “Now make up
your mind.”
The guard was not amused. “I said turn around and get your hands up!”
Braden turned around. His right hand was raised but the left one stopped
to adjust his sunglasses. “You didn’t happen to see that mountain lion
anywhere around here, did you?” Braden asked. The guard turned his head and
looked around nervously. Braden’s finger found the firing mechanism of the
tranquilizer dart. The dart caught the guard in the neck and he instantly went
down. He quickly tied the guard up, grabbed the rope, then raced back to the
air shaft.
Soon, everyone was safely back outside the cave. Harry and the zombies
had been turned back to normal and the villagers sent on their way home.
“What’s our plan now?” 007 asked.
“Find Dr. Watson before the Wildmans do,” Braden answered.
Chapter 6
The Search for Dr. Watson
Braden sat down on a rock and started opening up the end of the 12guage shells and dumping out the lead shot. “What are you doing,” Bond
asked.
“I’m going to reload the shells with the Golden Power Dirt. If we meet
any more zombies, I’ll just shoot over their heads.”
“Good idea,” Ken said. “We’ll help.” He looked at Harry. “Did Dr.
Watson ever tell you where the Magic Crystal mine is?”
“I remember one time when he told me the crystals came from the
Devil’s mouth. Sounds dramatic but not much help, is it?”
Braden thought for a minute. “It might be. Hand me the map, Grandpa.”
He studied it carefully. “Look! Here’s Rio Diablo. That means Devil River.
And the mouth is less than two miles south of the Mono Grande camp.”
When they finished preparing the shells, the four climbed into the Blazer.
“Let’s stop at Mono Grande and pick up the Phoenix,” Braden suggested. “If
we have to go up against two Wildmans, we may need the fire power.”
Billy Wildman caught up with his brother in the jungle. They were
enjoying their family reunion, not having seen each other in years. “So what
made you become and archeologist?”
“The search for gold and treasures,” George answered. “I think the
Magic Crystals will be the biggest treasure yet. And now that we’ve gotten rid
of those meddling agents, all we have to do is find Dr. Watson and his map. He
can’t be far.”
They were interrupted by Billy’s radio. “Wildman, this is Viper. Did
you leave some men to bring back that FIRE agents Blazer?”
“George left a guard with it. He didn’t have orders to move it. We
figured it was probably boobie trapped.”
“Well,” Viper continued, “I just saw four men get in it. It looks like their
heading back to the Mono Grande camp.”
“Only three went into the cave,” George said. “They must be taking the
guard with them as a hostage. That won’t do them any good. They can just kill
him for all I care. He was useless.”
“Thanks, Viper,” Billy said into the radio. “We’ll try to head them off.
Keep us informed if you see anything else.” He turned to his brother. “This
could be a problem. I lost most of my men on the way to the cave. We need an
army.”
“I still have one canister of the Magic Crystals left. There’s a village
near Mono Grande. We’ll use the last of the crystals to turn all the men into
zombies. That should give us an army of about two thousand zombies and a
couple of hundred armed henchmen.”
Billy smiled menacingly. “Good idea. I still have one attack helicopter
left. This time, they don’t stand a chance.”
The Blazer pulled into the camp and Ken looked around. “Braden, I
don’t see any new tracks around but don’t take any chances. You and James do
a thorough preflight inspection to make sure it wasn’t boobie trapped while we
were gone. Harry and I will head on down to the river and start looking for Dr.
Watson.” He turned to Harry. “Have you ever shot a gun, before?”
Braden and 007 found the Phoenix to be in perfect shape and were soon
in the air, Bond with binoculars searching for the missing Doctor. Braden
pointed out a big hydroelectric dam. “Bet the U.S. built that. Part of the power
goes to the Army Base.”
It wasn’t long before the radar was beeping its warning. James Bond
lowered the 50 caliber machine gun. “There he is,” Bond said, pointing to the
helicopter.
Braden keyed the radio. “Why don’t you just give up and go home, Billy
Boy. You know I always win.” He knew his grandpa was monitoring the radio
and wanted to warn him what was going on.
“Not this time, Mezo,” Wildman answered as he fired one of his rockets.
Bond was ready. He targeted the rocket with the machine gun and blew
it out of the sky. But Billy Wildman was a quick learner. He fired four of his
heat-seeking missiles at the same time. There was no way Bond could take out
all of them. Braden put the Phoenix into a dive and headed for the river. He
pulled up at the last second and the lead two rockets splashed harmlessly in the
rushing water. The other two were hot on his trail.
Braden saw the Blazer at the river’s edge. “I could use a little help here,
Grandpa!”
“Bring ‘em on,” Ken answered as he readied his own rocket. Braden
brought the Phoenix back down in front of the Blazer, followed by Wildman’s
heat-seeking missiles, and Ken pressed the fire button. He was aiming for the
lead missile but he hit the second one. “Close enough,” he thought.
Braden pulled back on the stick as the last rocket was closing the gap.
He saw that he was heading straight for Wildman’s helicopter and got an idea.
At one hundred feet below it he pulled the stick sharply to the right and cut the
engine. Wildman realized Braden’s plan a fraction of a second too late. The
missile was now heading straight for the helicopter’s exhaust. Billy opened the
door and bailed out, just before his helicopter was totally destroyed. Braden
saw Wildman’s parachute open and watched as he splashed into Rio Diablo.
“Go to the Devil,” Bond said smiling.
“You think there are any piranhas down there?” Braden asked.
“Braden, get down here quick!” Ken was looking at two thousand
zombies with machetes along with a couple of hundred armed men.
“Already on my way,” Braden answered. He didn’t bother to restart the
engine. He made a perfect dead-stick landing on the river bank, stopping in
front of the Blazer. Grabbing his big 12-guage machine shotgun, he and Bond
jumped to the ground and ran his grandpa.
Ken, James Bond, and Harry were picking off the armed men, being very
careful not to hit the zombies. When the zombies were fifty feet away, Braden
opened fire above their heads. As the zombies were transformed back to
normal villagers, they turned around to attack the henchmen. They didn’t
appreciate being turned into zombies to begin with.
George saw that the attack was not going the way he had planned. With
nowhere to run, he jumped into the river and let the current carry him quickly
down stream and away from the battle.
Braden had to reload several times but soon had all the zombies back to
normal.
“Nice work.” The voice came from a man limping from behind a rock.
“Hello, Harry. It’s great to see you alive.”
“Dr. Watson!” Harry exclaimed. “These are my friends, Braden, James
and Ken. They helped us defeat George Wildman.”
“I’m not sure if we defeated them or not,” Ken said. “George and his
brother are still alive and aren’t likely to give up on the Magic Crystals. If you
don’t mind, I think we should destroy the mine.”
Dr. Watson smiled. “That’s already been taken care of by the U.S
government. You see that hydroelectric dam over there? The mine is at the
base of it, buried under one hundred feet of water. The only thing left to do is
destroy the map. I hate to do it, but after seeing the evil the crystals could be
used for, I don’t see any other choice. It seems like fifteen years of my life
wasted.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Braden said encouragingly. “You could always
write a book.”
James Bond reached in his pocket and pulled out his lighter. He handed
it to Dr. Watson and they all watched as the map turned to ash and was blown
away.
“What do you think happened to the Wildmans, Grandpa?”
“As strong as that current is, I’d say they were carried out to sea. They’ll
probably wash up on one of the islands. They’re pretty tough. I doubt that
we’ve seen the last of them.”
“You’re probably right. Well, we better get the doctor back to the army
base to get that leg taken care of,” Braden said. “Besides, it’s almost dark and
mom wants me home.”
The End
Acknowledgments
I’d feel very guilty if I took all the credit for this story. Most of the ideas
were Braden’s. He’s the one that came up with the idea of zombies, zombie
snakes, Golden Power Dirt, the sunglasses… even the Wildmans were his idea.
I couldn’t have written this without him. Mostly, I just want everyone to know
how proud I am of him and his imagination. Thanks Braden.
Love,
Grandpa