Red Entaries

Seventeen

Blake was enveloped in the shadow of this pavilion-garage. His now battered car was parked to the left of two newly remodeled sport vehicles. One with a large gaping hole in its windshield, and every engine hood he could see was blown next to the clearance level height poles, which were between each parking lane holding up this geometric squared roof.

The weather was momentarily clear but raining lasers and a bolt of thunder of explosive rounds cratering Blake's open driver side door. As the Mobsters reloaded, he called for backup, and he received the operator: "This is private inspector Blake of Lunar Life Corp...I...need h...help."

The shooting began again. He had to shoulder open the protective reinforced door, being shaken back violently. The cop swiftly gave his transmission as he heard one of the gang members: "I got him! Keep firing!"

Blake could hear the perp's wet leather tapping cement even in laser fire across Trevor's dimly lit skyscraper. Resuming his transmission: "Ten minutes ago, there was a hidden assassin...shooting the streetlights." Blake remembered when a cascade of glass came plunging down from the open sky next to his parked surveillance vehicle.

"Then the perpetrator unloaded at least a full battery from a hidden nook or I couldn't tell. As I heard lasers whiz by, some hit me and rang me like the Liberty Bell; moments later, silence broke, they must have seen me...these other guys let loose everything they had, but not in stealth.

Blake wasn't sure if he should run to a hover truck parked horizontally five spaces for new cover, or he could run to the chairman's building before they reloaded, but he couldn't stay here any longer.

The vigilante caught his breath while laser fire was replaced with a charging thug. "Hold it!" Blake popped out from the shadows of the parking lot, shooting down the thug after the doors of Trev's corporate building were almost blown open.

Blake shot a direct beam through a number of bad guys, either falling instantly or blown back while many blasts glanced off the cop's armor. He released a less accurate shot through one of the hover limousine's thrusters, causing it to tremble down a click.

As Mugg felt the down push, he cautiously got out with his back to the hover limo. "Get him. Give me a beam gun," he barked orders while hiding behind his vehicle.

***

Trevor realized it was too risky to just use the elevator welcoming whatever dreadful foe that killed Thomas and dismantled the lobby security cameras, so Trahern opted to take the stairs from the second floor instead.

Trevor felt an eerie feeling as he slowly crept, now on seldom used marble steps which led to the last stairwell curving as a jeweled crown being flanked by the first floor elevator. The echoes grew louder as he reached the terminus of the wall facing the stairwell. Trev's hand planted the foot-squared white tiles while his knuckles edged the corner. He swallowed before pulling himself over, revealing his body above the open stairs—to anyone who might be watching.

Stepping quietly to the first marble step and taking a grip on the golden railing. He saw the large ruby knobs at either end of the stairwell were missing. Before revealing himself on the lobby floor, Trevor tried to locate the trespasser. Seeing the floor receptionist lying with his com on the table, he wanted Thomas to have a proper resting place.

The large ceiling-lamp was flickering over the receptionist's table as Trahern silently stepped down, unable to see any Gangster members in the fading light. The laser fire quieted as Trevor stopped and listened, being unaware at this time Blake made a brave attempt to subdue Mugg.

Trev heard a voice below him as he quickly got off the railing, a deep-disciplined confirmation with sharp syllables. The black cloth clandestine individual walked swiftly with only the minute sound of his clothing swaying. The hefty assassin headed toward the main desk, but Trevor hesitated his attack to wait for the opportune time. When the assassin placed a small white sack on the guard's table—the ex-chairman went carefully down the stairs....