Episode 9 — The Long 'No'

The knife didn't move another millimeter before there was a bullet between the commander's eyes. Across the room, Z was holding his smoking pistol, still pointed at the commander.

"Checkmate," he said.

Agent Sandstorm's mouth was hanging wide open. She stood in stunned silence as Z holstered his pistol and crossed the room toward Nup.

"You OK?" he asked.

"I'll live," Nup growled in reply, his right arm bent across his chest.

"What the hell happened here?" Sandstorm asked as smoke rose from random places and wires sparked.

"They came out of nowhere," Meernik piped up. "We were running the diagnostics on the new turbo cannon when the first battle wagon slammed Mayfield. It was all over after that. We're lucky to be alive."

"Guys...." Sandstorm ventured.

"This couldn't have been a random attack," Z said. "The Golden Eagles would never be that foolish, even if they had the element of surprise. What were they after?"

"Uh, guys..." Sandstorm again.

"They must have known we had accelerated the plans for the new fieldhouse," Nup said. "They must have someone on the inside."

"GUYS!!!" Everyone turned to look at Sandstorm. "If they have someone on the inside, then they probably know about Deuce, has anyone heard from him in a while?"

Z quickly held up his video watch, punching in Deuce's frequency.

"Deuce, come in," he said. "Deuce, do you read me?"

Nothing but static greeted Z for several minutes as the rest of the survivors gathered around the tiny screen. Finally, a slight break in the static and Deuce's face partially materialized.

"Z..........ssssssssssssss

ssssssss...................too man....," Deuce said, his face looked strained and bloody. "I..............held th........long as I.........ssssssssssssss.............sorry....sssssss."

Then a blinding flash, then nothing. The screen was black.

"Deuce?" Z said, his voice becoming more frantic. "Deuce, come in Deuce."

Then, sinking to his knees, Z let out the worst howl any of the agents would ever hear: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"