Renewal 5 - an Untimely Fall Read Online Free PDF

harder by the half dozen police trying to give him advice all at once, but he turned a tarnished brass key on the heavy padlock and laughed with relief when it popped open. The second lock went faster, since it was twin to the first one, and he could limit his attempts to the same type of key.
    With the doors open, cops stumbled out of the cages, in various stages of abuse and injury. From the look of things, Knights of the White God were partial to whips, ropes, and burns, with a few blades thrown in for sport. Rob  stepped into the cages to check on the police who remained behind, unable to move. Two were long dead, adding to the Dragon’s murder count. The rest were in trouble, and in several cases, well beyond Rob’s first aid skills. He hoped the boys would hurry back with the armored truck, Big Bertha. He spent his time cleaning and bandaging every wound he could find.
    Nick was given the job of repairing the two trucks that John had disabled, but could be easily put back in service. John handed him the valve cores and wrench, and gave Nick quick instructions. Nick had the larger truck’s drive shaft reconnected, and was manually pumping the tires of the state pickup with a bicycle pump when Seth and Terry roared through the gate in the massive gray Bertha. Seth was driving, and couldn’t resist a double honk on the air horn, which startled everyone and sent a couple of wounded cops ducking for cover. Seth’s sheepish expression invited instant forgiveness as he turned the truck and backed it up to the small crowd by the dock.
    “Nice, Seth,” John said, and sent the big young man around the corner to help Nick. “Terry, good job, excellent job today. But... You’re the only one left to collect our gear, so get to it.”
    Terry jogged off toward the tank yard, and Nick brought the first state truck around, backing it in next to Bertha. Seth appeared shortly with the pickup and added it to the lineup. With Bill still weak and flat on his back, John took overall command.
    “Ok, folks! Walking wounded in the back of the big truck,” John announced, pointing to the larger flatbed with the wooden sides. “Anyone able enough to do so, please help us load the seriously wounded into Big Bertha, here.” He turned to Bill and said, “You want to sit, or lie flat?”
    Bill looked back with a pale face that served as an answer. “Ok. Seth, put Bill in the back of the pickup. Rob, direct the loading of the wounded. Nick, go help Terry collect our gear before he passes out.”
    Seth carried Bill to the pickup, and laid his leader in the back as gently as possible. He took off his ammo vest, and his outer shirt, rolling it up as a pillow for Bill, and zipped the vest back on his muscular torso.
    John waved Seth back over and quietly said, “You’re driving Big Bertha back. We’ll take the shortest route down I-24, bandits or not. If anything gets in our way, you use that armor and punch a hole for the rest of us. Got it?”
    Seth rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
    “But first, and this may even be more fun, I need you to get the Grand Lizard up on Bertha’s roof, lay him flat on his back, and tie him to the cargo rails. Don’t be afraid to make it nice and tight.”
    “Yes, SIR!” Seth acknowledge with enthusiasm. “And I thought this day wasn’t gonna be any fun at all...”
    Seth put on his non-threatening, good old boy demeanor, and stepped up to the Grand Dragon, towering almost a foot over the fat man. “Hey there. Name’s Seth. I have been asked to secure you to the roof of that truck, right there. My question to you is, do you want to be conscious, or should I just go ahead and knock you in the head?”
    The Grand Dragon wasn’t much of a climber, but he made it soon enough.
    John had picked some police to fill out his caravan, and managed to get everyone and everything stowed in reasonable order. “Terry, can you drive a truck?”
    “No, John. I never have.”
    “Today’s your day. Take