Capital Run

Chapter Twenty-Two

“I don’t believe it!” Blade exclaimed.

“I believe it,” Rikki stated, grinning.

“I don’t get it,” Lex chimed in, gingerly adjusting the makeshift bandage on her left shoulder.

Directly ahead, parked in the center of the highway, upright, intact, was the SEAL. About 20 yards past the SEAL, also parked in the middle of the road, was an enormous Red helicopter. To the right of the SEAL, at the side of the highway, were two men in uniform, seated, propped against one another back-to-back, their wrists and ankles securely bound with rope.

“Is that your friend?” Lex asked Rikki.

“That’s our friend,” Rikki answered.

He was grinning from ear to ear, leaning on the SEAL’S grill, his Colt Pythons tucked under his belt, his Henry cradled loosely in his buckskins clad arms. “Howdy!” Hickok greeted them as they approached.

Blade, stupefied, pointed at the pair in uniform and the helicopter.

“Who? How? Where?”

Hickok winked at Rikki, then turned a somber expression to Blade.

“You always did have a way with words, pard.”

Blade found his voice. “How in the world did you manage this?”

“It was a piece of cake,” Hickok replied.

Blade stared at the helicopter. “Where did that come from?”

“Washington,” Hickok modestly responded. “Washington? Washington, D.C.?” Blade and Rikki exchanged astonished glances.

“Yep.”

“I want a full report,” Blade told the gunman.

Hickok yawned and shrugged. “I figured we’d need some help gettin’ our buggy on its tires again, so I moseyed to Washington and asked the Reds if they would lend us a hand. Well, sure enough, they obliged. And here I am. The SEAL checks out okay. We can leave whenever you’re ready, pard, unless you reckon you’d rather fly to our Home in the copter.”

Blade shook his head in bewilderment. “Knowing you, there has to be more to it than that. I want a detailed report on our trip back.”

“You’ll get it,” Hickok promised. He gazed at Rikki. “Is the lady with you?”

“This is Lex,” Rikki introduced her.

“I’ve heard a lot about you the past two days,” Lex said.

Hickok stepped up to her and offered his right hand. “Any friend of Rikki’s is a pard of mine. Pleased to meet you.”

Lex shook. “Likewise. I can’t wait to meet your wife. Rikki told me you’re married to a lovely woman.”

“I think so,” Hickok said. “She has the looks and I’ve got the brains.

We’re quite a combo.”

“You have the brains?” Rikki repeated skeptically.

Hickok ignored the barb. He looked at Blade. “So where the blazes have you been?”

“We ran into a spot of trouble,” Blade replied.

“Spent the last two days sneaking out of St. Louis.” He paused, suddenly feeling extremely fatigued. “I’ll fill you in on the way to the Home.”

“We have a heap to talk about,” Hickok admitted.

“I’m ready to leave now,” Lex stated eagerly.

“What about them?” Rikki inquired, indicating the two prisoners and the helicopter.

“I have an idea,” Hickok mentioned. “We could use our rocket launcher on the helicopter,” he suggested, “and those two vermin can fend for themselves. They can’t tell us much I don’t already know.”

Blade reflected for a minute. “We don’t want to leave the helicopter in enemy hands, so destroying it is our only option. As for the two soldiers,” he said, then paused, studying them. “We don’t have time to interrogate them here. The Leather Knights could show up in force at any moment.

And I can’t see lugging them back to the Home in the SEAL. It’s too far, and we’d be too crowded. Hickok’s right. We’ll do as he suggests.”

“Hickok is right?” Rikki asked in mock amazement. “Remind me to tell Geronimo about this when we reach the Home. He’ll never believe you said that.”

The gunman pretended to glare at the martial artist. “What did you do? Pick up a sense of humor in St. Louis?”

Lex took Rikki’s right hand in hers. “He picked up more than a sense of humor,” she said proudly.

“Oh, no.” Hickok looked at Rikki. “Does this mean we’re gonna have another wedding soon?”

Rikki shrugged. “If the Spirit so guides us.”

Hickok frowned and shook his head.

“What’s the matter with you?” Blade asked. “What’s wrong with Rikki getting married? You and I are married, you know.”

“It’s just a mite sad to see another good man bite the dust,” Hickok quipped. “Another Warrior who’ll come down with a bad case of dishpan hands.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Blade declared, “before the Leather Knights catch up with us.”

“You three look tuckered out,” Hickok said. “I’ll drive.”

Blade sighed. “Just when I thought I was safe…”