Grissom Montag strode down the red cobblestone pathway, leading to the east area of his estate. Victor kept in pace just behind him, keeping in time with the footsteps in front of him.....and Montag's calm heartbeat. If Grissom reserved any fear or trepidation for the moment, he certainly didn't show it. His oft-normal air of arrogance and elitism held fast, keeping his eyes sharp...and his nose a bit higher in the air. This was not Grissom Montag. At least, not the one they remembered.
Lykopis, Phil, Grimm, and Icarus followed suit a few feet behind, the morning sun glowing over the horizon of the glittering ocean far out behind them.
"Shouldn't one us be keeping a guard on Grissom?" Phil half-whispered, striding next to Grimm. "I mean...you know...someone besides the blind guy?"
Grimm glanced at Phil.
"I didn't see anyone else taking command of the situation..." he replied. "...and I'd watch it with the 'blind guy' cracks. He can hear you, you know..."
"Phff." Phil dismissed. "...no he can't..."
Victor's head tilted slightly around....just enough to catch Phil's eye. Then, resumed it's blind stare ahead, eyes hidden under the black bandana.
Phil went very quiet.
Further back at the doorway of the estate, Ozzy had paused, talking with Adem...
"Here?" he asked again. "You're staying here?"
Adem nodded once again.
"Um. Okay, man. If that's what you want..." Baxter shrugged. "...we...we could probably use your calm brain with us, though....just so you know..."
Adem just smiled.
Ozzy finally nodded with a sigh.
"Okay, just...stay out of sight, man." he said. "I think this staff of Montag's will try and secure the place after we've gone. Stay hidden."
Adem stared at Ozzy for a moment. And...for just the briefest of seconds...it looked like Adem was showing a sincere...affection...for his friend. Was it a trick of the light? Or did Adem actually take Baxter's concern to heart?
He handed Ozzy a piece of folded paper. The top said: 'Don't read until you're in the air.'
Baxter opened his mouth to question, but, Adem quickly held up another piece of paper that read 'Trust me, Ozzy'.
Baxter finally nodded with a small smile.
"Okay." he said, turning to catch up with the group. "See you when we get back."
"Be cool, man..."
Adem watched him walk away. Then, after a moment, took time to look around at the beautiful morning that was beginning.
Another beautiful day on Earth... Adem thought, turning and walking back inside the manor.
A sleek Concorde...obviously refitted with a special hydrolic landing gear...sat gleaming in the morning sun, just off to the east of the estate. The group approached it, the landing gear beginning to lower on cue.
Suddenly, the crack of sniper fire rang out in the air, everyone freezing in place....including Montag.
There...just to the right of Victor's head...a small spinning slug of metal hovered in the air...halted dead in place.
Even as the slug fell lifelessly to the ground, Phil checked his own nose with a finger.
"Hmmm...no nosebleed this time...I think I'm getting better at this stuff...." he commented.
Grissom, his face contorted with extreme irritation, scanned the rocky range of hills and precipaces across the estate. He stopped, spotting the squad he had ordered to hold position. It looked like the head of the unit was yelling frantically at one of the snipers.
Grissom wrinkled his lips, reaching into his coat pocket...
"Anh!" Victor quipped, clamping onto his wrist.
Montag cocked an eyebrow, slowly revealing only a cell phone in his grasp. He stared at Victor briefly, Reilley finally releasing his grip.
Grissom hit a speed dial button. After a second, he mumbled something into the phone, clipping it closed and sliding it back into his pocket.
Another gunshot suddenly pierced the air, as the Vanguardians saw the head of the squad put a bullet into the sniper's head, killing him instantly.
"....I told them not to engage..." Grissom commented to the stares of disbelief from the Vanguardians.
The group boarded the plane with no more incident, Phil making his way up to the cockpit. The pilot stared with wide, nervous eyes as the stranger entered.
"Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you." he offered calmly. "I just need to borrow your seat, if you don't mind."
The pilot gave up his seat to Phil, Icarus escorting him off the plane. Once the door was sealed, Smith fired the turbines, the jet's systems coming smoothly online.
"...you know how to fly this thing?" Icarus asked, closing the cockpit door behind him, and taking the co-pilot seat.
"I can fly anything..." Phil replied, hitting a few switches, as Icarus put on his headset.
"Know what you mean..." Icky nodded, hitting a few more of the switches for him.
Meanwhile, back in the wide, expensively furnished cabin, Victor and Grimm took a seat on either side of Montag, the irritation of such obviously catching up with him.
"What?? Do you expect me to bail the fuck out at three-thousand feet?" he griped.
"With you, anything is possible.........jackass..." Grimm commented, fastening his seatbelt.
Lykopis frowned, sitting in the seat across from them.
"Seatbelt?" she asked. "You? Really?"
"Who's flying this thing?" Grimm responded with a drollness.
Lykopis stared at him blankly for a moment. Then, fastened her own seatbelt. She glanced over next to her.
"Okay, Ozzy?"
Baxter sat perfectly rigid, hands clamping the edges of the armrests, eyes locked perfectly straight ahead at nothing.
"Fine. Fine." he responded, as he tried controlling his breathing.
"Want to hold my hand?" Lykopis asked, offering her palm.
"No. No, I'm fine. Really. Fine." he repeated with the exact same tone, still looking straight ahead.
The plane lurched a bit as it began its run for take-off. Ozzy immediately grabbed Lyly's hand, squeezing it in an iron grip.
Lykopis squinted slightly from the pressure, looking at Grissom.
"...umm...do you have any alcohol available?" she asked, bobbing her head towards the terrified Baxter.
"I have only the best liquor and wine on board. Do you have seven-thousand dollars for the bottle?" he replied dryly. "No? Didn't think so..."
She scowled a bit, wondering if her foot could reach his groin from across the small table seperating them.
The jet was airborne within two minutes, beginning its initial climb, everyone quiet with a slight nervous energy.
Baxter breathed in through his nose....out through his mouth. In through his nose....out through his mouth....
"Fuck." he breathed in. "Fuck." he breathed out.
This repeated itself for a little while. He suddenly remembered the note Adem had given him. With a concerted effort, he let go of Lyly's poor hand, and pulled the note free. Opening it, it read, very simply:
"Good-bye, my friend."
Ozzy stared at the note for a great length of time. And...although he would never admit to a soul....he strained to keep a tear in place.
After a few minutes, he replaced the note quietly, and with a deep sigh, resumed gripping the armrests. The tear fought its way to the crest of his eye, but, never dropped...
".........................fuck........................" he choked out with a whisper.
