Gray Panthers: Battle for Earth (6 page)

"Don't worry about it old man. Soon you will not ever worry again," was the heavy breathless reply, as Dan saw the brass knuckles on his assailant's right hand.  Dan stood stock-still then, grabbed his heart and loudly shouted, "Oh God, this is the big one, My medicine is in my cart."  The assailant only slowly closed on his victim and waited for him to collapse and save him any work.  He was rewarded when he saw Dan drop to his knees still grabbing at his heart
,
a whimpering sound starting to blurt out.  He came up to the old man to gloat as he died at his feet only to feel the sickening crunch come from his crotch as he looked down and see the old man’s
smile while holding him between the legs
,
squeezing with all his strength.  He fell to his knees in front of the old man begging him to let go
;
no thought of fight left in him.  "Sorry sonny, never trust anyone over 70. Now who sent you? Last chance or you sing soprano the rest of your life," Dan asked again tightening his grip. 

"Geez, it was Mr. Goldstein, now let go, please!"

"Which Goldstein was it? Dan asked reducing the power in his grip lightly."

"It was Mr. Sheldon Goldstein, now let go"

Dan honored his word letting go of the man long enough to connect with a right hook to the side of his head, amazingly dropping him instantly."

Walking back to his cart, he saw the others had collected the original hapless assailant.  One looked over at him and held up his hands in surrender.  He then finished talking on his cell phone, before driving off.

A quick inspection showed where the cables had been unscrewed from their connectors on the electric motor.  A few minutes later, Dan was driving home after reconnecting the cables, wondering how big a mess he was in now.  The thought of a stiff drink and some ice for his sore knuckles, motivated him to drive faster.  Parking a block from his house, walking slowly in the shadows as much as possible, he approached his house.  He slowly entered through the side door of his garage
,
picking up a crow bar from the workbench.  He slowly checked out each darkened room until he retrieved his old 9mm he had picked up during the Iran War.  After ensuring the house was clear he grabbed a beer from the fridge.  He collapsed into his ancient easy chair as he started to work on the beer while keeping alert for any intruders.

Surprise, Arizona

5 April 2126

  The sun was not yet up as he heard the phone ringing. 

"Mr. Daniels?" the voice on the other phone asked.

His reply of "Yes" was thinly veiled with venom as he saw it was five o'clock and caller ID was unknown.

"Sir, Mr. Goldstein would like to see you at your earliest convenience." The voice was a woman's, and sounded like she was more used to giving orders than asking for anything.

"And which Mr. Goldstein would that be?  The one whose life I saved?  Or the one that bought me a drink? I doubt it was the one that tried to have me killed yesterday."

A sharp intake of breath over the phone was the desired response as the woman identified herself as Mrs. Goldstein, Siggys wife.  "Can you please come to our home as soon as possible?  I will send a sedan, if it's all right with you.  We can all have breakfast."

Dan started to reply when he heard a car door slam, "I guess the car will be waiting for me?" Dan asked as he saw a black sedan in front of his house.

"Yes Mr. Daniels, the sedan should be there waiting for you."

Dan pulled on a pair of clean blue jeans and a loud oversized Hawaiian shirt that concealed the 9 mm he stuck into the back of his pants as he pulled on his socks and a comfortable pair of cowboy boots. He then slid his boot knife into the boot. 

Walking to the car, Dan noticed that the driver was one of his attackers from the day before, the same one who had held up his hands as a sign of surrender. 

"Don't bother to open any doors for me; I'll sit up front with you, shotgun style,” Dan stated flatly, as he got in.  "I've seen too many movies where bad things happen to the guy in the back of these things, especially when they have those glass shields."

The driver did not say a word and Dan was not in the mood for small talk.  The drive to Anthem in the hills outside of Phoenix was quiet except for a classic rock station Dan tuned the radio to.  The driver called to announce their arrival as they pulled up to the home. The guards opened up the gate after giving the sedan a thorough look over.

Relief flooded through Dan as he saw Siggy standing in the doorway of the mansion waiting and not a goon squad from Siggy’s son.  "Well I guess you're doing better today," Dan noted as Siggy went down the steps two at a time, nearly running to shake Dan's hand, and give him a hug. 

"Danny we have things we need to talk about," Siggy gushed as he directed Dan through the house. "That magical elixir of yours definitely took me down the rabbit's hole.  That will make us the richest men in the world."

"That juice is not for sale Siggy.  I gave it to you so you will know I'm not nuts. I have serious need of your talents, not one of your partners or one of your sons, especially the one that tried to have me killed."

"Don't worry about my son, Dan.  He is on his way to South Africa at this moment where I have tasked him to open a new corporate office on his own.  That will take him a while to accomplish.  When he's done, it's going to be his own office with no affiliation to the family business
.
I'm also disinheriting him and cutting him off.  I figure that’s far enough away so you may not try to get revenge on him.  I love the boy, but he's a disappointment and that was the last straw.  Why isn't the elixir for sale?  Immortality is a safe investment."

"The elixir is also a damn good bribe Siggy, especially since it only lasts for three to six months before you need a booster, quite an incentive.  You will notice a few things while you adjust to it, your hormones are going to be going crazy like a teenager, so watch any snap decisions you make.  Your face will still look the same even though you will have the body of a twenty year old.  Most importantly keep your pecker in your pants, as you…."

"Too late for that Mr. Daniels. He has shared his new talents with me for a good part of the night,” Mrs. Goldstein stated as she walked into the study from an unseen side entrance.  The old lady was tall and erect. Though in her seventies, she was still an attractive woman and it was easy to imagine her as the trophy wife she must have been.  She radiated confidence and walked up to the men and waved them off from standing up in her presence.  “Please continue Mr. Daniels, it was not my intent to interrupt you.”

"Well we pretty much covered the elixir; you do not need to take any of your old meds. As a matter of fact they might kill you,” Dan went on, deciding not to mention the recuperative powers the man would now have, or the
effects of the pheromones…”

''What do you need me to do for you D2?" Siggy asked
,
disappointment clear in his voice.

"Siggy, to start with, I need you to help me to get around the law so I can sell gold.  I remember when the Green Earth party was able to pass the precious metals act making it illegal to own any gold or silver other than jewelry or precious historical coins.  I also want to buy a large area of desert the government owns so I can build a retirement city for veterans.  You can get them to give me the land on the condition I am able to provide employment to at least half of them.  Since our politicians will only speak with unions or collectives, I need you to do whatever is needed to create a veterans collective on paper.  Then start recruiting them for me.  I also have designed a technique to create steel out of sand so I will need patents.  Think you can get that done this week?"  Dan asked, as he looked him in the eyes.

"It's going to be a bitch Danny, but I'll get started right now.  How much gold do you have?" Siggy requested, ready to take additional notes.

"Sig, it's our gold mine, you're not only going to be my attorney you're going to be a full partner in the endeavors. That way we can share a cell if we fail.  I plan to take back America, and make it a republic again.  We are going to do that by taking people off the dole, giving them well paying real jobs.  We will have our constitution back, the original, not the one they pushed through after the Iran War. The one that ruined this country and turned it into a socialist paradise.  Are you up to the challenge Siggy?"  Dan asked as he saw Siggy start to pale.

"You know if Department of Homeland Security heard what you said, you would be in one of their hospitals for the insane."  Sig replied as he continued, "I actually know quite a few gentlemen who share your vision and would be willing to do anything they could to help.  They are already organized and number in the thousands.  I will have to see if they are willing to let you join with them."

"Wrong answer. They need to join with me.  Damn it, I'm just going to lay all the cards on the table.  I found a spaceship that gave me the juice that saved your life, and mine too.  There is incredible technology there that will change our entire world; unfortunately we are going to be attacked by other aliens in about 20 years that plan to enslave us.  I need to organize us to build an army, and produce the weapons and transport to defeat that enemy.  Before we can do that we need a government that would not turn that technology and fire power against its own citizens.  My plan is to recruit veterans, those who remember the republic and their oath to the Constitution.  I am going to rejuvenate them and let them be our army since they have not grown up in our present day workers’ paradise and would be obliged to us for being young and healthy again.  Can I count on you?"

Sigmund walked over to a decanter and poured himself a large drink.  Turning toward Dan he held it up as Dan shook his head no.  A large chug from the crystal glass was followed by Siggy plopping hard into his seat.  He stared at Dan for another few minutes then nodded his head.  "We are partners my friend.  I will get everything you asked for done as quickly as possible, god help us."

Dan rose, "Now I have to get moving, Mrs. Goldst…"

"Please call me Barbara, Mr. Daniels," Barbara said interrupting him.

"OK, Barbara, why don't you come home with me so we can make Siggy nervous?” Dan quipped, as he looked her in the face, seeing a twinkle in her eyes that he had not noticed before. 

She looked to her husband, not knowing how he was going to reply to the invitation.

"Well get going Babs, D2 doesn't have all day," Siggy laughed out.

The ride back to his place was much more comfortable in the back seat sitting next to Barbara. She sat closer to him than he expected and could feel the warmth of her leg through his pants. The soft scent of both her shampooed hair and an expensive perfume that softly wafted in the air, nice but not overpowering.  She put her hand down on his knee and smiled when she asked if his plans for her were honorable.  He realized at that moment, his pheromones might be making a problem for him.

  "Ma'am my intentions are strictly honorable." Dan stated as her hand stayed on his knee.

"I guess I am just a silly old woman. You would not be interested in an old woman like me." As she tried to carry on, Dan made it easy for her.

"I would not disrespect you, or Siggy, by doing something like that Barbara. He's an old comrade and friend, and you are his wife.  It would be like hitting on my sister."  A silence filled the void as they rode on in silence.

Arriving at his home, Dan turned to Babs, looking into her eyes and simply asked, "You want it too, don't you?"

Babs exhaled as if she had been holding her breath for days, "Oh god yes!  I was willing to do anything for it."

"Would you be willing to be first Lady if I asked you to?  I think once we get things straightened out, Siggy would be an outstanding president. But he would need someone who was willing to be there for him since it wouldn't be easy."

"I would do anything for my Sig." was her reply, as she took the vial from Dan. Smiling she downed the contents.  "You should really get some sleep now
;
it helps the process
;
" Dan suggested to her as she made her way to the sedan.

Going into his living room he sat down in his easy chair. With the drapes closed, only a little light made its way into the room as he removed the old 9mm from his belt and looked at it for a moment before putting it on the table next to him.  The thoughts of what he had set in motion started to nag at him as he began to second-guess everything he had planned.  Feeling the need to turn around he looked on the wall where there was an American flag stored in the shape of a triangle, a field of blue with only the white stars showing.  A gift from a grateful nation, after his father died during an army exercise.  The flag was the only connection he had left with his father.  Staring at the flag, clarity seemed to come more easily and a plan of action formed.

Dan decided to try the new communication device Grub had given him.  "Call Abdul" Dan said in the quiet dark room feeling foolish.

"What's' up boss?" was the instant reply from Abby.

"What's your status there?  Need anything?"

"We are getting things done boss.  Grub sort of grows on you.  We're going to call this place Fort Knox.  I'm getting a little nervous with all the heavy metal here.  Grub setup some good security, so be sure to announce yourself when you come back," Abby rattled off.

"I'm going to do a little shopping and be out by nightfall.  Going to try and bring Brent. He doesn't have a need to know yet though so he only see's the upstairs, got it?" 

"Sure thing, especially if he brings some liquid refreshment with him. Abdul out.  Break"

Heading into the bedroom, Danny could still smell a trace of Maria as he reached under the bed for the chest of coins.  Figuring a dozen would be more than enough. He headed to a used car lot. 

He had no trouble buying a used truck from Honest Sauls Used Automotive Emporium; the shiny black truck was configured for off road use.  Dan had Saul include a couple extra jerry cans of gasoline, along with a dozen black market books of fuel coupons for two silver coins.  The heavy truck would be a nicer ride across the desert and be able to haul more.  Looking at the truck, he realized it shouted "Rob Me" if he saw the outsiders or any other outlaw groups in the desert again.  "Saul do you have a hammer? I need to borrow it for a minute?"  Taking the hammer from Saul, he proceeded to hammer the body everywhere so that it looked like a driving wreck.  "I really hate waiting for that first scratch on a new truck, ya know what I mean?  I think I covered it," Dan said returning the hammer to the speechless salesman. He just looked at Dan and the damage, with his jaw hanging open.  "Let me know if you have any luck catching flies partner.  I'll be back for my cart a little later today." Dan laughed as he got in and drove away.

Brent was plenty happy when Dan asked if he wanted to head out and go for a ride.  Noting the truck was almost brand new and still looked like crap, he knew better than to ask.  They continued to the dealer where Dan picked up the cart and let Brent have the truck to follow him in as he got in the old solar cart.  As he neared Fort Knox, Abdul called him asking if he knew he was not alone.  He was relieved when he realized it was Brent, and finished sanitizing the area.

Three camp chairs were at the entrance of the mine when they pulled up.  Camouflage netting covered the chairs providing shade for them yet letting a breeze come through.  Brent was the first to speak as Dan pulled out an ice-filled chest of beer from the cart.  "I never will understand you guys coming out here busting your asses for what you get out of it."  At that moment, he shifted his chair away from the mine entrance as he caught a whiff of the porta-potty just inside the mines entrance.  "I'll stick with the tavern, myself, even though selling it and retiring sounds even better."  They just let Brent ramble on realizing the old man in front of them was pushing eighty. Yet he never complained about the drive out to the mine or how much it must have taken out of him. It started to get cooler as the sun started to set over the mountain behind them.  Brent nodded off, still holding a half-full beer on his knee.