Hole in the ground (Complete)

Chapter 1

Remembering

I was born July 25 1940 and my name is Samuel David Grey. I enjoyed learning new languages and could speak and understand seven by the time I graduated from high school. My father had been a veteran of World War II and came to believe a man should be able to defend himself. Because he did, I was taught kung fu and judo from an early age.

By the time I entered the Army I was a master in both arts. I also practiced the Japanese art of Kendo. Like most boys of that age, I was taught how to use a rifle and enjoyed hunting with my father. I was what he called a natural with a rifle and rarely ever missed.

When I was twenty, I decided to join the Army. I had dreams of serving my country and this was how I was going to do it. From the start I was singled out, first for Airborne training and then a sergeant major talked me into joining the Special Forces. I was a know nothing private and worked hard to keep the sergeants happy. When I got orders for Vietnam I didn’t even know where it was.

We were supposed to be advisors to the South Vietnamese soldiers but were not allowed to return fire, even if we were fired at. On my first patrol we were skirting a small open area when automatic fire raked the patrol. Sgt Jones was in front of me and as I dove for the ground I saw his body jerk several times. By the time I reached him, he was dead.

That was the beginning of the war for me and during my first year I went from a private to a Sergeant First Class. I was only supposed to be there for a year, but I was asked to stay with a new group that was just forming. It was another three months before anything happened and when it did, it wasn’t pleasant.

Almost the whole chain of command for the company was killed in a month and before I knew what was happening I was asked to accept a battle field commission. I stepped into the bunker where Colonel Peters and Major Sims were talking and came to attention, “You wanted to see me Sir?”

The Colonel smiled as he looked at me, “Yes Sam. Harry and I have been talking and I made a couple of calls to the General. We want you to accept a battle field commission.”

I blinked and looked from the Colonel to the Major, “A commission?”

The Colonel grinned, “It’s not like you haven’t already been doing the job.”

I smiled back, “As long as I don’t have to wear the damn shoot me bars.”

They both laughed and the Colonel picked up a pair of gold lieutenant bars. He handed them to me, “You can leave them off when you’re in the brush.”

Six tours of combat later, the war was over. I was a Major and while many officers were asked to leave the services, I was asked to become a courier for the State Department. Courier was their way of saying black ops. When I retired after twenty years, it was as a full colonel.

I had met a woman and fallen in love. She taught electrical engineering in a southern California university. For the next twenty five years we lived and loved each other although we never had any children. I spent my time attending any classes that drew my attention. Ellie had insisted I have a night to myself so she arraigned a poker night with several of the more prominent professors.

Ellie died five years ago and I was lost. I stayed in our house and lived day to day. When I was diagnosed with cancer and given only six months to live, I was almost relieved. There I was seventy years old and dying of cancer. My friends didn’t feel that way though and talked me into cancer therapy.



Chapter 2

Visit in the hospital

I was three months into the therapy and sick and tired, mostly sick. I was in the hospital for a few days and the constant attention of the nurses was driving me crazy. When Jasper came in I was ready to start planning an escape. He was twenty years younger then I. Jasper was a professor of bio engineering and was working to create something he called nanites.

Every Monday at our poker games we talked about what we were working on and got fresh ideas from each other. Jasper worked to create the self replicating nanites. Henry was trying to create something to do with time. George was working on a new means of energy. Jasper looked worried as he sat down beside me, “Hey Sam, chased any nurses lately?”

I glared at him, “Funny Jasper.”

He grinned and looked away. We talked about a few things and then he looked at me, “I think I have a problem Sam.”

He knew what I had been before I retired. I looked at the way he was sitting and tried to sit up more, he moved closer and helped me. I leaned back and sighed, “Tell me.”

He smiled as he looked at his feet and then he frowned, “The company that is paying for my research wants all my notes.”

I kept looking at him and he finally looked up, “I thought my nanites would be used to help people. All these people want is a way to make money… Well, that and to use my nanites to make some type of super soldier.”

I nodded, “Go public.”

He looked away, “I thought of that… They… threatened me.”

I thought about it and sighed, “You have everything in your head. Destroy your notes and they can’t touch you.”

He grinned, “Ten years of work and you want me to just destroy it?”

I grinned back him, “If it’s in your head, then you won’t be destroying it.”

He nodded and sat back, “You know that might work.”

We talked some more and then he left. It was close to midnight when I felt someone come into the room. I thought it was just another nurse. I already had an IV in my arm and felt a cool rush before feeling suddenly lethargic.

I opened my eyes to see Jasper hooking up two huge IVs. When he finished, he put his hand on my shoulder, “I’m sorry Sam. They didn’t see things your way. They’re shutting me down and taking everything. I destroyed my notes but they said they could reverse engineer my prototypes, so… so I’m putting them in you. Keep them safe and watch your back.”

I watched as he sat down and stared at the two IVs. It took almost a half hour and then Jasper unhooked the IVs and looked at me before walking out. I woke to a shattering explosion that rattled the window. It was still early morning and I hit the call button. I felt strangely alive and watched as a young nurse came in, “What was that explosion?”

She was frowning, “We don’t know. It came from the direction of the campus.”

I frowned and reached to pull the IV out, “Get my clothes please.”

She was at my side in an instant, “Stop that!”

I looked at her as she tried to push the IV back in my arm, “Nurse, either get my clothes or stay out of my way.”

I pushed her away and sat up. I pulled all the leads off and slid out of bed. I was a little surprised at the loss of pain I usually felt. I turned toward the closet as the nurse left to find someone to help stop me. I pulled that damn hospital gown over my head and reached into the closet for my pants.

I was buttoning up my shirt when the nurse returned with a doctor and an orderly. I only glanced at them, “I’m checking out, if you have a problem with that, I’m sure my lawyer will explain it in more detail.”

The doctor wanted to check me but I only ignored him as I left. I had already arranged for the hospital to be paid by my insurance so I only stopped at the administration desk to check out. The taxi dropped me at my house just off campus. I looked down the street at the crowd of fire engines and cops. They were all in front of what looked like Jasper’s house.

I hesitated and then walked down the street. George and his wife were standing on the sidewalk as I came up. He looked at me and Shelly gasped, “Sam! You’re supposed to be in the hospital!”

I smiled and then looked at the burned out front of Jasper’s house, “Any word on Jasper?”

George shook his head, “Dead. His body was thrown out almost to the street.”

I looked at him, “Are you sure it was him?”

He nodded, “Shelly and I were one of the first to reach him.”

I nodded and looked at the ruins, “Anyone know what happened?”

One of the other neighbors cleared her throat, “I heard one of the firemen say something about a gas leak.”

I looked at the house and knew better. I had seen many high explosives used and thought it might have been a shaped charge, (a big one). I turned away and walked slowly back towards my house. Almost as soon as I closed the door I knew someone was in the house. I stood still and waited.

Beside the front door was an old telephone stand. I quietly opened it and took out the 45 I kept there. I had made it and the only thing different about it was the fact that it used caseless ammo. I held it behind my leg and a minute later a young guy in a suit stepped out of my kitchen, “Nice and quiet old man.”

He was wearing gloves and from the way he was moving I knew this wasn’t a social call, “What do you want?”

He smiled and spread his hands a little as he walked slowly towards me, “I just want to talk.”

I moved the pistol around so he could see it and he stopped, “You don’t want to do that.”

I grinned, “Son, I was killing people before your mother was born. You just keep your hands where I can see them and you might live to see another day.”

He licked his lips, “We want your friend’s notes and anything else he might have left here.”

I shook my head, “You’re an idiot. Jasper came to me in the hospital yesterday and told me what you wanted. I told him to destroy everything. Since he had it in his head you fucked up.”

He glared, “He wouldn’t have destroyed it!”

I grinned, “Go look in his lab, I bet you find all the ashes. Jasper was always old school and refused to leave notes in a computer.”

He glared and looked around and I knew what was coming, he was trying to decide how to kill me. I pointed my pistol at his head, “Go ahead and try.”

He hesitated and I carefully moved sideways. When I was clear of the door I waved the gun, “leave. If I ever see you again, you’re dead.”

He moved slowly to the door and opened it, “we will be back.”

Chapter3

Falling down a hole

I had been around spooks enough to know what would happen next. All I could think of was slipping away, maybe a nice camping trip in the mountains. I kept the pistol with me and walked into the back of the house. In my bedroom I went to the corner facing the walk in closet. I hesitated, I hadn’t touched my go bag in a year.

I pushed on what looked like two tiny nail heads and the panel popped open. I opened it the rest of the way and looked at the two black bags. I pulled them out and started undressing. It was a good thing I had never put on weight as I got older. I pulled out the first vacuum sealed package and opened it.

I quickly dressed in the soft but durable black pants and shirt, next was the soft wool socks and black boots. I started sliding weapons into different places, most were knives or throwing darts. I pulled the combat vest and rig out of the bag and put it in the other bag.

After packing the vest and other combat gear into the one bag, I lifted the modified assault rifle out. It was like my pistol, I had machined it and it fired 7.62mm caseless. It was still in its soft case and I took a moment to load it. I closed the rifle case and fastened it to the outside of the black bag. I put the pistol in the small of my back and lifted the bag, “Time to go.”

I went back to the front of the house and took a moment to look out my front window. I saw the surveillance right away and shook my head. Whoever these people were they were amateurs. I went into my garage, pulled a long dusty overcoat on and lifted the dark green pack full of dehydrated meals off the shelf. I swung it over one shoulder and gave the shelf a tug.

I swung the shelf away from the wall and pushed on the wood panel behind it. I squeezed through and into my shed. I carefully opened the door and slipped out and across a brick path into the tall hedges along my fence. I stayed between the fence and the hedge all the way to the back. The hidden gate opened quietly and I slipped onto the golf course.

I moved right and was almost to my hidden exit when I saw a shadow pass over me. I glanced up and cussed. They were using a remote to watch and probable follow me. I waited for it to make a turn and opened the hidden gate and squeezed through. I closed it behind me and knelt under a tall bush, dropping the bag and pack. I pulled the overcoat off and pulled my vest and combat harness out of the bag and put them on.

I slid the pistol into the swat holster on my right leg. I hesitated and then closed the bag. I pulled the overcoat back on and shouldered the pack. I grabbed the bag in my left hand checked for the remote before moving. I was almost at the street when two men in suits stepped onto the narrow path in front of me. Both men reached into their jackets and I pulled my pistol.

It was close range, not more than nine feet. I didn’t hesitate as I brought my pistol up and put one round in each man’s head before I started moving. I walked straight across the street and down a narrow walk that let out onto the grass of the campus. They knew this old man had teeth now.

I walked quickly and came to a faculty parking lot. I crossed to a little used door into the engineering department. After the door closed behind me, I pause and pulled my cell out and dialed a number I had memorized but never used. I woman’s voice answered, “Situation room, code in.”

I smiled and leaned against the wall, “Colonel Grey. Alpha 64, Red 80.”

There was a pause, “State the nature of the situation.”

I looked at the door as the knob turned but the door stayed closed, “Dr. Jasper Harris was terminated by persons unknown, they are currently hunting me. I think they believe I have his research notes. I have taken out two, be advised they are using an aerial remote.”

There was a paper shuffling sound, “Do you have the notes?”

“Negative control, he visited me in the hospital and said he destroyed them.”

“Copy, do you have someplace to go dark until back up gets there?”

I thought about it and remembered Henry’s test lab, “Yes.”

“Give us thirty and call back.”

There was a click and the line went dead. I started walking again, using the back hallways. It took me almost ten minutes to reach Henry’s labs. I peeked around the corner and saw several men lingering around his main doorway and moved back to think. The test lab had another door into it but was kept locked, not that it would really stop me.

I moved back the way I come and stopped at a metal door with a sign that said the door was blocked. I reached into the bag and brought out the small black case that held my lock picks. It took almost thirty second to unlock and open the door. I had been in here several times and had known the door was clear.

The room was almost empty with a black matte material covering the walls and silver lines forming small squares. I started crossing the room to knock on the other door when the silver started glowing. I glanced at the large clock on the wall and swore. Henry was running a test! I couldn’t move as I started hearing a whining sound.

It started getting louder and the black matte material started glowing while the silver lines started to get blurry. Suddenly I was falling and brought my feet together. It felt like I was falling in slow motion and seemed to take almost a full minute just to fall through the floor. Everything around me was pitch black as I continued to fall.

It felt like ten minutes had passed before I landed. I rolled like the airborne instructors had taught me many years ago and came up into a kneeling position as I dropped my bag and pack. Like I had many times in the jungles of Vietnam, I could almost feel danger around me.



Chapter 4

Dragon’s trade

I fumble with the bag in the dark and pulled out the rifle. Gradually the walls started glowing, I stayed where I was and continued to wait. I heard a grating sound and then a loud slithering noise. Soon it was light enough for me to see and I glanced around.

There was a mound of something about fifty feet away and I was in what appeared to be a large cave. A rasping sound had me spinning around and I froze as a huge shape came out of the darkness, “You picked the wrong cave thief.”

It was like something out of a movie or a book, Tolken or one of the others. In front of me was a huge dragon. I looked into the large glowing eyes, “I’m not a thief.”

The dragon moved closer, “I can smell my gold.”

All I could think of was the gold coins in my bag, “That would be my gold coins you smell.”

The dragon stopped in front of me, “Yours?”

I smiled, “Yes. Are you real or did I hit my head on the way down?”

The dragon tilted its head and looked up, “Ah… you came through the hole.”

I looked up but couldn’t see anything, “If that is what you want to call it. Where is this place anyway?”

The dragon looked at me in a way that I thought of as strangely, “This is my home human.”

I looked around, “At least you will stay dry.”

There was a coughing rasping sound as the dragon turned its head. I could see a trickle of flame fall from its mouth before it turned back to me, “Why are you not afraid of me human?”

I grinned, “I’m seventy years old. What are you going to do… kill me?”

The dragon tilted its head, “yes.”

I shook my head, “Let me guess. For my gold?”

The dragon was silent as I sat down, “That would just be another way of stealing.”

The dragon hesitated and then laid down, “You could give it to me.”
I grinned as I fished in my bag and came up with the pouch of gold coins. I held the pouch up, “If I give my gold to you what will I use?”

The dragon tilted its head again as if thinking and then it turns its huge head towards the black darkness at the back of the cave, “I will trade you as much as you can carry from my pile of discards.”

I looked into the darkness, “Discards?”

The dragon seemed to growl or grumble and the whole cave lit up. The floor of the cave was sandy with fine white sand that sparkled. I looked around at the sparkling walls with thick vanes of gold running through them, “Very nice dragon, I think it is missing something though.”

The dragon’s head moved closer as it growled, “And what would that be?”

I looked from the huge pile of gold to the dragon, “A bed.”

The dragon snorted and small bursts of flame came out of its nose, “I sleep on the floor human.”

I looked at the gold pile, “You could melt the gold into bricks to make a bed. I thought dragons liked feeling gold against their skin?”

The dragon looked away from me and at the pile of gold. It was almost thoughtful as it murmured, “Gold bricks.”

I looked around the cave again as I casually dropped the pouch of gold on top of my bag, “You wouldn’t have some water in here would you?”

The dragon turned to look at me and then looked in another direction, “In the corner.”

I fished around in my pack for a metal camping cup. I walked towards the dark corner and the light seemed to follow me and light the way. There was a small pool that had a large trickle of water running down the far wall. The water was very cold and almost seemed sweet. When I came back to the dragon, it was curled up by my bag and pack, “Tell me human, how would you make bricks of gold?”

I smiled as I put the cup away and sat, “Well, you would have to make a mold. You start with clay and bake a shape of a brick and go from there. Ideally, you want to create a metal mold for something like gold bricks. Once you have the mold, you melt the gold and pour it into the mold. Let it cool, open it and take the brick out.”

The dragon’s eyes were half lidded, “And could you make a mold?”

I rubbed my chin as I thought about how to make it, “I would need clay and some type of pot metal. I would also need to build a forge to bake the clay.”
The dragon looked at me and stood up, “Stay here.”

I shrugged, “Where would I go?”

The dragon turned and walked out. I looked around and stood to walk towards the pile of glittering silver piled against the back wall. It was easily three times the size of the huge pile of gold. There were chests of silver coins and even silver bar scattered around. There was also other stuff, jewelry and shining weapons, chain mail and shields. There was so much stuff it was hard to grasp. I found a plain looking dagger on the edge and picked it up.

Pulling it out of its sheath I saw the wavy lines of high quality steel. It reminded me of a Japanese sword I had seen once. I put it back in the sheath, tucked it through my belt and turned to walk around. I found a nice flat spot not to far from the pool of water that would be a good place to build a small forge. I didn’t find many loose rocks and had to go farther away to find them.

I had just finished the back and sides and was looking for a larger, flatter rock for the top when the dragon returned. It was funny to watch it walk in with a clump of clay in one huge clawed hand. The dragon dropped the clay and looked at what I was doing. It walked to the wall closest and using one claw, started cutting large square bricks of solid rock. I walked closer and realized what it was doing and started carrying them back the flat spot, “I need one that is thinner for the top.”

Before I knew it I was looking at a large stone forge, “Now I just need a heat source.”

The dragon snorted and little flames shot out of its nose. I grinned, “One that will last for a few hours.”

The dragon seemed to sigh, “Show me where.”

I pointed at the forge and the dragon looked at it for a second and then carefully took a deep breath. He breathed out in a long seemingly careful manner. The flame that came out of his mouth was different than any of the other times I had seen it. It was a steady stream of bluish green flame that seemed to wrap around the stone forge.

The stones quickly started turning red. When the dragon stopped, it growled and grumbled. The forge stayed hot and I turned to the clay. It didn’t take long for me to form a brick. It was shaped like a paving stone I had once seen, only shallower, maybe an inch and a half thick. I put it in the forge and turned back to the clay.

The dragon had moved away and gone into another room of the cave. I made a thick tray of solid clay, planning everything as I went. After a couple of hours, I pulled the clay brick out with the sleeve of my shirt and set it aside to cool. I was thinking about getting out something to eat when the dragon returned. Besides a plow and several other large pieces of metal, it carried a charred hunch of something I thought might be a deer.

I used one of my knives to cut a large piece off when it dropped the meat in front of me. It was a little well done, but anyone that has spent time in a jungle… Let’s just say I ate. When I was done, I checked the brick and then started to make a tray like mold with the brick. It held a total of twenty bricks and it didn’t take me long to finish.

I was able to barely fit the pieces into the forge before I turned to the dragon, “I’ll need an iron pot for the gold.”

It nodded and left, a few minutes later it was back carrying what looked like a small boulder. It lay down and seemed to ignore me while using one of its claws to carve. I walked to the pile of gold and looked at it for a moment before kneeling and opening a small carved chest. It looked really old and only held a bunch of gold coins, I dumped them out and sat down.

I drew the dagger I had found and reached out to pick up what looked like a gold necklace. I noticed the dragon watching as I used the tip of the dagger to pry the large gems out of the soft gold and drop them into the box. When I was finished I tossed it aside and picked up another, I finally stopped and went to check the mold. I ended up pulling it out with a corner of my shirt. I left it to cool and stretched, “when it cools we need to find a way to melt the pot metal.”

The dragon seemed amused, “Leave it to me human.”

I shook my head, “Call me Sam.”

The dragon was a long time in responding, “Names can be a powerful thing human.”

I shrugged, “Dragon I’m old, humor me.”

The dragon tilted its head and finally nodded. I went back to prying gems out of gold and lost track of time. I finally looked up and saw the dragon watching me. He looked kind of bemused and turned to look at the mold. I set everything aside and went to check it. It seemed cool enough and I put the pieces together.

I looked at the dragon as I carefully stood them on their sides. “Now we need the molten pot metal.”

The dragon shifted and reached out to hold some of the metal in its hand. It leaned close and breathed slowly in its clawed hand and I watch a clear flame envelope the metal. The metal sagged and then just seemed to glow white before melting. The dragon tilted its hand and carefully poured the molten metal into one of the molds.

It repeated the process a second time for the second mold and then sat back. I checked and carefully started tapping the mold, “What are you doing hu… Sam?”

I glanced at him, “By tapping the sides any air bubbles or pockets break lose and go to the top.”
The dragon nodded and looked at the mold as I finished. I moved to my stuff and got my cup. After getting water and eating more meat I lay back against my pack and closed my eyes, “Wake me in a few hours.”

I heard the dragon snort and murmur something about crazy old humans. I woke in dim light and turned my head to see the forge still glowing, “George would love to know how you do that.”

I sat up and realized I felt different, almost like I had when I was young. I took my cup to the pool of water and drank my fill before going to check the molds. It still felt hot so I left it alone, I looked around but the dragon was gone. I got one of my meals out and made something to eat before going back to the pile of gold to start removing gems again.

It was a couple of hours before the dragon returned. It looked at me as it walked in carrying what looked like a canvas pack. It set the pack down by the forge, “There should be a thick iron pot in there.”

I grinned, “And here I was thinking of using one of those stupid helmets.”

The dragon sputtered and then roared, there were flames bursting out its mouth, shooting fifty feet to splash across the roof. I looked at the roof to see it change color and a few drops of gold fell. I shook my head as the dragon coughed and growled. Finally it looked at me, “You are a strange man, Sam.”

I smiled and moved to check the molds. They were still warm but I broke them anyway. I dug into the pack the dragon had brought and found the iron pot. I spent a few minutes checking it before going to the pile of gold and filling it. I brought it back to the forge and pushed it in. I went to the discard pile and started looking around.

I found a pair of studded leather gloves sticking out of a suit of armor and took them back to the forge. I checked the pot every few minutes and put the molds together. I picked up some more loose gold and dropped it in the pot, it took almost a full hour for the gold to melt. I brought a small pile of gold over by the forge and the dragon moved closer. He lay down and curled up a dozen feet away and watched me through lidded eyes.

I finally pulled the pot out and carefully poured the gold into the mold. I filled the pot with gold again and put it back in the forge before taking a couple of minutes to tap the sides of the mold. I brought more gold back to the pile and went back to removing gems. When the mold had cooled enough, I opened it and spilled the bricks onto the sand.

I left them and closed the mold back up. When the pot of gold in the forge was melted and I filled the mold again. The next time I dumped the gold bricks out and refilled the mold, I carried the cooler bricks to the area the dragon gestured to and I started leveling it. I placed the bricks like I had seen pavers do once.

It took me over a week to finish. The dragon kept me fed and let me sleep when I needed it. We didn’t really talk a lot, even when I absently dumped my coins in the pot to be melted, somehow the dragon just felt like a friend. I did talk to the dragon and explained about games like poker and dominos.

The dragon was intrigued with the idea of dominos. The bed of gold was huge, just over a hundred feet long and almost as wide. It was three bricks deep and the last night the dragon moved onto it carefully and lay down with a big sigh. It rested its head and looked at me with heavily lidded eyes, “Thank you Sam.”

I smiled and for the first time since I had been here, I stripped and washed my body completely. I changed into a fresh set of clothes and replaced my weapons. I had checked the discards several times during the week and went to it. I had the canvas pack and emptied it before filling it with silver coins. The dragon had pointed out several other things in the pile, mostly gem encrusted weapons.

When the pack was full, I grunted as I lifted it to my shoulder and carried it to my bag and set it down. The dragon and I looked at each other and I smiled, “I’ll miss you lizard.”

He snorted, “Humans are supposed to fear me.”

I shrugged, “Most fear or dislike old men too.”

He grinned, “That’s because they are crazy.”

I laughed and looked at my pack and the bag. The dragon shifted slightly, “Wait until morning. On the west side of the mountain is a large meadow. That’s where the knights and other idiots camp and leave their gear and horses. You should be able to catch them without to much trouble.”

The dragon was silent as I settled back against my bag, “Take the small chest of gems Sam.”

The light had dimmed but I could see the dragon’s eyes watching me, “Are you sure?”

The dragon snorted, “To me they are just crystals. Take them.”

I relaxed and closed my eyes, the dragon had been amazed the first time I had laid down and just went to sleep. I had spent a couple of hours explaining to it, that the military had taught me to sleep whenever the chance offered. I woke to the sound of the dragon snoring and had to smile. I quietly gathered everything and grunted as it settled on my shoulders.

I walked out and for the first time since I had got here, I saw the outside. I looked up into the dawn sky to see two moons, one on each horizon. I took a deep breath of fresh air and started looking for a way down. I could see the meadow the dragon had described and headed in that direction. It wasn’t that easy and I was forced to detour several times before I reached the bottom.

The forest at the base of the mountain was mostly free of brush and I could see a lot of signs of old fires. I headed towards the meadow and the neighing of horses. As I came out into the meadow I saw a dozen horses moving back and forth between me and the dragon, which was several hundred feet away. I dropped my stuff and looked around to see several old tents and camp sites.

There was a pile of rope and harness by the closest camp and I moved towards it. I had ridden on a horse only two times in my life and these looked huge. I sorted through the pile of rope and other equipment before pulling out a couple of ropes. One I tied to a couple of trees thirty feet apart at the very edge of the meadow. I grabbed a handful of grass and started towards the horses slowly.

The horses seemed more then willing to come to me and I was able to catch the first one. I tied it to the other rope and went after the next horse, it took me a couple of hours to catch the rest of the horses and tie them up. I had noticed a large pile of silver and weapons by one of the tents and ignored it. When I was finally done, I walked out to the dragon. He grinned, “I thought about eating one of them but changed my mind.”

I grinned back at him, “And the pile of discards?”

The dragon’s shoulders seemed to shrug, “I thought that since you helped me with my gold, you might be able to use some of it.”

It almost seemed like the dragon was embarrassed. I shrugged, “I’m sure I can find a use for it.”

The dragon seemed to relax and I looked back at all the camps, “I guess I’ll stay here tonight and get a fresh start in the morning. Which direction do you think I should try?”

The dragon tilted its head, “Perhaps west. You should do well there.”

The dragon seemed to sigh, “good bye my friend.”

I watched it turn and then leap into the air. Its huge wings kicked up a strong wind and the horses screamed. Luckily they didn’t break free and I went back to them. I used more long rope to let them graze and eat some of the long grass when they had calmed down. I started checking the camps and old tents. The tents were the kind with no floor and most were old with mold on them.

I spent my time emptying packs and filling them with some of the discards, mostly silver. I found a lot of stuff I thought would be useful as trade items or weapons. Like a beautiful longbow and more arrows than I could use in a month. I sorted everything and made packs for each of the horses except one.
After a careful search and some much needed attention, I had a saddle I thought I could use. Of course I had to do a little tinkering to make it what I remember a western saddle should be. I had never liked the thought of making a horse wear a bit and instead I found what I remembered as a hackamore.

I made camp and cooked a meal before deciding on a tent to take. I used another for a floor and set about making it happen. When I was done I folded it up and packed it away. My bag and pack joined the tent in the pack for the last horse. As it started getting dark I laid back and stared up at the bright sky over me. I didn’t know if this was some dream from striking my head or the effects of Henry’s test.

I also thought about the way I felt. I felt strong and seemed to have as much energy as I did when I was much younger, like when I was twenty. The only thing I could think of was the two IV’s Jasper had put into me in the hospital. He had said they were his proto types and I had no idea of their life span or what they were doing to my body, I finally relaxed and fell asleep.



Chapter 5

Robber Baron and the Crossroads

I woke as the sky began to lighten and ate quickly. Getting the packs on the horses and secured proved harder than I thought it would. I was tempted to just lead the horses but knew I would have to relearn to ride sooner or later. I made a last look around and finally climbed clumsily into the saddle. The horse was not like the ones I had ridden long ago.

After I picked myself up and picked the grass out of my hair, I started trying to coax the horse back so that I could try to mount again. This time I was remembering a TV show I had once seen. When I landed in the saddled, I grabbed onto it and leaned forward as the horse started bucking. I slammed my fist against the side of the horse’s neck and to my surprise it locked its legs and froze.

I hesitantly patted the horse, “You and I have a ways to go. If you take care of me, I’ll take care of you.”

It turned its head and I pulled on the rains to make it turn towards the lead pack horse. I pulled my rifle out of the pack and then took the lead rope. Each of the other horses was tied to the packsaddle of the one in front of it. I turned my horse towards the west and as he started walking. I tied the lead rope behind my saddle and settled back. I slung my rifle as we entered the forest.

We weren’t going very fast. At first the horse would grab a mouthful of grass and I had to remind it to keep going. By afternoon the horse was into a rhythm, it would get some grass and then start moving again. It was a few hours before dark when I called a halt for the night beside a small creek. I was sore and tired but unsaddled the horses and put them on a long picket.

I had thought about things as we went along and as soon as I had camp made I set out a few snares. It had been many years since I had practice martial arts and it took awhile to loosen up. I let my mind relax as I moved through the katas and as I finished, I started practicing with two long daggers. After the daggers, I used one of the better long swords as if it was a katana. When I finished, I pulled the longbow out and shot a couple of dozen arrows.

When I was done I washed up in the creek and made dinner. The next day was a repeat of the day before and it was almost five days before I came to a road. I had been catching rabbits and sometimes birds in my snares. Along the way, I had learned that the plants and animals here were both familiar and in some cases different.

My first encounter with another person came a few hours after I had started out for the day. We came out of the woods into a field. I could see some kind of track on my right and turned to ride to it. Twenty minutes later I was approaching several mud brick huts. As I started getting closer I could see a couple of women rushing as if to hide with their children.
It reminded me of some of the third world countries I had been in. By evening I had passed a dozen more small communities. I made camp on the edge of a small group of trees next to a field. I had just finished my exercises when a man came to my camp. He was wringing his hands as if very nervous and waited until I nodded to him.

He looked down, “My lord, word was sent to the baron of your travels. I have been told to… direct you to his customs stop.”

The man was speaking an old type of Spanish but I could understand him well enough, “Customs? And why does your baron want me to go to his custom stop?”

It was almost as if I could smell the man’s fear. He was shaking as he continued, “You have to pay the baron for crossing his land.”

The image I got was of a robber baron from Europe in the middle ages. I thought about it and nodded, “anything else?”

The man shook his head, “No, my lord.”

I looked out at the narrow track, “Where is this custom stop?”

The man seemed to flinch, “A day’s travel down the track and to the left by his keep.”

I nodded and the man hesitated before turning away. He stopped after a couple of steps and reluctantly looked back, “Be careful my lord. Not many travelers escape the baron’s men.”

I looked at him and then grinned. I fished a couple of silver coins out and tossed them. “Thank you for your concern.”

He caught the coins and looked at them with both fear and gratitude. I watched him walk away and thought about what I should do. If this baron was like the robber barons of Europe then he wouldn’t stop at a simple toll. I made a meal of roast rabbit and wild onions with something that was similar to potatoes. I was worried that one of the locals might try to sneak up on me and slept lightly.

I was up early and took my time in saddling the horses. The track widened as I got closer to the baron’s keep and the gathering of huts became small wooded houses and then larger communities. I was able to buy a rabbit and some cheese at one of the isolated farms and ate a late lunch.

I was close to what looked like a small town with a stone keep on a hill over looking it when I saw a half dozen riders heading towards me. It was only a couple of hours until dark and I stopped to wait and swung out of the saddle. I tied the reins to a small tree beside the road and checked my rifle.

When they came up to me they spread out. I could see the two men carrying what I recognized as crossbows. One of the men was better dressed than the others and rode closer, “You are on baron Tennison’s land.”
He looked at one of the men, “Take the last six horses.”

I cleared my throat, “I don’t thinks so.”

He laughed, “Alright, we’ll take them all.”

I nodded as the two riders without crossbows moved forward. I raised my rifle and shot the man in front of me through the head. I shifted to the two men with crossbows and took them down. The other two men were fighting their mounts until one slipped off and pulled a long sword.

I shot him twice and shifted to the last man as he finally got control of his horse and turned to me with a snarl, “You are dead stranger.”

I smiled, “I was going to pay a toll but I think you can tell your baron I will be coming to collect his head.”

The man backed his horse before turning and riding off fast. It took several minutes to calm my horses and I moved them back into the nearest wood line. I unsaddled and picketed them on long leads. I kept an eye on the keep while I worked and when full darkness came I slipped out of the camp and headed for the keep.

It took a half hour to get close and I moved quietly as I approached the tall wooden walls. I watched the sentries walking along the top of the wall before moving forward. The rough wooden walls were easy to climb and I waited for a sentry to pass before I slipped over. It only took about twenty minutes to take out the sentries.

This baron must be paranoid, the door into the guard barrack had a drop bar on the outside. I was quiet as I put the bar in its brackets and quietly took out two more guards by the main keep and slipped through a side door. I could hear the loud voices from a large room I thought might be the main hall.

I looked though and listened as a large man with a big belly was drunkenly telling several men how he was going to have me torn apart while I was still alive. The servants came and went keeping their heads down and tried to avoid his notice. I had been watching for about five minutes when a girl almost tripped while carrying a tray of food.

The baron roared as he came to his feet, “Fool!”

He backhanded her and she was sent sprawling. I stepped into the room before I realized I had. The fat baron was stalking after the girl while everyone laughed, “Touch her again and it will be the last thing you ever do!”
The room went silent as the fat man turned to me quickly, “Kill him!”

As the long table that ran down the center of the room was overturned I brought my rifle up. I shot four men that sprang towards me and then I turned towards the fat baron. I shot him three times in the stomach before pointing back at the other men. They were all frozen as they stared at me.

I shifted slightly as I took a step towards the dying baron and looked at the men, “I am heading west. You will leave now and head anywhere except in that direction. If I see any of you I will kill you.”

I glanced at the girl on the floor. She had crawled into one corner and lay there shaking, “Come here girl.”

She slowly crawled to me as the men backed out of the room. I looked at the servants in the other doorway, “Does the baron have a wife or child?”

Several shook their head and I looked at the girl and knelt to lift her up. I looked her in the face, “Ruling others is done by leading them. A true ruler is one who looks after the welfare of her people first.”

I caressed her face before looking at the servants, “This girl is your new baroness. You will follow her or I will return.”

I looked at the frightened girl, “Go among your people and get their advice on how to do things but always remember the decisions are still yours as well as the responsibility. Rule fairly and treat your people as you would want to be treated. If you fail and become like him…”

She looked at the fat baron as he lay in the dirt of the floor. I was a little surprised when she stood straight and looked into my face, “I will not fail.”

I nodded, “The guards that remain can be sent away or kept if you think they will remain faithful.”

I turned and walked out of the room quietly. The main gates of the keep were open and I walked out. I was careful as I made my way back to camp. It was a long night and I kept thinking one of the guards would try to sneak up on me. I made an early breakfast and cleaned my rifle before saddling the horses.

In the small town people were out in the street and stood watching me as I rode through. I stopped when I saw an older man I recognized from the keep. I gestured to him, “Would you be good enough to take something up to your baroness?”

I could see his fear but he came closer and ducked his head, “The mistress is in with her mother.”

He gestured to a small house with several children standing around watching me. I bowed my head, “Would you be kind enough to get her for me?”

He bobbed his head and hurried into the house while I slid out of the saddle. I went to the last horse and untied the lead rope. I led the horse to the front as the girl came out with an older woman following her. She held her head up as she walked to me and I smiled and bowed before holding out the lead rope, “You will need something to help get you started.”

She looked from me to the horse, “Get me started?”

I looked at the horse, “Silver.”

I looked back at her for a moment and then walked around my horse and mounted. I looked down on her, “Good bye youngling.”

I started off and didn’t even glance back. I had a warm feeling in my chest and knew I had done something good. The country I rode into became rolling hills with small streams everywhere. I had taken out my sectioned fishing pole and flies during the first evening. I caught two really nice size fish that almost looked like trout.

The small track became a narrow road with wide grassy sides that I rode on. The road twisted and turned but kept heading in the general direction of west. There were a lot more small towns that I learned were part of the barony. It was almost a week after I had killed the baron when I crossed a wooden bridge and saw a crossroad ahead. I had been riding with the long bow at the ready incase I saw a rabbit.

I rode up to the intersection carefully. The last small village I had passed had warned me about robbers. I swung down and tied my horse to a thick post. I walked towards the sign post to read it. The way south had the name of someplace called Darkholm. To the north was Sithern Plains City. To the west was Glevin Trade City.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement in the nearest clump of bushes. As I turned back to my horses I reached for an arrow. Someone had been watching me and gave a yell that sent a dozen men rushing at me. I had left my rifle on my horse but turned to face the men rushing at me.

My first arrow sped past the rushing men to hit a tall skinny man pulling the string back on his own bow. My second arrow took the man in the lead and my third took the man behind him. I released my fourth arrow before tossing my bow aside and pulling the long sword from over my shoulder.

Almost all of the men had make shift weapons like long kitchen knives. I slid easily into my fighting stance and waited. I didn’t have long to wait as the first man stumbled into range and died as my blade swept out to take his head. I continued to make a follow through with a downward slice that took both hands from the next man.

A half spin and thrust slid the point of my sword through the ribs of another man before I pulled back and turned. A diagonal cut to block and then a spin and side step to avoid a rusty looking long knife. I jabbed into one man’s throat with my fist and backhanded my sword through the stomach of another man.

I slid past the man on the ground gagging and trying to breath as the others followed me. I spun and lunged, the first foot of my sword slicing through a man’s stomach before I yanked it back. I wasn’t fast enough, as he fell he took the sword with him. I pulled my fighting knife and the long dagger I had started carrying.

There were three men left and they followed as I carefully stepped back. With a rush two came at me and the knife came up to block as the dagger went home in the other man’s chest. I shoved him into the other man and turned in time to catch a descending blade with my dagger before cutting his throat with my knife.

The last man was just coming back to his feet and kept looking around for a way out. He lunged and took a swipe with his knife. I blocked with my knife and stabbed through his arm with the dagger. I twisted as I moved sideways and then sliced across his throat with the knife as he screamed. I looked around to see all the men down and dying.

I stepped away from the bodies and really looked around. In the distance I could see someone riding towards me from the south. I knelt to clean my weapons before putting them away. I found my bow and picked it up before heading towards my horse. I swung into the saddle and shifted the horse to put the bow and quiver on the first pack horse before pulling out my rifle.

I turned back to see several people riding closer. I could see what looked like wagons behind them, as they got closer I had to work not to stare. They were riding horses but each person was very short, like four feet tall. They were also very wide in the shoulder and each rider carried what looked like a crossbow.

They stopped about a hundred paces away and looked at each other before one that looked better dressed started forward. He kept looking at the dead and dying men and then at me. I waited quietly to see what he was going to do. He pulled up in front of me and gestured at the men, “Bandits?”

It took me a moment to realize he was speaking very old German and I nodded, “They made a mistake.”

He grinned and then laughed before turning to wave at his men. He looked back at me, “Where are you bound?”

I pointed west with my chin and he nodded, “Us too. We go to sell our wares.”



Chapter 6

Trade city by the River Glevin

I turned and we fell in beside his men. He kept looking at my rifle but didn’t say anything. It was a few hours later that he gestured off the road, “We make camp there for the night.”

I looked around and nodded before turning with him. The area was beside a moderate stream with lots of tall grass. I picked an area to the side and unsaddled my horses before staking them out on long pickets. It only took me about twenty minutes to catch a couple of large fish. I brought fresh clothes down and stripped beside the stream.

I waded out into the water and was surprised when after a few minutes several male and female dwarfs joined me. I grinned and finished washing before wading ashore while they played. I dressed and went back to camp to clean, fillet and cook the fish. The well dressed dwarf squatted across from me and looked curiously at the fish frying.

I held a wooden plate out to him that I had traded a farmer for a couple of days earlier. I had also found a pepper tree and had a large bag of peppercorns, all I needed now was salt. The dwarf looked at me and then accepted the plate gingerly. He tasted a small piece of fish with his knife point and then stared at the fish.

He grinned and looked at me as he took another bite, “I have never tasted these in one hundred and twenty seven years. You can call me Bris.”

I grinned, “Catching them is just as fun. I’m Sam.”

I talked about fly fishing while we ate and he seemed fascinated. After dinner he went to check his camp and men while I checked my horses and put them on a single picket line. I began my evening exercises as several of the dwarfs watched and finished as the sun sank down over the horizon. It was a quiet night that had me more relaxed then in a long time.

I woke with the false dawn and headed for the stream, hoping to catch another couple of fish. Before I had caught my second fish, Bris was there. By the way he was staring I knew he wanted to try it. I waved him out and started teaching him. Several of the others lined up behind us to watch and on his third cast Bris got a hit that bent the pole.

He was hooked along with every one of the dwarfs that was watching. He reeled in a huge fish and I helped him get it off the hook and he was right back in the stream. After his fourth fish I managed to get him out of the stream so we could clean and cook the fish. He watched closely as I cleaned them and had one of his men bring a small pouch of salt.

We were late getting started and all they talked about was catching the fish. Bris kept looking at me as we rode along and finally turned in his saddle, “How much for your fishing pole?”
I grinned and then laughed, I shook my head no and he looked grumpy until I mentioned that I would make a pole for him. He grinned, “How do you make them?”

I nodded to a stream we were coming to, “Find a strait sapling and cut it to length…”

We spent the day talking about fishing and how to make fishing poles and flies. I tried to explain the difference between wet flies and dry flies and when to use each. We made an early stop for the night beside a stream. I let Bris use my fishing pole and took my bow to go looking for something else.

I was watching a young buck and slowly placing an arrow on the string when I felt something watching me. It was like the times when I was in combat and had felt something out of place. I slowly looked around and found myself looking at several wolves as they crept closer. They were huge, easily the size of a Great Dane.

I dropped the bow and spun as I pulled my pistol. The wolves rushed towards me and I barely had time to aim. I took the first one in the chest and the second through the head. I had to spin away from the third and shot the forth straight through its mouth as it leaped. I shifted sideways and turned to shoot the third wolf behind the ear.

I turned with my pistol following my eyes as two other wolves slowly approached. I took aim and killed one with a chest shot and the other turned to leave. I looked around and relaxed as I realized it was over. I was skinning one of the wolves when Bris and several of the dwarfs found me. He stood with his hands on his hips and shook his head.

I shrugged and went back to skinning the wolves. I rolled each skin up and when I was finally done we headed back to camp. I dropped everything beside where I planned to make a fire. I ate a meal that night while the dwarfs stayed in their camp and talked. I carefully started scraping one of the skins and went out to cut a few branches to use as a frame to stretch the skin.

I rubbed ash from my fire into the skin and stretched it on the frame I had made. Bris came to my camp just as I was getting ready to lie down. He squatted across from me, “You are a strange man, Sam.”

I grinned, “I’ve been told that before.”

He smiled, “You are very skilled with weapons and you have other weapons we know nothing about.”

I lay back and gestured for him to join me, “I’m going to tell you a story.”

In the month since I had arrived, my appearance had changed so that I looked like a man of maybe forty. I looked into the night sky and began taking about my life. Not just about my life but about my world. I told him everything… about being in the hospital and the rest. The dragon seemed to surprise him and he looked at me speculatively.

When I finished and lay quietly, he nodded, “It is similar to a few other stories we have heard about.”

I looked at him and he nodded, “I think the dragon helped you more than you know.”

I nodded, “I think I do know.”

We relaxed and he sighed, “We will stay with you. The trade City is only three days away but it gets more dangerous.”

I looked away from the sky and he nodded, “Across the river Glevin is the vast plains of Turass. There are large herds of beasts that roam the plains and because of this predators like the wolves you killed are plentiful. The closer we get, the more we will encounter.”

Listening to his talk made me think of the Great Plains and the huge herds of Bison that had once roamed it. I nodded, “We had something like that in my world but that was long ago.”

Bris shrugged, “You need to camp with us and keep your horses with ours.”

I nodded, “Fine but we share guard duty.”

He agreed and then grinned, “And the fishing pole.”

I laughed and we were quiet for a time. Bris kept looking at me, “Could you make more of those weapons?”

I thought about it, the metal of both weapons was made from advanced composites and needed special tools and equipment. I glanced at Bris, “They are made from metal stronger then the steel in a sword. I would need special equipment I probably wouldn’t find here. I could make weapons yes but not using the same metals. They wouldn’t be like the weapons I carry either.”

I looked at the sky thinking about what he had asked. With all the different things I had learned over the years I could make a modern weapon. In fact, I remembered a time when I had designed a Thompson machine gun made from newer light weight metals. It had only weighted half of what a real Thompson weighted.

I had also studied plans for other weapons, an old Colt Peacemaker and a Ruger Red Hawk. I woke early and rolled out of bed. I checked the horses and saddled them before putting them on their leads. They were grazing in the tall grass as I packed up. One of the dwarf women walked to the rolls of wolf pelts and only glanced at me, “We will take care of these.”

I smiled, “Thank you.”

Bris appeared smoking what looked like a long thin milky stone. The smell was like apples and cinnamon. I looked at the pipe and he grinned before nodding towards the stream where several dwarfs were watching one fish. I grinned and cleared a sandy patch of ground. I thought about it and sketched the eyes and brass caps on the section ends, describing everything as I went.

Bris watched and listened until I was done. I explained about curing the wood so it wouldn’t split. I told him about using strong waxed string to attach the eyes and a strong glue to hold the sections caps on. When I finished he called the dwarf that was fishing. When he got to us, Bris took the fishing pole and examined the eyes and section caps closely.

As we rode during the day the guards stayed closer to the wagons and were more alert. Just before our lunch break we were approaching a large slow moving stream when I noticed something moving in the tall grass off to one side. I was carrying the bow and pulled up before swinging out of the saddle and tying the rains to a passing wagon.

I nocked an arrow and moved closer. I was only fifteen feet away when it rose up slightly as it moved closer to the road. I brought the bow up and pulled back in one motion. The release was almost an after thought. The scream of the big spotted cat as my arrow slammed into its body caused the horses to scream and panic.

The big cat was snapping at the arrow as I prepared another. I didn’t have to shoot though, the cat spasmed and dropped to the ground. I carefully moved closer as the dwarves joined me. I recognized the cat as what I thought was a large Jaguar. It took the cat several minutes to die and Bris told one of the other Dwarves to stop the wagons beside the stream.

Another Dwarf moved towards the big cat and I watched as he skinned it with a lot less effort then I could. He rolled the skin and we headed toward the waiting wagons a few hundred yards away. Bris looked at me, “You did a good job spotting that cat. Most of the time we only see them when they attack.”

One of the women handed me a large piece of bread and a chunk of cheese. I grinned and looked around for some twigs. I made a small fire and cut the bread in half before stuffing the cheese inside. I used a forked stick to toast it over the small fire while the dwarves watched amused. I sat back and ate my sandwich slowly, enjoying the unique taste.

The rest of the day went by without incident and we set up camp beside a wide slow moving stream. The water in the stream looked almost crystal clear as I waded out to cast a line. I hooked a big fish on the first try and brought it in. I had noticed several large fish gliding close to me, they looked long and lean like Northern Pike.

When I lifted the fish I had caught out of the water one turned towards me. Something I remembered from fishing in a northern state came back to me. Another man was telling stories of northern pike that attacked a man while he was fishing. I shifted my pole to the same hand as the fish and reached over my shoulder for my sword.

I had just pulled it out when the fish attacked. I struck straight down and impaled the fish on the end of my sword. I brought the sword up with the large struggling fish and wadded to the shore. The dwarves were wide eye and stared at the large fish on my sword and I grinned, “When fishing, watch the water around you for fish like this. They are what is called territorial and may attack your feet.”

The dwarves looked at each other as I offered the fishing pole. I was cleaning the fish when one of the women just took it away from me. I sat beside a couple of the women as they cooked and learned a little about the herbs and spices they used. When I offered the pepper I had gathered, they only looked at me as if they had never heard of it.

I crushed some on a plate with a knife blade and they tried it.