The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah - Final Chapter: Checkmate

Rick Daring slowly peeled off the rest of his mask. “It’s over,” he said.

Zeitgeist showed no surprise. “Hmph. ‘Ragdin.’ I should have realized sooner.”

“It took me a year to disappear, reinvent myself, and slowly work my way into your secret empire. I climbed up higher and higher until I found someone important. Like you.”

“Let me be the first to congratulate you,” muttered Zeitgeist. His hand tightened around the trigger of the hidden gun built onto the underbelly of his desk. He pushed the trigger but nothing happened. Zeitgeist’s face was flushed with anger.
“Yes, I emptied it,” said Daring. “I’d be a fool if I didn’t check out your office before confronting you. Without you knowing, of course.”

“Of course,” said Zeitgeist. “You know, we could use a brilliant man, like yourself.”

“Save the sales pitch,” warned Darning. “I’m here to bring your Cabal down. Too many good men have been lost because of your thirst of knowledge.”


“I had to try,” said Zeitgeist. He started to shrug, but his large hands grasped the edge of the desk. He overturned the desk, sending everything falling onto Daring. Daring picked up a lamp and threw it at Zeitgeist’s leg, causing the villain to fall.
Daring jumped at him, but Zeitgeist rolled away, and Daring slammed into the ground. Resilient, Daring got up, barely dodging a punch from Zeitgeist. Daring grabbed Zeitgeist’s arm and sent flying into the bookcase, thanks to a judo toss. Daring managed to get another blow in just as Zeitgeist kicked him in the stomach. Zeitgeist made his way towards the back bookcases, but Daring was far from finished. He launched himself at his opponent. This time, he was successful in sending the two of them over the couch and onto the floor.

Daring grabbed at Zeitgeist, hoping to prevent the villain from leaving, but Zeitgeist brushed him off with relative ease. Zeitgeist picked up a small coffee table and succeed in a glancing blow that sent Daring back to the floor. He brought the table down onto Daring’s head, splitting the table into two.

Zeitgeist frowned. “I was rather fond of that,” he muttered. He walked over to a particular bookcase and removed an ordinary-looking book. The bookcase disappeared into the wall, revealing a small room: an armory with various weapons displayed in glass cases.

Zeitgeist started to fill a backpack, while Daring dragged himself back to consciousness. He shook his throbbing head and slowly got back to his feet. Peering into the secret room, Daring watched as Zeitgeist fill the small backpack. With his back to Daring, Zeitgeist did not know that his nemesis had regained consciousness so soon. Daring quietly started to circle around Zeitgeist, keeping a row of display cases between him and Zeitgeist.

Unfortunately, Daring felt dizzy for a moment and bumped into one of the cases. Zeitgeist immediately turned around, an assault rifle in hand and opened fire. Daring dropped to the floor as glass showered down on top of him. Bullets ate up the wall behind him. Zeitgeist grabbed the backpack and started to run towards a door at the end of the room.

Daring reached up in the torn up case and pulled out the first thing his hand could find. He ran parallel to Zeitgeist, opening fire with the semi-automatic pistol he had taken. Zeitgeist took cover behind one of the columns running through the middle of the room. Daring ducked behind more display cases just as Zeitgeist unleashed another round of fire. Daring returned fire, hoping to wound the villain, but Zeitgeist had no limitations in that regard.

Zeitgeist pinned Daring down with his heavier firepower as he made his way to the door. His gun clicked empty just as the door opened. Zeitgeist slid through the threshold as Daring took aim. His gun jammed just as the door started to close. Tossing it away, Daring pushed the button next to the door, listening to motors operating the elevator. After a moment, the elevator returned, and Daring descended into darkness.

The elevator door opened into a maze of dimly lit corridors. Daring looked both ways and had no clue which way to go. He closed his eyes and listened. He could faintly hear footsteps, and Daring started to follow the sounds. It was an arduous journey following what he hoped was Zeitgeist. It was twenty minutes later that he ran into a wall literally.

His spirit was not dashed however, as he started to examine the wall in front of him. It was not long before the wall yielded its secrets to Daring. The wall opened, and Daring was surprised to find himself in the local spaceport. The crowds of people and creatures, racing to and from their flights, did not notice Daring appearing as if out of nowhere.

Zeitgeist smiled to himself. There was no logical reason that Daring could find him in these crowds. Especially since Zeitgeist had turned his jacket inside out and put on a convincing wig and facial hair. He strode up to the counter and introduced himself to the robot attendant.

Showing one of his fake ids, he said, “Please have my private shuttle ready. I’m in a hurry, please.” The robot scanned the id and processed his request. Paperwork printed out of a slot in its chest. Zeitgeist signed the appropriate areas and was escorted down to the tarmac. Zeitgeist’s eyes searched the crowds around him as the spaceport cart drove him to his destination. There was no sign of Daring. Perhaps he lost his pursuer in the crowd. Nevertheless, Zeitgeist did not let down his guard. Even when he climbed up the stairs to the waiting shuttlecraft.

It was only when he walked into the cabin of the shuttle did his blood turn cold. There waiting for him was Rick Daring.
“Sit down,” commanded Daring, waving his gun towards a nearby seat. Zeitgeist reluctantly obeyed. “Pretty disappointing, huh? I bet you thought you lost me, huh?”

“I know I did,” replied Zeitgeist.

“Perhaps you did, but I stopped a moment and thought things through. No one with your vanity is going to sit in coach. Not when you most likely own your own shuttle. It didn’t take long for port authorities to help me narrow the field, and here I am.”
Zeitgeist glanced over to the door leading to the cockpit. “Don’t worry,” continued Daring. “We have two of security’s brightest pilots flying us home. It looks to be a smooth flight.” It was not long after that the shuttle lifted off the ground.

As they made their way up through the atmosphere, Zeitgeist made a small request. “There is a bottle of Dom Perignon 2098 in my personal refrigerator. I’ve kept it for special occasions. If I’m going to prison, I might as well drink it.”

It seemed like an ordinary request, and there was a bottle matching the description in the fridge. Daring pulled it out and put it on the table next to Zeitgeist.

“Enjoy,” said Daring.

“You don’t want some?”

“I don’t drink.”

“A pity,” said Zeitgeist as his hands clasped the bottle’s neck. He swung the bottle like a bat and smashed it against the table. Gas erupted from the fake bottle. Daring was immediately overtaken by the gas. Zeitgeist covered his nose and mouth while he pulled a .22 caliber gun out of a hollow heel. Daring lay on the floor, dazed and disoriented. He heard gunshots and Zeitgeist’s large feet against the floor.

Daring reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a cigarette case, but inside were rows and rows of pills. Plucking a white one, he held it between two fingers and broke it open. He felt a rush of pure oxygen enter his nose, and the effects of the gas were temporarily eliminated. He stumbled into the cockpit only to find the pilots dead, and the shuttle was making a steep decline into a mountainous region.

Daring started to pull at the yoke, using all of his flight training he acquired over the years. The shuttle was sluggish in response. The fact that bullet holes littered the controls was not helping Daring’s situation. He managed to level off the shuttle, but it was not going to make it over the incoming mountains.

Daring abandoned the cockpit and found that the emergency rafts, jetpacks, and even the old fashioned parachutes were all riddled with bullets, except for one that Zeitgeist had used to escape. Daring went to the opened starboard door. He fought against the whipping wind and jumped out of the shuttle. He landed ten feet below in a pile of snow. He looked up just as the shuttle crashed into the mountains. It was then that he collapsed, either from the gas or from physical exertion.

Unaware of any of these events, the Brilliant 5 had said their goodbyes to Zoey Walker. Junior walked Zoey to her shuttle.
“You’re sure you won’t reconsider?” he asked.

“Well, if the world’s going to end in 20,000 years, the least I can do is visit my parents more often,” replied Zoey.
“Why are you going back to Earth? They don’t have anything that will get you back to this side of the galaxy.”
“Maybe I don’t want to come back.”

“Can’t you and Sara make up? It’s not good to leave on such bad terms. The two of you are the best of friends. Can getting back at Zeitgeist really be worth more than your friendship with Sara?”

“There’s nothing you can say that will change my mind,” said Zoey.

“Then take this,” said Junior, placing a small device in Zoey’s hand. “Teresa made it so we can communicate over long distances.”

“Even on Earth?”

“Even on Earth.” Zoey gave Junior a small smile and hugged him. “Thanks for everything,” she said as she walked up the ramp. Junior stood and watched as her shuttle took off.

“You should have said something,” he said as Sara walked up behind him.

“It’d only make things between us worse. She just needs to cool off.”

“This happen often?” asked Junior.

“No, but it makes me feel like her mother when she does.”

Just then, there was a hollering that neither had heard before. Old Timer was racing towards them.
“What’s the rush?” asked Junior.

“Daring’s alive! They just found near some wreck! He’s alive!” Old Timer continued to holler.
Sara’s hearts raced as she heard the news. She knew that her old friend was alive, never doubting it, but it was a relief to hear it from Old Timer nonetheless. But her happiness was hampered by Zoey’s departure. She kept thinking if she handled things differently, then maybe…

But that was the past, and she was in the here and now. Zoey was more than capable to be on her own, and Sara would see her again someday. Their friendship was stronger than this. Now was the time of celebration, of rejoicing. There would be time later for contemplation, anticipation, and absolution

Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Fifteen: Triumph and Tragedy

DARING – Has finally cornered his elusive arch-fiend, the Spectre, only to be disintegrated by his personal ion field.

The Spectre cackled as he switched off his ion field. Thick smoke still surrounded him, mingled, he assumed, with the ashes of Richard Darington. He assumed wrong. Through the smoke, a pair of gloved hands grabbed the Spectre and slammed him into the wall. The Spectre could not believe his eyes as the smoke cleared, and his assailant was none other than Rick Daring!
“How can this be?” spoke the Spectre. “You couldn’t possible know that I had a personal ion field generator!”

“I didn’t,” admitted Daring, peeling the glove off of his right hand, revealing a techno-sheath covering his hand. “But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. This,” he continued, indicating the weird device. “Scrambles all sorts of electric devices. It’s very handy in situations when you don’t know what to expect.”

“You think you’re so clever,” hissed the Spectre. From his robes, he drew a Webley. The revolver was pointed directly at Daring. Reluctantly, Daring raised his hands in submission.

Meanwhile, the gunfight between the Spectre’s henchmen and the Brilliant 5 was slowly coming to an end. The Brilliant 5 were using “mercy bullets,” non-lethal tranquilizers created by a great inventor who believed in the reformation of criminals. After not hearing any returned shots, Sara cautiously approached the makeshift barrier that the thugs were hiding behind. They were all lying there unconscious, except for one…

“Where’s Dekker?” asked Sara.

“He must of slipped away during the fight,” remarked Junior.

“Let’s split up and search for him. We can’t let him get away,” said Johnny. They all agreed and went off into different directions. Sara found herself in a large storage area filled with crates. A light over the door illuminated the room. Off, in the distance, she heard a sound and instantly knew that she was not alone. She went over to the door she came in at, and closed it. With her back to the door, she said, “You might as well come out, Dekker. I’m covering the only exit.”

“Or what?” came a voice in the darkness. “That almost sounded like a threat.”

“Bullies use threats,” replied Sara. “I promise you that you’re going back to prison.”

“Is that so?” Dekker immerged from his hiding spot behind a column of crates, a pistol in his hand.

“Are you going to tell your buddies that you needed a gun to take care of me?”

“Maybe. I doubt that you’re much of a challenge.”

“Try me.”

Dekker smirked. “Lady, it’s your funeral.” He suddenly threw the gun at Sara, who was already rolling out of the way. As she was getting to her feet, he came at her, hoping to knee her in the chest. She caught his knee in time, kicking away his other leg. Dekker found himself on the floor; an amused Sara looking down at him.

“Ready to give up?” she asked politely. He charged her, this time expecting her to dodge out of the way. As she moved, he suddenly changed directed, hitting her full on. They both collapsed under the sheer momentum. He throttled Sara as she desperately tried to get him off of her. Sara slammed the palms of her hands against his ears. Dekker screamed as his equilibrium quavered. Sara untangled herself from him, taking a moment to catch her breath.

A moment she didn’t have. Dekker kicked her feet out from under her. As she hit the ground, Dekker gave a kick to the ribs. Sara lay there, as Dekker started to push a pile of heavy crates down on top of her.

Rick Daring was not much better luck than Sara. The Spectre’s Webley was prodding Daring’s vertebrae. The villain insisted Daring bring him to Edwards.

“Why are you so convinced it’s Edwards?” asked Daring as they walked down the corridor towards the main room. “Aren’t you satisfied that you killed three of your colleagues and gave a fourth a complete breakdown?”

“It has to be him,” said the Spectre. “All the evidence pointed to him.”

“What ‘evidence?’ Maybe you’re overlooking the most obvious,” said Daring, turning to face his captor.

“What is that exactly?”

“That it was just an accident. That what happened to you was no one’s fault but your own?”

“Impossible!”

“Why else would you be so determined to blame anyone else except yourself?”

“Shut up!” The Spectre backhanded Daring. “Now get moving.”

Daring opened the doors to the main room, only to find both Marissa and Edwards lying on the ground. Forgetting the Spectre, Daring rushed over to Marissa. She was alive but unconscious. Someone had hit her from behind. Edwards was not so lucky; he had been shot.

“No! I won’t be robbed of my revenge!” shouted the Spectre. Daring ignored him, scanning the big room for any signs of the murderer, but all he saw was the Spectre’s unconscious henchmen. It didn’t make any sense to Daring. The Spectre was with him the whole time and was genuinely disappointed when they found Edwards. Sara and the Brilliant 5 would definitely not have harmed him. Who did that leave? Dekker? Possibly. Was Edwards wounded in the gunfire?

Too many questions, considered Daring. No answers came to mind. He found himself wishing that Sara was here, and that there wasn’t a gun pointed at his back. Daring turned to the Spectre. “You have to turn yourself in.”

“Are you mad?”

“I know you’ve killed at least three people, but I don’t want them to tack on a fourth. Especially since you’re innocent for a change.” The Spectre shoved the Webley into Daring’s face. “I need the police to lockdown the building before the real killer gets away.”

“He’s right,” came Sara’s voice behind him. She was carrying Dekker’s unconscious body. She slowly let Dekker slip to the ground. Her dark hair was ruffled, and a little blood could be seen near her lips. “If you give yourself up now, without a fight, it might buy you some leniency with the courts.”

“And if I don’t?”

The rest of the Brilliant 5 rushed into the room from behind Sara. They easily surrounded the arch-fiend. “Please,” said Sara softly, holding her bruised ribs. “Don’t make this hard on you.” The Spectre looked around, weighting his options, what little he had left.

“It’s over,” said Daring.

A shot rang out. Its loud roar echoed in the spacious room. The Spectre crumpled to the ground.

“Who fired that?” asked Old Timer.

“Spread out!” shouted Teresa. The Brilliant 5 fanned out in search of the mysterious assassin, while Sara tended to the recovering Marissa. Daring bent over the body of the Spectre to check his pulse. The man who had once been Professor Bryant was now dead.

“It’s a shame that you let a petty thing like revenge ruin your life,” said Daring as he reached down closed the dead man’s eyes.

“Sentimental, are you?” came a familiar voice. Out of the shadows came Sergoff. Daring frowned as he found another gun pointing at him.

“So, you were the one Bryant wanted all along,” said Daring. “You framed Edwards and tried to kill Bryant.”

“Yes, luckily he turned out to be a better killer than me, so I just let him do all of the hard work.” Sergoff grabbed Daring and pushed him into an adjacent room before Daring could warn any of the others.

The two men were alone in a small office. “I bet you didn’t think I was such an accomplished actor, yes?” sneered Sergoff.

“You had us all fooled.”

“It’s a shame I have to eliminate you and your meddlesome friends. You might become a hassle to my organization.”

“We wouldn’t want that,” said Daring, his back to Sergoff. His hand grabbed the lamp off the desk, hoping Sergoff didn’t notice.

“Once I’ve gotten rid of you, the others won’t know what hit them. Now please turn around. Even I don’t shoot people in the back.”

“Tell that to Bryant!” Daring spun around and launched the lamp at Sergoff. The lamp hit Sergoff’s wrist, sending the gun to the floor. Daring grabbed Sergoff and laid a solid one on his opponent’s chin. Sergoff tumbled backwards, crushing an unoccupied chair. Daring closed in, but Sergoff kicked out, sending Daring on top of the desk. He rolled off of the desk and onto the floor, taking a chair with him. As Sergoff got to his feet, Daring grabbed the chair in an attempt to pin down his opponent. Grabbing ahold of the chair, Sergoff yanked it out of Daring’s grasp and discarded it. Daring managed to land a blow. The two men slammed against a bookcase and their violent struggling shook the books from their shelves.

Sergoff threw a punch, but Daring ducked under it and tossed Sergoff over his back. That did not slow down Sergoff, but Daring wasn’t ready to call it quits either. For every move Sergoff had, Daring did one better, and soon, after a volley of blows, Sergoff no longer had any fight in him.

Daring grabbed the beaten man and asked, “Why, man? Why did you do it?”

Sergoff’s bruised lips twitched. “You fools, science is not thing that can be given away for free. My work, new inventions, should only go to the privileged.”

“You mean, the highest bidder.”

“To whom I choose. I would not let the Peacemaker fall into the hands of bumbling bureaucrats or even my naïve colleagues.”

“So, you’d selfishly hide it away until you choose who was worthy enough for it. Or rich enough?”

Sergoff laughed. “It’s not just me. We are the Cabal. We will manage the technological growth of our society in return for certain rewards.”

“That’s against everything I stand for!” shouted Daring. “The Brilliant 5 set up the Institutes in order to promote learning and familiarization of science and technology, and you just want to bottle it up and hide it from the world!”

“You don’t even know who we are,” said Sergoff and suddenly slumped forward. Daring checked the man’s vitals. Dead.
Sara and the Brilliant 5 entered the totaled room. “What happened?” asked Sara.

“I caught the murderer,” said Daring. “Unfortunately, he’s dead.”

“Sergoff!” exclaimed Junior.

“Who’d a thunk it?” asked Old Timer.

They let Teresa examine the body. “There’s a small patch attached to the underside of his tongue. When the tongue pronounces certain symbols in order, the patch injects a fast-acting venom into his bloodstream.”

“Sergoff’s confession was his death sentence,” said Daring.

Three days later, far from the troubles of Monument City, Daring stood staring out into the rust-red sky. Behind him, Sara’s bandages were being changed by Doctor Diana Xavier.

“I’m flattered, believe me,” said Diana. “But I’m just a humble geneticist. I don’t really hang out with mad scientists.”

“So, you’ve not heard of any rumors about this Cabal?” asked Sara.

“No, best I can do is some rumors floating around about someone experimenting on humans. You know, homeless, runaways.”
“Something else for us to investigate.”

Diana nodded her head towards Daring. “What’s with Mr. Stoic? He hasn’t said a thing to me the whole thing.”

“Don’t take it personally. Richard’s been taking it pretty hard that he lost our only lead.” Sara involuntarily flinched as Diana tightened the bandages.

“Cults like this all have suicide devices. I should have checked,” said Daring.

“He speaks,” said Diana, handing Sara back her shirt. “If you don’t need me any more, I’ve got a sequencer I need to get back.”
“Thanks for your help, Diana,” said Sara.

“It was nice seeing again, Daring,” replied Diana as she left.

Once they were alone, Sara said, “You’ll find them. You always do.”

“I know. I just don’t like working in the blind.” Daring let a smile crack onto his face. “You never told me how you got Dekker. It sounded like he had you on the ropes.”

“Let’s just say it was a close call,” said Sara returning his smile.

Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Fourteen: The Final Showdown

DARING – Along with Sara and the Brilliant 5, had tracked Dekker back to the Spectre’s secret hideout.

“Did you say that you know that building?” asked Johnny Highpitch.

“Yes,” replied Sara. “Ever since we suspected one of the five scientists was the Spectre, I’ve been reading the reports surrounding the five men. Dr Bryant died in a lab accident.”

“A fire in the lab, wasn’t it?” asked Marissa.

“That building was the one Bryant died in,” replied Sara.

“Does that mean that Bryant is…?” asked Junior.

“There’s only one way to find out,” said Daring.

Meanwhile, Dekker stumbled into the ruined laboratory. He was worn out. Barely surviving the artificial disaster that torn down the government building, Dekker had snuck past patrols and managed to make it back to his master’s base of operations. Little did he know that woven within his prison garments was Teresa’s homing beacon. He wandered through the remains of the laboratory until he found the Spectre taunting the poor Dr. Edwards, still held captive.

“Tell me how it felt to see your own invention used to destroy everything you care about,” hissed the Spectre.

“I never should have helped you finished it,” rasped an unkempt Edwards.

“But you feared for your life, and I have kept my word,” said the Spectre. “You still live.”

“But I’m still your blasted prisoner!”

“You did not ask for your freedom.”

“What possible reason would you still need me?”

“Careful how you word that, my dear professor. You don’t want to know what I do with my ‘unwanted.’” The hooded man loomed over the helpless scientist. “But the reason I want to torment you so is very, very simple.” The Spectre stood close enough to Edwards until the captive man could make out the face underneath the hood.

Edwards turned away in disgust. “Revenge,” said the Spectre finally.

“Don’t like what you see?” gloated the Spectre. “A pity, seeing as this is your handiwork.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar!” snarled the Spectre. “I suspected that one of us planned on taking credit for the Peacemaker, while the other four would be left in the dark. Before I could report to our supervisor, a convenient lab accident almost claimed my life. I faked my death, and became the Spectre in order to avenge myself.”

“But why me?” asked Edwards. “I didn’t do it! It wasn’t me. I swear!”

“Why should I trust you? All the evidence I gathered before my ‘death’ pointed to you. It’s only fitting that you’re a gutless coward.”

The Spectre turned, aware that Dekker entered the room.

“Dekker,” greeted the Spectre. “I see that you’ve managed to escape. Good, good. Take our prisoner away so that he rot away somewhere, until I decide when to end his miserable life.”

Suddenly, the burnt out laboratory was flooded with light. Dekker and the Spectre rushed to the windows, only to find themselves surrounded by the police. “Give yourselves up,” came a man’s voice from a bullhorn.

“You fool!” screamed the Spectre. “They followed you here!”

“No one followed me! I swear!” replied Dekker.

“Don’t be so hard on him,” said a voice above them. “He didn’t know we could track his every step.” The two criminals looked up to see Rick Daring, Sara, and the Brilliant 5 repelling down from the ceiling. “Surrender now,” said Daring covering both the Spectre and Dekker. Sara helped Edwards to his feet.

“I don’t think so,” replied the Spectre. From a secret panel, a group of henchmen piled into the room, opening fire at the newcomers. The Brilliant 5 took cover as Daring chased after the fleeing Spectre. He followed the Spectre down a dark corridor, barely seeing the criminal duck into one of the rooms. Upon entering the room, Daring is ambushed by two thugs.

Meanwhile, in the main room, the Brilliant 5 were crouching behind some large lab equipment. The adversary’s bullets kept bouncing off of their makeshift barricade. Sara let Marissa take a look at Edwards and risked a peek at the enemy. Dekker had raced over to the saviors, while Daring and the Spectre were nowhere to be seen.
“I hope Richard’s okay,” Sara quietly said to herself.

At that very moment, Daring was twisting out of the grip of the first thug, while slamming his elbow into the face of the second. Freeing up a small space of breathing room, Daring kicked the first thug to the ground, while laying an uppercut onto the stunned second thug. Both of the thugs lay senseless on the ground. The whole action had taken mere seconds.

The Spectre was at last cornered; his trap sprung but failed to stop Daring. He backed himself into a corner, and Daring stood between him and freedom, but this adversary of all things good was most dangerous when cornered. Deep within his cloak, the Spectre’s hands turned on his personal ion field. The invisible force field, which had singularly atomized Ox, now stood between the Spectre and Daring.

“Go ahead,” taunted the Spectre. “Take your best shot.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” replied Daring. He pulled back his fist, and launched it towards his hooded nemesis. There was a flash of light, a wave of heat, and nothing. Clouds swirled around the Spectre. His haunting laugh echoed throughout the room.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Thirteen: The Invisible Weapon

DARING – Along with Sara and the Brilliant 5, were trying to figure out the Spectre’s next move, when the power went out and the building started to collapse.

Sara and Daring looked up as the ceiling over their heads started to collapse. They carried Sergoff as they tried to avoid the falling rubble. Suddenly, the floor crumbled under their feet, sending them tumbling downward into a lower section of the building.

Getting to their feet, they managed to get out of the way of the tumbling debris. They made their way to the exit stairway, descending the levels as the ominous rumbling continued around them. Exiting into the parking garage, Daring led the way.

Hope seemed dashed as they came across his roadster, flattened by a sizeable chunk of concrete that had landed squarely onto the roadster. Tossing the keys, he said, “Well, I hope you have a car.” Sara led them further down the lane to her white car. Even the garage was starting to become unstable as more rubble started to rain down on them. They crowded into Sara’s car, and she sped off. She screeched through the parking lot, dodging the random pelleting of wreckage.

Sara expertly drove around a large slab of concrete, and finally pulled out of the parking lot. She safely took them to rejoin the others at the Institute of the Brilliant 5.

The Institute had become a makeshift headquarters for the refugees from the destroyed government building. Miraculously, almost everyone had evacuated the building with minor injuries. The halls of the Institute were overrun with doctors, local police officials, and news reporters.

In a little quiet corner, Daring had rounded up the Brilliant 5 along with Sara and Sergoff. Sergoff was still visibly shaken, but he started to slowly respond to others around him. Sara watched over him, hoping that he’d come out it soon.

Daring shushed Junior and Old Timer, who were bickering as usual. “As you know,” stated Daring. “We were not told much about the mysterious item that was being built. And it seems that that very weapon was used against us, and we all know how effective it really is.”

“But, dangnabit, what is it already?” asked Old Timer.

“I allow us to answer that,” replied Teresa. She and Marissa stood up. “What little Daring’s found out about it, we’ve managed to figure it out.”

“We know that it is fueled by the unstable Compound X,” stated Marissa. “We think it is probably mixed with a number of other chemicals, and using an electrical charge, it produces or at least imitates an EMP.”

“EMP?” asked Junior. “As in Electromagnetic Pulse?”

“Correct,” replied Marissa. “An EMP can seriously damage electrical systems by creating current and voltage surges.”

“But in this case, it seems that our Spectre fellow has changed the weapon. Not only does the faux EMP take down the electrical equipment, but somehow weakens the cellular structure of the building itself,” said Teresa.

“But how?” asked Daring.

“Our best guess is that these EMP particles are very unstable,” replied Marissa. “As they pass through solid structures, they weaken the overall cellular bonds, possibly yanking out “keystone cells” that cause the rest to fall.”
“How about that in English?” asked Old Timer.

“We called it the Peacemaker,” said Sergoff, suddenly. Everyone turned to see the professor on his feet, a distant look in his eyes. “It was going to make war bloodless, but now, he’s ruined everything. All those people dead…”

Sara caught him as he collapsed. “Get a doctor!” shouted Sara.

“Is he okay?” asked Johnny Highpitch.

“He’s been through a lot,” replied Sara, checking Sergoff’s vitals. “It’s probably just exhaustion.” They watched in silence as a medical team came in and went off with the unconscious doctor.

“I hate to sound like a broken record,” said Junior. “But what now?” While he said that, an officer came in and spoke with Daring. Daring nodded his head as he listened to what the newcomer told him.

“Good news everyone,” said Daring after the officer left. “Dekker is nowhere to be found.”

“How’s that good news?” asked Johnny.

“Because,” interrupted Teresa. “Our escapee is wearing my patent pending homing beacon, woven directly into his prison uniform.”

“Exactly,” said Daring.

“And you think he’s going to run right back to his old boss,” said Sara.

“Let’s find out,” said Daring while he turned on the holographic map. The room was soon engulfed in a computer generated model of the city. A glowing beacon marked the movement of Dekker. They watched in silence as the beacon slowly made its way to one building in particular.

“Computer, zoom in. Coordinates: 350 by 211.” The computer responded to Daring’s command and enlarged the image of interest. “Overlap with satellite imagery.” The boxy images were instantly replaced with realistic pictures taken by orbiting satellites.

They all looked at the crumbling remains of a once-elegant building. No one said anything until Sara spoke up. “I think I know who the Spectre is. That building, I recognize that building. It’s…”

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Twelve: The Collapsing Building

THE SPECTRE – Has put Dr Edwards into a fiendish device in hopes to learn the secrets in the doctor’s mind.
SARA – And Daring have snuck into the Spectre’s hideout only to be ambushed by his henchmen.

As Sara started to climb the stairs in the secret passage, Daring was still struggling with Davis. Two punches to the gut didn’t even slow Davis down. His large hands would not let go of Daring’s dark shirt.

“Say goodbye to your girlfriend, Daring,” mocked Davis. “Once she reaches the top of the stairs, she’s as good as dead.” Daring kicked out as hard he could, finally tearing Davis off of him. Daring did not let Davis have time to recover as he delivered punch after punch, until one final punch laid the thug out cold.

Daring took no time to celebrate his small victory. He quickly raced up the stairs after Sara. He reached the top of the stairs just as Sara was opening the door. Without thinking, Daring grabbed Sara and pulled her back down the stairs. They fell down half a dozen stairs. Seconds later, the harpoon fired, impaling itself on the wall opposite it.
Sara helped Daring up. “Thanks,” he said.



“I should be thanking you, from the looks of it,” she replied, examining the harpoon.

“We have plenty of time for explanations later,” said Daring. “Let’s go get Edwards.”

As they entered the room, Edwards was ranting. “I give up! I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! Please don’t kill me!”

“Relax, Edwards,” said Sara. “We’re here to rescue you.” But before either of them could do anything, the chair that Edwards was strapped into fell through the floor. Daring and Sara watched helplessly as the chair fell into the back of a large truck. A mirthless laugh echoed the room as the Spectre made his getaway with Edwards in tow.

“So, he made off with Edwards yet again,” remarked Doctor Sergoff. Sara and Daring had regrouped at the top-secret installation where Sergoff and four colleagues were building a secret device. Daring was back in his double breasted suit, and Sara was wearing her white casual clothes. With them were Junior, Old Timer, and Johnny Highpitch.

“That varmint’s slipper than an old rattlesnake,” commented Old Timer.

“Pipe down,” said Junior. “You’ve never even seen a rattlesnake before.”

“Have so,” countered Old Timer. “Why, I…”

“Now’s not the time for bickering, gentlemen,” interrupted Sara with a quiet but firm voice.

“What are we going to do next?” asked Johnny.

“It seems like the Spectre has everything he needs,” said Daring. “We may just have to wait until he chooses to strike again.”

“How will we even know that when he has all these secret passages built into this facility?” asked Junior. “It’ll take days, maybe weeks for our guys to map the sections that we found when he was here last. We don’t know how many more there are.”

“How did he even make them in the first place?” asked Johnny.

“This building was designed by five scientists,” answered Sara. “Bryant, Jones, Scott, Edwards, and Sergoff.”

“Most of them are now dead,” reminded Sergoff.

“But still you believe that one of them is the Spectre,” stated Sara.

“Indeed.”

“Why only one? Two of them could be the Spectre. Taking turn as it were,” said Junior.

“If that were the case, even Sergoff could be the Spectre!” said Old Timer.

“I don’t think that’s the case,” replied Daring, calming Sergoff. “If it was, he certainly wouldn’t be here with us.”

“Why do you say that?” asked Johnny.

“Because he’d be with his partners in crime, celebrating. After all, the Spectre’s won. He’s got what he wanted.”

“There’s still a chance that Edwards might not talk!” said Sergoff.

“Unlikely,” dismissed Daring. “Whatever he was strapped into looked nasty. I’m willing to bet that the Spectre has broken him and, as we’re talking, he’s helping the Spectre finish the top secret project, whatever it is.”

“What is the doohickey anyway?” asked Old Timer. “I sure am itchin’ to find out.”

“I can’t tell you,” said Sergoff. “I was sworn to secrecy.”

“Don’t worry yourself about it,” replied Daring. “We’ll get back to your device in a minute.”

“Holy cow!” shouted Junior, standing up. “You know what it is, don’t you?”

“I don’t,” said Daring. “But Marissa and Teresa do. I’ve had them develop theories based on what we know about the device, and I think they’ve finally cracked it.”

“We’ll let them explain it,” said Sara. “They’re back at the Institute, which is where we should be. The Spectre’s already compromised the security of this building, and we’re not safe here.”

To punctuate what Sara had just said, the lights went out. “What happened?” asked Junior. An eerie silence pervaded the room.

“I think the whole building just lost power,” said Johnny. Sara looked nexted to her and saw Sergoff was visibly agitated.
“No one else did,” said Old Timer, staring out of the window.

“What’s wrong,” Sara asked Sergoff. He didn’t reply.

There was a low, groaning sound that rumbled throughout the building. It was directly followed by a large crack that ran down the window that Old Timer was standing at.

“I think we should evacuate the building immediately,” stated Daring, voicing what everyone else was thinking. The groaning continued as small tremors started to shake the building. The other members of the Brilliant 5 ran off to alert others still in the building. Daring turned to see Sara trying to drag Sergoff out of the room. Sergoff was frozen with an unexplained fear; his face was white like someone had bleached all of the color out of it.

“What’s gotten into him?” asked Sara. “You don’t think…?”

“It’s a possible theory,” replied Daring, helping her carry Sergoff. The rumbling became louder, while the tremors increased, now powerful enough to sweep Daring and Sara off their feet. When they got back onto their feet and helped up the terrified Sergoff, they discovered that the ceiling had collapsed, barring their exit.

They made their way back to the room they had just left. The walls had crumpled, crushing all of the windows, denying them any escape route.

“What now?” asked Sara.

“I’m thinking,” replied Daring. But before Daring could come up with something, the building shuddered, and the ceiling came down on their heads.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Comments on Chapter Eleven

I don't always envision certain actors when I write characters, but here is a list of actors I used for the illustrations and who I think would be great in certain roles.

Richard Darington...Mark Valley (Keen Eddie, Fringe)
Sara........................Maura Tierney (News Radio, ER)
Old Timer...............George "Gabby" Hayes (Countless Westerns)
Junior.....................River Phoenix (Indy 3)
Johnny Highpitch...James Earl Jones (Voice of Darth Vader, Numerous Movies)(Voice)
Edwards.................Tristan Coffin (Numerous serials)
The Spectre............Christopher Lee (Dracula,Star Wars) (Voice)

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Eleven: One Hour To Live

THE SPECTRE – Has snuck into the high-security laboratory and kidnapped Dr. Edwards.
DARING – Set out to stop the Spectre only to be caught in the headlights of his getaway van.

The Spectre pressed the nose of the gun into Edwards’s ribs. “Start the engine,” commanded the Spectre. Edwards reluctantly agreed. As he did so, Daring came into view, falling to the ground.

“Run him over,” commanded the Spectre. “Now!” The nose of the automatic buried itself into Edwards’ ribs. Edwards again complied, and the van started to move, picking up speed. Daring did not move, as if daring them to try and run over him.
At the last moment, Edwards veered away, missing Daring by inches.

“Fool!” shouted the Spectre.

“You won’t kill me,” said Edwards defiantly. “You need me to finish the blueprints.”

“True,” remarked the Spectre, pointing the gun at Edwards’s knee. “But if you disobey me a second time, you’ll never walk again.” Edwards knew by the way he said that, that the Spectre was dead serious. “Now, get us out of here.”

The van proceeded to the exit ramp. Old Timer and Johnny Highpitch entered the parking lot just as the van whizzed by. Daring chasing after the van on foot, shouted, “Stop that van!”

Both Old Timer and Johnny knew that they weren’t going to be able to stop the van by themselves. Johnny pulled out a small device. He kneeled and carefully took aim. The device fired a small projectile that attached itself to the van’s bumper.
“Is that what I think it is,” asked Daring as he tried to catch his breath.

“Yep,” replied Old Timer. “One of Teresa’s patented tracer bullets.”

Daring smiled. “First good news all day.”

Edwards awoke with a start. The back of his neck was throbbing with pain. The last thing he remembered was following the Spectre’s direction, and after he pulled up to an abandoned warehouse, the Spectre clubbed him with the gun’s handle. Edwards found himself strapped into an odd-looking chair. Silently, the Spectre slipped into the room via another secret passage. The only door in the room was covered by a large, sinister-looking harpoon cannon.

“You have one hour to live!” hissed the Spectre. “Tell me what I need to know and I will spare your life.”

“Never!”

“You’ll soon change your mind or die!” shouted the Spectre, pointing to the large clock on the wall across from Edwards. “This clock is directly wired into your chair. Every six minutes, the chair will give an electric shock. You’ll barely feel the first one. The second will just tingle a little, while the third will give you a jolt. But the shocks will get progressively worse, and the tenth will kill you. Whenever you choose to end this, feel free to shout. This room’s wired for sound, so I’ll hear every scream of agony.”
“You can’t do this,” muttered Edwards.

“Remember, one hour,” said the Spectre. “And don’t stall because you think Rick Daring’s on his way to rescue you. Even if he managed to somehow find where you are, he would still have to enter that door, and the first person to enter that door will be impaled by this harpoon.” His eerie laughter filled the room until the master criminal left via the secret passage.
Edwards felt a tiny shock as the clock on the wall started its slow, hour-long passage to midnight.

Meanwhile, outside, Sara and Daring crouched at the edge of the warehouse’s parking lot, waiting for the armed guards to pass.

“Black suits you, Sara,” whispered Daring as they hid among the bushes. This comment referred to their stealthy all-black outfits.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” replied Sara in an equally hushed tone. They dashed across the parking lot the second the guards passed around the corner. They stopped when they reached the warehouse, pausing to catch their breath. The warehouse did not look like it had been used in decades, and yet that was where Teresa’s tracer had led them.

“Door?” suggested Daring.



“Broken window,” replied Sara, pointing behind him. They climbed up and through the shattered remains of a large window frame. They kicked up a cloud of dust as their feet hit the ground of the warehouse. The inside was quiet and dark; the only lighting coming from the outside lampposts. Looking around, they could see no immediate guards or resistance of any type.
Daring glanced at his watch. 11:20. It taken precious time to sneak into the warehouse without alerting anyone to their presence. Hopefully, Edwards was being held in a room nearby, and they would make their escape without anyone noticing.
“Let’s split up and start checking these rooms. Maybe we’ll get lucky,” said Daring. They started looking around, but found nothing but cobweb-covered offices long abandoned.

Sara and Daring regrouped, confounded by their results. “He has to be here somewhere. But where?” Daring never got to finish his thought, as Watkins and Davis walked in on them from a secret passage in the wall.

“Intruders!” shouted Watkins. Davis rushed Daring, tackling him to the ground. Daring punched Davis once, twice, but the thug would not let go of him as they rolled around on the ground. Daring kicked at Davis, but it did not weaken his grip on Daring.

Watkins grabbed Sara on the shoulder, but Sara grabbed his wrist and sent him flying, thanks to a patented judo move. Watkins picked himself up, but Sara blocked each of his punches. She hit a nerve cluster in Watkins’s shoulder, and he collapsed to the ground. Looking back, Sara saw that Daring was still struggling with Davis. She quickly entered the secret passage and started to climb up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Edwards’s body was racked with pain. His muscles were sore from convulsing, and his mouth had the taste of rubber. He had endured nine shocks so far, and true to the Spectre’s word, each was worse than the previous, and Edwards knew that he would not survive the next one. He watched with weary eyes as the clocked counted down the final until midnight. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the inevitable.

Edwards wanted to be strong enough to face death, rather than surrender to the Spectre. But now tested, he found that he was not that type of man, and a minute before midnight, Edwards shouted, “You win! I’ll help you!”

Just then, the door opened, and Sara walked into the room. There was a whirr of machinery, and the harpoon was launched directly at her.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Ten: The Spectre Strikes!

THE SPECTRE – Sets his sights on Dr. Edwards, who has the last piece of the mysterious project the Spectre wants.
DEKKER – Set free by the Spectre, opens free on his captors as they supposedly enter the room.

Daring and Sara had just left the interrogation room and went down the hallway. They entered a room at the corner as the hallway continued to the left. Inside were Old Timer and Dr. Sergoff, sitting by the table where a large monitoring keep tabs of the whole level.

“Get anything out of him?” asked Old Timer.

“Not yet,” admitted Sara.

“He probably won’t buy our bluff either,” remarked Daring.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Old Timer.

“Excuse me,” asked Sergoff. “Who or what is that?” They all turned to look at the security screen. There, a shadow of a man entered the interrogation room and handed Dekker something.

“The Spectre!” gasped Sergoff in horror.

“And now we know how he can get by our security,” said Daring. “Look!” They watched as the screen switched to the hallway camera, and the Spectre disappeared into a secret passage.

“That’s impossible!” shouted Sergoff. “It was the five of us who designed this building in the first place. Only one of us…”
“Are you saying one of your colleagues is the Spectre?” asked Old Timer.

“But three of them are dead,” said Sara.

“Are they?” asked Daring. “In any case, alert security. Lock down the building. We’re going to catch that Spectre, once and for all.” He pulled two guns out of a drawer. He handed one to Sara, but she declined. “Old Timer, find Junior and Dr. Edwards and get them to a secure location. Sara and I will secure our prisoner.”

But down in Dr. Edwards’s laboratory, it was already too late, because he was face to face with the Spectre! Edwards nervously looked down at the automatic leveled at him.

“We are going for a trip,” stated the Spectre.

“Why?” asked Edwards, stalling for time.

“I know how you work,” replied the Spectre. “By now, you will have destroyed your section of the plans, but only after memorizing them.”

“But how could you know that unless…”

Edwards was interrupted as a beaker smashed into the Spectre’s hand, disarming the super-foe. Turning, the Spectre caught sight of Junior, who had slipped into the room.

“I knew you weren’t the type to talk to yourself,” remarked Junior. “Give up, Spectre. I’m not letting you out of this room.” But the Spectre had already launched himself at Junior. The two crashed against a nearby table, sending test tubes to the ground. A lucky punch from Junior bought him some breathing room as the Spectre stumbled backwards.

It was time for Junior to spring into action, but the Spectre easily dodged his tackle. The villain grabbed a nearby chair and swung it madly at Junior. Junior tried to stay out of the reach of the makeshift weapon. He tossed a couple beakers at the Spectre, but the villain batted them away.

Glancing around him, Junior noticed the gun lying on the ground. He tried to make a dash for it, but the Spectre beat him to it, and the last thing Junior would remember was the hard chair crashing down onto his head. Tossing away the remains of the chair, the Spectre picked up the automatic and jabbed Edwards with it.

“Now, as I was saying…” said the Spectre.

Meanwhile, Daring and Sara approached the interrogation room. “How do you want to play it?” asked Daring; their backs to the wall.

“Cautiously,” replied Sara. Daring reached beside them and turned the doorknob. Using his elbow, he gave the door a slight push. No sooner did he do this, than Dekker opened fire. The bullets went through the doorway, past them, and into the opposite wall across from them.

After the firing stopped, Daring listened for the rushed footsteps approaching the doorway. Sara and Daring leapt onto Dekker as he pasted the door’s threshold. Sara took away the gun as Daring pinned him down. Sara helped hold him down as Daring put the cuffs on him.

As Sara finished securing the prisoner, Daring heard a familiar buzzing sound. He pulled out a small transmitter from his pocket.

“Daring here.”

“We found Junior,” came Old Timer’s voice. “He’s out like a light. No sign of Edwards. Looks like the Spectre beat us to him.”
“Thanks,” replied Daring. “Over and out.”

Daring raced down the hall, kicking open the door to the stairs. He went down them two at a time, level by level, until he reached the bottom. Opening the door, he found himself in the basement parking lot. He scanned the area, hoping he wasn’t too late. There, a few yards away, was the Spectre herding Edwards into a unmarked van.

Unfortunately, it was at this time that the Spectre noticed Daring. The sinister man started to fire at Daring. The gunshots reverberated in the small area. Daring ducked behind a concrete column for cover. He still had his own gun, but couldn’t risk firing upon the Spectre without risk hitting Edwards. He glanced around and noticed another column closer to the van. He waited for the shooting to end before making a dash for the other column.

Halfway there, Daring tripped and fell. He expected to be shot then and there, but no shot came. Instead, he heard the van’s engine roar to life. Its large headlights blinded Daring. It lurched forward, picking up speed, intent on running him over.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Nine: A Shot in the Dark

DEKKER – Silenced Thaddeus from talking to Daring and Sara. During the ensuing fight, Dekker sends the car lift down on top of Daring.

As the car lift came rushing down to crush him, Richard Darington rolled towards the lift, falling into the worker’s pit beneath it. Daring looked up from within the pit as the descending lift came to an abrupt stop.

Dekker tried to peered underneath the car, hoping to catch a glimpse of Daring so that he could shoot him. He turned around as someone tapped him on the shoulder. Sara socked him in the jaw. Dekker stumbled backwards, hitting his head on the wall.

“Let’s see how much he likes being unconscious,” she said, pushing the lever until the car lift was back in its upright position. “Honestly, Richard, I think I need to wear a helmet whenever I go out with you,” she said, rubbing her neck as she helped Daring out of the pit.

“Finally,” said Daring as he approached the unconscious Dekker. “Some answers at last.”

Dekker awoke with a piercing pain in the back of his skull. He was chained to his chair. Looking around, he found himself in a plain-looking room. The only door was across from him with the room’s single table between him and the door. There were no windows, so there was no way for him to know where he was.

The door opened and in came Daring and Sara. Daring plopped a large folder onto the table. “You’ve got quite a large rap sheet, Jason Dekker,” said Daring. “Enough to put you back in Sing Sing for a long, long time.”

“So?” spat back Dekker.

“You’re a known associate of the super criminal calling himself, the Spectre. Give us everything you know on him, and we’ll be able to commute your sentence,” stated Sara.

“I don’t have to tell you nothing,” shouted Dekker. “I got rights. Rights to a lawyer, in fact.”

“We are aware of the fact that you’ve been in and out of prison most of your life,” said Sara. “But this concerns the attempted thieft of government equipment.”

“And the government doesn’t like people who try and steal their secrets,” interrupted Daring. “In fact, there’s a pair of agents right outside that door. They think we’re wasting our time, ‘pussyfooting around with you.’ Do you think they’re right?”

“I ain’t talking,” insisted Dekker. “I’m a dead man if I talk. I just saw my partner get disintegrated. What could you possibly do to me that’s worst?”

“You’re right. We can’t do anything, but those government agents can do plenty,” replied Sara. “They can erase you from everyone’s records. You’d be a ghost, then.”

“I can’t. I can’t,” repeated Dekker.

“Looks like you need time to think it over,” said Daring. “We’ll be back in ten minutes.”

In the hallway, Daring asked, “What do you think?”

“He’s hard to read,” admitted Sara. “But if he calls our bluff, we’re done for.”

“What? We’ve got Old Timer and Junior here.”

“There’s no way we could pass them as government agents,” replied Sara.

“It’s worth a shot,” countered Daring. “We’ve got nothing to lose.”

Sara shook her head. “It’s not going to work. He’s too afraid of the Spectre. We could dangle him off a building, and he’d still not talk.”

“Then, how are we?” asked Daring.

Five minutes later, the door opened into the interrogation cell. Dekker was expecting Daring and Sara, but had the shock of his life. The Spectre had walked into his very room! But Dekker held no joy at this sight, for in the hands of his master was a .45 caliber automatic!

“Did you tell them anything?” asked the Spectre with menace beyond description.

“No, nothing. I swear,” blurted Dekker.

Apparently satisfied with his answer, the Spectre set the automatic down on the table and started to undo Dekker’s restrains. Dekker started to get up, but the Spectre motioned for him to sat in the seat.

“Your captors will be back at any moment,” stated the Spectre as he handed Dekker the automatic. “The instant they enter the room, kill them. When you’re sure you’ve eliminated them, then make your escape.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Dekker, but got no response. The Spectre went out of the room and stalked down the hall. He paused in the middle of the hall, at a most unremarkable section. Pressing a hidden button, a section of the wall opened, and the Spectre disappeared into the secret passage. He squeezed down the tight corridor that went between walls. The hooded man grasped at the shadows as he made his way through the maze of hidden corridors. Coming to the end, the Spectre pressed another switch and another door opened up, letting out into a different section of the facility.

The Spectre walked down the hallway, stopping at a particular door. Opening it, he produced a second automatic. He crept up to the lone man working in the laboratory. The Spectre poked the gun into the back of the unaware man. He turned with a start.

“Good evening Dr. Edwards,” said the Spectre. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Meanwhile, back in the interrogation room, Dekker waited nervously for Daring and Sara to return. The automatic felt heavy and cold in his sweaty hands. Without a clock present, it seemed like the whole world had stopped. He strained his ears, trying to listen for approaching footsteps.

Dekker knew that he had only one shot at this. The Spectre would reward him greatly, if he succeeded. Fail and he would die just like Ox. He pushed these thoughts aside as he heard a confident stride echoing the hallways outside. It must be Daring, returning to further their interrogation.

The door opened, and not waiting a second, Dekker stood up and started to empty the gun into the open doorway and whomever was standing there.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Comments on Chapter Eight

I must admit that it was a lot of fun writing the death trap in chapters six and seven. I didn't want it to be too outlandish, though most of the really good ones are. The death trap turned out to be simple and very effective, grounded in the reality of a plausible fire prevention device of the future. Also, now our villain has a name. The Spectre was chosen because. as you readers will learn, it's very apt for the villain. It seemed like a lot of the Republic's masked villains have colorful names like The Crimson Ghost.

The booby trapped safe was one element I was itching to use. I remember watching a number of serials employing this particular device, such as The Adventures of Captain Marvel. Though things like electrified safes are no match for someone like Captain Marvel, many of the more mortal heroes, including Rick Daring, seem doomed to die a grisly death via the tricked out safe.

Hopefully, my serial's been keeping everyone on edge, awaiting next week's chapter. Chapter Eight is filled with action: a last minute rescue, a car chase, and a fist fight before a nail-biting end. Now, that's a serial!

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Eight: Death From Above

DARING– Sets a trap of his own in an attempt to get closer to capturing the allusive menace known as the Spectre.
DEKKER – Turns the table on Daring and switches on the booby trap just as Daring reaches into the safe.

Sitting on hood of her car, Sara watched the cabin with a pair of binoculars from the darkness of the forest. Moments earlier, she watched a pair of men enter the cabin. They had gone for Daring’s bait, and any minute, the trap would be sprung. But minutes dragged by, and Sara started to worry.

Climbing off her car, she tossed the binoculars into the passenger’s seat. She made her way down the sloping hill and soon found herself at the cabin. She glanced into one of the windows and immediately went into action. The large henchman was on the ground, slowly recovering from the safe’s electric booby trap, while the other thug’s hand wrapped around the handle to the booby trap’s power switch.

Sara kicked open the door, grabbing the nearest thing she could find, that being a cup. She tossed it towards the safe. Daring withdrew his hand as the cup whizzed by, shattering on the back of the safe. Daring’s quick reflexes saved him from the full blunt of the electric blast. Still dazed, Daring felt himself get knocked to the ground by a recovering Ox. Dekker turned off the booby trap and rushed over to snatch the plans from the safe.

They jumped out of the window, while Sara helped Daring up.

“Sara?” he asked. “When?”

“You didn’t think we’d let you come up here by yourself did you?” she replied.

They went to the window, but threw themselves to the ground as they heard gunfire as the villains drove off. After a moment of silence, they quietly moved outside. They could still make out the car driving off in the distance. They turned to find that the crooks had shot out the tires in Daring’s roadster.

“Mine’s just up the way,” stated Sara, as she led them up to her car. They climbed into her sleek car, and soon, the engine hummed to life. The headlights burned into the darkness of night. The car skidded down the hill and pulled onto the nearby road. Sara gunned it as the forest around them became a blur as the car picked up speed.


They caught up with the crooks on the winding roads through the mountains. There was not much traffic on the isolated roads, giving Sara more room to maneuver. She tried to pass the crooks, but they swerved, blocking her way. She tried going around the outside. This time, they let her pull beside them, only for them to ram into her. As the crooks bashed themselves into Sara’s car, her car was being knocked against the railing. As the crooks’ car lurched sideways, making way for their next assault, Sara suddenly hit the brakes. Sara’s car slipped back behind their opponent, and the crooks’ momentum carried them across the road and crashed into the railing.

Sara turned to overtake them, but the crooks swerved and hit them, sending Sara’s car into a spin. Sara spun the wheel, trying to regain control of the vehicle. Hitting the brakes, she stopped the car from going over the edge. By the time Daring and Sara got their bearing, the two henchmen had disappeared into the night.

They returned to the secret installation and met up with Dr Sergoff along with Junior and Old Timer who had been watching over Dr Edwards. Daring related their misfortunes.

“I was so sure that they’d go after me,” stated Edwards, mopping his brow. “It’s a shame that got another part of our secret plans.”

“Yes,” replied Dr. Sergoff. “My part, that is.”

“It seems like you’re the last one,” said Junior.

“That doesn’t comfort me very much,” replied Edwards with a sigh.

“It’s a little disheartening that we keep getting trounced by these addle-brained buffoons,” remarked Junior.

“That’s because they’re just hired thugs. This Spectre fellow, whomever he is, is the brains behind the operation, and it’s he who wants these plans,” spoke Daring.

“But what does he need them for? What are the plans even for?” asked Junior.

“It’s unfortunate that we can’t answer that question, young man,” said Sergoff.

“Dem rattlesnakes always seem to be one step ahead of us,” muttered Old Timer.

“How about we change that?” asked Sara as she entered the room. She showed everyone a blurry picture of a license plate.
“What’s this?” asked Junior.

“Having similar episodes in the past,” explained Sara. “I took the liberty of rigging my car with surveillance equipment to capture license plates of pursuing vehicles.” She passed around the photo. “While there’s no clean shot of the plates, I’ve run what I could make out through the system. The closest match is a car that was recently stolen. It more than likely came from Mike’s Auto Shop, run by a Thaddeus Carter. Thaddeus had ties with several chop shops and could be supplying the Spectre’s gang with cars and other equipment.”

“Good work, Sara,” said Daring as he stood up. “We’ll check out the lead,” he continued as Old Timer and Junior started to get up. “While Old Timer and Junior stay here and guard the scientists.”

“Aw, phooey,” muttered Old Timer as he plopped back in his seat.

Meanwhile, in the remains of a laboratory used as the Spectre’s hidden base of operations, Ox and Dekker were surprised to find their master waiting for them when they arrived. It was the first time they had ever met face to face.

“Here’s the next piece of the plans,” said Dekker as he handed over the piece of paper.

“Excellent,” hissed the Spectre. “But I am disappointed in you, Ox. Yet again we would have failed if it had not been for Dekker’s quick thinking.”

“How was I supposed to know it was booby trapped?” asked Ox.

“Enough of your excuses,” shouted the Spectre. “You will not fail me another time. Prepare to die.”

“I ain’t going down without a fight,” said Ox. He charged at the Spectre. He swung his mighty fist at the Spectre. The second it impacted on the Spectre, there was a flash of light, a whisp of smoke, and Ox was gone.

“Please remember, Dekker, that I have a personal ion shield. Anyone who touches it will be disintegrated, and only I will know when it is on and off.”

“Yes, sir,” was all that Dekker could manage. He had felt the immense heat from across the room.

A buzzing sound came from one of the screens. The Spectre flipped on the monitor. They watched the video from a hidden camera within Mike’s Auto Shop.

“So, they were able to trace your car back to good old Thaddeus,” pondered the Spectre. “Quickly, Dekker, get over there and kill them before Thaddeus tells them anything of importance.” He paused. “While you’re there, eliminate Thaddeus. He’s nothing more than a liability now.”

Ten minutes later, Dekker was kicking in the door to the auto shop. He, along with Watkins and Davis, entered the store and found Daring and Sara grilling Thaddeus in the garage.

“Spill it,” demanded Daring. “Who is the Spectre?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know!” shouted Thaddeus. “But I know where they hang out. It’s –“

A shot rang out and silenced Thaddeus forever. Daring and Sara turned to see the three thugs come out from behind the car lift.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” remarked Daring as they approached.

“Any last words?” asked Dekker. Before Daring could reply, Sara kicked the gun out of Dekker’s hand, and Daring pushed Dekker into his men before they could react. A quick punch from Daring laid out Watkins. Sara tripped Davis, hitting him in the back of the neck as he fell.

Dekker picked up a stool and threw it at them. Daring barely dodged it, but Sara was not so lucky. She collapsed to the ground, out cold. The two men struggle, exchanging blows. They fell onto a table, crushing it. Dekker kicked Daring off of him. He ran for the door, but Daring tackled him. Daring grabbed at Dekker, but Dekker pushed him off again.

Daring stumbled to the ground, rolling with the punch. He found himself under the car lift. Dekker ran over and pulled a lever, sending the suspended car down on top of Daring.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Seven: The Secret Safe

THE SPECTRE– Announces his plans of world domination after murdering Dr. Scott with a fiendish death trap.
DARING – And Sara are trapped inside the same death trap, slowly suffocating to death.

Sara, Daring, and Dr. Edwards are laid quietly on the floor; their breathing uneven and raspy. It would only be a few more minutes before the last of the oxygen would be sucked out of the room.

Meanwhile, Junior and Old Timer were walking down the hallway towards the room. They were arguing as usual.

“I can’t believe the doctor gave you a clean bill of health,” stated Junior. “Doesn’t he know about your condition?”

“My condition, eh?” retorted Old Timer. “My only problem is you flapping your gums all the time.” They stopped in front of the door, where Dr. Sergoff was desperately pounding on the sealed door.

“What’s the matter?” asked Old Timer. “Fergit yer key or something?”

“The receptionist told us you were all down here. Did the meeting start without us?”

“You must help me!” cried Dr. Sergoff. “They killed Dr. Scott, and now the room’s sealed off. I’m afraid my colleague and your friends are already die!”

“Not on our watch,” replied Junior, examining the metal door. As standard issue for all of the Brilliant 5, Old Timer and Junior both had a small tab of plastique tucked away in a secret compartment on their belts. The small explosives had little destructive power except to break down a wall or tear a door off its hinges.

After a few tense seconds of preparations, Old Timer and Junior pulled Sergoff around the corner. Fingers in their ears, they detonated the explosives, and the door collapsed with a loud roar. Junior and Old Timer rushed into the room, and admist the smoke, they found their partners and dragged them out of the death trap.

Dr. Edwards was the first to stir. “What happened?” He asked. Sergoff filled him in as Junior helped up a slightly shaken Sara.

Daring slowly opened his eyes and said, “Am I glad that you two showed up late!”

Later, they all gathered after the three of them had time to recover from their near-death experience. They quietly mulled over the grim fact that the Spectre had again left victorious in this current battle of wits.

“The Spectre, huh?” mused Old Timer. “So, that’s what’s he calling himself?”

“Did you happen to recognize the voice?” asked Daring.

“No,” replied Edwards hastily.

“And you don’t know who could be targeting you?” asked Sara.

“There’s any number of countries interested in our research,” replied Sergoff.

“So, we’re back to square one, huh?” asked Junior.

“Not necessarily,” stated Daring. “Though the Spectre does seem to be able move uninhibited to and from this secure location , despite our improvements to the security.”

“What are you thinking, Richard?” asked Sara.

“My thinking is that maybe we can get the Spectre to come to us…” With that, Daring laid out his plan.

In the middle of the night, a car pulled up onto a secluded road. It pulled off of the road and came to a stop. Two men climbed out into the darkness of night. They made their way to a small opening in the shrubbery. One of them produced a pair of binoculars and peered through them. After a moment, he passed them to his taller partner.

“The boss was right on the money as usual,” said Dekker as Ox observed the cabin in the distance. “After that scare with the death trap, them big wigs escort themselves off to their remote houses, in hopes that we’d never find them.”

“But how come our master always know these things?” asked Ox, handing Dekker back his binoculars.

“I dunno,” admitted Dekker. “But he’s the brains. We just do what we’re told.” With that, the two men started to make their way towards the cabin with a small light in the window.

As they approached the cabin, they noticed one car parked towards the back of the cabin, but no other signs of life. They quietly re-checked the perimeter before peering into the window. Through the window, they saw a spacious room, lit by a large fireplace. There was a single chair facing the fireplace; its back was to the door. A nearby table held the remnants of dinner.

Dekker reached out and tested the doorknob. The door was unlocked. The two men snuck into the cabin as quietly as they could muster.

“Don’t make yourself at home,” said an authoritative voice from the chair. “You wouldn’t be staying long.” The two men of crime had expected to face an elderly scientist. Instead, they had fallen into a trap set by the scourge of the underworld, Rick Daring!

Daring rose from the chair, a gun in his hand. “I don’t have much practice with one of these, but at this range, I don’t think I’ll miss,” said Daring.

Dekker and Ox started to raise their hands until Dekker lashed out, sending a lamp into Daring’s hand. The two thugs dove at Daring as the gun slipped from his hand. Daring’s fist impacted on Dekker’s chin, but Ox just grabbed Daring and threw him across the room. Daring barely had a second to roll out of the way of the flying chair tossed his way.
Daring was about strike back when the gun in Dekker’s hand made him stop in his place.

“Don’t try nothing funny,” said Dekker. “Now, where is it? The plans?”

Daring held up his hands and nodded towards the wall. Keeping their distance, Dekker and Ox watched as Daring pushed aside a painting and pressed a hidden button. This revealed a small opening in the wall, with a piece of paper lying in it.
Without saying anything, Ox moved towards the opening. When he reached inside, two things happened simultaneously. A large electrical current jumped through Ox body, rendering the large man unconscious while blinding Dekker. Daring knocked the gun from Dekker’s hand and socked the thug to the ground.

Daring went over to the wall and opened another secret panel. This one contained the switch for the booby trap within the secret safe. Turning it off, Daring felt confident as he went to retrieve the secret plans.

But Dekker was not unconscious as Daring thought. The criminal dived for the security switch just as Daring reached inside the safe. There was a crackle of electricity and the sound of a body falling to the ground.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Six: The Death Trap

DEKKER – Stole the canister of Compound X from Sara.
DARING – Pursues Dekker and his men in the hopes of retrieving the Compound X.

Daring looked over his shoulder just in time to see where the out of control car was heading. He slowly started to lower himself underneath the car. His feet dragged painfully against the pavement. When he gotten himself completely underneath the car, Daring let go, and the car zoomed over him. There was a loud explosion as the car slammed into the tanker. By the time Daring arose from the ground and got his bearings, Dekker and his men had vanished.

Meanwhile, in the burnout husk of an abandoned laboratory, Dekker and Ox entered the darkened room that housed the holographic transmitter. At the appropriate time, the hologram hummed to life, and the two henchmen were in the presence of their mysterious master.

“Success at last,” hissed their master.

“Yes,” replied Dekker. “We’ve obtained the materials to start building the machine.”

“You did well, Dekker,” said the hooded man. “You even succeeded where Ox had failed.” Ox cringed as their master spoke. “Remember, Ox, that I don’t tolerate failure easily. Next time, I will not be so forgiving.”

Both henchmen nodded their heads in mute agreement. “Neither of you know anything about me, but I know where you are at all times because of the tracers I have you wear. It would be quite easy for me to walk up to you and stab you, or to slip poison in your drink. Remember that the next time either of you fails me.”

The hologram hiccupped; static momentarily obscured the hooded man’s visage. “Now, we must proceed with my plans to obtain the rest of the blueprints. Here is what I need you to do…”

Rick Daring and Sara were walking the long hallways of a local hospital. They had just started to recover from Dekker’s recent attack where they heard the news of the saucer crash and rushed over to the hospital. Sara rubbed the back of her head.

“You don’t have to do this,” said Daring. “The guys and I can handle this one.”

“That Compound X was put under my protection,” replied Sara. “I’m not backing out of this until I retrieve it.”

“Fair enough,” said Daring as they entered Old Timer’s room. Old Timer was lying in the hospital bed. Surrounding him was Junior, Marissa, Johnny, and Teresa.

“Daring! Finally!” shouted Old Timer. “Tell these young whippersnappers that I’m fine. They got me all bound up like I’m in my deathbed.”

“It’s good to see you’re doing fine,” said Daring with a smile. “Old Timer, you remember Sara, don’t you?”

“Yer dern tootin’,” replied Old Timer. “Always a pleasure.”

“The same goes for you,” said Sara. “We were so worried when we all heard the news.”

“We were very lucky to walk away with some minor cuts and scrapes. The doctor wanted Old Timer to stay overnight for observation, since he had been unconscious for a long period of time,” stated Johnny.

“Well, phooey with that!” exclaimed Old Timer. “I’m fit as a fiddle!”

“Why don’t you listen to the doctor for a change?” asked Junior.

“You’d like me stuck in a hospital all day,” retorted Old Timer.

“Enough you two,” interrupted Daring. “It wouldn’t hurt to follow the doctor’s order, Old Timer.”

“Hah!” said Junior.

“It won’t be too bad,” said Sara. “Especially with Junior here keeping you company.”

“Huh?” said a bemused Junior. “But… but I got a date tonight!”

“She’ll understand,” said Sara. “You two behave, and we’ll see you in the morning.” Sara bent and kissed Old Timer on the forehead.

“Well, shucks,” was all Old Timer could say.

The next day, Sara and Daring drove to the secret laboratory where the remaining three scientists continued to work on their top secret project. Upon their arrival, the scientists went to meet with them, but only Sergoff and Edwards showed up.
“Where’s Doctor Scott?” asked Daring.

“I don’t know,” replied Sergoff. “Last time I saw him, he was in his private study.” The two scientists led Daring and Sara to Scott’s study. Edwards quietly knocked on the door, but there was no reply.

Daring cautiously opened the door, only to find Scott sitting quietly in his armchair. It was only when they approached him that they discovered that he was dead. Yet there was no sign of a struggle and no wounds found on Scott’s body. Sergoff quietly excused himself from the room, visibly shaken at the sight of the corpse.

“As far as I can tell,” said Sara, examining the body. “He died from asphyxiation.”

Daring nodded his head in agreement. “But what caused it?”

“It looked like he was listening to his radio,” said Edwards idly.

“Don’t touch that!” said both Sara and Daring, but it was already too late. Edwards had twisted the knob on the large stereo. A malevolent voice filled the room as steel door slammed down, covering the window and door.

“Welcome, fools, to your death!” said the eerie voice. “I am the Spectre, and you have stood in my way for long enough. I will have my revenge and show the world what true power is!” Sara and Daring were scanning the room, searching for some possible escape route.

“You will now share the same fate as poor Dr. Scott. It seems like when you activated the radio, it sent a signal to the main computer, telling it that there’s a fire in this room. First, it will seal off the room, and then, it will suck the oxygen out of the room in order to suffocate the fire.” The Spectre let out a maniacal laugh.

Daring and Sara were already taking the carpeting off the floor and pressing them against the room’s vents, trying to prevent the powerful fans from sucking all the air out. Daring signaled Edwards to come over to him. Daring let Edwards take over for him as Daring went and sized up the door.

Daring put his muscular shoulder into the door, but it did not budge. He tried again but knew that force wasn’t going to work. The air was already getting thin, and he was finding it hard to catch his breath. Daring started to pull something out of his watch, when he suddenly collapsed.

“Richard!” exclaimed Sara. Forgetting the vent, she rushed over to his prone body. Checking him, she found him breathing shallowly. Slowly, Sara started giving him mouth to mouth, reviving his lungs with fresh oxygen from hers. But soon, she felt lightheaded, and the room was swaying.

As she fell backwards, she caught Edwards out of the corner of her eyes. He was lying very still on the ground. The last thing she heard before she blacked out was the voice of the sinister Spectre.

“Death is the reward of all who stand in my way! Death!” His eerie laughter filled the quiet room.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Comments on Chapter 5

The latest chapter introduces Sara, my serial's heroine. It's a shame that many serials don't have very strong female characters. Most female characters are relegated to the hero's girlfriend/secretary/lab assistant who always gets knocked out/kidnapped/tied up. There are a few serials with leading heroines, such as Perils of Nyoka, but sadly these are far and few between. Linda Stirling (Zorro's Black Whip) and Kay Aldridge (The Perils of Nyoka) were lucky enough to portray these strong female characters.

I know, I know. It may seem hypocritical to write about having strong female characters, when Sara didn't do much in Chapter 5 besides get knocked unconscious, though she did hold her own against Dekker. But in future chapters, she will be in the thick of it along with Daring, and will probably have more than one opportunity to save our hero for certain death.

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Five: The Woman in White

OX – Sabataged the saucer containing Old Timer, Teresa, and Johnny Highpitch, causing it to crash into the ground.

The giant saucer crashed into a vast farm field, tearing up the ground with a mighty roar. Flames erupted all over the saucer. Inside the cockpit, among the ruined controls, was the Emergency Safety System, which was luckily still intact when the saucer crashed.

Its on-board sensors detected something wrong and activated the emergency foam, spraying it all over the cockpit. The foam acted very similar to an airbag in that it provided cushion against the initial impact. In other words, it saved Johnny Highpitch’s life.

Johnny woke up among the foam; everywhere sirens blaring. His body was sore, but he would live. He limped his way through the wrecked hallways, until he came upon a groggy Teresa. Old Timer was safely strapped to his bed, but still unconscious. Johnny helped Teresa untie him, and they both carried the body out of the saucer.

There, in the mud, they saw large footprints, leading into the forest nearby. Ox had made his getaway. They laid Old Timer down as emergency vehicles appeared over the horizon.

“Daring’s not going to be happy,” said Johnny. “I wrecked his favorite saucer.”

Meanwhile, Daring and Junior were making their way back to the Institute in his roadster. Pulling up in a free parking space, Daring noticed a sleek, white car that wasn’t there when he had left. Daring knew who it belonged to and was curious as to why she was here.

Approaching the Institute’s sitting room, Daring heard Marissa’s melodious laugh. Daring entered to find Marissa entertaining Sara, the Woman in White. She stood beside a large fireplace, while Marissa sat in a nearby armchair. Sara wore her long, dark hair back in a bun, while stray strands danced before her eyes. A dark navy shirt peeked out of her white jacket and pants.
Her green eyes sparkled as she spotted Daring entering the ornate room. “We were just taking about you, Richard,” she said, using Daring’s full first name. “I was just telling dear Marissa about our misadventure in Tibet with the Yeti and that strange Doctor fellow.”



“Keeping out trouble lately, Sara?” asked Daring.

“That’s my line,” she replied. “Clearly, from what I’ve been hearing, you should be kept on a shorter leash. Imagine my surprise hearing that none other than Richard Darington and his Brilliant 5 was called in to investigate one of the most secure compounds on the planet. I have no idea what you turned up, but it wasn’t long before they contacted my people and asked to use our sample of Compound X, while ‘regular security measures’ were being examined.”

“Compound X? You brought it with you?” asked Daring.

“Yes, yes,” she said impatiently. “Where are your manners, Richard? Aren’t you even going to introduce me?”

“Of course,” said Daring. “Marissa, Junior. This is Sara, a top-rate negotiator I’ve worked with a number of times.”

“Pleasure to meet you both,” she said as she shook their hands. She gave Daring a smile.

“What?” he asked.

“I only count two,” she said. “Where are the other three?”

“They had to make a trip to the moon. They should be back any time now.”

“More Compound X?” she asked. “This gets more interesting every minute. By any chance, do you know what they need the Compound X for?”

“It’s the fuel that runs their secret project, whatever that is,” remarked Daring. “Where is your Compound X, Sara?”

“It’s in the other room. I’ll just pop over and get it, shall I?” She left Daring, Junior, and Marissa. In the next room, she went over to the desk where the polished metal briefcase lay. Her fingers had just wrapped themselves around the case’s plastic handle when she felt the familiar sensation of a gun being poked into her back.

“Don’t say anything or I’ll shoot,” said Dekker from behind her. She glanced to her left, noticing the ajar door leading to the balcony. “Open the case and give me the Compound X.”

“You’re a very well-informed man,” said Sara as the briefcase scanned her fingerprints. “How did you happen to know I was here?”

“We got people staked out all over, watching Daring’s every move,” said Dekker as the briefcase snapped open. “And we figured them lab guys need more of that Compound X stuff, and here you come with a big suitcase.”

“Very clever,” she said, pulling a canister out of a foam brace. “Did you think of that yourself or did you have help?”

“Naturally, our…” Dekker caught himself before he completed the sentence.

“So, you are working for someone. I’ll be sure to pass that on to Richard when I see him next,” she said. “By the way, put the gun down.”

“What?”

“Put down the gun, or I’ll smash this into the ground, and they’ll be picking up little pieces of ourselves for the next three weeks.” Dekker stared her in the eyes, trying to read her gambit. He slowly compiled, not because of her threat but because of Davis silently sneaking up behind her.

Davis slugged her in the back of the head with the butt of his gun, snatching the canister as she tumbled to the ground. They scurried to the door to balcony in order to make their getaway.

Moments later, Daring came into the room. “Sara!” he shouted when he saw the prone body on the floor. He rushed to her, checking her vitals. Noticing the empty briefcase, it didn’t take long for Daring to put two and two together. He ran to the open balcony doors and leapt off the balcony.

He landed on top of Davis. A quick punch and Davis was out like a light. Turning, he saw Dekker climbing into a car. He crossed the yard and climbed over the fence, just as the car started to drive away. Without thinking, Daring leapt up the back of a nearby parked car and jumped onto the top of the fleeing car’s roof.

His landing made a significant THUD, which alerted Dekker. Soon, he and Watkins started to ventilate the ceiling with their automatics. Feeling the bullets whiz by, Daring pushed himself forward off the roof and onto the hood of the car. He quickly perched himself onto the car’s front bumper, pressing his body against the car’s front grill.

With Daring hiding in the front of the car, Dekker and his men were finding it hard to get a bead on Daring. Dekker saw a nearby fuel tanker, and he told the driver to head right for it. One by one, Dekker and his men jumped from the car.
Daring looked over his shoulder just in time to see where the out of control car was heading. The car ran into the tanker, causing a large fireball. Fire everywhere, there was no way anyone could have survived.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Comments on Chapter Four

Sorry for the delay in Chapter Five. It will be up on this coming Sunday, if not earlier. Be sure to read it since it introduces a new cast member.

Well, the moon mini-saga is almost at an end, and we'll soon be revisiting out hero on the Earth. One of the reasons I had them go to the moon was to invoke the classic sci-fi feel of the 1950s, which dominated movie theaters soon after serials were retired. The Commander Cody serials of 1950s were some of the first serials I ever saw.

The plummeting aircraft is another common cliffhanger. In this case, I changed it into a flying saucer, but the same principal nonetheless.

Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Four: Crash Landing

OLD TIMER – with Teresa and Johnny Highpitch go to the moon in order to secure the mysterious Compound X
OX – Is caught stealing Compound X, and in the resulting struggle, brought the ceiling down on top of everyone.

There was only darkness and silence.

Then, there was a slight hissing sound.

“Give me a light,” said Teresa. Johnny cracked open the emergency light on his suit’s belt. Looming over them was Ox; his fierce muscles the only thing preventing the large pile of boulders from crushing them all. Old Timer was lying by Ox’s feet. Teresa crawled over and pushed her hands on top of a small tear in Old Timer’s suit.

“Tape!” she shouted. “Hurry!” Johnny complied, pulling the sealant from his belt. After a few tense seconds, they mended the rip, but Old Timer was still unconscious.

“So, now what?” asked Johnny. “We only have so much air, and our large friend here has only so much strength.” He didn’t mention the fact that Ox could easily kill them both if they were not in this predicament.

Teresa picked up the ray gun. “Don’t lose hope yet,” she said. She started to take apart the gun and pulled out various items from her suit pockets. After fifteen minutes of tinkering in dim lights, Teresa presented them with a strange looking contraption.

“I’ve increased the output on the ray gun,” explained Teresa. “It may be abl to burn a tunnel through the rubble. Unfortunately, I don’t know how long it will last before the battery dies.”

“We’ve got no other choice but to try,” said Johnny. “We need to get Old Timer back to the saucer as fast as possible.”
“Please hurry,” rasped Ox. “It’s getting awfully heavy.”

“But which way should I start? I don’t remember which way was the entrance,” said Teresa.

Johnny pressed his helmeted head against the wall and pounded the wall. “There’s a hollow area, maybe 10 meters away.”

With that, Teresa turned on the device, and they watched as it started to shoot rays that melted through the rock. Teresa carefully aimed the device until it burned a hole just large enough for Ox to fit into. She ducked down into the hole in the wall and let the device burn further and further into the rumble.

When there was enough room, Johnny entered the makeshift tunnel, dragging along the unconscious Old Timer. That left Ox alone, carrying the weight of the ceiling on top of him. He hesitated, thinking of the two thugs crushed to death, before squeezing into the tunnel after Johnny; the collapsing rocks sealing the tunnel after him.

They slowly edged their way through the tunnel. They could feel the raw heat from Teresa’s device through their suits. It seemed like an eternity crawling in the cramp tunnel, until, suddenly, the device died. Teresa and Johnny grasped at the wall, trying to tear it down with their gloved hands. Johnny squeezed in front of Teresa and put his shoulder into breaking down the wall.

On his third try, the wall caved in, and they found themselves in tunnel leading to the entrance to the mine. They were soon met by the local authorities, who helped Johnny bind Ox before he could get away. Teresa immediately took Old Timer back to their saucer. Once inside, she took him out of the suit, and placed him in the medical bay. She placed an oxygen mask over his face and watched the sensors report that his condition was stable.

Johnny brought in Ox, sat him down, and stripped out of his spacesuit. He went into the cockpit and started the saucer’s engine. The craft lurched upward, and soon they were making their way back to the planet.

Ox sat quietly, staring at the heavy-duty handcuffs clamped onto his wrists. He had made no attempt at escape since the cave-in. He knew that he had failed his master in stealing the precious Compound X, and even if he did escape, there would be nothing but punishment awaiting his return. He was much safer in jail than he was a free man.

But as the saucer was completing re-entry into the planet’s atmosphere, Ox had a new thought. Clearly, his captors were extremely intelligent, far smarter than him at least. When they got back to their base, they would surely interrogate Ox, and sooner or later, Ox would incidentally mention something of importance that would lead them to his master.

This sort of mistake was unforgivable, and the only punishment was death. Ox realized with a fury that he had to get free. There was a small hope that his master would give him a second chance, but he had to act quickly before he compounded his troubles.

With a tug of his superior muscles, the handcuffs snapped into two. He silently stalked throughout the saucer until came about Teresa, still tending the unconscious Old Timer. Ox rushed her, and before she could open her mouth, he knocked her out. He then made his way to the front of the ship, towards the cockpit area.

Johnny Highpitch turned as the door behind him opened. Being agile, he was able to jump out of the way as Ox lunge towards him. Unfortunately, this was exactly what Ox wanted. His large hands ripped into the controls, tearing it apart.

“Stop!” shouted Johnny. “You don’t know what you’re doing!” Johnny tried to pull Ox away from the saucer’s control, but to no avail. He dodged one of Ox’s blows and punched him in the stomach. It felt like punching a wall.

Ox grabbed ahold of Johnny and threw him into the wall. Ox took one look back at the trashed controls and then fled the cockpit, leaving a unconscious Johnny as the ground behind grew larger and larger in the windshield as the saucer plummeted to the ground.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.