Mythlands: THE HEIST

Part Two: Ten Four

Toad Hall.

Captain Toad hopped out of his roadster and turned around to help Jessica and Cottontail down. Pegasus and Icarus who had carried the non upright talking animals (minus Bambi) as well as George, Goldie and The Gingerbread Man were waiting on the lawn.

'Well old friend, here we are ... chez Toad.'

'It's just as I remembered it!' said Hare and Future Hare simultaneously. Annoyed, they looked at each other.

Toad who hadn't noticed preened with pride and unconsciously ran a finger over the thin pencil mustache he had grown. 'My home is your home chaps. Shall we wait for the others or ... spot of tiffin perhaps?'

'No time for that Toad,' Hare and Future Hare again said in unison and again glared at each other in annoyance.

Jessica stepped over and grabbed her Hare's arm while Cottontail steered her version towards the door.

'Let's go and speak with the cats while they get things sorted,' the glamorous redhead suggested, 'Or we can walk down to the end of the drive and wait for Wiley, Velveteen and Bambi to get here with Toad's men.

Toad heard. 'Ah yes, dashed unfortunate but a lack of transport. Got a few other jalopies in m'garages but my chap's tend to march most places. Good exercise, gets the men fit ... prep em for the foeman, eh what?'

Future Hare strolled over. 'No time for pleasantries Toad and what we need isn't inside the house. Do you still have your old ham radio set? Last time I was here, it was in the stable block wasn't it?'

'By jingo! That old thing ... I used to be mad on it oh about ... thirty years ago.'

'Please take us there Toad,' Cottontail requested, gently laying a hand on Toad's jacket sleeve. 'The sooner we're away from here, the safer your men will be.'

Future Hare nodded agreement. 'Cottontail's right old friend and once we're done, we're heading north and I urge you to take your men somewhere east or west of here, hole up for 24 hours or so and don't come out until our pursuers are long gone.' As he spoke the words, Future Hare felt a twinge of remorse - looking on the open honest face of one of his oldest friends, he felt that yet again, he was abandoning someone he cared about. Chances are they would never see each other again ... just like they would never see Oswald, Fierce and Frank.

Hare saw the look crossing his older self's features and knew what was going through the other Hare's mind. His annoyance faded and he spoke into the silence. 'It's for the best Toad.'

Captain Toad nodded. 'Follow me chaps.'

Both Hares and their respective girlfriends proceeded to do so and a few minutes later they found themselves entering the combined stable block/garage.

'No horses now,' Toad explained as they walked through. 'Hard to find fodder for em in today's world and besides those blasted Zodiac types requisitioned most of the dumb animals. Right through here,' they walked past the garage section which held about 8 cars covered with dust sheets - all abandoned because Toad only had enough petrol to keep his roadster running for occasional trips.

'Ah here we are ... the old workshop.'

'Pray the ham still works,' muttered Future Hare and rushed over to it. 

It flickered to life and FH adjusted the frequency as the others watched. 'Now, if they're still alive and if they're monitoring the airwaves and if they remember their promise to help ... ah got it ... Breaker, breaker, this here is The Runner, requesting a 10-34. Relay on all available channels, over.'

Silence ... then the radio crackled to life. 'Repeat call sign and verify.'

'Copy that - this here is The Runner ... partnered to Slow N Steady. I need to get a message to the Number One. Tell him The Runner's callin in the favour, over. Tell him we still need to drink them beers to Mike's memory.'

A pause. '10-4 good buddy. Relaying 10-5. Hang tight.'

Another minute passed and a new voice came on the radio. 'Hare? Ya goddamn sunnava bitch! How the hell you alive good buddy? Over.'

Future Hare's face broke into a big grin. 'Same back atcha podner, but we only got a short short. I'm callin in Vegas, Duck. Need two big rigs burnin tires to the start of the I-One for a northern run. A dozen or so to carry, including a winged horse.'

'Roger that Runner. When you want us movin on?'

'We'll be there in two hours bubba. We aim ta go straight through - need ya to run interference right through to D-Town.'

'10-4 good buddy. Ain't been on the open road since the 'pocalypse but me n pig pen an a few o the boys is mashin motors right soon. Two big rigs, a bull dog an my 18 wheel cab-over. My boys got eyes on smokey the bear all the way through to DC an they'll know we're a comin.'

Future Hare grinned. 'Let them. We just need you to get us to the city and smash right through. It's in a good cause.'

There was silence for a few moments and then the voice of Rubberduck erupted into a rebel yell. 'YEEEHAWWWWW ... then I guess we got ourselves a CONVOY!!'