Canyons of Steel - Nobody Guns For My Family Pt. 1

The three geared up quickly. Word had spread on the island that there was a group moving to shake things up, rattle the status quo. As much as Walker hated the thought of Don Thadius Maximus ruling the so called law of the islands, he hated the thought of an all out gang war even more. Just what they needed, bloodied Armani suits all over the place. As Walker would say in a rather flip way, what was wrong with a good pair of denims these days. Guns were loaded, ammo stocked, kevlar double checked. Even though they seemed to be wearing no armour, the kevlar hiding nicely under the rustic looking dusters and jeans.

"Monty," Walker said in a flat, even tone. "Make sure the horses 're ready. We're gonna be ridin' out in ten minutes."

"On it, mate," Monty said quickly, making no flip remark. Things were serious, and his time with the Illuminati taught him never to joke during a serious situation. The Aussie finished his check and moved quickly, with purpose to the stable. Walker looked over to the third of the trio, Marianne Wollcott. The former blade sister had been more quiet than she usually was, going over the last details carefully, almost automatically. "You ready, Annie?"

"Of course, sir," she replied without hesitation. There was no emotion in her voice, just as Monty, no flip remarks, nor anything else. Which is what worried Walker.

"Annie," he said with an outstretched hand, gently clasping her shoulder. Normally, a Sister would have cut a man down for touching her. But Marianne knew this man, knew his demeanor. And knew that it could change just as a prairie wind would. She looked up directly into his eyes. "If there's somethin' wrong, you tell me. We ain't headin' out without clear heads, understand darlin'?"

Marianne nodded. And then she took a deep breath. "I'm a tad worried, sir."

"'Bout?"

"Our contact mentioned this organization had assistance..." she began, her voice never wavering.

"We know that," Walker nodded with assurance. "The Sisterhood. We been through it a dozen times. Always knew that the Sisters 'r the Illuminati'd come gunnin' fer us at some point." Walker took out his Colt .45 and checked it one last time before holstering it again. "An' we know that one o' 'em's been gunnin' fer you. They sent word on the wire, put a bounty on yer head. The time's come. Either ya can keep runnin', 'r stand an' fight." Marianne nodded firmly to Walker's statement as she took another deep breath. "An' I will tell you right now, we been t'gether long 'nough," he continued in a low voice with just a touch of anger. "You an' Monty're like family ta me. An' I'll be damned if anyone's gonna try an' gun fer my family." Walker gave her a reassuring slap on the shoulder and they walked to the stables together.

Quietly, Marianne reached into a pocket of her duster, feeling the lockette in her hand. And her eyes narrowed as she remembered.

Canyons of Steel - Valley of the Damned Pt. 10

Walker watched as Heritage Front and Weaver mages were loaded onto prisoner transport vehicles. Omega Six and his group had gone, orders from Walker. Make yourself scarce, because the rest of the Feds were coming to pick up the pieces. Christa had informed the new agents of what had happened, letting them know to be on the look out for Hauptmann Yar'ow. They won, but lost the final prize. Walker took a deep breath as he sat on a crumbled pillar, his hand searching for his cigarettes, but a knowing look from Christa made him smile and drop his hand into his lap.

"Good work today, John."

"Yeah, well..." he paused as he looked over those who remained from the fight. They'd been through hell and back and survived. They'd have another shot. "Yar'ow ain't gettin' 'way, Christa. I'll either tag 'er, 'r you an' yer boys 're gonna. Either way, she just made life somethin' worth livin' fer just a little while longer."

"Words like that, you should consider joining Interpol," Christa said with a smile.

John Walker let out a laugh as he took out his flask and opened it. "I appreciate the offer, Miss Rayne. But I like what I'm doin' right now. Maybe in a couple more years..." he took a swig and handed the flask to Christa.

She took it carefully, taking a swig of her own before replying. "A couple more years? John, you're going to be ready to be put out to pasture by then."

He shook his head and sighed as Christa returned the flask. "As long as there's them like these, I ain't restin'. Can't put an ol' dog like me down." He pocketed the flask and looked directly at Chrlsta. "'Sides, gotta keep ya on yer toes somehow, 'Serge."

The End

Canyons of Steel - Valley of the Damned Pt. 9

Fire lapped at the base of the altar as the explosion from the LRM rocket destroyed half the platform. The Weavers returned fire, calling upon their magical abilities, reigning death upon their attackers. In return, machine guns gakked in response to the magical fire, grenades exploded sending guards retreating. It was one thing that has lived for the past one hundred years; yes, magical abilities are dangerous, but so is a man with an assault rifle and a keen eye. A unit of heavily armed soldiers will defeat a group like this easily. Fortunately, however, in the event that magical fire would break their ranks, they had some magical fire of their own, as Richard Adams had double duty, engaging with the mages and tending to wounds quickly and efficiently.

And the mages were starting to realize that. And suddenly, it only got worse.

Across the room from the small force, an explosion rocked the cavern. The newly created crater became the new escape route for the Heritage Front. And they started firing on Walker and his group once they caught sight of them. And the Weavers? They were merely caught in the cross fire. Realizing there was nothing they could do and no where else to go, they scrambled back to find safety away from the sudden war which had erupted in one of their enclave.

"Shit, I weren't expectin' this," Walker gritted his teeth as he rattled off a round toward the Heritage Front soldiers.

"Doesn't mean anything, Walker," Christa shouted. "Just means the targets have changed is all."

Morgan let loose with a volley from Ol' Painless, letting a group of Undead who had just shown up behind the soldiers have hell. Omega Six barked orders to his men as Interpol agents matched the volley. They had strategic cover, as they moved into place behind the security of a natural bunker, thanks to the cavern's formations. The Heritage Front were naked to the world, but creating a bunker of their own quickly.

A Gigantic Undead construct broke formation and ran toward the bunker, vaulting the small barrier and lashing out at Six. Everyone knew they couldn't train weapons at the beast simultaneously, they risked hitting each other. The slight hesitation gave way for one to attack. And Adams' magical attack on the construct gave Six time to unleash a volley into the beast. As the creature fell, Adams let out a knowing smile to Six. Maybe these boys wouldn't be too bad with Interpol, if they could get away from Illuminati. But there would be risks too great, Omega Six would have to make the final call.

Germaine launched another rocket toward the Heritage Front soldiers and his sharp eye picked up movement. Large movement. "Shit, man. We got heavies comin' in!"

Walker watched as the hulking mechs marched through the crater toward the line, firing as they caught sight of their targets. He looked over to Omega Six, his former comrade in Illuminati nodded signalling to one of his men. The ground shook as the blue grey units known as the Armoured Convoy rumbled into the cavern, returning the fire of the Front's Mechs easily. Bombs and bullets echoed in the close confines of the cavern, threatening to bring the ceiling down on them all. And again, Morgan's sharp eye caught more movement. He called out to Walker, pointing toward something moving in the shadows. Walker took up his binoculars and peered into the darkness. He sneered when he saw the figure of Hauptmann Yar'ow instructing a group as they carried some object.

"Christa!" he shouted. "Annie, Six! With me!" He vaulted the edge of the bunker and was quickly followed by those he called out, giving and receiving cover fire as they passed through the wave of Heritage Front soldiers. The three pursuing fired toward the Yar'ow and her men, but they were always just out of reach, even with their heavy burden. The cavern's twists and turns took an odd one, as suddenly it emptied into the sewer system, the sound of battle behind them growing faint, but they could tell the remaining men and women had the upper hand.

Six arrived first at a junction, slamming his shoulder into a steel door, wincing as the pain crept into his bones from the force. He looked to Walker and shook his head. The former gunslinger placed his palm on the steel and muttered a curse. "Damn thing's probably three feet thick an' we ain't got the ordinance ta blow it open." He could almost hear the mocking laughter from the other side as a faint roar of an engine could just barely be heard. "An' she's gettin' away."

Christa came up behind Walker and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll keep tabs, John. We'll watch the Heritage Front and see what turns up. She's gotta rear her ugly head sometime." Walker looked to her with defeat in his eyes, but took a deep breath and nodded. At least today they managed to take out a Weavers enclave and a Heritage Front cell. Though the main target had been lost, they had still managed a victory. The three began trudging back to the rest of the unit, the sounds of gunfire quickly coming to an end, signaling the battle had been won.

Canyons of Steel - Valley of the Damned Pt. 8

They stood on the crest of a hill in the valley that surrounded Bishop Hills, one last check of weaponry as they waited for reinforcements. A jeep pulled up, and a large black man stepped out, looking as though he really shouldn't fit inside. Walker nodded to him, recognizing Germaine Morgan even after all these years. Walker's attention was diverted as the whup whup whup of chopper blades began to fill the sky. An unregistered Black Hawk hovered near the ground as the gathered crowd hunkered down to avoid the updraft from the blades. Four soldiers stepped out, one approaching Walker as the others eyed the Christa and the federal and Interpol agents with suspicion. Operative Omega Six held out a hand to Walker, and wordlessly, it was understood that this day the gathered were allies, not enemies.

Walker took one deep breath as he looked to his comrades. Christa, Adams, Annie, Six, Germaine and the remaining agents, international agents and Illuminati. Weapons had been taken stock, the players were ready.

"Let's get this started."

*****

The guards stood around the obelisk with vigilance. They needed to protect it, to ensure it would not fall into the wrong hands. Mages would come and inspect the area, ensuring that there was no breach of their wards. One such mage was there today. He was detailing the affects of the obelisk carefully.

A small rumble distracted him. It could have been an earth tremor. But...

It grew closer.

Someone was coming.

The door to the chamber exploded into a million splinters. Heritage Front agents rushed in, cutting down the guards quickly. The mage held his hands up as he realized that there was no way he could fight back. And he scowled as the protagonist made her appearance.

"Word on the street's tha' there's a prime bounty fer this piece," Hauptmann Yar'ow announced casually as she trained a pistol on the mage. "In particular, a man who gunned down one o' yer sect. Pity tha' really."

"What are you doing?"

"Ye used tha' ta bring me 'ere," Yar'ow grinned maliciously. "Well, it seem that it would be rightfully mine. An' I come ta take tha' which is."

Canyons of Steel - Valley of the Damned Pt. 7

Walker stood to one side as Federal and Interpol agents swept the area. Doctor Richard Adams also arrived on the scene, tending to the wounds that both Walker and Annie had sustained, as well as dealing with the trauma the children had gone through. The aging gunslinger took out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling deeply as he watched the men and women go over the area. From time to time one would look Walker's way, whispering something to a fellow agent. Then they both would nod and move on. No one came and spoke to him.

Except one person.

"Those things will kill ya, John," Christa said in a quiet voice.

"Trust me," Annie replied. "I've tried convincing him to quit."

"Rather this kill me," he said as he inhaled another drag. "Then get taken out by the likes o' these." He looked to Christa for a long moment, then nodded. "I do appreciate ya comin' here so quick."

"You know me," she said with a small smile. "Best damn team around. We get done what we need to."

John studied her again for a long moment, furrowing his brow as he caught something about her unfamiliar. "When ya start wearin' that, Chrlsta?"

"My hat? Always had the hat, John. You should know that."

"Ain't talkin' the hat," he said as he motioned to her ring finger. "Who'd you rope inta a life o' matrimony?"

"Maybe it wasn't me doing the roping," Christa replied with a grin. "Met him a few years ago, around the time you first dropped offa the face of the planet."

"Uh-huh," he replied simply as he took out a flask, opened it, took a swig and passed it over to Christa. He didn't need to get into details, that might lead to the embarrassing questions of why he hadn't settled down. "What do you an' yer boys know 'bout some agent name o' Yar'ow?"

"Before tonight, we never knew the Heritage Front had some new grunt," she replied as she took a swig and handed it back.

"Musta been summoned up recent, then," John stated as he recapped the flask and pocketed it. He took one last drag, dropped the cigarette and crushed it under foot. "Joker said somethin' 'bout a sect what's guardin' some object they used ta roust this Alow fer the Heritage Front. Can use it ta send 'er back."

"What are you asking, John?"

"I'd appreciate the help, Christa," he said in a quiet tone. "At first, me an' Annie thought it were somethin' simple. Gotten a helluvalot bigger."

Adams approached with the last comment. "The children are boarded and will be transported to the hospital immediately." He put away some of his supplies and added without looking to anyone in particular. "And if you require assistance, Mr. Walker, it may be high time you called in some of your favours."

"I already owe you 'nough, Doc."

"I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about those who do owe you."

Walker thought on this a moment, looked to Annie and then to Christa. "Gonna be a lotta shootin'."

"There usually is," Christa replied with a slow nod.

"Might need some heavy explosives."

"Why John," she replied with a sulty smile. "I'm a married woman. Get me all hot and bothered with talk like that."

"You in?"

"Yeah, I'm needing to get some real work done, too," the RCMP officer replied as she caught sight of John's hands. The man rubbed his hands through the gloves he wore, his posture not completely hiding a need for more sleep. She got to her feet and made her way over to John Walker.

"Give me your hands, John. No reason for you to go in stiffer than a... well, something," she finished with a knowing smile as she pulled one glove off and snapped her fingers. The air around her calloused hands warmed as she pressed the man's tired joints into the palm of her hands and rubbed gently. "Gotta have you in top condition."

He began to grumble something in reply, but Christa waved him off. "Don't you start grumbling at me. I got an arrest warrant and a shoebox full of pictures from Tijuana that'll keep you quiet long enough for me to help you. Besides, I'm almost a doctor." She finished her quick massage and placed his gloves back in his hands. "Where are we going now, Walker?"

Walker nodded, a small upward turn at the corners of his mouth the only indication of a smile. "An' by the way, Christa. Thanks fer not arrestin' us on sight."

She looked back to her men for a moment, watching them as they carefully detailed and accounted for the scene before looking back to John and whispering. "Six years ago. There was a package that were dropped off at Interpol headquarters. No name, and no address on it. Addressed to me. Information about Illuminati targets and such." She studied John's reaction for a moment, smiling as she caught just the slightest look in his eyes. "I should have busted your ass when we walked in here. But that package saved a lotta lives, John. Seems being a daddy's made you look at the world a different way."

John said nothing, but nodded in agreement. And so it was, Christa would bring her team. And John had those he could call on. There was Germaine Morgan, an old army buddy from the Persain Gulf. Operative Omega Six, still deep in Illuminati, but his group was close to breaking off and running for cover. He looked to Adams. Maybe the doctor would come too. He'd be helpful.

Walker stood up straight and put the mask back in place. He flexed his hands once or twice and nodded. "Twelve hours. Meet in Palo Duro. From there, we find this place."

"I'll have the information out of this one in three," Christa replied with a smile as she moved back toward her men. "I'll see you in six, John Walker."

Walker looked to Annie for a long moment. She was tired, but she knew that this wasn't over just yet. Besides, he had that feeling she'd follow him to the ends of the earth if need be. His crusade to save his soul, and she'd help him. Six hours would be enough for a rest.

And then the next phase of the battle could begin.

Canyons of Steel - Valley of the Damned Pt. 6

The location is near Bishop Hills, Mr. Walker. I'll provide you with some ammunition which will help a great deal against the forces you will face against.

An' aside from the finger wigglers, what're we lookin' at?

Some have said the Weavers have the ability to conjure spirits from the ethereal plane. Don't look at me like that, Mr. Walker, just nod and agree. These bullets will help. I was project lead when Stewart Aeronautics was developing new weapons technology. This is one of the developments. Never put into practicle use, but it can come in quite handy for your situation.

What 'bout usin' it against humans?

A silver bullet is just as effective against a human as it is against a werewolf, Mr. Walker. Use any object as a projectile, and it will cause severe damage.

Annie sprayed cover fire as Walker loaded up another clip, taking careful aim as a spook floated menicingly toward him. The bullets Richard Adams gave them were working with perfection. If they weren't field tested much before, they were getting it now. "How many clips ya got left, Annie?" Walker shouted over to his partner.

"Eight, sir," she replied with a quick check. "We've used four a piece." She looked over to Walker a moment as he let the rifle hang about his shoulders, clenching his hands a moment, and flexing his fingers. Annie knew what it was. Walker wasn't young. And like any human being he suffered from the affects of age. Arthritis had started to set into his hands. She turned back to the oncoming forces and continued firing. She worried about him, but he wouldn't allow for it. It was just something he had. I'll get over it, was his mantra.

Through ancient hallways, charred from magical fire, the walls were now sporting the pock marks from a thousand bullets. Guides, mages and spirits fell before the pair. That was the thing. This was the start of a knife fight, but Walker and Annie brought their own party favours. Live by the sword, die by the sword. Especially when your opposition is carrying a fully automatic assault rifle.

The twists and turns eventually lead to an ancient cavern, a natural rock formation which was carved out of the rock by years of erotion from the underground stream that ate away at it. A quick scan of the area could identify the use of the room. Holding areas for prisoners. But there was something else. There was the sound of whimpering, small and quiet. "Annie. That report we heard on the news last week."

"The school bus?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly. He didn't have to say any more. The Weavers have always been famous for their human sacrifices in order to raise the most vile creatures from whatever pit they wallowed in. That bus carried fifteen children, most preteen, eleven and twelve years old. Police hadn't been able to find any trace of where they had gone. It had been assumed that the bus driver who was found later, was responsible for killing and hiding the bodies of all fifteen. But when the authorities went to question him, his mind was turned to mush. A walking vegetable. Not even FBI or CIA could get anything out of him. Quite literally, Walker and Annie had stumbled onto where the missing children had gone.

Annie took one look at Walker. She noticed his hands. He was white knuckling his rifle. She didn't have to ask, she knew. Walker was mad. Not angry, but mad. He had a soft spot for children, one of his decisions for leaving the Illuminati. And Annie could not blame him for his next action.

The bullets began to fly, mowing down the first small group of mages that surrounded the body of a young girl as they attempted a ceremony of summoning. At first he was quiet, not speaking, letting the rifle talk for him. But as he and Annie advanced into the pit, he shouted out so even the angels in the heavens could hear him. "Y'all picked the wrong day ta do this. B'cause sooner 'r later, someone's gonna find out. Guess what? I did, an' I'm comin' ta teach y'all a lesson. An' I bringin' hell with me!"

The mages began to run, knowing that any direct assault would be futile. But a barrage of bullets cut them down quickly, dropping them with precision. Luckily, many of the victims were sitll alive. Alive, yes, but they would still have to live with the horror of what they had witnessed over the past week. "When a dog gets mean an' angry, then it's time ta put that dog down, mages. Well I'm here ta do just that." Within minutes, the mages had been cut down, only one was left standing.

Walker jammed the barrel of the gun underneath the mages jaw, his breath heavy as his finger was only a hair from pulling the trigger. Only Annie's soft touch held him back. "We need information, sir." Walker nodded and stared at the mage, letting Annie do the talking. They'd worked together enough that Annie knew when John got this way, she was the one who needed to keep her head. "What do you know of the recent abilities that the Heritage Front have suddenly acquired?" Her voice was even and calm, which made things all that much more worriesome.

"They came to us... wanted a powerful ally. We knew of the vampyri, so we summoned a vampire for them..."

"That's risky."

"She slaughtered the entire sect," he snarled. "And the jackboots never even paid us for it."

"Is there a way to send her back?"

"There is. But I doubt that any of you could do it. Especially not with this action."

"Yeah, I'm gonna let y'all summon some snot monster with these kids," Walker finally said, his voice cracking slightly from the rage he was trying to hold back. "Just give us the information an' location, an' maybe, the worst that's gonna happen to ya is yer gonna rot in some cell fer the rest o' yer life."

"You would show me mercy?" the mage sneered.

"I never said that," Walker sneered right back as he pulled back the rifle, slamming the butt into the mage's forehead. He crumpled without another sound. "Annie, gather up them that ain't dead an' tend ta their wounds."

"Calling Dr. Adams, sir?"

"No. Callin' someone I ain't talked ta in near a decade," he walked to the edge of the circle that formed the pit and took out his cellphone, dialing a number and praying that it still worked after all these years. There was two rings and a quick hello in a charming but familiar voice, but John couldn't find it in him to reply back in equally charming tones. "Christa."

"John? What's wrong?"

"The school bus. I found the kids."

There was silence for a moment. Christa Rayne hadn't heard from John Walker in years, and now, out of the blue, he called her. One of the many tricks that John had up his sleeve. But now was not the time to berate him. The sound in his voice spoke volumes. "I'll have a team there, John. Good work."

Canyons of Steel - Valley of the Damned Pt. 5

The pair trudged through the sewers with care. They had a connection back to the office of Walker Securities, but Walker had another idea. Aside from needing a few cuts and bruises dealt with, he needed to know more about the type of "magic" they had seen on their read outs. And the only man he knew who could answer that, without getting himself tossed into a Turkish prison, was Richard Adams. Richard had retired, for the most part. Age was catching up to him, but he was still a well of knowledge, plus, he was incredibly handy with a surgical needle and could keep quiet about certain things.

"We could go back, Sir," Annie suggested. "Tracking her through this will be next to impossible."

Walker looked to Annie for a long moment. "It ain't that I don't agree with ya on that, Annie. It that somethin's buggin' me 'bout this whole thing. An' when somethin' starts buggin' me..." He didn't have to finish as he banged a fist against the steel door. He wouldn't be satisfied until he got an answer. The door opened carefully, and an elderly, yet distinguished, black gentleman poked his head out.

"Ah, yes," Adams announced. "Always do know that one of you is in trouble when lower security starts knocking. I suspect you'll need some attention." Adams held the door open allowing the two gunslingers entry. "So," he stated as the door closed, quieter than one would think a steel door should. "Who were the targets today, and where are the wounds?"

"The wounds ain't so bad, Doc," Walker remarked as he took off the jet black cowboy hat and lowered the bandana from his face. Here, both Mary and John Walker could live their dual life one in the same, with absolute safety. Adams had promised them complete autonomy while in the confines of his home, and he would keep the secret of their dual lives. "Just some nicks an' scrapes. Targets were Heritage Front, but they seemed ta be usin' some kinda magic."

"Not uncommon for Heritage Front, really," Adams replied as he went over a few of the bruises on Mary's shoulder. "You should be more careful, Mary. By the look of this bruise, you're rolling into it too soon." Adams knew what the pair had done, even without asking. It was evident in the shape of the bruises and the depth of the cuts. "Heritage Front agents have practised in magic for years, Walker, you should know this."

"But it weren't no magic we ever seen b'fore, Doc. It had a signature like Weaver..."

"...but there was fluctuations that were off," Mary continued. And again, it was like a well oiled machine between Walker and Annie. All cylinders clicking at the right time. "It seemed much more powerful than anything Weaver has managed before." She reached into her saddle bag and produced a hand held, pointing to the display where the signature first appeared. Adams finished with Mary's shoulder and gently took the hand held, studying the readings intently.

Richard knew what he was looking for, after all, it was he along with researchers from Stewart Aeronautics that created the devices for aerial observation. The ones that went into mass production were not nearly as powerful as the one Mary used. "You're going to have to search out Weavers. They're using an other worldly magic. Find out what it is, and see if you can cut off what the Heritage Front is trying to use."

"I thought it were Weaver magic," Walker replied.

"Similar, but not the same," he corrected. "Weavers will be able to help you out, mind you. Granted, they probably won't be happy to see you." Richard smirked as he tilted his glasses. The comment in reference to a dust up between Walker and Weavers several months back. Walker didn't exactly make friends with them. "See if you can talk to the head mage. If the Weavers won't co-operate, then the only other place you're going to get civil answers is from the CSIS Paranormal."

Walker sighed as he sat down in a chair. The examination room seemed sterile and cold, but it was a great deal more inviting than what lay ahead in Orenbaga. "Sometimes, Doc. Things seemed a lot simpler back in the Gulf."

"Maybe you shouldn't have left the military, John."

Walker took a deep breath and sighed. He knew what they would have to do. Rest, resupply, and make a trek into the desert. People were going to die. But if they didn't go down into the earth, people probably would die anyway. The only difference would be, the latter option would involve a great deal of pain.