The TALONS Files: the chronicles of telepathic agent Ryan Dart

A Nightmare in the Sky

4o

Ryan returned to his apartment after sparring . The battles with Gunner and Phong went amazingly well. Much to Ryan's surprise, he beat the two more often than not. Sensing their moves, while they sensed his, made for some incredible exchanges.

With his new found skill, the battles challenged his knowledge of martial arts. He must have used forty separate moves in one sequence with phong. Gunner, being so muscular, was a tad slower and easier to beat. Though the blonde haired, blue eyed boy did win a few points.

When Ryan reached his home, he sat down and did something he hadn't done in a month. He watched a Bucks Game. Then, after enjoying a landslide victory over the Hawks, he turned on a movie. However, before the movie ended, he dozed off.

And, as he moved towards slumber land, he found himself in the coolest room he had ever seen. The room was a triangular piece of glass. Besides the clear glass plates, two steel trusses ran the length of the floor, stretching to the triangle's tip, and anchored into a skyscraper. The floor was glass, the ceiling was a sheet of glass and the walls were the same. Following the trusses along the floor, Ryan could see wire harnesses routed in the transparent sheets. The floor actually had two glass plates, one above and one below the steel trusses.

The city below, considering it was daylight in this seemingly foreign land, could be seen through the floor. There was absolutely nothing supporting the room, save from the trusses that were anchored in the skyscraper. It was as if they were floating in air.

In the center of the long room, which narrowed to a tip , was an equally long, shiny black table. Around this table, in plush leather chairs, sat men and a few women. The men were dressed in well pressed suits, as the ladies wore sensible blazers and skirts. They all faced Ryan. Ryan knew, however, he wasn't what these people were seeing.

It was like another dream, except, this time, he realized this was a mental link with Scam Likely. Ryan realized he was witnessing all the top brass of SCARE. Their expressions were tense and aggressive, yet their eyes would flit in fear when looking towards Ryan(or Scam Likely).

Scam Likely spoke,"Gentlemen....and ladies, I end this meeting on a rather sad note." The villain's voice echoed inside Ryan's head, its deep raspy quality captivating his audience. It was cordial, yet super menacing. One could tell, by just a statement, that a dangerous, unbalanced man was at the control of his vocal chords. "It seems one of you I cannot trust."

Ryan could see everybody stiffen in their plush leather seats. Stone faces of fear looked towards his mental link. No one spoke.

Scam let the silence linger for seconds, then his voice penetrated the air with rage. "Somebody is plotting to put Flash Fuel and....MY WEAPON in the US Government's hands!!" He angrily scanned the room. Once again, eyes flitted when looking at scam, however most seemed just as angry.

Finally, Scam's gaze halted a few chairs down on his right. There, a man in his sixties, who was slender and completely bald, wore an expression that said guilty and terrified. He seemed to want to escape his black sport coat.

Scam, poised with an evil air, recited the next words clearly, "Deter, strap Mr. Wheely to the chair." Immediately, straps exploded from the plush seat, and strapped the terrified man in his chair. Scam rose and walked towards the man. "Deter, slowly open floor panel number....fo...five." Ryan could hear the wince in Scam's voice.

Deter, a deep, electronic male voice, which boomed off the glass walls, responded, "Sorry, I don't know the device floor panel fo...five."

Scam grunted, as Ryan could see Mr. Wheely visibly shaking. The mole's words were choked by fear, as he tried to plead for his life.

With eyes maliciously set on the elderly man, Scam snapped, "Deter, slowly open floor panel number Five!"

A section of the floor started to slide open. The glass lied under Mr. Wheely's plush office chair. The hum of a small electric motor filled the deathly silent glass room.

Before the office chair's forward wheels, a long glass block kept the casters from moving with the panel. If the panel completely opened, Mr. Wheely would fall to his Death.

"Who are you dealing with, My dear Mr. Wheely?" Scam sounded so sinister, Ryan could feel goosebumps on every portion of his body.

"I swear to God, Scam. I don't know what you're talking about!" Mr. Wheely forced the words out, a frightful exhalation that ran together.

Scam reached in his pocket and pulled out Mr. Wheely's cell phone, placing in front of the trembling man's face. "Does this clear things up?"

Shocked, the elderly man realized that Scam had read his texts. "Scam it's a huge misunderstanding." Mr Wheely whimpered, he seemed almost in tears, as he closed his eyes. The panel's two plates of glass slid slowly...a drawn out torture, as the back castor's slid over the lip. The chair jostled, as the wheels fell into open air.

The old man practically jumped in his chair.

"Scam, we texted back and forth. I never knew his name! He changed his number all the time! I couldn't get a hold of him! He only texted me!"

As the panel slid, the chair sank further. It appeared as Mr. Wheely was in a reclining chair, as the man gazed at the blue sky surrounding the glass room. His eyes were wide, he knew this was his end, yet he was determined to plead his way out. He had smooth talked so many people in his life. 'Scam was no different, right?'

Scam looked down on the man, as Ryan felt a sensation overcome the villain. The feeling Scam had now was eerily similar to just before he killed is snake. Ryan felt his stomach churn as the satisfaction and pleasure overwhelmed the crime bosses chest. "Well, how did you meet him then?"

"He texted me, offered me a ton of money." The man was sobbing. "Please Scam, don't do this. I beg you! I was going to marry a young lady next month."

"Deter open floor panel five faster." Scam sneered, a hint of a vicious delight riding the deep raspy voice.

The electronic voice responded, "No problem,"

The panel's motor screamed as the chair flung forward, then dropped into the air below. "Noooo...." Mr. Wheely screamed. Ryan could hear Mr. Wheely's voice diminish, as he dropped and became a little dot that faded from view.

"He wasn't worth any woman." Scam remarked calmly, as he watched the man fall.

The people in the room grunted and whispered in agreement.

The villain took his eyes from the pen-like streak, which happened to be the road below, and addressed his loyal subjects, as if he was telling his neighbor he liked snakes. "The bell hop will clean him up. Deter, close panel five."

"Did you mean floor panel five?"

Scam growled. "Yes!"