Undercover Goose - book 6

Part 37 - Kozak's Secret Weapon

A small man appeared at the door. He was wearing bowler hat and holding both hands over his head. 'I demand zat you release Ziff Dion and Dr Zhang immediately.' 

It was Kozak. Andy stared at him and shook his head in disbelief. 'What in Hades . . . This is getting ridiculous. Who the hell are you?'

'More importantly,' Kozak said, 'Who the hell are you? . . . You mentioned Hell. Does zat mean you are the Arch Deacon of Climate Change . . . I 'av' 'eard zat is the latest religious cult.'

'You can't be serious,' Andy said.

'And I insist, on religious and national security grounds, zat you release all your prisoners,' Kozak added.

'And what if I say, "No way?'

'Zhen I accuse you of kidnapping and I will 'av to compel you with force.'

Andy laughed. 'You and which army?'

'I 'av a secret weapon,' Kozak said as he pulled a small garden shears from his pocket. 

Andy laughed again. 'That is your secret weapon?' 

Kozak walked over to me and cut through the plastic ties holding me to the seat just before Andy grabbed Kozak's arm. Kozak spun around, seized the front of Andy's coat with both hands, placed a foot in Andy's stomach . . . and fell backwards. This pulled Andy down so that Kozak was able to throw him over his head.  Andy slammed into the bulkhead and staggered to his feet, drawing a hand gun from his shoulder holster.

Kozak tossed something on the floor and Andy's feet suddenly shot sideways and he crashed into the forward bulkhead. The floor was covered with small, silvery ball bearings.

Meanwhile Beryl had quietly slipped out of her seatbelt and attempted to disarm Andy but she stepped on the beads and fell heavily . . . on top of Andy. The impact forced him to drop the gun which Beryl kicked under the seats. 

 Meanwhile, Kozak had scrambled to his feet and grabbed some unused plastic ties but the bearings all swarmed toward him like live things. He tried to skate across the bearings but he soon lost his balance and fell on top of Beryl. 'Kozak,' she gasped. 'I didn't know you cared.'

'I beg a pardon,' Kozak said as he fastened Andy's wrist to the base of a spare seat while Beryl held Andy's other arm in a painful position. 'I was not careful.'

At that moment, Con and Stonk came back. 'The damn goose flew off. Craziest thing I . . .' 

Con stopped in the doorway as he saw Kozak and Beryl sitting on top of Andy. Both of them pulled out pistols. 'Who's the clown? And where's Andy?'

'I am NOT a clown,' Kozac said angrily. Maybe a buffoon, but I am NOT a clown . . . and Andy is on ze floor . . . We are sitting on 'im.'

'Sorry,' Con said, 'it's the hat. Who wears one like that today.'

'Cut me free, first,' Andy gasped. 'And look out for the ball bearings!'

But Con had stepped forward as a swarm of the bearings rolled under his feet . . . and he fell on top of Kozak.

A moment later Con tried to sweep some of the bearings aside, so he could stand up . . . but they came rolling back to him as if magnetically attracted. 

Andy picked up the shears, Kozak had dropped, cut the plastic tie and wriggled out from under the pile of bodies. 'Don't try to stand up,' he told Con. 'These ball bearings are designed to trip you up.'

Con remained seated on the floor. 'What's going on?' he asked.

'The clown demands that we release Dr Zhang and Ziff Dion,' Andy gasped painfully, rubbing his ribs. 'What do you think?' 

Stonk was still standing in the doorway, his feet surrounded by a surging mass of bearings. He waved his gun at Kozak. 'He doesn't look big enough.'