"This isn't going to be easy," Claire stated.
Will, Claire, and Max had piled into the back of Anne and Alastair's patrol car and were now speeding toward downtown.
"The automaton is heading down Magnolia Street toward the docks. All units requested to continue to evacuate any citizens from surrounding areas," came the dispatcher's voice over the radio. "Do not engage the automaton directly."
"There's no way of stopping the automaton from outside," Claire continued. "Like Anne just said, bullets are useless. Grenades and small explosives will be equally useless. It would take a large amount of heavy, military-grade ordinance to bring it down..."
"We don't have time to wait for the military," Anne interrupted. "You heard the dispatcher...that thing is already in the city."
"Don't worry, Anne," Will reassured. "There's another way."
Will nodded to Claire.
"If we're going to stop it, we have to get inside the control room and activate the emergency shut-down protocol," Claire explained. "The control room is in the head...there's an entrance hatch on top."
"How are we supposed to get up there?" Anne asked.
"Max can get me up there," Will answered.
"Are you serious?" Anne replied.
"We'll be fine," Will reassured. "Just focus on keeping everyone out of harm's way."
"Hardy! Graham! You there?!" called a gruff voice over the radio.
"Chief! Finally! Yeah, we're here!" Anne replied as she grabbed the handset.
"Well?" Chief Stanley Canton asked. "Did you find out how to stop it?"
"We did, Chief!" Anne replied. "We're heading your way. We've got Will Irving here with us, and he knows how to shut it down."
"Irving?" Canton asked. "That P.I.? Walter's kid?"
"Yeah, Chief," Anne answered.
"How the hell does he know what to do?!" Canton asked.
"He's not alone. The daughter of that famous automaton inventor is with us too," Anne explained.
"Dr. Ferryman's daughter?" Canton asked. "I thought she was missing."
"It's a long story, Chief," Anne replied. "But they seem to know what they're talking about."
"Shit!" Canton shouted. "Well, get your asses down here! This damn monstrosity just stopped near the corner of 1st and Magnolia..."
The radio suddenly cut to static.
"Chief!" Anne called. "Chief!"
There was no answer.
"Damn!" Anne shouted.
"Don't worry," Alastair reassured as he stepped on the gas. "I'm sure he's ok."
"1st and Magnolia..." Will pondered aloud. "That's the Emporium..."
"What?" Anne asked.
"It stopped at Salley Seafood Emporium," Will explained. "Jim is going after Moe."
YOU ARE READING
The Adventures of Will Irving: Automaton Trouble
Mystère / ThrillerWill Irving is a mid 20's private investigator and mechanical tinkerer who was gifted an automaton by his father, who has since left home after becoming heartbroken over the murder of his wife. Will now lives with his 10-year-old sister, Emily, and...
