Chapter Thirteen
Illinois Ben had slipped into the room that Voltran was scurrying about in. A small passage leading to an upper catwalk made for an easy entrance.
Overlooking the whole room, Ben could see he had several henchmen to take care of, along with some support staff. Cotton Bear took the low way into the room, through Voltran’s den. It was in there that Cotton Bear discovered some interesting items.
“10 minutes to uplink” was called out over the P.A. system as the support staff monitored the operation.
Voltran hurried up his actions. The buzz in the air grew louder and a slight smell awakened the hairs in Ben’s nose.
Watching the movements of Voltran closely, Ben figured out that this was the moment he had to stop Voltran. He couldn’t wait for Cotton Bear, and he couldn’t wait for the dagger, however it was to be used.
Voltran connected a few jumper cables into place and ran the lines over to the Brainmaster 2000. Attaching them one at a time, he must have placed close to a dozen wires to the Brainmaster 2000 before he retreated to the panel of switches.
Ben slowly uncoiled his whip and with skilled precision threw it out at an overhead light. At the same time a crackle came from the electricity generating machine below him. Holding on to the whip end, Ben climbed over the catwalk railing, and onto the other side. Then, in an athletic manoeuvre, jumped off the catwalk and swung perfectly down and over to the Brainmaster 2000, or as it is truly known, the Hipnotiktrans. Reaching out with his left arm while holding the whip handle with his right, Ben grabbed the Hipnotiktrans helmet and sailed on past and up to another catwalk. As he arrived at the catwalk, Ben grabbed hold of the railing with his leg. Unfortunately he had misjudged the lengths of the cables connected to the Hipnotiktrans helmet and it drew tight and pulled him back. Ben was in an awful position now with one leg holding him to the railing, his right hand holding the whip and the left hand hanging onto the helmet which was pulling him back. It would only be a matter of time before Voltran would turn away from the knobs and dials and go to the helmet.
“5 minutes to uplink” boomed a voice from the P.A. system.
Voltran looked happy and giddy as he twisted a couple more knobs before turning back to the helmet. His happiness was instantly shattered when he saw the helmet was not where he had left it. Following the cables led Voltran to further unhappiness as he gazed upon the gymnastics of Illinois Ben.
“You!” shouted Voltran. “You should be dead!”
“Sorry about that bud, it seems my number wasn’t ready to come up” Ben replied with a smile on his face.
Voltran wasn’t happy and in an instant realized Ben was not in a very good position. Grabbing the cables with both hands, Voltran gave them a heavy tug, pulling the Hipnotiktrans helmet out of Ben’s hand. Crashing down on to the floor, Voltran ran over and scooped the helmet up.
Ben, now with a free hand reached up and secured himself on the catwalk. Climbing over to stand on the catwalk, Ben had to get down there and stop Voltran.
“Get him now!” shouted Voltran and immediately the henchmen sprang into action. From both directions they made their way to ladders at either end of the catwalk. Ben soon figured out this wasn’t going to be easy.
The first henchmen arrived at Ben with a flurry of punches that Ben blocked with the Win-Poe fighting style he had learned from one of his earlier adventures in the Far East. Countering those punches with a flurry of his own, Ben was able to knock-out one henchman. Jumping over the now sleeping henchman, Ben started in on the next one. Using a combination of kicks and punches, Ben was able to make short work of the next couple of henchmen. By now the henchmen from behind him had arrived and Ben had to repeat the whole punching and kicking thing once again.
“3 minutes to uplink” boomed the voice form the P.A. system.
Ben realized this was getting him nowhere fast, as unfortunately the henchmen kept on coming. It was time for a quick getaway. Using his whip on the light fixture, he snapped it and leaped over the catwalk railing, swinging down and across the room. Only this time he let go and slid on the floor, leaving the henchmen for a moment. But a moment was all he needed.
Voltran had now placed the Hipnotiktrans helmet on his head and the flow of electricity was starting to increase.
“You’re too late Illinois Ben!” Voltran shouted, “Soon everyone in the world will do my bidding, including you, and I plan to make your first command to die.”
“90 seconds to uplink” the P.A. voice boomed.
Ben ran to the control panel in an attempt to turn some dials or push some buttons, but an electromagnetic force zapped him, sending him back several feet. Landing on his back, stunned, Ben was an easy target for the henchmen who had made it down from the catwalk. Grabbing Ben the henchmen held him tightly.
“Don’t let him go men.” Voltran ordered. “I want him to be the first to be under my control, I may even make him throw the final switch that sends the signal to the uplink satellite.”
As tough as Ben was he couldn’t get loose from the grasp of the henchman.
“45 seconds to uplink” the voice boomed once again.
Voltran was now absorbing more and more energy. His eyes were beginning to glow a brilliant blue and his finger tips were sparking between themselves. Ben couldn’t take his eyes off of this evil mess before him. Voltran started to laugh and laugh hard and loud.
“25 seconds to uplink” boomed the P.A. voice.
Voltran was beginning to lift himself off the floor with pure energy. His body radiating heat and light as the gauges on the control panel went off the scale.
“15 seconds to uplink” boomed the voice
Ben continued his useless struggle against the henchmen, who all seemed to gain strength along with Voltran. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw Cotton Bear coming out of the den, with the dagger in hand.
“10 seconds to uplink… 9, 8, 7, 6, “the voice continued.
Ben reacted almost on instinct as he sent his hand down his left side, into his holster, grabbing his gun. With a slight turn of his wrist he was able to aim the gun at the foot of one of the henchmen. A loud puff of smoke and noise surrounded Ben as the henchman let go to take care of his shot foot. Taking this moment, Ben brought his left knee up and into the groin area on the henchman to his right. The resulting contact caused the henchman to double over on agony, leaving Ben to deal with the one henchman behind him. Falling forward into a somersault, Ben rolled out of the possible grip of the rear henchman. As the henchman leaned forward to get Ben, Ben spun quickly, taking out the henchman’s legs, knocking him to the ground, for which Ben then gave him a one-punch knock-out.
“4, 3, 2, 1” the P.A. voice continued.
Voltran was now a good 2 feet above the ground, suspended by bolts of electricity, arms outstretched, his cape flowing behind him. Slowly his arms came together in front of him, bringing a ball of electricity between the hands.
Cotton Bear was a good 10 feet away as the P.A. voice boomed one last time.
“Zero…uplink commencing.”
“Ben!” shouted Cotton Bear. “Grab the dagger, hold it up to the sun!”
And with that Cotton Bear threw the dagger underhand towards Ben who had to make a diving leap to catch it as Cotton Bear’s throwing arm wasn’t too good.
Seeing Ben grab the dagger brought surprise and anger from Voltran. The ball of electricity grew in size as Voltran aimed it at Illinois Ben.
Ben got to his feet holding the dagger and made a quick turn towards a low table on his right. Stepping on a chair, then the table, Ben leaped into the air, holding the dagger by its middle and allowed the sun coming in through an upper window to strike the clear diamond on the end of the dagger. The Hipnotiktrans dagger hung in the air without Ben holding it and produced a brilliant flash that was hypnotising. It then produced a blinding light from the tip of the spear. Travelling towards the Hipnotiktrans helmet, it snapped Voltran’s head back, knocking him head over heels. In a series of sparks and showering electrical surges, the control panel went up in an explosion that took out half of the room. Debris went flying and Ben and Cotton Bear took safety behind an overturned metal table.
Voltran stopped spinning long enough to scream out at Ben and Cotton Bear.
“You may have stopped me this time but I will not be stopped forever”
Cotton Bear stood up and took out another item from his bag. It was around 12 inches round and 8 inches high, with detailed inscriptions all around the base. There were three crystals embedded in it and a single diamond in the middle. Lifting it up he threw it out at Voltran, who was still hovering above the floor. It landed, and slid under Voltran’s feet almost perfectly. Looking down, Voltran didn’t know what to think of this unique device.
The Hipnotiktrans dagger sensed the new device and once again produced a blinding light from the tip of the spear. This time it travelled towards the new device. It struck one of three crystals embedded in the outer ring of the device which made it spin on its own inner ring. It continued to strike the device, the blinding light lit up a center funnel that grew in size until it had covered Voltran completely. Then the Hipnotiktrans dagger device stopped producing the blinding light and fell to the floor. The spinning crystals picked up speed until they created the illusion of only one crystal, in pure white. As the device sped up, the funnel slowly reduced in size taking Voltran with it into the heart of the device, an uncut 2000 carat diamond.
Then all went quiet as the device stopped spinning. Voltran was gone, trapped in the device known only as the ‘Corazon de la Salida del Sol’, or ‘Heart of the Sunrise’.
Ben and Cotton Bear stood there in the midst of the mess left behind by this epic battle. Voltran’s support staff awoke from their hypnotic sleep and openly wondered where they were. Cotton Bear explained that all their questions would be answered. Ben went over to the device and picked it up.
“Now this should be in a museum,” he stated with a smile, “But I think we should keep it a little more secure.”
“I think I know just the right place to keep it.” Cotton Bear replied. “A nice castle with a real big vault.”
Illinois Ben then grabbed the Hipnotiktrans dagger from the floor. “Would you like to keep this safe as well?” holding out the dagger to Cotton Bear.
Taking it from Ben, Cotton Bear placed it back in his shoulder bag. “This belongs in a library.”
They both laughed.
“So Ben, where to now?” questioned Cotton Bear.
“I think a little period of rest is in order or at least until the next adventure comes around” Ben said. “After all, this wasn’t my first adventure and it won’t be my last.”Smiling, Illinois Ben knew of the adventures to come and the excitement to be had and deep down couldn’t wait until the next one arrived.
The End of Cotton Bear's Castle
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Cotton Bear's Castle - Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Meanwhile in the heart of Voltran’s lair, Voltran had been overly excited when his radar screen showed a plane had gone down on Mount Feldberg. The helmet worked perfectly on the two pilots and now Voltran thought his number one nemesis was gone for good.
“I have taken care of Illinois Ben and his pesky friend Cotton Bear, and now I will set in motion my greatest triumph ever.” Voltran rambled on to no one in particular. His support staff and henchmen were all under his control and wouldn’t show any emotion unless he made them.
“Soon, I will be the greatest power in the world and there is nothing now that can stop me!” he shouted.
Pushing a button on his helmet sent signals to all his support staff and henchmen and they all started clapping. Bowing to them he took in their applause and boosted his ego a few more notches.
“I have mastered the ability of the helmet to control people from a far distance and now when I hook up the helmet to the satellite uplink remote station, I can literally send my Brainmaster 2000 through the whole telecommunication satellite network and into the minds of every person in the world.”
Again more applause was brought forward from his support staff and henchmen.
“In exactly 97 minutes, the uplink relay station will be in perfect alignment to project the Brainmaster 2000 signal and within minutes the world will be mine.”
Voltran scurried away to his den to think up some more evil deeds, while unknown to him, our fearless hero Illinois Ben and his friend Cotton Bear, were in fact heading for Voltran’s lair, having secured a mode of transportation and worked out its location. By all accounts they should arrive in 70 minutes, hopefully taking Voltran by complete surprise. Although unknown to Ben and Cotton Bear was the fact they only had 97 minutes to stop Voltran.
By the striking chimes on the magnificent clock in the great hall of Voltran’s lair, it was now 9:00 in the morning. Only 30 minutes left before Voltran could complete his evil plan.
Cotton Bear and Ben had arrived at the lair. The base of the giant fortress-like structure wasn’t unlike Cotton Bear’s own castle but more run down. Deciding on a more direct route they made their way to the large main doors on the side facing the mid-morning sun. For some reason the doors were left unguarded. Ben reasoned this was because Voltran thought they had died in the plane crash.
Pushing open the big doors took both their strength, and revealed an inner court yard area. It was beyond this court yard that Cotton Bear figured, by reasons only known to him, Voltran would be. Ben trusted his friend’s judgement and together they made their way across the open court yard.
Voltran was very busy pushing buttons and twisting dials in preparation of aligning the satellite system up. In the background one could make out the faint sounds of Bach being played. The Brainmaster 2000 was sitting in its resting place on the bust of his great, great grandfather, Hans Von Voltranbergstein. The whine of electricity was slowly growing in strength.
end of chapter twelve
Meanwhile in the heart of Voltran’s lair, Voltran had been overly excited when his radar screen showed a plane had gone down on Mount Feldberg. The helmet worked perfectly on the two pilots and now Voltran thought his number one nemesis was gone for good.
“I have taken care of Illinois Ben and his pesky friend Cotton Bear, and now I will set in motion my greatest triumph ever.” Voltran rambled on to no one in particular. His support staff and henchmen were all under his control and wouldn’t show any emotion unless he made them.
“Soon, I will be the greatest power in the world and there is nothing now that can stop me!” he shouted.
Pushing a button on his helmet sent signals to all his support staff and henchmen and they all started clapping. Bowing to them he took in their applause and boosted his ego a few more notches.
“I have mastered the ability of the helmet to control people from a far distance and now when I hook up the helmet to the satellite uplink remote station, I can literally send my Brainmaster 2000 through the whole telecommunication satellite network and into the minds of every person in the world.”
Again more applause was brought forward from his support staff and henchmen.
“In exactly 97 minutes, the uplink relay station will be in perfect alignment to project the Brainmaster 2000 signal and within minutes the world will be mine.”
Voltran scurried away to his den to think up some more evil deeds, while unknown to him, our fearless hero Illinois Ben and his friend Cotton Bear, were in fact heading for Voltran’s lair, having secured a mode of transportation and worked out its location. By all accounts they should arrive in 70 minutes, hopefully taking Voltran by complete surprise. Although unknown to Ben and Cotton Bear was the fact they only had 97 minutes to stop Voltran.
By the striking chimes on the magnificent clock in the great hall of Voltran’s lair, it was now 9:00 in the morning. Only 30 minutes left before Voltran could complete his evil plan.
Cotton Bear and Ben had arrived at the lair. The base of the giant fortress-like structure wasn’t unlike Cotton Bear’s own castle but more run down. Deciding on a more direct route they made their way to the large main doors on the side facing the mid-morning sun. For some reason the doors were left unguarded. Ben reasoned this was because Voltran thought they had died in the plane crash.
Pushing open the big doors took both their strength, and revealed an inner court yard area. It was beyond this court yard that Cotton Bear figured, by reasons only known to him, Voltran would be. Ben trusted his friend’s judgement and together they made their way across the open court yard.
Voltran was very busy pushing buttons and twisting dials in preparation of aligning the satellite system up. In the background one could make out the faint sounds of Bach being played. The Brainmaster 2000 was sitting in its resting place on the bust of his great, great grandfather, Hans Von Voltranbergstein. The whine of electricity was slowly growing in strength.
end of chapter twelve
Cotton Bear's Castle - Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
A quick stop at Ben’s place to gather some cloths and supplies allowed them some time to get a plan in order.
“Are you sure you are ready for this Ben?” Cotton Bear asked.
“I was born ready Cotton,” Ben replied with a smile on his face as he put his trusty whip and ever ready gun and holster into his travel bag. “Plus you know how prepared I can get.”
They made their way to the airport and with the assistance of Cotton’s considerable connections, were able to secure a charter plane to fly them to Europe, to Germany, to the Black Forest.
It started out as an uneventful flight, as most do, one which allowed both Ben and Cotton Bear to grab a little, but not much needed sleep. As the trip went its way little happened until they had crossed over into the air above Germany. A sudden jerk of the plane gave the idea that they had come into some turbulence. Ben awoke from his sleep to look out at the now early morning sunrise.
“Did we run into some more bad weather Ben?” Cotton asked, rubbing his eyes as he also awoke. “The stuff seems to follow us around like trouble.”
“No, it looks mostly calm out there.” Ben answered back. “I wonder if it was just a warm pocket of air as we seem to be flying smooth again.”
No sooner had Ben uttered those words when the plane made a violent jerk to the left and a sudden drop. Even with their seat belts still on, Ben and Cotton were thrown about quite a lot. Determined to find out what could be the problem Ben unhooked his seat belt and bravely made his way to the cockpit to ask the pilots what could be the problem.
Taking no more then 6 or 7 steps Ben found himself thrown backwards as the plane, without warning, dove downward at a steep angle. Recovering, Ben quickly moved once again towards the cockpit. After some incredible footwork and a whole lot of holding on, Ben made it to the cockpit’s door. Pounding on it, he yelled at the pilots to open up but there was no response. Fortunately the door was unlocked and Ben opened it to receive a shock. The two pilots were indeed sitting at the controls of the plane, but they were not in control. As Ben approached them he could tell they were in a hypnotic state, flying zombies, completely unable to make decisions on their own. Their movement controlled by someone else and Ben knew who that someone else was.
Attempting to wrestle the plane’s steering controls from the pilots, proved to be useless, Ben found out as he struggled with them for a brief moment. At this rate of descent, they didn’t have much time to get to safety if they could in fact get to safety.
Ben made it back to Cotton as fast as he could. “Quick, let’s see if there are any parachutes on board.” Ben now shouted over the scream of the plane’s engines. “We have only a few seconds before the plane will reach a speed that we can’t escape from.”
Cotton Bear, to his best ability, moved to the rear of the plane in search of anything that might be a parachute or work as one. Ben threw open as many cabinets and cubby-holes as he could, but no parachutes were to be found.
Cotton Bear came stumbling back to Ben with a worried look on his face.
“I couldn’t find anything on board that looked like a parachute. As a matter of fact the plane is quite empty.”
Very concerned, Ben thought hard but realized that all avenues of escape had vanished. His lucky number had expired as he turned to look at Cotton Bear. They both seemed to move as if in slow motion as the ground grew nearer quickly.
Throwing out his hand to Cotton Bear, Ben shouted, ”My friend, it was a good ride. I’m proud to have known you.”
Cotton Bear grasped Ben’s hand and said, “And you too, my friend. Our adventures were always the greatest moments in my life.”
Then as the engines screamed to their breaking point, they burst into fire. The plane tipped to the left a bit as it descended the last few hundred feet. Cotton Bear and Ben got into their seats and fastened their seat belts.
“Just in case!” Ben shouted to Cotton Bear.
It was at that moment the plane hit the tops of the trees on the downward slope of Mount Feldberg. The plane tore through the trees like a warm knife though butter. Ben and Cotton Bear braced for the worse. Bit by bit the plane’s speed decreased as it took out more and more trees. The steep slope of the mountain was effective in slowing the plane down but at the rate it was travelling, it would soon run out of mountain.
Then the wings were sliced off by several large trees. The main body of the plane continued on its journey as it now bounced on the mountain ground. Spinning over and over, the plane continued smashing into trees, bouncing down the mountain. Ben and Cotton Bear were spun upside down many times as the plane hit the many trees. Slowly the plane decreased its speed as it hit more trees. Ben began to worry the plane was going to be ripped apart by all the pounding it was taking. The back section of the plane ripped off as it bounced off yet another big tree. Only one third of the plane remained, thankfully Ben and Cotton Bear were in that section.
The dirt was thrown from the underside of the plane as it continued its slide down the mountain. Part of the roof of the plane sheared off, exposing Ben and Cotton Bear to the open sunshine. Then as luck would have it the forest opened up to a clearing of tall grass and wet moss. With a fierce splash the plane came to a halt. Ben and Cotton Bear found themselves almost upside down due to the plane twisting at the last moment. Looking down at the wet ground below them Ben laughed out, “First one to kiss the ground is a rotten egg.”
They both laughed as they unhooked their seat belts and fell several feet into the wet, soft ground. Cotton Bear was especially happy as he pulled off his shoulder bag and showed Ben that he still had the dagger.
“I think now would be a good time to put that thing to use” said Ben. Cotton Bear agreed and added, “So where are we and how far is it to Voltran’s lair?”
“Not sure where we are Cotton,” Ben replied. “But one might think this crash will bring someone looking for survivors and if we are anywhere near Voltran’s lair, then those who find us should not be trusted. I have a feeling we are close, very close.”
Cotton Bear nodded and together they set out away from the crash. Ben hoped the remote nature of the crash would give them some extra time to hide away and scope out their surroundings. Ben had made one last scout of the remains of the plane and as luck would have it; his travel bag was lodged in one of the few remaining seats left on the plane.
Armed with his trusty whip and gun, Ben threw on his leather jacket, straightened his hat and headed out.
end of chapter eleven
A quick stop at Ben’s place to gather some cloths and supplies allowed them some time to get a plan in order.
“Are you sure you are ready for this Ben?” Cotton Bear asked.
“I was born ready Cotton,” Ben replied with a smile on his face as he put his trusty whip and ever ready gun and holster into his travel bag. “Plus you know how prepared I can get.”
They made their way to the airport and with the assistance of Cotton’s considerable connections, were able to secure a charter plane to fly them to Europe, to Germany, to the Black Forest.
It started out as an uneventful flight, as most do, one which allowed both Ben and Cotton Bear to grab a little, but not much needed sleep. As the trip went its way little happened until they had crossed over into the air above Germany. A sudden jerk of the plane gave the idea that they had come into some turbulence. Ben awoke from his sleep to look out at the now early morning sunrise.
“Did we run into some more bad weather Ben?” Cotton asked, rubbing his eyes as he also awoke. “The stuff seems to follow us around like trouble.”
“No, it looks mostly calm out there.” Ben answered back. “I wonder if it was just a warm pocket of air as we seem to be flying smooth again.”
No sooner had Ben uttered those words when the plane made a violent jerk to the left and a sudden drop. Even with their seat belts still on, Ben and Cotton were thrown about quite a lot. Determined to find out what could be the problem Ben unhooked his seat belt and bravely made his way to the cockpit to ask the pilots what could be the problem.
Taking no more then 6 or 7 steps Ben found himself thrown backwards as the plane, without warning, dove downward at a steep angle. Recovering, Ben quickly moved once again towards the cockpit. After some incredible footwork and a whole lot of holding on, Ben made it to the cockpit’s door. Pounding on it, he yelled at the pilots to open up but there was no response. Fortunately the door was unlocked and Ben opened it to receive a shock. The two pilots were indeed sitting at the controls of the plane, but they were not in control. As Ben approached them he could tell they were in a hypnotic state, flying zombies, completely unable to make decisions on their own. Their movement controlled by someone else and Ben knew who that someone else was.
Attempting to wrestle the plane’s steering controls from the pilots, proved to be useless, Ben found out as he struggled with them for a brief moment. At this rate of descent, they didn’t have much time to get to safety if they could in fact get to safety.
Ben made it back to Cotton as fast as he could. “Quick, let’s see if there are any parachutes on board.” Ben now shouted over the scream of the plane’s engines. “We have only a few seconds before the plane will reach a speed that we can’t escape from.”
Cotton Bear, to his best ability, moved to the rear of the plane in search of anything that might be a parachute or work as one. Ben threw open as many cabinets and cubby-holes as he could, but no parachutes were to be found.
Cotton Bear came stumbling back to Ben with a worried look on his face.
“I couldn’t find anything on board that looked like a parachute. As a matter of fact the plane is quite empty.”
Very concerned, Ben thought hard but realized that all avenues of escape had vanished. His lucky number had expired as he turned to look at Cotton Bear. They both seemed to move as if in slow motion as the ground grew nearer quickly.
Throwing out his hand to Cotton Bear, Ben shouted, ”My friend, it was a good ride. I’m proud to have known you.”
Cotton Bear grasped Ben’s hand and said, “And you too, my friend. Our adventures were always the greatest moments in my life.”
Then as the engines screamed to their breaking point, they burst into fire. The plane tipped to the left a bit as it descended the last few hundred feet. Cotton Bear and Ben got into their seats and fastened their seat belts.
“Just in case!” Ben shouted to Cotton Bear.
It was at that moment the plane hit the tops of the trees on the downward slope of Mount Feldberg. The plane tore through the trees like a warm knife though butter. Ben and Cotton Bear braced for the worse. Bit by bit the plane’s speed decreased as it took out more and more trees. The steep slope of the mountain was effective in slowing the plane down but at the rate it was travelling, it would soon run out of mountain.
Then the wings were sliced off by several large trees. The main body of the plane continued on its journey as it now bounced on the mountain ground. Spinning over and over, the plane continued smashing into trees, bouncing down the mountain. Ben and Cotton Bear were spun upside down many times as the plane hit the many trees. Slowly the plane decreased its speed as it hit more trees. Ben began to worry the plane was going to be ripped apart by all the pounding it was taking. The back section of the plane ripped off as it bounced off yet another big tree. Only one third of the plane remained, thankfully Ben and Cotton Bear were in that section.
The dirt was thrown from the underside of the plane as it continued its slide down the mountain. Part of the roof of the plane sheared off, exposing Ben and Cotton Bear to the open sunshine. Then as luck would have it the forest opened up to a clearing of tall grass and wet moss. With a fierce splash the plane came to a halt. Ben and Cotton Bear found themselves almost upside down due to the plane twisting at the last moment. Looking down at the wet ground below them Ben laughed out, “First one to kiss the ground is a rotten egg.”
They both laughed as they unhooked their seat belts and fell several feet into the wet, soft ground. Cotton Bear was especially happy as he pulled off his shoulder bag and showed Ben that he still had the dagger.
“I think now would be a good time to put that thing to use” said Ben. Cotton Bear agreed and added, “So where are we and how far is it to Voltran’s lair?”
“Not sure where we are Cotton,” Ben replied. “But one might think this crash will bring someone looking for survivors and if we are anywhere near Voltran’s lair, then those who find us should not be trusted. I have a feeling we are close, very close.”
Cotton Bear nodded and together they set out away from the crash. Ben hoped the remote nature of the crash would give them some extra time to hide away and scope out their surroundings. Ben had made one last scout of the remains of the plane and as luck would have it; his travel bag was lodged in one of the few remaining seats left on the plane.
Armed with his trusty whip and gun, Ben threw on his leather jacket, straightened his hat and headed out.
end of chapter eleven
Cotton Bear's Castle - Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
They made good time in that old truck and in the next couple of hours arrived in the big city and home to the Library of Knowledge. Thankfully the library was still open, due to the diligent library support staff, and they made their way into the large lobby. Cotton Bear stood for a moment gazing at its wonder.
“Where do we start Ben? Should we find a library technician to help us?”
“No those people are useless. Never find anything you want” replied Ben. “Let’s go find the card file and use the Dewey decimal system.”
It had been a long time since Ben had been to the library and he couldn’t find the card files. He asked one of the workers behind the desk who told him that they hadn’t used card files for years and that everything was now on computers. The very nice Library technician offered to help them with their quest for knowledge and immediately took them to a computer terminal.
Cotton and the Library technician went to many different databases and slowly began to gather the information that Cotton was after. They went to a historical archive of articles that went back to 1665. The Library technician was very good at finding things and before long he had found Cotton a mention of an ancient metal helmet that was rumoured to have great power.
Cotton turned and beamed at Ben. “I think we’ve found it! This talks about a helmet that sounds exactly like the one Voltran has. It was encountered by the Etruscans over 2000 years ago. That’s the first mention of it but no one seems to know much more about it.”
“That makes sense.” Ben added “The Etruscans were very smart people and one of the only people at that time keeping written records.”
Cotton continued, “I don’t know where Voltran got the helmet but I suspect he’s had it for a number of years, working on it in secret until he could harness its power.”
Ben nodded. “But then why did he come to your castle? What did he need?”
Cotton thought for a moment. “Hmmm, I’m not sure.”
They sat there in silence until the Library technician piped up. “I’ve found something more about the helmet, it looks like it was broken at some point in the past century and then disappeared soon afterwards.”
“Does it say anything more?” Cotton asked.
“No” said the technician, “But I cross referenced some names and words with our own database and I’ve found a book that might have more information.”
Ben and Cotton both perked up at this good news.
“But…” continued the technician “There is a small problem”
The technician turned and looked at them.
“The book is secured in our special collections, and it’s closed for the evening.”
Ben took a step forward. “Listen, it’s very important that we get that book and solve this mystery. The fate of the world is at stake.”
The technician looked long at Cotton and Ben. He knew they were serious. He rose from his chair. “Follow me.” He said.
The Library technician led them to the elevators where they went up a few floors and then exited onto a darkened floor. The technician led them through a maze of book stacks and reading areas until they stopped at a set of large doors marked “Special Collections”.
The technician swiped his pass card and the door clicked. They entered and he led them through the room. Large bookshelves filled with leather bound sets of books wrapped around the walls. The technician kept moving past all the books until he came to a door, a very solid looking door. The sign on the door said: No admittance without proper authorization. He looked back over his shoulder at Ben and Cotton.
“The fate of the world, right? Worth getting into trouble for, right?” he asked.
Ben and Cotton nodded. The technician swiped his pass card and punched in some numbers on the nearby keypad and the door clicked open. They stepped through the door and into a smaller room. Ben could hear a hum and looked for the source.
The technician turned on a light, revealing a number of glass shelves and storage units that looked like high tech computers. “These are the special, special books. That hum you hear is the climate control system. It makes sure that it doesn’t get too hot, too cold, too damp, or too dry. Some of these books are even kept in locked drawers where they never even get exposed to light.”
The technician began putting on some white cotton gloves and handed pairs to both Ben and Cotton.
“Here, put these on. And, if possible…” he looked Ben and Cotton up and down. Both were still very dirty, dusty, wet and messy from their adventures. “…try not to touch anything.”
Before long they had found the book they were looking for. It was a large old book, written many years ago so they took great care with it. Cotton and Ben soon found the chapter on the helmet. It even had a picture of the helmet that looked exactly like the helmet Voltran had. They read over the pages and their eyes widened.
“The helmet has a name. It’s called the Hipnotiktrans!” Cotton exclaimed. “The helmet is made of an unknown metal and has the power to control men’s minds. Voltran was calling it the Brainmaster 2000.”
“No doubt because of his own vanity.” Ben replied. “It says here that men fought over possession of the helmet for hundreds of years. And that it was damaged in a battle during the First World War. The face shield was broken from the helmet, and recovered by Canadian troops. It was given to a brilliant scientist for further study. The scientist was named Thaddeus Bear.”
“My great grandfather!” Cotton exclaimed.
Ben continued reading. “The helmet was thought to be taken away and hidden by a very wealthy German family. The last time it was seen it was in the possession of Victor Von Voltranbergstein, an unpopular royal figure known for his evil ways. The family castle located deep in the Black Forest was searched by authorities but there was no sign of the helmet.”
Ben and Cotton sat back and looked at each other. They both knew where Voltran had gone with the helmet.
Ben spoke first. “We have to get to the Black Forest.”
They both stood up to go but the technician reached past them and pointed at the bottom line of the page. Ben and Cotton hadn’t noticed the very small print. They moved closer and read the words. It said “See also: Hipnotiktrans dagger”.
They quickly (but carefully) turned the pages until they found the chapter on the dagger. There was a picture. Cotton pulled the dagger from his bag and held it up. It glowed with its soft blue colour. The technician was amazed. They compared it to the picture in the book. It was a match, right down to the blue glow. Ben continued reading the entry on the dagger.
“It says that the dagger was made to go with the helmet and that it is the only thing that can stop its power. Some believe that the power lies within the dagger itself.”
They looked at each other and smiled. They knew they now had a chance to stop the evil Voltran. They just hoped they could find him and stop him in time, before he enslaved the entire human race.
“We have to go.” Ben said and turned to the technician. “Thanks for your help, you library technicians are good. Real good.”
“The best.” Replied the technician. “Go get Voltran”.
With a nod, Cotton and Ben turned and left and made their way out of the library. They had to get to the Black Forest.
end of chapter ten
They made good time in that old truck and in the next couple of hours arrived in the big city and home to the Library of Knowledge. Thankfully the library was still open, due to the diligent library support staff, and they made their way into the large lobby. Cotton Bear stood for a moment gazing at its wonder.
“Where do we start Ben? Should we find a library technician to help us?”
“No those people are useless. Never find anything you want” replied Ben. “Let’s go find the card file and use the Dewey decimal system.”
It had been a long time since Ben had been to the library and he couldn’t find the card files. He asked one of the workers behind the desk who told him that they hadn’t used card files for years and that everything was now on computers. The very nice Library technician offered to help them with their quest for knowledge and immediately took them to a computer terminal.
Cotton and the Library technician went to many different databases and slowly began to gather the information that Cotton was after. They went to a historical archive of articles that went back to 1665. The Library technician was very good at finding things and before long he had found Cotton a mention of an ancient metal helmet that was rumoured to have great power.
Cotton turned and beamed at Ben. “I think we’ve found it! This talks about a helmet that sounds exactly like the one Voltran has. It was encountered by the Etruscans over 2000 years ago. That’s the first mention of it but no one seems to know much more about it.”
“That makes sense.” Ben added “The Etruscans were very smart people and one of the only people at that time keeping written records.”
Cotton continued, “I don’t know where Voltran got the helmet but I suspect he’s had it for a number of years, working on it in secret until he could harness its power.”
Ben nodded. “But then why did he come to your castle? What did he need?”
Cotton thought for a moment. “Hmmm, I’m not sure.”
They sat there in silence until the Library technician piped up. “I’ve found something more about the helmet, it looks like it was broken at some point in the past century and then disappeared soon afterwards.”
“Does it say anything more?” Cotton asked.
“No” said the technician, “But I cross referenced some names and words with our own database and I’ve found a book that might have more information.”
Ben and Cotton both perked up at this good news.
“But…” continued the technician “There is a small problem”
The technician turned and looked at them.
“The book is secured in our special collections, and it’s closed for the evening.”
Ben took a step forward. “Listen, it’s very important that we get that book and solve this mystery. The fate of the world is at stake.”
The technician looked long at Cotton and Ben. He knew they were serious. He rose from his chair. “Follow me.” He said.
The Library technician led them to the elevators where they went up a few floors and then exited onto a darkened floor. The technician led them through a maze of book stacks and reading areas until they stopped at a set of large doors marked “Special Collections”.
The technician swiped his pass card and the door clicked. They entered and he led them through the room. Large bookshelves filled with leather bound sets of books wrapped around the walls. The technician kept moving past all the books until he came to a door, a very solid looking door. The sign on the door said: No admittance without proper authorization. He looked back over his shoulder at Ben and Cotton.
“The fate of the world, right? Worth getting into trouble for, right?” he asked.
Ben and Cotton nodded. The technician swiped his pass card and punched in some numbers on the nearby keypad and the door clicked open. They stepped through the door and into a smaller room. Ben could hear a hum and looked for the source.
The technician turned on a light, revealing a number of glass shelves and storage units that looked like high tech computers. “These are the special, special books. That hum you hear is the climate control system. It makes sure that it doesn’t get too hot, too cold, too damp, or too dry. Some of these books are even kept in locked drawers where they never even get exposed to light.”
The technician began putting on some white cotton gloves and handed pairs to both Ben and Cotton.
“Here, put these on. And, if possible…” he looked Ben and Cotton up and down. Both were still very dirty, dusty, wet and messy from their adventures. “…try not to touch anything.”
Before long they had found the book they were looking for. It was a large old book, written many years ago so they took great care with it. Cotton and Ben soon found the chapter on the helmet. It even had a picture of the helmet that looked exactly like the helmet Voltran had. They read over the pages and their eyes widened.
“The helmet has a name. It’s called the Hipnotiktrans!” Cotton exclaimed. “The helmet is made of an unknown metal and has the power to control men’s minds. Voltran was calling it the Brainmaster 2000.”
“No doubt because of his own vanity.” Ben replied. “It says here that men fought over possession of the helmet for hundreds of years. And that it was damaged in a battle during the First World War. The face shield was broken from the helmet, and recovered by Canadian troops. It was given to a brilliant scientist for further study. The scientist was named Thaddeus Bear.”
“My great grandfather!” Cotton exclaimed.
Ben continued reading. “The helmet was thought to be taken away and hidden by a very wealthy German family. The last time it was seen it was in the possession of Victor Von Voltranbergstein, an unpopular royal figure known for his evil ways. The family castle located deep in the Black Forest was searched by authorities but there was no sign of the helmet.”
Ben and Cotton sat back and looked at each other. They both knew where Voltran had gone with the helmet.
Ben spoke first. “We have to get to the Black Forest.”
They both stood up to go but the technician reached past them and pointed at the bottom line of the page. Ben and Cotton hadn’t noticed the very small print. They moved closer and read the words. It said “See also: Hipnotiktrans dagger”.
They quickly (but carefully) turned the pages until they found the chapter on the dagger. There was a picture. Cotton pulled the dagger from his bag and held it up. It glowed with its soft blue colour. The technician was amazed. They compared it to the picture in the book. It was a match, right down to the blue glow. Ben continued reading the entry on the dagger.
“It says that the dagger was made to go with the helmet and that it is the only thing that can stop its power. Some believe that the power lies within the dagger itself.”
They looked at each other and smiled. They knew they now had a chance to stop the evil Voltran. They just hoped they could find him and stop him in time, before he enslaved the entire human race.
“We have to go.” Ben said and turned to the technician. “Thanks for your help, you library technicians are good. Real good.”
“The best.” Replied the technician. “Go get Voltran”.
With a nod, Cotton and Ben turned and left and made their way out of the library. They had to get to the Black Forest.
end of chapter ten
Cotton Bear's Castle - Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
Meanwhile in a far off place a rather strange looking fortress-like building stood high on a hilltop surrounded by a thick forest. In this fortress an evil laughter could be heard as this was Voltran’s evil fortress of doom, from where he would strike out to control the world. Voltran was alive and ready to strike fear into the hearts of millions which is why he was laughing such an evil laugh.
Illinois Ben and Cotton Bear were heading away from the castle as quickly and safely as the truck would take them. The road was a twisty one with plenty of sharp turns that frequently tested Ben’s superior driving skills. Not in the best of shape the road handed many surprises and Ben did his best to keep it from skidding off the edge. They travelled along the back road for some time, gaining distance from the castle. Cotton Bear was thankful the danger was behind them for now, but Ben wasn’t so sure. Never has an adventure gone as planned or was without its many dangers.
Just then, out of nowhere, a cute little deer bounded its way on to the road in front of them stopping in the beam of the truck’s headlights. In a fraction of a second, Ben reacted by turning the steering wheel quickly and sharply, thus avoiding a sudden collision. Unfortunately for Ben and Cotton Bear, the wet and muddy roads were to cause some difficulties with the trucks handling and Ben’s control sending the truck off the edge of the road and over a small embankment. Bouncing down a hill Ben did his best to keep control of the truck, swerving to avoid the trees and bushes along the way. Twice the rear of the truck side-swiped a large tree, shoving it out of control, leaving some paint behind. Ben struggled with the truck as they careened downward. Faster they bounced over mounds of dirt and fallen trees. Ben looked up ahead through the forest and falling rain, to see a very large hedge lit by the lights on the truck appear directly in front of them.
“Hold On!” Ben shouted. Cotton Bear braced for the worse.
Then in a last second decision, Ben gunned the truck’s engine full on. “No Guts, No glory”, Ben said as the truck lunged forward smashing into the hedge. In an instant the truck was through the hedge but now gaining height as it rose up and over a ditch that ran along the edge of a new road which Ben managed to land on. After a couple of bounces the truck straightened itself out and was brought under control. Continuing down the road, a smooth paved road, Ben adjusted his hat and said, “Now that wasn’t so bad. I think we found ourselves a nice little short cut and we sure made up some time.”
Cotton Bear got himself back on the seat and replied, “Yea, nice short cut. Next time I want my fillings loosened, I’ll call you.”
Ben just smiled as the truck continued along the deserted road.
end of chapter nine
Meanwhile in a far off place a rather strange looking fortress-like building stood high on a hilltop surrounded by a thick forest. In this fortress an evil laughter could be heard as this was Voltran’s evil fortress of doom, from where he would strike out to control the world. Voltran was alive and ready to strike fear into the hearts of millions which is why he was laughing such an evil laugh.
Illinois Ben and Cotton Bear were heading away from the castle as quickly and safely as the truck would take them. The road was a twisty one with plenty of sharp turns that frequently tested Ben’s superior driving skills. Not in the best of shape the road handed many surprises and Ben did his best to keep it from skidding off the edge. They travelled along the back road for some time, gaining distance from the castle. Cotton Bear was thankful the danger was behind them for now, but Ben wasn’t so sure. Never has an adventure gone as planned or was without its many dangers.
Just then, out of nowhere, a cute little deer bounded its way on to the road in front of them stopping in the beam of the truck’s headlights. In a fraction of a second, Ben reacted by turning the steering wheel quickly and sharply, thus avoiding a sudden collision. Unfortunately for Ben and Cotton Bear, the wet and muddy roads were to cause some difficulties with the trucks handling and Ben’s control sending the truck off the edge of the road and over a small embankment. Bouncing down a hill Ben did his best to keep control of the truck, swerving to avoid the trees and bushes along the way. Twice the rear of the truck side-swiped a large tree, shoving it out of control, leaving some paint behind. Ben struggled with the truck as they careened downward. Faster they bounced over mounds of dirt and fallen trees. Ben looked up ahead through the forest and falling rain, to see a very large hedge lit by the lights on the truck appear directly in front of them.
“Hold On!” Ben shouted. Cotton Bear braced for the worse.
Then in a last second decision, Ben gunned the truck’s engine full on. “No Guts, No glory”, Ben said as the truck lunged forward smashing into the hedge. In an instant the truck was through the hedge but now gaining height as it rose up and over a ditch that ran along the edge of a new road which Ben managed to land on. After a couple of bounces the truck straightened itself out and was brought under control. Continuing down the road, a smooth paved road, Ben adjusted his hat and said, “Now that wasn’t so bad. I think we found ourselves a nice little short cut and we sure made up some time.”
Cotton Bear got himself back on the seat and replied, “Yea, nice short cut. Next time I want my fillings loosened, I’ll call you.”
Ben just smiled as the truck continued along the deserted road.
end of chapter nine
Cotton Bear's Castle - Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Ben locked the door to the den quietly and stood there in the darkness for a moment. He wasn’t sure if the staff had seen them enter the room. They could hear bodies on the other side of the door and footsteps approaching. The doorknob wiggled and Ben held his breath. There was a pause and then they could hear the footsteps disappearing down the hallway. They both sighed with relief.
Cotton quietly moved into the room and found a small table light to turn on. Ben looked around the room. It was a beautiful den, with dark, wood paneled walls and elegant furniture. The desk was huge and also made of a dark wood. Behind it sat a large burgundy leather chair that looked fit for a king. There were two large portraits on one wall.
“Wow” stated Ben. “This is really nice.”
Cotton moved across the room to a shelf that held only a few dusty books, some of them quite large. Ben came over and looked at the books. They were all very old and all of them looked very dull. Cotton scanned them and then reached up, grabbed a big leather bound one, and placed it on the desk with a thump. Ben looked at the title: “The Remington English Encyclopaedia of Accounting Terminology and Rules”. He looked at Cotton. Cotton looked back at him and shrugged. “Well, if it was something interesting then people might want to look at it.
Ben nodded. “I suppose that’s true. You won’t ever have a problem with that book”
Cotton flipped open the book’s leather flap, revealing a small dial with numbers on it. He began to spin the dial, as if he was opening a small safe. There was a small click as Cotton landed on the last number. He opened the book and inside was the family dagger. It glowed softly in the dim light, like it had its own source of power. The handle had a carved grip, with a brilliant diamond on the end. Cotton held it up and both he and Ben stared at it in awe.
Cotton looked at Ben. “You can see why I couldn’t leave it behind.”
Ben nodded. Then he cocked his head as he heard something outside the door.
He whispered “We have to get out of here. It won’t be long before they figure out where we went.”
Cotton nodded and tucked the dagger away in his bag. Then he moved towards the portraits on the wall, the images of Cotton’s family members. He stepped up to one of them and began to tilt the frame. When it was nearly on its side he stopped and moved over to the other one and did the same thing in reverse. Ben watched as the two portraits began to get closer. The hands on the figures inside the frames reached out for each other and when the two frames touched it looked as if their hands were touching. There was a soft click from somewhere behind him and Ben turned to look. One of the wood panels had opened. Cotton quickly turned the frames back correctly and then moved over to the wood panel. He opened the panel like a little door and Ben could see that behind it was a small lever. Cotton pulled the lever down and a small door opened behind the desk.
“Well I’ll be…” Ben said. “It looks a little small to walk though.”
“Oh, we won’t be walking.” Cotton said with a glint in his eye. He closed the wood panel and walked over to the little door. He crouched down and looked into the darkness.
“It’s been years since anyone used this. Hope it’s still in one piece” Cotton said and began to enter the small doorway. He went feet first, as if he was about to go down a slide.
He looked over his shoulder at Ben and smiled. “Don’t worry about closing the door behind you, its set on springs and will close tightly by itself.” And with those words Cotton disappeared into the darkness.
Ben followed, moving the same way Cotton had done. He got down on his butt and ducked into the little door. He felt the floor beneath him change. It now felt metal and very slippery. He couldn’t see more than a few inches in front of himself. He shuffled forward a few more inches and then felt nothing in front of his feet. The little door snapped shut behind him and he was plunged into total darkness. He took a deep breath and pushed off.
Down Ben flew in the darkness, the slippery metal slide taking him through the castle walls at top speed. Around corners he zoomed, going this way and that way and then straightening out again before dropping another big distance. He wanted to let out a big whoop but he knew that might attract attention so he didn’t. A few seconds later he saw some light ahead. It was faint but Ben knew his ride was coming to an end. All of a sudden he was there, bursting through a metal vent and falling through the air. Ben reached for his whip, in case he needed it to catch himself but there was no need. Large pieces of canvas, hanging across the room, slowed his fall and scooped him up as he approached the ground. He landed as gently as could be and right on his feet. Standing a few feet away grinning was Cotton Bear.
After composing themselves for a minute, they began to look around and see if the coast was clear. It was so they began walking down a long corridor. Cotton took the lead as the castle was like a maze sometimes and soon Ben found himself in the garage. He surveyed the old cars and other vehicles gathered in the large area.
“Take your pick” Cotton said. “They’re all mine so I guess we can drive whatever one we want.”
Ben looked around. He spotted a nice classic sports car, a beautiful convertible, an old style motorcycle with sidecar attached, and a fancy sedan, but none of them seemed right for their purposes. Then he laid eyes on the truck. It was a big old work truck that didn’t look pretty and looked like it could drive through a brick wall. That’s what they needed to get them through the storm and to track Voltran.
“How’s that one run?” Ben asked as he pointed at the truck.
“Works great.” Cotton replied.
“Then let’s get the keys and get out of here. We’ve got a villain to catch.” Ben replied. Cotton went to get the keys from the key cabinet and Ben went to the large garage doors and began to open them. Outside the storm still raged and when he opened the doors Ben could feel the cold wind on his face and the sting of the rain.
Cotton tossed him the keys. “We need to get to a library. I need to do some research on these papers I found in the lab. I need to know what Voltran’s up to.”
They hopped up onto the truck’s large seats and Ben fired up the engine. It came alive with a roar. He floored the gas pedal and with a screech of tires they headed out into the storm.
end of chapter eight
Ben locked the door to the den quietly and stood there in the darkness for a moment. He wasn’t sure if the staff had seen them enter the room. They could hear bodies on the other side of the door and footsteps approaching. The doorknob wiggled and Ben held his breath. There was a pause and then they could hear the footsteps disappearing down the hallway. They both sighed with relief.
Cotton quietly moved into the room and found a small table light to turn on. Ben looked around the room. It was a beautiful den, with dark, wood paneled walls and elegant furniture. The desk was huge and also made of a dark wood. Behind it sat a large burgundy leather chair that looked fit for a king. There were two large portraits on one wall.
“Wow” stated Ben. “This is really nice.”
Cotton moved across the room to a shelf that held only a few dusty books, some of them quite large. Ben came over and looked at the books. They were all very old and all of them looked very dull. Cotton scanned them and then reached up, grabbed a big leather bound one, and placed it on the desk with a thump. Ben looked at the title: “The Remington English Encyclopaedia of Accounting Terminology and Rules”. He looked at Cotton. Cotton looked back at him and shrugged. “Well, if it was something interesting then people might want to look at it.
Ben nodded. “I suppose that’s true. You won’t ever have a problem with that book”
Cotton flipped open the book’s leather flap, revealing a small dial with numbers on it. He began to spin the dial, as if he was opening a small safe. There was a small click as Cotton landed on the last number. He opened the book and inside was the family dagger. It glowed softly in the dim light, like it had its own source of power. The handle had a carved grip, with a brilliant diamond on the end. Cotton held it up and both he and Ben stared at it in awe.
Cotton looked at Ben. “You can see why I couldn’t leave it behind.”
Ben nodded. Then he cocked his head as he heard something outside the door.
He whispered “We have to get out of here. It won’t be long before they figure out where we went.”
Cotton nodded and tucked the dagger away in his bag. Then he moved towards the portraits on the wall, the images of Cotton’s family members. He stepped up to one of them and began to tilt the frame. When it was nearly on its side he stopped and moved over to the other one and did the same thing in reverse. Ben watched as the two portraits began to get closer. The hands on the figures inside the frames reached out for each other and when the two frames touched it looked as if their hands were touching. There was a soft click from somewhere behind him and Ben turned to look. One of the wood panels had opened. Cotton quickly turned the frames back correctly and then moved over to the wood panel. He opened the panel like a little door and Ben could see that behind it was a small lever. Cotton pulled the lever down and a small door opened behind the desk.
“Well I’ll be…” Ben said. “It looks a little small to walk though.”
“Oh, we won’t be walking.” Cotton said with a glint in his eye. He closed the wood panel and walked over to the little door. He crouched down and looked into the darkness.
“It’s been years since anyone used this. Hope it’s still in one piece” Cotton said and began to enter the small doorway. He went feet first, as if he was about to go down a slide.
He looked over his shoulder at Ben and smiled. “Don’t worry about closing the door behind you, its set on springs and will close tightly by itself.” And with those words Cotton disappeared into the darkness.
Ben followed, moving the same way Cotton had done. He got down on his butt and ducked into the little door. He felt the floor beneath him change. It now felt metal and very slippery. He couldn’t see more than a few inches in front of himself. He shuffled forward a few more inches and then felt nothing in front of his feet. The little door snapped shut behind him and he was plunged into total darkness. He took a deep breath and pushed off.
Down Ben flew in the darkness, the slippery metal slide taking him through the castle walls at top speed. Around corners he zoomed, going this way and that way and then straightening out again before dropping another big distance. He wanted to let out a big whoop but he knew that might attract attention so he didn’t. A few seconds later he saw some light ahead. It was faint but Ben knew his ride was coming to an end. All of a sudden he was there, bursting through a metal vent and falling through the air. Ben reached for his whip, in case he needed it to catch himself but there was no need. Large pieces of canvas, hanging across the room, slowed his fall and scooped him up as he approached the ground. He landed as gently as could be and right on his feet. Standing a few feet away grinning was Cotton Bear.
After composing themselves for a minute, they began to look around and see if the coast was clear. It was so they began walking down a long corridor. Cotton took the lead as the castle was like a maze sometimes and soon Ben found himself in the garage. He surveyed the old cars and other vehicles gathered in the large area.
“Take your pick” Cotton said. “They’re all mine so I guess we can drive whatever one we want.”
Ben looked around. He spotted a nice classic sports car, a beautiful convertible, an old style motorcycle with sidecar attached, and a fancy sedan, but none of them seemed right for their purposes. Then he laid eyes on the truck. It was a big old work truck that didn’t look pretty and looked like it could drive through a brick wall. That’s what they needed to get them through the storm and to track Voltran.
“How’s that one run?” Ben asked as he pointed at the truck.
“Works great.” Cotton replied.
“Then let’s get the keys and get out of here. We’ve got a villain to catch.” Ben replied. Cotton went to get the keys from the key cabinet and Ben went to the large garage doors and began to open them. Outside the storm still raged and when he opened the doors Ben could feel the cold wind on his face and the sting of the rain.
Cotton tossed him the keys. “We need to get to a library. I need to do some research on these papers I found in the lab. I need to know what Voltran’s up to.”
They hopped up onto the truck’s large seats and Ben fired up the engine. It came alive with a roar. He floored the gas pedal and with a screech of tires they headed out into the storm.
end of chapter eight
Cotton Bear's Castle - Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Illinois Ben and Cotton headed back inside to the laboratory and sat down for a minute to catch their breath.
“How could he disappear like that? Where did he go? Ben asked.
Cotton Bear nodded. “Those are good questions. I’m hoping we can find the answers here in the lab.”
Cotton began to look through the many papers scattered about the tables. Ben looked around the equipment for any clues. Cotton was the smart one and he was doing his best to figure this out but Ben knew they didn’t have a lot of time. Ben heard some noise from below and went to the hall to see what it was. He carefully spied around the corner and saw some of Cotton Bear’s staff moving on the floor below. They were still under the influence of Voltran, which meant they were still after Ben and Cotton. Ben closed the door to the lab quietly and locked it. He grabbed a nearby chair and jammed it under the handle. Cotton looked up from his papers.
“Let me guess, my staff?” he asked.
Ben nodded. “You got it Cotton. They’re still after us. Voltran must still have them under his spell. We have to get out of here.”
Cotton nodded in agreement. “Yes. I just need a bit more time to look over these papers to see if I can figure out Voltran’s secret.”
There was a distant loud thump and crash from the end of the hallway. Ben glanced at the door and then back at Cotton.
“You better pack them up or read a lot faster, Cotton, because we got to go.”
Cotton grabbed what he could and jammed the papers and files into a leather briefcase, then nodded that he was ready. Ben moved the chair away from the door and got ready to open. A look of panic flashed over Cotton’s face.
“The dagger!” he exclaimed.
“What dagger?” Ben asked.
“The Bear family dagger. We have to get it. It’s been in my family forever and I can’t leave without it.”
Ben protested but he knew from the look on Cotton’s face that he wasn’t going to leave without it. Ben’s shoulders slumped a little.
“OK, where is it?” he asked.
“It’s in the den, hidden in the den.” Cotton replied with a little smile on his face.
Ben began to smile too. “Why are you smiling?”
Cotton began to grin. “Because I just remembered something my grandfather showed me once that will let us escape the castle!”
Ben grinned too. “Great! Finally some good news.”
Ben moved to open the laboratory door. They both prepared themselves to sprint down the hall. Ben threw open the door and all he could see was weapons aimed at him.
There was the butler with the crossbow, the housekeeper with the ninja stars, but this time there was also the other staff with them. The stable master had a pitchfork, the mechanic had a giant sword he took from the old Knight’s outfit, and the list went on. Ben had just enough time to look around before they opened fire on him. He slammed the door just in time. Arrow heads and knife tips poked through the wood door. Cotton was no longer grinning.
Ben looked at Cotton. “Let me guess” he asked, “Your escape plan, it’s somewhere on the other side of this door, right?”
Cotton nodded. Ben nodded back as another sharp piece of steel pierced the door. “Right, well, let’s hope they haven’t found the axes yet…”
Illinois Ben thought of a plan that just might work. Grabbing a table that had wheels on the legs he moved it in front of the door. Then Ben put as many beakers and flasks on it as he could find, filling them with whatever flammable liquids were around. He and Cotton Bear got ready to make their break. Standing by the door, Cotton Bear waited for his signal. Ben then struck a match and threw it onto the table igniting several beakers. Within seconds the table was all engulfed in flames.
“Now!” yelled Ben as he started to push the table towards the door. Cotton Bear quickly unlocked the door and swung it open. The castle staff on the other side of the door were ready to attack; they just weren’t ready for a flaming table to come at them. As the table passed Cotton Bear he joined Ben running right behind it. Down the hallway the table went as staff members, surprised looks and all, jumped and dove out of the way. Keeping low, Ben and Cotton Bear stayed right behind the table, using it as a well flamed shield.
Nearing the end of the hallway Cotton Bear yelled over to Ben,
“Right at the top of the stairs, to the left, is the short corridor to the den”.
Ben nodded, and then realized, “The stairs?”
The table was moving too fast to stop and use as a blockade when it arrived at the top of the stairs. In a spectacular exit the flaming table flew off the top stair and turned end of end, sending all the beakers crashing everywhere. The flames flew out in an amazing pattern, scattering all along the stairwell.
“You don’t see that everyday” yelled Ben at Cotton Bear.
Cotton Bear was equally impressed at the sight but more relieved at the sight of his staff members running towards the flames with fire extinguishers.
Spending no more time to enjoy the sight Ben followed Cotton Bear to the left corridor and down to the den. It was at this point Ben thought they were going to make it. Cotton Bear quickly made his way into the den. Ben was almost there when, from the ceiling, dropped the gardener armed with Dragon Claw Rakes, right in front of him blocking his way.
Taking a defensive stance, the gardener took it upon himself to stop Ben at all costs. Crouching low the gardener held the claws out and ready to strike. Ben only had a few moments to get past the gardener before the other staff members would be upon him. Bringing out his whip Ben snapped it out at the gardener, who side stepped it with ease. Then with a quick hop the gardener jumped up on the wall and towards Ben with the claws leading the way. Ben in turn ducked the swishing of the claws only to lose his hat. The gardener leaped again before Ben had a chance to react, directly over his head, slashing Ben’s jacket and narrowly missing his ears. Again the gardener stood between Ben and the den.As they stood face to face, in a stand-off, Ben got an idea. With his whip behind him Ben leapt out at the gardener who, just as Ben predicted, leaped to his right, hopping on the wall in an attempt to get above Ben. Snapping only his wrist, Ben brought his whip quickly up and around the gardener’s feet. With an even quicker pull, Ben tugged the whip back causing the gardener’s feet to snap back sending him out of control and crashing head first into the wall, knocking him unconscious. Smiling, Ben coiled his whip and moved into the den, grabbing his hat along the way. Closing the door as the other staff members passed the short corridor.
end of chapter seven
Illinois Ben and Cotton headed back inside to the laboratory and sat down for a minute to catch their breath.
“How could he disappear like that? Where did he go? Ben asked.
Cotton Bear nodded. “Those are good questions. I’m hoping we can find the answers here in the lab.”
Cotton began to look through the many papers scattered about the tables. Ben looked around the equipment for any clues. Cotton was the smart one and he was doing his best to figure this out but Ben knew they didn’t have a lot of time. Ben heard some noise from below and went to the hall to see what it was. He carefully spied around the corner and saw some of Cotton Bear’s staff moving on the floor below. They were still under the influence of Voltran, which meant they were still after Ben and Cotton. Ben closed the door to the lab quietly and locked it. He grabbed a nearby chair and jammed it under the handle. Cotton looked up from his papers.
“Let me guess, my staff?” he asked.
Ben nodded. “You got it Cotton. They’re still after us. Voltran must still have them under his spell. We have to get out of here.”
Cotton nodded in agreement. “Yes. I just need a bit more time to look over these papers to see if I can figure out Voltran’s secret.”
There was a distant loud thump and crash from the end of the hallway. Ben glanced at the door and then back at Cotton.
“You better pack them up or read a lot faster, Cotton, because we got to go.”
Cotton grabbed what he could and jammed the papers and files into a leather briefcase, then nodded that he was ready. Ben moved the chair away from the door and got ready to open. A look of panic flashed over Cotton’s face.
“The dagger!” he exclaimed.
“What dagger?” Ben asked.
“The Bear family dagger. We have to get it. It’s been in my family forever and I can’t leave without it.”
Ben protested but he knew from the look on Cotton’s face that he wasn’t going to leave without it. Ben’s shoulders slumped a little.
“OK, where is it?” he asked.
“It’s in the den, hidden in the den.” Cotton replied with a little smile on his face.
Ben began to smile too. “Why are you smiling?”
Cotton began to grin. “Because I just remembered something my grandfather showed me once that will let us escape the castle!”
Ben grinned too. “Great! Finally some good news.”
Ben moved to open the laboratory door. They both prepared themselves to sprint down the hall. Ben threw open the door and all he could see was weapons aimed at him.
There was the butler with the crossbow, the housekeeper with the ninja stars, but this time there was also the other staff with them. The stable master had a pitchfork, the mechanic had a giant sword he took from the old Knight’s outfit, and the list went on. Ben had just enough time to look around before they opened fire on him. He slammed the door just in time. Arrow heads and knife tips poked through the wood door. Cotton was no longer grinning.
Ben looked at Cotton. “Let me guess” he asked, “Your escape plan, it’s somewhere on the other side of this door, right?”
Cotton nodded. Ben nodded back as another sharp piece of steel pierced the door. “Right, well, let’s hope they haven’t found the axes yet…”
Illinois Ben thought of a plan that just might work. Grabbing a table that had wheels on the legs he moved it in front of the door. Then Ben put as many beakers and flasks on it as he could find, filling them with whatever flammable liquids were around. He and Cotton Bear got ready to make their break. Standing by the door, Cotton Bear waited for his signal. Ben then struck a match and threw it onto the table igniting several beakers. Within seconds the table was all engulfed in flames.
“Now!” yelled Ben as he started to push the table towards the door. Cotton Bear quickly unlocked the door and swung it open. The castle staff on the other side of the door were ready to attack; they just weren’t ready for a flaming table to come at them. As the table passed Cotton Bear he joined Ben running right behind it. Down the hallway the table went as staff members, surprised looks and all, jumped and dove out of the way. Keeping low, Ben and Cotton Bear stayed right behind the table, using it as a well flamed shield.
Nearing the end of the hallway Cotton Bear yelled over to Ben,
“Right at the top of the stairs, to the left, is the short corridor to the den”.
Ben nodded, and then realized, “The stairs?”
The table was moving too fast to stop and use as a blockade when it arrived at the top of the stairs. In a spectacular exit the flaming table flew off the top stair and turned end of end, sending all the beakers crashing everywhere. The flames flew out in an amazing pattern, scattering all along the stairwell.
“You don’t see that everyday” yelled Ben at Cotton Bear.
Cotton Bear was equally impressed at the sight but more relieved at the sight of his staff members running towards the flames with fire extinguishers.
Spending no more time to enjoy the sight Ben followed Cotton Bear to the left corridor and down to the den. It was at this point Ben thought they were going to make it. Cotton Bear quickly made his way into the den. Ben was almost there when, from the ceiling, dropped the gardener armed with Dragon Claw Rakes, right in front of him blocking his way.
Taking a defensive stance, the gardener took it upon himself to stop Ben at all costs. Crouching low the gardener held the claws out and ready to strike. Ben only had a few moments to get past the gardener before the other staff members would be upon him. Bringing out his whip Ben snapped it out at the gardener, who side stepped it with ease. Then with a quick hop the gardener jumped up on the wall and towards Ben with the claws leading the way. Ben in turn ducked the swishing of the claws only to lose his hat. The gardener leaped again before Ben had a chance to react, directly over his head, slashing Ben’s jacket and narrowly missing his ears. Again the gardener stood between Ben and the den.As they stood face to face, in a stand-off, Ben got an idea. With his whip behind him Ben leapt out at the gardener who, just as Ben predicted, leaped to his right, hopping on the wall in an attempt to get above Ben. Snapping only his wrist, Ben brought his whip quickly up and around the gardener’s feet. With an even quicker pull, Ben tugged the whip back causing the gardener’s feet to snap back sending him out of control and crashing head first into the wall, knocking him unconscious. Smiling, Ben coiled his whip and moved into the den, grabbing his hat along the way. Closing the door as the other staff members passed the short corridor.
end of chapter seven
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