Golden Age Sunday: Riding Sidecar Part 5

Riding Sidecar
Part V

I woke up confused with a splitting headache. When I reached for the back of my head, I found my arms were pinned to my side. Trying to tilt my head I quickly become aware that something that was wrapped around my head gagging me. Focusing on my surroundings, I come to the realization that I’m swinging high above the ground tied up by a fuzzy rope. Straining my eyes, I traced the rope to its base only to discover that it was Dorkin’s tail. Great, how was I going to get out of this?

My planning was cut short when I heard The Victor calling up from the ground, “Let her go Dorkin.” Shifting my gaze to the ground I saw The Victor standing beside a tied up Dyer. I really couldn’t tell with the beak, but she seemed to have a smug look on her face. I could see why, this was a hostage exchange.

I didn’t get a chance to kick myself for putting The Victor in this situation because Dorkin started laughing and swinging me around even more. After a few seconds he stopped, leaned off the branch towards The Victor, and said, “Let Buteo go or Ateles let girl go.”

As The Victor and Dorkin stared each other down, I quickly went over what Dorkin just said. Why did he call her Buteo? Why did he call himself Ateles? After a second I remember what The Victor said before we went into the park, “Or as he likes to call himself, Lox.” He also said they were animal enthusiasts with spliced DNA. Studying Dyer for a second, I realize she wasn’t just a mash of varies birds but a red-tail hawk, genus Buteo. Meaning that Dorkin may not have mixed and matched monkey DNA, but that of a spider monkey, genus Ateles. Before I could continue along that line of thought, Dyer/Buteo knocked me off it when she smugly told The Victor, “Your move hero.”

Letting out a laugh, The Victor nodded his head towards me and said, “Actually its her move.” I was thinking that this was going to be my last teamup with The Cheerful Champion but to hear The Victor still had faith in me, even when I was the hostage, gave me hope and removed any doubt in my mind. Well might as well try.

Biting into Dorkin’s/Ateles’ tail, I prepared myself for the fall. As expected Dorkin howled in pain and released his hold on me, falling toward the ground I swung my whip out towards the nearest branch. Securing the hold, I swung feet first into a very surprised Dorkin’s face. Landing on the tree limb, I quickly unhooked the whip and snapped it after Dorkin, wrapping him up in manner similar to how I woke up minutes ago. Activating the grippers in the handle of my whip, I planted it into branch and start to climb down the tree. On the ground I discovered The Victor had called the police and had gagged Dyer with an acorn and tied her to a tree.

It took the police twenty minutes to find us, just enough time for The Victor to locate The Co-Champion and put it back onto The Crimson Sentinel. As the police car pulled away with Dorkin and Dyer we got back onto our respective vehicles. Starting up the bike, The Victor asked, “So what do you want to eat, Detective?”

Confused I looked around trying to figure out who he was talking to, “Who? What?”

I got the answers I was looking for when I heard The Victor laughing beside me, “Sorry, I like to give nicknames to the people I teamup with. I was asking what you want to eat.”

Confused I asked, “You still want to teamup with me, after I almost got us killed? And why call me ‘Detective’?”

Leaning towards me, he flashed a grin and said, “You’re always asking questions and you proved that you can handle yourself. So yes, I still want to teamup with you.”

Geda had gotten away, but The Victor was acting like we had won. I was hungry, so I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Okay, Steve’s Deli, its about a block away.”

Getting the booth Blue Beak and I normally eat at, The Victor ordered, big surprise, a glass of milk and I got a soda. After thanking the cook, who personally delivered our food, he finished the story he was telling, “So Blue Beak looks at Quiver and says, ‘But I was following you,’” sending both of us into a fit of laughter.

As I listen to him tell me another stories about Blue Beak and The New York Patrol, some funny stuff, I couldn’t help but go back to my line of thought earlier today. What caused him to become a hero? Whatever it was, he was surprisingly modest. When the owner offered to pay for our lunch, The Victor just politely declined and asked for the bill. The cook never served Blue Beak or I and we always paid for meals.

Finishing up the lunch, The Victor reached into his belt and said, “You’re missing something from your utility belt.”

After searching my pouches for what it could be, I turned to ask what it was only to find him handing me a small round device with a red v on it. Taking it from him, I started looking it over, “A V-Radio? But I thought only Patrol members have ones.”

Nodding his head, The Victor laughed, “Yes, a V-Radio. And yes only Patrol members can have them.”

Trying to suppress my excitement I asked, “Does that mean…”

The V-Radio cut me off with a booming announcement, “Attention all units, Lox has just attacked the prison transport with Ateles and Buteo. Repeat. Lox has just attacked the prison transport.” Just when I thought the day couldn’t get anymore exciting.

Two minutes later, after The Victor paid the bill and left a sizable tip, a twenty, we were tearing down the street in The Crimson Sentinel and The Co-Champion. The Victor was wearing his trademark grin and I was wearing a similar one. I had the feeling that that day was just beginning and I wasn’t wrong.

The End…

for now.