Danger Maze, part IX

The junk yard had a welding torch and enough oxygen-acetylene to do the job. They also had a rubber-tired tractor with a front scoop that B.A. bought with a fistful of the ready cash which the team had hidden in the van.

All they needed was some bullet-proofing for the front tires and the driver. It was a messy job, with rusted slabs of steel hastily welded to pieces of car still wearing enamel paint. There was very little space for the driver and not much in the way of maneuvering room. "Let's go," B.A. said, squeezing into the small turret-like space.

"Head 'em up, move 'em out!" Murdock cried.

~#~

"Great balls of fire," Face whispered to Hannibal over the radio. "Lookit that!"

Hannibal laughed before he called Murdock on the small radio. "Go right in at them," he ordered. "Fast enough to get their attention but slow enough for Face to get the kid out."

"Hot-diggity-dog, Colonel," Murdock cried. "It is property destruction time!"

The armored tractor lumbered over the ruts and came straight at the shack. A rifle shot whined off the scoop, held out like steel fist. Then they hit.

Crash!

The kidnapper jumped out of the way as the tractor took the front porch off the house. Murdock helped him on his way with a burst of machine gun fire at his heels.

B.A. swung the tractor around. Several more shots pinged off the metal. One snapped through the cab's many cracks and ricocheted around the cab but didn't hit B.A.

The vehicle lumbered straight at the house and B.A. caught a glimpse of Face running away through the sagebrush carrying the boy. B.A. grinned and gunned the motor.

Houses do not stand well without three walls, which is what B.A.'s first pass took out. The two inside kidnappers were knocked out, and by the time the burly black man had turned off the engine, Murdock and Hannibal Smith had all three captured.

"We could rent it out for demolition, B.A.," smiled Hannibal, patting the rusting armor.

"Boy all right?" Hannibal nodded.

"Scared, but okay. And we have the money, and the Good Guys are once again Triumphant!"

"As it should be, Colonel, me darlin'," Murdock said. "As it should be."

THE END