"You really have no clue who I am?" the would-be moonshiner whined.
Ezra exchanged a quick look with Vin. If the man hadn't been holding a gun on them, it would almost be comical. "You'd think the confused looks and blank stares would have answered that for him, wouldn't you?" he deadpanned in Vin's direction then swung his attention back to their captor.
It was supposed to be a simple operation. All they had to do was check on a possible illegal moonshine operation and report back if it existed or not. At first, he had balked at the assignment. He didn't find it appealing to make the hour's drive to a cabin just outside of Bailey to check to see if someone happened to be making some illegal alcohol. Chris had quickly reminded him that the 'A' in ATF meant alcohol and there were alternatives he could come up with that would make the assignment seem pleasant by comparison. He quickly, but grudgingly, kept his complaints to himself after that.
The drive itself hadn't been bad. If he had to pick a companion for a longish drive, Vin was definitely his first choice. Vin never felt the need to fill the quiet with inane chatter and that suited Ezra just fine.
They'd easily located the cabin they'd been on the look-out for. As far as they could see, there was no one around. There hadn't been one operational still, though, there'd been three of them. It looked like quite the efficient setup.
While Ezra phoned in an update to Chris, Vin set about taking photos of the operation. Both men were distracted enough that they didn't hear the rustling of approaching footsteps. They did, however, hear the cocking of a gun.
"You boys drop everything and reach for the sky," a voice ordered from behind.
Vin and Ezra glanced at each other. "Reach for the sky," Vin mouthed.
"Perhaps we ought to do what this gentleman is requesting," Ezra suggested. I don't believe we're in a very good position to negotiate." Getting a somewhat confused look from Vin and wanting to be clear in the hopes that Chris was hearing them over the open phone line, he added, "This is bad." Very cautiously, he turned and put his phone down at his feet. He made certain to keep the line open but turned it so the screen was facing down. Vin slowly followed suit putting his phone down beside Ezra's.
"You boys some kind of Feds?" the armed man asked them. He was average height and build and looked like he'd been living in the mountains for most of his life. He was probably in his fifties although it was hard to really tell.
"You could say that," Vin agreed.
"Would you like to see our ID," Ezra added on hoping to stall and delay. He was hoping Chris had been able to hear what the man had been saying and that help was on the way. Although it would take the rest of Team Seven at least an hour to arrive, he knew Chris would alert the local authorities. That would be a plus in their favor.
"Makes no difference if you ain't. I'm still gonna shoot you."
"Of course it makes a difference," Ezra argued. "You do realize that the penalties for shooting a law enforcement officer are much different from just shooting an average person. Wouldn't you rather be sure of who it is your shooting before you do so?"
"That true?" Vin asked. He recognized Ezra's stalling tactic for what it was and played along with it.
"Most definitely." Ezra turned slightly in Vin's direction allowing his hands to also dip down slightly. "Don't tell me you missed that course in FLETC? For shame, Mr. Tanner. For shame."
"You know I ain't never been much for schooling, Ez," Vin responded, intentionally allowing his accent to thicken. "I's just hoping they'd let me shoot things up."
At Vin's response, Ezra shook his head. "This! This is why I keep begging Mr. Larabee not to team me up with those not my intellectual peers. Does he ever listen to me? No! And now I'm stuck here with a distant member of the Clampet clan holding a gun on me and my partner doesn't even know the correct penalties for shooting a law enforcement officer."
"Now hold a minute. You trying to say I'm too dumb to be able to pour water outta a boot that's got a hole in the toe and the direction on the heel?"
"It's not as if I'm saying you are encumbered by the throught process, but..."
The so-called distant member of the Clampet clan looked back and forth between to the two arguing men. "Shut up," he yelled, "Or I'm gonna shoot you."
"You do realize there are two of us," Ezra pointed out as he gestured between himself and Vin. "What makes you think while you're shooting either of us, the other won't just shoot you?"
Without bothering to answer, the moonshiner pulled the trigger. A blossom of red appeared on Ezra's left shoulder as he fell to the ground. "Now, shut up," the man yelled.
Vin dropped to the ground, pulling Ezra's hand away to check the wound. "You really need to learn when to stop," he said as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it against the wound.
"I'm sure Mr. Larabee would agree," Ezra said then let out a pain-filled groan. "This is bad."
"Yeah. You said that already." Vin pulled his impromptu bandage back slightly and saw the blood well up again.
"It seemed worth repeating," Ezra gasped as his eyes fluttered and he lost consciousness.