The Cagon Mine
Prologue
"I don't know why I came along with you two." Knuckles mumbled.
"Well, duh, you were bored!" was Perfect Tommy's ever so insightful answer.
But Reno had another opinion: "Your truck."
"Ah, yes, my truck." She settled back in the driver's seat glad that they were aware of that fact. "If that is the case..." She smacked Perfect Tommy's hand away from the radio knobs, "Touch my radio again and I'll let you walk back!"
Tommy pouted, but resigned his control. After all, he was pretty sure she could put him out of the truck. And he had no doubt that she would make him walk the thirty miles through the desert heat back to the World Watch One and the hotel they were staying at.
"There it is!" Reno Nevada suddenly called out pointing out the front window at a dusty group of shacks that made up the little town of Cagon.
"That's a town?" Perfect Tommy huffed.
Reno grinned. "Out here all a town needs if a post office and a canteena." He leaned over the front seat so that he could get a better look. "And Cagon is rumored to have an old fashion canteena with dance hall girls, a player piano, and the works. Not to mention the best moonshine in the west." he whistled, remembering the stuff he had sampled back in Tuson. It was so smooth it brought tears to his eyes. He wanted to pick up a batch to take back home with them and hide away under his bed to bring out in those moments he wanted everyone's attention.
"Ha! Figures." Knuckles mumbled, pulling into a dirt parking spot in front of an old west style 2 story canteena. She pointed up at the sign that read "Naked Lady." "Why are they always called the Naked lady? I'm gonna go home and rename the Jessie James the Naked Gentleman!" she growled. "See how they like that!"
Reno and Tommy exchanged amused looks. Perfect Tommy looked away to try and hide his grin, while Reno patted Knuckles on the arm. "I think, maybe, you should keep it as is." he suggested.
Knuckles frowned at him, but she couldn't fight off the smile for long. "Yea, well, maybe that would be over the top." she admitted. "But, come on... the Naked Lady?"
"I can't think of anything better to go with a nice cold beer." Perfect Tommy commented, sliding out of the truck just in time to avoid Knuckles' fist.
With a sigh, the girl glanced back to Reno. "How do you put up with him?"
Reno shrugged. "It is a trial at times. A true trial."
From across the dusty street a man in a tan uniform and sporting a silver star watched as the new comers headed into the canteena. He rolled the cigar between his teeth. "They came." he observed.
"'Course they came." answered a man standing beside him. He rolled a gold coin through his fingers. "Now, go make sure they don't leave."
Perfect Tommy had already found himself a seat at the bar and one of the saloon girls to flirt with.
The bleach blond in a very skimpy, squinted red dress leaned into the Cavalier, pretending to hang on every word he said. Her thick, red lips puckered up at him, her long fake eye lashes fluttering. Long fake nails tapped lightly on Tommy's neck while the other hand rested on his thigh.
Reno shook his head as he and Knuckles took the two stools to Perfect Tommy's left. He called to the bartender for three beers. After a quick glance to see Knuckles glaring at their companion, he turned to Perfect Tommy. Better put an end to it now before Knuckles decided to do it herself. "Did you take your meds, Tommy?"
"Meds?" The young man glanced at him, but the precision move of the woman's hand on his thigh distracted him.
"Yea. Wouldn't want the rash to get out of hand."
That got the full attention of both Cavalier and saloon girl. "Rash?" they both asked. The girl stepped away, frowning.
"Oh. don't worry, Miss." Reno hurried on. "We're pretty sure it isn't contagious. Just don't rub the bumpy, ozzy parts and you'll... hey! Where you going?" He grinned, glancing back at his friend.
Perfect Tommy was glaring. he opened his mouth, but a soft pounding beyond Reno drew both of their attention.
Turning Reno looked down at Knuckles who was softly bouncing her head off the bar, doing her very best to stifle her laughter. Apparently she thought the only successful way of doing that was to knock herself unconscious. Knowing there was no discouraging the girl, Reno simple waited fro an up swing and slid his jacket between her head and the bar. After all, being the only mature person on the trip, he was in charge. And Buckaroo would not be happy if he brought either of them back bruised.
Still glaring, Perfect Tommy turned back to the bar as the three beers were delivered. "That wasn't called for." he growled.
"Just trying to keep you innocent." Reno commented, taking a swig of cold beer. He paused to move Knuckles' mug back as her head pounding picked up pace.
The bartender threw the girl a concerned look. "She alright?"
"In a matter of speaking." Reno answered. "Hey, bud, a fellow back in Tuson told us that you have a pretty good home brewed hooch. I'd like to purchase some if I may."
The bartender's eyes narrowed. "he don't look old enough and she looks crazy."
"Not old enough?!" Perfect Tommy cried. "You served me a beer!"
Reno shoved him off his stool and out of the conversation. "It isn't for them." he assured the bartender.
The bartender chewed on his lip for a moment, then nodded. "Alrighty, pal. How old? How strong? How much? And I'll tell you the price."
Reno and the bartender spent the next several minutes hashing out details. By the time they were finished Perfect Tommy was warming up another girl and Knuckles had managed to stop pounding her head long enough to discover the antique gun collection on the far wall. "Hey, guys, I'm going out to load up the hooch. Stay here! Stay out of trouble! Don't kill anyone.... particularly each other! Okay?"
They both waved more or less in his direction, more or less paying attention to what he was saying. Reno betted on the less.
With a sigh, Reno headed out the door. He stepped out the side door and into the alley where the bartender told him he could pick up the barrel. The bright desert sunshine blinded him for the first moment. The blow to his head blinded him for the next.
Knuckles and Perfect Tommy snapped about when they heard the gun shot.
"Where's Reno?" Perfect Tommy asked, pushing away from the girl he had been distracted by.
"Truck." Knuckles supplied and they both ran out the front doors. But Reno wasn't there. But a small town deputy was.
"Hold it right there, folks." he ordered, holding his gun on them.
"Woe." Perfect Tommy held up his hands.
"Hey!" Knuckles held her hands out. "We're good guys!" she assured.
The deputy's weapon never wavered. He glanced at the alley entrance where the sheriff and a pair of deputies were dragging the nearly unconscious Reno into view.
"Reno!" Perfect Tommy cried. He took a step toward his friend only to draw the attention of the sheriff.
"Stay right where you are, boy." he growled.
"What happened?" Tommy demanded, watching helplessly as the deputies handcuffed his friend.
"Your buddy made a very big mistake." The sheriff told them. "And now he is under arrest."
"Under arrest for what?" Knuckles wanted to know.
The sheriff waved to the body another deputy was dragging into view. It was the bartender and a large bloody hole made up most of his chest. "Murder."
Ch. 1
"Nooo." Knuckles said slowly, making every word as clear as possible. "Perfect Tommy was not arrested. Reno Nevada was arrested. You remember him? Black hair, dark eyes, fond of bright, blinding colors?"
Perfect Tommy tugged on her sleeve. "Why do they always think I'm the one in trouble?" he complained.
She shook her arm free, listening to the voice on the other end of the line. "Of course he didn't kill anyone!" A pause. "No, Rawhide, I did not see it. But, come on, you know Reno! He's a pussy cat! A moody pussy cat, but... Yea, Cagon, it's a lean-to in the middle of the desert with a P.O. box and a canteena... well, Reno says that's all they need to call themselves a town out here... a little over thirty miles." She sighed, resting her head against the wall. "Thanks, Rawhide. We'll be here waiting... yea, we're fine." She grinned. "Trouble? Us?" She beeped the go- phone off.
Perfect Tommy waited patiently for a report for exactly fifteen seconds... the appropriate amount of time for the Cavalier. "Well?" he pressed. "What'd they say?"
Knuckles looked up at him. "They said I should keep you out of trouble. The only reason the cops would of nailed Reno instead of you is that you did something so nasty they can't figure it out yet." She grinned.
Perfect Tommy glared.
The girl pushed away from the wall and looked around the dusty town. "Did they let you talk to Reno?" she asked after a moment.
Perfect Tommy shook his head. "They said no one gets in." he mumbled as together they started back toward the truck still parked in front of the Naked Lady canteena. "Is that legal? I mean, don't they have to let him see a lawyer?"
"If he's conscious enough to ask for one." Knuckles pointed out. She resisted the urge to point out the fact that she had often kept annoying bounties unconscious after a hunt to avoid just that sort of distraction. "He has to demand his rights to get them. And he has to be conscious to make said demand." She frowned. "Maybe Buckaroo will be able to get in, seeing as he can claim to be Reno's doc and he is hurt and all." She shrugged. "Though they could use their own. Rawhide wouldn't happen to have a law degree somewhere's in that stack of diplomas of his, would he?"
Perfect Tommy shrugged. "His is fond of lecturing something about mankind's true self having something to do with crime."
Knuckles smiled slightly. She had had such conversations with the zen- master of the house herself. "Not quite right, but close enough." She stopped, grabbing Tommy's hand. "What are they doing to my truck?"
Perfect Tommy looked over to where a handful of deputies were in, on, and around Knuckles' truck.
"Damn, boys, look at this!" cursed the one going through the trunk in the bed of her truck. It was her weapons locker. "She's armed for the whole damn Suiox nation!" He held up her Winchester in one hand and a heavy cross bow in the other.
"Son of a..." Knuckles started, ready to charge the intruders, but Perfect Tommy dragged her back behind the corner of a building and out of sight. "What the hell..."
Perfect Tommy put his hand over her mouth and leaned out to see if they had been seen.
Knuckles stood stock still, knowing Tommy knew her well enough to know that he had to have a damn good reason to man handle her in such away. Trusting, of course, he wasn't suicidal.
After a silent breath, he leaned close to her until his words blew hot breath in her ear. "Don't you know a set up when you see one?" he growled. "They're setting up to arrest us."
"I have licenses for everything in that locker." Knuckles protested in a whispered voice. "They have nothing to arrest us on."
"Wake up, Jessie!" Tommy snapped using her real name for emphases. "Some one had to have killed the bartender! If it wasn't Reno..."
Knuckles closed her eyes. "They did show up rather fast, didn't they?" she mumbled as it suddenly dawned on her. Despite it being obvious, she just couldn't quite see it though. Damn it, she was a bounty hunter! She worked with cops!
Perfect Tommy rested his forehead against hers. "Just because they ware a badge doesn't make them the good guys, Knuckles." he told her. "Haven't you ever heard of bad cops?"
Knuckles sighed. "So what do we do?"
The mature answer, the proper answer would of been to hide, stay out of sight, wait for back up. Neither of them were very mature and no where near proper.
"We get them before they get us!"
**********
Buckaroo Banzai had studied a number of martial arts, perfecting his skills until he could claim mastery of such arts. Yet, as he watched the speed and precision of which young Billy Travers fingers flew over the keyboard, he knew there was quite a bit for him to learn.
Billy glanced over his shoulder at him. "Hey, boss, you're developing over-the-shoulder syndrome." he warned.
Buckaroo frowned. "What?"
Rawhide took Buckaroo by the arm and pulled him away from the computer whiz. "Let us know when you have something, Billy." he requested. As he lead Buckaroo back to his room in the back of the bus, he said "You worry too much about those two. They might not act like it most of the time, but Knuckles and Perfect Tommy are all grown up."
Buckaroo dropped down in a chair with a sigh. "Why did we ever let those two get together?" he groaned.
"Hey, wasn't my idea!" Rawhide shook his head. "Besides, they're the ones not in trouble this time, remember?"
Buckaroo looked up at him. "Yet."
Rawhide smiled.
Billy showed up then waving a paper in the air. "Got it!" he announced proudly, as if there was ever any doubt. Then, remembering what he was waving in the air, he frowned, handing it to Buckaroo. "It isn't very good, sir."
Buckaroo didn't like what he was reading. "Sheriff McCane... he sure makes a lot of arrests for a town of... 120 people."
"Almost none of which, by the way," Billy pointed out, "are residences of said town. Folks keep going thirty miles out into the middle of no where and getting arrested."
Rawhide heard this story before. "And working their time off in the local whatever?" he asked as Buckaroo handed him the paper.
"They have a mine." Billy answered.
"Slaves." Buckaroo concluded. "Or more like indentured servants. And it's all legal as long as they can prove the crime."
Billy looked from one man to the other. "Murder is a pretty nasty rap just to get a writer to work in a mine."
Rawhide nodded slowly. Eyeing the paper, he observed "Murder does seem rare." He paused. "Billy, what do these people do? These folks nailed for murder?"
Billy shrugged, pulling another paper from somewhere. "Engineers, ecologists..."
Buckaroo rose to his feet. "They framed the wrong man."
**********
"You idiot!" Reno heard the man in the gray suit yell at the sheriff. "What good is a damn pencil pusher in a mine? I wanted the laser geek! Do you know how we could step up production if we were cutting with lasers? or if our machinery was powered by whatever that pretty boy can think of?"
Laser geek? Pretty boy? Perfect Tommy?
He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to force the pounding in his ears to stop so that he could better hear the voices. Buckaroo had once taught him something... what was it... picture the pain as a fog... then blow it away, blow it all away.
"So, what do we do about this one?" That was the sheriff. Reno knew that voice all too well. That was the bastard that whacked him on the head. And then held the gun in his hand and made him shoot the bartender. Made him murder an innocent man!
He heard the click of the heals of the gray suit man as he walked over to his cell and looked in on him. "He looks strong, healthy. Work him as a digger." The voice paused. "But get me that boy! And that girlfriend of his... watch her! She's a bounty hunter. A damn good one at that. If she gets dead resisting arrest... I won't lose any sleep."
Reno almost laughed. Kill Knuckles? Yea, like some dumb-ass hick who couldn't tell the difference between Perfect Tommy and Reno Nevada was going to get the jump on Jessica James, Bounty Hunter Knuckle! Yea, right, over their dead body!
Suddenly it wasn't very funny any more.
**********
Perfect Tommy yanked Knuckles back behind the wall.
"Will you stop doing that?" she hissed at him.
"Look!" Tommy pointed to the jail where the sheriff was half dragging, half leading Reno to a jeep and shoving him into the back.
"Where the hell are they going?" Knuckles wondered.
Perfect Tommy looked around. "We need wheels." He spotted a dirt bike leaned up against the back of the store they were hiding behind. "Well, isn't that handy."
Knuckles followed his gaze. "No, that's stealing."
Perfect Tommy grinned. "Stealing is such a nasty word. I prefer borrowing... with extreme prejudice."
Knuckles frowned. But, after glancing to where the jeep was pulling away, she shrugged. "What the hell... at least now they'll have a reason to arrest us."
"I don't know why I came along with you two." Knuckles mumbled.
"Well, duh, you were bored!" was Perfect Tommy's ever so insightful answer.
But Reno had another opinion: "Your truck."
"Ah, yes, my truck." She settled back in the driver's seat glad that they were aware of that fact. "If that is the case..." She smacked Perfect Tommy's hand away from the radio knobs, "Touch my radio again and I'll let you walk back!"
Tommy pouted, but resigned his control. After all, he was pretty sure she could put him out of the truck. And he had no doubt that she would make him walk the thirty miles through the desert heat back to the World Watch One and the hotel they were staying at.
"There it is!" Reno Nevada suddenly called out pointing out the front window at a dusty group of shacks that made up the little town of Cagon.
"That's a town?" Perfect Tommy huffed.
Reno grinned. "Out here all a town needs if a post office and a canteena." He leaned over the front seat so that he could get a better look. "And Cagon is rumored to have an old fashion canteena with dance hall girls, a player piano, and the works. Not to mention the best moonshine in the west." he whistled, remembering the stuff he had sampled back in Tuson. It was so smooth it brought tears to his eyes. He wanted to pick up a batch to take back home with them and hide away under his bed to bring out in those moments he wanted everyone's attention.
"Ha! Figures." Knuckles mumbled, pulling into a dirt parking spot in front of an old west style 2 story canteena. She pointed up at the sign that read "Naked Lady." "Why are they always called the Naked lady? I'm gonna go home and rename the Jessie James the Naked Gentleman!" she growled. "See how they like that!"
Reno and Tommy exchanged amused looks. Perfect Tommy looked away to try and hide his grin, while Reno patted Knuckles on the arm. "I think, maybe, you should keep it as is." he suggested.
Knuckles frowned at him, but she couldn't fight off the smile for long. "Yea, well, maybe that would be over the top." she admitted. "But, come on... the Naked Lady?"
"I can't think of anything better to go with a nice cold beer." Perfect Tommy commented, sliding out of the truck just in time to avoid Knuckles' fist.
With a sigh, the girl glanced back to Reno. "How do you put up with him?"
Reno shrugged. "It is a trial at times. A true trial."
From across the dusty street a man in a tan uniform and sporting a silver star watched as the new comers headed into the canteena. He rolled the cigar between his teeth. "They came." he observed.
"'Course they came." answered a man standing beside him. He rolled a gold coin through his fingers. "Now, go make sure they don't leave."
Perfect Tommy had already found himself a seat at the bar and one of the saloon girls to flirt with.
The bleach blond in a very skimpy, squinted red dress leaned into the Cavalier, pretending to hang on every word he said. Her thick, red lips puckered up at him, her long fake eye lashes fluttering. Long fake nails tapped lightly on Tommy's neck while the other hand rested on his thigh.
Reno shook his head as he and Knuckles took the two stools to Perfect Tommy's left. He called to the bartender for three beers. After a quick glance to see Knuckles glaring at their companion, he turned to Perfect Tommy. Better put an end to it now before Knuckles decided to do it herself. "Did you take your meds, Tommy?"
"Meds?" The young man glanced at him, but the precision move of the woman's hand on his thigh distracted him.
"Yea. Wouldn't want the rash to get out of hand."
That got the full attention of both Cavalier and saloon girl. "Rash?" they both asked. The girl stepped away, frowning.
"Oh. don't worry, Miss." Reno hurried on. "We're pretty sure it isn't contagious. Just don't rub the bumpy, ozzy parts and you'll... hey! Where you going?" He grinned, glancing back at his friend.
Perfect Tommy was glaring. he opened his mouth, but a soft pounding beyond Reno drew both of their attention.
Turning Reno looked down at Knuckles who was softly bouncing her head off the bar, doing her very best to stifle her laughter. Apparently she thought the only successful way of doing that was to knock herself unconscious. Knowing there was no discouraging the girl, Reno simple waited fro an up swing and slid his jacket between her head and the bar. After all, being the only mature person on the trip, he was in charge. And Buckaroo would not be happy if he brought either of them back bruised.
Still glaring, Perfect Tommy turned back to the bar as the three beers were delivered. "That wasn't called for." he growled.
"Just trying to keep you innocent." Reno commented, taking a swig of cold beer. He paused to move Knuckles' mug back as her head pounding picked up pace.
The bartender threw the girl a concerned look. "She alright?"
"In a matter of speaking." Reno answered. "Hey, bud, a fellow back in Tuson told us that you have a pretty good home brewed hooch. I'd like to purchase some if I may."
The bartender's eyes narrowed. "he don't look old enough and she looks crazy."
"Not old enough?!" Perfect Tommy cried. "You served me a beer!"
Reno shoved him off his stool and out of the conversation. "It isn't for them." he assured the bartender.
The bartender chewed on his lip for a moment, then nodded. "Alrighty, pal. How old? How strong? How much? And I'll tell you the price."
Reno and the bartender spent the next several minutes hashing out details. By the time they were finished Perfect Tommy was warming up another girl and Knuckles had managed to stop pounding her head long enough to discover the antique gun collection on the far wall. "Hey, guys, I'm going out to load up the hooch. Stay here! Stay out of trouble! Don't kill anyone.... particularly each other! Okay?"
They both waved more or less in his direction, more or less paying attention to what he was saying. Reno betted on the less.
With a sigh, Reno headed out the door. He stepped out the side door and into the alley where the bartender told him he could pick up the barrel. The bright desert sunshine blinded him for the first moment. The blow to his head blinded him for the next.
Knuckles and Perfect Tommy snapped about when they heard the gun shot.
"Where's Reno?" Perfect Tommy asked, pushing away from the girl he had been distracted by.
"Truck." Knuckles supplied and they both ran out the front doors. But Reno wasn't there. But a small town deputy was.
"Hold it right there, folks." he ordered, holding his gun on them.
"Woe." Perfect Tommy held up his hands.
"Hey!" Knuckles held her hands out. "We're good guys!" she assured.
The deputy's weapon never wavered. He glanced at the alley entrance where the sheriff and a pair of deputies were dragging the nearly unconscious Reno into view.
"Reno!" Perfect Tommy cried. He took a step toward his friend only to draw the attention of the sheriff.
"Stay right where you are, boy." he growled.
"What happened?" Tommy demanded, watching helplessly as the deputies handcuffed his friend.
"Your buddy made a very big mistake." The sheriff told them. "And now he is under arrest."
"Under arrest for what?" Knuckles wanted to know.
The sheriff waved to the body another deputy was dragging into view. It was the bartender and a large bloody hole made up most of his chest. "Murder."
Ch. 1
"Nooo." Knuckles said slowly, making every word as clear as possible. "Perfect Tommy was not arrested. Reno Nevada was arrested. You remember him? Black hair, dark eyes, fond of bright, blinding colors?"
Perfect Tommy tugged on her sleeve. "Why do they always think I'm the one in trouble?" he complained.
She shook her arm free, listening to the voice on the other end of the line. "Of course he didn't kill anyone!" A pause. "No, Rawhide, I did not see it. But, come on, you know Reno! He's a pussy cat! A moody pussy cat, but... Yea, Cagon, it's a lean-to in the middle of the desert with a P.O. box and a canteena... well, Reno says that's all they need to call themselves a town out here... a little over thirty miles." She sighed, resting her head against the wall. "Thanks, Rawhide. We'll be here waiting... yea, we're fine." She grinned. "Trouble? Us?" She beeped the go- phone off.
Perfect Tommy waited patiently for a report for exactly fifteen seconds... the appropriate amount of time for the Cavalier. "Well?" he pressed. "What'd they say?"
Knuckles looked up at him. "They said I should keep you out of trouble. The only reason the cops would of nailed Reno instead of you is that you did something so nasty they can't figure it out yet." She grinned.
Perfect Tommy glared.
The girl pushed away from the wall and looked around the dusty town. "Did they let you talk to Reno?" she asked after a moment.
Perfect Tommy shook his head. "They said no one gets in." he mumbled as together they started back toward the truck still parked in front of the Naked Lady canteena. "Is that legal? I mean, don't they have to let him see a lawyer?"
"If he's conscious enough to ask for one." Knuckles pointed out. She resisted the urge to point out the fact that she had often kept annoying bounties unconscious after a hunt to avoid just that sort of distraction. "He has to demand his rights to get them. And he has to be conscious to make said demand." She frowned. "Maybe Buckaroo will be able to get in, seeing as he can claim to be Reno's doc and he is hurt and all." She shrugged. "Though they could use their own. Rawhide wouldn't happen to have a law degree somewhere's in that stack of diplomas of his, would he?"
Perfect Tommy shrugged. "His is fond of lecturing something about mankind's true self having something to do with crime."
Knuckles smiled slightly. She had had such conversations with the zen- master of the house herself. "Not quite right, but close enough." She stopped, grabbing Tommy's hand. "What are they doing to my truck?"
Perfect Tommy looked over to where a handful of deputies were in, on, and around Knuckles' truck.
"Damn, boys, look at this!" cursed the one going through the trunk in the bed of her truck. It was her weapons locker. "She's armed for the whole damn Suiox nation!" He held up her Winchester in one hand and a heavy cross bow in the other.
"Son of a..." Knuckles started, ready to charge the intruders, but Perfect Tommy dragged her back behind the corner of a building and out of sight. "What the hell..."
Perfect Tommy put his hand over her mouth and leaned out to see if they had been seen.
Knuckles stood stock still, knowing Tommy knew her well enough to know that he had to have a damn good reason to man handle her in such away. Trusting, of course, he wasn't suicidal.
After a silent breath, he leaned close to her until his words blew hot breath in her ear. "Don't you know a set up when you see one?" he growled. "They're setting up to arrest us."
"I have licenses for everything in that locker." Knuckles protested in a whispered voice. "They have nothing to arrest us on."
"Wake up, Jessie!" Tommy snapped using her real name for emphases. "Some one had to have killed the bartender! If it wasn't Reno..."
Knuckles closed her eyes. "They did show up rather fast, didn't they?" she mumbled as it suddenly dawned on her. Despite it being obvious, she just couldn't quite see it though. Damn it, she was a bounty hunter! She worked with cops!
Perfect Tommy rested his forehead against hers. "Just because they ware a badge doesn't make them the good guys, Knuckles." he told her. "Haven't you ever heard of bad cops?"
Knuckles sighed. "So what do we do?"
The mature answer, the proper answer would of been to hide, stay out of sight, wait for back up. Neither of them were very mature and no where near proper.
"We get them before they get us!"
**********
Buckaroo Banzai had studied a number of martial arts, perfecting his skills until he could claim mastery of such arts. Yet, as he watched the speed and precision of which young Billy Travers fingers flew over the keyboard, he knew there was quite a bit for him to learn.
Billy glanced over his shoulder at him. "Hey, boss, you're developing over-the-shoulder syndrome." he warned.
Buckaroo frowned. "What?"
Rawhide took Buckaroo by the arm and pulled him away from the computer whiz. "Let us know when you have something, Billy." he requested. As he lead Buckaroo back to his room in the back of the bus, he said "You worry too much about those two. They might not act like it most of the time, but Knuckles and Perfect Tommy are all grown up."
Buckaroo dropped down in a chair with a sigh. "Why did we ever let those two get together?" he groaned.
"Hey, wasn't my idea!" Rawhide shook his head. "Besides, they're the ones not in trouble this time, remember?"
Buckaroo looked up at him. "Yet."
Rawhide smiled.
Billy showed up then waving a paper in the air. "Got it!" he announced proudly, as if there was ever any doubt. Then, remembering what he was waving in the air, he frowned, handing it to Buckaroo. "It isn't very good, sir."
Buckaroo didn't like what he was reading. "Sheriff McCane... he sure makes a lot of arrests for a town of... 120 people."
"Almost none of which, by the way," Billy pointed out, "are residences of said town. Folks keep going thirty miles out into the middle of no where and getting arrested."
Rawhide heard this story before. "And working their time off in the local whatever?" he asked as Buckaroo handed him the paper.
"They have a mine." Billy answered.
"Slaves." Buckaroo concluded. "Or more like indentured servants. And it's all legal as long as they can prove the crime."
Billy looked from one man to the other. "Murder is a pretty nasty rap just to get a writer to work in a mine."
Rawhide nodded slowly. Eyeing the paper, he observed "Murder does seem rare." He paused. "Billy, what do these people do? These folks nailed for murder?"
Billy shrugged, pulling another paper from somewhere. "Engineers, ecologists..."
Buckaroo rose to his feet. "They framed the wrong man."
**********
"You idiot!" Reno heard the man in the gray suit yell at the sheriff. "What good is a damn pencil pusher in a mine? I wanted the laser geek! Do you know how we could step up production if we were cutting with lasers? or if our machinery was powered by whatever that pretty boy can think of?"
Laser geek? Pretty boy? Perfect Tommy?
He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to force the pounding in his ears to stop so that he could better hear the voices. Buckaroo had once taught him something... what was it... picture the pain as a fog... then blow it away, blow it all away.
"So, what do we do about this one?" That was the sheriff. Reno knew that voice all too well. That was the bastard that whacked him on the head. And then held the gun in his hand and made him shoot the bartender. Made him murder an innocent man!
He heard the click of the heals of the gray suit man as he walked over to his cell and looked in on him. "He looks strong, healthy. Work him as a digger." The voice paused. "But get me that boy! And that girlfriend of his... watch her! She's a bounty hunter. A damn good one at that. If she gets dead resisting arrest... I won't lose any sleep."
Reno almost laughed. Kill Knuckles? Yea, like some dumb-ass hick who couldn't tell the difference between Perfect Tommy and Reno Nevada was going to get the jump on Jessica James, Bounty Hunter Knuckle! Yea, right, over their dead body!
Suddenly it wasn't very funny any more.
**********
Perfect Tommy yanked Knuckles back behind the wall.
"Will you stop doing that?" she hissed at him.
"Look!" Tommy pointed to the jail where the sheriff was half dragging, half leading Reno to a jeep and shoving him into the back.
"Where the hell are they going?" Knuckles wondered.
Perfect Tommy looked around. "We need wheels." He spotted a dirt bike leaned up against the back of the store they were hiding behind. "Well, isn't that handy."
Knuckles followed his gaze. "No, that's stealing."
Perfect Tommy grinned. "Stealing is such a nasty word. I prefer borrowing... with extreme prejudice."
Knuckles frowned. But, after glancing to where the jeep was pulling away, she shrugged. "What the hell... at least now they'll have a reason to arrest us."