Chapter One: Mojave Rattlesnake
This will be the shortest chapter. Please read and review.
The baby blue Ford Thunderbird traveled down the road that had once been paved, but it was so caked with dust that it was hard to tell. Then a figure strode to the middle of the road and stopped. The driver of the Thunderbird followed suit.
"Move."
"No, we have business to discuss."
"Why? You're no friend of mine. I don't know your name."
"No, but I know yours, Bill Albacea."
The twenty-one year old Bill narrowed his eyes and the figure asked, "How is your mother doing?"
The cell phone rang and Bill jumped. His mind had been on something else.
"Elle?"
"Bill, tragic news, your brother's dead."
"What?" he asked, even though he had half expected it.
"Yeah, she put a Black Mamba in his camper."
The sorrow on Bill's face turned to anger.
The sunlight glinted off Budd's Hattori Hanzo sword. He waved it around and then threw it up in the air. It flipped several times and then he caught it by the handle on the way down.
"Be careful. Don't get cocky," warned his brother.
Budd aimed the blade towards him.
"Try to take me, old man."
Bill shook his head, but Budd found himself with another Hanzo pointed at him.
"Let's go," said the owner.
"That would be your first mistake, Bella," said Budd and made the first strike which she easily blocked. It continued as Bill watched and sipped his beer. Budd would aim for her head, Bella would block. Bella would aim for his chest and Budd would block. Then Bella scaled the nearby sand dune. Budd followed despite dislodging large pieces. On top, they started again. They parried, blocked, struck and feinted until Bella tired and stuck her foot. It tripped Budd and he fell off. She happily saw that he fell to the right of the cactus as she had aimed, but then she heard an unmistakable sound. It was a low percussion sound.
"Budd, don't move!"
Bella was merely a blur of brown hair and red sun dress as she hurried to Budd's side. She could hear Bill going up the other side. Budd lay on the desert floor with his face about a foot from that of a Rattlesnake's, but he was eerily calm. His body was relaxed and he looked like he was studying the snake from an extremely close angle. His sword lay close to the foot of the dune. Bella picked it up and positioned his and hers so that the blunt sides faced up.
"On my count, roll toward the cactus. One. Two. Three. Go!"
He rolled and she struck quickly, catching the snake between the swords. The four foot long creature shook and wiggled. Budd stroked the red speckled skin that was cold, but felt just like the outside of his boots.
"It's kind of pretty actually," said Budd and Bill got closer. She turned the head toward them.
"Crotalus Scutulatus," said Bella, smiling, "The Mojave Rattlesnake's venom is the most lethal in North America. Look at the eyes. He wants to strike. He wants to kill us for disturbing his comfortable life. It's all in the eyes."
The two men looked at the snake's eyes a moment and then she slung the snake far away from them.
"It's a beautiful animal," said Bella.
"That's our little Viper Vixen," said Bill.
"I'm a Diva," she corrected.
"You're a what? I couldn't hear you."
"I'm a diva!" she said and added to Budd, "But that thing nearly had you for dinner."
"Ah, Budd's got more lives than a cat."
Budd grinned and said, "I gotta take a leak." He left and Bella sighed, leaning against Bill's De Tomaso Mangusta. Concern shone in her big, brown eyes and Bill hugged her, but that didn't pacify her.
"He better, he's already four down."
"Budd will do alright for himself."
"How can I not worry? He's our little brother."