Chapter 18
By The Chronicler
----------
8:15 am Eastern, 5:15 am Pacific
(29hrs and 15 minutes left)
----------
"One bottle of beer on the wall, one bottle of beer. Take it down, pass it around, zero bottles of beer on the waaaaaaal!" Perfect Tommy finished with a swing of an arm.
"Thank god." Reno groaned, snuggling back in the seat in the hopes of finally getting some sleep.
But his younger companion had other plans. "One more time: One Hundred bottles of...."
"That's it! I'm gonna shoot him!" Reno cried, diving across the back seat and Tommy Boy, who had the misfortune of sitting between them, so as to get his hands on P.T.'s throat.
"Hey!" Tommy Boy protested as she was slammed back in her.
"Reno Nevada! Perfect Tommy!" Rawhide yelled from the driver's seat. "If I have to pull over the two of you are gonna to be in a world of hurt!"
The threat was all that was needed to silence the two and send them sulking in their separate corners of the vehicle.
Buckaroo chuckled.
Rawhide threw him a glare, but his friend's expression forced him to smile. "Alright, I grew up to become my dad. Sue me!"
"Well, nobody will ever say you're not ready for kids." Buckaroo teased.
Tommy Boy's head poked up between them. "Did I hear my name mentioned?"
"No!" Rawhide answered just a little too quickly. Again, he shot a glare at Buckaroo. "Don't you think I have enough to worry about with the kids we have?" he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, indicating those in the back seat.
The comm on the dash began to beep.
Buckaroo hit a switch. "Banzai here."
"Hello dear." It was Peggy Banzai. "I thought you would like to know that the situation with the volcano in Venezuela.... well, we have a temporary fix. Knuckles and the ASPCA were in the area, rescuing animal victims. She has some helicopters and some crazy pilots who are willing to make the run."
Buckaroo shook his head. "The volcanic ash with suffocate the engines."
"Yea, we had that conversation. Knuckles said something about some modification Perfect Tommy came up with takes care of the problem. They haven't been tested, but she emphasized CRAZY pilots several times. Trust in Knuckles, love. She may do things her way, but she does get them done."
"Why temporary fix?" Rawhide wanted to know.
"Because, Knuckles thinks that some of the farmers may be in more danger from their rescuers than the rain. Apparently many of the animals they had to rescue were still tied up or trapped in their paddocks. Knuckles warns that with crazy comes fanatics."
"And she herself is not exactly the best at keeping her temper." Tommy Boy pointed out.
Buckaroo sighed. "Baby steps, people. Get them out of certain death, then we'll get them out of certain unconsciousness. Keep on it, Peggy. Less time Knuckles has the villagers, the less bones we have to set."
"We're on it. But, hey, Buckaroo... you guys be careful out there. The weather is looking pretty nasty... and I know how Perfect Tommy gets on long road trips. Peggy Banzai out."
"Tell me about it." Reno mumbled.
"Hey!" Smack.
Smack back.
Tommy Boy leaned back. "I swear... if you two don't knock it off...."
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" Reno growled.
Tommy Boy sighed. "Hey, Buckaroo, wanna trade seats?"
"I don't think so." Buckaroo hummed.
"Ah, come on. These two are driving me nuts."
Buckaroo laughed. "The great thing about being your employer is ALWAYS getting shotgun."
Suddenly the hummer jerked to the left.
"Damn!" Rawhide swore, struggling with the steering wheel.
Everyone in the vehicle was tossed as far left as their seat belts would allow at the hummer went up on two wheels. Tommy Boy, not wearing a seat belt, slammed across perfect Tommy and sacked, shoulder first into the window.
Perfect Tommy caught her head just before it bounced off the steel frame of the door.
Buckaroo grabbed the arm rest and tried to right himself. "Rawhide...?"
The big cowboy manage to bring the Beast to a halt, but they were still tipped at an awkward angle. "Damn snow. I thought it was just a shadow." He shook his head. "I think we ran up on a slide."
"Wonderful." Reno voiced. "Can this trip get any worse?"
Perfect Tommy shrugged. "One hundred bottles of beer on the wall....."
----------
8:30am Eastern, 5:30 am Pacific
(29 hrs left)
