Buckaroo couldn't help but be apprehenzive, though. Where was Perfect Tommy? He should of showed up by now. Unless he was tied up somewhere, or hurt, or... or worse.
As if answering his thoughts, his go-phone beeped. Answering it, he heard "Buckaroo... we found him."
His gut twisted.
"He's alright."
With a sigh of relief, Buckaroo, after getting a location, started for the trail that lead behind the cabin.
New Jersey was down on one knee, cutting the remains of a roap from Prefect Tommy's wrists. Rawhide shoved one of the bad guys into Pinky Carruthers waiting, and not too kind, custody.
"Hey, boss." Pinky mumbled as he continued to shove the man pass Buckaroo and back to the patty wagon.
Buckaroo smiled when he saw his friend, bruised, but alive. "You alright, Perfect Tommy?" he asked.
Perfect Tommy shrugged. "I'm in horrific agony." he grumbled.
Again, Buckaroo's gut twisted.
"I'm desperate need of a shower and a change of clothes."
Buckaroo frowned. He glanced at Rawhide.
The big cowboy shrugged. "What can I say?" he mumbled. "he's perfect." he reached down, grabbed Tommy under the arm, and dragged him to his feet.
Jersey rose up beside them. "I still think we should run him by the hospital.
"Ah, don't be suck a mother hen, Doc." Tommy chided. "I want my car, I want to go home, I want a shower, I want a real bed, I want sleep that isn't chemically induced... anyone taking notes?"
Buckaroo's smile returned. "Home."
Mrs Johnson wasn't the type to throw herself at a man. Unless they were coming home from a dangerous mission.
"Hey!" Perfect Tommy yelped as the girl jumped at him, slamming him back against the door, closing it on the rest of the Hong Kong Cavaliers.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him for all she was worth. When she was sure he understood how happy she was to see him alive, she stepped back and slammed her tiny fist into his shoulder.
"Ow! What was that for?" Tommy cried, rubbing the offened shoulder.
"You arrogant idiot, running off to play bait for a bunch of power hungry sharks!" she snapped. "Next time stay home! I'll be more than happy to shoot you myself!"
Perfect Tommy smiled. He opened his mouth to respond, but a knock on the door took him out of the center of attention.
Shoving him aside, the girl yanked the door open, grabbed Buckaroo by the shirt front, yanked him in, and slammed the door, once more, on the Cavaliers. "I told you it was a bad idea!" she snapped at him.
Another knock interrupted.
"What?!" she snapped at the door.
Rawhide's voice came from the otherside "Never mind. We'll go around through the kitchen."
"Touch my sticky buns, and some one is going to die!" mrs Johnson yelled back, before turning back to her two victems.
"Look, babe," Perfect Tommy started, wrapping an arm around her waist, "I'm fine. No harm, no foul. think I could stay away from your radient beauty?" Not waiting for a response, he leaped passed her and up the stairs.
Mrs Johnson frowned. "Babe?" She looked up at Buckaroo. "Is he alright?"
Buckaroo Banzai didn't have an answer. After a moment, he reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Do me a favor and stay away from him for awhile."
Confused, but knowing when best to obey, the girl nodded.
Again, Buckaroo squeezed her shoulder, offering a reassuring smile, then he headed for the kitchen in search of Rawhide and New Jersey.
Knuckles stepped back and threw the grease rag at the engine. "Damn, freakin', son-of-a..."
A rustle in the bed interupted her. She hurried around the back to check on her passenger.
Perfect Tommy's eyes were fluttering.
"Oddity, guard!" she ordered the Aussie, who, in response, jumped out of the truck and took up a patroll around the vehicle. Jessie climbed up and knelt beside her wounded charge. She damped a clean rag with water from a jug and gently dabbed at his forehead
groaning, Tommy turned his head away.
"Lie still." she encouraged.
His eyes opened. they seemed foggy as they tried to find something to focus on. "What..." he mouthed, but he couldn't quite gather the strength to put voice to the words.
"Shhh." She ran her fingers through his hair around the deep gash that ran from his left temple to justover his left ear. The blood had matted the hair. "You were shot. The bullet ripped open your head."
"Hos... hospital..." he gasped, mustering what strength he could to communicate.
The girl shook her head. "Can't. They'll be watching for us there."
Not comperhending, he tried again. "Hospital."
"A hospital would be the death sentence for both of us!"Jessie snapped more out of frustration with the situation than at him. "Look, you're a nice guy, but I ain't ready to die for you."
perfect Tommy's eyes seemed to finally focus. "Miss James?"
"Knuckles. Folks call me Knuckles." she corrected. "You will be alright." she assured. "I just need to get you somewhere safe."
"Banzai."
She nodded. "Yea, that's what I figured, but you aren't the only one with a hole in ya."
His eyes filled with concern. he managed to lift his hand, grabbed her sleeve. "You?"
Knuckles grabbed his hand and gently pried it off. "Truck. Engine is full of holes." She leaned back with a sigh. Wiping at her chin with the back of her hand, she continued "I can patch the radiator enough to get us into Elko, but it'll be dark before I'm done. We'll camp out here, and hit the town come morning. I know a fix-it man down there who'll give us a hand."
"Elko?"
"A little mining town in Nevada." Knuckles explained.
