"Hey!" Pecos began to protest, but a gun muzzle was jabbed in her ribs, encouraging her to continue on to the cafateria.
"Where are you taking him?" Rawhide demanded, watching them drag his young friend away.
"Relax. We have no intention of disrupting the daily working of the household." answered Perfect Tommy from where he sat on a dinning table, playing with a crystal apple that had been the center piece. He watched as the two were shoved across the room to join the rest of the Hong Kong Cavaliers..
Reno, with a bloody head, Mrs Johnson, Billy Travers with a black eye, Big Norse,, and an unconscious Pinky were all sitting on the floor against the wall. Each had both hands and feet tied, even Pinky.
"You have a funny way of showing it... Tom." Rawhide growled, his eyes locking on Perfect Tommy, the source of the burning rage building up deep in his gut. "What the hell is going on, boy?"
Tommy smiled, tossing the crystal up in the air and catching it. Then he nodded to the invaders. "Sit them down and tie them up. And don't worry themselves about being gentle." He grinned at rawhide. "He wouldn't."
"Damn straight!" Rawhide snarled, but, allowed himself to be tied and shoved down beside Reno. Pecos was shoved down nearly on top of them.
"Why are you doing this?" Mrs Johnson cried. "P.T. we're your friends! Your family!"
Perfect Tommy only grinned. He turned as a pair of invaders hurried in.
"House is clear, sir, but a man was found dead in the storage room at the back of the house." reported one.
Tommy shook his head. "Dr Banzai is still on the loose." he glanced at his prisoners. "And Mrs Peggy Banzai and Dr zwibel . They are here. Find them!" He paused. "but concentrate on Banzai. He is the real danger. His wife is a witless tag-a-long, and Zwibel is nothing but a week geek. More than not, they'll wander in on their own." He smiled at the shocked looks he recieved from his once-upon-a-time friends. "And get me one of their go-phones. I think I know how to get dear ol' Bucky in all nice and tamed like."
Buckaroo banzai slapped a hand over his go-phone when it beeped, silencing it. Leaning out slightly, he peered around the corner to see if it had attracted any unwanted attention. But no one was in the hall.
With a sigh of relief, he leaned against the wall. Putting the communicator to his ear, he whispered "Banzai here."
"Buckaroo? You alright? Where are you?" came an urgant voice.
"Perfect Tommy?" Hope sparked in Buckaroo's chest. Could he have been wrong about his friend? Could Tommy be just as innocent in this as the rest of them?
"Yea... where are you? You okay?"
"I'm fine. Where are you?"
"That's good." The voice was suddenly rather odd, amused like. "Rawhide and the gang were worried."
Once again, Buckaroo's heart turned cold. "Where are they, Tom?"
"Who?"
"Where are they?" he growled, anger making an unusual appearance. It hurt bad enough to know that one of his closest friends had betrayed him. But now he was making it game, a joke!
"Safe and sound, I assure you." There was a pause. "Well, a bruise here and there. But well enough... for now."
"What do you want?"
"At the moment... You." The voice lost all amusement. "In the cafateria if you please."
"And if I don't?" he wondered, though he was already heading for the indicated room.
"Well, lets just say Rawhide here isn't going to be too happy about it." The voice pulled away from the communicator to call to someone. "Him first. Then curls there. And on down the line until either Bucky shows up or we run out of Cavaliers. oh, and here we are..." Perfect Tommy snapped the Go-phone shut and smiled as Buckaroo stepped into the room.
The leader of the Cavaliers was followed by at least a dozen of the invaders who grouped around him as he stopped at the head of the table. Glancing at the prisoners, he found it difficult to remain in control of his temper. His eyes narrowed. "Why are you doing this, Tom?" he spoke each word slowly, carefully.
Perfect Tommy grinned. He rolled the crystal apple down the table wher buckaroo caught it. "Allow me to make the introductions..."
On cue two people walked in from the kitchen.
"Our Lord Uilc Duine of the Uilc Dochas Clan." he waved a hand at the man wearing a deep red tuxedo. "And our beautiful Lady Oran de Nathair." he indictaed the heart stopping red head who wore a long silver gown.
Buckaroo barely glanced at the,. "What do you mean `our'?"
Perfect Tommy only grinned.
The Lady Oran de Nathair walked about the room, eyeing each of the prisoners with the scrutiny of a well trained eye. She knew how to judge a man or woman by the look in their eyes. And she knew with a glance that these were strong, noble people. A smile blessed her perfect lips. Oh, how she was going to enjoy killing them.
Purposefully turning her back to them, she faced Perfect Tommy. "My beautiful creation." she coed. She walked over to him and ran her long fingers down his chest. "You have pleased me. Is the staff intacked?"
Perfect Tommy nodded. "The nerds are in their labs, hard at work for us. And we have all but two of this bunch accounted for."
The woman's fingers wraped tightly around his collar, the only sign she was displeased. "Two?"
Tommy's grin faltered, but did not fail. "Mrs Banzai and Dr Zwibel. Neither a threat." he assured.
"Of course they are a threat!" her tone had an ever so slight edge to it. "Do not fail me, my perfection, for what I creat I can destroy."
Perfect Tommy's smile vanished. he slid off the table and hurried passed his Lady. practically slamming up against Buckaroo, he pushed him against the wall. "Where are they?" he roared.
Buckaroo smiled slightly. "Who?"
Peggy ducked into her room, glancing about quickly for intruders. The room had been tossed, yet empty. She waved new jersey in and across the room to the balcony.
With an arm around his damaged ribs, Jersey shuffled after her, yet to understand what she had in mind.
Again Peggy went first, to make sure it was clear. "The latice next to the balcony is strong enough we can climb down. she explained a hushed tone. She looked her compainion over. "Can you do it, Sidney?" she explained, her concern evident in her eyes.
Jersey smiled as best as he could, trying to hide the agony he was in. "You lead, I follow."
Peggy didn't buy the act, but knew they had no other choice. She leaned close and kissed him on the cheak. If only she could lend him strength, encouragement...
She took his hand and lead him out onto the balconey.
