Peggy handed perfect Tommy the rose box and took the card from the basket to read. "Ah, the fruit basket is from the gang at the Jessie James Club." She winked at the wounded Cavalier. "Apperently a few of the girls want to know when you'll be on your feet again so they can put you back on your back."
Tommy sighed, slipping back into the more comfortable roll of girl magnent. "A curse for those few of us who are so perfect." He tugged on the bow and opened the box.
A snake coiled up, hissing, Then it struck.
With lightening reflexs, Buckaroo's hand snapped out, catching the poisones viper a hair's breath from Perfect Tommy's face. "Trash can!" Buckaroo ordered, holding the snake as fare away from everyone as was physically possible.
Rawhide grabbed the can and held the lid open while Buckaroo dropped the snake in. He slammed the lid down just in time to hear the head slammed into it as the snake attempted one more strike.
"What the hell?" Billy Travers snapped.
Pecos grabbed the rose box and tossed it to the floor so they could get a good look at it from a safe distance. All that was left in it was a note.
Big Norse crouched down, picked it up, read it aloud: "`My Beautiful Perfect Tommy, We're not done yet! Lady Oran de Nathair.'" She glanced up at the others in the room.
"Oh, damn." Perfect Tommy whispered.
"The duece, you say." Buckaroo agreed.
Jessie James considered bending over to pick up the fallen bottle. It still spun and, she knew, if she didn't do something, the preasure would build until it blew, spraying the expensive champaign all over the floor. But the hole in her side protested every little move. It would scream in rage if she attempted to bend over.
"Don't do that!" Gage snapped, hurring across the bar to scoop up the bottle. When he straightened, he glared at his boss. "I know I can't keep you in bed. The least you can do is sit down."
Jessie sighed. With a hand over her bandaged side, she limped over to a bar stool and climbed up. "I have to work, Gage. I can't not work!" she complained.
"Fine." Gage had an answer for that. He pulled a ledger book from in front of Connie, the head bartender, to in front of Jessie. "Connie, go inventory the glasses, will you, girl?"
Connie smiled, as much from seeing someone boss the boss-lady as from getting out of the tedious paper work. She held the pencil out for Jessie, who, grumbling under her breath, took it. Then she skipped away.
"Who's bossing this show, anyway?" Jessie mumbled.
"I am. You might own the joint, but I manage it when you're out of action." He nodded to the bandage visible under her midrift. "You are out of action." he pointed out.
Knuckles didn't bother to argue. She knew she would lose. The only time Gage didn't give into her, no matter the cost, was when she was hurt. And she was deffinately hurt now.
"Package for you, Knuckles." called a waitress who was just coming in for work. She dropped a rose box on the bar, then, before giving her boss a gentle "how ya feeling" hug, hurried off to store her gear in the lockers behind the stage.
Knuckles glanced at the box, then up at Gage.
The bouncer held up his hands. "Don't look at me. My get-well present was the bill for my bird."
The bounty hunter sighed. "Well, might as well who..."
At her fett, Oddity snarled.
She stopped short of opening the box and frowned down at the dog.
"Considering he ate your garden, I don't think his problem is with flowers." Gage observed, his hand reaching back to the pistol tucked in the back of his belt.
"You think?" Knuckles mumbled. She held up the box and shook it.
"Don't! Gage cried, jumping back. When nothing blew, he glared his most menecing. "I hate it when you do that!" he growled.
She shrugged. "No bomb."
"Accute observation."
The girl smiled slightlyt, but there was no amusement in her eyes. Carefully, she peeled back the end of the box.
With an angery hiss, a long, black-yello-red striped snake slithered out. Its beady black eyes locked on Knuckles. Already upset by the box and then the shaking of said box, it was all ready to strike.
Oddity leaned back behind his mistress, still snarling. Gage froze in place. Knuckles stared.
"Now," she breathed, "what a little beauty you are... a Coral, right? Micrurus fluvius."
"Poisones?" Gage wondered.
"Oh, yes. A pit viper, effects the nervouse and respiratory systems." Knuckles whispered, admiring the creature before her.
"Hey, Knuckles, we're missing a few..." Connie started as she came up from the storage bin. Seeing the snake, she stopped and screamed.
Turning toward the noise, the viper sprung foreward.
Knuckles reached out and grabbed the snake just behind the head, grabbing the tail with her free hand. "Bag, please." she asked calmly and Gage quickly produced a canvas lemon onion bag and held it open for deposit. After dropping the snake in, Knuckles twisted the bag shut. "Connie, give a shout to the zoo, Let them know I have an awesome Coral for thier snake exibit."
Connie hurried back and away, thankful to be somewhere, anywhere, else.
Gage nudged the box with his finger tips. "Is that it?"
Knuckles glanced at him. "What? You want an asp or rattler or two?" She shook her head. Fearless, which irritated Gage more than the attack, Knuckles picked up the box it until a note fell out.
Gage jumped back once again. "Damn it, Knuckles!" Gage yanked the box away from her. "You might not care wheither you live or die, but I sure as hell do!"
Reading the note, Knuckles shook her headm then handed it to Gage. "If she wanted me dead, she won't have sent an animal. She knows me too well."
Gage stared at the note. "She escaped."
"of course." she answered with a "duh." But then she suddenly jumped off the stool. "Crap!"
"What?"
"She'll go after Tom too!" Knuckles turned and headed for the exit.
"She already did." Buckaroo annouced from where he stood on the stage. Behind him was Rawhide. Apparently they had the same idea about her as she had about Perfect Tommy.
Buckaroo watched her. "She knows you." he was saying. "Do you know her?"
Jessie James settled back down on the stool and nodded. "Too well." she admitted.
"Then help us nail her hide to the wall."
