Chapter 12
by The Chronicler
2:00am Pacific, 5:00am Eastern,
Wednesday, December 23
(30 hrs and 30 minutes left)
Reno, Tommy Boy, Panther, and Nighthawk had spread out around the building, careful not to be noticed, yet close enough so as to be in and taking down the bad guys in half a breath. Every sense was at peak performance, missing nothing of both their actual surroundings and the information they were being fed over their ear pieces. Weapons were held at the ready. Muscles were tense, aching in anticipation of the action that was sure to come. Hearts, despite their outward calm, beat a thrilled rhythm against the inside of their rib cages. Hell, this was nearly as much fun as gearing up to go on stage to sing their hearts out to a gaggle of screaming fans.... 'course, the fact that a child's life, and now the lives of two of their own who had just ambled through the front doors, did put a bit of damper on things.
"Be ready, folks." Rawhide warned them over the go-phones. "An' keep in mind, boys and girls, we shoot someone and and it'll mean diggin' our way through a mountain of police reports before we can continue on our way."
`Damn!' they all thought in unison. Not that they overly minded shooting anyone, particularly for the foul crime of stealing their beloved Beast (oh, yea... and the heart), but paper work! Now that was a definite deterrent. They rather shoot the paper work than the bad guys.
**********
Perfect Tommy let out a low whistle. "Damn. That has got to be the prettiest little thing I have ever laid my eyes on!" He ran him hands over the hood of a shiny, sleek, black t-bird as if it was the woman of his dreams. Lovingly, he lightly traced a finger along the outline of a bright green serpent that ran down the side of the car. Bright, eager blue eyes looked almost pleadingly up at Buckaroo Banzai.
"No!" Buckaroo answered before the question could be asked. "Focus, JOHN." he ordered, empathizing the name so as to remind the distracted Cavalier of their true purpose.
Perfect Tommy pouted, but, with a sigh and a last longing look at the t-bird, he returned to his boss' side.
Buckaroo smiled slightly and shook his head, always amused by the younger man's childish manner. He could be a pain in the butt at times, but he could also be quite refreshing at others.
"It's your lucky night, eh, Jonesy." announced the death dwarf look-a-like as he returned from the office. "Just got this fine machine in tonight. For the right price, you could drive it out, free and clear."
"Well, where is it, shorty?" Perfect Tommy couldn't help it. Someone had to comment on the man's highth... or lack of.
Both death dwarf and Buckaroo frowned at him, then both ignored him. With a wave of a thick, meaty hand, the small man indicated that Buckaroo should follow him towards the back of the garage.
The two Cavaliers, obediently followed, well aware that two men with heavy hand guns tucked in their belts, were only a step behind them.
True to prediction, the little criminal lead them right to their hummer, seemingly no worse for ware. "Now, what you get in this buggy I'll sell to you at a dream.... a simply hundred grand."
Perfect Tommy huffed. "Mighty big of you."
"John, check it out." Buckaroo ordered.
P.T. threw off a salute. "As you command, Timmy, ol' pal." Then hurried to the hummer. He popped the hood without even looking for the pull switch.
"About the price..." Buckaroo started. "Yes, lets. But, keep in mind, Jones, I know what that machine is worth." the death dwarf warned, shaking a finger at the man. "This all the do-dads in that critter..."
"Will make it even harder for you to get rid of." Buckaroo cut him off. He glanced at Perfect Tommy who had moved from the engine, after only the briefest glance, to the entire if the vehicle. banzai had to keep the attention on himself long enough for Tommy to confirm that the heart was still in the car. "Look, I know you know that something as fancied up as that is going to have folks working mighty hard to find it. It is as much to your benefit as mine that you sell it to me."
"I could always sell it for parts." countered the dwarf.
Buckaroo shrugged. "You could." He snapped his fingers. "John?"
Perfect Tommy poked his head out the back seat window. He was frowning. "Doesn't quite fill the bill, boss." he informed him. "But I'm sure the crew could beat the little bugger into shape." His eyes drifted over the head bad guy letting Banzai know exactly which little bugger he was talking about.
Buckaroo controlled his expression expertly. Good, they had the hummer. Bad, they did not have the heart. Damn, damn, damn, damn. He turned back to the death dwarf. "Shall we talk about price... or shall we let you get on with your hacking and chopping?"
The dwarf glanced around, his nose scrunching as if thinking. "Fine, then. Let's retire to me office so as to hash out the details." Sure, details... like was he going to kill him before or after he took every little shiny penny big, arrogant meat head had in his pockets... as for pretty boy... "Fritz and Gorgo there will keep your boy happy." He nodded to two hulking huge men who stepped up to cut Perfect Tommy off when he moved to join Buckaroo.
Buckaroo glanced at the younger man, noting the slightest bit of panic in his eyes which P.T. quickly hid. Neither of them liked the idea of being separated. But they had to find out what happened to the heart before their back up came on the scene. Thus, he nodded once his younger companion and smiled. "If you have any trouble, call the cops."
The bad guys froze, but Buckaroo laughed and pushed passed their host. The dwarf snorted a laugh, then, nodding to the two men who had followed them from the front to follow, he headed for his office.
Perfect Tommy climbed into the driver's seat of the Beast. He smiled at his two guards, mumbling under his breath "Not cool... really not cool."
A soft click from the intercom told him he had been heard.
2:15am Pacific, 5:15am Eastern
(30 hrs and 15 minutes left)
