At the casino Ramirez and the group of gamblers were being led to another part of the building where they were crowded into two black two-door Jimmies and driven off. Onboard ship Stiers and Lillishenger tried to see where they were going but only had an inside view of the transport.
“Track them, Gowan,” said the Captain. “We don’t want to have to scour the entire city.”
“If they head for the desert, start to worry,” said Ogden as he settled down.
The Challenger rose gracefully and hovered above the Jeep as the anti-grav clamps were attached before they zoomed slowly across the dark skies and higher again.
On their porch, Al and Martha were watching the heavens for anything else unusual that evening. “Nights in the desert sure are dark,” said Al.
“Yup.”
“I’m nearly out of beer.”
“You’ve had enough. You can’t drink like you did when you was young,” she said.
“Can you see that Jeep?” he asked suddenly.
Martha looked around her at the desert roads. “There’s nothing out there,” she said.
“Not on the road. This one is flying.”
“Flying?” Martha looked up and saw her third unusual sight of the night. “Is it some kind of convention for unusual flying vehicles?” she asked.
“It must be. It ain’t every day Jeeps take to the sky.”
“I hope that’s the last one this evening,” she said. “I do plan to tell the sheriff tomorrow. These things are getting to be a nuisance.”
“I do plan to have another beer. I’m finding this kinda unsettling now.”
“You don’t even need to move your tired old ass,” she said. “There’s another can still in your cooler.”
“No wonder I’m still thirsty,” he said. “I’ve gone and lost count with all these flying things going overhead. Anyway, my ass may be old and tired but there’s still a fire burning in my front grate.”
“It used to be a fire. Now it’s just an ember.”
“May be you should blow some flame back into it.”
“Nah. Better use some of that beer to douse it for good.”
The ship moved swiftly back to their desert refuge and the Jeep was rested gently on the desert floor. Lillishenger had meanwhile printed up IDs for Stiers and Gowan including badges and wallets. Stiers took his and paid no attention to the names. Lillishenger had been left to use her own imagination which on any subject not scientific was not wonderful. The craft settled in the dirt nearby and a portal formed in the side. Gowan and Stiers stepped out and made their way to the Jeep. They were carrying a map printed by Gowan which showed approximately the last location to which Ramirez had been tracked.
Ogden and the Professor studied their screens so they could guide the Jeep to a correct location. This time Gowan and the Captain were carrying compact taser-like devices which would incapacitate any opposition, provided they were able to get close enough. They entered the outskirts of Las Vegas and Ogden fed them directions until they arrived at a darkly lit street full of single-storey warehouses. The signal from Ramirez was coming from one on the left and two men were standing outside. They wore dark glasses although Gowan could not figure out why.
The two crew walked to the door and tried to open it. The two men barred their way.
“Where do you think you’re going?” asked one.
“Inside,” said Stiers.
“Who are you?”
“Secret Service,” said Stiers.
The man scrutinised their ID. “Well,” he said. “Agents Green and Brown. Do your names match your eye colours?”
“We’re going inside?”
“Do you have a warrant?”
“We believe there are illicit drugs inside,” said Gowan. “We don’t need a warrant.”
“There are no drugs in here.”
“Fair enough,” said Stiers. “We’ll just take your word for it an go home, shall we?”
“How come your Jeep is an old one and you have Government plates?” asked the other man.
“We sometimes work undercover,” said the Captain.
“Undercover feds with Government E plates on their vehicle. That must work well.”
“We change them when we need to. Now we are going inside.”
“Be my guest,” said the first man. “Good luck finding those drugs you’re looking for. All that is going on is casino business.”
“Step aside then,” said the Captain and the two men obliged, permitting the two crew personnel to enter.
Inside, the building was deserted with the only lights coming from an office in one corner. Stiers looked at Gowan and shrugged and they walked over to the office and flung open the door. Ramirez and five other people sat on the floor looking like diners at an all you can eat buffet who’d just been told the chef was in hospital with food poisoning. Standing was Kahn with four of his heavy guards. They looked at him in surprise.
“Who the hell are you?” asked Kahn.
Stiers and Gowan held up their ID which the boss man scrutinised. “Agents Mo Green and Jo Brown,” he said. “Secret service. Which of you is which?”
“They’re picture IDs and we don’t look a bit alike,” said Stiers. “We’re after a man we suspect of passing phoney bills all night.”
“Suspect, eh? Well we have plenty of suspects here. Take your pick.”
“That’s him,” said Gowan and pointed to Ramirez.
“What name is he using,” asked Stiers.
Kahn said, “We’re just getting round to introductions. Then we thought a show then dinner somewhere nice.”
“What has happened?” asked Gowan innocently.
“Somebody has robbed three other casinos and were trying to toast me for about half a mill,” said Kahn.
“We have his three accomplices but so far we just have them for passing phoney bills,” said the Captain. “I don’t know the others at all.”
“I was helping him,” said the young girl suddenly, to the evident surprise of Ramirez. “You had better take me also.”
“I knew you were involved,” Kahn said to Ramirez. “There was always something ugly about you.”
“Yeah. Well you’re no oil painting.”
“I’m with him,” the girl insisted.
“The hell she is,” said Ramirez then saw the look of despair in her attractive eyes. She was a good looking girl with a cute figure and Ramirez felt guilty because she was there because of him. It was odd she feared the police but not the feds. He nodded. “Okay. We’re together.”
This time it was Gowan who tried to cover her look of astonishment.
“I’m taking them both out of here,” said Stiers. “You may as well let these others go. They have nothing to do with the fake bills.”
Kahn turned to the well-dressed gambler. “I’m turning you over to the cops. Let them sort out your fake ID.” To the rest he said, “We’ll sort this out very quickly. There will be no cash payouts.”
The Captain and Gowan were already leading Ramirez and the girl towards the outside doors. As they approached them one of the guards turned to Kahn. “Boss,” he said.
“In a minute,” said Kahn.
The group of four left and Kahn tried to give his attention to the others. His man said, “Boss” again.
“What is it?”
“I’ve never dealt with federal officers before, but is this usual?”
“Is what usual?”
“Is it usual for them to escort their prisoners without them being in handcuffs and without Miranda being read to them?”
Kahn thought for a moment. “Crap,” he shouted. “Get after them. This is fishy.”
He and the guards chased out into the street where the two feds had climbed into the front of the Jeep and the prisoner Ramirez was climbing in the rear. One of the guards pulled out a gun as the Jeep prepared to leave and fired two shots. The girl, who was about to make her own way to safety staggered against the Jeep and was pulled inside by th
e strong arms of Ramirez. The Jeep span tyres as it lurched away. Kahn and three of his guards turned and leapt into their own Jimmy and set off in pursuit.
“This is just what I need. A hot pursuit by armed gunmen,” wailed Ramirez.
“How’s that girl?” asked Gowan.
“Do I look like a doctor? I expect she’s dying. There’s enough blood getting over my clothes. It looks like the bullet entered her back and exited through her left titty.” Ramirez studied the girl as she lay in his arms and moaned in pain. “Shame – it’s a nice titty,” he said.
Gowan scowled at him. “Why the hell did she follow you?”
“I guess she didn’t want to remain there and be killed. She certainly didn’t want any involvement with the regular police.”
“I can’t believe they allow just anybody to have firearms,” said Gowan.
“This is practically still the Wild West,” said Ramirez. “There are more guns in this country than people.”
“Thanks for coming for me anyway,” said Ramirez in no way begrudgingly.
“I just wish you hadn’t got yourself in so much trouble,” said Stiers.
Gowan leaned over her seat and undid the front of the young girl’s blouse. “Ramirez is right,” she said. “The bullet has passed through but she still needs urgent attention.”
“We’ll drop her off at a hospital, shall we?” asked Ramirez. “I’m sure these people behind us waving pistols out of their car windows won’t mind waiting.”
“Too late for a hospital,” said Gowan. “She’s bleeding too much. Her black skin is so smooth.”
“Back to the ship then,” said Stiers.
“I don’t want to interfere with your plan, Captain, but there is still a truck full of guys behind intent on shooting at us.”
“Can you hear me, Ogden,” said the Captain.
“Loud and clear.” They heard the voice of Ogden through their audio microdots.
“We’ll need to lose this truck behind us. Ramirez will turn that way so you can see it.” Ramirez obliged.
“The horizon is too low,” said Ogden. “I’ll need to get it up.”
“I’m sure the professor can help you with that,” quipped Ramirez. “She’s an old bird who’s had plenty of practice lately.”
“Can I remind you, Ramirez, you’re the one who cocked this up,” said Lillishenger over the audio. “Not us.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. I forgot you were listening.” The rear window suddenly took two holes in it and Ramirez was distracted by having to duck. “Shit,” he wailed. “Can you go faster?”
“This is a Jeep not Nascar,” said Stiers but drove as hard as he dared. They were approaching the outskirts of the city and the desert lay ahead. Another bullet passed by the rear of the car, sniffed the air for a bit, and ended its career by smashing the right hand door mirror. Gowan leapt in her seat then sensibly crouched down.
“That’s sensible,” cried Ramirez. “Put me between you and the gunfire.”
“This is the only time I have ever appreciated your presence, Ramirez,” she said and ducked lower. “Why don’t you busy yourself doing up that girl’s blouse before her tit escapes. It’s already working loose from her bra.”
“I have other things to think about.”
“Well, that’s a first,” came the reply.
“There are bullets flying into the back here and hitting the frame. I can hear them.” Another sharp jolt as they left the road and Ramirez banged his head on the roof. “And I don’t know whether the gunfire of the Captain’s driving will kill me first.”
“You wanted to go faster,” said Stiers.
“It’s not helping,” said Ramirez. “They are getting much closer.”
Another bullet pierced the rear screen and, slightly deflected, went lower and put a neat hole in the lower part of the windshield.
“Them dudes are shooting straighter,” commented the Captain then spoke to Ogden. “Have you finished your tea and cucumber sandwiches yet, Ogden? Any chance you could help us?”
“I’m on it,” came the Englishman’s voice. “They are very close to you.”
“That’s because they are travelling faster. It happens like that. It’s plain physics,” said Stiers. “Any second they’ll pull level and or pass us and we’ll all be dead and I, for one, will hate to have to tell my family I died before I was born.”
“Don’t worry about your epitaph, Captain. I’ll write it for you.”
“Is your heart actually beating, Ogden?”
A bright blue light came from ahead, passed the Jeep and struck the Jimmy taking off the driver’s side of the truck. It span round, slowed, tottered a bit then fell onto its right side, vanished part uppermost.
“That would be a 25 if we were playing darts, Ogden,” said the Captain.
“That is a bullseye,” said Ogden. “I hit where I was aiming. I didn’t think you would want them killed in case any of them were ancestors of Ramirez.”
“Is it too late to go back and finish them off?” asked Gowan.
“My ancestors aren’t crooks,” said Ramirez. “Anyway, they are all climbing out of the top of the truck clutching arms and legs but nothing serious it seems.”
“We have one casualty,” said the Captain. “Better get the prof to prepare medical bay once we arrive.”
“Landing now,” said Ogden.
“We’re a couple of minutes away,” said Stiers. “Pursuit has halted.”
“Lilly is preparing the medical laboratory,” said Ogden, pronouncing both ‘o’s. “I believe she actually prefers Lilly to any abbreviation of her first name.”
“She’ll always be ‘Titty’ to me,” said Ramirez.
“That’s because that’s all you ever think about,” muttered Gowan.
“Not true,” he said. “I think of legs and ass also.”
“Concentrate on the bosom you have there.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Gowan,” said Ramirez. “Her’s are very nice and all but I still prefer the all too brief glimpse I had of yours. Yours are fuller and firmer.”
“Stop talking about my body parts. They are nothing to do with you and never will be.”
“And if I were the last man on Earth?”
“Have you ever heard the word ‘gay’?”
“Yes, I’ve heard it but I don’t like it. The thought of sucking another bloke’s dick makes me shiver with horror.”
“Then you know exactly how I feel about you,” she said.
“Have you ever considered trying to be nice to me?” asked Ramirez.
“Not for the briefest of moments,” she replied.
The girl in the lap of Ramirez moaned slightly, tried to open her eyes then passed out again. The Captain asked, “Is she coming round?”
“I think not,” said Ramirez. “I have tried to stop the bleeding but …”
“How?” asked Gowan. “By squeezing her tits?”
“I have used her clothing to plug the hole as best I can but there is still blood,” persisted Ramirez.
“I can see the ship,” said Stiers. “Ogden has opened a portal.”
“We’ll need to get the girl straight in,” said Ramirez and Gowan was surprised at his concern and efficiency.
The Jeep halted close to the portal and Ogden stepped out with an anti-grav stretcher upon which they placed the girl. She opened her eyes for a second, moaned then closed them again. Gowan looked at Ramirez. “It makes a change to hear somebody else moan,” she said.
Ramirez raised his eyes and he and Ogden used little effort to guide the stretcher up the slight ramp and into the craft where they went directly to medical. The girl kept opening her eyes and moaning in pain so the Professor jabbed her in the shoulder with an agony isolator with its millimetre long needle. The girl relaxed. Lillishenger said, “I am not familiar with some of this equipment. It’s after my time.”
“Ramirez is trained on it,” said the Captain. “He will assist you.”
“Get her clot
hes off,” Lillishenger said to Ramirez.
“You won’t have to ask him twice,” said Gowan.
“Anybody not needed in here should get on with getting us back home,” said the Professor, and Ogden, Stiers and Gowan left.
They stripped the upper clothing off the girl who was left wearing a very short skirt and pantyhose. Ramirez set about removing these but was stopped by Lillishenger placing a restraining hand on his arm. “Her wound is in the shoulder and lung,” she said. “I believe we can assume the rest of her is undamaged.”
“I was just doing what you told me,” he complained. He looked at her again. “I was right,” he muttered. “She does have nice boobs.”
“It’s just probably a while since you handled any,” said Sarah.
“Don’t you start on me,” he said. “It’s bad enough with Gowan.”
“What’s your analysis?” the Professor asked him.
Ramirez had studied the holo reports from the sensors. “Bullet stuck the lower shoulder and passed at an angle cleanly through the body, breaking one rib and piercing the lung.”
“Recommendations?”
“Cauterize the lung first – there is no substantial damage there; repair the rib using the bone replicator; repair the exterior wounds to the skin and let nature do the rest. There is no cloth in the wound and no remaining foreign bodies.”
“Excellent,” she said. “I have seen neither the bone replicator nor skin repairs done.”
“The bone repair comprises fusing together the bone ends and replicating any missing parts. Skin repairs are accomplished by duplicating the tissue from neighbouring areas and knitting it into place. She won’t even have a scar – but she’ll need one of course.”
“What? Why?”
“She’ll know she was wounded. We’ll just nick the flesh at the top of her shoulder as if the bullet just caught her. That should satisfy her curiosity.”
“You are smart,” said Lillishenger. “I was right about that. Shame you complain so much.”
“I defend myself is all.”
The slight motion as the ship left the ground and hooked up to the Jeep was barely perceptible as they worked on undisturbed. Stiers was keeping everything slow and smooth as he moved towards their base. Ramirez tutted slightly as he probed the girl’s wound. Despite the proximity of his hands to her breasts, he was very professional.
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