____‡_______‡___
We'll do a little frog giggin', cow tippin'
How 'bout a little skinny dippin', bass fishin'
Take it easy on the 'shine
And stay away from other boys' women
That's one damn good way for a
man to get it whooped down here
These boys tough down here
Get your ass tore up down here
And be an all nighter with the hippies and the hicks
Jocks and bikers, they all came
____‡_______‡___
As he maneuvered the massive truck, Ruger was made the mistake of glancing over at her as she spoke. All it took was a split second look at her to realize she was in the process of changing, and his gaze darted away, locking on the road ahead. He could feel heat rising to his cheeks, and he couldn't help but feel guilty, as if he had violated her in some way...even if he hadn't seen a thing. It had been more than four years since he been in the presence of a woman in any state of undress, and though there wasn't anything remotely sexual about the current situation, it made him intensely uncomfortable. "I..er..sorry." He mumbled, though he still refused to glance back over at her. Hell, a herd of wild horses couldn't have dragged his gaze in that direction!
As she continued to speak, he was very aware of her prolonged squirming, and he reckoned she was wiggling the rest of the way out of her dress. Blue didn't seem to care as he bounced this way and that in the back seat, occasionally giving her arm a bump with his nose as if to remind her he was still present. If he had had any reservations about her before, they would surely have been dissolved the moment he saw Blue's reaction to her. The dog's instincts were so finely tuned, Ruger had often wondered if there might be something a little supernatural about the canine himself. He was never wrong about his perception of a person, and the hunter trusted him fully. "Guess you rightly got a point 'bout that. Ain't so cheap shots where a leech is concerned. Not in my book, anyhow." Ruger agreed, his eyes still locked on the road ahead. Even he noticed the uncomfortable hitch in his tone.
He was thankful for the interruption when Blue all but exploded at the window. "You better believe it. Think he's got more of a pallet for leeches than I do. And that's sayin' somethin." He spoke of the dog, a note of rare affection in his voice. Ruger was not the type to display warmth, but there was always a bit of tenderness about him when he spoke of the canine. To him, the animal was all he had in the world beside his mission. And that was alright.
He was still smirking over her well-trained phone when she turned to flash him that smile in the darkness. The lightening chose that opportune moment to race across the sky, illuminating the cab of the truck in it's soft blue light. It lasted only a fraction of a moment, but that was all Ruger needed to decide that Polly looked positively stunning. He had known it in the club, of course, but the full weight of the realization hadn't fully hit him until that moment. Illuminated by the light of nature with excitement dancing in her eyes, that dangerous smile on her lips...Ruger supposed she'd put just about any pin-up to shame looking like she did.
And then it was over, and the thunder cracked like a bullwhip overhead. As if broken from some kind of trance, Ruger turned from her and lumbered out of the truck.He opened the back so that Blue could hop out, waiting for Polly's door to close before he locked the monster up. Blue's nose was already to the pavement and he followed the leech's trail toward the entrance of the building. "Between him and that fancy gadget you got, I think we got ourselves a sure thing sugar." Ruger told her lowly when she had rounded from her side of the truck. Blue paused by the door and sat on his haunches, ears pinned like a glove to his skull. Ruger put a round in the chamber, relishing the evil shuck shuck sound of the weapon as he did so. He loved the sound of ammunition entering a chamber. With a flick of his thumb the safety was disengaged, and he moved after the dog.
He pushed the door open quietly, and followed the pit bull inside. It was pitch black inside, save for the brief interludes of lightening flashing in from the broken windows. That was alright, though. While he couldn't see much, he trusted Blue, and the dog would be his eyes until his own adjusted to the dimness. He followed the sound of the dog's nails on the dirty wooden flooring, moving slowly but surely. He trusted that the device Polly held would map out the exit points should they need to make a quick escape. If there was one thing Ruger hated, it was being disadvantaged on unfamiliar territory.
After a few minutes, his vision had adjusted to the darkness. He was able to make out dim shapes, and became aware that they were standing in the kitchen of what had once been a restaurant. He could see a massive dish-washing unit to his right, and just ahead of them was an equally big stainless steel refrigerator. Cobwebs swing lazily in long silken ropes across the ceiling, and there was a thick layer of dust covering the surface of the counter tops. Ruger was willing to bet it had been nearly a decade since the place had been used.
A scuttling sound to the right caused Blue to freeze, and Ruger raised his weapon. An extremely large rat came bounding from atop of the refrigerator, launching itself to the floor before disappearing somewhere beneath the sink. "Jesus, don't think I ever seen a cat that size." Ruger commented, amusement in his tone. Creepy crawlies didn't bother him any...hell, he had eaten swamp rat before. Blue glanced over his shoulder at them before nudging his way through the swinging door leading out of the kitchen. A small squeak sounded from the rusty hinges as Ruger followed. His every muscle was sharply focused, and his stance was much like a hunting cat...focused, lethal, and intent.
The next room appeared to have been a dining room at one point. It had been vandalized, and graffiti littered the walls. Many of the tables had been overturned, and chairs were thrown all over the place. Broken dishes and glasses crunched underfoot, and the place smelled of must and rot. It appeared the place must have been fancy at one time...a grand piano was situated near the corner, though it had fallen victim to the lawless of the city. It was broken, slumped over on three legs as it perched precariously on it's edge. Blue snorted, and suddenly shifted direction, moving towards the far shadowy regions of the room. Ruger's pulse increased in anticipation, and he followed eagerly.
It appeared he had gotten excited too quickly however, because Blue ended their journey at the base of a caved-in staircase. It was unclear as to just where the stairs had once led, but it time and neglect had caused them to collapse into themselves in a heap of splintered wood and dust. Ruger peered up into the darkness as Blue sat at his side, a comically disgruntled look on his canine face. "Yeah...'bout that rope, woman. Guess I'm kinda wishin' for it now too." Ruger's husky voice whispered in the darkness. "Don't 'spose any of them fancy gadgets you got can teleport us on up or somethin', eh?"
____‡_______‡___
Our side of the barbed wire
Money grows in rows
If it don't you're goin' broke
So we
We hang out by the bonfire
Just the good ol' boys having a dang good time
We crank it up down here
We get loud down her
Throwin' down in the dirty, dirty south down here
Be an all nighter with the hippies and the hicks
Jocks and bikers, they all came to kick it in the
sticks
|
Feedback: 
