Rally entered the shop, expecting to find May ready to ream her out, but to her surprise the front room was empty. The door to the back room opened and May came out, looking tired, but smiling. "How did it go?" she asked. Rally’s eyebrow lifted suspiciously. "The scooter guy got the package alright. How is she?" She pointed her chin towards the back room. May’s face became serious. "I had to call Doc in - it was worse than it looked and she lost a lot of blood, but she’ll be okay. At least it was a clean shot." Rally nodded. "Look, May, I’m sorry…." May shook her head. "I’m sorry too. You were right before…I was jealous." The two women looked at each other for a long moment, then looked away. "I’m not good at trusting people…" May said quickly. "Forget it. We both know what we’re like." Rally looked at her feet. "Maybe you’re right about Cowboy. Maybe I do trust her more than I should." The silence between them lengthened. The sound of something falling to the floor, followed by cursing, drew their attention away from the awkward pause. The two women entered the back room to find Cowboy on the floor, gripping her leg and regaling them with a string of colorful phrases. Together, May and Rally got the tall woman back on the cot. After Cowboy was settled and May had brought her over a glass of water and some painkillers, Cowboy looked up at them ruefully. "I owe you both, I guess. Thanks." Rally shook her head and crossed her arms firmly. "That’s not enough Cowboy. You owe us more than a little half-assed thanks and no explanation. Why are the City Planning Department flunkies trying to shoot you down…and what the hell was in that package?" Cowboy stared off, her brow furrowed. May joined Rally, her arms akimbo. "I think you owe us at least that, don’t you? We don’t care if you’re with the bad guys, but we need to know what you’ve dragged us into." Rally nodded, "And you need to know that if you are one of the bad guys, I’ll take you down, Cowboy, no hard feelings." That seemed to pull the woman out of her reverie and she laughed, loudly and long. "Well, at least I can reassure you Rall, and you too May," she nodded at the smaller woman, "you won’t have to take me down." Rally felt herself relax a little. "Then tell us what this is about and maybe we can help." "Have a seat then, ladies." Cowboy gestured towards the table. Rally and May grabbed chairs while Cowboy tossed back the pills and sipped from her water glass. "Wish I had something stronger than this…" she said wistfully. "OK, this story starts a few years back. I was wandering around, doing some small-time delivery work, you know the kind?" She glanced at her audience, who nodded. "I’m a drifter, but I’m not stupid, you know. I always stayed on the outside, good freelance, that’s all. I’m tall, but I don’t stand out in a crowd and that’s good for a delivery person. "Every time an area got too hot for me, I just moved on until I ended up here. I was working for a local guy, small potato stuff, when I got an offer. Free rent, some small jobs and pocket cash. It sounded perfect, so I took ‘em up on it. "A few months later, I was told to move, that a new place would be found for me. Unfortunately, like I said, I’m not stupid. I began to notice a few things. Every time I made a delivery the papers the next day pointed out a high profile murder. After I was moved the second time, I noticed that the place I lived was "vacated" shortly after. I got a bit suspicious, which is a bad thing to do in my business. When I put two and two together, I didn’t like what I saw. Property owners that might have gotten in the way of vacating my block were dying mysteriously. After one was killed, the others usually fell in line, but sometimes I made a second delivery…and the troublemaker went away. "It started to bug me, so I "borrowed" one of my packages, and took a look inside. You’re not gonna believe what I found…" Cowboy rubbed the back of her head. "Try us," Rally said evenly. "You saw the wound on my leg, right?" Cowboy asked the women. "What gun made it d’you think?" Rally answered unhesitatingly. "Ruger Super Redhawk, .44 Magnum ammo." Cowboy nodded, "You’d think so, wouldn’t you?" Rally frowned. "What do you mean?" Cowboy closed her eyes. "What would you say if I told you it was a Lone Eagle did it?" Rally shook her head. "I’d tell you you were wrong. The Lone Eagle is a target pistol - hunting, maybe. I’d figure you knew that." "I do. And I’m telling you it was a Lone Eagle, or, I should say, it was made to look like a Lone Eagle. But it doesn’t pack wadcutters." She grimaced. May slapped her hands on the table. "I’m sorry to interrupt this mutual gun-gasm thing, but can you run that by me in language a stupid explosives expert can understand?" Rally glanced towards her partner. "When the Lone Eagle is used for target shooting the bullets aren’t tapered, so they make a clean hole in the target." May nodded. "Gotcha. Please continue." She nodded towards Cowboy. "Wait," Rally said. "You said it was ‘made to look like a’ Lone Eagle - what does that mean?" "I mean," Cowboy said, her brows drawn together, "that the gun that put this hole in my leg is made of compressed paper. After the job is done, it can be lit with a match and destroyed. They’ve got a bunch of styles. They chamber real ammo, and then, poof, they’re gone. No weapon, no evidence." Rally and May stared, mouths open. "You *are* joking, right?" May asked. "’Cause that doesn’t make any sense." Cowboy shook her head and yawned. "I’m not joking. The guys that tried to hit me - no weapon, right?" Rally nodded. "This one too. You saw the scorch marks on my carpet? That was a nice little touch from my friends letting me know that I’m not welcome back there." "Then what was in the package I delivered to your friend? One of these guns?" "No." Cowboy yawned again. "Sorry. No - nothing that good. It was a sample of the paper used, and a copy of the formula. My friend on the scooter is a contact for a journalist at the Tribune. She’s got a story on these hits and I wanted her know what was up." "Is she in any danger?" May wanted to know. "Probably, but she’s a crime reporter - she’s usually in danger. Mostly does governmental corruption stuff." Cowboy grinned. "She’s a hell of a crack shot herself, Rall. You’d probably like her." The tall woman leaned back with a groan and another yawn." Sorry - these painkillers, y’know?" "One more thing before you sleep." Rally insisted. "What’s the connection between the vacations and the guns? And why did you say the delivery was a matter of life or death?" "Didn’t I make that clear?" Cowboy asked. "The big boss man I work for, Long - you’ve heard of him probably." Rally nodded. "Oh sure. Small-time drugs, protection. I’ve picked up a few of his stupider or more careless people." Cowboy grinned. "I heard about that. Anyway, Long was always little until recently. Seems he’s recently become really good friends with one Paul J. Keaton." "The Deputy Commissioner of Planning and Development?" May asked. "You bet, little lady." Cowboy yawned hugely. "And there’s a nice little business owner that isn’t happy about a vacation of the lot adjacent to his. I made a drop-off yesterday. My friend wants to run the scoop tonight, tomorrow latest. After you dropped off that package an anonymous call went out to the guy who’s bitchin’ the loudest about the vacation. With luck he’s flying into Acapulco or somewhere far away for a vacation, right about now." She looked up, catching Rally’s eye. "I’m tired of this little deal, you know. I don’t want any more deaths because of me. Losers and druggies I can’t feel bad for, but these guys are just trying to get by honestly." Her eyes closed. "I’m not helpin’ them anymore," she finished sleepily. May and Rally got up from their chairs. "Sleep it off, Cowboy. Tomorrow Doc’ll come back and take a look the leg." May shot a look at Rally, and walked to the door. "I’ll watch the shop." Without turning, May stepped into the front and closed the door behind her. "C’mere," Cowboy waved Rally over. "I’m really sorry about draggin’ you into this Rall. And your friend too - she’s a cute kid. What is she, fourteen?" "Eighteen." Cowboy looked surprised. "No kidding. Hunh. Just goes to show you how wrong I can be." She took Rally’s hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. "I just wanted to thank you again." Pulling a little on Rally’s arm, she closed the distance between them and gave Rally a quick kiss on the cheek. Rally pulled back as if bitten, taking her hand from Cowboy’s and clenching it at her side. "Uh, look, Cowboy…I’m not, that is…I’m not interested in you like that." Cowboy lay back again and grinned lopsidedly at Rally. "I know. You just love me for my gun - and my bike." Rally laughed a little nervously and agreed. "G’night Cowboy." A muffled sound that might have been a snore or an answer emanated from the woman on the cot. Rally stood for a while, looking down at the recumbent figure, then quietly left the room. As the door closed, the "sleeping" figure smiled. "Yeah…and my Mama’s a rattlesnake." *** May looked over her shoulder as Rally joined her at the front desk. "What do you think?" "I think she’s telling the truth." Rally grabbed the gun polish and began working on her Grendel. "You would." May sighed. "Has anyone ever told you, Rally Vincent, that you are a complete softy?" "Am not." "Are too." May stuck her tongue out and laughed. "You really are! How many damsels in distress are you going to save before you admit it?" "Damsels in distress?" Rally looked puzzled. May made a face. "Forget it." Looking around, she started to untie her apron. "Do you mind much if I take the rest of the day off? I have to see a man about a horse." Rally looked completely confused. "What?" May laughed gaily. "Nothing! I just wanted to give you some time alone with your new girlfriend." Rally stood, her face darkening. "That’s not funny." May watched her in silence, until Rally sat back down, muttering under her breath. "Say what you like. In this field I think I have a bit more experience than you do." "Fine, Miss Expert. You have the rest of the day off. The evening too, if you want." Rally wouldn’t look up as May slipped into the backroom and came out carrying her jacket. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tease you." May looked only a little contrite. "Is there something about her that seems particularly untrustworthy?" "No, not really. She’s nice. But I think she’s going to hurt you - one way or another." In the ensuing silence, May turned and left the shop.
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