Hair of the Wolf: Open for Business

[Zebulon]

One Olive coming up......!  :D

[Watchwolf]

*Note to self: Put down coffee cup and be sure there is none in your mouth before read any more of Zeb's posts*

*Note to self: Get keyboard and monitor cleaning kit*

[Zebulon]

Things were quiet. Pi was snorring into his cocktail and muttering about fleas and scratching a great deal more than made the Cheerleader's happy.  Vengance sat in his "quiet" place listening to the red head's chatter and nodding wisely whilst sipping his whiskey.  There was the quiet crunch of olives from the bar as the strange looking character with the glowing eyes tucked into a large dish of the best olives this side of Europa.

A couple of Corsairs had entered the bar ordered some Sangria and downed it in a hurry, paid the bill and legged it. Two seconds later and the law turned up. Undercover types. You could have cut the air with a knife and the bouncers were looking worried.  Zeb caught Wolf's eye and nodded towards the door. Three of the brawny looking characters were standing just inside the door out of the light.  Zeb spoke first. "Gentlemen, can I help you? A drink maybe?"

The leader responded. "We are looking for this guy, has he been in here?"  He flashed the compad at Zeb. A grainy picture of the Corsair flickered on the screen.  Zeb did not blink. "Nope - not today at any rate."  Wolf had moved round to the edge of the bar and his hands were out of sight.  The Bounty Hunter cast his gaze round the bar. "There's a reward for this scum. It runs to 400K for the man that bags him and returns him to New London. You get caught harbouring him and I'll take your scalp as well....!" No one moved. Pi had stopped scratching - eyes were shut but he was listening intently.  The crunching of olives had stopped.

"Sorry gents, doesnt look like you'll get much out of this lot. So, how about a drink them...?" Zeb asked..............................

[Watchwolf]

I fingered the Stinger resting in its place under the counter. Stinger, I mused. Such a misleading name for something that would put a 6-inch hole right through a man's chest. The bounty hunter wasn't having any of Zeb's offers for a drink, or anything else except his bounty.

"DIrty scumbag bounty hunters" I mumbled under my breath. Apparently I need to work my volume control, or else my timing. Must be every person in the room heard me like I'd shouted it. Most of all the scumbag bounty hunter.

"You got something to say, barkeep?" he growled as he approached my end of the bar. 'Funny but you look like someone I seen somewhere before. Like maybe on the bounty list...?" His friends spread out, one back to the door, another to the other end of the bar.

"Well now, I think you got me mixed up with someone who gives a **** ", I bluffed. "But that might be. I figure I got more dead enemies than live friends. Which do you wanna be?"

We locked eyes. The room grew even quieter than it was before. He put his hand on his holster and took a step toward me.

Before I could react three things happened at once: The sound of breaking glass shook the silence. The thud of a table falling over shook the floor. The bounty hunter just shook, then fell over like a tree.

I stared, first at the remains of the bounty hunter, then at the remains on the bottle in Zeb's hand, then at the remains of smoke curling from the business end of an evil-looking pistol held in the hand of the guy who'd been sitting by himself in the corner.

The bounty hunter at the door make a sound like a squeak and bolted into the night. The guy sprawled across the bar in front of Zeb make a sound like a pneumatic leak and slid to the floor. The gun in Vengeance's hand made a sound like a... well, like a gun sliding into a holster and disappeared back under his long coat.

"Scumbag bounty hunters," Vengeance said and picked up the table that had fallen over when he'd suddenly jumped to his feet. "Made me spill this good whiskey."

"Bloody bounty hunters," Zeb said as he sopped up the liquid from the bar. "Made me waste a perfectly good bottle of Port."

"Bleeping bounty hunters," I mumbled as I headed to the back room. "Made me soil myself good..."

"Welcome to the Void..." Pi grinned.

[SLicer]

*walks into the bar, Checking Ipod with The Who ablaze in ears.  Quickly grabs stool in front of bar* One can of Diet Coke please!  Say, i was thinking of bringing in some live entertainment.  Ya Dig?*

[Zebulon]

Zeb looked at SLicer with a Zeb look. "Brother, first off I need a hand getting rid of this body, second I need someone to go get the other two vermin and get rid of them otherwise this place will be crawling with more of them, and I wont have their sort in here if they are not buying drinks.....!"

There was a sudden rush to the bar and several orders all at once. Luckily L'l Beth and Victoria had it all handled. Zeb looked across at Wolf. "We need this like a fish needs a bicycle.  I'm signing you up for voice control classes at the local college." Zeb grinned, lit a cigar and reached for the port.  

The two well dressed strangers, whom Zeb had overlooked, seemed to be taking a very keen interest in what was happening. One of them approached Zeb. " I can fix this for you. Wont cost you anything more than a couple of drinks..." It sounded a bit like an offer that you couldn't refuse. There was weight behind the offer. "Sure, what did you have in mind my friend" replied Zeb.

There was the sound of a freighter truck outside. It was the weekly trash collection. The second stranger was speaking with the lead hand of the refuse team. Two guys came over, nodded to Zeb and then the first stranger. Without a word the body was picked up and  disposed of in a very ecologicaly friendly way. Zeb looked at the floor. No burn marks from the gun, no stains from the blood or even a drop of port left, and his bar cloth was dry. It was like it had never happened.

That done, Zeb turned back to SLicer. "Live entertainment you say? What did you have in mind? Im ok with most things as long as its hygenic and doesnt involve animals or children." SLicer considered his reply as by this point Wolf had taken an interest and had moved up next to him by the bar, the Stinger, all sleek and menacingly gunmetal resting by Wolf's hand on the bar.  

Pi farted and scratched, opened one eye, grinned and wandered over to the bar. The sound of  Olives being crunched resumed as the silent alien progressed through the tub topped up by Victoria.  Pi sniffed and tapped Zeb on the shoulder. "I'll do it".
"Eh?" started Zeb.

"The Bounty Hunters. I'll do 'em for ya. Free round when I come inta the bar and a scratch from the lady". He nodded towardsLil Beth.

"Sure. Just make it quick and clean. We don't need this little incident being advertised all over Sirius".
Zeb went back to his chat with SLicer and Pi ordered another drink and went back to scratching............................................

[Roadbug]

Hey Zeb, wut ya want done wit deze 2 guys?  (nods to 2 dead bounty hunters he just dragged in)  I don't got the room in me ship right now, so ya gonna haz ta get rid a em yerself.  And I hope ya gots yer chef programed fer pizza and got a new esspresso machine........  
 Hey barkeep, ya got any a dat der Rheinland coffee?  I runned out a few days back and could sure use a cup.
 Zeb, ya really outa do sumptin bout deze 2 affore dey smell up da place.  (Wanders over to a corner table and sits down and waits ta see if they got decent coffee and pizza)

[-Vengeance-]

Is there any chance I miht get another Scotch? It's all over the floo0r over here.

Here's something for the mess. *offering a 1000 credit note* I must apologize, but I wasn't about to allow that bounty hunter get too close to our friend over there.

*Drifts over to Pi's table, settles in" Well now, how're you doing , Pirate? Seen your friend lately? I'd like to talk with him..."

[Zaphod]

Watchwolf,
do you have a Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster for me?
Z

[Watchwolf]

*@ Vengeance* Well thank you, pard! I'm sure this'll take care of everything! *reaching behind the bar for a platinum-wrapped bottle* And here, this is special just for you. Straight from Edinburgh, the very best Scotch there is. I gotta say, I probably owe you, Mr, and I thank you for that too.

*@ Zaphod* You betcha, sir, one Pangalacticgargleblaster coming right up... with a twist of Plutonium syrup of course. *reaching under the counter, puts on a pair of hazardous materials work-gloves* Here ya go... you want a Bromide chaser with that?

[Zebulon]

Zeb let out a huge sigh of relief at the sight of the two dead bounty hunters. "Argh my old friend, as always you are in the right place at the right time. Take 'em out back and leave 'em by the dumpster. Our two friends will take care of things".  Zeb tipped a nod at  Frac and Frac raised his glass back at Zeb. Nuff said.

SLicer had produces a compad with what appeared to be lists of artists and bands, from the Who Recincarnated to HotBlackDesiato's touring band "Sonic Destruction".  Zeb noticed that there was also a tariff attached to each. "Ah, so as well as being the hotshot you are, you also double up as Music Agent? Very neat..."

This appeared to attract the attention of some budding actresses and singers that happend to be fishing for jobs in the bar......



Argh's Pizza and coffee arrived. Zaphod was melting into his drink. Vengance was enjoying the whiskey and Wolf was tending bar. SLicer and Zeb were discussing the artistic merits of some live entertainment and the night rolled on.......

[Zebulon]

Just as SLicer and Zeb were getting a short list of bands together, the door burst open and along with the clicking of safety catches, a tall figure entered the bar.  The air was still. No, I realy mean STILL...even the fans in the ceiling had stopped turning and Zeb was having difficulty taking his next breath.  It was like the whole room was not so much holding its breath as grasping for the next one.

The ominous figure, drapped in long ash black robes glidded across to the chalk board menu. With a sweep of his hand the board was clear and in large gothic writing in said "[font=Times New Roman] [/font] THE DRINKS ARE ON ME - THIS SATURDAY"   "Oh cr*p" gulped Zeb. Wolf's jaw had hit the floor.

The figure turned and with a flair left a compad link bleeping on everyones handset.....:

http://www.voidserver.com/modules.php?n ... 0d43292a98

"You know who that was, dontcha...?" whispered Wolf.

"Sure, my insurance salesman......Gannon".

[Roadbug]

>Sits and eats his pizza and dinks his coffee while watching the stranger and wondering what old Zeb had gotten him into now>

[SLicer]

*turns back to Zeb* okay............ um, so yeah. theres the list.  I also got m' own band.  We're called The Truth.  Our music is some of the classic rock stuff if ya wanna consider us.*Neural net visor flashes on with a message*Hmm.  Sorry, gotta leave.  I've gotta meeting with the Jimi Hendrix Look-Alikes Look-Alikes.  I'll leave the compad here and you can see which bands you would want to have play here.  Oh and uh... if ya ever need someone to mop up unwanted Bounty Hunters, lemme know.*   walks out of bar.