A Fistful of Trouble (Outlaws of the Galaxy Book 2) Paul Tomlinson (reading strategies book .TXT) 📖

This wasn’t motive enough in my eyes. What was behind the Colonel’s offer?

“Why pay three thousand for something today that he could pick up for two thousand tomorrow?” I asked.

“Why accept two thousand tomorrow when you could take three thousand today?” he countered.

Any other time, I would have happily handed over Floyd and taken the money. And then rescued Floyd later and moved on. But this time was different. It wasn’t that Harmony was now my second partner. She would be happy to take her cut of the three thousand today rather than two thousand tomorrow. In part at least, my issue was that I had given my word to the Mayor. I’d promised him an opportunity to bid for Floyd at auction. And then there was the fact that I had sort of sided with Danny and his folks, the underdogs, against Colonel Hodges.

These arguments didn’t really make sense to me, I admit. Whoever bought Floyd didn’t get to keep him and use him. Floyd, me, and the money would just disappear. If anything, it was better that the Colonel should buy Floyd – he was the one who deserved to lose his money. But I just couldn’t make myself accept the Colonel’s underhand offer. I didn’t want him to think he could win this easily. That I could be bought for a ‘bonus’ of a thousand dollars.

“Seems to me,” I said. “That if the Colonel is prepared to go as high as three thousand today, he might go even higher in the auction tomorrow.”

“Don’t get greedy, Mr. Quigley. If you don’t accept the Colonel’s generous offer, he just might tell his boys to come down and take your robot without paying a cent.”

“Now, that just sounds like a threat,” I said.

Casey smiled. “Think about the Colonel’s offer,” he said. “You’ve got until sundown. When you make up your mind, come and find me in the hotel bar.”

I watched him walk away and this time I wasn’t thinking about his butt. I was imagining the trouble that was coming my way after sundown tonight. Maybe Floyd was right and we should forget the whole deal and move on. But then I’d spend the next few months looking over my shoulder wondering if the Colonel’s posse was riding after us.

*

“There’s going to be trouble tonight,” I said.

We were in Harmony’s room. She was dressing for dinner. Same jeans, sexier blouse.

“What sort of trouble?”

“I ran into Casey earlier. If I don’t sell Floyd to the Colonel today, his boys are going to take him by force.”

I expected her to say that I should just sell him. I was sure she would when I told her how much the Colonel had offered. But her reaction surprised me.

“Tell the old bastard to go to hell.” The look on her face said she meant it.

“But what about the money? Three thousand!”

“It’s not always about the money,” she said. “You can’t just give bullies what they want. Scrack him!”

I gave her a hug. “Have I told you how amazing you are?”

“Not in the last twenty minutes,” she said.

“I apologise. I’ll try harder.”

“Well, all right. Just don’t go taking my amazingness for granted.” She planted a lingering kiss on my lips. “Now, what are we going to do about Floyd? We should go down to Danny’s and defend him.”

Harmony reached for the pistol that lay on her dressing table. It was a good-sized gun.

“No need,” I said. “I’ve moved him somewhere safe. And I warned Danny. We spoke to the sheriff. Told him that Danny has had threats ahead of tomorrow’s robot sale. The sheriff’s men will keep an eye on the shop.”

“Good plan,” she said. “And you have got me to protect you, so we’re all set.” She buckled on her gun belt and checked the pistol was fully loaded.

“You ever shoot anyone?” I asked.

“Of course.”

I was glad I hadn’t asked her if she’d ever killed anyone. I might not have liked the answer.

“Are you sure Floyd is safe?” she asked. “You didn’t just hide him under a tarp in the back of your Trekker, did you?”

“No.”

“Good. Because that’s the first place they’d look.”

“And the second place they’d look is Danny’s parent’s farm. He’s not there either. But a couple of the sheriff’s men are. Just in case.”

“That’s good,” Harmony said. “Let’s think. Where else would I look?”

“They’re not going to find him,” I said.

“Unless they were following you all afternoon.”

“No one followed me. I know how to lose a tail.”

“Of course you do,” she said. “I’m just worried for you. I know how much Floyd means to you.”

“He’s safe.”

“What about you? Shouldn’t you be in hiding?”

“I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction,” I said. “Besides, I have you to protect me, remember?”

She held up the pistol and smiled. “Mine’s called Johnson. What’s yours called?”

“You named your gun Johnson?”

“What else would I call such a big weapon?” She grinned and thrust the pistol into the holster.

“Mine doesn’t have a name.”

“I thought guys named everything,” she said, leaning close and rubbing a hand down the front of my jeans.

“I haven’t given that a name either.”

“You don’t call him Little Quincy?”

“What do you mean little?”

She winked at me and opened the door. “Come on, big boy.”

I looked at her standing in the doorway and felt Little Quincy wake up. The fabric of her blouse was gossamer thin and I could see the outline of her brassiere through it. There wasn’t much substance to it and the bits there were looked like they were mostly lace.

“We could just stay up here.” I smoothed out the bedspread to make it look more inviting.

“We could,” she said. “But I’m famished. I haven’t had anything since breakfast. I can’t do this on an empty stomach.”

“Do what?” I wanted to see if dessert was what I was hoping it would be.

“Fight.”

“We’re going to fight tonight?” I’d never been in a relationship where I was warned in advance.

“We are if the Colonel’s boys turn