ATF Alternate Universe
Spoilers: (?) does have quotes from episodes.
Archive: yes please
Disclaimers: Not mine, no money made etc.
Thanks: Mitzi's idea, Mitzi's one liners and Mitzi's constant encouragement ("Thanks Mitzi"--H)
ONE
Chris Larabee bit back his angry retort, but did nothing to disguise the disgust that seared his haggard features. Judge Orrin Travis ignored the deadly glare. It might have intimidated most people but not the Judge. He had been around the block so to speak and had dealt with the scum of humanity for most of his adult life. A dirty look from Chris Larabee did nothing but ruffle his feathers. Instead the Judge just glared right back challenging the younger man to over step his bounds.The two men sat in the conference room on the 12th floor of the ATF building. Larabee's team occupied this corner of the floor. The voices of the six other men could be heard through the closed wooden door. The Judge could easily make out the distinctive voices of the men at their respective desks. Since Chris and Travis entered the conference room they had heard nothing but arguments from the other six. The Judge sat in silence waiting for Chris to challenge him, almost daring him too. It would prove his point. Team seven needed a break, more importantly needed to learn to work together again. There outlandish techniques had proven very successful in the past but to many injuries had started to occur, to many arguments and just to much discontent. It permeated the area, everyone felt it from the simple mail delivery person to the secretaries to even the other teams. In fact it had been one of the other teams that brought the trouble to the attention of the Judge. Something had to be done about team seven or someone was going to get seriously hurt or even killed.
Chris stared hard at the Judge. The man could not be serious. They did not need a 'Team and Leadership Retreat', they just needed a little down time, time away from each other but not this. There was no way he was going to subjugate his men much less himself to this kind of asinine ideas.
The vocal arguments outside the conference room grew in volume. Nathan's voice cut above Buck and JD's argument over who was suppose to do the dishes last night. The ex-EMT's voice rang out with distinct clarity and frustration, "Why don't cha just admit it Ezra, ya got a cold!"
"I do not have a cold," the scratchy, hoarse southern drawl shot back. Some of its vehemence muted by the stuffed nose and congestion.
"Ezra just let Nathan give ya something for it," Josiah's baritone voice boomed out tiredly. Even the ex anthropologist sounded on edge.
"Shut up Josiah!" Nathan and Ezra rang out in unison. Nathan did not need Sanchez's help with dealing with the calcifying undercover agent, and Ezra did not need someone else telling him what to do.
Suddenly Vin's sharp Texan drawl cut through the room, "Gawd damn it JD you throw one more thing and I'll shove it down your neck!"
Chris shut his eyes and shook his head in defeat maybe they did need a break. The Judge watched subtle defeat wash over the leader of the seven. The men were tired, and this just proved it, Chris normally would never had given in so easily.
"Ahh shut yer trap, Vin the kid meant no harm," Wilmington shot out. Noone threatened JD but himself.
Chris felt an impending explosion and opened the conference room door and quietly but dangerously said, "Shut up all of you and get in here." It was like trying to rein in a bunch of six year olds.
Everyone stopped and stared over at their leader in shock. "What's gotten into him?" Buck asked noone in particular.
"You best shut yer yapper and get your arse in here Buck," Chris seethed out, red faced.
Ezra ,feeling as if his head had been packed with cotton, and his back to Larabee muttered none to quietly, "Yes, Buck when 'Duster Boy' speaks you best listen."
Everyone froze. Standish noticed it immediately and glanced at Vin who sat across from him at his own desk, "he's right behind me isn't he?"
Tanner smiled and nodded.
"Aww hell," Standish uttered as the iron clasp of Larabee's hand laid across the back of his neck. Ezra shut his eyes feeling the quiet threat of squeezing fingers on the back of his neck.
"Let's go Ezra. Judge wants to see us now." Larabee bit back his anger and held back the urge to lift the mouthy southerner from his chair by his neck.
+ + + + + + +
Judge Travis listened to the guffaws, and complaints and flat out refusals. "I can't make you boys go but I promise you this if you don't you will not be working as a team when you get back." This stopped all arguments, for a brief second and then they started up again. Travis ignored most of the comments and actually enjoyed listening to the half hearted attempts the others made to weasel out of the forced 'vacation'. Tanner and Standish came up with the most original, JD and Buck relied on each other for excuses and failed miserably. Jackson actually made sense to the Judge, rectification for his EMT status was important but Travis promised to arrange a retest when things settled down. Josiah kept silent, a tight smile played on the big man's lips. This made the Judge nervous, but he would let Larabee handle his men once they got to their 'retreat'
"Judge Travis, sir, as much as I would enjoy accompanying my fellow teammates on such a sojourn I must decline," Standish drawled out no longer trying to hide his ailment, "I have an unfortunate cold."
"Haaa. I told you, you were sick!" Nathan shouted out in triumph. Standish threw him a withering stare.
"The fresh air will do you good," the Judge answered. He nearly laughed out loud when the look of pure despair fell across the conman's features.
"Judge, the kids in Purgatory are counting on me to help out with the three on three basket ball competition this week" Tanner pointed out softly. Again the Judge almost gave in, but held his ground.
"Sorry Mr. Tanner you go."
Judge Travis stood up ignoring the groans and complaints. He opened the conference room door and started to leave then turned back and watched the seven most respected and feared ATF team sit dejectedly in their chairs bemoaning their fates. "Boy's it's only for one week." He smiled seeing his words offered no comfort, not that they were suppose to, "I expect you all to be there this evening." With that he shut the door and quickly vacated the office floor. He never told Chris that they had to be there that early but The Judge felt it was best to avoid any sudden 'emergencies' that might develop.
TWO
Thursday Night
"Geeezus, Ezra will you quit already?" Buck cried out shoving the undercover agent by the shoulder. It knocked Standish into Nathan who pushed him back. Wilmington had been listening to the retched coughing for the last three hours and he was tired of it."I told ya you were coming down with something," Nathan snarled under his breath. 'If the surly southerner had listen to him Ezra might have avoided this whole cold thing, but no Mr. smart mouth never gets sick doesn't need advice. Well ha, let him suffer.' Jackson mused, shoving Standish back.
"Cut it out back there!" Chris bellowed turning around in the front seat. Josiah drove the beat up suburban. It was the only vehicle that could fit all seven men and their gear. They did not fit comfortably. On numerous occasions,this fine day, the others had offered to take their own vehicles. Larabee squelched any ideas of people driving themselves, they would never show. This way all seven men were trapped, misery loved company. Josiah drove.
The beat up Chevy could not go over sixty, the air conditioner did not work and the gas needle seemed to always be buried in the red. The radio was stolen years ago. The three hour drive had ground out to be four with another hour an a half to go. The summer sun had already set.
"Boy those guys really pissed Chris off this time," JD pointed out to Vin. The two smallest had be delegated to the very back of the truck. This did nothing for Tanner's faint but growing sense of claustrophobia.
"Yup, when that vein pops out like that ya best beware," the sharpshooter agreed.
Another small fit of coughing hit the gambler, he hunched over covering his mouth as Buck shoved him again. Standish shoved him back, still coughing but no longer covering his mouth.
"Gawd Ezra cover yer mouth," Jackson complained, talk about poor manners. Wilmington shoved the smaller agent more forcefully again, Standish bumped into Nathan who pushed him back.
"That's it! Josiah pull over I'm gonna shoot'em myself!" Larabee yelled grabbing the nearest body he could reach. It happened to be the undercover agent. Standish stared at the enraged hazel eyes calmly until another pair of coughs hit.
"Promise to shoot me too?" Vin asked quietly in the back. It was just loud enough for Larabee to hear. Chris released the southerner shoving him back into his seat and wiped his damp hand on his pant leg. He threw the tracker a warning.
Sanchez kept driving.
Two hours later the suburban bounced and jarred up a winding dirt road. Sanchez offered up a silent prayer that the truck held together, or at least the coat hanger jury rigging he had managed to get on the truck stayed together.
The giant man gazed in the rearview mirror. They had put the back window partially down for Vin who now hung out it. Must be slightly claustrophobic, Josiah pondered. JD had finally fallen asleep laying across the duffel bags. Buck leaned his head against the door staring out into the night. Standish had slipped off to sleep soft coughs occasionally shook his shoulders. Jackson stared out his window, watching the large ponderosa pines whip past. He had waited until the southerner had succumbed to sleep before he checked for fever. Chris had seen this and Nathan shook his head to the simple inquiring look. No fever. Larabee merely nodded. One less problem.
Josiah stared at Larabee. The man carried a great weight on his shoulders. He not only lead one of the best teams in the area but he also lead a group of misfits. There was not a member of the team that did not have their own ghosts or troublesome past, some worse than others. JD was to young to have to many , but the death of his mother left the boy all alone in the world, an awesome sense of loneliness must have enveloped the poor boy. Now he found family with six other men, all surrogate brothers, sometimes fathers, and always friends. Buck and Chris had been together for most of their adult lives and shared many of the same demons. Nathan fought his pain by trying to heal the world. Tanner never had a family. Orphaned by the time he was five and shuttled from foster home to foster home, it was amazing he never ended up on the wrong side of the law. Standish never an orphan, but shuffled from home to home, never really finding his own until now, and of course Josiah himself, son of a preacher. It seemed to say it all, fighting conformation, finding faith in God only after the sorrowful loss of his father. These seven men faced the world alone, until Chris had pulled them into a group and forged them into a fearsome working unit. They had become brothers become families. Chris lead the group but even he needed a break. Maybe the Judge was right. This twisted surrogate family had hit a snag, they needed to work out the knots.
THREE
The dimming headlights illuminated the wood carved sign. Sanchez cursed, the alternator was going again, at least they made it. He heard Chris groan as Larabee read the words, "Welcome to the Alpine Ranch." Earlier in the day when Chris loaded them into the truck, Standish had smirked and labeled it "The Alpine Insane Asylum"The narrow wooded drive suddenly opened into a sprawling plateau with four large buildings.
The director of the "ranch" spotted the browning headlights, said his good byes to Judge Travis and made his way outside. Donald Cummings better known as DC gathered his people, three in total, took a deep breath and briskly walked out to greet their new visitors. Travis had warned him these men were volatile and a little eccentric in their own rights. DC had handled volatile before and eccentric, well he liked a challenge. He felt confident his counselors and himself could handle these seven men.
Josiah did not have to stop the truck. It died on its own clunking and banging to a halt the engine going threw its death throws. Chris raised his eyebrow at the preacher. Sanchez smiled reassuringly, this was nothing new.
Vin jumped up as the truck stalled to a stop, he scrambled over JD in a panicky haste, crawled over Standish and pushed Wilmington who fumbled with the catching door latch. The latch finally caught the door open just as Tanner hit Buck and both men fell from the truck. Wilmington in a last ditch effort reached out and grabbed for anything that might slow his descent. He grabbed hold of Standish's arm and all three men spilled from the truck onto the gravel in a heap of legs and arms. Tanner shoved ,the now coughing Standish off him, jumped to his feet taking deep breaths and circling his arms. Buck crawled to his hands and knees and then his feet, he gave the southerner an accusing glare and muttered, "thanks for all the help." Standish unable to articulate anything at the moment flipped Wilmington off.
"Real graceful DC," Andrew Thomas whispered as they watched the men boil out of the truck. "These are suppose to be protecting us from illegal arm dealers?"
DC merely nodded watching the rest of the men exit the truck. He did as Judge Travis asked and counted bodies. Seven total, at least they did as they were told. They should not be that much trouble.
DC collected himself, squared his shoulders and put on his best toothy smile. He strode confidently over to the sputtering truck and held his hand out to Josiah, "Ahh you must be Mr. Larabee."
"Nope," Josiah said ignoring the hand, darn alternator he just put one of those in a few thousand miles ago.
"He's Larabee" Sanchez nudged his head in the direction of the passenger side. DC, his smile dipping only slightly made his way over to the Chris.
"Mr. Larabee." He tried again, his smile back and hand out. Chris nodded shook his hand "Yeah I'm Chris."
"Nice to meet you Chris. I'm Donald Cummings everyone calls me DC." Larabee merely nodded not saying anything. Cummings noticed he was not getting through quite the way he liked to so he tried again. " Lets have you boys come on into the lodge and we'll get acquainted."
DC addressed the rest of the men, "you can just leave your bags gentlemen Andy, Brenda and Richard will gather them up for you."
Vin immediately grabbed his own bag, "Nobody touches my stuff," he whispered out none to friendly. Buck followed suit, he could carry his own bag. JD mimicked Wilmington. Josiah helped Ezra to his feet, and though Ezra did not mind someone bell hopping his bags he did not intend to let these wardens near his belongings. Nathan seethed, God gave him the power and health to take care of himself he was not going to let someone take that privilege from him. Chris shrugged and stared at the man before him, "boys are a might particular about their stuff."
Cummings wanting to avoid any confrontations nodded in agreement and lead the men into the lodge.
The Lodge was a massive log structure. The logs locked together white chinking bringing out the natural color of the wood. The floors were wood, with hand crafted rugs scattered throughout the area. Leather over stuffed furniture encircled a large stone fireplace. Smaller less comfortable looking chairs dotted the room. Chris noticed right off there were no phones. JD scanned the room hoping to find a video game machine or at least a TV. Buck surveyed the area for the bar. Josiah and Nathan appreciated the workmanship of the room. Tanner hung back he did not want to enter another structure just yet but Chris nudge him on ahead. The room was spacious enough for Vin to relax somewhat. Standish sniffled, muffled another cough and sat heavily in a chair.
"You sound like you have a nasty cold," Brenda smiled squatting down next to the undercover agent. She had dark brown hair braided but had it twisted up on the back of her head. Her brown eyes appeared concerned and her clean tanned features hinted only slightly of makeup. "Mr...." she oozed out, her tone too mothering for the southerner.
"Standish, and no I do not have a cold" His southerner drawl though not rude did not indicate he wanted any attention. Standish had learned to read people and cons from the day he could speak. They would not fool him.
Brenda stood up slowly patted his forearm comfortingly, as if she understood and made her way to DC.
"Don't let him fool ya miss, he's got a whopper of a cold," Jackson filled in, he did not miss the malcontent in the southerner's tone. Ezra hated attention, of any kind when he was hurt. He would rather crawl away and lick his wounds in solitude than let someone help him. It drove Nathan nuts. Jackson noticed Tanner and thought the tracker was not any better than the conman when it came to needing help. Fools.
DC clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. This simple little gesture managed to annoy everyone. Buck ignored it and continued to search the area. JD turned and watched for Buck's reaction, Dunne did not liked being summoned by anyone but one of the others, not outsiders. He followed Buck's lead and dallied by some books. Nathan leaned against the stone fire place. Josiah marveled at the craftsmanship of the high heavy beamed ceiling. Ezra leaned back in the over stuffed chair tilting his head back sniffing closing his eyes. Tanner sat on a window sill across the room wishing desperately he was somewhere else. Cummings knew he was getting nowhere with these men so he clapped louder. Again no acknowledgment.
Larabee leaned against the archway of the room and watched the director try and get the men's attention. 'Good luck' Chris mused, 'try leading these terrors.' He took some pity on Cummings, or was it Cunnings?
"Hey over here, now," Chris's authoritative tone cut cleanly across the room with out raising his voice.
JD immediately headed for the couch, Wilmington close behind. Tanner pushed himself off the window sill with a sigh and crossed the room. He pushed Ezra's forearm off the arm of the chair and used it for a seat. Josiah sat on the arm of the couch as Nathan pushed JD into the center of the couch so the healer could have the end. Buck already occupied the other arm. Chris stood behind the couch. Standish never lifted his head or opened his eyes but obligingly moved his arm for Vin.
"Ok gentlemen, first off welcome to The Alpine Ranch," DC said the smile still on his clean shaven face. Buck already hated the man. His khaki pleated shorts, dark green polo short sleeve shirt, the braided leather belt, even his cotton socks and leather walking boots irritated Wilmington. The other three dressed identically. The brunette was not bad looking especially if he had to be here a week, but this measly guy already got on his nerves. Buck was not as good as picking up false fronts as Ezra and he did not have the instincts of Vin but Buck knew a false forced cheerfulness when he saw it. This guy oozed with over friendliness.
DC tried to make eye contact with all the men, but found it might have been a mistake. "I'm Donald Cummings, I'm the director of this ranch, my associates are, Brenda Katovich, Andrew Thomas, and the big guy to your right is Richard Plaine."
Cummings was about to continue when a soft southern voice spoke up in bewilderment, "Dick Pain?" This got the others snickering. DC shut his eyes and tried again. "No. Mr. Standish Richard Plllaine," the director corrected stressing the L sound. He watch Standish nod his head but never lift it from the back of the couch or open his eyes, "my apologies I miss understood."
"Quite all right, that cold of yours I'm sure is making things difficult for you," Cummings tried to soothe things again.
"He don't have a cold" Tanner informed them, figuring he save Ezra the trouble.
This surprised Larabee some, the others had been on each others cases for the past week and a half this was the first time one of spoke in defense of another. Maybe the camp was a good idea, Chris observed the identically dressed 'counselors' and decided maybe it was not such a good idea.
DC stared briefly at the longhaired Texan and decided not to push the subject. "Well gentlemen you will be visiting with us for a week. We normally start the day with calisthenics and a light jog, breakfast afterward, then we'll go over that day's activity." DC paused waiting for some kind of reaction. He did not notice one and this bothered him. He spoke on for a few more minutes about the location of the bunk house and the cafeteria and some history behind the ranch itself. JD fell asleep.
FOUR
The seven men tossed their bags on bunks staking claim. "Chris I ain't sleeping in here," Tanner spoke up quietly.Larabee glanced up at the tracker asking silently for an explanation, "Too much like a military barracks, minus the foot lockers and painted cement floors," the sharpshooter explained. "I'm sleeping outside."
"I know what ya mean, suit yourself," Chris said. The bunkroom was actually a lot better than he had imagined the only thing military about it was the long row of bunks and they were single bunks not double.
Ezra tossed his black designer labeled duffel on a bunk in the middle of the row.
"'Ey Ezra move yer stuff down, I ain't listening to ya coughing all night," Buck said settling down on his bed next to Standish's.
"Sorry Mr. Wilmington, I'm staying," Standish intoned in a scratchy voice.
"No ya ain't" Buck sat up on one elbow, "I had listen to your hacking all the way up here I'm ain't listening to it all night."
"Fine don't, move your belongings down toward the door," Ezra replied hotly. He was tired of being shoved around.
Wilmington started climbing to his feet in a threateningly manner. Josiah and the others had watched the growing tension silently Chris finally stepped in, "Buck leave'im alone. Ezra, he's right you've been making more noise than a train, move your stuff," Larabee ordered. He watched Standish bristle at the command. The southerner did not like anyone telling him what to do, especially if he thought it were unfair. Chris had to concede it might have been a little unjustified to force the conman to move, but right now all Larabee wanted was quiet, to hell with what was fair.
After a few minutes the room quieted down, as people took showers. Larabee silently thanked the Judge for the foresight of finding a place that provided enough showers for the group. Chris did not plan on policing his men for the whole week. He had helped Cummings out tonight but that was it. Larabee was washing his hands of this mess let someone else get a feel for what it was like handling these six men. Hell, half the time they acted like eight year olds, and the other half they did their jobs. It was amazing they were as successful as they had been for the last two years.
FIVE
Vin, Chris, Josiah and Nathan sat outside on the porch enjoying the early morning sun. They each sipped their steaming cups of coffee. Tanner had awakened early and listened for life to stir within the bunk house. He did not have to wait long. With in a few minutes Chris stepped out onto the porch. Tanner had extracted himself from his canvas bed roll and sleeping bag and joined Larabee on the porch. Soon Nathan and Josiah exited the building each silently greeting the morning. "I could use some coffee," Nathan had said. The others nodded and the four men headed over to the lodge. There was no coffee, next they headed for the cafeteria, it was locked."How bad ya want that coffee?" Vin asked them.
"Bad," Josiah gruffed out. Sanchez enjoyed the early crisp mountain mornings but relished them even more when he had a hot cup of Jo in his hands.
Chris smiled and wandered away nonchalantly, "If you boys happen to find some coffee bring me some please." The leader of the seven ignored Tanner, as the ex-bounty hunter produced his lock picking tools and quickly went to work on the lock.
Twenty minutes later the four men sat on the uncovered wooden porch enjoying coffee. A small fire burned in the yard, with a tin coffee pot resting on the edge of the flame on a large flat rock.
Buck and JD could be heard waking, those two did nothing quietly. They even argued about who's tooth brush was who's. Josiah eventually went inside and could be heard saying, "JD that green Reach Toothbrush is mine so don't even think about it." There was a pause and then, "that's Ezra's so if you don't want his cold I wouldn't use his either."
Nathan, Chris and Vin just cringed, how did Buck and JD survive this long. A few moments later Josiah came back out followed by Buck then JD. Vin got up and poured them both a cup of steaming coffee from the confiscated coffee pot. "Here ya go boys," Tanner said. Buck and JD each gratefully took their cups and sat on the top step to the bunk house. The sun had just crested the tree tops. It was nearly five thirty am.
A half hour later Richard and Andy came walking down the gravel path. The smiles on their faces dipped when they spied the small cooking fire and the coffee pot. "Gentlemen what are you doing?"
"You really at a loss?" Buck asked. The five men still lounged on the wooden porch, Vin had disappeared to go find a river or something that might pass for fishing.
The one called Richard placed his hands authoritatively on his hips. Chris quietly corrected the man, wrong move, his men did not respond well to intimidation, especially Buck. The others would dig their heels in and balk but Buck, he would go on the offensive. Chris had made his decision last night, for one week he was just one of the boys, not their leader.
"Where are the other two?" Andy asked, trying to diffuse the situation, he would talk to DC about this later.
"Vin's gone fishin'" Nathan answered, sipping his coffee, "and Ezra's still sleeping."
"Mr. Tanner does realize we start calisthenics at six am then go for a run. Doesn't he?" Plaine asked, slightly peeved. They had not had groups so resistant.
"Yup, guess he wanted to go fishin' instead," Josiah answered. He hid his smile behind his apparent illegal coffee.
"Well, Richard go find Vincent while I wake Mr. Standish," Thomas said. Apparently the others were not going to be any help.
"I wouldn't if I were you," JD said sitting next to Buck. Andy stared questioningly at the kid, even he had a wise guy attitude, "I mean wake Ezra," Dunne paused and then explained, "he don't like waking up before eight am."
"Then how's he get to work on time?" Thomas countered figuring he would trip up the kid.
"He don't Ezra's always late," Sanchez added. He did not like anyone trying to bully JD. He could read Thomas clearly. Maybe Vin and Ezra were rubbing off on him.
"Well Mr. Standish will just have to comply for one week," Andy said entering the bunk room.
Buck and JD stood up and moved away from the front step which sat directly in front of the bunk house door.
They could hear the counselor trying to wake the southerner. Then Ezra's groggy sleep laden gargled response, followed by even more rousting attempt from Thomas. Chris shut his eyes as he heard a southern laden curse, then a Midwestern yelp. The sound of footsteps, more threats, then the screen door flew open and Andy Thomas unceremoniously caught in an arm lock with his neck in a choke hold was thrown off the porch into the green mowed lawn. "Don't ever wake me again," Ezra hissed out with a croak in his voice. The Standish stood on the porch dressed only in boxer shorts, he dark brown hair stood up on end and his green eyes half hooded he held a hand up to his eyes shielding them from the sudden light. He found Josiah and the others staring at him with bemusement,
"What the hell is that?" He whispered out hoarsely out.
"It's the morning sun, Ezra," Josiah answered smiling.
"Ohh Gawd what time is it?" he asked rubbing his face, this triggered another short string of coughs. All the muscles in his torso tightened as he covered his mouth.
"Six," JD answered helpfully.
"Ohh gawd, that dog won't hunt," Standish moaned re-entered the bunk house and went back to bed.
Thomas regained his feet and stood facing the other men. The slight southerner proved looks could be deceiving. Andy would not make that mistake again. Thomas decided to try another tack, "would you men like to join us for calisthenics and a light jog?"
Nathan was the first to answer, he normally jogged every morning anyhow, "Sure." He got up entered the bunkhouse followed by the others. JD hesitated for Buck, "Go ahead JD I'm gonna hang here. Keep an eye on Ezra."
Dunne stared at his older friend. Keep an eye on Ezra? Last night Buck threw both his shoes, JD's shoes and both bags at the southerner trying to get him to shut up. Standish slept oblivious to the onslaught all the while softly coughing. Josiah and Buck had eventually gotten up and carried the conman's bunk down to the furthest spot in the building hoping to at least get some peace and quiet. Standish never woke. Buck wanted to put Ezra in the shower but Chris drew the line there, they could move his bunk out of ear distance but not get him soaked. Dunne figured Chris had no intentions of putting up with a weeks worth of pranks and reprisals.
"Mr. Wilmington you won't join us on our run?"
"What's gunna be chasin' me?" Buck asked a little leery.
"Nothing Mr. Wilmington just a pleasure run," the blonde haired counselor answered slightly confused.
"Well if nuthin chas'in me I don't see why I need to be runnin'," Buck answered matter of factly.
Andy Thomas shut his eyes, he had walked right into that one.
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