man.
Herculean arms caught him in a bear hug, pinning his arms to his side. The Mighty Atlas lifted Pete off his feet so that his legs dangled above the ground. The arms squeezed tightly, crushing him like an implosion grenade. Pete gasped for breath.
“M-maybe we can just shake hands instead?”
A few feet away, Myka had problems of her own. She watched in dismay as her gun flew from her fingers, leaving her empty-handed. Ducking her head, she started to dive for the weapon, only to hear the snake lady hissing at her pet.
“Sssic her, Sssussie-Q!”
Susie-Q? Myka barely had time to register the python’s name before the snake charmer tossed the reptile at her. Over fifty pounds of squirming serpent came flying at Myka, who threw up her hands to protect herself. She grabbed the coils with both hands, trying to keep them from wrapping around her throat. That was the major threat, she knew. No matter what, she had to keep the python away from her windpipe.
Not getting bit would be good too.
The python snapped and hissed at her, its fangs only inches away from her face. Myka struggled to hold on to the thrashing reptile; it was like wrestling with a whipping water hose. The snake’s lower coils wrapped around her waist, squeezing tightly, but there was nothing she could do about that now. She couldn’t let go of the snake’s throat for a moment.
The serpent’s scaly body was cool and dry to the touch. Myka fought an instinctive sense of revulsion. She had to stay cool and keep her wits about her. Thank goodness snakes were not among her phobias.
“That’sss it, sssugar!” Ophidia cheered on her pet. “Show that nasssty lady who’sss bosss!”
Myka wished the woman had trained poodles instead.
A hand wriggled past the snake to dig around in her pocket. “Yes!” Nadia exclaimed as she reclaimed her glove and slipped it back onto her right hand. “I’ve got it!”
She darted for the exit, taking the artifact with her. “Run, Nadia!” her boyfriend urged her. “Get out of here!”
She hesitated in the doorway. “Aren’t you coming with me?”
He shook his head. “I’ll catch up with you later. We’ll hold on to these losers while you get away!”
“Nadia, don’t!” Myka called out. Caught up in the coils of the python, she could only watch in frustration as the artifact slipped away from them. “You don’t know what you’re messing with!”
None of them did, really.
But Nadia ignored the agent’s orders. The fat lady scooted the young healer out of the tent, then planted herself in front of the exit. “Don’t worry,” she assured Jim and her fellow carnies. “Nobody’s getting past me.”
The python squeezed her ribs. Myka’s hold on its neck slipped for a moment, and its fangs came closer to her face. A forked tongue licked her cheek. Grimacing, she shifted her grip on the writhing coils and shoved the snake’s head back. Its gaping jaws offered her a clear view down its gullet. It was a visual she could have done without.
Remind me to make sure that asp is safely bottled up, she thought, if and when we make it back to the Warehouse.
Where was Pete? She glanced away from the snake’s fangs long enough to spot her partner in a tight squeeze of his own. The strong man had Pete in a bear hug, and it didn’t look like he was planning to let him go anytime soon. Myka wondered which of them was in the most trouble.
Given a choice, she thought, I think I’d prefer the muscle man.
The snake snapped at her again.
Pete’s ribs and arms felt like they were in a vise. He tried to break from the strong man’s grip, but it was like straining against iron girders. The rugged agent liked to think he had plenty of muscle, too, but the strong man made him feel like a ninety-pound weakling. All he needed was sand kicked in his face.
What the heck were they feeding this guy?
“Good job, Atlas!” Jim urged the strong man. “Don’t let him go.”
Despite his current predicament, Pete noted that the knife
Herculean arms caught him in a bear hug, pinning his arms to his side. The Mighty Atlas lifted Pete off his feet so that his legs dangled above the ground. The arms squeezed tightly, crushing him like an implosion grenade. Pete gasped for breath.
“M-maybe we can just shake hands instead?”
A few feet away, Myka had problems of her own. She watched in dismay as her gun flew from her fingers, leaving her empty-handed. Ducking her head, she started to dive for the weapon, only to hear the snake lady hissing at her pet.
“Sssic her, Sssussie-Q!”
Susie-Q? Myka barely had time to register the python’s name before the snake charmer tossed the reptile at her. Over fifty pounds of squirming serpent came flying at Myka, who threw up her hands to protect herself. She grabbed the coils with both hands, trying to keep them from wrapping around her throat. That was the major threat, she knew. No matter what, she had to keep the python away from her windpipe.
Not getting bit would be good too.
The python snapped and hissed at her, its fangs only inches away from her face. Myka struggled to hold on to the thrashing reptile; it was like wrestling with a whipping water hose. The snake’s lower coils wrapped around her waist, squeezing tightly, but there was nothing she could do about that now. She couldn’t let go of the snake’s throat for a moment.
The serpent’s scaly body was cool and dry to the touch. Myka fought an instinctive sense of revulsion. She had to stay cool and keep her wits about her. Thank goodness snakes were not among her phobias.
“That’sss it, sssugar!” Ophidia cheered on her pet. “Show that nasssty lady who’sss bosss!”
Myka wished the woman had trained poodles instead.
A hand wriggled past the snake to dig around in her pocket. “Yes!” Nadia exclaimed as she reclaimed her glove and slipped it back onto her right hand. “I’ve got it!”
She darted for the exit, taking the artifact with her. “Run, Nadia!” her boyfriend urged her. “Get out of here!”
She hesitated in the doorway. “Aren’t you coming with me?”
He shook his head. “I’ll catch up with you later. We’ll hold on to these losers while you get away!”
“Nadia, don’t!” Myka called out. Caught up in the coils of the python, she could only watch in frustration as the artifact slipped away from them. “You don’t know what you’re messing with!”
None of them did, really.
But Nadia ignored the agent’s orders. The fat lady scooted the young healer out of the tent, then planted herself in front of the exit. “Don’t worry,” she assured Jim and her fellow carnies. “Nobody’s getting past me.”
The python squeezed her ribs. Myka’s hold on its neck slipped for a moment, and its fangs came closer to her face. A forked tongue licked her cheek. Grimacing, she shifted her grip on the writhing coils and shoved the snake’s head back. Its gaping jaws offered her a clear view down its gullet. It was a visual she could have done without.
Remind me to make sure that asp is safely bottled up, she thought, if and when we make it back to the Warehouse.
Where was Pete? She glanced away from the snake’s fangs long enough to spot her partner in a tight squeeze of his own. The strong man had Pete in a bear hug, and it didn’t look like he was planning to let him go anytime soon. Myka wondered which of them was in the most trouble.
Given a choice, she thought, I think I’d prefer the muscle man.
The snake snapped at her again.
Pete’s ribs and arms felt like they were in a vise. He tried to break from the strong man’s grip, but it was like straining against iron girders. The rugged agent liked to think he had plenty of muscle, too, but the strong man made him feel like a ninety-pound weakling. All he needed was sand kicked in his face.
What the heck were they feeding this guy?
“Good job, Atlas!” Jim urged the strong man. “Don’t let him go.”
Despite his current predicament, Pete noted that the knife
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