Hazardous Love - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“I wonder how it’s going,” Modo took another bite out of his hotdog and continued watching tv with Throttle. Throttle chuckled and elbowed Modo in the side.

“One guess as to what they’re doin’ right now.” Modo sighed and shook his head.

“That boy really needs to cool it bro. She ain’t the average girl he usually dates.”

“Well you can tell them that yourself big fella. I can hear them coming now.”

“Think I will.”
They both stood up from the couch when the garage door opened, and noticed that not only was Vinnie alone, but he was covered in blood.

“What the hell happened?!” Throttle and Modo ran to Vinnie looking for injuries only to have their hands brushed off.

“It ain’t mine bros. It’s Charley’s”

“CHARLEY’S!!” They yelled in unison, Modo’s eye turning crimson.

“Yeah, Greasepit... said he was comin’ for Charley. He shot at me and Charley jumped in front of the bullet,” Vinnie leaned his back against the tool chest and put his hand on forehead still trying to get a grasp on the situation.

“Oh momma,” Modo squatted down next to Vinnie and put his hand on his shoulder. At the sight of the single tear running down Vinnie’s furry cheek Modo gave him a big bear hug despite all of Vinnie’s objections.

“We’ll get her back bro,” Throttle came back with a wash cloth and gave it to Vinnie to clean off the blood on his chest.

“Just hope she’s hangin’ in there. That looks like a lot of blood. Where was she shot?”

“In the shoulder,” Vinnie wiped away the tear, and washed the blood off. He stood up and threw the cloth on the floor.
“Damn it! Why would she do that?! I would have jumped out of the way. I could have saved her! Why did she have to do that!” He yelled out into the night air.

“Isn’t it obvious,” Modo brought over his bandoleers.

“We’ve known for some time. The way she looks at you Vinnie, nothin’ clearer than that.”

“She’s the real deal bro,” Vinnie ripped off the black dress shirt and strapped on his bandoleers, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. If Limburger does anything to make it worse I’ll turn him into rotten cheese omelet!

Vinnie brushed away another tear, not wanting his bros to make fun of him, although he was sure that they’d let it slide this time. The realization that a woman could be in such deep love with him boggled his mind… and tore him up even more.
No girl’s ever felt like that for me before… except maybe Harley, but we were teenagers. I’m the macho guy, the hero. I’m supposed to take the bullet. Not you sweetheart… hold on Charley-girl, I’m comin’ to get you babe…

***

"What the hell happened… Where am I…Ouch!!" Charley looked up from where she sat and realized that she was in Karbunkle’s lab and that her wrists were chained above her head. The pain of having her left arm above her while her shoulder still had the bullet in it and was still bleeding was making it difficult for her to concentrate. I have to get out of her… I hope Vinnie made it out okay… Shit! My shoulder kills! Come one guys… I really need you… Charley tried to pull on her chains to see how loose they were and if she could slip her wrists out of the handcuffs but swore as a wave of intense pain flooded her senses and her vision started to fade as she fell unconscious once more.

***

“Finally! You useless bafoons have come up with a plan to control those hot headed hampsters whilst I dig up the city,”
Limburger looked out his tower window, excited as a kid at Christmas, as he tried to make up his mind as to where to start digging first.

“Karbunkle, go make sure that our distressed damsel is still suffering enough to keep those putrid pests in check. But do make sure that she stays alive for the time needed to excavate this paltry city.”

“Yes your cheddar cheesyness, right away.”
As Karbunkle descended in the elevator towards his lab, Limburger caught of glimpse of motorcycles coming towards his plaza, laughed and smiled triumphantly to himself.

“You rough riding rodents are not going to be able to interfere this time. Not if you want your female mechanic to live,” He laughed louder in his office as the motorcycles approached his tower, “it really is a shame that I will have to destroy her before the night is done. Her death will be the undoing of that wild wombat! Two mice is better than three.”
His evil laughter could be heard from outside as the mice blew their way into the Limburger tower. It’s only a matter of time now…

***

“Punch it bros! We’re almost there,” Throttle led the way up the stairs on his bike followed by Vinnie and Modo.

“Come on bro! Charley’s up there!”

“We know Vinnie. Take it easy. We’ll get her back.”

“If it’s the last thing I do…” Vinnie broke off and leaned lower on his racer to go faster.

“It won’t be bro. Get yourself ready, we don’t want the big cheese to have the drop on us.”
Just as they reached the top of the tower, the door to Limburger’s office opened before they had a chance to blow it off it’s hinges.

“What the hell?” Throttle skidded to a complete halt, not liking how the situation already.

“Where’s the big cheese?” Modo looked around, removed his helmet and smelled the air in the office.

“Woo! One thing’s for sure, he was here not long ago,”

“Yeah, this setup stinks almost as much as he does,” throttle removed his helmet too, and looked at Vinnie who had also removed his helmet, and slowly got off his bike.

“Where the hell is he?” Vinnie balled his hands into fists and squeezed so hard they started to hurt.

“I bet he’s got Charley in Karbunkle’s lab. Let’s go get her bros!”

“That won’t be necessary you retched rodents.” Just as they were about to ride out of the office, Limburger rose through a trap door in the floor on an elevator with Greasepit, and Charley. Charley was still unconscious, but Greasepit held the chains connected to her handcuffs, as she sat on the floor, her arms still held above her head.

“Oh momma,”

“Holy shit…” Both Throttle and Modo weren’t prepared for the sight before them. They knew that Charley had been shot and that she’d lost a lot of blood. But seeing her sitting in a pool of her own blood, looking deathly pale, and the gaping hole in her shoulder looking sore and infected with the bullet still in it without a doubt, both mice felt their stomachs turn over in disgust.

“Charley…” Vinnie broke off, choking on the fury gripping his heart and blinding his sight. He started to make his way over to Limburger, only to have Limburger motion to Greasepit who in turn pulled the chains up higher making Charley groan in pain as more blood seeped out.

“I don’t think so rodents.”

“What do you want fish face,” Throttle asked through clenched teeth. Man I know Plutarkians play dirty, but this is way out o’ line…

“I thought you’d never ask,” Limburger chuckled at seeing how distressed they were over the earth female, “Only your word that you will not interfere with my plans to dig up this dreadful city or Greasepit will finish what he started with your female friend,”
Greasepit took out his pistol and put it point blank to the top of Charley’s head.
Modo’s eye burned a dark crimson red, and Vinnie’s fur stood up on end as he balled his fists in barely contained fury.

“You have our word liver lips. Now let the lady go, she’s got nothing to do with this.”

“Oh on the contrary. She became involved when she first repaired your motorcycles. She’s the reason why you are able to interfere with my plans, thus implicating her in our little, shall we say, disputes,” Limburger laughed at the mice’s frustration at not being able to help her, and worse, for being the reason that she was where she was, dying.
Seeing their inner turmoil, Limburger chose this moment to leave.

“Well, I do hope that you will allow me to depart. I have a city to mine.”
Limburger’s laugh could still be heard as he descended the elevator and made his way out of the complex with a small army of goons.

“Bro, we’ve got to do something. I hate to say it, but Limburger’s right. It’s our fault that Charley’s in this,” Vinnie sat back down on his bike, leaning his head on his arms resting on his handlebars, Oh man… I’m so sorry Charley. It’s our fault that you’re here.

“We need to distract knuckle brain over there long enough to get Charley away from him,”

“But how? He’s pretty shifty and I don’t trust him with that gun. He’s already shot Charley once.” Modo looked over his shoulder at Greasepit who looked a little agitated and trying to listen to what they were saying.

“Hey! What yous rodents sayin’? Don’t try anythin’ funny or your little girly friend here is gonna have her brains sprayed on the walls,” As a reminder, he pushed the gun against her head, waking Charley up.

Charley opened her eyes, say the guys in front of her, was about to say something, but saw the look on Throttle’s face, motioning her to stay quiet when he saw her looking at him. She looked up at the gun aimed down at her and noticed that the safety hadn’t been pulled. She smiled at her luck that Greasepit was so stupid. She looked at the guys again and saw the pleading look in their eyes, but decided to take a chance, this is my chance...

Charley leaned over slowly so as not to pull on the chains, and bit Greasepit’s leg as hard as she could. At the sound of his scream she bit harder and could taste blood under his oily trousers.

“Charley NO! He’s got a gun!” Just as Vinnie jumped out of his seat to grab the chains away from Greasepit’s flailing arms, Greasepit aimed the gun and pulled the trigger.

“CHARLEY!” They all screamed and leapt out of their seats ready to beat Greasepit to a bloody bony pulp.
At the sound of the click, but no shot, the mice looked down and saw Charley wincing, as though anticipating the shot.

“Thank god for small favors! Your stupidity being one of them,” Charley croaked through dry lips and started to fall back. Biting Greasepit had taken the last ounce of her energy.

“You stinkin’ rats! Wait ‘til I shoot her again! This time I –” his words were cut off by Throttle’s fist complete with nuke knucks. Vinnie dove down to his knees to catch Charley before she hit the floor.

“I don’t think so Greaseface! You’ve taken on a new low hurting the lady and you’re all going to pay for this. That rancid cheese breath boss of yours included. No one, and I mean no one hurts our friends,”

“Especially not my girl!”

“Understand?!” Modo stood face to face with Greasepit, his eye burning a red circle on Greasepit's face. He ripped the chains out of Greasepit's hand, tore the cuffs off of Charley’s wrists, and grabbed him by the straps of his overalls.

“Did I say stinkin’ rats? Come on guys. Yous don’t know how hard it is workin’ for Mr. Limboiger!”

“I don’t want to hear it you putrid pile of grease! It's your day of reckoning Greaselips!”
Modo walked to the window and threw Greasepit through the glass, he made a hoop out of the chains, lassoed Greasepit’s foot, and welded the chain to the metal beam of the window with his arm blaster, leaving Greasepit to dangle 15 stories above street level.

“Charley… Charley wake up sweetheart.” Modo could hear Vinnie’s voice breaking up as tried to wake her up. Oh no…

“Charley! You can’t leave me! You just can’t! Not now! I love you…” Vinnie ran his hand through her hair, bringing her face up to his chest while his other arm curved around her back holding her body close as she lay across his lap.

“Come on bro. We need to get her to a hospital.”

“Yes please… If this bullet doesn’t do me in, Vinnie’s grip will,” Charley whispered out with a ghost of a smile on her lips. All three breathed a sigh of relief and Vinnie chuckled as he kissed her forehead.

“Thought you liked it when I held you close,”

“I do. I love it when you hold me. I love you…” Charley closed her eyes in exhaustion.

“Glad to see you’re still with us babe,” Throttle put his hand on Charley’s arm in comfort.

“I’d never dream of leaving you guys. Who else would whip your tails in line?” She smiled again, but wider this time, “Besides, I still haven’t taught you guys the etiquette of using a door.” Modo smiled and picked up Charley from Vinnie.

“Come on bro. We’ve got to get her to a hospital.” Vinnie mounted his racer and watched as Modo sat Charley across his lap, tucked her in close, and wrapped his tail around her.

"Let's Rock and Ride!"

***

All three mice sat in the waiting room, waiting for news from the doctor on Charley’s condition.

“I hate this…” Vinnie hung his head looking down looking at the floor, doing his best to remain calm.

“Easy bro. They’re doing their best. You need to give it time.”

“I’m sure the doctor will be out in no time,” Modo patted Vinnie on the back, trying to reassure him, when secretly he was hoping that she’d pull through as well.
They were lucky that the nurses and doctors there recognized them as the bikers who’d saved the lives of many innocent bystanders, and so they didn’t question them when they brought Charley in bleeding and barely conscious. The doctors however had seemed hesitant to approach Modo who held her in his arms. He’d had to lay her down on the stretcher for them since they were too intimidated to get too close.
Vinnie stood up and started to pace the room, just as the doctor came out of the operating room and approached them with a grim look on his face. Modo and Throttle stood up as well.

“Well, she made it through. Mind you she has lost a lot of blood, and we will need to keep her for a few days to let her recover and hook her up to a blood supply right away.”

“Thank you doc,” Looking at Vinnie, Throttle shook the doctor’s hand and asked him another question.

“When can we see her?”

“She’s being brought to a private room as we speak, as you requested. She should be there now if you want to see her.” He walked over to the nurses' station and asked the nurse to give them the room number.
The nurse looked them over and winked at Modo, who blushed.

“She’s in room E-468, on the fourth floor.”

“Thank you m’am,”
They made their way up the elevator and found the room in the east wing of the hospital. They walked in and what they saw brought a lump up in their throats.
Charley looked so small in the bed. Her hair was loose all over the pillow, her bangs wet with perspiration, and her left arm was in a sling and bandaged at her shoulder. She had an oxygen mask on to help her breath, and various needles and tubes stuck into her right arm feeding her blood and liquids intravenously.

Her eyes opened at the sound of their boots on the floor and she smiled at them and removed the oxygen mask.

“Hey…” her voice was weak, but she motioned them over.

“You guys always just barge into my garage, how come you haven’t made a nest in here yet?” She joked, but her smile disappeared when she saw that they weren’t smiling back.

“What’s wrong?” frowning at their gloomy expression, she slipped the oxygen mask off her face and let it hang around her neck
They closed the door and removed their helmets.

“We’re the problem Charley-girl,” Throttle knelt next to the bed and took her right hand in his two hands.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s our fault you got caught up in this mess,”

“What?! You’re not serious are you?” Charley looked at him incredulously.

“We involved you in our problems by having you fix our bikes and buy us food, and, hell, by just being around us,”
Modo ran his hand through the fur at the back of his head and looked at Charley like he’d hurt her himself.

“We should never have interfered with your life Charley m’am.”

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing!” Charley looked at Vinnie who wouldn’t look at her. He just kept his gaze riveted on his boots and his arms behind his back. Please don’t tell me you regret our date… I couldn’t stand another heartache…

“You mice are unbelievable,” all three looked at her surprised by the slight undertone of anger in her voice.

“Can you all sit down at least. You’re making me strain my neck by looking up.”
When they still didn’t crack a smile, Charley heaved a sigh of irritation, and tried to sit herself up.

“Hey! Whoa there sweetheart, don’t hurt yourself!” Vinnie rushed over and tried to help her.

“I’m fine! Are you guys going to try to blame yourselves for this too?” After having finally pulled herself up, Charley propped up the pillow behind her and asked them to sit down again. Modo sat on the bed since the chairs weren’t big enough for him and put his hand on her feet rubbing them as though trying to comfort himself by comforting her.

“Why are you beating yourselves up for something I chose?”

“Well it’s just that… we thought that… you were better off if we hadn’t barged in on ya the day we landed,” Vinnie looked down at his hands as he wrung them in front of him.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! Do you remember that night? Greasepit was trying to force me to sign that contract to sell my property to Limburger. I’m sure he would have done worse than he did tonight. But he didn’t. And I have all three of you to thank for still having my garage, for your help around with my business, and the action when we get to kick Limburger’s smelly butt.”

“Whoa there babe, there won’t be any action for you for a while, and I don’t just mean Limburger.” Throttle joked with her. He understood her point but still felt somewhat responsible.
Charley saw Vinnie blush at that comment, but he still hadn’t said much.

“You don’t… you don’t regret our date do you?” Charley leaned over to Vinnie and rested her bandaged arm on the rail of the bed.

“Oh sweetheart, never. I just feel so guilty about dragging you around with me and not taking you away from that slime ball back at the park. I might as well just have handed you over to Greasepit before he shot you,” he put his head into his hands in frustration.

“First off, you don’t drag me around. I like riding behind you… I get to stare at that great butt of yours. Second, you couldn’t have done anything. Everything happened so fast. Besides I wouldn’t have let you. I love you, but you’re reckless!” Charley ruffled the fur on his head at that last comment. Vinnie looked up and gave her a smile. Modo chuckled in agreement.

“As for the bullet, that was my choice. A bad one, mind you. But you can’t blame yourself for that,” she rubbed his cheeks and stroked his ear, “besides, I would do it again in a heartbeat. No one hurts my mice.” When Vinnie looked up Charley kissed his nose.

“Uh uh! No more bullet diving for you sweetheart. I’m wrapping you in bubble wrap.” Charley started laughing but was cut off by Vinnie’s mouth as he kissed her.

“Ummm...” Charley moaned against his mouth and ran her right hand up his bicep, rubbed his neck and then settled her hand at the back of his head.
Modo cleared his throat to remind them that they were still there, but it had no effect.
Throttle just shrugged, sat back and reached for a magazine on the nightstand beside him. Modo laughed at how casual Throttle was about them. Aw well, what can you do?... new love, that’s the most dangerous kind… he laughed and shook his head looking at the two of them. Their kind of love will be dangerous no matter what..

Lost in his kiss, Charley accidently leaned on her left arm and winced in pain.

“Careful Charley-girl,” Vinnie kissed her cheek and helped her lay back down.
They heard a knock at the door and they all pulled on their helmets. The nurse walked in and to inform them that visiting hours were over.

“We’ll be back tomorrow babe,”
All three mice gave her a kiss on the forehead before leaving. Charley leaned back against her pillows and closed her eyes.

“You are so lucky to have them as friends,” Charley looked up at the nurse and smiled.

“I am lucky,” She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

***

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to go teach blubber butt a lesson or two in how to treat a lady,” Throttle rode in the middle and looked at his bros.

“That low down scum really crossed the line this time.” Modo clutched the handles of his bike and his eye glowed red in anger.

“No one hurts my girl and gets away with it!” Vinnie revved up his bike and popped a wheelie, “Let’s Rock!”

“And Ride!” Modo and Throttle followed Vinnie as they rode in the direction of the smoke rising up above the buildings where Limburger was digging up a whole lot of trouble.

***

“Awwww… how nice to work in sweet silence without those bothersome… Mice! Oh no!” Limburger heard the revving of their engines as they jumped the pile of dirt just above him and Vinnie shot the bulldozer hauling a load of dirt in its claws with his blaster. The dirt fell on Limburger, trapping him.

“You stepped WAY out of line this time fish face!!” Modo rode up the dirt mound and stopped his bike right in front of Limburger’s face.
Limburger looked at Modo’s big black boot directly in front of him and looked up at the huge muscled mouse dreading the imminent pounding.

Modo reached down, grabbed him by the collar with his bionic arm and ripped him painfully out of the dirt. Limburger screamed as he was tossed to Throttle who activated his nuke knucks and punched him in the face, sending him flying in Vinnie’s direction.

Vinnie jumped a dirt pile, doing a back flip in the air and hitting Limburger with his back wheel as he came flying his way.

Very bruised, battered, and unhappy Limburger finally hit the cement foundation of the building he was digging beside. The foundation cracked, and he peeled off the wall leaving behind a few teeth and quite a few fish scales.

All three mice rode up to him and circled him like hawks going in for the kill.

“You ever touch my girl again, even look at her the wrong way, I’ll gut you and hang you out to dry fish breath. Got it?!” Vinnie leaned down grabbed Limburger by the collar, lifted him up and raised his fist at him.
“I said GOT IT?!” Limburger nodded and whimpered through his broken jaw and missing teeth.

Vinnie threw him back down to the ground and rode off before he actually killed him.
Throttle and Modo followed suit, ready to end the day by cleaning up the garage for Charley and preparing it for her for when she would be released from the hospital.