The Hare collapsed next to the others and began scooping water from the oasis into his mouth. With a pleasurable sigh he dunked his entire head under the cooling water.
When he emerged, things had changed. SC pointed a paw towards a distant dust stream. 'Scavengers! Heading here fast.'
Goldie had her high tech binoculars out. 'I count six vehicles and they know we're here. Two on each side just split off to encircle us.' Her tone was grim.
Hare's head went to and fro as he saw his friends dealing with the news. Goldie had calmly taken out her side arm and was checking it as The Gingerbread Man assembled a rifle from his pack. Jessica was reaching into her purse to arm up as well.
SC took control. 'They don't know how many of us are here. I suggest some of our number retreat among those trees; conceal yourself and let's see how this plays out. We want them to think we're more helpless than we are.'
Goldie nodded agreement. 'Good play. Animals stay here with Jess and George. Ginge and Hare, you're with me.'
The three of them hurried to the treeline, with Goldie still giving orders. 'We go up.'
'Huh?'
She sighed. 'A quick recon of this area will expose us in under a minute, but those trees are pretty tall, so ...'
The Hare continued to stare blankly for a moment before it clicked. 'We climb!'
'Finally. Ok, Ginge, arms round my neck. Hare, shoes.'
'Huh?'
As Goldie slipped her boots off, she pointed to his DM's. 'Shoes off ya drongo. Lace em together and put em round your neck and climb.'
'Oh, oh right.' It made sense. The Hare was good at climbing stuff, but Goldie was an expert. Soon they were shimmying up the thickest tree with The Gingerbread Man hanging onto Goldie.
Near the top, Goldie motioned that they should move a bit to a solid looking branch. With good purchase, Goldie, legs wrapped round the branch, took out her binoculars and swept them in the direction of the closest two trucks, while the Gingerbread Man set up his sniper's nest.
'Did this a time or two before,' muttered Goldie. 'Had this caper in the deserts near Agribah. Teamed up with an exiled royal, some Prince ... forget his name. From Persia I think. What the ... those whatchacall ems? Scavs? I can see a dozen or so ... done up like bikers. Leather jackets on some of em! In the desert!'
The Hare still couldn't see, but took the chance to demonstrate his local knowledge. 'The Vegas desert is a lot cooler than uh, places like Agribah or um Persia was it? Besides these scavengers could be Loonies. Some physical laws don't affect them.'
*
Down below Jessica, George and the three animals were about to find out. The two vehicles had pulled up and disgorged ...
'Rabbits!' exclaimed Griffin in shock.
The lead biker rabbit was wearing a blue denim jacket with no arms and had an American flag bandana wrapped around his dun coloured head. Nine of his fellows were also uprights of varying sizes from three to six feet tall, but the final two were normal looking rabbits, though one was wearing sunglasses and the second was tattooed with a spidery webbing and sported a gold hoop earring.
'You shut your mouth cat,' snarled the lead rabbit. 'This here is Hellz Rabbitz territory.
Several of the bikers displayed the insignia on their jackets and one had the words tattooed across his forehead.
Griffin frowned. 'I know you ... you're older and meaner looking but surely you're Pe ...'
The rabbit backhanded him. 'They call me Mad Pete!'
'You're the leader?'
The former Peter Rabbit turned towards Jessica. 'Oh the boss is comin all right girlie an you're gonna wish you'd never stepped foot into Hellz Rabbitz territory.'
The other vehicles pulled up neaby - a few large jeeps, one with a gun mounted on the back, behind which a rabbit stood, training it on the captives. There was also a truck. Several armed biker rabbits, one wearing a WWII German helmet leapt down.
The cab door opened and a tall figure in black jeans and a leather jacket stepped down. A cigar was hanging from his mouth and his long white hair blew in the wind. One eye was covered with an eyepatch. 'So, what do we have ...' the scav leader stopped short. 'Jess?'
Jessica squinted at the figure before her and gawped openly. 'Hare?'