This is part of a story we have planned.




Alec Freeman had known Ed Straker for several years. He wasn't quite sure whether the relationship was a blessing or a curse. On this trip, he was leaning toward curse.
Just as he had slipped out of his suit and into comfortable khaki shorts, sleeveless tee shirt and sandals he heard a sound. The sound was distinctive.
Knowing Ed Straker for so long, he knew precisely what the Commander's voice sounded like.
Until now.
The strangled cry hadn't sounded like Straker. However logic told him it hadn't come from a koala. So he ran into the spare bedroom of the shack that Straker had pronounced less suitable for living in than a cardboard box.
At first he didn't see Straker. That's when he looked up.
Straker was on top of the bureau, pistol drawn.
"Ed why are you up there?"
"I'm admiring Australian architecture. Your ceilings are particuliarly admirable. Alec tell me what you see over there. No, there."
"That little thing? You probably scared it."
"What? I scared it? Me?"
"It isn't poisonous, Ed."
"Tell the snake that. And wipe that grin off your face Alec. I've gone through survivial training Alec. I've eaten snake. As you may recall when it comes to Jo Frasier I dated one. They don't scare me. What are you doing Alec?"
"I'm picking up the poor thing, all eight feet of it before you traumatise it with your gun. "
Straker muttered something Alec didn't catch.  Freeman grabbed the snake quickly by the head from long years of having snakes as his next door neighbors on the sheep station he'd grown up on. He opened the window after several tries and flung the carpet snake out.
"There now, the bad American can't hurt you now. Ed what are you doing?"
Straker had leaped off the bureau and disappeared out the door. Alec hurried to keep up with his friend. There was a single shot.
"Ed, that type of snake is protected."
"Not from me it isn't. Don't do that again." Straker told the very dead snake. He then went back in the room he'd come out of and threw things into his suitcase. He then locked it and took it.
"Ed what do you think you're doing?"
"Alec give me the rental  car keys."
"Ed you can't be serious..okay lower the gun. Here. But where are you going?"
"To the best deluxe hotel suite money can buy. You coming?"
"Okay okay. Wait! Waitttttt! Damn it Ed slow down the jeep!"
Yes. Definitely on the curse side. All he'd wanted was to show the city mouse the way the authentic country mouse lived. Unfortunately the country mouse was now running for his life to catch up with the city mouse who was driving the jeep.
If Ed didn't like the shack he's going to kill me when he finds out just why I really asked him to take his sick leave with me here in the land down under. That's if I make it inside that..ooof..jeep.
"Damn. I should have fed her more petrol and I could have ditched you for good." Straker grumbled as Alec just barely hopped over the side and into the passenger seat..
"Isn't giving your second in command a heart attack against Shado regulations? No? How do you know? Oh."
"That's right Alec. I wrote them."

      

Moremoremore!!

Poor Ed.. But you can't be too careful. I mean, that carpet snake could have been a Hive agent   

Write Rat wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2017 at 2:29am:


http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-04/carpet-python-bites-man-in-bed/8160806#...

When I first visualised the scene I saw Straker jump on a high boy style bureau. I decided on a regular bureau. Looking at this pic (among many I looked at) you can't blame him. He found it in his bed. Alec didn't tell him he had a room mate.

Moo wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2017 at 4:34am:

The Commander agrees with you. Grin. <:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::]
We needed a snake for that scene. However, that isn't the only snake that shows up in the story. One is two-legged and the other poisonous one that samples Straker show up. Yes folks one bites Straker. (probably the mother to the one he shot hee hee. No, its a really bad one.  Alec doesn't believe Straker got bitten at first. He thinks Straker is teasing him. Uh..no.