The MIDDLE!

[Bean Bandit]

Jean stopped briefly, blushing. What does he mean by that? she wondered.

She shook her head quickly. He had a girlfriend. He was just being nice to his new partner, she decided. After all, she'd be relucant to chase sane people away after hanging out with...THOSE people.

She nodded back. "Thank you," she said, acknowledging the compliment. "And with a few more people, and a lot of luck...we may even succeed.."

[Anonymous]

John forcefully nodded in agreement. "Then all that money will be ours!" He gleefully said, visions of gold coins and varied other treasures dancing in his head.

[Bean Bandit]

Jean laughed, grinning at him. "I like the way you think, sugar,"

She smiled to herself. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all?

[Kwokinator]

Heezan's loud voice rang out from about 70 metres behind the duo.

"Hey John!" he yelled. "Found the girl yet?"

[Anonymous]

John came to a complete and sudden halt. Curse it all! Being too deep in his fantasy of actually FINISHING this mission, he had completely forgotten about...THEM.

Picking up a stone from the ground, he threw it as far back as he could. Watching it cause a commotion in the bushes thirty meters behind him he called back.

"Help me get her!"

Dashing towards Jean, he scooped her up in his arms and made a break for it.

He WASN'T going back to them! Never!

[Bean Bandit]

Jean blinked as she was suddenly swept into Trueblade's arms, instinctively throwing her arms around his neck.

It was a bit of a shock...but she had no great love for the human disaster areas either. She looked over his shoulder, watching for signs of pursuit, trying not to blush in embarrassment...

[Kwokinator]

"I'm coming!" Heezan answered. "Hold her down!"

Sprinting as fast as he could, he ran to the thrown stone...

... and continued past it, after seeing no sign of Jean or John.

"Where are you?" he yelled out.

[RangerShade]

Lucky followed after John, unnoticed in his sneakiness. It helped that those two were making those lovey dovey eyes at each other, which made it easier for him to stay a shadow on their trail. He wished he could have gotten his hands on a magic camera like that Takeru fella, for the bard suspected he would have been able to get some *very* interesting pictures if he waited long enough.

But right now, he had more pressing concerns.

Like the clink of coins coming from the pouch that crazy violent girl was carrying.

When in doubt, always follow the gold!

[Carthrat]

The rather odd couple ran from the 'loonies', stumbling over bushes, logs and small animals...

And came to a screeching halt when they nearly ran straight over a cliff.

The cliff was tall, and at the bottom was a fast-flowing ravine. It would be possible to climb down the side of the cliff, but it would need a rope and at least a little climbing expertise.

To the sides and rear, there was nothing but the thick shrub they party was through. The main path, at a rough estimation, would be about two miles away.

The group was getting *really* off track..

[calendar]

Lallie skidded to a stop beside Heezan, looking around with wide eyes.  "Where'd they go?"

Without waiting for an answer, she listened carefully for any suspicious noises... A thump from the left!

"This way!"

[Kwokinator]

"Alright!" Heezan cried out and ran to the left. "Thanks Lallie!"

"I'll catch you yet..." he thought as he ran. "Thief..."

[RangerShade]

"For 50 gold coins I won't tell the others you're here."

Lucky decided to announce his presence to the deadend duo the old fashioned way.

And just in case they got any nasty bad violent ideas he had his bagpipes up and ready
to wake every ear bearing creature in the forest.

[Bean Bandit]

Jean dropped her arm, somewhat awkwardly, being as how Trueblade hadn't put her down, and one of her daggers dropped into her hand.

She cocked her arm, ready to throw, aiming for Lucky's bagpipes.

She paused then, considering. "Twenty." she offered coldly. "After all, You still have my panties."

[RangerShade]

Lucky cocked his head to the side.

"Point."

He considered briefly.

"Forty, and I'll even forgive you for trying to castrate me that time before."

{I love money, lots and lots of money, money piled to the sky...I wanna be rich....}

[calendar]

She followed behind Heezan reluctantly, now upset with oddness of the chase.  This was really wierd.  Where was John, and why was the chase going so slowly?

John should've caught up with her by now... and she hadn't heard any suspicious noises for a while.  She should be able to hear SOMETHING.  But all she caught was a vague impression of voices.  And it left he with a sinking feeling for no reason at all...