Deputy Devin Does It Right

Your hand twitches, wanting to pull your pistol on this slimeball and make him open the closet at gunpoint. As satisfying as that would be, it wouldn’t bring back Laura, and you made a promise to her that you would protect these people. Be their Sheriff. So you let your Sheriff sensibility guide you to the smarter path. You need this to go down clean, and as much as the crowd is on your side they all know how much you hate Nick, and why. That could lead to questions. Doubts. Too messy. Better to let Devin finish what he started.

“Get in there and open the closet, Deputy. I’m granting you a warrant to enter.”

Devin just stands there, back straight, shoulders square, looking Nick right in his beady eyes. “You really gonna let a lowly Deputy like me show you up, Nick? You don’t have the stones to do it yourself?”

Nick turns red as the crowd laughs at him. His shoulders slump in defeat and he shuffles over to the coat closet behind him. Now that’s how it’s done, Deputy. I’m damn proud of you.

And I know just how I’m gonna reward your initiative when we get back to my place.

The crowd howls when Nick opens the closet door and reveals the stolen goods. They sound evenly split between shouting praise for you and Devin, and calling for the coward Nick’s head. Nick is staring at his feet, fuming, and a cold feeling of satisfaction settles into your gut. “Whaddya say, Nick? Can I let your neighbors in now to take care of business, or would you like until sunup to pack your things – and only your things – and be gone?”

Nick’s eyes snap up to meet yours, and he takes a few sharp breaths through his nose. “Alright, I get it. You win, Chloe. This time. But this won’t be the last you’ll see of me. Someday, Chloe, someday I’m going to make you regret taking my town from me. I’ll have you begging for forgiveness. Just wait!”

You don’t pay too much heed to his rantings. After he allows Devin to recover the stolen goods and shut the door, there’s too much celebrating to be done. The crowd wants to carry you off for solving the mystery and getting rid of the slimy coward, but you’ve had a long enough day. You get your Deputy to disperse the crowd and take you home, where you show him just how much you appreciate his fine detective work.

“Fuck! Yes! That’s the way Deputy! Get it get it get it!”

Devin has you bent over a table, pounding you hard and fast as you yelp and yell encouragement. In the weeks since Nick left town with his tail between his legs, you’ve managed to teach your Deputy just how you like it from a man. You’re not sure which is more surprising: how well he’s taken your instruction, or just how far you’ve pushed him to go.

He takes you roughly, as he does every day. Using his easy strength, he manhandles your petite frame, picking you up by your hips and flipping you over, dropping you back down on the table with your legs over his shoulders. You scream and snarl in pure animal lust, his face is red and focused as he gives you exactly what you asked for.

In spite of how good he gives it to you, something inside wants him to give you even more. More than you’ve asked for, more than you can handle. Your hands are on his sweat-slick chest, nails digging into his golden hair and the skin beneath, daring him to do more. More Devin more harder faster make me beg. Make me plead for mercy and shut me up with your hand on my throat. Give me more than I can take, pour yourself into that hole inside me and fill me up until I burst.

You want all that, but something stops you from giving those desires a voice. Something stops you from admitting to yourself just how depraved you’ve become. Maybe I was always this way, and only her sweet love kept me on the bright path. Devin’s eyes are fierce, but you can see that core of sweetness in him. He’s giving it to you just as rough as you told him to, but you know he won’t go any further. Even as you buck and moan through another orgasm, you know that your Deputy just doesn’t have it in him to do what you secretly desire.

“You sure you need another one of those, Sheriff?”

Devin can’t hide the concern on his face as he slides his trousers back on and watches you drain your third whiskey of the morning. He’s a sweet kid. I should do something about that before it gets him killed.

“Sure as I know you’ll be back between my legs tonight.” You eye the bottle, considering downing just a little more to try and fill that hole inside, but you don’t want to argue with your Deputy. “Now let’s get out there and keep some peace.”

Walking down the dusty main road of Goodsprings, as you have so many times before. You’ve stopped trying to keep your gait steady, not caring that folks know you’ve been at the bottle again. They’ll think what they think, and you’ll do what you do. How I live with my pain ain’t nobody’s business but my own.

Mei is feeling better, walking down the road with Harvey. She’s not limping, but she does lean a bit on the walking stick Harvey made for her. They wave at you and Devin, the smiles on their faces doing nothing to hide the concern in their eyes.

“How’s everything, Chloe?” Mei takes your hand. “I see your Pip-Boy is working again.”

“Oh yeah, it’s in fine shape, same as me.” Not exactly a lie, as it has seemed to recover most of its functionality even if it isn’t quite as reliable as it used to be. Same as you.

“Oh that’s great to hear, Sheriff.” Harvey grins. “Can’t afford to have that breaking down on us now. Trade from the east is still dry as a bone, haven’t had a chance to restock on spare parts in ages.” His grin tightens, and his brown eyes are anxious. “Be sure to take care of yourself, now.”

“You bet, Harvey.” You don’t let them see you wince as they continue on their way. I wish folks would stop being so damn kind. It hurts to lie to such honest people.

Your drifting gaze comes across Jake huffing and puffing his way towards you. Other people… not as much. “Howsit goin there, Jakey?”

The butcher takes one glance at your bloodshot eyes and turns to Devin. “Deputy, were you just talking to Harvey, there? He’s reneging on our deal! When are you going to do something about that?”

Devin glances at you out of the corner of his eye before answering. “Yes, Jake, sir, we were just talkin to Harvey. And what do you mean he’s renej… rene… goin back on your deal? He fixed up your equipment as agreed, I saw it myself.”

Jake pulls himself up to his full height, meaning he’s still looking slightly up at the younger man. “Well it was damn shoddy work he did! Why if I was a more suspicious man I’d say he made it work worse than before!”

“Calm down now, Jake, sir, I’m sure there’s an explanation.” Your Deputy’s calm, confident tone reminds you of yourself, before you gave in to your grief. “Tell you what, later this evening we’ll swing on by with Harvey and we can take a look. Make sure everything’s on the level.”

“You be sure to do that!” Jake gives you one last disgusted glance before stomping away. Disparate feelings swirl in your gut, moving over each other like oil on water. There’s a sullen resentment that he can see how clearly broken you are. At the same time, you’re grateful he allows you to wallow in your misery undisturbed.

Those feelings continue to churn throughout the day, distracting you as you stand unsteadily and listen while your Deputy hears out a dispute. Kathy and Luis, Mei’s husband, are in a heated debate over what to do with Nick’s old house, still abandoned after his exile. Luis wants to convert it into a workshop, so he and Harvey and the other crafty townsfolk have somewhere to work together. Kathy, on the other hand, is sick of sleeping in the schoolhouse and wants Nick’s place for herself.

Your throbbing head makes it difficult to follow the course of the argument, and you fail to notice the dust cloud on the horizon. Fail to hear the thump of a hundred boots. Fail to keep your promise to protect these people.

Three shots ring out in the afternoon air, and you finally look to see them coming up the hill toward town. Those red uniforms and tall proud banners can only mean one thing. You’ve never heard of them coming this far west, but you know Caesar’s Legion when you see them.

Pushing through the mush of your whiskey-soaked mind, you tell Devin to be ready to meet you outside the town with steel drawn. You run as fast as your shaky legs will carry you to Mei’s house, and tell her to meet up with Kathy and round up the little ones. They need to leave, get away, go as far and as fast as they can and not look back. Once that’s done, you go to meet Devin and face the Legion to buy your most **** charges some precious time.

What you see when the Legion arrives confuses you. The vanguard gives way to a woman, and the way the soldiers all defer to her makes it clear she’s their leader. Women aren’t leaders in the Legion. Especially women dressed like this. What’s more, she’s flanked by more than just the usual bodyguards. Men and women in what you can barely describe as clothing, clearly there to serve some carnal needs of the woman in charge. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Devin’s cheeks turn red.

The leader steps forward, her statuesque body adorned in fierce leather, and the amount of skin showing has your cheeks almost as red as your Deputy’s. “Hail, Goodsprings. I am Minerva, Legate of the Thirteenth Legion. I have a proposal for you, and I take it since you two are bold enough to meet me that you have the authority to answer for your town. You can either surrender to me, right now, and become part of the glorious new order I am bringing to the Mojave. Or, you can refuse me, and I will crucify every last one of you.”

Devin gives you the quickest of glances, but when he sees you sway on your feet a look of resolve enters his eyes and he steps forward. “I’m afraid we can’t accept, Legate ma’am. We are good, honest, free folk in Goodsprings. Always have been. We don’t bow to no tyrants, no matter how glorious their order is.”

Minerva doesn’t speak, her expression doesn’t change. She simply reaches to her hip, draws a revolver, and puts a bullet through Devin’s heart. You drop to your knees at the same time Devin’s dead body drops to the dirt. It isn’t the loss of your lover that laid you low. It’s the sight before you. The smoking steel held so casually in Minerva’s hand. Ol Blue.

They got her. She’s gone. I should have been with her.

From the back of Minerva’s entourage a nightmare steps forward. Nick’s crooked teeth split his face in a wide grin. “I told you, Sheriff. I told you I’d be back. I told you you’d regret what you did.”

Minerva lifts a hand to silence Nick’s cackling. “You seem to have the right idea… Sheriff, is it? Well, not anymore. The town known as Goodprings no longer exists. Not much point in being the Sheriff of nothing, now is there?”

Nothing is all I am.

“Since you’ve made the intelligent decision and decided to kneel, I shall spare some of your people and take them as slaves like you. Of course, there must be some retribution for that little show of defiance.” She turns to her bodyguard. “Half seems fair, no? There were two here to meet us. One made the foolish choice, the other…” She turns back to you and smiles. “... seems to be more wise.”

The Legion begins to move through the town, and all you can hear is people screaming as they’re captured. They work shockingly quick to erect crude crucifixes, and you finally snap out of your stupor as you see a legionary dragging Sally toward one of them.

I promised her. I promised Laura I’d protect these people. You’re on your feet. Your pistol is in your hands. You’re stumbling toward Sally as she screams against her captor. The gun is leveled and a prayer for accuracy is on your lips. The bang. The kick, taking the pistol out of your shaking hands. Sally, still screaming. The legionary, slumping against the crucifix, painting it red with his blood.

They’re on you then. Too many to possibly resist. You’re taken to the ground and hogtied, the soldiers parting as Minerva walks up to you. “Impressive! And here I thought all the fight had gone out of you. There seems to still be a spark in there that won’t be so easy to put out.” She crouches down and lifts your chin with a gloved finger, forcing your face up to hers so you can feel her warm breath across your lips. “I like a challenge.”

She stands and addresses her men. “Her act of rebellion has intrigued me. Spare the others. I have something special planned for this one, and I’d rather use her people as leverage than a sacrifice.” She looks down at you, her lips curving in a cruel smile that sends a shiver down your spine. “Put her in my car. I want some time with her before we reach camp.”

Nick shuffles up. “Hey! We had a deal! I gave you the town. I told you the best way to approach without being seen. I want the redhead! She’s mine!”

Minerva looks down her nose at the pathetic snuffling man. You see just a twitch of tension in her arm, like she wants to lay a backhand across his greasy face. “You are alive on my pleasure, little man. Do not forget that. Still, I am grateful for this boon you’ve granted us, and Caesar pays back his debts in kind. You may yet have this one for yourself.”

She looks down at you as her soldiers attach a leash to your neck and hoist your bound body. Her smile is captivating. “Whether she ends up in your care or mine will be up to her.”