I go to sleep

When Delilah is finally gone, you can’t help but be at least somewhat disappointed in yourself. After **** that mutant at the lodge, you once again roleplayed doing it again, under what could be designated as a worse scenario.

A long, heavy sigh escapes your mouth as you fall into the sheets of your bed. There wasn’t much point in lingering on what you’ve done. You suppose your past actions might be considered worse. Delilah was apparently right about you doing the worst kind of things possible.

At the very least, you are now trying to do something right by protecting the mutant and the rest of her pack by tagging along with the Californian bounty hunters to make things didn’t get any worse for her. That much you were sure of…

…

...

Slowly, you started to drift off to sleep, hanging half off your bed and still in your suspenders and pants. You wake up to the sound of knocking. This time, you were positive about who was behind that door. You get up and put on your jacket and pack before answering the door.

Ashley and the rest of his goons were there, all dressed for travel. You expected them to have hunting rifles, but they were much better off with automatic Kalashnikovs. Judging by their work exteriors, they were probably from Vietnam. They also had leather boots, bandoliers, and scarfs. They traveled much heavier than you did. “Visser. That’ all you’re bringing?”

“I travel pretty light.” You say, walking out. “We should get going now…”

You begin your embankment to Lakeside. This trip lacks both the scenery and the company of the last time you were here. Delilah wasn’t here. The weather wasn’t welcoming. And there was no small talking. The tension felt so thick you thought it was going to break the legs of your horse it managed through the ever-increasing amount of snow. You wanted to linger in the back, but you were leading this search party and you didn’t want to make anyone in Ashley’s group suspect you of doing foul work.

When you arrived at Lakeside, the place had transferred notably too. More guards, less travelers, stores were shut out. It was a little off-putting, seeing a place that you were fairly familiar with turn into a borderline military outpost.

Once you got to the city’s center, you and your undesired group of companions circled around the fountain. Ashley rode close and stopped his horse. “So, what are we doin’ now, Mr. Visser?”

“We’ll have to hunker down here for a day or two. I am familiar with one of the bars nearby.” Your brain racked. You knew several people here that gave you information in the past, but you weren’t exactly sure how you’d approach them to trick your newly acquired companions off the track of the NSH.

“It isn’t late, I’m sure they’ll be caught up in the latest news on the local gossip here.” You thought for a second longer. “Betrunkener Wolf.”

Ashley nodded. “Krauts?”

“Lakeside has a lot of German shops.” You counter.

He nods again. “Haven’t had the pleasure of working with any Europeans.”

“They seem to come out of the East. Pre-war New York, Massachusetts-”

“We’re not here to talk people, Visser. Let’s just go to Bit...Bit tonguer-whateverthefuck.”

“Betrunkener,” you reply. He stares. You guide your horse and kick slightly in the direction of the bar. “It’s only a few minutes away…”

You and the rest of the group go to the destination. Your mind worked up a story to tell once you got there, but you weren’t really sure how it’d playout for you. You get to the bar in less time than you predicted, causing your mind to go into overdrive.

The bar is empty, which is not surprising to you. You kick off the snow and stretch. So far, everything was how you remembered it, but of course, a lot less people. Not just was it no longer traveling season, but it was also still pretty early in the day for anyone looking for a drink. You knock on the counter trying to gather one of the barkeeps attention. It doesn’t take too long for one of the three clerks to notice you finally.

Marcelina, the person who exchanged information to you when you first arrived in Montana is apparently working too. You couldn’t forget her, since she was the only person other than some of the “show-girls” that had her hair colored. You had seen candy-red, neon blue, and bleached blonde, but Marcelina was the only girl that had a well-kept shade of emerald green. Marcelina looked at you with an unimpressed glance. Not surprisingly. She commented about having a distaste for contractors and bounty hunters alike. Seeing not just you, but four others that shared the same kind of offensive look did not bode well with her. She rubbed her pale arms as her sharp blue eyes darted to each of the figures before they finally rested upon you. Her short green hair was pulled back in tight pigtails, which sways she leaned into the counter. Her left arm was inked, covering some scars she had obtained at one point. You couldn’t tell what they were caused by or asked how she got them - best not to ask. “Back again? And with buddies?”

“Ah, you know how we do it here.” You glance back, they seem to be fairly distracted. You lowered your voice and whispered to her, which finally gave some kind of emotion in her usual resting-bitch face. “What’s your attitude towards mutants?”

“Hm?” she leaned in closer. “Why? Where do you stand??”

“Neutral.” You think for a moment. Was that true? You repeat yourself. “Neutral.”

Her eyes move to your companion again, judging them as they spoke and jeered with each other. “They’re human. Bleed red like the rest of us, don’t they?”

“Yeah, well…” You look over your shoulder. “These guys don’t think so. What kind of fake info you got to share?”

She snorts. “Is there some kind of story behind this?”

“I owe someone a favor,” you follow up with some kind of truth, which for some reason feels appropriate. “I’m trying to get these off the trial of a pack that’s in the area.”

Marcelina crosses her arms. She plucks a glass from behind the counter and pours water into it before an extremely heavy sigh draws from her lungs. “You found some kind moral high ground?”

“Fuck off.”

“Well,” she starts. “Yeah if you want the others to think you got a lead then I suppose I could back you there.”

You knit your brows, gesturing at her with a thumbs up before you thank her. But then she pressed forward. “But then you’ll have to owe me something in return.”

“Have a change of heart towards Contractors all of a sudden? You didn’t even want to help me before.”

She smiles sarcastically and reaches out with her hand, rubbing her index and middle finger over the pad of her thumb. “Actually, I just need something to jog my memory…”

You shift legs and look behind you again. You didn’t have a ton of time to negotiate with this bitch, so you found your wallet and started to finger through the cash you had with you. Knowing she’d be greedy, you just had over everything you have. She counts it and smirks. “This really all you have?”

“Believe it or not, I don’t carry my entire fuckin’ bank with me.”

“I might have you kill the rats or something to balance out the debt.” Marcelina sucks in her cheeks. “I’m sure something has the proper will to mind. I’ll help you out, Warren.” She winks.

She stuffs the money into the folds of her apron and coughs into her hand, looking as suspicious as ever. Just as soon as the green folds of the cash is tucked away, Ashley and the rest of his gang of crooks join you at the counter. They start ordering drinks right away, trusting you to ask the questions. She stalls a few times, clearly coming up with a story to tell both you and your friends. Eventually, she starts easing into a theory and some more details. Being a local to the area apparently, she’s able to mark a few trademark locations and shares in depth details of the area where she last “seen the pack of mutties.”

“I heard some of the hunters around here that they spotted a few of those furry fucks near one of those old farms, just beyond the skirts of the town. North from here, just beyond the opposite of the lake.”

“Hey, thanks for the tip.” You push away from the counter. She gasps and brings the tips of her fingers to her chest.

“Oh, trust me. I should be thanking YOU for all the hard effort you’re all doing. It is very much appreciated! I will forever remember this.” The sarcasm in her voice was nowhere as obvious as it should have been. Apparently her dry sense of humor didn’t get through the thick skulls of the others you were with, because they all start acting polite and eager to finish the false bounty.

You filter out of the building and get back on your horses. You adjust on the saddle and ask the others if they’d like to go out and search now. Bounty Hunters tend to be a little...harder than their Contractor-counter-parts, so you weren’t at all surprised to hear all of them cheer.

Again, in silence, you travel out of Lakeside, reaching the furthest opposite side of the lake. Your expectations were non-existent. You were taken aback by the signs of actual travel. It couldn’t have been mistaken for actual wildlife. Firepit, trash, dry spots. You started to wonder what the bandits did for shelter during winter.

You pucker your lips, racking your mind. Perhaps Marcelina sold you off a location to get rid of troublemakers. You didn’t know Marcelina that well, but sending you in the direction of an actual threat kinda sounds like something she’d do. Eventually, while surveying the area, Ashley stumbled over a beaten trail. There are a few rotting posts that point to a farm house from a bygone era.

You enter the forest, where you find more signs of life. From the looks of it, it was all recent too. Tension was now a silent passenger in your search party. Suddenly, it didn’t seem so bad to not be alone.

Upon entering the compound, you see all the remaining buildings that are standing had been thoroughly taken over by mature nature. Even the rumble from the past structures had been battered by weather. All houses that were standing had their roofs caved in the center.

Ashley galloped ahead. Two of his own chased him as you decided to linger back. Something was incredibly off here. While he and the others dismounted, you felt like staying on horseback, along with the other guy apparently.

Ashley pointed at you and then the other. “Keep your eyes peeled. We’re goin’ in to search the building.”

“God be with you,” said the man beside you. “Mr.Visser let’s stick to the trail so we don’t get seen by any unwanted eyes.”

Desiring the cover of the forest again, you nod, trotting back until thinking otherwise. However, it did not take all that long for you to hear from Ashley or his companions again. They waved you down and told you the report: someone was definitely here, recently too. There was enough evidence that they could be returning sometime soon. You asked how they knew, instead of explaining it with words, they just took you back to the last building they checked.

Fireplace, supplies, cots, undeniable proof that there was a group around here. What surprised you the most was the fact that everything here was pretty well organized however, this could be a traveling group of bounty hunters or a more cherry-picked group of raiders. Either one of those thoughts didn’t sound all that great honestly.

You asked what his plan was. “We’ll wait for the mutties to get ‘er and kill’em dead…”

Bounty hunters...

Luckily, you were still pretty sure this little camp wasn’t anything to do with mutants, so this would be a firefight. “Hey, Flicker - you go back to Lakeside and find a place to sleep, take the horses with you and come back in the morning, we’ll meet you then and we’ll ride back to the town with ya.”

Flicker starts to complain that he wanted to be here for the action, but Ashely was quick to shut him down. “Damn it, Flick! You’re the weaker link here with that hand of yours. Visser will just replace you this one time, understand that?”

Ashley then looks at another, jabbing his finger at him. “Dollin, you watch the trail and come back if you see sus individuals creeping back. The rest of ya’ll can rest up around the came until events deem necessary action.”

In the collapsed body of the house, you sit in a corner and chat in a low voice. Dollin keeps a sharp eye on the trail you came in on while Flicker guides the horses back. The tension in your group had been replaced with the grip of danger. There was no room for distrust any longer. Stuff like this happened somewhat frequently on the field whenever a team got pieced together. You all hated each other and thought that everyone was out to kill you for a bigger cut of the reward, but when your lives were at stake, there was an unspoken alliance until the contract was won.

…

...

Several hours pass by. And then some more. It was about sundown when Dollin worked his way back into the body of the wooden shelter. “We got visitors, boys. Ashley?”

“Find your respectable corners and wait for them to filter in. We’ll have them surrounded before they even know what is happening.” The group dispersed, doing exactly as they were told.

You go to what looked to be a bathroom at one point. The porcelain throne was shattered and the mirror was in pieces, the bathtub was filled with water and other food supplies. You had a window that peeked into the direction of the trail. The window had a weird texture over the face of it to prevent anyone from seeing in (or out), but the holes that were punched over it kinda negated it’s original purpose.

Distant chatter can be heard from the road. In the light hue of a late-fall sky, you can see 6 figures strolling. Backpacks, long rifles, sacks; geared for travel. Contractors? Bounty Hunters? You shift legs and your heart drops. Fox ears, bushy tails. “Fuck.”

As planned, they start coming in. 3 males. 3 females. Your heart is racing now. This was supposed to happen. You were supposed to lead in the wrong direction, not directly on top of them! Your mind span. God must hate you to put you through this…

You beam your focus on what’s happening in front of you. Now seriously wouldn’t be a good time to get distracted and fuck up whatever happens next. They start removing their hoods. They all have red hair, unsurprisingly. Are they all related? One of the males stretched as one of the females narrowed her eyes, smelling the air.

“Arabella, can you start a fire? I’ll get something to eat.”

Arabella removes her hood with a heavy. Your heart plummets down to your stomach. That...is definitely the girl you had **** yourself on. Her sharp amber eyes fix on the male that had just started to talk. “We should be packing up to leave. We’re gonna get caught this close to Lakeside…”

The male huffed. “Well, if you didn’t get caught up near the lodge we wouldn’t even BE HERE. You dumb, bitch.”

Arabella’s eyes flared. “It was you that was sending me down there alone all the time, you asshole!”

“Oh, my God...Here we go again.” He male started. “You’re fucking thief. You got sloppy. You got fucked.”

Arabella’s cheeks flared next. “I-...He let me go without a hitch…”

The male crossed his arms. “Whatever. It’s getting cold and I’m tired, hungry, and sore.”

His eyes shifted towards the bathroom before he started to walk over to it. You lower yourself, making yourself as small as possible. You knew as soon as he walked in you’d have to kill him, there was ****. Luckily however, one of his companions in the background announces something. “It smells weird in here.”

The male stops. “Of course it does. This isn’t a safe house set up by our Master. You know how many have been here probably? Humans for that matter? God, I bet I’m stepping in someone’s piss stain right now. You can all thank Arabella for this by the way, have the record show that it wasn’t me who got us in trouble. Again.”

Once he got close to you, you saw that he also wore a uniform. Tailored and stitched to him specifically. New fabrics and good leather. Who were these guys? He stopped and turned around. Smelling the air too.

“Well, I suppose now that you mention it Mikko...It doesn’t smell the same in here? All this fresh snow...Perhaps we should do a swipe of the area before we get settled in?”

Arabella steps in. “I told you we should have done that when we saw that one guy leave with those horses. Damn it, Hopkins! Are you going to tell the others that this was your idea from the start too?!”

You were starting to wonder when Ashley was going to pop in, but you didn’t. He broke cover and shot the male through the heart in an instant. You heard the bullet from his escape the house, narrowly missing you as you stood crunched in the bathroom.

A scream and then another shot. Another one of the males tried to shoot Ashley, but you spat out a cruel burst over before he could crack off a shot. The last male, whipped his gun towards you and shot, but missed and then was promptly killed not even a second after. You get your firearm out of the way and tackle Arabella, warning to stay still. The two other females try to scatter, but are caught too.

The last male that was shot is groaning in pain, but Ashley looms over him and silences him with another shot. Arabella grunts and struggles. “What is wrong with you people! We’re leaving this place God damn it! You fucking monsters!”

“Shut up!” You hiss, twisting her arm. Your mind is spinning. What do I do? What do I do?!

“Boss? What now?” Dollin has the barrel of the gun pointed at the two other females. “Are we taking in live prisoners?”

“Well, Dollin, we’re not supposed to.” He slings his rifle over his shoulder and covers his face. “Just let me think for a moment.”

He looks at you. “Why’d you jump in the killzone like that, Visser? I nearly blew your head off.”

“**** of habit,” you lie. “I’m used to taking in live contracts. Especially mutants.”

Arabella grunts. Ashley nods. “I know these little fucks would go a lot for trade, but honestly, regardless of what race they are, no one deserves to be some kind of ****. Perhaps we should kill them?”

“Noo!” The foxgirl you assumed to be Mikko shriek's. “We’ll do anything!”

“Get the fuck away from me!” Ashley evades the girl. “Fuckin’ muttie! Jesus God Almighty! Boys. We have ourselves a choice here. I believe we’ve done the bounty. We’ll take whatever supplies they have here and drag the bodies back into town, flaunting that we did our part in stemming...whateverthefuck it was that was going on around here and settle in Lakeside until Spring. But we’ll have to get rid of his pointed-ear shits somehow.”

Mikko steps in. “Just please don’t kill us!”

“Girl,” Ashley snaps. “If you don’t shut the hell up, I’ll give you a reason to scream.”

He then looks at you. “Visser, this is your fault. What do we do here?”

Your stomach churns. You look down at Arabella. “You’ve already killed us. Those three you just murdered were the only ones that knew where the next safe house was.”

“Visser,” Ashley says. “What’s the game plan?”