Make her go back to the others.

Mikko stubbornly defies your order without changing her posture or her expression. The only way you’re going to get Mikko to listen to you is to raise yourself, so you work with her instead.

“Fine,” you accept. “But, you listen to everything else I say going forward, and you don’t dare speak unless I tell you to.”

“I’m not a—“ she tries to interject her opinion, but you point at her objectively with an erect finger.

“Mikko, I swear to Christ Almighty. Listen to me! Now is not a time to test your independence with me! I don’t need to explain to you how dangerous this situation could get!”

You watch Mikko slightly deflate as she considers your warning towards her, and for a moment, you think she’s about to go back home. When she relents, however, you take her with you, going against your better judgment.

You complete the loose circle with people still remaining around– some were there originally but returned after the shooting stopped. You’re not the only newcomer, however. In the crowd, you see Scarlet looking disgruntled– messier than yesterday, but at least sober. She either doesn’t notice you or knows better than to put you in the spotlight.

“Alright, guys,” she introduces herself, flashing her officer badge to remove any suspicion of who she is. “What’s the matter?”

“The matter?” The man guffaws like Scarlet’s question was the dumbest thing she could have opted to ask. “Your fuckin’ contractors operating in this area have swelled our need to act aggressively. Or maybe we’ve been been already too aggressive if a pretty girl like yourself has been recruited in law enforcement.”

Scarlet grinds sadistically. “Touching may cause harm, big boy.”

“I like a girl that fights back, but I’ll have you singing a different in just a few minutes. I’ve been told, I am very persuasive.”

“The only way I’ll change my opinion about you is if you leave without causing any more of a scene than you already have,” you see her eyes flick at the lifeless figure on the ground. “It would be wise if you left now.”

“And if I decline your offer?”

Scarlet shrugs. ”I’ll make arrangements for your burial and any of your friends that decide to stay with you. I don’t make the rules. I just enforce them.”

The man taunts Scarlet by placing his foot firmly against the back of the corpse on the ground. “You enforce them?”

“My process is different than you might expect,” her voice doesn’t waiver, but you can’t help but wonder what position she could be in to be so confident. “I’m a contractor, so you might not be suspect.”

“A contractor?” He muses. “How many of you cons are here?”

“Just me,” she cocks her head to one side. “Hired out of state. Montana girl.”

The man nods slowly. “I don’t believe you.”

Scarlet’s nose flares slightly before she replies. “You don’t have to believe me, but you better get the fuck out of here before I start making an example out of you in front of your friends.”

“You and what ****?”

“Everyone here is armed and ready to blow your guts out if you don’t listen to our hired help!” Someone shouts. “And now that I know we’re not gonna get in trouble for it, we’ll **** you, too!”

Just as things seem to be adjusting to your favor, the man grabs Scarlet’s wrist as one of the others shoots the person, just voicing their support for their **** departure. At the same time, Scarlet is hit rapidly until she’s on one knee. You see her drop her handgun as she slumps down with a wet grunt. Mikko is quiet but does start reversing backward. “I think it’s time to go.”

Someone else is shot, and the last thing you see before being pulled away, is the man pulling rope from his side to tie up Scarlet with.

…

…

Arabella is sitting across from you, and you and Mikko explain what happened when you left. Most of all, you’re happy nothing unraveled with Arabella or Gwendolion.

When you get to the part explaining what happened to Scarlet, no one reacts besides Arabella, who is slightly grinning to herself. When your eyes meet, she doesn’t bother straightening her lips. Instead, she smiles wider. “Well, I guess that’s one less problem on our plate.”

“No,” you say. “We went from chaotic good to chaotic evil. God knows what they’re doing to her.”

Your last remark makes Arabella seem a little embarrassed like she hadn’t considered that being a captive under raiders wouldn’t be a vacation.

“So, what are you going to do then?” Arabella says, more or less shifting the subject away from Scarlet. “Should we stay here, or should we go? It sounds like these guys are bound to have more of their friends coming, so we might be better off moving.”

“What other options are there other than to leave?” Gwendolion says. “We should just leave before we get sucked into a political event with the town. It’s not worth our time or the risk to our lives.”

Arabella sees your expression and preemptively starts shaking her head. “She isn’t with your life either, Master…”

Mikko blinks. “You’re not thinking about helping that girl, are you?”

“He shouldn’t be,” Gwendolion says. “If Arabella says it isn’t worth it, then she really isn’t.”

“Quiet,” you sigh. “Let me think.”