It seems that the bandits overestimated their strength and underestimated their opponents...

Your gaze scans the restaurant premises, which now looks like the scene of a violent mass brawl.

The groans of the wounded...

It seems that some of the visitors and employees were injured and wounded.

Pools of blood under some of the bodies lying on the floor...

Obviously, this mass brawl was the last event in the lives of some people.

And among the dead were not only several bandits...

A couple of local employees were also very unlucky...

"In just a few moments, the peaceful stay in the restaurant was disturbed by some threatening event... Sometimes it seems to me that troubles are pursuing me..." - you think.

You look at your female companions in shock.

Brittany looked quite scared, although she tried not to show her fear too clearly. Her hands were shaking slightly.

"I... I hid behind an overturned table and threw plates at those bandits..." - Brittany says in a trembling voice.

Brittany comes up to you and hugs you. You feel that she is quietly sobbing.

The rest of your companions look different...

Valeria Stella looks much calmer. In her hands you see a sharp and large kitchen knife. The blade of the knife (as well as the girl's hands) is bloody. Obviously, in the confusion she managed to take this knife from somewhere (from one of the tables or from the kitchen). And she managed to use it...

You notice that one of the lifeless bodies on the floor has a slit throat.

The pool of blood under the body is getting bigger...

"I have traveled the wastelands for a long time. I have experience in fights, Anton... If there is a need to cut a couple of throats - I can do it..." - Valeria's grin looks even a little... frightening.

She even seems to enjoy the fact that an opportunity for cruelty has arisen.

You realize that, in the context of her abilities, there were reasons why she used to act as part of the armed forces of Jackson-Fortress.

Rain Blue also does not look scared. She holds several small knives in her hands. You notice that similar knives are stuck in the bodies of several bandits lying on the floor.

"I know how to handle some types of melee weapons... Before I was enslaved, I roamed the steppes with my tribe... Life-threatening situations are commonplace, and it would be strange if I could not do anything in a dangerous situation..." - her words sound cold-blooded.

The next second, she throws a pair of knives at a wooden beam near the ceiling of this room. The knives stick into the wood. This clearly illustrates the fact that Rain can throw knives quite accurately.

Eva is standing closer to the exit of the building.

She is noticeably nervous, but tries to control her emotions.

"Professor Blake... As soon as the fight started, I tried to call someone for help..." - she says.

You see that on the opposite side of the restaurant there is a small group of men. Only four people. They are sitting among overturned tables and broken chairs and trying to bandage their wounds with scraps of fabric (these scraps are pieces of clothing).

Probably, these men are united by something...

You examine them and notice some familiar symbols on the body of each of them.

Burns in the form of circles on the forearms and chest...

"I saw the same symbols on the body of a wounded man from the Flamemakers tribe!" - you think.

You come closer to the men and see that some of them are searching the bodies of the bandits and taking their weapons (primitive hand-made pistols, daggers, brass knuckles).

Next to the group of these male strangers, you notice the same wounded warrior who almost drowned in the river.

It seems he also took part in the fight - he lies on the ground, stunned by a blow to the head with brass knuckles. His hands are clutching a bloody piece of a chair leg. Next to him on the floor lies the lifeless body of one of the bandits, his neck twisted in a direction incompatible with life.

With a mournful cry, a girl named Rekha, whom you recently "met", runs up to the body of the stunned warrior from the Flamemakers tribe. She tries to treat the wound on his head.

You approach this group closer and say: "I would like to thank you for helping us in the fight..."

"We were coming here to meet our fellow believer Hubert... Suddenly, in a panic, customers started running out of the restaurant onto the street... Then this girl's cry for help... We ran here as fast as we could... Obviously, these bastards wanted to kill the followers of the true faith..." - one of the sullen muscular men waves his hand towards Eva and responds to your words of gratitude.

You understand that these people are local representatives of the community of believers of the same cult that the Flamemakers tribe worships.

A religious cult called the "Way of the Life-Giving Flame" – that's what those you managed to talk during the voyage on the steamship called this faith…

You decide not to try to convince these guys about the reasons for the mass brawl that occurred.

If they prefer to think that what happened was caused by some religious differences – so be it.

A second later, you hear screams coming from the back of the restaurant (near the bar): "What a nightmare?! I'm broke! What will happen to me now?!"

The restaurant manager looks extremely scared…

Your intention to calm him down doesn't have time to come true…

From the street, you hear the loud sound of a car approaching!

"There are cars in this city?! I didn't expect that…" you think.

Through the shards of broken glass, you manage to partially see this car. It is a large, slightly rusty, armored jeep with a machine gun turret on the roof. Soon a large group of muscular and tall guys, dressed in large kevlar bulletproof vests and soldier helmets, bursts into the restaurant. They are holding SIG Sauer XM7 **** rifles. You also notice armbands with a strange symbol on their hands (a yellow dollar sign on a blue background) and the inscription "Angels of Liberty"

"Everyone drop your weapons! Now! If you don't obey, we will shoot! Everyone lie down on the floor!" - you hear the shouts of these soldiers.

It seems that the sounds of a mass brawl in the restaurant attracted the attention of local law enforcement agencies...

And now you and your companions will have to face the consequences of what happened.

Quite quickly, armed men lead all the survivors of the fight out of the restaurant. These "Angels of Liberty" do not listen to any explanations. They tie the hands of everyone - the surviving bandits, the restaurant manager and your companions-girls. And you yourself.

Then all those who were involved in the fight in the restaurant are transported in several jeeps to the central area of ​​the city.

Not only is the local administrative center located here (a large building that looks like a pre-war supermarket Walmart converted for defense purposes).

There is also a complex of gray concrete buildings that turned out to be the local prison.

So, you and your companions-girls are **** to spend the rest of the day in one not at all comfortable cell.

Besides you, there are other people in the same prison cell: the girl Rekha, the wounded guy Hubert, the waitress So-hyun.

Your premonitions about the future are alarming...

The guards give you meager food and drink.

And the next morning a visitor comes to you...

Who was it?

Lajos Buchanan, the Rear Admiral in service of the navy of the Republic of Florida.

His face expresses irritation and fatigue...

"Mr. Blake... How did it happen that you and your companions got into such an unfortunate mess? Couldn't you all have been more careful in this city and respected the local rules?" - says the Rear Admiral in a tired voice.

"Sir... I can explain everything to you! We just didn't..." - you begin to say.

"Words won't solve problems, Mr. Blake! This is the Free City of Alma! The local rules and laws are based on business interests... The idea of ​​Freedom - that's what the locals call it! The local authorities will not delve into your excuses... The facts are as follows - damage was caused to one of the enterprises, physical harm to the health and lives of many citizens of the city was caused. And you were all at the scene of the crime! Who do you think will be punished? All of you! And to compensate for the damage, you can be sold into slavery!" - Lajos looks gloomily at you and your companions.

"But it's not our fault!" - Brittany shouts indignantly.

"Empty words... Don't expect that you will be released so easily... We will have to pay a lot for your freedom... In fact, most of the valuables that our expedition managed to obtain during the voyage... But I will have to go for it... I have already agreed on everything with President Matilda Ecarto. She recently won the elections and she will only be glad to have the opportunity to benefit from the current situation... Unfortunately, for your release, she demanded more than just money..." - says Lajos Buchanan.

He gestures with his hand.

Armed guards open the doors of your cell.

The guards escort you and your companions towards the prison exit.

A group of armed sailors meets you on the street.

The Rear Admiral quietly gives them orders: "Be attentive and cautious, guys... I expect trouble because of what happened..."

You notice that together with your companions, you freed a group of other people - Rekha, the wounded guy Hubert (and four men who are his co-religionists), waitress So-hyun.

"Nothing good awaits them all in this city?" - you quietly ask Lajos Buchanan.

"You understood everything correctly, Mr. Blake... I had to pay for their freedom as well. Each of them would not be able to pay compensation for the crime. And that would mean the sad fate of a ****. Therefore, I decided to offer them all to continue the journey as participants in our expedition. After arriving in the territory of the Republic of Florida, each of them will be able to make a choice - to stay or go..." - the words of the Rear Admiral allow you to understand that the event that happened in the restaurant affected the fates of many people.

Now, your group walks along the streets of the central quarter of the city towards the port quarter.

The streets of this city are quite crowded by wastelands standards. There are probably many thousands of people living here.

"I'd rather get out of this town as soon as possible..." you hear Rear Admiral grumble.