Sleep. I need rest.

You decide to just sleep. There's no need to worry yourself any longer than you already have.

When you wake up in the morning, you feel a little disoriented. The events of the night before apparently bothered you more than you thought - so your dreams are plagued with getting caught and the man you murdered. You were also more bothered by the living conditions of the people you helped escape than you had previously thought.

You swung your legs off the bed and exhaled, rubbing your face as you recall what you last remembered. Shaking off the fake memories of the night before, however, you bounced into the morning quickly. All you needed was a shower to get yourself refreshed.

In the lobby, you didn’t see Delilah, which probably meant she was closing again. You got your coffee and talked a little to some of the other occupants over the tavern’s rooms. You poked around a little with the locals too, finding out if they were actually somewhat familiar with the raids that had been going on around the area. The other "outsiders" weren’t too sure why the place hadn’t been attacked, but the locals never seemed scared - they seemed very confident they weren’t in any danger of being raided. You found it a little odd, but since you knew you weren’t going to get any more information… This place really didn’t like newcomers.

Before noon, you decide to check on McKinley and the others you returned with. You knock on the door, careful not to disturb them if they were still sleeping. Luckily, they weren't. The person who answered the door was your original employer. He looks much better, clearly getting a full night’s rest. He seems happy to see that you’ve come to visit, more than likely saving him the trouble of trying to find you.

“Good morning,” he says, without a hint of grogginess. “How are you feeling?”

“Peachy,” you reply. “How about you and your friends?”

“Uhh, we could be better. Scarlet could be doing a lot better, but there’s not much we could do about that.”

“Right,” you sigh. “Looked like she got the worst of it.”

“Wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.” He looks back, bringing his hands to his chest. You glance down and watch him rub a ring on his left hand. “But, again...nothing we can do.”

“Probably shouldn’t talk about it then.” You try to get away from the subject. “So, what are your plans now?”

“Without the caravan to escort and most of our team dead, the best thing to do as of now would be to return to the HQ. I, or I guess we, were supposed to go to a small branch up at Dead Wood.”

“South Dakota? That’s a pretty far distance, McKinley.”

“Which is why I’d like to move as soon as possible. We might be easy pickings for bandits, but I personally think we should leave as soon as possible. Winter will kill us faster than any bandit would. Plus, we couldn’t really fend off the cold. It’s bad as it is.”

There’s a few seconds of silence. “Well, I’d be willing to come along.”

“Thanks.”

“For a price.” You confirm.

McKinley sighs. “Should have figured...I’m not sure how much I can really stretch here at this point. I could offer you a year-long contract with us. That’ll allow you to go wherever you please once winter passes.”

“With all expenses paid?” You ask.

A dry laugh leaves his lips. “Well, considering how many of our (just now) ex-contractors just died. I don’t think that’s far from reality. I won’t promise it, but I’m confident my bosses could see to it.”

He looks back. “I’m sure Kenji and Scarlet here would be happy to vouch for you.” McKinley then steps back.

“How about you step in? I don’t really want any unwanted ears listening to us.”

You look down the hall and notice there are some workers further down chatting. They look like maids, ones you’ve seen every so often since you arrived. Understanding where he’s coming from, however, you join him inside your original room.

Kenji is in the bathroom, looking at his eye. The counter has a few bloody bandages sprawled out, and there is a spool of thread there as well. His brown eyes train on yours for a moment before he blinks and looks away. The girl, who you assume is Scarlet now, is in bed still, wearing some loose clothing. Her eyes are closed, but she squints one of her eyes open to check who else is here. You tilt your head somewhat, and she sits up straight.

“We’re **** to leave,” McKinley says suddenly. “We need to get out of here. As soon as possible!”

“What? Why?”

“This place isn’t what it seems. People like me and my friends here aren’t exactly welcome. It’s all just rumors, but I can tell no one wants us here.”

Kenji steps out, his black and blue face swollen. Clearly, the night of rest didn’t help him as much as it did McKinley. He leans against the wall and crosses his arms. He looks at you and nods. “I’m not the begging type, but we do need to leave. I don’t see it being possible without an extra hand either.”

“I want to know what this is about first. Are any of you wanted?” You shift legs, giving everyone else in the room a firm glare.

“We’re not,” Kenji steps closer. “But, the longer we’re here, the bigger target we become. People like us shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous. I’m sure you’ve heard of the stories from the locals around here. This whole town is a-”

“Stop right there,” McKinley warned. “Those are just stories. I’m more worried about the ARS finding us.”

“ARS?” You ask. “What’s that?”

“Nothing!” McKinley snaps. “Just...just please help us get out. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you get paid the way you want. I’m begging you. We all need to get out of here.”

All eyes are on you. You feel uncomfortable. This wasn’t what you signed up for, but you know there's a lot of money on the line. What about Delilah? Well. What of her? Does it even matter at this point? You switch your stare to each of the persons staring at you. These are some of the most pathetic and **** eyes you've ever seen...