We make it to Dead Wood

You only have to stop a handful of times before you arrive at Deadwood. South Dakota wasn't really much to look at, but it seems this particular town had enjoyed some profit from the ongoing battles with bands of raiders - as well as the possible Russian influence that came down from Canada every so often. Most of the buildings had been rebuilt, it seems, and the area had an impressive wall securing the flanks in all directions. This was a rather nice sight to see since you didn't want to get attacked by any wild animals. This also meant that there weren't going to be a whole lot of lowlifes or criminals in here. A wall of that size meant they cherry-picked every single one of their visitors. However, with this said, there was no doubt that they were suffering some form of corruption. Deadwood, from what you could remember, had a strange start when the war originally broke out. Lots of non-locals banded together, and they had to compromise with each other constantly so they weren't at each other's throats all the time.

Nonetheless - when you took yourselves to the front gates, the guards seemed to be fairly familiar with your outfit already. They took the papers that were offered, of course, but didn't do anything to either disarm you or put you through any kind of search. What they did do, however, was hand you a map and motioned towards one of the larger buildings down the road - explaining to you and your rag-tag team of survivors that the rest of your "party" was occupying almost an entire hotel. The main official workers of your new employers were kept in a more "federal" part of town though, where they dealt with trade and more local matters. McKinley looked at you and then at the others before he asked if you could take them back - he was going to have to talk to his boss.

You agreed to - partly because you wanted to sleep somewhere nice, and partly because you wanted to get to know everyone to make sure you weren't in some kind of weird cult. McKinley didn't give you that vibe, but it was better to confirm for yourself while you were alone instead of having someone from their outfit get in the way of your conversations. You knew Scarlet wasn't going to get involved that much; she was clearly tired. Kenji didn't seem to really fit either, so you didn't expect him to get involved in anything you were going to be doing. Perfect!

The weather was much worse here than where you were before. Snow had already been blanketing the area, and the sun was behind the sleet-filled skies above. You would have to search for more weather-appropriate clothing. They'd no doubt get you set up once your paperwork was looked over properly. The hotel where your new outfit was "stationed" was nice. Clearly, it was here before the outbreak of the conflict, but it was taken care of. New windows. New paint. New carpet and working lights! This probably meant that the water was working here too, which was always an extra plus for wherever you were. The lobby was full of men, rough-looking and tired. They shot up and ran over to Kenji and Scarlet when they first noticed them. Some were young, some were old, but they all looked healthy. These guys were definitely well-supplied. You might've hit the jackpot...

...Kenji and Scarlet started to catch up with the others, but you were quickly brought into the fold. You introduced yourself and shook hands. Their expressions changed somewhat when Scarlet mentioned you being a local-contractor. "Local" wasn't exactly the right term, however, so you corrected her comment by explaining you weren't from around these parts. Some of the members lightened up, but some of their glances remained tainted.

One man perked up suddenly and inquired where the others were. Now it was your turn to switch expressions. Scarlet opened her mouth, but Kenji stepped in and pushed her back slightly. "You guys aren't dumb. You can piece it together, I'm sure."

A few curses escaped into the lobby. "Fuckin' shit."

Kenji nodded. "But, Warren did an incredible job helping McKinley. He's a contractor like me, independent and twice as flexible. There's no reason to treat him poorly or without trust. As far as I'm concerned, he's earned at least the lowest form of gratitude among us."

Scarlet stepped in. "He does. I know I'm new with you guys too, but Warren has done a lot for us."

You started to feel a little awkward. There was no reason to say anything otherwise though. These two were doing a lot for you as it was, so what kind of person would you be to tell them otherwise? As you were talking, McKinley walked in and joined you. Another celebration, though short, happened as the room cheered...Well, most of the room; two of the men that you were with saw him with dark expressions and whispered to each other before they **** a smile and clapped with the rest of the crowd.

McKinley greeted everyone, thanking each person individually before he found you. He handed you a file and nodded, telling you that the rest of your payment was inside, as well as your contract that you were acting under. He handed you a key and brought you in closer.

"Officially speaking, you're a coworker now. I'll be your guide for a while. My wife and I will show you around and get you used to our code-of-arms in the morning. In the meantime, why don't you find your room and get comfortable? You deserve a bed and some time to yourself."

"Thanks, McKinley." You took the key from his hands and read the number. 101.

"Ah," he stopped you before you got far. "We're right next to each other, so don't be shy to ever drop by and ask me about anything once you're settled in. We've got a long time before it's Spring."

"Sounds good."

He smiled. "Why don't you meet my wife before the day ends? I'll be up there soon. I just have to...make sure some friends are still here."

You gripped the key and tilted your head to him.