Jake walked slowly. One thing Daniel had noticed himself was that all the robots moved at the same speed, and no matter how urgent the situation or how desperately they’d been called, they’d keep that steady pace. Daniel hoped this would be fixed before the park’s official opening.


    Jake led the way, with Daniel and Jasper trailing a little behind. Jake kept one hand on his revolver, walking with his chest slightly puffed out. He was designed to take pride in his work. Whenever they passed a local, the person would step back and, in most cases, greet him with a “good day.” If it was a woman, she’d curtsy; if a man, he’d tip his hat lightly. Jake, in return, would either fully remove his hat or just nod and wink.


    They skirted the town center from a distance. Jake didn’t want to deal with too many locals right now. Their path took them behind one of the houses near the center and continued along the third road—the one Daniel and Jasper had taken into town, where the locals’ farms were.


    Daniel recalled Reed’s house. He’d seen it on their way in. It had a massive field out front, and up on the hill behind it stood a two-story house with plenty of rooms. It was the largest house of all, and he could’ve guessed earlier that it belonged to Reed.


    The sheriff pushed open the latch on the iron gate leading to the field. Two big dogs blocked their path right at the start, startling Silver, who stayed outside. The dogs barked until they caught Jake’s scent. Once they sniffed him, their tails went up, and they started to play.


    “Get lost, mutts,” he shouted, but they didn’t budge.


    The dogs approached Daniel and Jasper, sniffing them. One growled lightly, but Jasper stomped his foot harder, scaring it off. They kept walking with the dogs in tow.


    “More cameras?” Daniel glanced at Jasper. He nodded.


    They had to trek along the path beside the field to reach the house on the hill. When they did, Jake bellowed:


    “Reed!”


    He waited a moment and shouted again:


    “Reed, you bastard! Come out!”


    Instead of a man, though, a woman appeared on the veranda. She was young, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. In her hands, she held a basket that looked full of wet laundry.


    “Sheriff?” Her voice was thin and high-pitched.


    She seemed familiar to Daniel somehow.


    “I’m looking for your father, Mia. Where is he?”


    “With the animals, Sheriff.” The girl set the laundry on the ground, stood up, and brushed off her clothes.


    “That’s some fine craftsmanship,” Jasper leaned over to whisper in Daniel’s ear. “A real beauty. Mia, you say? How many daughters did Reed have?”


    “Two, from what I heard.”


    “If this one’s that pretty, I wonder about the other.” Jasper adjusted his collar. “Both in gloves. Easy pickings.”


    “Keep your tongue in check, Jasper. You’re acting wild.”


    “We’ll wait here,” Jake pointed to a bench on the veranda. He headed over without waiting for the girl’s permission and sat down. Jasper and Daniel stayed standing. Mia watched them for a while, which felt odd, but apparently even robots needed time to process. Suddenly, she bent down sharply, grabbed her basket, and brushed past them with it.


    “Are you two just gonna stand there?” Jake snapped at them.


    “It doesn’t feel right,” Daniel replied.


    “It’s fine. You’re deputy sheriffs now. Nothing can stop you.”


    The blonde girl must’ve overheard as she passed by.


    “Sheriff? You’ve got new helpers?”


    “These two right here. A full pair. But don’t hang around them too much. I know your father.” Jake wagged a finger at her.


    “I’m Jasper,” Jasper, of course, didn’t hesitate. “And you are, miss?” He stepped closer, took her hand, and kissed it. Clearly his signature move here.


    “Mia.” She smiled, her eyes sparkling. “And your friend?”


    “That’s Daniel. He doesn’t talk much, but I promise he’s a good catch.”


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    Reed’s blonde daughter offered her hand to Daniel too. He did his best to mimic Jasper’s move, but he knew he looked a bit clumsier doing it.


    “Mia, please get back to your work,” Jake lit another cigarette. “I don’t want trouble with your father.”


    Mia gave a slight curtsy and vanished behind the house with a smile.


    “Sheriff?”


    Jake turned to Daniel.


    “It seems like you’re afraid of Reed.”


    Jake didn’t react. He stared off in a different direction.


    “Listen, kid. Reed’s a serious man. The most serious in town. And he’s got money.”


    “And he pays the sheriff too. Got it.”


    “Not just that. Reed puts up the bounties for every wanted man’s head.”


    “Like the ones posted in Violet’s bar?”


    “The very same. Catch one, and you’ll get the cash.”


    “So they’re out there right now?”


    “Yes.”


    The answer didn’t come from Jake. It came from behind them—deep, rough, and so loud it echoed off the wooden house.


    Daniel turned, and Jasper was already looking. An old man with a bristly white beard and white hair. Tall and lean, his face sagging slightly with age. He wore a cowboy hat and a cowboy outfit, holding a rifle in his hand. His eyes were small and sharp, lost in the weathered skin of his face.


    “I’ll reward you handsomely for each one. But are you bold enough? Got the guts?” The old man approached, brushing past them, and stopped in front of Jake. “Sheriff? What brings you here?”


    Jake tossed his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. He stood and offered Reed a handshake, but Reed didn’t take it. Jake pulled his hand back and gestured toward them.


    “I want to introduce you to my new deputies.”


    “Fine. Introduce them. Then get lost.”


    “Reed? Be so kind as to introduce yourself,” Jake raised his voice. “These men will matter just as much as I do.”


    “Will they, Jake? Will they? You think your job’s on par with two greenhorns?” Reed set his rifle on the table in front of him and unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt. “I told you, Sheriff. You didn’t ask me about hiring new people, and I didn’t approve it. But since you’ve done it, you’d better keep them low.” He said that last part while staring at Daniel.


    “The town’s growing, and so’s the crime. I need men.”


    “Fair enough. But why bring them into my yard?”


    “If I’d hidden them from you, you’d ask why I was hiding them.”


    “Most likely, yeah.”


    Reed turned to Daniel and Jasper.


    “Derek Reed. Owner of this farm and a damn honest farmer. That’s all you need to know about me. Now scram.”


    “Hey, brother,” Jasper couldn’t hold back—Daniel knew he’d jump in, even expected it. “How about you act a little nicer?”


    Reed grabbed his rifle and aimed it at Jasper. They’d seen this before, and it hadn’t ended well. There was no fear in Jasper’s eyes. But unlike Bill, Reed wasn’t nervous or itching to shoot.


    Still, he pulled the trigger. By the time he did, though, the barrel was far from Jasper’s head. The bullet shattered somewhere in the roof tiles across the way.


    “Next time, it’ll be between your eyes… pig,” Reed sneered at him.


    “Mr. Moneybags,” Jasper didn’t back down, “if you’re done with your little show, can we talk?”


    “Jake!” Reed turned to the sheriff. “Why are these two still here wasting my time?”


    “They wanted to talk to you, Reed.”


    “I don’t want to.”


    Daniel saw the situation as hopeless. The sheriff stood calmly in one corner, doing nothing, just waiting. In a normal scenario, he’d probably have been scared and left with them. The robots hadn’t fully learned how to manage emotions based on experience yet. It wasn’t a huge flaw, but it sometimes made scenes like this feel unrealistic. Jasper showed no fear, though he should have. In a real situation, anyone would be terrified with a rifle pointed at them. It threw off the story. Reed played his role perfectly, but after refusing twice to leave, he had no new moves except to repeat himself. Just as he raised the rifle again, a new female voice cut in.


    “Father?”


    At the house’s entrance stood a woman with slightly tanned skin and curly black hair. A little girl clung to her hand, looking just like her. It was Aria.


    “Aria, get inside. This is men’s talk.”


    Daniel couldn’t look at Jasper but was sure he was grinning like an idiot.


    “What’s so manly about this talk? You’re holding a rifle on two unarmed men.”


    “Anyone who steps into my house better be armed. It’s an unwritten rule. You never know what might happen.”


    Aria recognized Jasper. She stared at him the most. Reed, thankfully, didn’t seem to know they’d met. Jake, though, caught their glances—his narrowed eyes gave it away. Daniel loved picking up on small details. Even robots couldn’t surprise him easily.


    The girl stepped closer to her father and yanked the rifle from his hands with force.


    “Do you want your granddaughter to see you shoot strangers?”


    Reed bent down. The little girl was clearly his weakness. He took her from her mother’s arms and lifted her high in his own.


    “You’re lucky my daughters are kind. But one day, that luck’ll run out.” Reed turned to the child. “Wave to these two.” He took her tiny hand and helped her wave. Her black glove was a bit big, flopping around her fingers.


    Reed looked ugly and menacing even when he smiled.


    “Ask what you came for or get out,” he said, his smile masking his harsh, gravelly voice. He either hated them or treated everyone this way.


    “Actually, we’ve seen what we wanted,” Jasper stepped back. “See you around, Mr. Reed. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”


    Jake shrugged at the farmer and started walking. Daniel and Jasper waited until old Reed went inside. Aria lingered behind him. She turned and smiled at Jasper.


    His friend’s face lit up.


    “Don’t dawdle!” Jake was already well ahead.