《Tusk and Timber》 Chapter 1: The price in Iron The night wind gently blew, as a man trudged through the brush, pistol belt and off-white cotton drawers, a hunting knife on his side. The breeze was comfortable, if not slightly brisk, as the flicker of a pipe in the dark illuminated a slightly chubby face with a full dark blonde beard. The night bug''s gentle chirping was pierced by the sound of a sigh and the man pissing on a nearby tree. He puffed his pipe and grit his teeth through a yawn as he finished buttoning up and stared at the moon. A bright quiet peaceful moon, gleaming like a silver coin floating in a sea of stars, reflecting off his glasses, and all was serene¡­and then suddenly there was no ground beneath his feet. A frantic flail of panic did nothing as his scream of shock was muffled by freezing cold water and the sudden thud of hitting it, after a good ten feet of free fall. He frantically swam parallel to the current and reached soil, crawling out and looking back at the river running behind him that wasn¡¯t there before. He brushed water from his mustache, salty as hell from the river. He looked up at the skyline above the trees for his direction, and for the life of him, he couldn¡¯t find the damn moon. Now freezing and trudging through snow that wasn¡¯t there before, his confusion grew, and he realized he must be dreaming, and his glasses were long gone. The air was piercing and icy, and the now soaked cotton drawers did nothing to help. His footing was oddly foreign, his boots feeling somehow different and loose as he headed for the treeline and hoped to find his camp and his men somewhere. For what felt like hours, he wandered through the woods, shivering to the bone, before finally reaching the light of a fire. He rushed in and huddled to get warm, and was greeted with the strange click of a pistol at the back of his head. The click sounded dark, muffled somehow, like it was wrapped in cloth or caked in mud. A soft click, void of the high ping steel usually makes. He unbuttoned his holster and went for his revolver to find it was gone. He sighed dramatically, realizing he was done for. ¡°Okay!¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m just tryin to get warm.¡± He carefully added, realizing he may be about to die, or worse. Footsteps circled him and the glint of glasses under a hat shone in the firelight, as a dark skinned man, with a bushy white beard and blue goggles, turned to grin. His almost sinister smile curled up as if he struck gold, the rather hefty sized revolver still aimed at his belly. Dark matte black and almost invisible in the moonlight. ¡°Well, you just got here, didn¡¯t ya, boy?¡± the old man asked. ¡°I don¡¯t rightly know where I just got.¡± He shakily admitted. ¡°I¡¯m not armed.¡± ¡°Oh, I know it. Boy do I know you ain¡¯t armed for shit. Fell in your sleep, I take it?¡± he said, referring to the long underwear. The younger man sighed, embarrassed. ¡°I was takin a piss. I don¡¯t know where my gun went. The holster button is still snapped, I don¡¯t understand how I could have lost it. Lost my glasses. Lost my hat.¡± ¡°Oh, your gun¡¯s there. Dig deeper in that holster.¡± Chuckled the old man, like a kid waiting for the punchline of a joke. The younger man dug in and pulled out 2 pieces of brass and some wet wood grips. He went back in and lifted 6 loose 38 caliber lead balls in his hand, and a baffled look of silent disbelief. ¡°I must be dreaming.¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s our lucky night.¡± Grinned the old timer. ¡°What do you mean, OUR lucky night, old man?¡± he nervously asked. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to be alive, and have 2 working feet after landing in the river and hiking here soaking wet. I¡¯m lucky because for saving your life and letting you get warm, and the dry drawers I¡¯m gonna give you, you¡¯re gonna give me them brass pieces and bullets. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s left of that knife ya got.¡± ¡°Savin my life and then robbin me¡­well ain¡¯t that a peach of a greeting.¡± He said pulling out of the broken sheath only remnants. 2 wooden handle grips jangled together on 2 loose brass pins; nothing else. ¡°Well, I was hopin for a big brass hand guard and end cap in that, but I guess you can¡¯t win every card game. The brass buttons on them drawers too. Every shred of metal you got on ya. That¡¯ll be mine now. Let¡¯s get you some dry clothes. We¡¯re goin for a walk.¡± ¡°Mister, I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on. One minute I was tuckin my dick back in my cottons, and it was nice outside, and then I was falling in a river colder than winter tit itself, and now my gun is missing, my knife is missing. I didn¡¯t grab my damn cavalry sword, and you want me to walk¡­where? Why?¡± he asked. ¡°Because there¡¯s never just one of you showin up at a time. There¡¯s 2 to 4 usually. So that means other people out there freezing or dead, either way, something shiny to take home. Damn shame you didn¡¯t bring that cavalry sword on your piss break. Them guards got a looootta metal in em.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just brass dumbshit, it ain¡¯t made a solid gold.¡± ¡°It may as well be here. Brass is worth more than gold is.¡± He said going to get dry clothes. He returned and tossed them down as the younger man quickly swapped the frozen cottons for warmer ones and a blanket, a fresh pair of boots, and a hat. Taking his boots off, he noticed the iron studs missing, and the heel shorter, like some of the boot parts had just evaporated. ¡°Now those are on loan till your stuff dries out, you know? You don¡¯t get to keep em.¡± He said, the younger man suddenly grabbing the gun and turning it, looking even more confused as the old man pulled a knife to defend. ¡°You robbin me old man, with a fake gun?¡± he chuckled, tossing it down as the old man grabbed it back with a big smile. ¡°Damn thing¡¯s just painted wood.¡± ¡°Boy, you are dumber than horse shit, tossing that pistol back. You don¡¯t realize you had my ass with that fake gun.¡± He said, holding it like it was still a threat. The younger man squinted in the dark, noticing the knife he was holding was fake as well. The knife made of nicer wood, dark red and slick to the touch from the look of it. Shiny in the light. ¡°Fake gun and a fake knife. Hell, you¡¯re not robbin anyone.¡± He scoffed as the old man reached out and lightly cut his arm with the wooden knife. ¡°Cuts like butter for a fake, don¡¯t it? I¡¯d shoot you with the gun to prove that¡¯s real too, but bullets ain¡¯t cheap here.¡± He said de-cocking the hammer and clicking the chamber around to prove it worked. ¡°Quit dickin around. We got people to find, dead or alive, before someone else does.¡± He said as the young man noticed a strange shiny white edge on the wooden knife. ¡°The hell is your name, old man?¡± the confused young man asked. ¡°Hudson Galloway. What the hell is yours?¡± ¡°Tom Hawthorne¡± he replied, ¡°Pennsylvania light Cavalry.¡± ¡°Well Tom. Lace up them boots. We¡¯re about to make new friends, or I¡¯m about to collect some more brass off some dead folks. Either way, it¡¯s a good night for me, and you¡¯re still real lucky to be alive. Lotta men would have just killed you for it. You are welcome as hell, my friend.¡± Hudson chuckled, in a jolly yet vaguely psychopathic manner. ¡°I don¡¯t rightly know where I just got.¡± He shakily admitted. ¡°I¡¯m not armed.¡± ¡°I know it. Boy do I know you ain¡¯t armed for shit. Fell in your sleep, I take it?¡± he said, referring to the long underwear. The younger man sighed, embarrassed. ¡°I was takin a piss. I don¡¯t know where my gun went. The holster button is still snapped, I don¡¯t understand how I could have lost it. Lost my glasses. Lost my hat.¡± ¡°Oh, your gun¡¯s there. Dig deeper in that holster.¡± Chuckled the old man, like a kid waiting for the punchline of a joke. The younger man dug in and pulled out 2 pieces of brass and some wet wood grips. He went back in and lifted 6 loose 38 caliber lead balls in his hand, and a baffled look of silent disbelief. ¡°I must be dreaming.¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s our lucky night.¡± Grinned the old timer. ¡°What do you mean, OUR lucky night, old man?¡± he nervously asked. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to be alive, and have 2 working feet after landing in the river and hiking here soaking wet. I¡¯m lucky because for saving your life and letting you get warm, and the dry drawers I¡¯m gonna give you, you¡¯re gonna give me them brass pieces and bullets. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s left of that knife ya got.¡± ¡°Savin my life and then robbin me¡­well ain¡¯t that a peach of a greeting.¡± He said pulling out of the broken sheath only remnants. 2 wooden handle grips jangled together on 2 loose brass pins; nothing else. ¡°Well, I was hopin for a big brass hand guard and end cap in that, but I guess you can¡¯t win every card game. The brass buttons on them drawers too. Every shred of metal you got on ya. That¡¯ll be mine now. Let¡¯s get you some dry clothes. We¡¯re goin for a walk.¡± ¡°Mister, I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on. One minute I was tuckin my dick back in my cottons, and it was nice outside, and then I was falling in a river colder than winter tit itself, and now my gun is missing, my knife is missing. I didn¡¯t grab my damn cavalry sword, and you want me to walk¡­where? Why?¡± he asked. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Because there¡¯s never just one of you showin up at a time. There¡¯s 2 to 4 usually. So that means other people out there freezing or dead, either way, something shiny to take home. Damn shame you didn¡¯t bring that cavalry sword on your piss break. Them guards got a looootta metal in em.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just brass dumbshit, it ain¡¯t made a solid gold.¡± ¡°It may as well be here. Brass is worth more than gold is.¡± He said going to get dry clothes. He returned and tossed them down as the younger man quickly swapped the frozen cottons for warmer ones and a blanket, a fresh pair of boots, and a hat. Taking his boots off, he noticed the iron studs missing, and the heel shorter, like some of the boot parts had just evaporated. ¡°Now those are on loan till your stuff dries out, you know? You don¡¯t get to keep em.¡± He said, the younger man suddenly grabbing the gun and turning it, looking even more confused as the old man pulled a knife to defend. ¡°You robbin me old man, with a fake gun?¡± he chuckled, tossing it down as the old man grabbed it back with a big smile. ¡°Damn thing¡¯s just painted wood.¡± ¡°Boy you are dumber than horse shit tossing that pistol back. You don¡¯t realize you had my ass with that fake gun.¡± He said, holding it like it was still a threat. The younger man squinted in the dark, noticing the knife he was holding was fake as well. The knife made of nicer wood, dark red and slick to the touch from the look of it. Shiny in the light. ¡°Fake gun and a fake knife. Hell, you¡¯re not robbin anyone.¡± He scoffed as the old man reached out and lightly cut his arm with the wooden knife. ¡°Cuts like butter for a fake, don¡¯t it? I¡¯d shoot you with the gun to prove that¡¯s real too, but bullets ain¡¯t cheap here.¡± He said de-cocking the hammer and clicking the chamber around to prove it worked. ¡°Quit dickin around. We got people to find, dead or alive, before someone else does.¡± He said as the young man noticed a strange shiny white edge on the wooden knife. ¡°The hell is your name, old man?¡± the confused young man asked. ¡°Hudson Galloway. What the hell is yours?¡± ¡°Tom Hawthorne¡± he replied, ¡°Pennsylvania light Cavalry.¡± ¡°Well Tom. Lace up them boots. We¡¯re about to make new friends, or I¡¯m about to collect some more brass off some dead folks. Either way, it¡¯s a good night for me, and you¡¯re still real lucky to be alive. Lotta men would have just killed you for it. You are welcome as hell, my friend.¡± Hudson chuckled, in a jolly yet vaguely psychopathic manner. The sharp gasping of a frantic woman sitting up from the ground broke the silence in a dense wooded area, She stood up and took a step, falling back over as her right leg seemed to give out. Something was off. She brushed her long butterscotch blonde hair out of her face, silvery gray eyes dilated, sacred and alert. She staggered to her feet, brushing off the snow and noticing her corset disconnected, looking for a weapon to defend against whoever had disconnected it. There was nobody, just the rustling of small wildlife and her own poor footing. She looked for her tent and turned several times around, realizing it was far colder than it was when she went to sleep. Her camp was completely gone, not even tracks in the snow she didn¡¯t remember being there. She began walking, scared and alone, as the sound of people got her attention. Part of her wanted to run away and part of her wanted to run towards them for help, finally deciding it was better to not be alone. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder and she let out a muffled squeak as she noticed a familiar face. ¡°Oh God, Jen, I thought I was alone.¡± She sighed. ¡°We are. I¡¯ve been walking for ten minutes, where the hell is the camp? Where is literally anything?¡± ¡°Normally I¡¯d be annoyed that you brought your stupid phone, but¡­use it.¡± the blonde whispered. ¡°I am, as a flashlight. There¡¯s no signal, no service, no Wi-Fi, it keeps glitching up on me. I think it¡¯s broken.¡± ¡°Damnit. I hear people. Maybe they know what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°What the hell, Carol! Don¡¯t just go darting off in the-¡± said Jen, rolling her blue eyes and following. Carol darted from the tree line and almost ran into Hudson, wielding a stick like a baton and losing her footing again. ¡°Well looky here. We got us some ladies in this batch. My night just gets better and better. You carrying anything pretty with you two? Jewelry, weddin ring, knife, pistol, canteen? Anything metal at all?¡± he asked. She looked nervous and shook her head no. ¡°Not a hair pin or a locket, or a brass button on ya?¡± he asked again, flashing the pistol. ¡°Antler buttons. They¡¯re time period. Are you going to kill us?¡± Carol asked, ¡°Fucking try it.¡± Jen said, battering up with a frozen tree branch. ¡°No. Not unless I gotta defend myself. I¡¯m not gonna hurt ya, I¡¯m just stealin your metal, and in return for it, you get to not freeze or starve to death. Got a fire and some chili back at camp. I just want the metal.¡± Hudson said calmly. ¡°I just got this.¡± Jen said, holding her phone. ¡°And you can¡¯t have it.¡± Both men looked perplexed and interested as they got closer. ¡°What is it?¡± Tom asked. ¡°It¡¯s¡­my phone?¡± Jen squinted. ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± Hudson asked. She pondered the question. ¡°Only everything, it¡¯s the latest model. It¡¯s a Smartswipe 13 in carbon fiber.¡± She scoffed. Hudson stared blankly. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna keep that for now, you may get it back or not. Now that nose ring looks shiny.¡± ¡°Dude, it¡¯s a 15 dollar used piercing. It¡¯s not silver, it¡¯s titanium.¡± ¡°Young lady, the man has a gun, just give him the jewelry.¡± Tom said, looking worried. ¡°Okay¡­but I need everyone to turn around.¡± She said, looking nervous. ¡°No.¡± Hudson said bluntly. ¡°Carol, block me.¡± Jen said, scrunching down as Carol provided some form of privacy coverage as Jen spent a good 2 solid minutes fiddling around behind her, returning to the front and handing him 6 piercings. Hudson looked comically bewildered. ¡°I¡¯m not even gonna ask what I¡¯m thinking, just gonna ask if that¡¯s everything.¡± ¡°Yea¡­that¡¯s everything. Again, it¡¯s just normal jewelry, it¡¯s not gold or silver or platinum, do I look like a bitch wearing platinum studs?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think you want my opinions right now or my concerns. How bout you, Blondie? You got a pound of jewelry where the moon don¡¯t shine, or anything else?" ¡°I dot have any metal. I took my ear rings out when I went to sleep. I was tending my fire in my sleeping clothes. I had a fire-poker in-hand and I just blacked out. I couldn¡¯t find it when I woke up. Carol sighed.¡± ¡°You never black out. You always have to guard my shit when I do.¡± Jen muttered. ¡°Wrought iron poker?¡± Hudson asked. ¡°Yea. I think.¡± Carol nodded. ¡°Well it¡¯s gone then. Anything iron you had when you left, is gone when you get here. Pistols, knives, fireplace pokers, corset loops. You pay the price in iron as your ticket to get here, and you don¡¯t get it back. Didn¡¯t have a brass handle did it?¡± ¡°No.¡± she sighed. ¡°Well shit the bed.¡± He huffed. ¡°I guess you two the lucky one then, cuz that makes my service cheap. Lotta men finding you two out here would be takin way more than metal from ya, and leavin you for dead or keeping ya for later. You¡¯re welcome. Well, here¡¯s a blanket and some boots, make it quick, we got one more potential person to look for. Maybe they got somethin worth stealin. Hurry up Missy.¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Carol, not Missy.¡± She scolded, taking the boots and the blanket almost aggressively. ¡°My boots are fine, I¡¯ll take the blanket.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t really care.¡± He said cryptically, turning and heading back to the camp, taking the wide arc to look for anyone else. The 3 strangers sat by the fire eating chili, featuring¡­some kind of meat. Carol picked around it, trying to avoid the chunks as Jen eagerly swiped them. ¡°For a skinny thing you sure do eat fast.¡± Tom said. ¡°It¡¯s really good meat.¡± She said, looking guilty and ravenous. ¡°It is?¡± Tom asked. ¡°It ain¡¯t¡± Hudson clarified. ¡°Girl must just be mighty hungry.¡± They silently chewed, trying to stay warm as old Hudson counted his treasure. ¡°Okay what the hell is going on?¡± Carol asked discreetly. ¡°Shit if I even know.¡± Tom replied. ¡°I was taking a piss on solid ground, and blinked, fell ten feet into a river that wasn¡¯t there. My gun is gone, just the brass and lead left, knife gone except the brass pins and grips. My whole camp disappeared. This has to be a bad dream.¡± He sighed. Jen huffed in annoyance. ¡°Well, then why can¡¯t you be more helpful? If it¡¯s my dream then you don¡¯t exist. Why couldn¡¯t I dream up someone more useful?¡± she asked as Carol elbowed her lighty. ¡°If it¡¯s MY dream, you¡¯d be naked, and it wouldn¡¯t be winter.¡± He muttered dryly. ¡°Charming young man.¡± Carol sighed. ¡°Not that it wasn¡¯t provoked, JEN! So either we¡¯re sharing a very unpleasant dream or something happened. I assume you guys both were just setting up camp for the reenactment, and went to bed completely sane, and then suddenly ended up here in mid-winter? Questioning your sanity?¡± Carol asked. ¡°What¡¯s a damn reenactment? Some kind of treaty papers?¡± Tom asked, ¡°The¡­civil war reenactment.¡± Jen said slowly. ¡°Look lady, I don¡¯t know politics or who acted or reenacted in what manner, I just got drafted and didn¡¯t have 300 dollars in my pocket to get out.¡± He said looking annoyed. ¡°What, year do you think it is?¡± Carol asked. ¡°1863, same year it was yesterday, ya crazy-ass woman.¡± He huffed. ¡°Oh god, you must have fallen hard. I think you have amnesia or a concussion.¡± She replied as Jen just blinked. ¡°I may not know what a reactment is, but I know what year it is.¡± Tom argued. ¡°It¡¯s 2024, Jethro.¡± Jen said with a bewildered look as they all silently exchanged crazy skeptical shifting eyes. ¡°Well, well.¡± Said Hudson sitting down next to her and looking interested. ¡°I believe you are the latest ones I have ever met.¡± ¡°Latest what?¡± She asked. ¡°Nothing makes sense, start explaining it. Where are we¡± she ordered. Hudson kicked his boots up and lit his pipe. ¡°Real answer is nobody knows. People call this place Timber, Everyone here was either born here to relatives that dropped in here mysteriously, or they dropped in mysteriously themselves. Nobody came here willingly or knows how. Wadn¡¯t any natives, nothing human anyway. Beast and wildlife. 102 years ago, 30,000 people woke up here, scattered for miles, not a damn clue how or when, nobody sure what year it was, everything from 1830 to 1880 argued as the date. Men and women under 30, every one of them missing all their iron and the last thing they remember was night-time and either going to sleep or blacking out mid-dickering when they were supposed to be sleepin. Few people claimed to be from much later times, like you ladies. They soon started makin claims about things that hadn¡¯t been invented yet, magical shit that didn¡¯t make sense, wars that never happened. They turned out to be the smarter ones.¡± ¡°How so?¡± asked Tom. ¡°Pretty soon leaders formed, and factions followed. Mostly people from later dates. People fought over things and eventually just started surviving. Surviving became thriving over some years. But new people just kept showin up, bout 30 every year, usually in groups of 2-4, mostly robbed and some of them killed for their brass. See you can¡¯t get brass here. People mined the caves and looked for metals, iron ore, tin, and copper. Ain¡¯t a damn shred of any metal anywhere in this place. Only metal is what comes with the arrivals, and they don¡¯t keep it long. It¡¯s probably for the better I found you. Metal is illegal. The smart people from further ahead started realizing the importance of metal and industry, so they made themselves sheriffs and made the laws. All metal found or stolen must be taken to a dealer, who pays a fee to be able to collect and turn in metals to the sheriffs handlers. Right now we got ourselves about 325 dollars in metal and that¡¯s the same fine you pay for getting caught with it.¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s 6,500 dollars in modern money.¡± Carol gasped. ¡°How would anyone arriving here know that or be able to pay that?¡± she asked. ¡°You don¡¯t. You get robbed and they cash in. Why do you think I¡¯ve been grinning since I found y¡¯all. My happy ass bout to go shoppin.¡± Hudson chuckled. Chapter 2: The price of a limb The jingle of the door chime raised the head of the man behind the wooden counter, prying him from his newspaper. ¡°Hudson, I sure love seeing you alive and out of ammo. What you buying today, 45 scatter or 45 solid?¡± asked the man behind the counter. ¡°Ned, I¡¯m celebratin today. 35 caliber, actually.¡± ¡°Hud you don¡¯t own a 35, unless you found one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m bout to find a brand new one. I¡¯d like a Prima 35 long-chamber, the one with the 5 inch barrel.¡± He said with a swing in his step as the owner looked skeptical. ¡°Hud I¡¯m not selling you another gun. I sure as shit am not selling you a pistol without a license, and you can¡¯t afford the gun, or your debt, let alone a damn pistol license. There¡¯s a reason those two pistols have been sitting there for 5 years and I got new long guns every month. Ever since they moved the pistol license up to a thousand dollars a year, nobody will touch a 150 dollar pistol. It¡¯s been a year since I sold you the 45 long gun, and you haven¡¯t finished paying off. That¡¯s why I charge you double for ammo instead of interest on the 45.¡± Ned sighed. ¡°At this rate you¡¯ll be even in 6 months. Then you can start financing a new gun, but I¡¯m not going to jail for sellin you a pistol with no papers. Only reason I sell you the 25 ammo that I damn well know is for a pistol, is because you never bring that thing in my shop and I don¡¯t technically know that it exists. That¡¯s your problem. Far as I know you got a 25 long gun, and that¡¯s what I keep hearing in my head every time you ask for shells.¡± ¡°Tell you what. How about you put this on a scale and I wanna see the scale move.¡± He smiled. The man¡¯s demeanor changed as a handful of brass and lead balls were placed down on the counter. He broke out a set of scales and separated the lead from the brass. ¡°Now hold on.¡± Hudson said, getting out a small carved stone from his bag. ¡°I brought my own weight just in case.¡± He said slyly. ¡°Nobody cheating you here ol Hudson. Not like I was planning to, but nowadays I can¡¯t say I blame you for double checkin. Oh now, this piece is real nice. Gun brass, not some pot metal button shit. You got my attention, what were you hopin for, for the whole pile? And don¡¯t even mention the damn pistol.¡± ¡°I want 4 boxes of bullets. Two for the 45cal, Two boxed of 35cal. One box of Slugs each, one Scatter, the good stuff. Prima PolyIodine, soft-coated long shells, not the damn stone ones that ruin your barrel. And you clear my debt even.¡± ¡°Hud I know there¡¯s a catch. Unless you got a big bucket of brass up your ass you can¡¯t bribe me to report that pistol stolen and nobody else in town sells a 35 Prima pistol. That brass is easily worth your debt and some ammo¡­ for a gun you can¡¯t have. So what¡¯s the catch? You gonna tell me you got a tusk?¡± he asked. ¡°Even better, easier to move.¡± He said placing down Jen¡¯s piercings. Carol cringed a little, just thinking about it. ¡°He didn¡¯t even wash them.¡± She muttered. The man behind the counter looked skeptical and unimpressed. ¡°Handful of silver jewelry?¡± he said. ¡°Yea, that¡¯ll get you about 80 bucks. That and the extra brass would cover the pistol¡­ if you had the license.¡± ¡°That ain¡¯t silver, Ned. Go on and bite one.¡± He said as Ned gave one a hesitant bite and bit harder, looking like it was getting painful. Carol cringed again looking at Jen. ¡°What?¡± Jen whispered. ¡°Not like he¡¯s the first guy to have those in his mouth.¡± ¡°Hud what the hell is this?¡± Ned asked very discreetly, trying to bend it with his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s harder than holy hammered hell and weighs nothing.¡± ¡°Called it titanium.¡± He smirked proudly. ¡°I don¡¯t even how to price this, or what that is, but it¡¯s tougher than shit. Titanium¡¯s not even on the price books, it¡¯s just mentioned in the metal list every dealer goes through to get our certifications. How do you even know what that is? How do I know it¡¯s real?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want it, I know dealers that will.¡± Hudson shrugged. ¡°Hey big fella, lock that door and talk to the ladies, real loudly!¡± Ned yelled to Tom, hunkering over and getting quiet. ¡°Hud they won¡¯t know how to price it either, and you go around to every dealer waving this shit around, you¡¯re gonna end up stabbed or low-balled or both. But, I know your stubborn ass is gonna try it, and I¡¯d hate to see you dead. Galloway family goes way back. So ya got me. I¡¯ll take these, write you a silver receipt. I¡¯m gonna leave one of those pistols on the counter, and go take the longest piss of my life, and when I come back, if it got stolen by a young skinny white guy, that¡¯s just a damn shame, because I never saw his face, and he better never flash that around or his ass is going to jail for a long time. If you get caught, you must have saw him runnin out like he stole something, robbed his ass back and didn¡¯t return it. That¡¯s how that happened, Hud. You were gonna return those stolen goods and you just got a little greedy¡­right?¡± ¡°Loud and clear, champ. I see ya got 2 of them pistols, lemme check both to see which I like better.¡± Hudson said with a cocky tone. Ned scoffed, shaking his head. ¡°Only a damn tusk hunter buys a gun with a tusk-lined cylinder and has to inspect the damn tusk inserts on a 150 dollar STOLEN gun.¡± He reminded. ¡°Shit, I¡¯ve heard of people¡¯s Prima¡¯s blowin up from bad inserts lately. You know they use the teeth in those now, they don¡¯t use real tusk off-cuts anymore. I heard they¡¯ve been makin them with fresh teeth that weren¡¯t even dried out yet. That shit ain¡¯t strong enough till it¡¯s dried for a year. You think Fredric Prima gives a shit about his father¡¯s reputation or just makin money? The day the pistol license prices went through the roof, the supposedly affordable guns went to shit. I wanna see the cylinder, and I wanna see a little blue in it.¡± ¡°Drive a hard bargain, Hud. I got 2 pistols, take which you wanna steal, and that¡¯s what you got.¡± He said handing him both. Hudson eyeballed them both and placed one down, bringing the other one close to the owner¡¯s face, almost invasively. ¡°Yea, you see them blue specks? You ever see a mammoth with blue teeth?¡± he asked. ¡°No, but I never saw a mammoth at all.¡± Ned replied. ¡°That blue color is only found in the tusk, comes out when it¡¯s good and dried. They look like normal bone on the animal and for a good while after ya cut them off. The teeth stay white and brown. These were old and seasoned before they turned them down to make inserts. Real tusk scraps, not teeth. That¡¯s how you know it ain¡¯t gonna blow up with one of the long bullets if you get a hot one from the box. Why steal a Prima if you ain¡¯t gonna buy the hot shells?¡± Hudson nodded. ¡°You can have this stick-a dynamite back. I made my selection.¡± ¡°There¡¯s your 45s, your long gun debt receipt, your brass trade and I need a signature. HEY, big fella, come over here! I need your signature on these 35 hot shells I sold about 10 minutes from now to some skinny kid with a bandana. Your name is Robert Smith, ain¡¯t it?¡± he said very aggressively. They strolled out and down the less populated streets at a brisk pace, Carol struggled to catch up to Hudson, almost tripping in the process. ¡°So¡­¡± Carol nervously chimed in. ¡°Any metal is worth that much? Just brass buttons and some lead are worth a good gun? And titanium is basically priceless?¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Sure as hell is. Why, you got piercings stashed away there too you wanna go get?¡± Hudson asked. ¡°No, I told you I didn¡¯t have anything. I just wondered. She said looking guilty. ¡°Honey if you got a gold fillin back there behind that pretty smile I suggest you talk less and find yourself a dentist. They can remove them pretty painless for a ceramic tooth and give you the cash difference back. You¡¯ll make money and never miss it. Some thug on the street needin food and a warm coat might just break your jaw to get it. Now I¡¯ll rob your ass blind, that¡¯s my job, but I don¡¯t kill or maim nobody who don¡¯t mean any harm, so do we need to get you quietly to a dentist or are you clean and clear?¡± he asked darkly. ¡°No, no all real teeth. They don¡¯t use metal cavity fillers where I¡¯m from.¡± ¡°Well then stop acting so damn suspicious.¡± He sighed. ¡°I wanna see the teeth.¡± Tom said abruptly. She gave him an irritated look and crossed her arms as Hudson gave him a look. ¡°Now don¡¯t get your britches a-twisted there bucko. I¡¯m not about to go poking around in everyone¡¯s mouths for gold. I¡¯ll take her word for that and if she¡¯s lyin it¡¯s her jaw getting busted and I¡¯m not shootin someone over it if she done told me there¡¯s no gold back there.¡± Hudson said stepping up to him with the black wood gun in hand. ¡°I just saved all your lives so you both work for me now, and I can¡¯t shoot two pistols at once very accurately. Any man who carries a brass 6-gun and a knife when he goes to take a piss at night, knows how to shoot. So don¡¯t tell me you cant, mister cavalry man. The question is¡­can I trust you not to shoot me? Can you see without those glasses, or are you gonna make me give this to the lady?¡± ¡°Hell no. Gimme the gun. Worst you did was rob me, worst I¡¯d do in return is rob you back. I don¡¯t kill people for savin my life. I don¡¯t shoot a man in the back, and you got a nicer gun, so I¡¯m not dumb enough to challenge you on a draw.¡± Tom said. ¡°Good. Just so you know, that gun¡¯s a piece of shit anyway. That¡¯s why I stole the Prima. Couldn¡¯t afford anything better. Bottom of the barrel garbage gun. Shoot me with that I¡¯ll shoot you right back and limp to a doctor, leave your corpse.¡± He said coldly. ¡°I thought you said this was a damn fine pistol.¡± Tom huffed. ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t gonna tell you it was a limp-dick piece of shit when I was using it to rob you, now was I? Barrel is worn to hell, spits gas like a sonvabitch, can¡¯t hit dick past ten feet anymore. These guns without the tusk inserts are good for about 50 shots. I¡¯ve shot about 90 out of that. Them bullets come out tumbling and driftin, but it¡¯s better than a rock.¡± He chuckled. ¡°So I get to defend myself with a worn out gun?¡± Tom argued. ¡°Son, havin a gun at all is half the battle. Lotta home-made guns and hand carved fake guns that don¡¯t work get carried around because nobody wants to find out if it shoots or not. If it cocks, it¡¯s real. Don¡¯t tell them it¡¯s worn out and they won¡¯t know. You sure didn¡¯t. Robbed your ass just fine with a worn out gun. There¡¯s a lot to learn here, sonny. Best be listening and takin notes in that thick head of yours.¡± He said as he headed out, and the others followed behind. Hud cut through an alley for a short cut and stared down the face of another man walking their way. He kept his head down until he passed them and suddenly the stranger grabbed Carol, sticking a very home-made pistol to her head as Tom and Hudson drew pistols. ¡°Hey Hud. Haven¡¯t seen you in while. You remember me?¡± the mugger asked. ¡°Don¡¯t believe I do for sure, but you look a lot like a dead man too stupid to drop his gun. Prove me wrong. Drop the gun and live¡± Growled Hudson. ¡°Card game a month ago. You cheated. I lost 10 dollars in that game.¡± ¡°Seein as how I don¡¯t cheat at cards, you either got the wrong guy or just ain¡¯t very good at cards. You got a problem with me, let the lady go, put the gun down and we can settle this like grown men. You get shaky with the hand made-gun it might go off and that ends you real quick. First shot kills her, second shot kills you. Seems like a pretty desperate move for ten dollars.¡± Hudson said spitting through his teeth as punctuation. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna get killed over ten dollars Hud, but you just walked into that shop with 3 friends I never saw around here and came out with a pretty big grin on your face, jingling with ammo. How much metal you get?¡± ¡°Enough buy something that jingles. Got news for ya, you wanna steal some brass you should have robbed me when I had it.¡± ¡°Prove me wrong, old timer. Pockets out, wallets open. I bet the girl¡¯s got some hidden away.¡± He said patting her sides for a purse or a pocket. ¡°Well now I have to give you a beating for that,¡± Hud sighed. ¡°BUT, I don¡¯t have to kill you for it. You best decide which you prefer before I just get tempted to shoot you.¡± He said flashing the new red revolver. ¡°I hear this Prima 35¡¯s so accurate someone could shoot right past her and into your nose.¡± Hudson smirked. ¡°Boots, buckles, rivets?¡± he asked Carol reaching down to lift her dress and check her footwear as she struggled and he pressed the gun tighter to her head. ¡°Oh she¡¯s got something to hide in the boots. You see how she got nervous?¡± the mugger grinned excitedly, as another man turned the alley and stood still as if watching or assisting. ¡°Do something.¡± Jen whispered to Tom. ¡°Like what? Shoot a sloppy gun I cant aim, in the dark with your friend blocking most of the guy I wanna shoot?¡± he whispered back. Hudson¡¯s gaze tightened as his hand got itchy. ¡°I gave her those boots, they ain¡¯t made of brass, they¡¯re leather and plastic like mine. Hell they ARE mine, the old boots. She¡¯s just scared, and rightfully so when a man with s gun is getting grabby. You got the same reason to be real scared too.¡± Hudson objected as the mugger pulled the dress up and went silent, they all did, so silent Carol¡¯s heavy breathing was the loudest sound. ¡°What¡­in the frozen hell is that?¡± The mugger asked, looking at Hudson for the answer and turning his head down to look again. Hudson took the shot while he had one, taking the side of his head off as Carol hopped to safety and caught her breath, Hudson grabbed the shotgun off his back and shouldered it towards the end of the alley, just in time for the second man to escape.¡± ¡°Oh you have explaining to do when we get to my place, but we¡¯re gonna get there real damn fast.¡± Hud said, waving the red revolver and leading them both to hurry up. The wooden door closed and locked, Hudson jamming a chair under the knob to be sure it was, as the others shivered and ran to the gas fireplace, already burning. ¡°Okay Miss Carol.¡± He said, cocking the revolver to get their attention. ¡°What in the blizzard¡¯s dick did I just see under that dress? You wanna make that make sense?¡± he asked with an order to his tone, sitting down with the gun handy to show he wasn¡¯t really asking. She sighed nervously, realizing there was no point denying it. ¡°It¡¯s a prosthetic leg. I lost it 4 years ago, below the knee. Fell pretty bad in the woods and broke the bones, infection set in and I didn¡¯t get any help for¡­ too long.¡± She muttered. ¡°You got a Gat damn silver leg? You must be pretty damn wealthy where you come from to afford that.¡± He said looking annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ titanium, mostly. They use it for medical applications in the 2000s because it doesn¡¯t rust or get rejected by the body.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me that¡¯s titanium, and you got a half a limb made out of it? They kill people for brass buttons to make gun parts, what you think they would do to you for something like that? You just saw what a little jewelry does to people. Get that shit off, we¡¯re sellin in and getting rich before we get dead.¡± Hudson said anxiously pacing. ¡°I can¡¯t take it off.¡± She yelled, tearing up and looking scared. ¡°Oh like hell you can¡¯t. We¡¯ll get you a plastic one made, and it may not be as fancy but you¡¯ll have more mobility with it alive than with that one dead. I¡¯m not robbin you for profit, I¡¯m saving our lives. I just killed a man and a witness got away. If he saw that leg and talks, we¡¯re all wanted. I¡¯m talking about the authorities, the sheriffs, the law, not just some alley sneaks lookin for buttons and jewelry. I¡¯m not askin you, take the damn thing off.¡± Hud said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s osteointegrated! It means I can¡¯t remove it. Even if I had the tools to take it apart, half of it is screwed and glued inside my damn tibia bone. It¡¯s literally anchored in there, it doesn¡¯t just pop off. It¡¯s permanent.¡± She barked. ¡°Well fuck me sideways, we got a problem then.¡± He said suddenly grabbing the black plastic Donnovan from Tom¡¯s hip holster as he stood up to defend. ¡°What¡¯s going on in that head of yours, old man?¡± Tom asked, subtly looking round for a weapon, not seeing anything in reach. ¡°Shit just got real bad, and frankly I don¡¯t trust you that much. If we¡¯re real lucky, that witness didn¡¯t see anything but me shooting his buddy, before he got real gone, but eventually someone¡¯s gonna figure out this lady¡¯s worth her weight in tusk and people will kill for that leg. If we ain¡¯t lucky, he¡¯s already talking to someone about it. This ain¡¯t no nickel and dime shit, there¡¯s gonna be people after that, which I can¡¯t handle with a gun and a lucky shot.¡± Hudson said. ¡°So any great ideas would be real welcome right about now from either of you, because the smartest thing I could do right now is kill you both, get that leg to a dealer before I get killed, and spend some of that return money on a damn body guard for all the money I¡¯d be carrying home. So go on now. Provide some alternative solutions.¡± Hudson huffed. Chapter 3: The money problem Tom pondered a moment as the girls nervously huddled and old Huson paced the floors. ¡°Well the obvious option is to cut the damn leg off.¡± Hud shrugged. ¡°Do I look like a doctor?¡± Tom asked with an attitude. ¡°I don¡¯t have fancy surgical tools, knockout drugs or whatever else that would require, and I don¡¯t know any doctors who could do that either. Do you?¡± he snipped. ¡°Boy, this is Timber. Only the wealthy get doctors, and we ain¡¯t wealthy till that limb is removed and sold, we¡¯re just sittin ducks.¡± You got a knife and some whiskey? I sure as shit ain¡¯t no doctor either, but I can butcher a deer and stitch a cut, better than a bullet to the head.¡± Hud argued. ¡°See that¡¯s exactly the kinda talk why I don¡¯t trust you. I just came from a damn war. I¡¯ve seen a leg removed. You go amputating a knee like that with no doctor she may as well be dead. You go hackin off a leg without a doctor, she¡¯s gonna wish you shot her, probably bleed or die of infection anyway. So we look for a doctor, we show them the leg and give them a cut of the money as payment.¡± Tom suggested. ¡°Wrong answer, that idea just got us all killed. No doctor wants something they¡¯d get killed for, even keeping it all as payment. I gotta take a moment to think about this.¡± Hudson said storming off to the wooden basement stairs. Carol looked at Tom with disgust and rage. ¡°Hey, you two knock off that glarin. I¡¯m not trying to be an ass, I¡¯m trying to save your ass.¡± Tom huffed. ¡°You could have shot the guy before he found out.¡± Jen muttered. ¡°Between us¡­¡± He said softly, leaning closer. ¡°I wanted to. Man puts his hands on a woman and points a loaded gun, needs to get shot, but¡­I can¡¯t see shit.¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Jen barked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t THAT dark.¡± ¡°It means without my glasses, the ones that didn¡¯t end up here with me, I couldn¡¯t tell where Carol left off and he started, from 10 feet away, even if I had my nice rifled colt, instead of some wooden shit-gun. I¡¯d have probably just shot her trying to be a hero. That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t give me a rifle. They gave me a pistol, a sword, and a horse, all things I can manage with, if I had my glasses. I didn¡¯t even realize till just now you had blue eyes.¡± He said nervously. ¡°I feel useless.¡± ¡°Sorry. I got kinda rude. I¡¯m fucking freaked out. Carol¡¯s my best friend. If you shot her trying to be a hero I¡¯d be even more upset. But don¡¯t try anything charming, you¡¯re not my type. But we may need to stick together if this guy decided to do anything sketchy.¡± Jen said ¡°What around here isn¡¯t sketchy, including us?¡± Tom smirked. ¡°Fair enough. So you¡¯re really from the 1800s?¡± she asked. ¡°Yea. You really from somewhere else?¡± he asked back as carol broke her silent floor staring to distract herself. ¡°Technically it would be¡­someWHEN else. I think we¡¯re all from the same location, more or less.¡± Carol said, fighting tears. ¡°Smartass.¡± Jen muttered, having her a hug. Hudson strolled back in with a bottle of whiskey and tossed the black wooden gun back to Tom. ¡°You people talk pretty loud for keeping secrets, ya know. Everyone have a drink, I need to think calmly about this and the best way I think calmly is to not think about how fucked we are. Everyone relax, nobody¡¯s cutting off no leg. Alley was dark, nobody saw shit. That buys us time.¡± Hudson said kicking back some whiskey and looking overwhelmed. ¡°Talk, distract, converse.¡± He insisted. ¡°So the guns here made of wood? How does that even work?¡± Carol asked. Hudson puffed his pipe and looked glad she asked. ¡°Over 60 species of wood grow here in the cold-ass wasteland, and here it grows different. Forget the woods you know, some of the trees may look familiar in passing but you cut into one and you might understand. Most guns here are made of Ignius or hellwood, sometimes called barrelwood, is the hardest damned shit you ever handled, and Amaranthine, the dark purple or black wood. It¡¯s not hard enough for a barrel but it¡¯s good enough for a frame. Whole thing feel much different than a chunk of hickory in your hand but this wood is so damn strong you can¡¯t break it across the grain to save your life. They cut Ignus into thin veneer and glue it with this 2 part resin and alternate the grain like woven cloth and it will fire a bullet. Gotta be real damn thick though. I got 6 25-caliber rounds in here with 3 grain of nitro resin, and it may not drop a man in armor or a mammoth, but it¡¯ll put a hole in a man with no armor.¡± ¡°These purple bullet made of wood?¡± Tom scoffed, unloading the gun and inspecting it. ¡°Nope. There¡¯s a thing you gotta get adjusted to around here called resin. I don¡¯t know how they make it, but they sell it everywhere, and a lot of things are made from it. Some goop you mix with other goop and it turns to solid, stronger than human bone. You can mix in all kinds of powders and fibers and soak wood strips in it like glue.¡± ¡°Epoxy.¡± Carol said. ¡°2 part epoxy resin.¡± She added as Hudson grinned. ¡°See, now that¡¯s why you should listen to this here lady. She may be smarter than you. Yea, the old people claiming to be from further along, knew a lot of things and adapted that to what they had. You mix nitroglycerine with this shit just right, you get solid gunpowder cases, they work real nice. The Bullet itself, Prima Poly-Iodine, mix in some purple powder and let it dry in bullet molds you get these little gems. They split and chip on impact but they¡¯re good for one shot. Better than the old jade ones they use to sell, cheaper and easier to cast than carving down a rock, twice as heavy. You can even reuse the chips as scattergun shot. Ain¡¯t nobody like us buying lead. Unless you¡¯re one of the Sheriffs ruling this place, you best forget metal unless you find some to turn in. This world runs on wood, ceramic, plastic, stone, composites, and if you¡¯re really fancy, Tusk.¡± ¡°You keep mentioning that Tusk thing.¡± Jen asked. ¡°Like ivory? They have Elephants in fucking woodworld?¡± ¡°Not like the ones you wanna run into, unless you¡¯re hunting and ready. The call em Mammoths, because nobody knew what else to call em. Big mean bastards. That¡¯s the most coveted material in this world. One good straight tusk can set you for life. These beasts¡¯ tusks shimmer and shine like pearls, and honey you think the wood here is tough, nothing cuts tusk except gemstones and patience. Harder than brass, you can even rifle it. You want a gun with more power than one of the little wood shits most will ever own, you need a tusk. Problem is that they don¡¯t grow on trees like trees do. Amaranthine wood grows fast and everywhere. You can go chop some right now and make tools, Ignius is harder to find, they grow it in gardens and men guard those gardens, but you can find it out there in the wild if you got something that will cut the damn thing. Most people here never see one of the mammoths up close, or survive if they do. And the tusks grow slow and only on the big mean bulls get more than a nub. The teeth fetch a nice price but it¡¯s hard to work with. You want a ten foot board of Ignius and got a lot of money, you can get it. Even the Good Prima guns are mostly Ignus and resin ply wrapped around a mold. Only the cylinders are lined with tusk, little bit in the first 2 inches of barrel. The rest is all wood.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Why not mix it with resin and make bigger pieces?¡± Jen asked. ¡°Glue don¡¯t stick to tusk for shit. You can¡¯t melt it, you can¡¯t water it to make it grow, you can¡¯t heat and straighten it, or bend it. Tusks have a hell of a curve to them. You can¡¯t exactly dovetail joint the middle of a barrel either. It just is what it is, and you carve it down. Turn it on a belt lathe. So whatever you get, is all you get to work with, and if you fuck that up¡­well there went your life savings and probably your head. Tusk barrel makers make real good money. Longer the piece the more the price goes up per pound, They risk their life making it, because people who can spend thousands of dollars on a gun and bring you a tusk, are the kinda people who made that money shooting people who disappointed them, and for a lot less money.¡± He warned. ¡°But once a tusk is carefully cut into blanks you get a lot of little scrap bits just big enough for a cylinder insert. Just enough to get a bullet moving. My brother was a tusk cutter. It¡¯s a risky living. You work for evil people and you have one bad day that cost more money than your life is worth to them. They just shoot you, like they did him.¡± ¡°So what do you do?¡± asked Tom. ¡°For money.¡± ¡°I hunt and scavenge. The little mammoths freeze to death all the time, you go out there and look for them, you can make a living just off the teeth and meat. Lotta good hide, lotta scavengers after the meat too. That¡¯s why I pay a fortune every year for a long-gun license, and pistols are illegal without a permit only the rich can afford. My 45 shotgun wasn¡¯t cheap, but you can¡¯t fend off predators or hunt without one. Now that black Donnovan 25 will kill a man with a good placed round, but even brand new it¡¯s close range and small. Not something you wanna take with ya for a big game hunt. You also can¡¯t walk around with a full sized shotgun on ya everywhere, so I spent my money on the big bore and I kept that gun for robbin people like you, or not getting robbed. You get caught with that, that¡¯s jailtime. That¡¯s why all the Donnovans are black. They sell these knowing damn well nobody¡¯s gettin em legal. If you could afford to get one legally, you¡¯d be carrying a nice big flashy fancy pistol. That¡¯s how they get ya. Rich people need tusk, they aint riskin their ass hunting it, so the big gun permits are¡­sort of affordable, and you risk your life hunting to pay for the yearly papers. You¡¯ll never afford a pistol permit, so you either go unprotected like most folks, you carry one of these black market Donnovans and if they catch ya, bribe your way out, further in debt. But nobody hunts mammoths with a damn rock, so the circle of debt begins. Spend money you don¡¯t have to hunt, to pay off what you owed to hunt, hoping to get that one big payoff some day and get out of the loop. Nobody does. The big mammoths with the good tusks don¡¯t go down easy, so you die trying or you pick off the weak ones. You just keep breaking even, or you die out there alone in the cold, and someone like me takes your shit.¡± ¡°Like student loans.¡± Sighed Carol. ¡°Can¡¯t get a good job without education, education puts you in debt and you need the good job to pay off the student loans. Except nobody gets shot or trampled in the cold.¡± She sighed. Jen smirked a little. ¡°Hey, I was smart. I got a high school degree, stripped for 2 years and went into modeling. I have no student debt.¡± She smiled. ¡°You¡¯re attempting to get into modeling.¡± Carol corrected. ¡°To clarify, we¡¯re room mates. We can¡¯t afford to live alone. I teach American history to highschool kids. Jen still owes me 2 month¡¯s rent, so her modeling career is doing so much better than my education.¡± She snipped. ¡°Hey, I went on this little reenactment weekend thing with you to get some old timey shots for my Portfolio. Sexy cowgirl shit is trending, I gotta take pics to get money. Plus, they have deer meat. I¡¯m on a very lean protein diet. Gotta maintain this figure somehow. I¡¯m not going back to stripping and the side job pays garbage wages. I¡¯m working on it, At least I¡¯m not ass-deep in debt, I¡¯m just even broke. Only person I owe money is you.¡± ¡°What exactly is a model?¡± asked Tom. ¡°An aspiring model¡± Carol whispered. ¡°Shut up. A model¡­uh, models. I look good, and pose.¡± Jen explained. ¡°I agree, but how do you make money? Hookin?¡± Tom asked. ¡°UH! Fuck you, I have a boyfriend¡­We¡¯re not talking right now but that¡¯s temporary. No, no hooking. First you get an online following, show you have potential. When you get a model agent, you do pics and videos and they pay you.¡± She explained as Carol leaned in closer. ¡°They didn¡¯t have cell phones and videos in the civil war. They don¡¯t know what that means, Jen.¡± Carol reminded. ¡°Plus you don¡¯t have an agent so you don¡¯t make anything modeling yet. Tom wants to know how you actually make money.¡± Carol grinned. ¡°Well currently¡­ I¡­ work, at Burger King. But my instagram is kinda poppin off. My followers are way up, I have several bites on the last photo set. Give me the phone, I have some pics and videos.¡± She said as Hudson handed her the phone and she began scrolling. ¡°Okay, well most of that is online and there isn¡¯t any online here so I don¡¯t have that. Everything is cloud stor- I gotta have something on the actual phone. Yea these are old, but this is the general idea.¡± She said handing them the phone and swiping, clicking on a video as they marveled at the device. ¡°What exactly is goin on here?¡± Hudson asked. ¡°Moving pictures with sound.¡± Carol explained. ¡°Well apparently not sound, I guess speakers contain iron so it¡¯s not working, The whole phone is fucked up. But that¡¯s me on my 24th birthday, doing a kegstand to Limp Bizkit and getting lit with my peeps. This got me very well known on twitter.¡± She said proudly. Tom stared at her silently for a moment. ¡°Aint got a damn clue what anything you just said meant, but I do like watching you talk.¡± Tom said with a smile. Jen sighed with a tone of giving up. ¡°That¡¯s kinda sweet but, forget it. It doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯re stuck here now. All that work doesn¡¯t mean shit. When the batteries die, so does the record of my entire modeling life.¡± ¡°And my college debt. Boy it¡¯s a good thing I got a teaching job for history classes where some of this is now relevant to our survival here.¡± Carol muttered. ¡°Ladies.¡± Tom said calmly. ¡°No time to be fightin. Hudson, how do we get back?¡± he asked. Hudson busted out with a jolly chuckle. ¡°You don¡¯t. You live here now. Ain¡¯t nobody goes back. You survive or ya don¡¯t. You two best get used to that. Lookin pretty might get you a husband here, Aint too many Chinese, let alone pretty ones. That makes you a rarity.¡± Hud said smoking his pipe. ¡°Okay, hold up. I¡¯m half French and like a quarter Japanese on my mom¡¯s side, not every part-Asian person is A Chinese, and I¡¯m not looking for a husband, I just got dumped¡­¡± she said pausing as Carol gave her a look. ¡°Okay fine, yes, I got dumped. He got tired of paying for all my stuff while the modeling took off, and he wanted me to go back to stripping and we argued and he left me for 2 months. It¡¯s over.¡± Jen sighed, looking depressed. ¡°Everything is just¡­over.¡± ¡°Like we had anything to leave behind? I can¡¯t get my masters degree here to be a college professor, I hate teaching highschoolers, we rent a shitty place we can¡¯t afford and your boyfriend was a jerk anyway. What exactly did we have to leave behind? Followers, loans, jobs we hate. I have no family and yours disowned you. I pretend to live in the civil war for fun to escape my life, and you live online for attention, making nothing, and your only weekend plans was to tag along with my sad hobby. Now you¡¯re probably the hottest girl in Timber and I¡¯m probably more educated than 90 percent of the women here. If we don¡¯t die, we may have actually upgraded.¡± ¡°I hate losing internet for an hour, what do I do now?¡± Jen asked. ¡°I have no skills except I can shoot a lever gun and look hot doing it, what are you gonna teach, history? We¡¯re in it. They don¡¯t need reminded. The Leg problem might get us killed anyway.¡± ¡°Not if nobody knows.¡± Hud sighed. ¡°We just lay low, avoid the city for a while and keep workin. If that man in the alley didn¡¯t see anything, and you stay here. Nobody will find out. If he did, we¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± Chapter 4: Million dollar b!tch Hudson stood outside his little cabin, watching the horizon and getting some fresh air. Tom joined him, deciding it was best to be away from the girl if they had any other ideas. He stood awkwardly next to him, staring out at nothing. ¡°Damn.¡± Tom shivered. ¡°Winters here get pretty bad don¡¯t they?¡± he asked ¡°Ain¡¯t no winters.¡± Hudson replied, adjusting his wooden goggles to keep the snow flurries out of his eyes. ¡°What do you call it here? This sure as shit don¡¯t feel like summer.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t know. I was born here, so I never saw a summer before. I heard about them from my daddy. He was an immigrant, an arrival. Good man, talked fondly of the summer and something called grass. It¡¯s always winter here in Timber. It gets a lot worse then this here, not much better. That snow is packed 20 feet deep, and under it, solid clay and rock. Things found a way to grow anyway, rooted in snow and stone, but you hear new arrivals talk about thawing out and the warm seasons. This is it. You want warmth, find you a fire or dig deep enough in the right spots and hope for hot springs and volcanic pools. You don¡¯t wait for seasons. Those who wait, die. Those who work, only sometimes die. I just got you 3 the best damn job a greenhorn like you could get, that gun may be shit to you but to someone just getting here that¡¯s a lifeline. Most new folks die in a week or less The big boss sheriffs wanna keep everyone unarmed and obedient, but they also want meat and tusk and they aren¡¯t getting their rich asses out there to hunt mammoth for it. So they¡¯ll never make all the guns illegal. Now you could get a job in the mines, people die quick in there from the fumes, factory work is hard and my daddy used to say it was just slavery with a nice hat and lunch breaks. And he would know, he was a slave before he ended up here. Hunt and scavenge work is as free as most men ever get in Timber, of any color. See the first wave of people to show up didn¡¯t agree on that. They didn¡¯t like each other, but to survive here, you gotta adapt your prejudice from hating those who look different to hating those of different income brackets. Welcome to racial equality, where none of us mean shit to nobody unless you got money or metal. Black, white, Mexican, We¡¯re all slaves, till we pay our way out, and they don¡¯t let you do that.¡± ¡°Bullshit. Spent my whole life working hard for a living and drafted to fight, now I get stuck at the bottom with you?¡± Tom huffed. ¡°Oh you gotta rank up to get to me. See right now you¡¯re just fresh meat and dumb pickins, lookin to get lost. You wanna get to my level of shit, you gotta prove yourself first. Now here¡¯s lesson 1: Don¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth. You got a head start runnin into me. You¡¯re damn welcome. Now I¡¯m not the worst boss, but I ain¡¯t your friend or your pappy. I will leave you to die in the snow if you try me too hard. So for now, if I say dig, you ask: how Deep Mister Galloway. If you do good work and wanna branch off, you can pay me back for the gun, and then go work for another boss who¡¯s a lot meaner. Calls himself Chief Hunting Wolf, cocky son of a bitch. Sheriff of the hunting industry. I bet his granddaddy wasn¡¯t even a chief before he got here. But you get rich enough you can call yourself whatever you want, I guess.¡± ¡°How do you get rich?¡± asked Tom. ¡°You don¡¯t. First generation made sure of that. You get enough men together with a fresh start, first thing they do is pull rank and make laws. The ones that make the laws are the ones mean enough to back up the opposition by killing them. They also make the laws to suit themselves, and keep everyone else poor. Every society needs 3 resources: food water, and weapons. Water is everywhere, food is sometimes hard to find, but it¡¯s there if you know where to find it. Weapons are kinda hard to make with no iron, but some of the first generation started industries and companies. Ritter family monopolized the mines and stonework, the Red family started growing and gathering the best wood. The Hernandez brothers didn¡¯t like relying on big stone, so they started digging for clay and founded the ceramics and glass, and that requires fuel. Udo family figured out what wood burns the best and started competing for that. Hunting Wolf¡¯s family gathered all the crops and farmable land and cornered the market on bone, leather and meat. All that food needs processed and preserved for sale. Morrisons got on their good graces and nobody else gets the raw foods. Pretty soon the Renic family figured out how to make plastics, kept the secrets and traded with the Udos for Nitro powder, which don¡¯t do you much good without the plastics to make the cases. Buchanan family gathered up all the metal so nobody was makin brass shells, and his two top men had loyalty, so they became the military, with the only few brass guns that made it through, pretty soon the big plastics and ceramics were rivaling the wood industry for weapon materials. So the Donnovan and Prima families became the only gun brands the Buchanans would allow. Get caught makin one, you got to prison. He controls em both but lets them compete. Hunting was back on top when someone figured out the Mamoth tusk was some tough shit and made better gun barrels than anything else. Better than Buchannan brass. So you buy yourself a cheap gun and permit on loan and they own you. You scratch enough scavenged loot to get independent and find dealers willing to vouch for you and now you can scavenge metal and tusk and teeth without getting arrested. The Donnovan guns keep the people just armed enough to feel safe, not enough to fight back. Only a serious man gets a Prima custom. Of course now they sell overpriced commercial guns as well as custom ones for the rich, but they cut corners now. Most people don¡¯t know the quality difference unless they test it, shootin hot-loaded shells.¡± ¡°That why you looked at the guns so close?¡± ¡°Yep. The old ones are the good ones. Before they started using cheaper parts, Prima meant quality. Genuine Ignius wood, scrap tusk liners means thinner barrels with tougher chambers that shoot the stronger rounds. They¡¯re trying to undo that right now. Get a good one while you can, and stock up on ammo before they dumb down the gunpowder again. You can¡¯t get the red stuff anymore, blows up too many cheap guns. Makes the guns look bad. Dumb down the ammo, the guns work, they just don¡¯t kill as hard.¡± ¡°Neutering the people in increments so they don¡¯t notice.¡± Sighed Tom. The Prima factories dye softer woods red and cover plastic in nicer wood, use tooth instead of tusk. In a few years the Primas are gonna be as shitty as the black Donnovan shitters and only the richest rich will have anything worth owning. You watch, they¡¯ll loan out the last good guns to rent, and kill you if you don¡¯t give em back when you¡¯re done huntin. They don¡¯t care of you get killed hunting, or spend your life savings renting a gun that won¡¯t get you killed. As long as enough tusk comes in and the population holds and stays poor, the big ten families stay rich and happy. The Sheriffs live like kings. So you can die in the mines or get sick off fumes and bad air in some factory that works you to the bone; you can steal and get killed doing that, or you can get you a piece of paper and hunt. Live off the land free while that¡¯s still legal.¡± He said as the pipe went empty. ¡°So honest question. How blind are you?¡± Hudson asked. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Without my glasses¡­ I can see just fine out to here.¡± He said holding out his hand. ¡°After that things get iffy, and after about 12 feet, I¡¯m just guessing what¡¯s a tree or a shadow or a hole in the ground.¡± He admitted. Hudson grabbed back the revolver. ¡°Yea, you need something a little more personal and less dangerous to us. How good are you with a cavalry sword?¡± ¡°Damn good. I used to say I could kill any man with a sword blindfolded¡­guess now I get to prove that, one way or another. Luckily anyone far back enough that I can¡¯t see anymore, we ain¡¯t hittin anything with a sword. They get close enough to hit me, they¡¯re close enough to see.¡± ¡°Well adjust your expectations on what a sword is here and you might have a use after all. Tom stood, holding a dark purple bladed wood and resin sword, the carbon-fiber weave visible under the glossy outer coating, and the very robust thickness contributing no weight at all to it. ¡°Needs sharpening.¡± He noted. ¡°Always needs sharpening. Shit goes dull after every use. Forget about chopping or slashing and think of it more like a stabbing weapon. You hack a man with a thick coat, that¡¯s gonna bounce off, but a good thrust will pierce cloth and organs.¡± ¡°Great.¡± He muttered. ¡°Either of you ladies ever shoot a gun before?¡± Hudson asked. ¡°We grew up in Kentucky.¡± Blurted Jen. ¡°They have.¡± Nodded tom. Practicing some jabs on a cloth target. ¡°Well, list your credentials.¡± Hudson said, placing the guns on the table. Jen picked up the big 45 and shouldered it. ¡°Pretty good with my boyf- my Exes lever action. This is pretty much just a lever action that revolves and has no lever.¡± She shrugged, taking aim at the target Hudson placed. ¡°Just cock the hammer, sights are dead zero at 50 yards. Now, there¡¯s gonna be a little kickback.¡± He said as she fired, barely moving, cocking the hammer and firing again, he stopped her after the 3rd shot.¡± ¡°Slow, down girl. Them bullets ain¡¯t cheap¡­But you don¡¯t seem to mind the recoil much.¡± he said squinting at the target. ¡°Not my proudest group. No offense grampa, but compared to a 12 gauge this thing kicks like a damn toy.¡± She scowled. ¡°Well you hit the dinner plate sized square all 3 times, that¡¯s not half bad.¡± Hudson nodded ¡°Try on that holster and see what you can do on a quick draw.¡± He said as she attached the belt. ¡°When I say go¡­GO!¡± he yelled. She drew and fired. ¡°Well that answers that question pretty clearly. You¡¯re about as good as me on the long gun but your quick draw is slow as shit. So that stays with me and you can carry big Bessie, unless your friend here is crack shot.¡± He said looking to Carol. She stared back nervously. ¡°Uh, I shoot a black powder pistol for the muzzle loader club. I¡¯m not that good. I¡¯ve never shot a long musket.¡± She admitted. ¡°Donnovan it is, and what luck it is, because that¡¯s all I got left and y¡¯all not getting my new pistol.¡± Hudson grinned. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me ladies, my old ass is going to bed. We got a big day tomorrow. Get familiar with your weapons cuz come nightfall, we hunt.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Tom corrected. ¡°Nightfall? It¡¯s been night since we got here.¡± ¡°I forget you greenhorns ain¡¯t used to this place. You see that moon up there?¡± he asked as he got 2 ¡±yea¡±s and Tom just refused to admit he couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°Well you won¡¯t see it soon, when it goes down. That¡¯s when it gets REAL dark and cold. Welcome to Timber.¡± He said, shuffling off. ¡°Why are we hunting at night?¡± Carol yelled as he went. ¡°And what are we hunting anyway?¡± ¡°We¡¯re hunting at night because the wolves hunt by day and we don¡¯t wanna run into them. And we¡¯re either huntin for mammoth, or anything you can eat, or if that alley bastard saw that shiny leg, we¡¯re huntin the first sonsabitches to come lookin for it.¡± Ned¡¯s face slammed his own gun store counter with significant force as a strange face loomed over it, followed by an absolutely massive revolver, gleaming gold with silver inlay, barrel and cylinder a gleaming blue and ivory colored tusk, polished heavily. The gilded hammer cocked back, as the gray bearded man exhaled smoke from his yellow nicotine stained teeth, his waxed mustache curled like mammoth tusks as he put out the cigar in Ned¡¯s neck. ¡°Okay! I got it from Hudson Galloway. He found some new arrivals and one was wearing these as jewelry. ¡°What kind of person wears titanium like jewelry?¡± growled the raging bull of a man with the golden cannon. ¡°I don¡¯t know, he just said one of the new arrivals had them.¡± ¡°Same girl who a man claimed is walking around with a silver leg?¡± He asked, reheating the cigar. ¡°Mister Buchanan, I don¡¯t know who told you that, but he¡¯s a damn liar. I¡¯ll say it to his face.¡± Ned claimed as a severed head plopped down on the table facing him. ¡°Then say it to his face.¡± Buchanan growled. ¡°Jesus, I just bought some jewelry, nobody had a silver leg. Nobody ever has had one. That¡¯s absurd. I would have seen a little gal dragging around a 40 pound creakin metal leg now wouldn¡¯t I? They all came in and stood around, this¡­man on the table was either lying or just drunk and mistaken. Hud had some gun brass, some buttons, lead, and that was it, normal shit, until the rings.¡± ¡°This man on your table was one of my best scouts. If he said he saw a silver leg, he saw one. A girl carrying this much titanium in jewelry walkin around with a silver leg, is mighty interesting to me. Smitty here wouldn¡¯t know the difference between silver and titanium if you asked him. Silver would make a heavy and awkward leg, but a light titanium one would be real tough. So you tell me where to find this Hudson Galloway and his million dollar bitch, or I¡¯ll take your head too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I swear. He won¡¯t tell where he lives, He¡¯s a paranoid man. I¡¯m not lying, I got nothing else to tell you.¡± Ned promised. ¡°Well then you¡¯re just a liability and another man who knows too much, like Smitty here.¡± He said, drawing a very curved blue cavalry sword from his belt and decapitating Ned with a hefty strike. He wiped the red from his wooden saber, the edge gleaming in the same blue and ivory patterned tusk as his gun. ¡°Take his papers, his records of inventory, and burn the building down.¡± Buchanan huffed, the black tribal tattoos on his face scrunching with his anger lines. ¡°I want Hudson¡¯s silver legged lady by moonrise.¡± Chapter 5: Hunting Wolf Hudson lead the pack through the packed snow, following tracks by lantern light. Tom brought up the rear, feeling rather useless carrying a wooden sword. The girls shivered and huddled together, bundled in 3 layers and still cold. Tom sped ahead and joined Hudson. ¡°We¡¯ve been following tracks for an hour, doesn¡¯t look like a mammoth print unless I got a very different idea of the size and look of that animal. ¡°Small game, not worth chasin down actually. We¡¯re not huntin that, we¡¯re just movin. Right now we¡¯re the ones being hunted.¡± He said as the girls suddenly became interested. ¡°By what?¡± Tom asked. ¡°More like by whom.¡± Hudson replied. You tell a lot about a man by how he tracks you. Narrow down who it might be and the best place and tactics when they get there. I knew damn good and well that sonsabitch talked about the leg. Shoulda shot him. Depending on who he talked to before they probably killed his stupid ass for knowin, we could be evenly matched or completely screwed. You see that¡­well you probably don¡¯t see shit, but trust me, there¡¯s a light following us. It¡¯s stayin real far back so we don¡¯t notice but when we get tuckered out and turn back it¡¯s gonna go out and we¡¯re gonna run into him. Hey Jen, How good can you see in the dark?¡± ¡°Pretty good. Good as most people give or take.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll take it. You get the 45, load her up with slugs and put a round of scatter in the ready. That¡¯s counter clockwise, so one right of the top, that¡¯s important. You take ol blind buck with ya and head towards that big rock near the river. Turn around and head straight back the way you came. Me and your friend with the million dollar leg gonna keep heading onward with the lantern, and then turn around and head back at some point. That should put you behind our new friend and us on higher ground. If you hear a gunshot, shoot his ass and follow it up. Keep goin till he¡¯s down or you run out.¡± ¡°I never shot anybody before.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, gonna be a great night to start. Now if you hear a bunch of shots all close together, you stay down, head back the way we came slow and quiet for about 5 minutes and then just move as fast as you can till you get back. I know 2 men who track in that manner and if it¡¯s not Moses, we got him.¡± ¡°And if it¡¯s Moses, what then?¡± asked Jen. ¡°Eh, well it was nice knowin ya for a little while. You two aughta outlive me and Miss Peggy-leggy here by a few hours or days, depending on how fast you run. Go on, get to movin. Scatter shot right of the top cylinder, shoot till he falls.¡± He encouraged Hudson and Carol trudged onward, briskly and steadily as he stopped and just stood there a moment, checking his gun and turning around. ¡°Alright, little lady, now I didn¡¯t wanna scare your friends back there so here¡¯s the plan.¡± ¡°That was NOT scaring them?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Now you take that black revolver and tuck it in your coat sleeve, keep it cocked and ready and here¡¯s the part you won¡¯t like. You¡¯re gonna put it under your chin and keep your finger way the hell off that trigger.¡± ¡°MY chin?¡± Carol asked. ¡°What am I taking MYSELF hostage?¡± ¡°Nope. One of two things is gonna happen Either a native American man carrying a rifle is gonna show up and we¡¯re gonna have a conversation, which mean you¡¯re gonna lower that gun and be ready to empty it on him if I die. OR, it¡¯s gonna be a bald white guy with goggles like mine, and he¡¯s gonna shoot me before I get my gun drawn, in which case you just go on and pull that trigger and go quietly. Because he don¡¯t converse or negotiate and I ain¡¯t got shit for ideas for dealin with him. He¡¯s gonna kill me and have his way with you, cut that leg off and take it back. You¡¯ll wanna be dead when that happens because it¡¯s happening dead or alive and he won¡¯t ask your preference. That Donnovan ain¡¯t gonna slow him down, but it will make your last moment a lot less bad.¡± He said as she shakily got the pistol ready. ¡°You¡¯re not joking are you?¡± ¡°Wish I was. Quit your stallin, hammer back, finger out of the guard, chinny-chin with the barrel and do your silent prayers. Feel free to include me in that one.¡± Hudson said waiting for her as she nervously lifted the gun to her chin. ¡°This is insane.¡± Jen sighed. Why are we out here freezing and splitting up? We could be hiding or bunkering down.¡± She complained. ¡°Hud¡¯s right. They¡¯re after her, not us. So dividing not only gives us better survival chances but two places to shoot from that aren¡¯t hitting each other in the crossfire. Don¡¯t let him scare ya. I¡¯ll protect ya from whoever it is.¡± ¡°Really¡­how? You cant shoot and I got the gun. If anything I¡¯m protecting you and I never shot anyone before. Never even hunted, let alone human. Have you?¡± ¡°Sure. Half a dozen or so. None of them tracked me down so I assume they all died. Can you take a man¡¯s life or are you gonna freeze up?¡± ¡°We¡¯re already frozen up, so if I have to I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m just hoping Hudson drops him before I get a chance.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Tom sighed. ¡°You smell that?¡± Jen asked. ¡°No¡­what ya smell?¡± he asked. ¡°I dunno, just¡­good. It¡¯s actually making me hungry.¡± She sniffed. Carol vibrated and wiggled her trigger finger next to the gun to make sure she could feel it if she had to use it. the soft sound of footsteps approaching in the dark that didn¡¯t match hers or Hudson¡¯s made her blood run even colder. The absolute lack of any visual or warning making the wait feel even longer. The cold wood rested under her chin as her hand sweated and she adjusted her grip, not even sure if she could do what was needed, letting her mind drift to a summer day to remember warmth for a while. A slightly darker spot in the darkness appeared, blurry and indistinguishable. She squinted, looking for goggles or a rifle to clue her in to her fate. Hudson stopped, opening his coat and flashing the red revolver. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Old Hudson, what have you gotten yourself into now?¡± said a voice in the dark, a native American tonality and an almost¡­friendly swagger to it, easing her finger slightly. ¡°Oh just the same shit as always, what brings you out here, Chief?¡± he said winking at Carol, who sighed and shed a tear of relief as she lowered the gun from her chin to an arms-crossed for warmth position. ¡°You know why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m saving your life.¡± He said bluntly. ¡°You¡¯re robbin me and takin the girl is what you¡¯re doin, and my life is the reward I get for it. That about it?¡± he asked. ¡°Hud, you¡¯re one of the best hunters I have working for me. It would be a shame to die out here for a greenhorn. If you refuse, I¡¯ll kill you and take her anyway. The only choice is what happens to you. I¡¯m a faster draw, even with that new gun you got you have no moves except drop it and walk away, go home, or draw it and die in the cold. If it helps your soul to know, Buchannan wants her alive or dead, 500,000 dead 525,000 alive to answer questions. You know how he asks questions. I¡¯ll walk her back to town, shoot her in the head. She wont feel it. You can just pay me the 25 thousand in your hunting, ten percent on each hunt. You go on living and she doesn¡¯t suffer. There are other men who would prefer suffering.¡± The chief said. ¡°You hear that, Carol. Chief HuntinWolf likes to bargain. Damn descent of him too. Real glad I didn¡¯t see Moses stepping out of the dark. Be a lotta gunshots right about now. Now you make a tempting offer but I know you ain¡¯t gonna let me keep my gun and shoot you in the back and I just paid off my debt and this here revolver ain¡¯t even been shot yet. I¡¯ve wanted a Prima 35 my whole damn life and never got to shoot the damn thing and you¡¯re about to take it anyway. Don¡¯t seem right. How bout I get to shoot it just once, out at the dark, and then you got a deal.¡± He sighed. ¡°I would let you unload it and keep it, but you have shells hidden somewhere, you don¡¯t have a spare gun in your pocket. So you¡¯re right, and it¡¯s going in the 25,000 you owe me. But that¡¯s all you want out of this, hold perfectly still.¡± HuntingWolf said. Hudson held up his hands as he disarmed him and patted for hidden guns, taking his knife his ammo bag and the obvious red revolver. He smiled, lowering his lever rifle and admiring the red pistol. ¡°We got a deal?¡± Hudson asked, now fully unarmed. ¡°I¡¯ll be getting that knife back from you later. That was my daddy¡¯s knife. You can¡¯t put a price on that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it at your house. Hudson I¡¯m surprised that you did the smart thing. In fact, why don¡¯t you take a shot with a real pistol instead.¡± He said , breaking open the red revolver and dumping out the peasant shells, as of they were worthless. He smiled, unholstering his own revolver. 35 magnum, full tusk cylinder and barrel, wood dyed navy blue he broke the action open and dumped the shells, loading one round in it. Tossing it in the snow. ¡°You deserve to fire real lead before you¡¯re too old to hold a gun.¡± ¡°Damn descent of ya.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s one round you¡¯ll never afford to fire again, and it kicks, so enjoy it. I¡¯ve got this shotgun on your back. You so much as turn around with it loaded and I¡¯ll kill you.¡± He warned Hudson. ¡°Be smart, take the gift.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of passing it.¡± Hudson said, pointing the opposite way and aiming up slightly. He fired the shot, the echo ringing out as his hears tingled from the power. He turned, holstering it, grinning like it was Christmas. Huntingwolf gave him a strange look of confusion as another shot from the distance buckled his knees and dropped him to all fours, another shot hitting the snow beside him, and a third shot hitting his side, flattening him out, struggling to lift the unloaded red revolver. He pointed towards Hudson and clicked the hammer, slumping into the snow. ¡°Bet them plastic bullets didn¡¯t seem so worthless when that hammer fell dry, peckerwood.¡± He said, strolling up and stepping on his arm to make sure he didn¡¯t move, taking back his knife and slitting his throat as Carol winced and looked away. ¡°JEN! RUN ON BACK!¡± he hollered. ¡°You are officially my favorite greenhorn on this damn snowball.¡± He said collecting items and loading himself to the gills with loot. Jen ran up, holding the rifle and looking horrified. ¡°I just killed a guy.¡± She said. ¡°Killed him real good and proper too. Proud of ya, girl.¡± ¡°I just killed a guy!¡± she yelled louder. ¡°I¡¯m not bragging I¡¯m freaking the fuck out a little. Jesus shit, I just killed someone.¡± ¡°Self defense, and get used to it, you¡¯ll do it again or die. We¡¯re just getting started. But damn if we didn¡¯t get lucky in so many ways. You killed a very rich man with very rich man things on him. ¡°He was your boss.¡± Carol said. ¡°You worked for him.¡± ¡°Twenty-five damn years I did. I risked my ass out there scavenging and huntin and this prick was always there to congratulate me on how much I made him. Half my life savins went into this man¡¯s pocket, never went with me or did half the work, just collected like his daddy did to my daddy, and when my daddy couldn¡¯t pay his debt, Old chief Yellow Eyes shot him dead. He¡¯s gonna love it when I show up with his dead boy¡¯s gun to kill his ass. That is one fine damn gun for an entitled little shit like this boy. Tables turn don¡¯t they ya little cocksuck?¡± he said reloading his red revolver and putting a round in his head just for the hell of it. ¡°There, now I killed him instead. Feel better?¡± he asked with a smirk. ¡°How does that help?¡± ¡°He was still breathin a little bit. Sure aint no more. You shot a man tonight and he would have died, but¡­You didn¡¯t kill nobody yet.¡± Hudson nodded. ¡°Bullshit.¡± She muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t believe, that¡¯s your choice. Believe what you want. Them plastic bullets don¡¯t exactly blow your inside out ya ass, you bleed out or suffocate from a lung shot, takes a minute or two. Take the lid off the skull like that, now that¡¯s the express lane to hell. I stole your glory, but you get credit for a damn good shot at that distance. In fact, that¡¯s your gun now. Miss Peggy Sue just got herself a nice a nice Prima Revolver on borrow, and Happy birthday Tom, you got your shitty black gun back. We¡¯re all movin on up tonight.¡± He smiled. ¡°I swear of you call me Peggy one more time.¡± Carol fumed. ¡°Oh lighten up, it¡¯s a celebration. You basically ruined my life, so I get a few shitty jabs at ya for savin yours, not like you¡¯re gonna do anything.¡± He shrugged, a sudden jolt to his head, and stumbling into the snow as Jen stood over him, balled up fist. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, lady. Get good and mean while you¡¯re still practicing that right jab, because I won¡¯t shoot ya for it, and some people will. You get it out of your system now, get used to it, get that muscle remembering, you¡¯ll want it later. We don¡¯t pissed off the world tonight, so if killin a man bothers you, you can use all the practice you can get rampin up that mean streak, ya little striped snake. Your friend ain¡¯t got any damn fangs or claws to her, not a damn bit of meanness. Makes a fine wife, makes a piss-poor killer. So you swing away, little lady, feed that mean streak all you can. We¡¯re gonna need it.¡± ¡°fffffFUCK!¡± she yelled, kicking snow and circling around nowhere. ¡°Now everyone start grabbin gear. We¡¯re lootin this corpse to the skin and headin home. Best damn hunt I ever did have. Real shame I gotta die for it soon.¡± He sighed. Chapter 6: Wolves hunt back ¡°I think I know where we are.¡± Jen sighed as the fireplace crackled. ¡°Yea, my house.¡± Chuckled Hudson. ¡°No, I mean where Timber is. It¡¯s hell. We all died and this is just¡­hell.¡± ¡°Well It froze over.¡± Tom sighed as Carol rolled her eyes. ¡°Seriously? We died and hell is a western? A cold western with no iron and a booming lumber industry? Give me a break. Obviously we were abducted by aliens.¡± She said with certainty. Tom scoffed. ¡°Men from the moon flew down and scooped us up, hu? Yea that¡¯s more believable than hell. Came and got ya from the future, brought us all back here at the same time, nobody remembers spacemen or lights in the sky or nothing. Now I was standin out at night with my guard down, be pretty easy for someone to have just shot me. Natives, Confederates, pissed off drunk soldier. I ant exactly religious, but maybe that¡¯s the point. Either of you churchy folks?¡± he asked the girls. ¡°No, not really. I believe in science.¡± Carol argued. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why you ended up in hell too.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not the afterlife, we didn¡¯t die, what, both of us happened to be on civil war grounds doing a reenactment weekend and coincidentally two of us in perfectly normal health had a heart attack at the same time, or someone serial killer snuck in and killed us both silently, neither of us seeing him or reacting? ¡°Maybe nobody remembers their death. Bear could have got you both.¡± Tom sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no bears! It was a gated area with wildlife specialists on site and modern security. Someone would have noticed a random bear. This isn¡¯t hell. They got towns in hell? Where¡¯s the devil? Hudson¡­ What town are we in?¡± ¡°Helldale.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Very funny.¡± ¡°Not really.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Lotta theories floatin around over the past century, hell¡¯s one of many nobody ever proves or disproves. Moonmen is another one I¡¯ve heard. Some people say there weren¡¯t no life before it, You were just dreamin and woke up, and this is reality. I¡¯ve heard that this is the distant past and some Age of Ice, and I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s the future after mankind done killed everything off with bombs so big they killed the sun. Called it nuclear winter. They say it explains the craters but not how we got here, and the craters proved to be volcanic spots anyway. None of it matters. Is what it is and what it is¡­is Timber. Spend your whole life philosophizing how you showed up and why and miss livin or get killed waitin. Lotta men sailed out to sea or rode into the dark to find what¡¯s out there. You know what¡¯s out there? More snow, more trees, wolves, mammoths death. You go south and you got water, and more water, probably something out there that can eat a ship. Nobody ever goes very far and comes back. Fall off the edge, get lost in the current, just freeze¡­dead is dead, missy. Best not worry about it and start worrying about how we¡¯re gonna survive this leg situation. HuntinWolf is dead, they¡¯re gonna assume that when he don¡¯t come back eventually, send someone else. Nobody gonna find that body before the animals do. We stay here, we die. At least I will, I aint endin up in Buchannan¡¯s hands alive, sure as shit. We Go East to Coalridge, maybe head Southeast to Barrenwood, maybe on to Clearstone Hallow. Nothin beyond that.¡± He said, laying out an old map. ¡°What, just ride for the rest of our lives?¡± Jen said, ¡°Keep moving on trains and horses and never stop?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know what a train is, but you can¡¯t afford 4 horses here. If I¡¯m lucky enough to get one horse and a wagon without anyone lookin for my bounty, it¡¯s gonna be pullin the wagon. After that we follow the river to Coalridge. Maybe nobody knows us there yet. ¡°If this place is always cold how are the rivers and lakes not frozen solid? Asked Carol, examining the map. ¡°They call it geothermal. They learn you that in school here. Everything is cold till you dig deep down. The ground gets warm as hell down in the mines. Apparently as theory goes, all the rivers and lakes were formed by the ground crackin and exposin hot spots and the snow around it melted and filled in. You take a look at this here map and notice all the cities look similar? ¡°They¡¯re all round and walled in. Is that why the wolves don¡¯t get in?¡± ¡°The wolves got a very specific range of light they can see in. When the moon is down they can¡¯t see shit, but if you got a fire or end up near the light of a city it blinds em. Too bright, scares em off. And these ain¡¯t walls, these are natural elevated spots. Apparently the heat sometimes pushes up a column of packed snow and rock, makes these steam volcanoes with a warm center. Perfect place to build a town. Every town runs on steam and sits on one of these. Kinda hard to climb vertical columns the center domes down naturally, so ya got a natural block for the wind and a good place to plant a row of trees. The rich build homes around the center where it¡¯s warmest and once ya run out of surface, you just expand down on the low spots around the pillar and hope for the best. You get too far from the light of the towns and the critters getcha. We got about 4 days of critter territory between us and Coalridge. Bout a day¡¯s walk we get to Oldfort. With any luck and flashin some money we¡¯ll get that wagon. We can¡¯t wait for night either. We¡¯ll have people knockin by then.¡± Tom pulled the supply sled behind him in the rear as the rest lead forward, armed and not much warmer. A lit torch hung on the sled, lighting the wrong way. ¡°Why Am I pullin the damn sled?¡± he hollered. ¡°Cuz you¡¯re the strongest and you can¡¯t shoot for shit. We need every hand on a gun and someone luggin supplies, them girls can see better than you and they¡¯d pull a sled slower. Stop hollerin so loud, you¡¯ll bring the wolves in.¡± ¡°Why are you so damn scared of wolves? We got wolves back home. You shoot one and the rest scatter. They ain¡¯t exactly unstoppable long as you got a gun handy. Shit we¡¯re loaded for bear and got 3 sets of eyes lookin.¡± Tom huffed. ¡°You¡¯re full of shit if you ain¡¯t scared of the wolves. Either you never encountered one and you¡¯re lyin or you¡¯re just lucky and shot a baby.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s just tragic.¡± Sighed Carol as Jen hung back to keep tom company and get warm by the torch. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I believe you.¡± She muttered, grabbing a rope and helping pull. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. It¡¯s warmer back here and frankly I¡¯m a little bit lonely. Carol and¡­Hudson the Nomad there, may be loners but I don¡¯t thrive well in the dark. Place gives me the creeps.¡± She sighed. ¡°At least Hudson¡¯s not obsessed with bears. You ever run into a bear? That¡¯s a serious problem. I¡¯d rather hear him bitch about the wolves than the damn bears out here. You can shoot a wolf, usually scare the rest away. Bear doesn¡¯t give a shit, you empty your sixgun into a grisly and just piss it off. I¡¯ll take the wolves any day.¡± ¡°How are you adjusting?¡± she asked. ¡°Confused, not sure what theory sounds the least stupid, honestly.¡± Tom sighed. ¡°I mean your eyes. Must be scary to just¡­suddenly have the world closed in on you and not know what¡¯s out there.¡± She smiled kindly. ¡°Honestly I don¡¯t think I wanna know what¡¯s out there now that I¡¯ve encountered a little of it. Everything close by seems to be better than what¡¯s out there.¡± He said looking back as she smirked slightly. ¡°Are you seriously flirting?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just tryin to make you feel better. Is it workin?¡± he asked. ¡°Yea, a little bit. Keep talking.¡± She grinned. ¡°Can we stop and take a break?¡± Carol begged as Hudson pushed on. ¡°Hell no, we got less than half a mile before we get to the first stagecoach stop, and we don¡¯t stop till we get TO the stop.¡± ¡°Look, some of us aren¡¯t used to the cold, I have a titanium rod running up my Tibia, and you don¡¯t know how bad it hurts to walk on this in the cold after a while.¡± ¡°No I don¡¯t. Ya ever get disembowled by wolves. I haven¡¯t either but which do you think you¡¯d prefer missy?¡± ¡°What¡­why are you so obsessed with the wolves? Do they travel in packs of thousands here or what?¡± ¡°Usually packs of about a dozen, if you see one there¡¯s ten or eleven more ya don¡¯t see. You got more confidence in them guns than you should, and the only thing keeping us alive right now is that torch light. You don¡¯t see them, but they see you. Betcha ass they do. They set up shelters every so far in between the towns for travelers. Everyone knows when the moon goes down and the place gets real dark, the nightmares sleep and you make your travel then. When the moon comes up so do they and you best be bunkered down somewhere with a fire. These shelters are made specifically for waiting out the wolves.¡± ¡°Then why are we traveling by full moon?¡± she asked. ¡°Because I think I¡¯d rather be caught by wolves than Lee Buchannan. Wolves will just tear you apart and eat ya. They aren¡¯t trying to make it last or make you suffer, they¡¯re just hungry animals trying to survive. It¡¯s a nasty way to go, but at least it¡¯s over quick. Buchannan likes to keep people alive for weeks, months. If even a tenth the sick shit I¡¯ve heard he does to people for fun, is true, and we¡¯ve done pissed him off enough to put a bounty up, I¡¯ll take my chances with the wolves. Just gotta keep that fire lit and keep movin till we get there. They don¡¯t make torches that keep Buchannan away. ¡°Guys, hurry up with the sled, we really need to get to this shelter while the wolves are out.¡± Carol said sounding rushed. ¡°What is it with everyone and the damn wolves?¡± Jen sighed. ¡°They¡¯re basically just big huskies without manners. Not like HOHOgholyfuck, what is that!?¡± she yelled, jumping and shouldering her rifle. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! You¡¯ll piss em off.¡± Hudson said as Jen stared at something in the dark, eerily still and quiet.¡± ¡°Just keep walkin. You fire shot and spook them, they¡¯ll rush the light.¡± ¡°What the fuck.¡± She whispered, staring, unable to blink or look away. A black shadow in the dark blue landscape stood, not even moving enough to breathe. It seemed far too close to be still outside the light of the torch, as if just a black cutout had been placed ten feet away, floating at the same speed without moving a limb or hair, like an illusion of perspective. She breathed heavier, 7 distinct glowing dots in the shadow growing brighter as her eyes adjusted to the faint glow. The longer she stared, the more she notices more of them. The same arch of 7 greenish yellow lights, one pointed and dim, one brightest at the top of the arc, and 5 trailing down behind smaller with each dot, a dozen of the unusual arches of lights frozen in the dark where the blackness was blackest, the closest one still refusing to move. And then, one of the 5 lights in the back row¡­blinked. That was the moment Jen realized the object wasn¡¯t close enough to be in the light, it was just further back than she realized, and only seemed closer because it was far larger then a wolf should be. The roughly horse-sized silhouette twitched, slowly taking a step with them as the yellow eyes, periodically blinked in no particular order. ¡°GUYS MOVE FASTER!¡± she said, starting to panic as the head tilted and the contrast of the head against the lighter snow showed more detail, like the foot long horns protruding from the skull, and the heart-shaped glow from the nose, one neon green eye moving behind it, the black pupil scanning their group. ¡°Both of you slow down and stop. Hold perfectly still.¡± Hudson said, pistol drawn and cocked. ¡°Everyone grab a torch and light it off the one on the sled. Pay close attention because it¡¯s gonna happen fast. Once everyone got a torch lit and their hand locked on it like your life depends on it, because it do¡­I¡¯m gonna say run, and you gonna run the direction we¡¯ve been goin. There¡¯s a shelter house you can¡¯t see yet, but you can¡¯t miss it when you get there. Leave the sled behind, hopefully it will be there when they leave, if that torch lasts. You¡¯ll get a head start from me and I¡¯ll shoot this bastard in the face. Should stun him while we make a break for it.¡± ¡°STUN!?¡± Jen barked. ¡°Guys, I can¡¯t run!¡± Carol informed. ¡°Well, you might wanna consider trying it anyway. I¡¯m gonna give the order and when you move it¡¯s either gonna stick with me or chase ya, and if I shoot to stop it, they all comin in and I¡¯ll be right behind you at that point. How much head start just depends on how distracted he is by me.¡± Hudson said waving the torch slowly to get it¡¯s attention on his light. ¡°Run.¡± He said. Carol sprinted on pure instinct, looking forward and trailing the torch to see ahead in the dark, she could feel eyes on her everywhere as tom and Jen quickly caught up to her. ¡°Hang on to that torch and don¡¯t scream!¡± Tom yelled, grabbing her and scooping her up as he went, targeting the direction of the cabin and letting her be the eyes. A shot rang out and a blood chilling banshee scream followed it, followed by numerous howls and Hudson¡¯s incoherent cursing. Tom made it to the cabin, blindly threading the doorway and ramming the door open, glad it was partially cracked already. A second later the door shut and Tom stumbled, almost falling on carol as Hudson shut the door and dropped the heavy beam to lock it, the sudden impact of a horse-sized animal hitting the door and testing the locks. He ran to the fireplace and stuck the torch in, adding wood and stoking it with frantic breaths and fanning, trying to light up the cabin as much as possible and lighting candles that had been left behind, placing them near the windows, small thick glass bars cemented into the 6 inch thick beam frames to give light, the sound of talons scraping the other side. ¡°What the Sam Hell¡¯s flaming fuck was that?¡± Tom barked angrily. ¡°Wolves¡­I thought you weren¡¯t scared of wolves. ¡°Wolves my ass, old timer I¡¯ve seen wolves before, they¡¯re this high and they die when you put a bullet in em.¡± ¡°Well I never seen one of those wolves before living my whole life in Timber. I guess we got different animals in mind then.¡± ¡°You hurt?¡± Tom asked Carol, still aggressive but concerned. ¡°No, where¡¯s Jen?¡± she asked. He turned around and looked closer at the corners, the now fully lit room very much void of a 4th person. ¡°Oh my god, open the door she¡¯s still out there!¡± Carol screamed, welling up with cold tears, tom grabbed the red rifle and was stopped by Hudson, scooting in his way and refusing to let go of the gun. ¡°Buddy you better stand your ground a moment. You open that door, we don¡¯t close it again. That ain¡¯t someone knockin, that¡¯s something clawin. You hear any voice screaming for help or sayin let me in?¡± he asked. ¡°No.¡± Tom said, swallowing harshly. ¡°Neither do I. Tom, listen up. I was the last to move, I was the last to leave, I didn¡¯t see her when I caught up to you, and I didn¡¯t see her when I shut the door. She ain¡¯t screamin because she¡¯s dead already. Somewhere between me haulin ass and me seeing you hit that door, she either fell, or got grabbed and I didn¡¯t hear a peep. She¡¯s dead, folks. Be thankful it was a quick kill and you didn¡¯t hear her screamin and clawing the door before going silent. We¡¯re all gonna die. She got lucky and died real fast.¡± Chapter 7: Wandering Horse Carol sobbed as Tom tried to comfort her, feeling a bit lost inside himself, Hudson just stood by the window, staring out of the tiny thick window at the torch in the distance. ¡°We should go look for her.¡± Tom said bluntly. ¡°No damn point. Been half an hour, she wouldn¡¯t have lasted half a minute by the grace of God himself.¡± Hud sighed. ¡°So what, you just watchin the sled then? We lost someone, the supplies can be replaced. If you don¡¯t plan to look for her, the least you can do is sit and show respect. Tom said. ¡°I respect plenty, and don¡¯t you act like I didn¡¯t do enough. I gave you all a head start, when I shot that lead wolf, time was up, and I didn¡¯t see anyone down or I woulda done something. You go down around the wolves, they drag you off before anyone even blinks, so she probably didn¡¯t suffer long. We all did our part in a shit situation and someone didn¡¯t make it. That happens and it¡¯s never easy but you get used to people dyin in Timber. I aim to keep us alive as long as possible but we¡¯re all probably gonna die soon, she went easier than some of us might.¡± He said swigging on his canteen as a sudden pounding on the door got his attention. ¡°Guns up we got company. Depending on who that is I¡¯ll be greetin with a bullet or a hesitant gun.¡± He said carefully lifting the beam and cracking the door slightly. He stepped back in silence, looking like he saw a ghost. The door opened and Jen rushed inside, clothes tattered and slightly skinned up but intact. ¡°JENEVEVE KUROKI WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!?¡± Screamed Carol, rushing to hug her as tom quickly slowed her sprint. ¡°Hold on now, she could be injured.¡± He warned. ¡°She should be dead.¡± Hudson said looking like he wanted to double check for a pulse to be sure. ¡°How are you even alive?¡± ¡°Who cares, Jen¡¯s alive!¡± carol said hugging her with restraint. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Not¡­badly. Scrapes and bruises, nothing falling off my skateboard couldn¡¯t do.¡± She said, playfully laughing with a ghostly look of terror in her eyes. ¡°Bullshit.¡± Hudson said stepping closer. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± ¡°I fucking fell on the slippery ice, landed on my ass-bone. Got drug off my the foot and everything went dark and¡­sounds, and then they just¡­left.¡± She shrugged, still looking like her soul was about to collapse. ¡°Honey, wolves don¡¯t leave survivors here. They don¡¯t pass up meat even if they can¡¯t eat another bite, they drag the bodies back to the pack. Nobody even finds parts of the bodies left. You got a shiny titanium foot too, because you shouldn¡¯t have a foot unless it was.¡± ¡°Look¡­the boot took most of the damage.¡± She insisted, prying off the boot and proving her foot was real and intact, a hint of red on her sock and some bruising where the teeth bit down. ¡°I¡¯m kinda sore but I¡¯ll live. I can walk.¡± She insisted, limping slightly but otherwise moving okay to the fire to get warm. Hudson still looked skeptical. ¡°That boot shouldn¡¯t have done shit. I¡¯ve seen them bite through wood siding like it was a snack, your skinny leg and an old boot shouldn¡¯t have stopped a youngin from taking that foot clean off, let alone a big bull wolf like that.¡± ¡°What do you want me to say? I¡¯m here, I¡¯m alive, I¡¯m pretty traumatized, I just got attacked by a fucking demon and I¡¯m just really struggling to prepress that whole thing. I¡¯d really like to not talk about it right now and just get warm. ¡°Well¡¯ we¡¯re just glad you¡¯re okay, you got lucky and we¡¯re thankful.¡± Tom said glaring at Hudson, shrugging as he glared back, still clutching his gun like he expected her to do something. He got up and motioned towards the back room, heading that way to ask some questions as Hudson followed, still holding his pistol. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be thrilled that she¡¯s alive, so explain that look on ya damn face. They poisonous, she gonna die anyway? Do they circle back and stalk or let people go to lead em to the herd, why are you so damn scared of her?¡± ¡°Tom, I never seen anyone survive one of them before. That ain¡¯t luck and it ain¡¯t natural. She¡¯s dead, she should be, so why ain¡¯t she? You may not care but if I put a bullet in someone¡¯s head and they just strolled past and made coffee with a big hole in their skull, you be askin some weird questions. Wolves don¡¯t drag you off, they don¡¯t bite gentle, they got one kinda bite and it cuts limbs and heads off. They¡¯re fast, efficient, and always hungry and the only thing they MIGHT be scared of is a big bull mammoth, and even then a pack that size could take one down. Bullet to the head should be less lethal, so why is she just barely limpin and scuffed like she done fell down a slope and bumped her elbow in the snow? I started this shitshow not believing in ghosts, I don¡¯t really wanna end it with one of them on my side.¡± ¡°You suspicious old coot, she just got lucky. Somethin spooked them, she got grabbed by a runt, maybe it was sick and weak, I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care, she¡¯s alive and kickin. That¡¯s good enough for me. Now unless you tell me those bites are venomous or she¡¯s gonna get a brain infection and go insane, I¡¯m going back in there to comfort her.¡± ¡°Honestly don¡¯t know what their bites do, because nothing ever lives long enough to find out. If the first bite don¡¯t kill ya, it takes off the limb and the second bite right after, takes your head. You go comfort, I¡¯m keeping my gun handy. Something just ain¡¯t right.¡± Jen Curled up under her blanket by the fire, everyone trying to sleep but Hudson, still carrying his pistol and standing near the door. Jen let out a groan in her sleep, tossing and rolling over, muttering something incoherent and getting his attention. He inched closer as she opened her eyes slightly, just the whites showing and gnashing her teeth. She curled up tighter and whimpered slightly as he cautiously extended the butt of his pistol and nudged her thigh. She let out a howl of terror and kicked at him flailing and climbing off the bed to the corner of the cabin as everyone else woke. ¡°GET OFF OF ME!¡± Jen roared, swiping the air as her eyes opened fully and she went from kill mode to silent sobbing. ¡°Bad dream.¡± ¡°Oh fuck you grampa! Like you give a shit.¡± She cried, as the others gathered around and got their wits together. ¡°What happened?¡± Tom asked. ¡°I just¡­had a dream.¡± Jen said, calming down, or just blocking it out. Still seeing the faint afterimage of green eyes and teeth in her blurry waking vision. ¡°I was back home. With Russel. My boyfriend. It started off as a good dream, just being held and not alone, and then he just kept hugging me tighter till I couldn¡¯t breathe, Like something was standing on my chest. His eyes turned green and glowing and I looked down at his hand on my leg, and it was just¡­claws. Fucking sushi knive death hooks and he had this monstrous grin on his face like I was more food than lover. And then some asshole poked me and woke me up.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Hudson sighed. ¡°Probably better than letting him finish his dinner, no point anyone goin back to sleep now, Moon is pretty much down and we best get movin. You still good to walk?¡± he asked, looking doubtful. She sat up and stood, slowly as if hiding the pain and pretending to be fine. ¡°I¡¯m okay enough.¡± She sighed. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A young man sat at a table, peering through a magnifying glass at a wooden bench vise and carefully filing something with a thick abrasive stone. He heard the knock and got up, looking annoyed. He made his way to the front door and opened it, looking slightly surprised to see Hudson. ¡°No.¡± he said almost shutting the door. ¡°I got 2 women freezing their asses off out here, and this.¡± He said holding up the blue and bone colored revolver. The young man¡¯s interest changed and he let him in with a wave and a look of immediate regret. ¡°Place looks nice. You makin good money?¡± ¡°Hud, I¡¯m not loaning you money, and I should shoot you for bringing that gun here. My father will be looking for it, and if he comes here-¡± ¡°Your father is dead, I shot him with his own gun.¡± Hudson said coldly as the others get quiet and backed away. The young man, now baring resemblance to hunting Wolf to their more detailed eyes, looked more skeptical than vengeful. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. You¡¯re not that lucky or stupid. What do you want?¡± ¡°Shelter for now. Storm¡¯s on the way and we got injured people who don¡¯t move very fast. I need a covered wagon and a horse, what¡¯s that gonna cost me?¡± ¡°More than you have. So you killed my father and stole his guns. Why?¡± he shrugged. ¡°Well I done shit the bed by helping these 3 greenhorns and the blonde one has something Buchanan wants real damn bad. People got shot, and I ain¡¯t letting him take nobody that did nothing wrong, especially since he¡¯d kill me for the inconvenience. They sent your daddy to collect. I got the drop on him. Well I had a plan and that pasty brunette got the drop on him, and I finished the job. He¡¯s real dead.¡± Hudson casually sighed. ¡°And do you expect me to thank you or kill you for that? My father disowned me years ago. He has never showed up since I bought this place. ¡°You mean since Fredric Prima bought you this place. Your daddy sure was pissed about you workin for the competition.¡± ¡°My father was a liar and a fool. My family brought our traditions to this place and he abandoned them for greed. Grandfather would be ashamed. He would not approve of me working for the rich white man but he would approve less than my father selling his heart for Tusk and poaching the land clean for greed. Insulting the ancestors and the old ways. We all have to make a living and work for the white devils that run this afterlife. He didn¡¯t have to become one of them. He chose that over grandfather and over me.¡± ¡°How is the old Chief?¡± ¡°Dead.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Well that¡¯s a damn shame. I wanted to drop in and show him this gun. Tell him I shot his boy down in the snow and left his naked ass for the wolves.¡± ¡°You never let go of any grudge, do you? When will you learn that my father told only lies. My grandfather was a good man who raised a good boy, who turned on us all. He shot your father, and blamed it on grandfather. Now they are both dead and your vengeance is complete. Celebrate. Get drunk on the white man¡¯s whiskey and find a whore for yourself to share your victory. Grandfather is dead and buried in the old ways with respect and honor and if you are telling the truth, my father died as he should have, naked in the snow and alone. I won¡¯t reward you, I will not curse you. We have no debts.¡± He coldly turned, returning to his work. ¡°But if you want to sell that gun I made him, I would like to have it back. it¡¯s some of my finest work.¡± ¡°Moves like butter, slick and smooth, kicks like a wild horse and hits like one too. I figure on keeping it. The lever gun too. Real good shootin rifle. I wanna know what you can do with these.¡± He said placing down the black Donnovan and the long 45 shotgun. The young man inspected it a moment. ¡°This here is Billy Wandering Horse. Best damn gunsmith from here to the shore.¡± Hudson introduced. ¡°Just Billy. I will answer to my mother¡¯s name, not my father¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Sorry Billy. Anything you can do for them guns, maybe hook me up with some fancy tusk barrels.¡± He asked as Billy chuckled. ¡°Hudson you are as crazed as my father if you think I can give you a tusk barrel. Every piece you see has a client name on it and they expect a gun when I finish. If I simply lost one, they would kill me, and Buchanan would know I helped you. I could drill out the Donnovan for some inserts I have, repair the wear on the shotgun, but you don¡¯t have the money for it, or a horse, or a wagon. And we have no debt.¡± He said. Would you like some coffee and a smoke, I could offer that for free as a guest.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s a damn shame, I hoped you¡¯d be lookin to barter for, something like this.¡± He said drawing a brass tomahawk and lightly sticking it in the stump next to the table. Billy;s eyes got wider. ¡°Father¡¯s throwing hawk. My family carried that for 4 generations and it was supposed to be mine when I became a man. My father told me, I will never become a man working for the white devils, so he kept it. I could argue that it¡¯s already mine.¡± ¡°We got no debt, remember? I scavenged that off a man trying to kill me fair and square so that¡¯s MY fancy tomahawk made of solid brass. Got a nice tusk dagger too that goes with it nicely for a price.¡± ¡°Hudson you are a bastard for that, but you are not wrong. And I cannot afford even with such good business, that much brass. It appears you have me over a barrel.¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m the one over a barrel. I leave with no horse and no wagon and we won¡¯t make it to the next town. We could turn back and run into Buchanan and wish we died on the way to the next town, or I could get what I need and so could you. Boy that¡¯s a lotta brass. You really don¡¯t see that much brass in one place, let alone one piece from the old world, smoking pipe, original maple handle, hell you can even get maple here.¡± ¡°You made your point. Keep the knife, leave the tomahawk, you can have a horse and wagon and I¡¯ll fix your guns. I want one promise from you, your word of honor of you have that.¡± Billy squinted. ¡°Lemme guess. Don¡¯t kill Fredric Prima. I¡¯m guessin the kids that would inherit the empire either don¡¯t like you or don¡¯t need you?¡± ¡°Automation is replacing good skilled hands, the tooth insert guns they have been making are garbage, but garbage sells with the Prima logo carved and inlaid. The quality will fall, and my work will suffer. We both worked our lives for men we don¡¯t like, because we needed to. You cost yourself your job, do not cost me mine too.¡± ¡°Tell you what¡­if Prima sends his men for me, I¡¯ll kill them dead. If he shows up himself, I¡¯ll negotiate. I got something he would want real bad. Bad enough to spare my life and that makes us business partners, not enemies. You got a deal.¡± He said. ¡°Then, my home is yours, my wife will make you food and coffee. Let me see if I can save these guns.¡± He said looking at the pair and taking the tomahawk. Hudson strolled back outside and towards the house nearby as Carol followed closely. ¡°This Fredric Prima interested in my leg? I suppose he would just gently remove the external part and let me live with the rest, hu?¡± she asked defensively. ¡°No, Unlike Buchannan, who would torture you for fun, cut that leg off while you were awake and screamin for every ounce of that titanium, Fredric Prima is a man of class. He¡¯s shoot you in the head before you ever saw him comin and just¡­collect the leg. Sometimes darling, you just say some bullshit to a man who has the things you need, and when the time comes to survive, you just shoot the bastard anyway and worry about your word of honor later. Prima comes after you, and he will, if we¡¯re still alive at that point, I¡¯ll kill his ass and Let Billy find a new boss. That ain¡¯t my problem.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll lie to a friend but you¡¯re telling me the truth?¡± Carol asked crossing her arms. ¡°Missy, I saved your ass because you did nothing wrong and it cost me my damn life. I made that bargain myself. I¡¯m a dead man anyway, might as well keep goin down that road. I don¡¯t owe no man nothin anymore. I got a short time left and I better enjoy it, and I¡¯ve wanted to put a bullet in those sonsabitches runnin this place like everyone else they step on to get there. You just don¡¯t do it because they kill you and your family and take everything from ya. Either Chief yellow Eyes or Huntin Wokf took away my daddy, and they¡¯re both dead now so it don¡¯t matter. My wife died 2 years back, got no kids no home now, and I just killed my boss so my job ain¡¯t payin well anymore. What do I got left but what I wanna do before I die? I don¡¯t wanna die the man who let the fuckers who ruined my family and enslaved everyone win because I sold out a women who didn¡¯t do shit wrong to nobody¡­and then got double crossed anyway. I wanna die the man who killed a few of the rich shits like a hero protectin a gal who¡¯s gonna really talk me up if I die first. You kinda remind me of my wife. Lot younger but¡­little something in there. I probably got a few years left before I¡¯m too old to hunt and make a livin and start dyin anyway. You just tell everyone Ol Hudson stood up to the devils and died on his feet, smiling and proud, no matter how they do me in. And then lie and tell them I was the best screw you ever did have and could draw a gun faster than any man alive. Hudson name is gonna be respected when I¡¯m dead. That¡¯s why I¡¯m helping you out. I got no choice and it makes me look better than a piece of shit last of my family name who got shot in the back sellin out some peg-legged girl to one of the assholes who we all hate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a peg leg. It¡¯s an Osteointegrated prosthetic limb. I¡¯m not a damn pirate, I¡¯m a school teacher with bad luck.¡± ¡°Well we¡¯ll find out how your luck ends up, won¡¯t we? You kill a few powerful men, some of them may stop lookin for ya.¡± He grinned. ¡°Buchannan¡­would he stop?¡± she asked. ¡°OHoooooo, shit no. He¡¯s one someone¡¯s gotta kill to GET them scared. Still workin on how we do that, but your friend Jen seems to have miracles in her pocket so, maybe she¡¯s got a spare.¡± Chapter 8: Prey Tom watched as Billy inspected the Black Donnovan pistol. ¡°What a piece of shit.¡± Tommy sighed. ¡°Tellin me about it. Size of a damn cannon, shoots a little pissy 25 caliber Palmer bullet. Awfully damn big for a palmer, how big are these designers palms? So you can hog out the cylinder and put some tusk inserts in it, make it a real gun?¡± he asked. ¡°To some degree. The biggest problem is this whole gun is made cheap and the weakest point will fail first. If I put inserts in and make it too powerful, I have to drill and insert eh barrel too or it will explode. If I do that, the connection where the gun breaks down for reloading will break open. I don¡¯t have rifled inserts for a barrel. Making that from scratch would take time and tusk, not Polymer. ¡°Between us, I can¡¯t see for shit. Rifling don¡¯t help me none, shorter the barrel the better. Pocket shotgun would be ideal. Palm pistol I can conceal would do me best instead of a pea-shooter pretendin to be a ten inch colt 45.¡± ¡°Unfortunately I don¡¯t have a rack of free guns to give to every guest.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that rack of guns there?¡± Tom asked. ¡°Prototypes of mine that didn¡¯t work. Parts.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the big bastard?¡± he asked pointing to a large ornate gun with 2 hammers and a brown color. ¡°That was my attempt to make a 4 barreled break action shotgun. The idea was 2 high power slugs and 2 barrels of buckshot at the touch of a trigger, for whatever you encountered. The barrels split halfway down due to a defect in the tusk liner.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just cut it down smaller and make rounds a little less powerful?¡± ¡°I can and intend to, but that ruins the accuracy of a slug gun. The hammers are a problem as well. It has a left and right hammer for one trigger, and by moving the little pin on the hammer you can select top or bottom barrel. Unfortunately when you set it to the bottom, the hammer moving forward sometimes sticks in the middle and fires both top and bottom. I cannot seem to fix it.¡± ¡°So just let it. Hell, glue them both in the middle. Just becomes a side by side shotgun, except you fire 2 barrels on the same side every time. Doesn¡¯t really do much good for huntin options, if the goal is to have different kinda shot and slugs. Does a lot of good for a blind guy lookin for a sawed off that throws a lot of lead¡­or bullet¡± ¡°The recoil will be unpleasant, and you will be using special ammunition.¡± ¡°At least I¡¯ll be doing somethin useful.¡± Tom sighed. ¡°It aint gotta be palm sized but if I¡¯m gonna lug around a ten inch gun it better bring a world of hurt and spread it around.¡± ¡°Give me some time. I can cut it down and pin the hammers.¡± Billy nodded. Tom sat beside a very shaken up looking Jen, sitting alone in the back room. ¡°Look Jen, I¡¯m real sorry for what happened with the¡­what I guess they call wolves here.¡± Tom sighed, ¡°Wolves my ass, more like hellhounds on supermeth. I guess it makes sense, most people here haven¡¯t seen a real wolf, the first people here probably didn¡¯t know what to call them. Predatory pack animals with fur and claws that hunt in the full moon. Wolves are as close as they could probably describe. Makes you miss normal wolves.¡± Jen sighed. ¡°I feel like I let you down. I ran ahead and left you back there and you almost died.¡± ¡°You grabbed my friend and saved her life, if I hadn¡¯t tripped on some ice we would have all been fine, you couldn¡¯t carry us both and run. We¡¯d all be dead. What you did was heroic, you risked your life to help someone you thought was the most likely to get killed. She probably was, actually. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m alive. She probably would have been as lucky. God waiting around and doing nothing is horrible. I¡¯m used to a phone and a social media following, constant friends and entertainment, people telling me I¡¯m pretty, liking my pictures.¡± ¡°I liked your pictures.¡± He said quietly. ¡°Well not¡­different kind of thing. Just feels lonely without all my followers. I had a lot of friends on a lot of platforms. Carol was the only real friend I¡¯ve had for a while. Stupid boyfriend was a joke.¡± ¡°Sounds like one dumb son of a bitch if you asked me. Leavin a gal like you. Ain¡¯t never met a gal tough as you before.¡± Thanks, but it¡¯s just an act. I pretend to be a bad bitch, I¡¯m really not. I just hide it well. My list of character strengths are pretending to not be terrified when I am, and looking pretty. Whooptie-fucking-shit. I just wish I had one luxury item from home, Just one thing. I guess everything I would want runs on electricity anyway so that just makes it pointless. If you could have one thing from home, what would it be?¡± ¡°Shit, I¡¯d be tickled to death for a descent Palmer, something discreet nobody could see.¡± He sighed. ¡°The hell is a Palmer¡­like a handjob? You can¡¯t do that yourself?¡± Jen scoffed. ¡°That what you call em in far forward land? I keep hearing about all the Palmers in timber, but I can¡¯t seem to get one. Right now I can¡¯t do nothing with what I got, feel like anyone here could do better. Wasted potential. Here I am luggin around some hog-leg all day but it¡¯s all intimidation if I can¡¯t use it for nothing but waving around and pointin. Man¡¯s got a reputation to keep up. At the end of the day¡­or night, or second night, whetever they got here in timber. At the end of it all, if it can¡¯t get any action or participate I¡¯m just standin there. Sure it¡¯s intimidatin, but what good is that? May as well be a damn tree limb.¡± Tom huffed. ¡°Look, I get your frustration, but you don¡¯t need to brag about it. That¡¯s really the one thing you want? Just a little handy? You gotta set your sights higher my guy, especially if you got¡­did you say hog-leg?¡± she doubled back. ¡°Don¡¯t matter what I got and where I set my sights, if I can¡¯t hit anything. I miss every time I try.¡± ¡°Hey, it happens to everyone. And talking is good. Where I¡¯m from it¡¯s considered trendy for guys to communicate their feelings and I know we¡¯re from very different times so I don¡¯t really know what is considered¡­blunt or rude, or acceptable to even suggest. You¡¯re not alone on this general feeling, I¡¯ve been setting my sights high and missing my whole life and when I thought I got something good, they always turn out to be another failure. I don¡¯t know your expectations here, I don¡¯t intend to commit to anything or jump the gun over a misunderstanding of what you want to get long term.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What long term? We could die tomorrow, I just wanna prove I can still be useful today, and¡­maybe impress you a little. The hell I got to lose at this point? I feel like I got more to contribute than pulling a supply sled like a damn mule, and bein big. I¡¯m a young man with potential, stuck in a place I don¡¯t fit in, feelin like nobody takes me seriously and I let you down with the wolves. I should have done somethin. Didn¡¯t do a damn thing in the alley when we was getting robbed. I feel like a failure as a man. Got no job, no money, no woman, can¡¯t protect one of I did, old timer bossin me around like his employee, don¡¯t even get paid for that. Now I¡¯m a fugitive on the run with 3 people I can barely even trust with my name. Ain¡¯t got shit left. Everyone else has their talents they left home with and the one thing I was good at don¡¯t mean nothing here. Just luggin the supplies and a big damn uncomfortable tree branch tucked away under my belt, not even a good holster to keep it from beatin around when I run.¡± ¡°Wow. Really not trying to humble brag about it, but I sort of get your point. Oh God Damnit, you¡¯re right we could die tomorrow. We¡¯re never going home, we¡¯re stuck together. Can you be cool about this?¡± she asked, looking skeptical. ¡°Like if I get you what you want are you gonna brag to your frie¡­we don¡¯t have any friends anymore. Fuck. Who are you going to tell and who would even give a shit. Just don¡¯t tell Carol or Hudson, okay?¡± she said discreetly. ¡°Tell em what¡­You got something I don¡¯t know about you plan to share?¡± ¡°I guess. Just let me do things my way and trust me. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± The back room door flew open as Jen walked out, looking embarrassed and mad at herself. ¡°Jen, it ain¡¯t nothing to be¡­I don¡¯t think less of you for it.¡± Tom yelled. ¡°Please can we just not ever mention that again. I feel like an idiot.¡± Jen groaned. ¡°Mistakes happen, I don¡¯t know where we got our words crossed but I¡¯m not mad. Pretty flattered actually.¡± He smirked. ¡°Oh my fucking God, keep your voice down, this is what I meant by discretion.¡± She barked quietly. ¡°That discretion makes a lot more sense now that I understand the situation better. Jen it¡¯s not like I¡¯m married, it was bold but¡­I ain¡¯t offended.¡± He shrugged awkwardly as she turned slightly red. ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s POLY-MER. Not Palmer. It¡¯s plastic, not the kind of gun that fits in your palm, or even a handjo¡­¡± she cut herself off, as Carol passed her with a concerned look and turned to inquire. ¡°Jen, everything okay?¡± she asked. ¡°Just a misunderstanding, I need to go¡­be alone for a while.¡± She said heading to the gunsmithing barn to loiter. ¡°Well, that leads back to the workshop where the gunsmith is work-you don¡¯t care. Not really alone if there¡¯s someone in there. Tom, what just happened?¡± Carol asked tossing her hands up. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I am supposed to answer that. I probably shouldn¡¯t suggest you ask her either, so if you have to, I did not advise it. I am not breakin my word.¡± He said, nodding politely and closing the door. Billy peered over his shoulder as Jen silently watched him work. Tom knocked on the door and cautiously crept in. She got up and threw her hands in the air, making a wide arc around him and shooting a look of threatening fierceness. ¡°I¡¯m just checkin my gun.¡± He apologized in advance. ¡°I would like to thank you for driving her away. Whatever you did seemed helpful to learn.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to learn it. I don¡¯t want you to learn it. So what¡¯s the situation on my PALM PISTOL.¡± He said very slowly with annunciation as Billy gave him the strangest of looks. ¡°It¡¯s still 11 inches but it¡¯s at least devastating to get hit by and you cant miss from close range with 2 60 caliber barrels. It¡¯s over-chambered for 3 inch shells, both barrels combined will fire 24 pellets about the same size as the other gun shooting one at a time. You will feel this the next morning. I have ammunition, and the papers you will need to get more custom made. Remember every time you pull the hammer that¡¯s 2 shots, so if you pull them both back and fire all 4, the gun may explode.¡± ¡°All I gotta know confidently, will it kill a man?¡± ¡°A man less than 30 feet away, not wearing any protective armor, yes, absolutely. At 60 feet you will most likely not hit a man at all.¡± Billy informed. ¡°With my eyes, that¡¯s better then any gun, and that¡¯s as pocket sized as it gets. Much appreciated. Hey¡­ not to be offensive, buy you are Indian, so you believe in spirits and stuff?¡± Tom asked discreetly. ¡°Short answer, yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°Jen was in here a while. You get any¡­weird magic stuff from that little brunette? She got any spirits around her or anything.¡± ¡°Spirits guide us all, nothing about her seemed different. Maybe she only seems special to you?¡± he smiled. ¡°I meant¡­the other day before we got here, we got surrounded by wolves. We barely made it to the wagon shelter in time, but she didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean she didn¡¯t, she seemed fine.¡± Billy squinted. ¡°Exactly. She spent half an hour alone in the dark with a pack of those things, dropped her gun, one of them drug her by the foot and they just¡­left her. Only found her gun on the way back. Never fired a shot. They just, let her be.¡± ¡°I think you may have been mistaken or confused. If she was grabbed by a wolf and taken away, even for a minute, she would now be one of the spirits guiding someone. I assure you that woman is just flesh and blood. How she has flesh and blood left is a mystery to me.¡± ¡°Will this modified gun take down a wolf at close range if I get it right between the eyes?¡± Tom asked. ¡°You must not have wolves where you come from. You never shoot a wolf in the head. Nothing gets through that thick skull bone, especially scattershot. You shoot the neck right behind the jaw, and they bleed out. They can still kill you and a dozen people before they do. Once they turn and face you, you don¡¯t take one down. You just pray, and then you become Prey.¡± A figure in the dark of night lifted his pistol to the forehead of a wounded wolf on the ground, he fired 3 shots and it went silent. The dark shadow drew a hatchet and began hacking the neck silently to remove the head and take it with him. The still smoldering embers of the fire Hudson had lit in the shelter house flickered a bit, as fresh wood was tossed on the pile and a bald white man with goggles sat beside it, placing the ¡°wolf¡± head on a stump to butcher it. his long, braided gray beard raked over a necklace of wooden beads as he adjusted his heavy coat, stiff like it was dunked in water and frozen solid. He violently hacked the neck meat and began ripping parts of the wolf¡¯s head apart as if looking for something special. The heavy stone axe thumped it¡¯s way through neck bones as he accumulated a pile of oddly purple meat, still carving and searching with a psychopathic serenity to his emotionless face, periodically placing a bite of meat in his mouth and placing something into a wooden bowl with a plinking sound. He repeated it for some time, finally leaving the head alone and pouring out 6 blunted out brass bullets, adding it to the bag on his side, as the coat crunched and moved stiffly. He walked to the straw mat beds and sniffed the air, hunching down and running his gloved-hand under the matting, the clank of strange grey gauntlet plates, dark and dull but borderline metallic looking. He pulled out a single strand of shoulder length dark brown hair, sniffing it and looking back at the wolf skull with a silent ponder. He plopped nonchalantly down on the mat and kicked his feet up for a nap, staring at the hair and placing it in his pocket with almost the slightest hint of a smile. Chapter 9: Brass Tax Jen sat in the little gunsmith barn, hovering by the gas heater and holding her lever gun. Billy strolled in, making sure she wasn¡¯t touching his tools. ¡°You stay up late.¡± He said. ¡°What¡¯s late even mean here, it¡¯s always dark and when I sleep I have nightmares.¡± ¡°About the wolves?¡± he asked. ¡°About something after me, always something different, always personal, never clear why.¡± ¡°What really happened with the wolves?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing. That¡¯s what¡¯s so weird about it. They didn¡¯t kill me. I know you¡¯re gonna say that¡¯s impossible, nobody ever bla bla I should be dead. I know it too.¡± ¡°Strange. Wolves will eat anything, hungry or not. They eat, sleep, breed, and eat again. Whatever they can whenever they can. Only thing they won¡¯t eat is their own kind. They say their bite is venomous, my grandfather said it was something like what he had growing up called rattlesnakes, but nobody gets bitten by a wolf here and lives, They don¡¯t let go. Most people that get bitten die instantly because they target the head, those who get a limb bitten lose the limb and bleed out. But grandfather told of a man who was bitten and lived. Ate his arm. Nobody knows the true story. The fact that you¡¯re alive is a miracle, if all you got was a mild scratch and some bad dreams, you may be the luckiest person to ever feel a living wolves teeth.¡± He sighed. Hudson came rushing into the workshop, carrying his pistol cocked and ready. ¡°Luck done run out, folks. We got company.¡± He said looking worried. ¡°Another bounty hunter?¡± she asked, getting ready. ¡°Worse. Moses Udo. There¡¯s no plan this time, no negotiations or tricks, you just blast that sumbitch with everything you got and hope for the best.¡± Moses adjusted his goggles and readied a strange pistol, black and red wood with a tusk barrel sticking out the end, vented and gleaming a fine peach color. He did something unthinkable with a revolver, he dropped the magazine, a swath of gold colored paint marking the bottom of the transparent plastic magazine , and racked back a left sided bolt handle a few times. He reloaded the pointy brass rounds into it, pocketing his ammo. He grabbed a different magazine, with a purple paint swipe on it, and slightlt longer dark purple rounds, and re-racked it. The cylinder didn¡¯t move. He circled the house and barn, listening for voices and carefully taking aim, squeezing the trigger slowly as the hammer slowly reared back. ¡°We wait him out.¡± Billy nodded. ¡°As long as everyone stays inside and away from the windows, we¡¯re safe and warm with food and water, and he has none of that. Eventually he will leave or try to come in the door.¡± He added as a round struck the side of the wall, sending splinters out and leaving a tiny hole. ¡°You were sayin?¡± Hudson corrected. ¡°I should probably let you know he wears full body armor, ceramic scales. ¡°He must have a very powerful rifle to get through that frozen hardwood.¡± Billy said going for the bottom drawer. He removed a behemoth of a rifle revolver, fat and stubby, a dark brown color with a scope. ¡°But not as powerful as Brownhorn, though. Never play a game of firearms with a gunsmith. Moses messed with the wrong Indian. His armor will not stop this, I doubt he has any more tricks.¡± He said stepping to the shop door and cocking the hammer to be ready. Suddenly a wall of bullets struck the wood siding, like gatling gun fire, putting 12 holes through in under 2 seconds. ¡°The blazin fuck was that?¡± Hudson asked as a hunkering and retreating Billy slid behind the wooden bench. ¡°I stand corrected. And now I sit corrected. He has other tricks.¡± ¡°What does that bastard have, a dozen guns on a tripod with a crank?¡± Hudson asked. ¡°Jen peaked out of the tiny glass window. ¡°Kinda just looks like a machinegun.¡± She hollered. ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Hudson barked. ¡°Hold the trigger down, just keeps firing from a big stack of bullets, real fast.¡± ¡°Oh I hate this asshole more every time I find something else about him.¡± More shots rang out and splinters flew as they ducked for cover. ¡°You know a lot of interesting people, Hudson.¡± Billy hollered. ¡°How much fuckin ammo does he have?¡± Hudson yelled back. ¡°A lot, it seems.¡± Billy said impatiently waiting. Jen opened the side door to make sure nobody in the house was getting shot at, and 3 rounds peppered the door as she closed it. The shots woke the others back in the house. Tom got up, encouraging Billy¡¯s young wife to stay hidden in the back room with Carol, as Carol pushed her way back out to help. ¡°Stay back. I¡¯m taking care of this.¡± Tom insisted. ¡°How¡­with a sword? She asked. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it like that, but you can¡¯t go out there.¡± ¡°Jen¡¯s out there, she could be shot or pinned down, I can¡¯t get on the roof and shoot back with a damn 35 caliber pistol, let alone this point blank scatter-pistol. I gotta get close to have any chance.¡± He said as she followed him. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll shoot, distract and cover fire, and you make a run for the workshop. That barn is 20 feet away and the door is out of view from his wagon.¡± She explained, lugging the big red pistol to the side door across from the barn side entrance. She opened the door, taking aim and firing 2 shots, before Moses turned and peppered the wall with about 5 or 6 rounds. Carol and Tom ducked back in. ¡°You miss?¡± Tom asked. ¡°No! I hit him, I think. I thought I hit him. He didn¡¯t seem to care. Are those holes going the through the walls? These are 4 inch thick beams¡­what is he shooting?¡± ¡°I thought all the wood here was hard as hell. How is he shootin so damn fast?¡± ¡°Full auto, it¡¯s a thing in the future. I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s a thing currently.¡± ¡°All the damn long-guns are in the damn barn! We gotta get over there.¡± Tom insisted. ¡°He has to run out at some point.¡± She hollered, peaking out and watching him do a rapid clip reload. ¡°Are you shitting me, he has spare mags!?¡± Carol huffed, reloading her revolver, and waiting as he emptied it into the barn. The moment he took the magazine out, she opened fire with all 6 and ducked back into the house. ¡°You missed all 6?¡± Tom asked. ¡°I swear I¡¯m hitting him! He¡¯s got body armor!¡± ¡°Like a damn knight crusader in shiny plates? There¡¯s no metal here.¡± ¡°Maybe he invented Kevlar! I don¡¯t know!¡± she said rapidly reloading as tom grabbed the gun and pointed it out, ducking back in and looking frustrated. ¡°Can¡¯t see him can you?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± he said handing the gun back. Hopefully Hudson can. ¡°This can¡¯t go on forever!¡± Hudson yelled. ¡°We can¡¯t shoot back, there¡¯s no windows and he seem to never run out of bullets, that door is gonna give out and he¡¯s gonna be in here with that speed-gun and we all dead as shit.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have fortified shooting ports in my workshop, Hud.¡± Billy sighed. ¡°This is for making guns not having gunfights. I¡¯m not going near that door even when he stops shooting. He seems to need almost no time to reload.¡± Jen climbed up from cover and headed for the door. Little lady, what are you doin?¡± hollered Hudson. ¡°This is gonna sound insane. I¡¯m going out there and telling him I¡¯m the one he¡¯s after.¡± Jen said. ¡°He¡¯ll just kill ya and try to cut off that leg, and then you¡¯ll be dead before he finds out you don¡¯t got that fancy leg.¡± ¡°I thought you said Moses likes to have his way with women before killing them?¡± she asked. ¡°And that¡¯s any better than killin you how? He¡¯ll still kill you after.¡± ¡°He would not pass an opportunity to get with this quality ass, and he¡¯s not doing anything in the open outside in plain view, unless he¡¯s really stupid, and if he is, then just shoot him while he¡¯s trying. Otherwise he¡¯s gonna take me hostage for later.¡± She informed. ¡°Little lady I fail to see where this plan gets better.¡± Hud huffed. ¡°This is the part that sounds insane. I had a dream about that guy the other night. I couldn¡¯t see his face, but it¡¯s the same guy. I just feel it. You just have to trust me. I can handle him.¡± Missy you got the wolf venom crazies or some shit. That is the worst plan I ever did hear. You walk out that door and you are a dead woman, but not until you beg him to be. None of us can chase him, he¡¯s got an armored wagon and better guns than we do. I¡¯ll protect your ass as much as I can, but if you do somethin that stupid, we¡¯re gonna all die getting vengeance on your corpse, not rescuing ya. You¡¯ll be dead before we do anything.¡± Hudson said with a stern and concerned look in his eyes as she placed down the lever rifle, and opened the door, walking out into the cold, hands up. She opened her coat, both to entice and to show she was unarmed. ¡°You¡¯re Moses Udo? I¡¯m Carol, the woman with the bounty you¡¯re after. You leave my friends alone, you can take me, otherwise a lot of them die, but so do you. No bounty on them. They¡¯re worth nothing, dead or alive, I¡¯m worth a fortune and more alive.¡± She said, still coat open, showing off enough skin to be distracting and make a man make mistakes. He stepped up to her with the pistol at her head, as Jen bottled her fear. He held took a piece of parchment from his pocket, unfolded it and tapped the crude sketch just above the description and the word blonde. ¡°It¡¯s called hair dye, dumbass. I¡¯m gonna change my hair color if I¡¯m on the run aren¡¯t I? It¡¯s called Chocolate Desire, look at the roots. Hair dye.¡± She repeated. He leaned forward and grabbed her hair, taking a sniff and grinning a very unsettling way with a deep muffled chuckle and no words. He grabbed her by the collar in a hostage manner and made his way to the wagon. ¡°What the hell do you mean she left with him?¡± Yelled Tom, slamming Hudson to the wall and getting a pistol shoved in his face for it. Tom didn¡¯t seem to care, tightening his grip. ¡°She went willingly out that door, Tom, against my orders. By the time he turned and left so was she. You want me to shoot at an armored wagon with Jen inside? She¡¯s got that wolf venom in her brains, or she¡¯s just off her rocker naturally. Either way I tried to stop her and shy of shootin her, I had no options. Ask Billy, she came up with that stupid plan all by herself and walked out unarmed. Girl¡¯s got a death wish or she¡¯s just nuts.¡± Hud explained. ¡°I¡¯m goin after her.¡± He said grabbing the lever gun. ¡°Not alone, and not this close to moonrise. Them wolves will kill ya, you can¡¯t see a coal miner¡¯s shit past your own dick, we ain¡¯t got an armor like he does. I can track him when the moon goes down and if he¡¯s been ridin since then, maybe we can catch him sleepin. You ain¡¯t takin my gun to go die 50 feet from the door over some crazy woman with no sense, or a brain infection that probably kill her anyway without medicine we don¡¯t have. Tom, listen. You¡¯re a wanted man and there is a girl in that house who needs all the protection she can get and she¡¯s tryin to survive, while Jen is trying to get killed. You wanna die for her stupid, cute little ass, gimme back my gun and go on foot. Go on, git! You wanna be smart and keep this group alive, you sit your big ass down.¡± Hud said. ¡°I let her down once already, left her to die. I¡¯m sorry hud but I¡¯m goin. And you can have your gun back.¡± he said pointing the stock at him to take. Hudson reached and out was immediately struck in the head by the blow from a wooden mallet off the work table. He crumpled and blacked-out as he turned the gun on Billy. ¡°What is this?¡± Billy asked. ¡°Hud¡¯s right about one thing. I can¡¯t see for shit and it would get me killed, especially on foot. I need someone¡¯s eyes and your wagon, otherwise I¡¯d go alone. So you got 3 choices Mister Gunsmith. You can go with me, get her back. You can sit there and let me steal your wagon and I¡¯ll take Carol with me, and you can be the chicken shit that let a one legged woman go off to get killed while you sat and got robbed¡­or you can try and stop me and get yourself shot right here. So you wanna be a hero, you wanna be a coward, or you wanna be a dead man? Your choice, I couldn¡¯t care less, but I¡¯m going regardless. I¡¯m takin that wagon, and Carol ain¡¯t gonna watch me go alone, because she has more grit than Hudson there on the floor. I can¡¯t stop her. In my cavalry we don¡¯t leave a man behind, and a real man don¡¯t let a woman go hostage while he plays with his yank in a warm home. What¡¯s it gonna be?¡± ¡°I already watched one woman leave here to die, watching a second one go to die with you, would not set well with me. Just know, if he kills you, I will take my wagon home and leave her. Well¡­stop staring at me, and head to the wagon.¡± Billy sighed. ¡°You gonna try and kill me and turn around?¡± ¡°No. But if you fall asleep I will bring you back tied up.¡± ¡°You scared of wolves?¡± Tom asked. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not stupid. I¡¯m also not a coward and nothing will stop you from going after her. I can stop Carol from going either.¡± He nodded. ¡°White women.¡± He sighed with a shrug. Chapter 10: Faithless Jen recoiled at the force of a gauntlet backhand, hitting her head on the wagon side wall, Moses, stopped the horse, or whatever beast they were calling a horse. He turned and readied his gun, staring at her. ¡°What? Not very talkative are you? How am I supposed to know what that gun is supposed to mean if you won¡¯t say anything? You just threatening me to be scary or giving an order? I¡¯m worth more alive, and you can¡¯t fire that inside an armored wagon. I¡¯m not scared of you.¡± She bluffed. He removed the magazine, dropping the last 2 rounds from the cylinder and pocketed the clip, placing the gun in its holster and taking out a rather large knife. The sadistic grin on his face implying he could do a lot of things that wouldn¡¯t technically kill her with it. Persuasive things. The doors opened and she was shoved out to the direction of the shelter house, guided with a knife in her back and a the quick shut of the door. He started the fire as she noticed the wolf skull still on the table, holes in the front of the armored animal¡¯s bone-covered face. He plopped down a large leather roll, unrolling it to reveal a lot of medical tools and leather belts, as Jen started to get very nervous. Without warning he grabbed a handful of her hair and shoved her down on the table, slamming her head off the surface and disorienting her. The room spun and went foggy for a moment, feeling like she would pass out from either fear or blunt trauma concussion, until a sound grabbed her attention back to the room, the sound of a knife pulling from a sheath and catching cloth. Using the knife, he slit the back of her dress from upper thigh to ankle, and then the knife was planted firmly into the wooden bench, as he began removing her boot. Her struggling meant little, clawing at his armored glove and unable to overpower his grip or reach the knife. He sighed and removed the other boot, growing still as he realized there was no silver leg to be found. He chewed his lip impatiently and slung her aside, to the ground, rolling to a stop. She quickly put her boots back on, and as he grabbed the knife she was already opening the door and holding a stick as a baton. He grabbed the gun and loaded it, pointing at her. ¡°What? You really gonna shoot me? You drug me all this way for a prize and now there¡¯s no bounty, I¡¯m only useful as a hostage or meat, but only if I¡¯m alive, and I know what you were thinking about when you cut that dress. You wanna fuck a dead girl and lose your only bargaining chip, or you wanna do what predators do¡­hunt for your prey?¡± she asked, slowly stepping outside and backing into the darkness. ¡°Scared of a challenge, big man?¡± she asked, vanishing. He smiled as she faded into shadow and reloaded the gun for wolf brass, grabbing his stone axe as a bludgeoning device and following her, torch in hand. ¡°Can this go any faster?¡± Tom asked, Billy rolling his eyes as the pack animal steadily trudged the snow. ¡°You realize this is insane. She may already be dead, and with the moon up we are just food guiding more food into the dark. Hudson told me about the wolves, he said there were at least 3 full packs the other night. I¡¯ve never heard of that many being out to hunt at once. Something is making them aggravated and we are riding right into that territory.¡± ¡°You said that big brown cannon of yours could kill a wolf.¡± ¡°Yes, in fact it could kill 6 if you are a perfect shot and all of them approach from your front. It¡¯s not a speed gun like Moses has, and a big enough wolf could tear through this wagon and that horse in just moments. I prefer not to use it and draw them in.¡± Jen cupped her hands and made a descent howl, mimicking the beast¡¯s call to draw them in, making a large circle around the cabin. She could see the tiny green dots in the moonlight, multiple clusters of them tracking her movement. ¡°You remember me, brought you a snack this time.¡± She smirked. Moses adjusted his goggles, the environment turning from pitch black to slightly lighter black with pitch black shapes. He stood silently looking for the light of a candle or fire to guide his hunt, impressed to see his prey unafraid of the dark. Jen ran swiftly, unable to see anything but knowing she was invisible to him too. She stopped and waited for the light of his torch, getting worried when she didn¡¯t see one. Something in her heart told her he was the only creature in the blackness willing to kill her, and as time passes and the cold sank in, she realized he didn¡¯t fear the dark either. She made a wide arc to the faint glow of the cabin circling the back side and slowly moving towards the door. She darted past the entrance to see if he was waiting for her, and she felt the sudden impact of running into something or someone solid in the void. She dropped into the snow, heart racing and expecting that this was the end of her regardless. Jen felt an odd relief when the light of a V-shaped row of eyes opened and locked onto her. It leaned closer, hovering over her, as she crawled backwards and reached a rock blocking her way. The strange boney skull pushed her back against the rock as if to make sure she was alive. ¡°Just do it¡­quickly.¡± She whispered. ¡°Quicker than he would.¡± The beast snarled in a pulsing manner, like an alligator threatening it¡¯s rival, and without warning, a clawed paw struck the rock beside her and batted her off to the side. Jen¡¯s faith shattered, realizing she was not as safe as she might have thought. Another swipe rolled her over as she held in her scream, more afraid of what it would attract than what she already had towering over her. The wagon suddenly shuttered, Billy cocking the rifle and diving inside, shutting the wooden door as the wagon shuttered again.¡± ¡°HANG ON!¡± he yelled as the wolves rolled the wagon on it¡¯s side and it jerked harshly, the sound of a dying horse being ripped to shreds as they pulled the wagon by the ropes and spun it around the back wheel. The two men tumbled and tried to brace anything they could, the scraping of claws on the wooden sides and shrieks in the dark as the torch went out. Billy struggled to light a candle as the side of the wagon flexed downward to crush them, the weight of a wolf on the top, bouncing on it like a bear trying to crack open the food box. The crunching of the wooden planks echoed as he braced the rifle to the side and felt for the seam between the slats. He fired, rattling them both and deafening the frantic men in the process, the ringing slowly dying down as the sound of chaos around them faded back in. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Didja get his ass?¡± Yelled Tom. ¡°No. They¡¯re just more interested in something else than us.¡± Billy sighed, head still ringing. Moses noticed the yellow eyes tracking him and locked the grip of his gun out, switching to full auto and lining up with the beast confidently. It suddenly leapt and 3 shots rang out as the dead body knocked into Moses, taking his feet out and sending him sliding. He changed his demeanor as the yellow eyes began to add up in the distance and hone in on the shots. He began briskly walking towards the cabin, deciding his hunt was more trouble than it was worth. His feet came to a stop as the light of the door dimmed, and the sound of the wooden bar locking it shut swelled like rage in his blood. He aimed for the lock. Jen stumbled and ducked as several rounds came through the door and bounced off the stone floor. She grabbed the bundle of tools and picked the biggest knife to defend or slit her own throat, depending on how injured Moses was when he made it through. A burst of full auto ripped through the door as Jen screamed and hunkered with the knife, the confident faith of her survival no longer leading her actions and fear overwhelming her. ¡°I know that gunfire.¡± Tom said getting up and being pulled down at rifepoint. ¡°You open that door and we die. The lead wolf may be occupied by something and we may be safe in here, but when the food in the locked box opens the box, we are no longer the more difficult meal to get, and I will kill you for touching that door.¡± Billy said as the hammer clicked back on a sawed off shotgun, aimed at his belly. ¡°Jen¡¯s out there.¡± He insisted. ¡°She could be dead already, do not become a ghost to save one.¡± Billy warned. ¡°Besides, you left the safety on.¡± He noted. ¡°What safety?¡± he asked, fumbling for some kind of switch as the buttstock of the rifle clocked him in the head and the sawed off was pried from his hands, both guns now aimed his way. ¡°What safety indeed.¡± Billy sighed. Moses fired another full magazine dump, rapidly changing clips again and barely dropping the next wolf in line, just enough to sidestep the sliding carcass and continue firing. The yellow dots in the dark filled the void like stars in the sky, each sex them taking a turn at the mean little armored human and getting put to sleep by a burst of brass, the gun¡¯s barrel rolling with steam as Moses let magazines fall and new ones jam in more in a sloppier manner than the last, his accuracy fading with every reload. He tried taking his time, mentally doing the math on the number of Vs in the dark and the number of clips he had left and growing nervous at the math that was too close for comfort. He spotted one on either side of him, approaching together. He sprayed down the first and whipped the gun around mid-firing to take down the second and the wolf hunkered with a yelp as a loud puff of smoke rolled from the top of the gun¡¯s chamber. Moses stared at the overheated gun, the top flared open like an unpeeled banana and he laughed softly, tossing it in the snow as the wolves closed in. Jen felt a strange wave of relief wash over her as the sound of an unfamiliar scream of death rolled through the land and was drowned out by howls and the sound of nature being it¡¯s brutal self. She lowered the big ceramic knife and curled up close to the fire, crying with a smile on her face and the red glint of blood smeared across her forehead. Her body jumped as she awoke to the sound of someone pounding on the door and the familiar voice of Tom yelling her name. The three sat by the fire, Tom dabbing the head wound and fighting the urge to just bear-hug her, knowing she has been startled enough. ¡°What in frozen hell made you think this was a good idea?¡± he asked with quiet frustration. ¡°I felt like I had better chances with the wolves than Moses. You said he was a psychopath who didn¡¯t reason or listen, and I found that out early on. People were going to die if we stayed there and stood our ground. I already encountered the wolves and lived, so which one is the real monster and the better odds of surviving? The guy nobody survives taking on, or the wolves that let me go?¡± she asked. ¡°Moses did this to you?¡± Tom asked, checking her wounds. ¡°Yea¡­¡± she lied. ¡°But he¡¯s dead.¡± She added. Billy looked worried, checking the door locks. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are something they want, but won¡¯t eat?¡± he muttered, still holding the rifle. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re not as evil as everyone says.¡± Jen shrugged. ¡°They are. They attacked us, they attacked Moses. They attack everything they find except other wolves and bull mammoths. I have never seen them guard like this. Lady, I have studied these animals my entire life. They never travel in these large numbers unless they are tracking a Mammoth. Something they want very badly. There is more food out there than us, in the open and vulnerable. They are tracking you, and they have been since you left the light of Helldale. They are targeting you, so why do they not kill you when they have a chance? Why do they just, let you go?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m afraid of them but for some reason I almost feel like¡­they¡¯re watching out for me¡­¡± she said with a haunting look, brushing her hair behind her ear and lightly touching the scratches. ¡°You said Moses did that to you?¡± Billy asked skeptically. ¡°Yea. Before I escaped, he roughed me up a little. Nothing serious.¡± ¡°Those are wolf claw marks.¡± He reminded. ¡°He had a¡­hatched made with their claws, I think.¡± She said nervously. ¡°Why are you lying?¡± Billy asked as Tom stepped in and halted his advance. ¡°Back away from her, Billy. She¡¯s got no reason to lie. She¡¯s just shook up and confused and damned if anyone wouldn¡¯t be.¡± ¡°She is lying about something. You know why they don¡¯t kill you, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, I just¡­have a feeling.¡± She said, suddenly breaking into restrained sobs. Billy dabbed something from a bottle onto a cloth and approached her cautiously as Tom glared and gave a look of intimidation. He dabbed the wound and she let out a little sniff and flinch. ¡°I know it burns but you need the medicine.¡± He said looking at the cloth and noticing it was darker than it should be. ¡°Your blood is poisoned already, you should be dead.¡± He said holding it up. ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­just some of my hair dye. The alcohol must have dissolved it a little I had a blonde highlights I would dye different colors, I wanted time period brown for the reenactment. Look for a lighter spot, or a redder spot from the blood I guess.¡± She sighed. Billy looked at the cloth and her hair, smelling the cloth and looking confused. ¡°Your hair is colored? What did you use to stain it like this?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s a chemical dye from the store, a temporary, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in it.¡± ¡°Whatever is in it saved your life.¡± Billy said smiling slightly. ¡°That smells very familiar. When the young male wolves reach mating age, they produce a scent from a gland behind their horns, it attracts females and wards off other males. You smell like a young alpha wolf to them. They cant see in the dark very well but they can smell competition for miles. That mark on your head, the bite on your ankle, those were warning bites, bigger males letting you know they were not to be challenged and since you stayed down, you submitted. Your hair is drawing in the wolves and when they get close enough to see you aren¡¯t one of them, they are confused. A wolf doesn¡¯t attack another wolf of an unfamiliar pack, they don¡¯t know who is protected. You¡¯re being challenged and luckily you know when to cower and not fight back.¡± ¡°Wait¡­it¡¯s just my hair dye?¡± she asked, looking heartbroken and almost in denial. ¡°I thought¡­maybe for once I was just special.¡± She said tearing up. ¡°Just lucky. That scent will wear off eventually, I would not rely on it forever. If they stop perceiving you as one of their own, they¡¯ll start smelling meat instead of family.¡± He said. ¡°The only question is do we attract them while they think you¡¯re a wolf, or wash the dye out and hope they don¡¯t notices you at all?¡± Billy asked. ¡°I still think you¡¯re special.¡± Tom sighed softly. She scooted closer and leaned against him for comfort. Chapter 11: Claimed The 3 cold and shaken up travelers made it back to Billy¡¯s house, Glad to see the light of a warm home after a long walk. The loss of a horse and carriage seemed trivial after making it back alive, Jen wearing the armored coat and Billy carrying the broken auto-pistol tucked in his belt. His serenity was shattered as he noticed the black and white carriage parked by the house, a familiar sight but one of the worst timing. He entered the house ahead, pistol behind his back. ¡°Good evening Gentlemen¡± said the intruder sitting at the dinner table, Carol and Billy¡¯s wife silently on the other side at casual gunpoint, as Hudson sat looking furious from a chair behind them. ¡°My name is Fredric Prima, and I¡¯m your guest for the time being.¡± Smiled the skinny man in a fancy black suit, black tie, and black tophat, a white pressed shirt and silver rings. His curled and waxed handlebar mustache the color of cherrywood curled up in an almost¡­civilized smile. An aura of vicious sarcasm in the air. ¡°Why are you in my home?¡± Billy asked, gripping the pistol harder. ¡°Pointing a gun near my wife?¡± ¡°I feared if I did not catch your attention immediately, there would be shooting and death before any conversation.¡± Prima said, sipping his tea, Hudson mean-mugging him eye to eye from 12 feet back, chuckling at the statement. ¡°Funny, you done shot first before conversatin the way I remember it, prick.¡± Hudson growled. ¡°Now that was a warning shot, had it meant to be lethal you would be dead.¡± ¡°Shot my damn gun.¡± Hudson huffed, drawing attention to the Prima 45 shotgun now in 2 pieces. ¡°Well, seeing as how my name is engraved in it, I think it poetically fitting. A demonstration if you will at my accuracy and intentions, to disarm, not kill. I know where the weakest points are on my own guns, and from a hundred yards back I had no difficulty threading that needle. I assure you my pistol skills are just as sharp.¡± Fredric said pouring some more Tea as Billy circled, debating how fast he could raise that gun and thinking it unwise. ¡°You come into my home, threaten my wife and drink my tea and act like you are the civilized one.¡± He breathed heavily. ¡°Good sir, we are all civilized at the moment...¡± Fredric smirked. ¡°Thanks to me. Billy Wandering Horse, you are currently harboring fugitives in your home. Dangerous criminals with a large bounty for multiple crimes, on their way to Coalridge no doubt. That happens to be MY home. Now, there¡¯s no sense making accusations, perhaps you did not know they were wanted or were threatened by them to comply out of fear, so you will not be penalize for this crime by me, but Lee Buchannan would do things differently. Kill you and your wife, probably skin her first, boil her perhaps, knowing that savage. Truly the most uncivilized man if ever I have met one, but wealthier than myself so naturally he rules the roost and believes he owns Timber all on his own. He will hunt you down like dogs purely for the insult of making him chase.¡± ¡°Get to the point Peckerwood.¡± Hudson muttered. ¡°My point, is that you are all in serious danger over what that young lady has in her boot. A truly fascinating mechanical leg of very valuable metal. I¡¯m not here to kill anyone for it, and I would hate to have to resort to that crude force. I am a man of deals and opportunity, and the one thing I want more than that leg is for Buchannan NOT to have it. That leg represents a number of weapons that could be made, and the man with the best weapons here is god. You may of course simply call me Mister Prima, but as your personal savior, I am here to make a deal and forgive your sins to save your lives. There is a banquet 3 days from now in Coalridge, a tusk auction at my estate. Most of the men who want you dead will be there, and as my guests you will be safe from them if you choose to attend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just¡­protecting us?¡± Billy asked. ¡°Oh not you, I was never officially here and you never saw the fugitives. These 4 will be offered protection, publically, on my property, and even Buchannan would not dare oppose me in my own home in front of the other lords of Timber. You would have immunity, and your names cleared of all charges, and in exchange, I want the leg.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pop off, dickhead.¡± Hudson said as if he repeated it. ¡°It¡¯s Osteogenic.¡± ¡°Osteointegrated.¡± Carol corrected ¡°But he¡¯s right, it¡¯s glued into the bone.¡± ¡°Yes I¡¯ve heard, but it could still be removed without killing you. I have access to the best surgeons in Timber, and they could easily amputate at the knee, with anesthetic and aftercare of course, and you would be provided a new external, wearable polymer leg. It would not be as glorious or as mobile, but you would be alive and only missing a small amount of flesh for protection. That is a much better offer than most would give you, which is a bullet to the head and removing the limb on the spot with an axe. I do not want any unnecessary suffering or death, I merely want the leg and am willing to pay and make arrangements to get it as painless as possible. Someone will get that leg regardless.¡± He shrugged calmly. ¡°Why?¡± Carol asked. ¡°Why are you willing to do this, and not just kill me?¡± ¡°Aside from it being brutal and unsavory, knowing you are alive and well will simply piss off Lee Buchannan to no end, and that amuses me more than the money for the surgery. You are also a source of knowledge where you are from, as would your friend, and you would work for me, helping me improve my inventions. Protected and well, a warm home and bed, freedom, spending currency and no jailtime, and all I want is cooperation, and the metal everyone is hunting you for. You see not only is that a weapon in my hands but a weapon NOT in anyone else¡¯s hands. Knowledge of the future is priceless, and advancements in technology are why my family is one of the wealthiest in Timber. You are giving me the gift of warfare advantage and robbing my enemies of it. We both win.¡± ¡°Except I lose my leg and risk dying of infection, spend the rest of my life with a primitive prosthetic above the knee, assuming you don¡¯t just kill me anyway once you have what you want. You¡¯d own me. Crippled and enslaved, is that right?¡± Carol asked, looking like she was steadying her emotions internally, by force. ¡°A downgraded limb for certain, but you¡¯d be alive with something, risk would be low, and you would owe me a debt. This is still better than death and that of your friends, is it not?¡± Prima sipped. ¡°Debt IS slavery here, Prima.¡± Hudson said. ¡°You rich bastards think you can own everyone and do what you want because your granddaddy claimed his slice of Timber first, and honoring a deal is up to your own discretion, because you people make the laws with that money. Nobody here trusts a word you say, we know you keep wages low, reduce the gun quality to suppress the people from risin up, livin in riches while people freeze and starve, because you like fancy shit and other people don¡¯t matter. You got no blood in this deal, no flesh to sacrifice, no honor to uphold and no reason to do a damn thing you said even if we do comply and be your slaves. Want me to let you hack up that gal for a new gun, and you¡¯re supposed to be¡­civilized.¡± Hudson grinned darkly. ¡°Or we could just kill ya ass right here. Fancy long distance gun don¡¯t mean shit at the table. You¡¯re in the wolves den now Prima. Remember that fact. You may be the best ranged man in this land, but I¡¯m a damn quick draw.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes, you could all draw on me. I would outdraw the first who did and then be shot by whoever was next. Two people die, and my men will simply kill the rest of you, except you, who will be tied up and left for Buchannan to play with. For spite, of course. Hudson you live in an idealist world of dreams and equality that lacks one fact. Not all men are equal. Some are smarter and some are stronger and they rule the weak, as it is everywhere and has been since the dawn of time. There will always be kings and peasants, and you will live your life as you did, hunting and taking your cut of the payment but from me instead of Hunting Wolf. It¡¯s not so different. I will charge the same fee. I am not offering to change the world, I am offering to save 4 lives that would simply be spent in servitude in some manner regardless, and in return you will have protection and your life, and I will become richer and more powerful as things should be. People like you work or die, people like me thrive and by the grace of good taste, some of us act like gentlemen and offer deals. Mull it over.¡± He yawned. ¡°I kinda like my freedom.¡± Hudson said. ¡°I kinda like my leg.¡± Carol said. ¡°But I also like my life.¡± ¡°You have a long ride ahead to decide and I have men delaying your enemies as we speak, so you can spend that time riding to a better life or escaping to die. I will absolutely kill you for that leg before I let anyone else have it. I merely wish to be generous and gain more myself in the process. Do not mistake a wise move for weakness, strategy and gentlemanly conduct for a fool¡¯s error. Take the deal; let me know at the banquet what you prefer. If you deviate off course my men will kill you. If you arrive and refuse the deal, I will take the leg anyway, some of you will die, and some will run and die by someone else¡¯s bullet. I don¡¯t actually give a shit about either of you men, the women are the ones with knowledge I want, and only one of them the metal I have already claimed.¡± He finished as Jen looked aggressively at him. ¡°I have something you want too.¡± She said. ¡°I have something that keeps the wolves away. You kill me or anyone here, you¡¯ll never get that secret.¡± ¡°Why would I care about that?¡± Prima laughed. ¡°Even if I believed you, people like me don¡¯t fear the wolves in our high towers and the middle of warm protected cities lit brightly, traveling by armored carriage, with guns and guards. Save your wolf taming secret for a peasant who might want it.¡± he said, adjusting his collar and making his leave, strutting away with his back turned and practically glowing like a target in Hudson¡¯s eyes. Carol sat in the upstairs bedroom, staring out the window at nothing, listening to Hudson¡¯s distinct footsteps heading up the old stairs. ¡°Mind if I enter?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s not my home, door was open.¡± She shrugged. Figured you might either want to be alone or need company, so I figured I¡¯d let you do the pickin.¡± He said. ¡°No, stay. I¡¯d rather have someone around. Jen is busy getting her hair washed out so they can make extract as wolf deterrent that won¡¯t also attract them. Billy¡¯s wife and Tom are tending to that, and Billy is in his workshop playing with his new gun because when we leave here, his life goes back to normal and he has an invention to deconstruct. Nobody else even noticed I went upstairs. Typical life. Typical Jen, trying to make every situation good or bad about her, Typical strangers leaving me with my problems while they distract themselves with something else. Here I am a target about to lose another part of my leg in some primitive butchery so bounty hunters don¡¯t murder me, and nobody noticed I was up here.¡± She said looking distant and lost. ¡°really doesn¡¯t matter where I go. I¡¯m an invisible nobody, and the only thing about me anyone notices is the part that¡¯s missing. I¡¯m a novelty.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a person same as everyone here, and I noticed you was missin. Billy¡¯s just lookin out for his family, can¡¯t blame the man for trying to stay uninvolved in this shit. Tom¡¯s just distracted by Jen. She IS rather distractin, to be honest. I don¡¯t think she was tryin to be the center of attention as much as share the target on your back. Everyone¡¯s just doing their best, don¡¯t take it personal.¡± ¡°Feels pretty personal since everyone¡¯s a fugitive because of me, and my leg is why I¡¯m hunted. Hud, I¡¯m scared. Losing part of you once is bad enough, losing another piece again is worse, and I could die in surgery. They don¡¯t have medicine like they do in my time and there¡¯s risks then. But if I don¡¯t, then everyone else dies too. I can¡¯t let people die so I can keep part of my mobility and don¡¯t have to make any sacrifice. I shouldn¡¯t have to, it¡¯s not fair but it¡¯s less fair to expect everyone to live like fugitives for me. Is there any option where we can just be free to live?¡± ¡°Sadly no. Timber ain¡¯t a friendly place, and freedom is too expensive for any of us. I can¡¯t speak for anyone else but if you turn down that deal, for any of the reasons, I¡¯ll back you up and won¡¯t blame you for it. Remember when we first met and you were pissed about me robbin y¡¯all, and I said you¡¯d thank me later¡­?¡± he paused. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing this but why, why are you doing this at all? Tom is as lost as we are and probably just trying to get laid, he has no reason not to stay and nothing to leave for. You had a life before we messed it up.¡± She sighed with guilt. ¡°I had a job, there¡¯s a difference. Tusk hunter is as free as poor man can get with a job around here but to be honest I¡¯ve felt more alive and free on the run the last few days than I have in 20 years. I took the job and worked for the rich man because I had a wife and baby on the way and you can¡¯t be an outlaw with a family. Before the baby, Me and Sadie didn¡¯t have no rules. Couple years together was the best years of my life, that¡¯s freedom, but we never had anything to call home. When she got pregnant everything changed. I realized that baby meant more then our freedom, and safety meant workin for the people we hate. Worked my ass to the bone for 9 months tryin to get enough money to have a stable home. She died havin the baby. Baby died too. Little boy, never even had a name. Losin part of yourself is one thing I can relate to, losin it twice as well. Worked for the Chief for 2 decades because I dint have anything to live for except the job and they love workers who don¡¯t care if they die on the job or not. Forgot what freedom was like till you showed up. Comes with a high price and costs you everything but I still got nothing to lose and I¡¯m an old man with no time left to start over and try again. Woulda done anything to save her, gave up my freedom tryin. I¡¯ll save somebody before I go, might as well be you. If that earns me points for heaven and I get to see my family again I¡¯d be grateful, but even not, I¡¯ll do it anyway. You did nothing wrong, like Sadie. Just got dropped here from her home, found her in the cold, took her in. Didn¡¯t have shit, didn¡¯t have nobody. I guess it¡¯s just what I do. I loved that woman and I failed her. Out huntin while she went into labor alone.¡± ¡°Could you have done anything to save her if you were there?¡± Carol asked. ¡°Probably not. But she wouldn¡¯t have died alone. So you take that feelin of guilt and toss that shit out the window. If you wanna keep that leg and your freedom, you may die for it, but you¡¯ll die with me backing you up. If you wanna take the deal, I¡¯ll stick around and make sure they keep up their end of everything, or I¡¯ll make a ruckus and make em regret it. I¡¯m a stubborn ol bastard. I¡¯ll do a lot of damage on the way down and smile the whole way. Hell, if you wanna run, I¡¯ll take ya hostage and let Tom and Jen have a life of their own. Nobody would hunt them down if I was the one with the prize. What they gonna do¡­threaten my family? Too damn late for that.¡± He smiled sadly. ¡°You really want a one legged replacement for family?¡± she chuckled. ¡°Nobody could replace Sadie, not askin you to even try. I¡¯m too old for you anyway, so don¡¯t be getting the wrong idea about that. Tom may have his motivations in his young heart and in his britches and he¡¯s sure got eyes for Jen, but you and me, it¡¯s about the principal and what¡¯s right. You don¡¯t go fallin in love with me little lady, I¡¯m trouble, and not worth the trouble. Could use a friend though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not my type anyway. I¡¯d make a terrible wife. Jen and I are from a very different time. We can¡¯t cook or clean worth a damn, we have no survival skills here, neither or us want a bunch of babies.¡± ¡°What makes You so much worse then Jen then? You gotta have more self worth.¡± ¡°I have mood swings, a limp, and the sex drive of an old cat lady. Jen is a social creature that¡¯s horny and looks like Jen. You don¡¯t see the value difference?¡± ¡°You make arguin hard when you point out shit like that. Don¡¯t make me lie to you to make you feel better. You just think about what you wanna do for yourself and what you deserve to choose. Just know you ain¡¯t gettin us all killed for it, and you got one friend to back you up either way. Get selfish, think about your own freedom, let me know when you make a decision, and don¡¯t let nobody tell you either one is wrong or you don¡¯t deserve it. Have a good night, missy.¡± He said with a nod, heading down the stairs and shutting the door, leaving Carol to think about her life.