Wasteland - Chapter 4 - Junktown and Raiders - IC

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Caribe watched as his family slipped past the wall and out into the darkness.

He didn't like it. How did he know this wasn't part of a trap. At least in Junktown the guards might protect them. After all the hit-team was still in hiding, perhaps because they knew sought to evade Killian's guards.

He stopped, hesitated.

Lynn pulled at his arm. "Caribe, if you want to get your enemies, you must act tonight."

"But what if my enemies are out there?"

"You don't trust me still?" Asked the girl.

"This is about family, not about trust." Said Caribe.

Brute heard the man and knew the meaning. "Caribe, go with your family. We will do what we can tonight."

Caribe nodded his thanks and slipped through the wall like a phantom. Melvin and Dwemer looked at each other uncertain if they would ever see the man again.

Lynn looked at them. "Only two of you?"
 
Richard watched as the two men turned...
They looked left, they looked right and ... nothing happened!
They simply turned left & continued their patrol. Richard started thinking maybe it was paranoia due to too much booze in the early hours.

After Richard holstered his guns, he ran to take a peak around the corner to see where his friends were. To his surprise only Dwemer, Melvin & some strange girl were standing there.

As he approached, he could see Melvin frown at the bottle he carried & his now dusty cloths. The girl only awarded Richard a quick glance, as she would any other 'drunk'. Dwemer however looked more severe somehow, like a teacher looking at a kid coming into the class late. Yet he looked releaved...

"Hey guys, and girl. I've seen Ved & Zeke leave a couple of hours ago and now Carib? What's going on? Where are the others?" Richard asked, doing his best to keep his slightly alcoholised breath away from the others. "It's not nice to ditch friends without saying goodbye..."
 
"Ved and Zeke left town? Fuck." Said Melvin.

Dwemer was relieved to find Richard. " Caribe has also taken his family out of town. There was a hit on him and his family tonight that we barely escaped. Ivan's in local jail. But chances are whoever hit Caribe tonight will come back for a second shot unless we get them first."

The girl looked Richard up and down. She was attractive, long and slender but strong. However she didn't seem to think much of Richard. "If you are drunk I have a tea that you can drink."

Dwemer looked about suddenly. "Where is Roadrunner?"

She too had vanished.

"If the same assassins have captured her they would have brought her back to their hideout in Gooktown." Said the girl.

"Time we delivered a bit of hurting back." Said Brute, feeling the anger begin to burn in his blood.
 
Ivan slowly paced the cell, murmuring to himself. He was certain that thos emen were coming after Caribe and the others and yet....they were the law? It did not make sense to him, law was something to uphold, not break. If they were the law, why didn't they announce themselves, but try to sneak in live thieves? He shook his head, eventually falling back to the cot. Hopefully, the rest of them wouldn't leave without him but until that time, he got to work reading through his journal. After all, there was precious little to read in Junktown.
 
Richard didn't like it. Either way, people would get hurt, so he kept it simple.

"So which comes first? Ivan or Roadrunner?" Richard asked. "If we go for Ivan first, we are gonna piss off the city guards, but we could use some more firepower. If we go for Roadrunner first, we are likely to be outmanned & outgunned."

ooc: sorry running low on inspiration here
 
OC- Ivan, you're going to have to wait. Hopefully we will finish this by Weds.

IC- Dwemer felt pulled in both ways. Ivan had saved his life, but his heart was for Roadrunner. Yet not to act was even more dangerous.

But before he could speak Melvin spoke first.

"It's not that simple. Whoever tried to whack Caribe and his kin tonight is gonna gun for us next. They probably got Roadrunner. They probably got evidence that they connected to kill Caribe. We nail them then we got the proof so Killian lets Ivan out. We go up against the law tonight, it's goin' end badly."

Perhaps Melvin spoke for Brute because he too understand where Brute's mind was. But his friend also made sense.

Lynn was growing impatient. "We know where the assassins are. We can get them tonight. If we wait or fail they will go after Caribe and his family out in the desert. They will have no chance."

Before Richard could say anything else, Lynn said, "Follow me. I show."

Richard didn't seem pleased but Brute and Melvin followed the girl.

Through the streets of Junktown until they came to the Asian quarter. Little more than a few alley ways, the Asian quarter held Junktown's small asian community. They lived among themselves, sharing similar languages and away from the others who so frequently discriminated them. Unlike most of Junktown the local guards generally left this area alone.

Lynn led them to a stair well that led up to a room on a platform. Around the platform was a narrow walkway. "On the second floor they have a room. There is a door but it is not well secured. You can break it down."

"How many?" Asked Richard.

"Five or six." Said the girl. She removed a .45 automatic and a knife. "Let's do this."

Melvin crept first and listened, holding his hand back to the others. He had been stealing since he was a child, and knew how to move so his weight would not force a creak or groan from the old boards.

Near the top of the landing he listened. It sounded like there was a small party. He moved under the window and came to another side. Then moving around he used what cracks in the boards were available to observe.

He counted five men and three women. The women he took for whores. On the table were empty bottles of the local swill.

Coming around back to the stairwell, Melvin held up 5 fingers and put his finger to his mouth.

Quietly each climbed up the stairs and took position.
 
Richard started to feel very ill at ease. Dwemer & Melvin seemed to trust this girl, but she seemed so eager to kill these men. Richard suspected there might be some hidden goal in her actions.
Either way, Dwemer seemed intent on acting quickly. Hence Richard had no choice but to back him up.

Once up the stairs Richard peared through the cracks, indeed seeing 5 men but also 3 women, probably civilians. Simply shooting up the place wasn't an option and the fact that there was only one door & one window on this side made it easy for the enemies to simply wildly open fire on that side & still have a high probability of hitting someone.

A diversion was in order. Richard gestured for the others to hold their position & quietly made his way back down the stairs and headed for the backside of the building.

The sound of braking glass followed and a rock rolled over the floor. The 4 men drew their guns & ran for the broken back window while one guarded the door. To their surprise, the men saw a drunk waving with a half empty liquor bottle.

"Give me back my wife, you whoring bastards!" Richard yelled. "Don't make me come up there to get her! She's mine & she will no longer work the streets, damn it!"

The men were taken aback by this & the women did not understand what Richard was talking about. As Richard started throwing more rocks, everyone looked confused. Soon after that, both sides started yelling. It blurred into incomprehensible brable.

They threathened Richard with their guns, but he was fairly confident they wouldn't simply gun him down. A drunk was not worth the trouble, nor the ammo.

Slowly tiring of this display, 2 men left the window at the backside of the building & headed for the door...
 
Melvin and Brute went in hard and fast, guns drawn. Richard's distraction had worked to distract the Rovers. When they turned back, Brute had come through the door like a crazed bull followed by Melvin.

The Rovers were caught by surprise. Only one thought to raise a gun, and he was quickly shot down by Melvin.

The others lost interest in fighting and put up their hands.

While Melvin held his gun on the four men, Brute turned on the closest. Driven by his anger and his fear for Roadrunner, he picked up the man by the throat and slammed him against the nearest wall. "Where is Roadrunner? Why did you try to kill Caribe?"

The man's voice and breath were being strangled and there was no will to resist, but one of the others spoke quickly. "We got paid to kill Caribe. It's just a job."

But that didn't satisfy Brute. Still with his hand around one man's throat he pointed his pistol in the direction of the one who spoke. "What of Roadrunner?"

"Don't know any Roadrunner." Said the man pleadingly.

"Bullshit." Said Brute.

"Ain't no lie." Said another. "We didn't get paid for no Roadrunner. Don't even know who she is."

Melvin spoke. "Brute let that fellow go before you kill him."

Only than did Brute realize that the man he was strangling had stopped all movement. He let the man fall to the floor. A kick to his leg illicited a moan.

"Why Caribe?" Asked Melvin.

"It was a contract kill. A job from the Hub and we didn't have no money." Said the Rover who spoke. "Not personal."

"Who did you do business with."

Outside Richard was coming around, and just saw Lynn go into the room, her weapons drawn.
 
Seeing the girl enter the room, with guns drawn AFTER all commotion had stopped, raised Richards neckhairs. Only two scenarios came to mind: personal vendetta against the hired killers or more likely, a doublecross. Richard drew his own guns & followed the girl as quietly as possible.

As Richard reached the window, she was 4 meters away from Melvin's & Dwemer's back. Still unsure, Richard aimed, but held his position.

Then the revelation came, when seeing her armed & ready to get the jump on Melvin & Dwemer, the assassins smiled out of relief.

Her pistol now aimed straight at Dwemers back, Richard had no choice but to open fire. Due to refraction of the targeting laser on the glass window, Richard could not be sure of his aim.

One bullet whizzed through the room impacting on the wall, but the other hit the pistol and caused a bullet to explode. The concequences were devestating. The girl let out a scream of both surprise & pain, her hand disappearing in a cloud of blood.

With Dwemer & Melvin distracted, the assassins saw an opportunity to break loose & fight...
 
OOC: Sorry if this post sucks compared to my normal stuff. Bit tired.


Ivan slowly rose, sitting up as the semi-honest looking Killian entered the room. He eyed the two guards carefully, swinging around as he nodded to the man.


"What's your story, stranger?"

Ivan sighed, looking the man carefully over, his eyes remaining on the guards.

"It depends on how willing you are to put your life in the hands of your guards, sirrah."

Killian leveled a shotgun, a small-bore model that suddenly seemed far too big for Ivan's tastes. He waved the two men off, leaning against the wall as his finger ran along the trigger guard.

"Talk. Now."

Ivan rested his head to the wooden slat behind him, staring back at Killian carefully, before starting to recollect the story of the assassins, and who they were after. If Killian was in on this, he would already know. If not, well, it would be a bit of light in this dreary, shitty little town. Ivan held nothing back, save mention of the alien-types in Vault 15. This was not the time for Killian to think him insane...which he never was, of course.
 
Everything happened quick. The glass breaking and the girl screaming out.

Of the four Rovers, three went for their guns.

The one closest to Dwemer died before his gun left for his holster. Another jumped for a gun sitting on a table and fell to the bullets of Melvin. The third grabbed one of the whores as the other two prostitutes ran out the door. He brought his gun to the girl's head as Dwemer leveled his gun on the man's head just as Melvin turned on the girl.

A crash, the gril went through one of the windows, hit the balcony outside on a roll, twisted and turned, and rolled off the platform to the floor below. Richard ran along the platform, knowing he had only wounded the girl.

On the platform, Richard saw blood on the wood gone black in the moonlight, and he thought he heard a cry out. But he couldn't see the girl.

Then three quick shots from underneath him, a bullet clipping a piece off his boot and another cracking behind him. He could almost feel it pass his head. He turned to fire down, but the girl had already moved. She was running out below the house, across to where Richard had just been. Desperate he turned around and ran back around the house, but only to catch a glimpse of the girl, a pistol in her other hand, turn a corner and disappear into Junktown.

The man tried to put the prostitute between himself and Dwemer and said, "Don't shoot or I'll kill...." But never finished the sentence as Dwemer shot him through the eye. The girl recoiled with a scream into the corner.

The fourth Rover remained with his hands up. He hadn't even twitched.

Melvin had his gun leveled at the fourth. "Speak, because I think she planned to kill you too."

"She hired us to do the job. She said it was a job for the Hub and afterwards she would make sure we had work." Said the man quickly.

"You'll vouch to this?" Asked Dwemer.

"You bet I will. She said she was here to make sure both Gizmo and Killian got theirs. We were supposed to do them both. Gizmo first."

Outside, Richard saw a group of guards coming up the road. "We got company." He warned.

"Let them come. We got what they want." Said Melvin who was tieing up the man's hands. "This is what we need to get Ivan off."

His job done he looked for Dwemer, but the big man had vanished.
 
The Waste Lands

Carib didn't like the idea of leaving Dwemer and Melvis to their fates in Junk Town. It made him feel dirty, dishonorable, and the family O'Reilly always learned to repay debts. They had eased his transition from captive to hero for Shady Sands and they had saved him... On more then one occassion.

Ryan and Rachel and the child walked with Carib. Junk Town was half an hour trek away, the desert wind was behind him and the kinsmen and that was fine. In his heart he wanted to fight, to shed blood and bust some skulls, that part of his hidden Irish Heritage.

Ryan placed a hand on his shoulder, as if reading his mind as he always did. "Brother... if you must head back, do so... I and Rachel know that fate is different for you... it always has been, my brother." The tone was empathetic, and Now Carib felt this would be the last time he'd see his brother and the remnant of his family again.

Carib was going to answer, but Rachel put her finger to his lip. "Go where you must Nuka Cola Chaser... If ka is correct we shall meet along the path... if not, know we always will love you." She gave him a warm hug and kiss on the cheek. Ryan did the same, not even giving Carib a say in the matter.

Carib didn't cry though he felt like it, there was a steel in him that gave people strength. It was in those green eyes of his, "See you along the path that leads to the clearing, if so it. Love you my lil' one." He bent down and planted a kiss on the child's forehead and checked his weapon and Carib parted paths with his family.

He began to walk back. His family was well armed, and they were on the safe path that led towards Shady Sands.

Carib wasn't sure he'd see them again, but he had hope, just as he hoped to someday see Inne again. Inne of the red hair and green eyes.

The Desert Eagles were holstered and Carib had some more slug rounds for the Mossberg 590 and perhaps some grenades. If the Hit men were still around, Carib would get those answers. One way or the other.
 
Melvin and Richard, now in the not-quite-gentle custody of the guards were guided (along with Rover) through the quiet streets of Junktown. It was late in the evening and many had turned away, but those that didn't watched silently as the suspects were brought to justice. Behind the men followed the prostitutes.

When they arrived at Killians they were pushed in through the door, and found Ivan already tied up and being questioned by Killian about the events of the night.

"We can confirm the story." Offered Richard, "And we bring a witness and participant.. This Rover. His three buddies are dead."

Killian shook his head. "We don't like people using guns in our town. Looks like we'll have to get tougher with the rules and allow no weapons in public."

One of the guards took note of it and then spoke. "This Rover came in during the evening looking for his friends."

Killian nodded. "And no more people in at night." Then he turned to the new combers. "Your big friend tells us someone tried to blow you and that family of Nukacola workers tonight. Is that right?"

Melvin nodded. "Yes, I found out that there was an assassination plot to kill Caribe and Caribe's family. THat there life was in jeopardy. I found out where they were having dinner and stopped the bomber before he finished his job. The explosives are in my kit bag."

Killian nodded again to one of the guards who inspected the bag, revealing a bundle of dynamite. "Go on."

"I jumped him and we went through the roof to the floor below. That's when the other Rovers tried to ambush us, knowing the first effort had gone bad," Said Melvin.

"Which was when I went outside and fought those I suspected were assassins." Said Ivan.

"And accidently shot at our guards." Finished Killian. "We don't take kindly to that."

"I think your guard was on the take." Said Melvin. "There were assassins on our tail."

One of the prostitutes who had followed them to Killians spoke up. "It's true. There are guards on the take. Paid for by these fellows. And that's not all. They were talking about the hit a few hours before. That's why we weren't allowed to leave their company. THey were afraid we'd speak."

_________

First Dwemer had gone after the girl, following the trail of blood from her wound. But when the blood trail stopped without a body, he realized that chasing the girl was as hopeless as a phantom in a graveyard. So he had returned to their room hoping to find Roadrunner, but she has vanished as if snatched by some unseen hand into the night.

But where? He was about to leave when a wheezy voice spoke out. "The girl is gone, she got snatched and is already heading south."

The speaker came into the room, a large obese man smoking a large cigar and sweating perfusely. Behind him came his bodyguard, who Dwemer knew as Izo.

"It was the killer, Cadian that did it. Don't know why." Said the fat man, Gizmo.

"How do you know this." Asked Dwemer.

"I know because I have to know." Replied Gizmo, who began to shuffle off. "They have been planning to kill us both. I thought Cadian would help, but it looks like I will have to talk to Killian."
 
Brute grew impatient as Gizmo and Killian argued back and forth, but he knew that Ivan's future lay at state.

Still he couldn't help but think of Roadrunner who even now was moving increasingly away with Cadian. But to where and why?

Ivan seemed bored as he watched the argument between the two lord of Junktown. It was becoming increasingly clear to all that eventually only one of them would have to go, and that one would probably go violently.

"You're saying that one of our guards got killed because of the Hub?" Demanded Killian.

"I am telling you that your guard was in the pay of the Hub. Yes, and you and your damn guards were blind to not see it." Said Gizmo.

"My guards keep this town safe." Replied Killian, "So you can make your money."

"We both make our money because of those guards, but we both make our money because we've been too small for the Hub to notice. We've been living off them like leaches. We even use their caps for money." Said Gizmo, who seemed to have grown tired."What I am telling you is that they let us because we were too small and they were to busy. But we're not so small now."

"You're saying that because you know they want to make a deal with me and that eventually you'd be cut out." Said Killian.

"You're a fool. More business with the Hub, more caravans is good for me. More caravans means more cash, and that cash gets spent gambling in my casino, gets drunk with my booze, and gets spent on the pussy that I own." Said Gizmo who took a seat because the argument seemed to have drained him.

"So you have more to gain then." Said Killian.

"If the Hub didn't plan to whack me in the process. YOu don't get it. They don't want to do business with you, they want to own you. And they will own me to."

Killian didn't seem convinced. He had been doing business with the Hub for a few months and their envoys had seemed to negotiate in good faith.

Gizmo shook his head."They were going to whack the nuke cola peddler because they wanted to buy him out of the Hub. They knew he'd come here because we have water too. His water means he can stay in business without the Hub and that means competition."

"So they sent a team to kill him to keep him out of business. What does that have to do with us?"

"First it breaks our rules. If they whack the cola peddler it means no one can do business here that's independent of them. They know that. So why not finish up. We're small time Killian. But big enough and will get bigger. The Hub can't allow that." Gizmo tried to explain.

"But why would they try to kill you." Asked Killian.

"Because there's a man down in the Hub called Decker that wants me gone. I'm also a small fry but our business competes. He's already got his connections here. Morbid for one." Explained Gizmo. "And if Decker didn't want me killed he'd put me to work for him, which means scamming off the Hub, and the Hub merchants don't want Decker's kind of interests here."

Killian shook his head. He'd been the sherriff of Junktown long enough to know that it was better to not watch Gizmo's business to closely. "Gizmo, if you have competition that wants you dead, that's your problem."

"Maybe, but if you stayed in Junktown you'd be an added cost to the Hub. A cost they don't need and can easily get rid of." Said Gizmo. "That's why they want us both dead. Because its better business that way."

"You've got proof." Asked Killian.

Gizmo nodded. "Ask the whores."

One by one the prostitutes told Killian of what the Rovers had been there to do. They told that the Rovers had been hired to get rid of the peddler and then to take out Gizmo then Killian, in that order. Meanwhile the Hub merchants would slowly take over business. Once the prostitutes had spoken, Killian turned his attention to the Rover survivor.

The survivor knew that the evidence was against him, but still swore he wouldn't speak. When Killian promised him clemency and a way out of town, the man seemed unconvinced. "Otherwise we hang you in the morning." Said Killian.

That seemed to convince the Rover who said that what had been said was true. The Hub merchants were plotting a takeover of Junktown.

"And these people?" Asked Killian pointing to Ivan, Brute and the others.

"They were with the peddler's family. We figured they were guards and we got paid extra for them."

"So you fired in self-defense?" Asked Killian of Ivan.

"That's what I said earlier."

Killian shook his head. His confidence had been shaken. People were willing to kill him now and he was suddenly without few friends. Certainly Gizmo didn't trust his judgment, and he couldn't fully trust Gizmo. Both men were subject to influence from others outside of Junktown that would have jeopardized any friendship or partnership the two men might have been able to sustain.

'Alright then. Ivan, you can go."

One of the guards cut the bonds around Ivans hands and he rejoined his friends.

Killian looked over at Gizmo. "I appreciate what you telling me, but I guess you know I can't trust you no more."

"Nor I can trust you, Killian." Said Gizmo as he headed out the door.

"This town is to small." Said Killian.

"And yet neither of us can walk away from it." Said Gizmo who quietly walked away, followed by his bodyguard.

"And you boys?" Asked Killian.

"One of our party has been abducted. It's time to get her back." Said Brute.
 
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