Part 1: The room
Nobody paid much notice as another makeshift buggy puttered into the town of Barrington. For a town in the wastes Barrington had a lot of traffic passing through. The town was nestled in sheltered valley and a few years back the townspeople under the advisement and supervision of the town carpenter, Ronald Gerwright, had built a reservoir of sorts on the high ground which had turned out to be pretty damn efficient. The surplus of drinkable water had put the town on the map of anyone who knew their way around the wastes and had made it a popular location for traders to try and sell their wares.
Gerwright took advantage of the success of his reservoir project and persuaded the other inhabitants of Barrington, only about 30 or so at the time to make him their mayor. The first step Gerwright took as mayor was securing the water supply and making sure anybody who wanted to use it paid something to the town in return. The profits made from the water venture enabled Gerwright to buy a few guns and start up a town militia. The militia in turn allowed Gerwright to start forcing merchants to give some their goods to the town treasury in return for the right to set up shop.
The cycle repeated itself and with every repetition mayor Gerwright was able to start a new project or expand the militia to help repel the occasional CHOTA raids. The town flourished and within five years after the construction of the reservoir Barrington became the town it is today, boasting roughly 300 permanent residents and its own private army of hired mercenaries.
But enough about Barrington... back to the buggy. The driver was a grizzled man who looked like he was in his early forties. His hair was shaggy and ruffled making look as if he hadn't bothered fixing it up after getting out of bed in the morning. In reality the driver spent a good fifteen minutes each morning getting his hair to look the way it did, it was the only way that the few black hairs he had left were at all noticeable. Stubble lined his cheeks and jaw line; it was a bit thicker on the chin suggesting that when he did actually have a chance to shave he gave himself a goatee. His face had a few small scars, nothing out of the ordinary for a traveler in the wastes. In fact, nothing about this buggy driver was out of the ordinary; he was your run of the mill drifter just trying to get by.
The driver peered through his driving goggles and managed to make out a rusty sign which had a white buggy painted on it and the word "garage". The word meant nothing to most people except those fortunate enough to have been born in either a tech or enforcer stronghold or one of the few towns that had prospered enough that it's citizens had time to learn how to read and write. The driver wasn't that fortunate so he used the picture of the buggy to point him in the right direction.
The buggy puffed around the corner and continued slowly down dirt road lined with beggars and peddlers trying to hawk assorted trinkets to the new arrivals in town. The driver slowly eased the buggy to a stop as he came to a dilapidated looking gatehouse.
"How much?" asked the driver. His grizzled and rundown appearance didn't seem to quite match the smooth drawling tone he spoke in.
The attendant, a bored looking man with a sunken and wrinkled face huffed, "Twenty" in return.
The driver frowned slightly as he opened and reached into a small satchel on his belt and removed a few chips before tossing them onto the desk of the gatehouse.
The attendant quickly fingered through them, making sure they were all there before droning, "Name."
The driver pursed his lips against his teeth as he made a quick decision. He could just as easily give a fake name as his real one. He'd had some problems trying to remember the false name he'd given while trying to claim his buggy after a hard night of drinking in the past thought. The driver didn't think he'd made any enemies lately, he decided not to risk it.
"Kavis," said the driver smoothly.
The attendant, apparently a fortunate one scribbled down the name in a book and waved a lazy hand to a gate keeper toting a submachine gun who started cranking a lever to open the heavy iron gates.
The driver- no, Kavis pressed slightly on the gas pedal of his buggy and followed another submachine gun toting guard to an empty spot on the lot. Kavis arched his back in the seat of his buggy and sighed happily as he heard a slight crackling before removing the key to the ignition and stepping out into the garage.
The guard approached him and handed him a ticket that would get him back in then strode back to his post without a word. Not too many people in Barrington these days had much use for small talk with strangers.
Kavis ruffled his hair a bit and shook the worn black leather jacket he wore, trying to lift some of the sand from his body. Satisfied with that he removed his goggles and put them inside a large pocket of the sturdy combat pants he wore. The guy he'd bought them off told him that he'd found them in the ruins of an old police station. That could've easily been a lie but the pants didn't tear easy, had padded knees, and had some damn fine pockets so it really didn't matter either way.
Kavis blinked a bit, adjusting to the sunlight hitting his eyes and looked through the barbed wire ridden chain link fence that surrounded the perimeter of the garage. Turns out there was something out of the ordinary about Kavis after all, his eyes. The two orbs were a piercing silvery grey color and almost made Kavis look handsome. They might've if they hadn't had such a piercing quality to them. They were almost haunting in a way. They were something to remember all right. Kavis didn't want to be remembered. He removed a pair of sleek looking sunglasses from a pocket in his jacket and slipped them on before exiting the garage and walking out into the street.
No man like Kavis ever really knew how long they'd be in one place. If there was a lot of work it could be months, if he bumped into the wrong guy he could've found himself scrambling to get out of town by sunrise. That's if he had enough money to fill his buggy up with gas again... or if he managed to steal enough to make it to the next town. Kavis wasn't sure how long he'd be staying, but he figured he might as well find a room anyway. Trying to sleep on the streets was a guarantee he'd wake up with nothing.
To reassure himself Kavis slid a hand to the revolver that rested in a holster on his right hip. Satisfied the gun wasn't going anywhere he adjusted his jacket to cover up a noticeable grease stain on his ragged white t-shirt and strode down the side of a busy looking street. Kavis usually didn't have much luck with the ladies. The ones that were even remotely attractive almost always went for men who had some measure of success and worth. Kavis knew that he was only another dead beat traveler to them, but it never hurt to try and look his best.
As he walked he noticed that prostitutes strolled this street. That told him he was in the vicinity of the hotel row. The prostitutes noticed a new face and made a variety of lewd suggestions and noises at Kavis, all of which he ignored. These girls were only for the most desperate of men. Kavis had worked briefly in a brothel a few years ago and in that time been so disgusted by the filth of the girls and the diseases they and their customers carried that he didn't have a hard time resisting the temptation, if you could even call it that.
It only took a minute before he began to spot the hotel row. They were all pretty much the same, a shitty bed, maybe a small drawer or dresser, a chair and table if you were lucky, and possibly a window. What Kavis looked for was the guy behind the desk. Some folks preferred to stay at a place packed with armed muscle in the lobby, not him. He didn't need to pay for the security, he could protect himself. When he looked through the window and saw a lone timid looking man he knew he'd found his place.
The door creaked as Kavis opened the door. He closed it slowly behind him and approached the desk. When he reached it he stopped and hesitated before drumming his knuckles across the desk and looking the hotel keeper in the eyes.
"Need a room," he said quietly.
"Sorry b-but, I'm afraid we're full," spat out the man quickly.
Kavis nodded slowly at the man. He nodded quickly in turn and turned his head down in submission.
Kavis turned and started slowly up the stairs as they creaked under his boots. As he came into the hallway with doors leading to the rooms he drew his revolver. The gun's original wooden handle had long since been worn down to nothing. In it's place were a few long strips of leather wound tight around the thin piece of metal onto which the wood had once been nailed. The rest of the gun was marked with a bit of rust here and there except for the chamber in which the bullets rested which appeared to be much newer than the rest of the gun and still in good shape. With his other hand Kavis reached into a leather sheath around his left calf and pulled out a thin but sturdy metal pipe which he gripped tightly and held ready to strike.
Kavis edged along the corridor and hesitated as he reached the first door. He had significantly better than average hearing which came in very useful for times like these. He held his breath and listened intently... nothing. Nothing was too risky. There was no telling when the owner of the room would come back, and who they'd be. As he approached the next door Kavis began to pick up what seemed to be weeping. He paused by the door and listened, it was female. A grin played on Kavis' lips, "perfect" he thought.
Kavis tapped on the door a few times with the pipe and did his best to imitate the hotel clerk, "Management" he lied. He held the pipe at the ready and smiled as he heard footsteps, it wasn't usually this easy. The door opened and a young woman stepped out into the hall trying to see who'd knocked on the door. Her brown hair was strewn about as if shed been pulling at it and some of it clung to her face, held there by the moisture of her tears.
She gasped voraciously as she felt Kavis' pipe slam into her stomach before stumbling backwards and falling to the floor winded. Kavis quickly swung around the corner into the room with his gun at the ready. He kicked the door back into the wall trying to flush out anybody who may have been hiding behind it and scanned the rest of the room. Satisfied that the woman was alone he holstered the pistol then strode over and knelt by her crumpled form.
"Give me the key to this room or I'll kill you," he stated bluntly.
The woman writhed in pain and tried to choke out an answer but couldn't manage. She took a few seconds to gather some strength then pointed to a dresser up against a wall. Kavis rose and made his way to the dresser, then began searching through it's contents.
Surprised at the fact there were actually a few changes of clothes in the first drawer Kavis let out an audible, "hm". He turned his head back to face her, and cocked an eyebrow as he noticed that she wore a clean blue sleeveless shirt and an equally clean white skirt instead of the ragged clothes most people staying in this kind of dump would. Kavis shut the drawer and tried to open the second drawer but it was stuck shut. In the third and final drawer he grinned as he saw both the room key and a bag that looked like it held ringpulls. Greedily he grabbed the bag and shook it, there had to be at least a hundred.
Kavis tossed the bag back in the drawer and strode back over to the woman. He bent down by her head and forcibly grabbed her wrists, yanking her hands away from covering her sobbing face and then began dragging her out into the hall. She continued to sob, a bit harder now, but didn't have the strength to put up a struggle.
Kavis let go of her wrists and then used a foot to roll the rest of her body out of the doorway. He looked down at the defeated woman, her long brown hair hiding her head and most of her torso and declared coldly, "This aint your room anymore" then shut the door, locked it, and went to recline on the bed.
Kavis heard the woman's sobbing for maybe an hour or two. He was going to carry her out into the street but as he was contemplating it he heard her drag herself up and leave. With the crying gone Kavis was finally able to get to sleep
Part 2: Intrusion
The rusty springs of the hotel bed creaked as Kavis tossed restlessly in his sleep. The lithe figure pressed up against the far wall held it's breath until he seemed to settle with one hand dangling over the side of the bed while the other rested beneath the sweat stained cloth lining of the hotel pillow. The figure pressed its hands to the wall to steady itself as it slowly inched towards the dresser.
Kavis begin to rustle in the bed again and the figure paused in anticipation. Two blue eyes widened in terror as they saw the seemingly asleep man snap up from his bed with a hand outstretched. A sharp whistling noise pierced the air... "what is it?" wondered the figure. A thud followed by the sharp pain of a knife piercing flesh and cartilage answered the question.
The figure shrieked and began emitting choking sobs as it desperately tried to pry the knife from the wall. The effort was futile, the knife had embedded itself a good three or four inches deep in the wall.
Kavis briskly lit a match and ignited the wick of the candle by his bedside. He'd been awake since he heard the intruder pick the lock to his door waiting for them to get into the right angle for his knife.
As a dim light began to spread across the room Kavis could see that the figure was a woman. In fact, the same woman who he'd stolen the room from earlier that afternoon.
Slowly Kavis got out of bed and walked across the room. The woman had given up on the knife and was know banging her free hand against the wall in anger and frustration.
Kavis watched as the stream of blood from the woman's hand trickled down the rough wooden wall and began to pool on the floor before stating, "You shouldn've come back you know."
The woman's cries seemed to quiet down but she made no effort to answer Kavis or turn to face him. Kavis thrust out a hand and grabbed the woman by her long locks of brown hair tugging back on her head so that she was forced to look him in the eyes. Her hair felt silky and rich in Kavis' grasp, expecting it to be dry and frayed the strong grip faltered for a moment before regaining its usual composure.
Kavis bore down upon his victim with his unflinching silver gaze. He could tell that the woman meant to meet his gaze with a defiance of her own but upon seeing Kavis' dominating stare she quickly looked downwards. This angered Kavis and he bared his teeth as he studied her face.
The dim light of the candle quickly showed that this wasn't a woman after all, only a girl, eighteen or nineteen at the oldest. Her face was as delicate as her frame. Tears glistened on her high accentuated cheek bones as she fearfully wrinkled her timid looking nose. The only part of her face not moistened by tears was her plain high set forehead. Kavis watched a lingering tear travel down her bony cheeks until it reached a pair of thin shy lips. She was pretty.
The girl could feel Kavis' aggressive eyes studying her. She tried to look at his face a few times but as soon as she tried her eyes would flicker back to the ground out of fear. She could smell him though, he smelled just like she imagined he would. A mixture of sweat, grease, and heat... manly.
"Well what're you doin' here?" asked Kavis, breaking the silence.
The girl didn't answer, Kavis got even angrier. He wrapped his hand around another length of her hair and pulled her even closer before growling, "Answer the fuckin question"
The girl winced as her pierced hand was grated against the blade before quickly spattering out, "I came to get my dress!"
She spoke with a twang that seemed to be roughly a female equivalent of Kavis' drawl.
Kavis grinned slightly. "Well aint that precious..." he taunted, "tell me little missy... just why should I give you your pretty lil dress back?"
The girl hardened at the taunt and heatedly lashed back, "Well unless your one of those fellows who gets a kick out of dressin up in girly clothes I don't see much reason you should keep it!"
As soon as the words left her mouth the girl's eyes widened in fear and she submissively added, "no offense..." in a quiet and frightened tone.
Kavis stared at her a few seconds before breaking out in hysterical laughter. The girl watched in utter confusion as he laughed for what seemed like a minute straight, pausing only once due to some harsh sounding coughs before continuing. When the laughing fit finally subsided Kavis made his way over to the wall and grasped the hilt of the knife firmly.
"Now hold still" he warned her, "This is gonna hurt."
The sound of cracking wood mixed with grating cartilage filled the room as Kavis pried the knife from the wall... and the hand. The girl let out a sharp gasp then bit down as tears again began to fill her eyes before clutching at her wound. She then sunk to the floor with relief and put her head on her knees.
Kavis made his way over to the dresser and picked out one of the girl's skirts. He inspected the smooth denim for a moment or two before he began ripping into up into long strips.
The girl looked up at the sound of the tears and stared in shock, "Hey! Why're you doing that?!?!" she asked puzzled.
Kavis stopped for a moment and glanced sidelong into her eyes before finishing the job.
"Wrap your hand in em," he said before tossing the strips to the girl and going to sit on his bed.
The girl began to do as she was told before asking, "Who... who are you anyway mister?" She didn't seem to fear being harmed again.
Kavis bent over and rested his elbows on his knees, cupping his hands together as he answered, "I reckon you owe me that answer first kid."
The girl nodded, "I'm Josephine..." she replied timidly before adding with much more gusto, "I work for Mr. Briggs so you better let me go unless you wanna get yourself into alot'a trouble mister!"
Kavis squinted across the room at her directing the focus of his eyes straight through hers. Josephine wrinkled her nose uneasily. Kavis knew how to use those eyes to his advantage all right...
"I don't know who this Briggs fella is Ms. Josephine but the way I figure it, if I just let you run off now he's gonna see that cut there on your hand and ask how it happened. Now you aint gonna stick out your neck for me none... so I reckon either one of two things is gonna happen judgin' from mindset you seem to have right now.
Scenario number one, I let you go and you tell him about that there cut. He sends someone to teach me a lesson, I kill whoever he sends and then I get myself into a whole mess of a situation.
Scenario number two, I kill you right here and now then skip town.
Or... you can give me a better option," explained Kavis in a business-like matter.
Josephine bit her lip as she finished bandaging her hand before looking up.
"Mr. Briggs has a lot of money..." she began to explain, "He runs the casino here in town. Anyways, I was... well I guess I still am one of his girls. He's got a vault... I thought about tryin to heist it once or twice. I bet I could get the combination to open it up but he's got himself guards protectin' it too. We might be able to do it together though"
Josephine paused and bit her lip again before continuing, "Briggs is a dangerous man... he... he'll kill anyone who gets on his bad side," she appeared to be fighting back another bout of tears, "It'll be tough"
Kavis paused a moment in contemplation, "I'll give you 30 percent of the take," he offered.
Josephine nodded without much hesitation.
"Fine... we'll talk about the details in the morning. You can take out your clothes and sleep on em for the night. Oh and... the names Kavis," he said as he tucked his knife back under his pillow and got back into bed without giving her much of a chance to say anymore.
He lay there thinking as he heard Josephine fix up her sleeping arrangements. He wasn't totally sure about her. The only reason he bought any of it was the crying fit he'd found her in earlier, she obviously wasn't too happy with this Briggs guy and her running away story did actually make sense. Kavis decided that he'd just have to trust the girl for now. He finally managed to drift off into a light sleep smirking at the fact that it wasn't Josephine who shouldn't have been trusted, it was him.
Part 3
Kavis blinked slowly as he sat in a rusty old chair in a small niche off to the side of the bar. He leaned his chair back against the wall and put his feet up on top of the oversized piece of scrap metal in front of him which passed for a table. As his feet hit the table his beer bottle rocked dangerously. A look of alarm passed over Kavis' face as he watched the drink. He sighed as the bottle steadied itself. He looked at the mess of glass by the base of the table. He'd already lost a drink that way earlier.
Kavis scanned the dirty bar hazily. A few patrons like himself populated the place for the most part. On the opposite wall he saw himself reading a book. He looked over to the bar itself, the bartender was polishing glasses while a group of three men joked and laughed. Kavis thought they were too happy. They looked like clowns to him.
Kavis' eyes mad their way to the small wooden platform passing for a stage. He didn't remember seeing a dancer there a few minutes ago, but there was one there now. At least Kavis had something to watch now. He watched casually for a few minutes before he blinked hard.
"Wait... what the fuck?" he said out loud.
The dancer was actually a giant cow, it was balanced on its two hind legs and kicking around it circles while flailing out it's two front paws. No wait... they were actually arms, black and white spotted arms. The cow was missing a bladder. In its place was a yellow smiley face.
"What the FUCK is this joint???" shouted Kavis in distress.
The clowns started to make their way over to where Kavis was sitting. They stopped in a semi-circle around his table and grinned stupid clown grins. He hated those goddamn grins.
"Cheer up pardner!" said one of the clowns.
Kavis eyed the clown's stupid blue and yellow polka dotted cap.
"That hats really gay buddy," he said plainly, "you guys are all pretty gay actually"
Another clown with a huge red nose opened his mouth in a gasp, "Hey! No need for that sonny! Wanna hear a joke?" he asked upbeat.
The clown started to tell an animated joke. The worlds all blended together, Kavis couldn't even tell what was going on. Then the clown's gestures got ahead of him, he knocked the table and Kavis' beer rolled to the ground with a clatter.
"Not really in a jokin mood amigo..." said Kavis as he slowly looked into the red nose clown's eyes. His hand went down to the trusty revolver on his side and brought it to his hip before his began working the trigger with one hand and the hammer with the other.
Bullets started flying, one of them caught the clown with the hat in the gut. The other put a hole in the other clowns head, he frizzy blue hair. The other bullets missed and zinged off in random directions.
The red nose clown suddenly sprung across the table and knocked Kavis and his chair to the ground. One of Kavis' arms got pinned beneath the back of his chair and the red nose clown locked his hands around Kavis' neck in a tight vice grip. He gasped for air but only ended up hacking on the dry oxygen in his throat.
Kavis' vision started to blur as his lungs were deprived of nourishment. The red nose clown began laughing hysterically. That was when Kavis remembered the syringe in his jacket pocket. He was saving it for tomorrow but desperate times called for desperate measures. He grabbed the syringe from his pocket and stabbed the clown in his big red nose. The clown's head exploded and showered Kavis in a puddle of vanilla milkshake.
Kavis spit and sputtered and quickly wiped the shake from his face before scrambling to his feet.
He froze with terror. A tall thin man with only darkness for a face stood five feet away. The man held a flower in an outstretched hand. He gestured for Kavis to take the flower but he was too afraid to even move. The tall man shook his head and dropped the flower. Then Kavis felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him.
"Another clown!" he thought in terror
Kavis' hand shot out towards Josephine's throat and clamped down tight. His hand wrapped around her entire neck and strangled her like a rag doll. She gasped and tried to pry his fingers from her throat but in vain. Kavis' grip was too strong. She was going to die, she knew it.
Or she would have if Kavis hadn't realized his mistake and quickly let go. She dropped to the ground and sucked in sharp wheezing breaths. Her face was red and she rubbed her swollen neck tenderly.
Kavis sat up in the bed awkwardly.
"Hey uh, sorry about that. Ain't really used to other folks wakin' me up," he tried to explain.
"Yeah no shit!" shrilled Josephine.
Kavis rubbed the back of his neck guiltily and then picked up his jacket which hung by the side of his bed. He rummaged through one of the pockets, found a capsule of pills and then dry swallowed one. He put the capsule back quickly.
Josephine took a few more breaths and sat on the bed slowly.
"Hey… I suppose I know you didn't mean it none," she said.
A few awkward moments passed.
"Bad dreams huh?" asked Josephine quietly.
Kavis nodded but didn't say anything or look towards her.
"Didn't think yall tough guys had nightmares," she said with a giggle, trying to break the silence.
"That ain't funny," said Kavis grumpily, still not looking at her.
Another moment or two passed before Josephine tried again, "What was that there you just swallowed?" she inquired.
"I didn't know this was a goddamn social club," he snapped gruffly before standing up and starting to stretch a bit. His undershirt clung to strong but sinewy muscles and the scars on his forearms glistened slightly under a thin coating of sweat.
"A social club?" asked Josephine, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah, a social club!" Kavis shot back defensively, aware of his poor comeback.
"Oook Kav," she said before moving on "I reckon we should get on over to Briggs' soon. We'll tell him you found me passed out in a gutter with only the clothes on my body and I told you if ya brought me to him that you could probably land yourself a job. That way he wont get suspicious bout my cuts'n things."
Kavis was surprised by the solid plan.
"Yeah ok," he said quickly before adding, "thought somethin' along those lines myself"
"I've been up for a good two hours I reckon Kav. Don't feel too bad I thought it up before ya," she said with a warm smile.
"I don't," said Kavis as he pulled on his jacket, "Ready when you are"
"Ummm, just give me a few minutes." said Josephine as she fixed her hair up a bit in front of a little mirror she'd seemingly left in the drawer along with the rest of her clothes.
When she was ready Kavis led the way out of the room and locked the door behind them.
Part 4: The Casino
Kavis' nostrils flared as he crossed the threshold of the "Lucky Shot" casino with Josephine in tow. The strong fragrance of cigarette butts and spilled beer cast a dirty aroma over the place. It didn't take long for the pair to catch the eyes of the men by the door. A sombrero donning Mexican man with a pock marked face wearing a dirty woolen vest strode slowly to door while other obvious sentries watched.
"I help you wif something amigo?" he asked in a way that was anything but amigo-like. Kavis noticed his gun-hand was inside the woolen vest, he didn't need to guess what else was in there.
He nodded slowly before stating, "This here girl tells me you folks are hirin'"
"Yeh we hirin... I seen this girl before," he paused a minute to think before continuing, "Ok you see Briggs? Gimme your gun and lemme to search you"
Kavis nodded and disarmed completely. The Mexican would probably find it all anyway and Kavis sure as hell didn't want that guy's hands going anywhere inside his clothes. The guard did his job anyway before letting Josephine bring Kavis back to Briggs' office.
Kavis checked the casino out as they passed through. The ground floor was full of slots that operated on casino chips and had a small area set away for a few low-stakes poker and blackjack tables. Every few stools sat a dreary looking patron trying to press his luck and win enough money to be able to buy more booze. The distinct metallic clinking sound of old slot levers made the place seem almost like a factory.
Kavis noticed that Josephine was leading him towards a staircase by which stood two bouncers with assault rifles. As the duo approached the bouncers gave Kavis a hard suspicious stare but nodded at Josephine and let them pass.
Upon climbing the staircase the two came out into a large room with elegant carpeting and ornate wooden siding decorating the walls and ceiling. Quality ceiling fans hung down over the room and created a constant refreshing breeze. In one portion of the room there were six poker and blackjack tables where a few clean looking men sat. The even slight amounts fat on their bodies revealed that they were fairly well off. More of these men accompanied by showcase women sat at a bar with a marble countertop on another side of the room while yet more sat at refurbished dining tables smoking cigars and chatting.
Josephine took Kavis through the room to another small corridor. At the end was yet another door. Like the others, heavily armed guards awaited.
"What yalls doin hur?" asked one of them, a tall man who'd obviously lost a few teeth in his lifetime.
"Found this girl here lyin' in the gutters... told me you folks might have use for a quality gun," replied Kavis, calm as always.
"Yall'right hol' on jus a minute now" replied the toothless guard. His companion appeared to be the silent one who'd shoot you in the gut or bust your head open without saying a word.
After around ten minutes the toothless guard came back out and nodded, "Kin go on in dere now pardner"
Kavis looked over to Josephine quietly who gave him a faint smile. He could tell she was nervous. With a nod he turned from Josephine and opened the door to the office.
Part 5: A Meeting
As Kavis entered the office he was relieved of his weapons by two large men in maroon suits who flanked the doorway.
Caleb Briggs' office was exactly what you'd expect from a guy who'd built his fortune on a casino and the things that went on behind the scenes of a casino. It was decorated by semi-ornate woodwork and carpeting that showed a shallow attempt at class. A brass fixture that served both as a ceiling fan and the primary source of light besides from the thin rays of sunlight filtering through closed window shades hung down over the room.
Briggs himself sat in a deep leather chair behind a massive wooden desk lit by a small brass antique table lamp. He was a heavyset man in his early fifties whose balding head glared slightly in the lamplight. Thick reddish chest hair sprouted through the top of a white button down shirt he'd rolled up at the sleeves exposing large meaty forearms. The stub of a thick soggy cigar was held firm in the corner of his mouth.
He motioned to a worn but sturdy looking armchair in front of his desk. Kavis nodded slightly and obliged.
"The boys tell me your looking for work," said Briggs in a blunt gravely voice.
Kavis nodded again.
"Well then Kavis," he inquired without wasting any time, "why don't you first explain to me how you came to be in the possession of that pretty little piece of tail waiting outside those doors."
Kavis cocked an eyebrow, "You know my name..."
Briggs puffed on his cigar then raised a meaty hand. He wiggled his massive fingers, "I've got my fingers all through this town boy... don't you forget your the newest scraps rolled into town"
Briggs clenched a fist and let his arm fall gently back to the surface of the desk.
Kavis nodded again and subconsciously assessed his surroundings. His fingers drummed slightly on one of the armrests. It wouldn't be easy getting out of that chair quickly...
"I found the girl passed out in a gutter along hotel row... all beat up like she is. Thought she was dead actually, reckon'd she may have something of value on her someone missed," answered Kavis calmly.
Briggs' lip twitched slightly, he focused his gaze straight into Kavis' eyes. Kavis met it head on.
Briggs' lip twitched again, "I got eyes all through this town too boy" his eyes quickly darted off towards Kavis' left shoulder as he finished.
Kavis sprung to his feet and began to spin around but as he did a nightstick slammed into the side of his stomach with a damp thud. He gasped for air but what he managed to suck in wasn't enough to fill the gaping void in his lungs. He fell to his knees but was quickly grabbed under the arms from both sides and lifted back up into the air. He felt the outline of a nightstick press against the side of his ribcage.
Briggs stared up at Kavis, lip twitching fervently as he growled, "Nobody fucks with me in my town you piss-ass mother fucking cunt. I'm gonna learn you real good..."
The guards grappling Kavis began to drag him away through a different door than the one where he came in. Once their heads turned he quickly kicked the toe of his boot hard into the ground, a blade of about six inches that had been hidden in the heel of the boot shot outwards. He quickly swung his foot back and caught one of the guards in the back of the calf, he shrieked and loosened his grip.
Kavis slid his now free arm under the wounded guard's suit jacket. He'd only have this one chance. There it was! A slight smile formed on Kavis' lips as his hand clasped on the handgun in the guard's shoulder holster.
A thud pounded the air. Kavis slumped forwards as his shoulder spat blood onto the floor. The world began to spin, the remaining strength in his body quickly waned as a heavy fist slammed repeatedly into his side.
The ceiling flew backwards and Kavis found himself lying face up on the floor. He saw Briggs' robust figure standing triumphantly over his body with a snub nose revolver in one hand and a nightstick in the other. His lip twitched as he snarled something at Kavis, but all he could hear was a faint ringing sound and what sounded like a woman singing.
Kavis saw the nightstick go up, he didn't see it come back down. He sure as hell felt it though, and then, his world faded and he didn't feel a thing.
Part 6
Kavis heard the noise of thunder and felt it's fury as a two by four cracked him in the skull and split his scalp open. Blood crept down the sides of his face like the fingers of death grabbing for a doomed soul. His eyelids flickered as he tasted the thick salty pool forming on the cold stone floor beneath his lips.
A meaty hand took hold of Kavis' shirt collar and lifted him off the ground. His body hung limp in the man's grip and the wound in his side sent unanswered cries of anguish to his brain. A hanging bulb flickered sporadically overhead. In the temporary darkness it bestowed, Kavis couldn't be sure if he was among the living or the dead.
Caleb Briggs' unforgiving face moved into view. It wasn't over yet.
"I'll learn you to fuck with me, maggot," it spat.
The hand let go and Kavis' body hit the ground in a heap. He let out a torn cough. His eyes tried to focus on some cast iron bars but they kept spinning.
"Fuck it," thought Kavis hazily.
The last thing he saw was the end of the two by four coming spot on.
Part 7
God's wrath beat down upon Kavis' face and gouged at his eye's as they tried and failed to flutter open. Yep, the sun's rays were one hell of a bitch if you were unfortunate enough to be caught in the open wastes. Kavis was not only caught in the wastes, he was bound.
He stood with his back to a tall wooden stake. As his senses returned he felt the circulation slowing in his hands and feet. The twine pinched Kavis' hands as he managed a meager tug to see whether they were actually bound to the stake… they were.
Barely conscious, Kavis gave opening his eyes another go. His left one was useless, most likely swollen shut. Two by fours tend to do that to an eye. The other eyelid slowly rose. As it did the sunlight hit Kavis' eyeball with ferocious intensity. He managed to keep it open for a few seconds but the fierce glare made it impossible to focus on anything and it stung mightily. Kavis gave up on sight and focused on his ears instead.
The sound of boots scuffing the dry earth grew closer. A few male voices began to become audible. A constant scrape on the ground told they were dragging something, or someone. As the noises grew closer the voices became distinct. Meanwhile he
"Fawkin 'owt as 'ell bruda," said one in a strangely crude accent.
"Wase youself amigo. I do it," replied a Hispanic. It sounded like the same one who was in the casino.
"Fawk geddit over wit then greaseball, tie'er up" ordered the crude one.
"You boys let me go… and I'll give yall one tasty treat you aint never gonna forget," purred a girl. It could only be Josephine. Kavis' spine tingled as the soft voice danced upon the wind. The words were vile but the lips that spoke them seemed so innocent. But there was no such thing as innocent anymore. The cruel circumstances of the world forced themselves upon all of it's survivors, no matter how chaste the soul, no matter how pure the intentions, no matter how angelic the voice. The Shiva virus had ended a hell of a lot more than just lives.
The next few seconds were silent. It was broken by the crude man's voice, "Dat so eh 'oney? Wot kinda treat'cha got in mind eh?"
"Untie my hands and I'll show you big boy… long as you let me go afterwards," suggested Jospehine seductively.
The crude man let out a grimy chuckle. Then a switchblade cut the air. Kavis tried to loosen his hands while the men were occupied but in the sorry state he was in it was useless.
"Ey you sure hombre? We fuck this up, Briggs cut off our cajones" cautioned the Mexican.
"Shes'eh fawkin twig bruda, not goin noplace, eh… till we's done wit 'er dat is. Sides bruda… 'ow longs it been since ya been wid'a bitch dis fine?" responded the crude man.
"Ok you have point," said the Mexican, sounding much more enthusiastic.
Kavis heard Josephine's ropes being cut, then the crude voice again, "dis bedda' be gewd 'oney or its ya neck,"
One belt unbuckled, the crude man let out a laugh of excitement. Then another zipper went down and Kavis heard the Mexican begin to add his own sound effects. Kavis clenched his jaw and pulled at the twine around his wrists again. It was just as futile as before.
Suddenly, the crude man let out a scream. It sure as hell wasn't a scream of pleasure though. Cartilage snapped and the another blood curdling scream piercing the empty air. A dull thud followed. Four more thuds followed, this time from gunshots. The last was of an unmistakably higher caliber than the first.
Another heavier thud came after a couple seconds. Then, silence. Kavis heard lithe footsteps approaching, then a whisper in his ear, "Lets get you down Kav"
Part 8
As soon as the twine binding Kavis to the post was loosened, he collapsed to the ground. The dusty sand he kicked up on impact got in through his nose and sent him into a brief coughing fit. Josephine held him close to her bosom and slipped a hand under his bloodstained shirt to try and figure out where the stain had come from. Kavis winced once she found the spot, but the pain wasn't the kind he'd been expecting.
"Cauterized it… that's strange," observed Josephine. The relief in her voice was noticeable. So was the naïve confusion.
"Cash in… slower… this way," managed Kavis.
"Shush you, don't say one more word. Try and hold me if ya can,"
She wrapped her arms around Kavis' chest and helped him to his feet. With one eye busted shut and the other hazy from the pain and the heat all he could really do was make sure he put one foot in front of the other and hope Josie knew where she was going. He kept on doing it though which was all that mattered, and sure enough they eventually came to a stop. Josephine set Kavis down with his back up against a rock and whispered for him to stay there with his mouth shut.
Kavis couldn't see worth a shit, but he could still hear. So he sat there like she'd asked him and listened. After a few dry seconds he heard the distinct click made by a revolver's hammer being cocked.
"Get up and out of there or I'll… I'll shoot you between the head!," demanded Josephine, trying to be intimidating. Surprisingly she didn't do a half bad job of it. The yelp and thud that followed testified to that.
Someone stumbled to their feet, "P-puh-leas don't shoot! Didn't h-have nothin to do with it! Nothin! I sware!" the kid was scared shitless.
"Um, keep those hands up! Where's the keys to this thing?"
"In the catch," his voice cracked, "I'll do anythin ya want j-j-just… puhh-leas ok?"
"If you can run outta my sight before a minutes up you can keep on runnin… got it?" explained Josephine triumphantly.
The only thing Kavis heard were two feet running like a virgin from the Chota. Then he felt Josephine's arms tugging around his waist again.
"Between... the head? Gotta work on those kiddo," chided Kavis.
"You live, you can tease me all ya want. Until then, shut it mister,"
Kavis' strength had been sapped pretty bad by this point. Josephine practically had to carry him the twenty or so paces to the buggy.
She guided his body into the passenger's seat and then got in the driver's side.
While Jospehine busied herself taking a look at some maps that had been laid out in the back, Kavis decided to investigate a small lump in his pocket. His fingers probed around for the object. It was a single chip.
A bitter smirk appeared on Kavis' face, "Never take a fellow Traveler's last coin or only weapon". Even bastards like Briggs made an effort to follow the code. Or maybe he just thought he was being cute and ironic.
"Who gives a shit?" thought Kavis with a wry grin, "Long as I aint broke"
Part 9
After what seemed like hell on Earth, the buggy finally came to a stop. Kavis managed to crack his good eye open and look over the side. They had stopped in front of some kind of reinforced metal gate. It looked sturdy enough from the outside, but there was no real way of telling if it was made from sheet metal less than half an inch thick or three inches of solid armor plating. A resolute voice called out from a defensive position on top of the wall,
"Who are you and why have you come here?"
"Um… I'm Josephine Silver, my friend here needs help! He got shot real bad… and he's startin' to look real feverish and sweaty," Josephine shrilled.
"Quickly then, inside!" came the response.
The gates swung open rather fast. They weren't too thick after all. Then again, these people did let others into their compound without much fuss. No use in putting the effort towards an armor plated exterior if you were going to let people in that easy anyway. That meant they could only be one thing, Lightbearers.
Josephine slowly eased the buggy past the gate and into a large open courtyard. There were various stalls surrounding the area where merchants had their goods laid out. Beyond the courtyard stood quite an impressive structure, obviously the main hub of the settlement. It was protected by another steel wall, this one looked even sturdier than the one on the perimeter and was carefully watched by guards wielding simple but deadly looking melee weapons. The brownish cloaks and scarves they adorned themselves with made them look even more intimidating. It appeared that the Lightbearers weren't so defenseless after all.
Two robed stretcher-bearers hurried over to the buggy and efficiently dragged Kavis out of the passenger side window. They laid him across their well-made stretcher and hurried off as what appeared to be some sort of orderly ran along side taking note of Kavis' status.
Josephine watched them until they disappeared behind the thick interior gate and then looked around, dazed and confused. It was only a few minutes before another robed man appeared by the side of the buggy. He was probably about Kavis' age and his weathered and tanned skin was his most noticeable feature. His eyes were kind, and though their bags were sunken in worry and troubles, they put Jospehine at ease.
"You may leave your vehicle at our lot, it's a few hundred feet along the road you see to your left. Once you've done that approach the monastery and identify yourself to the gate keepers. We shall see you inside and provide you a place to await your friend's fate,"
Josephine nodded.
"Try not to worry too much young one," he added warmly, "he seems to be the hardy sort and you did come to the right place. Our healers deal with these sorts of wounds on a daily basis. I'm fairly certain he'll pull through."
Josephine smiled meekly, "Thanks mister"
The man sighed, "Terrible things men do upon their brothers…"
"And sisters" added Josephine without hesitation.
The man's weathered face sank as he sighed again, "Indeed…indeed they do. What is your name child?"
"Hey, I'm not-!" Josephine started, "Uhm, never mind. It's Josephine."
She smiled and looked up at the man. He let out a huff that might've normally seemed rude, except for the noticeable warmth that went along with it.
"Well Josephine, my name is Joshua. If you find yourself in need ask one of the brothers for me and I will try to accommodate you as well as I can," he offered, "For now though, I must be going"
"Thanks Josh!" brightened Josephine.
She gave him a wave which he returned and then started down the road to her left. She felt better, but that wasn't saying too much. Everything she'd planned had been busted flush and for now she was on her own in a world she knew little about.
With Kavis out of commission she felt alone and vulnerable. She liked him, but she couldn't tell why. He wasn't nice or friendly, he didn't show much real concern for her past what she could do for him, and he'd beaten and robbed her without showing any kind of regret. But somehow she felt like she was in some way special to him, not just another piece of tail. And that's how men had treated her as long as she'd been scraping out her miserable existence.
She knew Kavis might've been using her, she wasn't that clueless. It didn't matter though, he at least tried to cover up the fact. And to Josephine that was worth a lot. A girl in her situation didn't have the privilege to be picky.
Clearing her thoughts, she took a deep breath and pulled into the vehicle lot.
Part 10
The stench was the first thing Josephine noticed. It was the first thing anyone would notice, so long as they had functional use of their nostrils. Morphine, chloride, sulfa powder, adhesives, sterilizers, and of course, body odor did a decent job of masking the smell of decay. It's musk still hung in the air though. In a medical ward packed as full as this one that was pretty much inevitable.
With treatment being given to so many, the interned only got checked up on once a day, maybe twice if lucky. That was plenty of time for a man's wound to fester and begin to rot away at his core before anybody noticed. It was also plenty of time for a man to die.
She stood by the entrance of the ward and looked around. None of the men here appeared to be Lightbearers themselves. A few of them seemed to be suffering in constant pain and agony, others lay perfectly still, and yet the rest seemed like they'd be fine and the biggest thing they had to worry about was boredom.
Kavis was the first kind. She spotted him on a cot off to the far wall. Both his eyes, jaw, and fists were clenched shut and his body was covered in perspiration. A bandage was wrapped around his forehead and came down a bit over his bad eye. His shoulder had been bandaged too but also rested in a crude sling.
Josephine knew what to expect before she even took a step in his direction. It seemed as if the patients were all somehow tuned into the same wavelength. Once the first head turned they all seemed to follow like clockwork. Then came the whistles and cat-calls. Josephine ignored them and hurried her step, it wasn't like it was anything she hadn't heard before.
She grabbed a crude stool and set it down next to Kavis' cot.
"Hey there, how ya feelin?" she asked, obviously happy to see him alive.
Josephine couldn't be sure if Kavis had heard her or not. Or if he was even awake. She waited about ten seconds and began to reach out as if to tap him, but got cut off by a sudden response, "Like shit" he said matter of factly.
"Oh," Josephine sounded a bit surprised, as if she'd expected him to get better overnight.
"Well did they say what's wrong?" asked Josephine after a few seconds.
"I don't need no damn teamaker to tell me what's wrong darlin'… I had a fuckin slug in my shoulder," replied Kavis grumpily.
Josephine seemed to have missed the tone, at "darlin'" she'd brightened and inched her stool closer.
"Kavis, you look like a war hero with all those bandages and cuts and scars" she stated merrily.
"Well ain't that nice…," replied Kavis, uninterested.
The man in the next cot over took the opportunity to get in an obligatory catcall, "I can be your hero anytime baby. Just come ooon over anytime sweet thang".
The man was in his early twenties and sported a finely kept afro. He would've been a real fly individual, if it weren't for the fact all four of his limbs were in casts and the only accessory he was sporting was an IV tube.
"Josie… why don't you go ahead and show our neighbor here what you think of his proposal," suggested Kavis, pointing to a metal hinge on the floor that must've fallen off one of the cots.
Josephine gladly obliged and pelted the man in the ribcage. He grunted in discomfort but decided it'd be a good idea to keep his mouth shut.
Kavis cracked a rare smile and then started to speak, "Look Josie, I need you to do somethin' for me. These bastards wont give me any painkiller… I need you to convince em otherwise."
"Why won't they give you any?" asked Josephine
Kavis scowled impatiently, "They think I'm some kind of goddamn addict… they keep telling me that they're doin' it for my own good," frustration built in his voice, "Easy for them to say, they weren't the one who got shot!"
"Well that's dumb," declared Josephine with a frown, "I might be able to help ya though Kav. I met this guy Joshua and-,"
"I don't need a fuckin speech here! If you can help then go do it, if you cant then let me get some goddamn rest," interrupted Kavis.
Josephine looked terribly hurt. She muttered a pathetic, "fine", and began to walk away.
"Hey, Jos!" Kavis called after her.
She turned her shoulder, "Yes?"
"Thanks," said Kavis.
Josephine smiled back at him and left the ward.
The raggedy blanket the Lightbearers had provided for Kavis did little to comfort him. He quivered as cold sweats ran through his body. He wasn't sure what was worse, the throbbing in his shoulder or the craving for the painkiller that would ease it.
Kavis always kept a small supply on him. His body had taken it's fair share of punishment and every once in a while an old wound would start acting up, sometimes at quite the inopportune moment. A few years back Kavis had decided that he'd be better off playing it safe and taking a couple painkillers a week. The constant presence in his bloodstream actually kept his aches and pains at bay, so he figured he might as well just take one a day to keep things simple for himself.
It wasn't that he was addicted, he just preferred taking the pills to being in pain. Kavis knew he could stop taking them anytime he wanted, but why should he?
Part 11
Joshua didn't know how long Josephine had been standing in the doorway to his study before he noticed her. His nose had been buried in compilation of pre-fall medical articles and when Joshua had his books before him, he rarely thought of anything else. His long grey mane was held back by a simple headband and a strangely shaped pair of spectacles rested upon his nose. He set his book aside and folded his glasses.
"Hello there child," he said warmly
"Hey Josh!"
"I apologize if I kept you waiting long. The pursuit of knowledge can often cloud even the clearest of senses. What can I do for you today?" said Joshua as he beckoned Josephine towards an empty chair.
She took him up on the offer and sat herself down before beginning, "Well its about my friend Kavis, do ya know him?"
"No, I can't say that I do. We get a lot of wounded men coming through here,"
"Well, he got shot real bad and he's sayin' that you guys won't give him nothin' to ease the pain on account of y'all think he's an adict. But-"
"Ah, I do believe I know who you're referring to now. Your friend has quite the temper... we were forced to restrain him shortly after his surgery. His addiction appears to be quite severe. When informed that we would not be feeding his cravings for morphine, he nearly strangled one of our nurses!"
"But he ain't no addict! He's just hurtin' mighty bad and he must be angry that y'all ain't gonna give him nothin' to help that. Please Josh, I can't stand to see him like how he is," protested Josephine.
Joshua let out a sigh, "Very well, I'll head over to the ward with you and we'll see if we can come to some sort of mutually acceptable solution and an alternative method to help your friend deal with his pain,"
"Great!" yelped Josephine as she bounded from her chair and wrapper her thin arms around Joshua's shoulders. He let out a startled chuckle and patted her once on the back. The two then broke the embrace and started for the door.
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"Where the fuck is she?" thought Kavis, "how fucking long could it take to filch me a few goddamn painkillers? You can never trust a whore like that to do a man's job,"
The tension of his own teeth grating upon each other uncontrollably only made Kavis' headache worse. His fingernails dug into the calloused skin of his palms. One of them had started to bleed and it stung like hell. Kavis' shoulder really took the cake though. He could feel the empty hole that the slug had burrowed beneath his flesh. The pain was unbearable.
"Cant fuckin' take this shit much longer," he muttered to himself.
Images began to form in Kavis' closed eyelids. Images that he hadn't seen in a long time, and never wanted to see again. He tried to open his eyes but it did no use. Everything that he had repressed over the years swirled around his brain like a sea of madness. And Kavis was drowning.
Everything that had made Kavis into what he was passed around him in the currents. People he had abandoned, those he had actually loved, those he had hated, and those he killed. Waves of guilt, agony, hatred, and disgust pounded him from all sides.
He heard some muffled sound and opened his eyes only to realize he was screaming. Without the aid of his pills he could no longer keep not only the pains of his wounds, but the pains of his memories at bay. Kavis was once again faced with the same dilemma that had plagued his entire life and he had only two choices. Either surrender and be drowned by his own past, or kick like a bastard and lash out.
Part 12
Joshua pushed through the metal swinging doors of the public ward and found himself staring at what seemed to be the aftermath of an indoor bullfight. Cots lay on their sides, men lay on the ground, some still and others moving, and all the small objects you'd commonly find in a hospital ward were strewn all over the place. Joshua looked aghast.
He barely seemed to notice when Josephine burst past him, looking for only one thing. She caught a few words of one of the lightbearers as she made her way through the tumult, "drug crazed lowlifes, sometimes even I question…"
As Josie got close to Kavis' cot the mess got worse. And there was no sign of Kavis. She closer her eyes and wept. She knew he was gone.
Kavis brought his newly acquired horse to a stop on a large sand dune about a half mile outside the lightbearer compound. He turned his head and gave it a wayward glance. Josie would be alright. The lightbearers might make her lend a hand to pay for the hefty bill in broken equipment that Kavis had racked up, but they'd treat her decently. Besides, she might pick up a thing or two that'd help her survive on her own.
It wasn't that Kavis wasn't grateful for her help. He knew she'd saved his life, and if he ever had the chance he'd pay her back for it. He even liked the kid, but he hadn't survived as long as he had by taking on unnecessary liabilities. Sure she could use her sex appeal to her advantage, but it was just as dangerous to Kavis as it was useful. The last thing he wanted was some sucker plugging him in the back in order to get at Josephine. When it came down to it, she wasn't worth shit in a fight and she wasn't hardy enough to tough it out for a long time in the wastes. Ditching her was the only option.
He opened up the saddle bag and took out a fist sized glass jar filled with pills. His shoulder had started to act up again, if he was going to get far he'd need to keep it in check. Maybe Josephine would find Kavis again in a few years. He thought about it, that wouldn't be too bad. If she lived that long she'd be a hell of a lot tougher. Until that happened, he'd put her out of his mind as he'd done to so many women before.
Kavis had survived by looking out for one person, himself. The first time he'd let himself get too emotionally attached he came a stones throw from the grave. And Kavis was in no hurry to get to hell, so he hadn't let it happen again. He wasn't about to change his ways now. He was a profiteer, a businessman, a thief, a liar, a crook, a swindler, a soldier of fortune, and a desperado. He was a traveler.