The Dishonorable Trade
A/N: I like to thank everyone for the reviews, they really helped.
I'm so sorry about the huge delay, but I was not satisfied with this chapter. I'm still not satisfied with it. It's not great, but it's pivotal to the story. I thought about giving up on it. However, once I start something, I'm determined to finish it to the bitter end!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Trigun or its characters, only those I created.
Chapter 3
Vash stared around him as he was absently pulling at his chains. He was actually surprised that they even bothered to separate men, women, and children. Vash looked down at his chains. With his knives, it should be easy enough to pick through the locks. He can't do that yet. He has to find the heart of this operation. Vash looked at the man on his left. The man's head was down; his spirit broken-he had given up. Vash noticed that most of the people had vacant looks in their eyes, not despair or remorse- just nothing.
He nudged the man on his left, "Hey there friend. How long have you been here?"
The man looked at Vash, "I'm not sure. It could be two weeks, it could be two years," he hung his head down again.
"We've been traveling for two weeks."
Vash looked across to the voice. A boy, about fifteen, looked back at him. Vash sighed, how could they take someone so young?
"I guess they're making their rounds, huh?" Vash said.
The boy gave a hollow laugh, "Yeah, I guess they are."
"How did they get you?"
The boy gave a shrug, "I think I was drugged. I can't remember anything."
"Your parents must be worried."
The boy shrugged again, "Don't have parents." He stared at Vash for a moment, then he said, "My name's Russell."
"I'm Vash. Did you belong to an orphanage?"
"Yeah, but they don't give a damn there, kids are always going missing. Maybe they've been kidnapped, too."
Vash thought momentarily of Wolfwood's orphanage, he said, "So they didn't take you to their base of operations?"
Russell shook his head, "No, but I suppose it'll be soon. We're getting crowded in here. Unless the women's truck isn't full yet."
Vash's mind wandered to Meryl and Milly.
As Milly looked at the disheartened faces surrounding her and Meryl, she felt anger surging through her. How can anyone do something this horrible? Milly looked over at Meryl, she was in deep thought. Milly, than, noticed a young girl sitting next to her. The girl looked pensive, her spirit was not yet broken; Milly could see it in her eyes.
"Meryl."
"Yes?"
Milly indicated to the little girl, who, by this time, was reciting something, under her breath.
Meryl looked over, "Hi there."
The little girl stopped reciting; she looked at Milly and Meryl and smiled, "Hi!"
Meryl marveled at the girl's outward optimism. Was it real or was the girl trying to mask her own feelings?
"My name's Meryl and this is Milly."
"Hi," Milly said warmly.
"I'm Natalie."
"A moment ago you were reciting something, what was it?"
"Oh," said Natalie dreamily, "I'm just telling myself the story I saw from a puppet show," she tilted her head, "That's when I was taken from my friends."
"You ended up here," Milly said.
"Yeah."
"You don't seem afraid at all. You must be a brave girl," Meryl said admiringly.
"I feel a little scared, but," Natalie's voice dropped to a whisper, "Want to know something?"
"Yes?" Meryl and Milly leaned in.
"I'm going to be rescued. I know I am."
"Your parents will be looking for you?"
"No, I don't have any parents. I lived at an orphanage. But they are my family. They'll make sure I'm found."
Milly smiled, "That's wonderful. It's always good to have someone there for you."
Natalie started chanting, "He'll find me, he'll find me...."
"Who?"
Natalie stopped chanting, "Mr. Wolfwood, of course!"
"Wolfwood!" Milly and Meryl exclaimed.
"Yeah, you know him?"
"Yes," Meryl said, "He sometimes travels with us."
"Yeah!" Natalie tried to bounce for joy, but the chains prevented her from doing so.
Meryl glanced at Milly who stared back at her. Wolfwood probably found out by now that one of his kids was missing, so at least there's someone on the outside. Things may get out of hand soon.
Another thought dawned on Meryl, "Uh, Milly?"
"Yes, Meryl?"
"We may want to get this cleaned up before Wolfwood comes. We both know he'll find this caravan one way or another."
"But Meryl, we may need his help...." her voice trailed off as she saw the look on Meryl's face.
"Remember May City?" she whispered, "Wolfwood will go to any length to protect innocent children. Any length."
Milly nodded slowly, "Oh dear.."
Milly did not get to finish her sentence; the truck came to a sudden halt. The door swung open and Logan came in. He quickly surveyed the increasing cramped space.
Logan called out over his shoulder; "We have room for some more here!"
A voice from the outside said, "We'll pick up some more then we'll head back to the home base."
Meryl and Milly looked at each other, Meryl said, "The home base. That's where Vash wanted to go. Whatever his plan is, he can set off once we get there."
By than, Logan got out of the truck and slammed the door shut. Meryl muttered, "That broom headed idiot better know what he's doing!"
Wolfwood consulted the map that Julius and Moore gave him. The next town was close. He sighed and reached for a cigarette. He has been to four of the towns and no sign of the caravan. Wolfwood lit the cigarette and pondered over the map, he than folded it up and started his bike. He'll find that damn caravan, even if it killed him.
As soon as he got to the town, Wolfwood found the nearest tavern. Taverns were always filled with shady people; maybe he'll hear something. Wolfwood made himself comfortable at a table in a dark corner.
Three hours later, Wolfwood was still waiting.
"Damn it," he thought irritably, "I'm sitting in a bar, only on my second drink and not a damn thing has happened yet."
Wolfwood did not know it yet, but his luck was about to change. The bar door opened and two shady men sauntered in. They sat at a table close to Wolfwood. Wolfwood noticed that the men seem to be on the prowl.
"I better watch them," Wolfwood thought.
The two men were no other, but Logan and Mike and they were indeed on the prowl. Taverns were the perfect place to find candidates for their trade. Travelers and loners often occupied bars and when they are drunk, it was all the easier to subdue them without much effort. Mike noticed a lone young woman who apparently was drinking heavily. He nudged Logan, "I found our girl."
Wolfwood got up and left. He thought to himself, "I better get ready."
Logan was relieved that they didn't have to wait long for the woman to get up. The plan was going to be perfect the girl was alone. He nodded to Mike and they followed the girl out. She stumbled over; Mike went over to her to help her up. She was about to free her hands from him and thank him, but Mike did not let go. The woman began to struggle, she fell over again and Logan grabbed her feet. Mike tied her hands behind her back and they roughly picked her up and shoved her into their car.
Wolfwood witnessed the act. He was unbelievably pissed, those men had no regard for people's lives and if he found out that's how they handled Natalie, there will be more hell to pay. He started up his precious Angelina II and followed behind the car at a safe distance.
They traveled for about twelve iles when the car dropped off the horizon suddenly. Wolfwood stopped the bike and proceeded on foot. He cautiously came to a sudden drop. Down the steep hill was the infamous ghost caravan.
Wolfwood smiled, "I found you bastards."
A/N: I like to thank everyone for the reviews, they really helped.
I'm so sorry about the huge delay, but I was not satisfied with this chapter. I'm still not satisfied with it. It's not great, but it's pivotal to the story. I thought about giving up on it. However, once I start something, I'm determined to finish it to the bitter end!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Trigun or its characters, only those I created.
Chapter 3
Vash stared around him as he was absently pulling at his chains. He was actually surprised that they even bothered to separate men, women, and children. Vash looked down at his chains. With his knives, it should be easy enough to pick through the locks. He can't do that yet. He has to find the heart of this operation. Vash looked at the man on his left. The man's head was down; his spirit broken-he had given up. Vash noticed that most of the people had vacant looks in their eyes, not despair or remorse- just nothing.
He nudged the man on his left, "Hey there friend. How long have you been here?"
The man looked at Vash, "I'm not sure. It could be two weeks, it could be two years," he hung his head down again.
"We've been traveling for two weeks."
Vash looked across to the voice. A boy, about fifteen, looked back at him. Vash sighed, how could they take someone so young?
"I guess they're making their rounds, huh?" Vash said.
The boy gave a hollow laugh, "Yeah, I guess they are."
"How did they get you?"
The boy gave a shrug, "I think I was drugged. I can't remember anything."
"Your parents must be worried."
The boy shrugged again, "Don't have parents." He stared at Vash for a moment, then he said, "My name's Russell."
"I'm Vash. Did you belong to an orphanage?"
"Yeah, but they don't give a damn there, kids are always going missing. Maybe they've been kidnapped, too."
Vash thought momentarily of Wolfwood's orphanage, he said, "So they didn't take you to their base of operations?"
Russell shook his head, "No, but I suppose it'll be soon. We're getting crowded in here. Unless the women's truck isn't full yet."
Vash's mind wandered to Meryl and Milly.
As Milly looked at the disheartened faces surrounding her and Meryl, she felt anger surging through her. How can anyone do something this horrible? Milly looked over at Meryl, she was in deep thought. Milly, than, noticed a young girl sitting next to her. The girl looked pensive, her spirit was not yet broken; Milly could see it in her eyes.
"Meryl."
"Yes?"
Milly indicated to the little girl, who, by this time, was reciting something, under her breath.
Meryl looked over, "Hi there."
The little girl stopped reciting; she looked at Milly and Meryl and smiled, "Hi!"
Meryl marveled at the girl's outward optimism. Was it real or was the girl trying to mask her own feelings?
"My name's Meryl and this is Milly."
"Hi," Milly said warmly.
"I'm Natalie."
"A moment ago you were reciting something, what was it?"
"Oh," said Natalie dreamily, "I'm just telling myself the story I saw from a puppet show," she tilted her head, "That's when I was taken from my friends."
"You ended up here," Milly said.
"Yeah."
"You don't seem afraid at all. You must be a brave girl," Meryl said admiringly.
"I feel a little scared, but," Natalie's voice dropped to a whisper, "Want to know something?"
"Yes?" Meryl and Milly leaned in.
"I'm going to be rescued. I know I am."
"Your parents will be looking for you?"
"No, I don't have any parents. I lived at an orphanage. But they are my family. They'll make sure I'm found."
Milly smiled, "That's wonderful. It's always good to have someone there for you."
Natalie started chanting, "He'll find me, he'll find me...."
"Who?"
Natalie stopped chanting, "Mr. Wolfwood, of course!"
"Wolfwood!" Milly and Meryl exclaimed.
"Yeah, you know him?"
"Yes," Meryl said, "He sometimes travels with us."
"Yeah!" Natalie tried to bounce for joy, but the chains prevented her from doing so.
Meryl glanced at Milly who stared back at her. Wolfwood probably found out by now that one of his kids was missing, so at least there's someone on the outside. Things may get out of hand soon.
Another thought dawned on Meryl, "Uh, Milly?"
"Yes, Meryl?"
"We may want to get this cleaned up before Wolfwood comes. We both know he'll find this caravan one way or another."
"But Meryl, we may need his help...." her voice trailed off as she saw the look on Meryl's face.
"Remember May City?" she whispered, "Wolfwood will go to any length to protect innocent children. Any length."
Milly nodded slowly, "Oh dear.."
Milly did not get to finish her sentence; the truck came to a sudden halt. The door swung open and Logan came in. He quickly surveyed the increasing cramped space.
Logan called out over his shoulder; "We have room for some more here!"
A voice from the outside said, "We'll pick up some more then we'll head back to the home base."
Meryl and Milly looked at each other, Meryl said, "The home base. That's where Vash wanted to go. Whatever his plan is, he can set off once we get there."
By than, Logan got out of the truck and slammed the door shut. Meryl muttered, "That broom headed idiot better know what he's doing!"
Wolfwood consulted the map that Julius and Moore gave him. The next town was close. He sighed and reached for a cigarette. He has been to four of the towns and no sign of the caravan. Wolfwood lit the cigarette and pondered over the map, he than folded it up and started his bike. He'll find that damn caravan, even if it killed him.
As soon as he got to the town, Wolfwood found the nearest tavern. Taverns were always filled with shady people; maybe he'll hear something. Wolfwood made himself comfortable at a table in a dark corner.
Three hours later, Wolfwood was still waiting.
"Damn it," he thought irritably, "I'm sitting in a bar, only on my second drink and not a damn thing has happened yet."
Wolfwood did not know it yet, but his luck was about to change. The bar door opened and two shady men sauntered in. They sat at a table close to Wolfwood. Wolfwood noticed that the men seem to be on the prowl.
"I better watch them," Wolfwood thought.
The two men were no other, but Logan and Mike and they were indeed on the prowl. Taverns were the perfect place to find candidates for their trade. Travelers and loners often occupied bars and when they are drunk, it was all the easier to subdue them without much effort. Mike noticed a lone young woman who apparently was drinking heavily. He nudged Logan, "I found our girl."
Wolfwood got up and left. He thought to himself, "I better get ready."
Logan was relieved that they didn't have to wait long for the woman to get up. The plan was going to be perfect the girl was alone. He nodded to Mike and they followed the girl out. She stumbled over; Mike went over to her to help her up. She was about to free her hands from him and thank him, but Mike did not let go. The woman began to struggle, she fell over again and Logan grabbed her feet. Mike tied her hands behind her back and they roughly picked her up and shoved her into their car.
Wolfwood witnessed the act. He was unbelievably pissed, those men had no regard for people's lives and if he found out that's how they handled Natalie, there will be more hell to pay. He started up his precious Angelina II and followed behind the car at a safe distance.
They traveled for about twelve iles when the car dropped off the horizon suddenly. Wolfwood stopped the bike and proceeded on foot. He cautiously came to a sudden drop. Down the steep hill was the infamous ghost caravan.
Wolfwood smiled, "I found you bastards."