-
Wolfwood looked from Spike to Faye and shook his head. He'd heard some wild stories in his day, but the one these two had told him, it defied belief. Good thing he was a priest. Holes in time and space? Then again, what other explanation could they have for being there? He was good about picking up on BS and they'd come off as sincere.
"Well ..." he sighed. "If you want my opinion, I can only say one thing."
Spike leaned back in his chair. They'd joined Wolfwood at his table more than half an hour ago. He didn't see the need to run back to the ship just yet and it'd be in their favor to have an ally or two. Especially one who was a priest. "What would that be?" he asked.
Wolfwood raised his glass, smiled, almost sadly, then replied, "Welcome to our world. Get comfortable, because I don't think you two are going anywhere." He swallowed the drink and clinked the empty glass on the table.
Spike nodded, not surprised by the response. He'd figured as much himself. The situation appeared more grim with each passing hour. The only bright spot was that the planet offered them work which they were very skilled in doing. At least they wouldn't starve.
Faye drummed her fingers on the table and sighed heavily. "I can't believe I'm going to be trapped here for the rest of my life," she muttered. Her eyes traveled around the saloon, the late afternoon sunlight giving the place a softer, warmer appearance. "This isn't where I pictured myself in ten years. The edge of civilization."
Nodding a bit in agreement, Spike placed his empty glass on the table. Maybe this was just a dream? Perhaps he would wake up and it would be files away with the rest of his bad memories. He loosened his tie a bit more. No. If it were a dream, not even his screwed up subconscious would have it be this goddamn hot.
"Aren't you supposed to offer us words of hope?" Faye asked as she looked over to Wolfwood. "Isn't that what holy people do? Tell others to have faith and trust in a higher power?" She could use a few lies about now. Anything to fend off the depression fast sweeping over her. Alcohol only numbed so much.
Before he could answer, Wolfwood's attention went to the doorway of the saloon. A smile appeared on his face when he recognized the two women who'd just entered.
Meryl, hunched over slightly, scanned the room for anyone out of the ordinary. The townspeople she and Milly had spoken with said a couple - a man and a woman - had gone into this place almost an hour ago. So far, Meryl only saw the regular riffraff these places usually attracted.
"Ma'am, look! It's Mr. Wolfwood." Milly grinned brightly then noticed the two strangers, dressed differently than anyone else in the place, sitting with him. "Those must be the people we're looking for." She hurried across the room, waving to them. "Hello!"
Meryl let out a long breath then followed. She was tired, thirsty and hungry. Hours had gone by since they'd left Illinois City to search for the spaceship and those aboard it. Now, here they are, in a bar, with Nicholas Wolfwood.
"These are the people from the ship we saw," Milly excitedly said as Meryl arrived at the table. She gestured from one to the other, introducing them to her superior. "This is Mr. Spike Spiegel and Miss Faye Valentine. Mr. Wolfwood has been keeping them company, isn't that right?"
Meryl nodded to each of them before dropping down into the nearest empty seat. "Meryl Stryfe, of Bernardelli Insurance Company," she tiredly replied.
"I'll be right back, ma'am," said Milly. "I'll get us something to eat."
"Don't expect any charity!" Faye called after Milly as the tall woman headed over to Ali behind the counter.
"What kind of insurance company sends out two women to investigate a crashed ship?" Spike asked before taking a drag off the cigarette he'd bummed off of Wolfwood. "We didn't damage anything, did we?" Which, technically, would've been Jet's fault since he was the one flying.
Meryl leaned back in the chair, one hand rubbing her sore shoulder. "The company didn't send us out here," she answered. "We were in one of the nearby towns when your ship flew over. We thought you might need help."
"That's decent of you."
"You come alone?" Wolfwood asked. He'd half-expected to see Vash waltz into the saloon behind the insurance girls. However, he appeared to be a no-show.
Faye, chin rested in the palm of one hand, turned her empty glass upside down with the other, her attention barely on the conversation. She couldn't get being stuck in this hellhole off of her mind. Nothing would be able to.
Meryl nodded, her expression a mixture of anger and frustration. "Yes, we're alone. He didn't come with us."
"Why not?"
"He didn't want to," Milly continued for Meryl as she returned to the table, balancing two plates and two cups in her hands and arms. She sat down in the last empty chair, between Meryl and Spike, then sipped her drink as Meryl took one of the plates from her. "Mr. Vash wanted to stay in Illinois City."
The glass dropped out of Faye's hand and shattered on the floor as the woman dove across the table. She grabbed Milly by her coat, her eyes wider than ever, and she yanked Milly towards her. "Did you say 'Vash'!" she exclaimed. The madness of greed had taken her over as she shook the other woman. "As in Vash the Stampede? The Humanoid Typhoon? The sixty billion bounty of my dreams?" She laughed in hysterical glee. "Tell me!"
"You'll have to excuse Faye," Spike apologized to Milly as he worked to unclamp Faye's hands from her. "She bumped her head during our landing. She's been out of her mind more than usual since." He managed to free her. Barely.
"She knows where he is!" Faye pointed to Milly as Spike picked her up off of the table. "Let go of me!" She pried at his hands which were firmly locked together around her waist as he held her back. Her feet didn't even touch the floor.
Meryl shifted her tired gaze over to Wolfwood. "Bounty hunters, huh?" It was a statement, not a question.
He nodded then flicked the ashes off the end of his cigarette. "Yep."
"Wait!" Faye stopped struggling with Spike long enough to glare at the priest. "You know this guy too? And you didn't tell us?" With renewed vigor, she made a forward lunge for Wolfwood. "I should kick your - "
"Excuse us," Spike said as nonchalantly as he could to the three sitting at the table. He carried Faye, still kicking and cursing, out of the saloon.
"What are you doing?" she yelled. "I'm not done with him yet!"
Meryl sighed as she picked up her fork. "This is going to be a long evening."
-
In the alleyway between the saloon and the building next to it, Spike dropped Faye on her feet, turned her around and pushed her back against the wall by her shoulders. "What the hell are you doing?"
"They know where he is!" she shot back. She shoved his hands off of her shoulders. "Sixty billion! Since we're stuck on this rock, why shouldn't we enjoy it? I know that priest is your new best friend, Spike, but I don't care. He and those two with him are going to tell me where to find this guy!"
He seized a hold of her arm before she could walk away from him. "I'm not saying we shouldn't go for this, but you're ruining whatever chances we have." He let her go when she made no attempt to struggle. "They're our only link to him and your psychotic female behavior is bound to scare them away."
Faye folded her arms across her stomach as she smirked at him. "I thought you weren't interested in chasing this bounty?"
Spike stared at the wall for a few moments then looked back to her. "That was before, when it seemed like a waste of time," he quietly replied. He didn't necessarily like his plan to string these three along until they finally led him to Vash; they'd gone out of their way to help them. Still, this was business. Nothing personal.
"Just so we're clear." She held up a finger then jabbed it into his shoulder. "We split this bounty 50/50. If you want to share your cut with Jet, then that's your decision." Her eyes glimmered as she clasped her hands together in anticipation. "That other thirty billion ... is mine."
-
"I wonder what they're doing out there?" Meryl stared at the doorway, her arms folded across her chest. She'd never seen anyone go quite that crazy over the bounty on Vash's head before. It worried her. Not because of the likely property damage that would result from it, either.
"Probably devising a plan to trick us into giving up Vash," Wolfwood replied. That's what he would've been doing in their place. Spike Spiegel worked on the same wavelength he did, so that convinced him even more. The woman was another matter. Sure, she'd acted nothing short of psychotic in front of them, but she didn't strike him as a bad person. Just an overly greedy one.
"Such a shame ... " Milly murmured. "They really don't seem so bad! I never would've guessed they were bounty hunters. They aren't like any that I've met before."
Meryl sighed. "We can't hold it against them, I suppose. It is a legitimate profession. A profession that costs our employer a lot of money whenever Vash is involved, but legitimate all the same."
"You wish they'd just leave Mr. Vash alone," Milly told her with a laugh and a wink. "Maybe if we let them see how nice he is, they'll forget about it?"
"Bounty hunters care about one thing - money. Doesn't matter how nice of a guy he is, they only see the price tag on his head."
Milly frowned at what Wolfwood said. "I don't believe that. You've seen how happy Mr. Vash can make people, even after they've tried to kill him. Things always turn out for the best whenever he's around!"
Wolfwood only shook his head. He wished he had that kind of optimism about human nature. Unfortunately, most people didn't inspire that feeling within him.
-
"Do what I told you and this will work out," Spike told Faye as they stopped just outside of the doors.
"Why are you making all of the decisions?"
"Because I'm in charge. Remember?"
"I hope you enjoy it," she muttered then headed back into the saloon. Running a hand through her hair, Faye approached the table. She cleared her throat, straightened out her clothes and calmly addressed them. "I'm so very sorry about my behavior. Your friend and his sixty billion bounty - " She paused. The words caused physical pain now. " - are the least of my worries."
Spike barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. When Faye laid a line of bullshit, she went all out. He pulled her chair back up to the table. "Sit down."
Faye forced herself to smile at him. Sixty billion. Sixty billion. You can deal with his bullshit for money like that. She sat down in the chair.
Meryl glanced from Spike to Faye. She wasn't convinced that they weren't interested in Vash's bounty. She couldn't do anything about it, except make sure they never crossed paths with him.
"Where are you from?" Milly asked, breaking the tense silence between them. She smiled. "We've never had visitors from another planet before. I haven't even been everywhere on this one!"
"We're from a place called Mars," Spike answered. He exchanged a side- glance with Wolfwood. "It's ... far away."
"Really? Then how'd you get out here?"
"It's a long story," Wolfwood said for Spike. "I'll tell you all about it later."
"Will your ship be able to fly again?" Meryl asked, trying not to sound too eager for their answer. The quicker they left, the faster she'd feel at ease again. "I mean, you must have had a heck of a landing."
"Jet's working on it," Faye replied as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs.
"How many people were on your ship?"
"Four."
Meryl raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Only four?"
Faye looked the other woman dead in the eye. "Five, if you count the dog." She itched to get that money. No. She had to play it Spike's way. Cracking one of these do-gooders upside the head with her gun wasn't part of his way. She'd have preferred it. Not only for the information, either. Meryl had begun to thoroughly annoy her.
"Four is more than enough for what we do," Spike said, drawing Meryl's attention away from Faye.
"I don't need to ask what that is."
He stared at Meryl, wondering why this one was so hostile? The big girl was more than friendly and she was the one Faye'd almost strangled. He picked up his jacket from the back of his chair. "We should be on our way back to our ship. Jet is probably wondering where we are."
Meryl felt a twinge of satisfaction as she watched Spike get up from the table. Her curiosity about them was more than quenched. They were alive and worked to repair their ship so they could leave. She'd done her moral duty. Now they could do theirs. By going away.
Milly, on the other hand, frowned. "So soon?"
"Here." Wolfwood pushed a few bills of his own cash across the table towards Faye and Spike. "That should hold you ... until you're able to earn some of your own."
Faye snatched the money before Spike could get his hands on it. She smiled deviously as she tucked the folded bills into her shirt. "I'll hold onto it, if you don't mind."
"That was generous of you!" Milly said to Wolfwood with that big smile of hers. She looked up at the two newcomers. "It was very nice to meet you. I hope you're able to fix your ship soon, too!"
"So do we." Spike nodded to Meryl and Wolfwood in turn. "Thanks."
"Let's go. We have a long walk ahead of us," Faye grumbled, giving Spike a push forward. She offered one last tight-lipped smile to the women and a more genuine one to Wolfwood. "Goodbye." She gave a slight wave with her hand.
Once they were gone, Meryl turned to Wolfwood. "Tell me everything you know about them," she ordered. "Don't leave anything out." If she planned to keep them away from Vash, she would need all the information she could get.
More To Come ...
Song Title Used: "No Need To Argue" by The Cranberries