Chapter 7: A Wounded Dog

There weren't that many of the New Order following this stranger, maybe eight people in total. After the first three had been mercilessly mowed down, the rest of them had the good sense to take cover behind Pius's car. It wouldn't hold for long, but it did serve to protect them for the time being. The newcomer, having earned the temporary trust of the rest, took an AMT Automag III from a holster attached to the back of his belt and began firing at the attackers. The car was torn to shreds with little effort considering the amount of firepower being focused at it. Wolf and Revy managed to take out two more of the New Order. Three remained, now. It would not be long before they met their end. There was no escape route, nor was there anything they could say that would save them. This was it.

"Hey, new guy," Wolf called over the deafening sound of gunfire. The man raised an eyebrow. "What's your name?"

"Ashur," he answered loudly.

"If you want us to trust your ass, take out the rest of these goons!" He was certainly trying. The weapon he held was powerful, and the car would not hold up for much longer. They would have kept firing if not for the jeep that appeared shortly after. As far as they knew, Garcia was not expecting more visitors. It must have been reinforcements for the New Order, then. They all reloaded their weapons and prepared to kill anyone who stepped from the vehicle. It came to an abrupt stop behind the cowering attackers. The second the door flew open, a blade was sent from the darkness to slice through the throat of one man, then a second claimed another victim.

"You're shitting me," Revy groaned. She knew well who it was. As if they needed any confirmation, that tell-tale roar reached their ears, followed by the third and final man being torn apart by the teeth of a chainsaw. Shenhua and Sawyer sure made short work of the would-be intruders. And Lotton, as content to help in any way he could as ever, sat firmly in the driver's seat. The rest of them relaxed then. Fabiola uncertainly looked to the others before seeking reassurance from Pius. The priest nodded at her.

"It's okay," he said warmly. "They're friends. They're going to help us see this through. Right?" That was directed at the Wolf.

"Right," he confirmed. The bounty hunters had arrived to claim their reward after all. They would definitely be of some help, at least to Revy. This would be easier, now. Not only that, but Ashur seemed willing and able to help them. Any assistance would be welcomed at this point. Though, saying that, it seemed like they had the New Order running scared rather than the other way around, as expected. The group now assembled at the estate was formidable. Hawke would have a hard time getting out of this if they pulled off their plan. Lotton parked the jeep and the three bounty hunters made their way towards the gates.

"Hello in there!" Shenhua called, the volume and sharpness of her voice grating to their ears. "You open gate, yes? Otherwise we have to talk through steel bars." Fabiola unlocked the gates and let the three new arrivals in. They glanced around at the mismatched group before them. Shenhua immediately went to Revy. "Oh, you here to collect bounty too? Should have known smell of money would draw you out here!"

"You're one to talk, Chinglish," Revy teased her.

"Why don't you all come inside?" Pius asked them. Garcia would want to fill them all in if they were going to go on the hunt. They would also want to know about Hawke's arrival later, effectively giving them a deadline. Wolf turned as he prepared to head back inside the estate, with or without the others. The sight that met his eyes was Garcia, having emerged after the onslaught. He was pushing none other than Roberta, wheelchair-bound yet again. She had once again donned her black dress and crucifix. She looked good, better than the last time she had been in Roanapur. Back then, she had been a bit worse for wear and the exertion of taking on the Dead Men had truly taken its toll. But now, she looked almost peaceful. She was not poised to take on their enemies, nor would she be expected to. She could finally rest and let others do the work for her. To be honest, Wolf suspected she was okay with that. Despite her background, she never seemed to enjoy killing the way he or Revy did. It had been a necessity in the past and perhaps some twisted side of her made a game out of executing enemies, but the real Roberta, the one who had come to care so much about young Garcia, did not relish taking human life.

"Ah," Shenhua sighed upon seeing the maid. "Maybe we wait out here, yes?" Pius chuckled.

"Come on, you three. There should be plenty of room inside for all of you." They reluctantly followed Pius, then, as he walked passed Garcia and led them into the estate. Rock and Revy followed suit after a few moments, as did Ashur. They had plenty of time for introductions and explanations later. For now, it seemed Garcia had more to say to Wolf. The assassin was more concerned with the appearance of the Bloodhound. She placed her hand on the side of the wheelchair and struggled to her feet. She was unsteady, but she seemed to manage just fine otherwise. She offered a weak smile.

"It's good that you came," she said. She sounded confident, not as meek or unsure as Wolf expected. That pleased him. "I wasn't sure if you would be able."

"Sounds like I got here just in time. These assholes don't mess around." He gestured to the bodies, then, before looking at Garcia. "I'm ready whenever you are. Just give the word." Garcia nodded approvingly.

"Thank you, Wolf. I appreciate this. Just give me a few minutes to speak with the others." With that, he turned and headed back inside.

"I wish the Young Master did not have to endure this," Roberta said solemnly. "He is far too precious for such horrors." Wolf smirked. It was remarkable how selfless Roberta was when it came to Garcia. She cared about him a great deal. Should the need arise, she would gladly lay down her life for him.

"You should worry more about yourself," he told her. She looked up at him and frowned, confused. "That boy is fine. He's not the same kid that reached out to me for help against the Marchers. Hell, even back then he had the wisdom of a man twice his age." Roberta grunted in agreement. He had truly matured at an alarming rate, due in no small part to his exposure to the darker side of this world. Roberta clearly blamed herself in some regard for that. She probably would have preferred if he could remain immature and innocent forever. That may have been foolish, but it was also endearing. She loved him very much.

Roberta's eyes went to the bodies outside. Wolf did not know it, but her mind instantly flashed back to Roanapur, back when she had taken up the Bloodhound persona once more in search of the Grey Fox team. Her old allies had come after her and she obliterated them all. It was not a pleasant memory. She had taken up weapons since, but she had never lost her way nearly as much as that. It seemed her and Wolf shared a similar fate, unintentionally self-imposed. The ghosts of their pasts seemed intent on haunting them relentlessly. Wolf spotted her watching the bodies.

"They'll be gone soon," he told her. "There can't be too many more out there. They're not gonna bother your family anymore after today." Roberta hoped that was true, even if she didn't believe it.

"I hope you're right."

(*)

"Why are you here?" Garcia asked, taking a seat across from the others. Ashur cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"I've been looking for you," he said. "You are Master Lovelace, aren't you? Garcia Lovelace?"

"I am," the boy answered.

"The New Order have clearly taken issue with your family. I think we have a common goal." Garcia narrowed his eyes. None of them completely trusted Ashur yet, but they were willing to listen. "Word has it there's quite a bit of cash to be made from hunting them down."

"You're a bounty hunter?" Garcia asked. Ashur seemed to toss that question around in his head.

"Of sorts."

"Get in line, motherfucker," Shenhua spat. "You not only one here on hunt for New Order."

"There's only one of them I want," he elaborated. "Their leader, calls himself Hawke. I just want his head." That struck them as odd. And strangely specific.

"Why?" Garcia asked him.

"My reasons are my own," Ashur said evasively. "Suffice it to say he's wronged me in the past. That makes him an enemy of mine. And, by extension, it makes me a friend of yours." If all he really wanted was to kill Hawke, they might be able to accommodate him. They just needed to see through with their plan. After that, Hawke would be forced to arrive at the estate with only a token force. That would make him an easy target. When he showed, they could give him entry to the grounds. Then, the combined efforts of Fabiola, Pius and Ashur could wipe out what little backup he had with him. That would leave Hawke vulnerable. He would be at Ashur's mercy. Then, they could finally put an end to this. The end was so close they could almost taste it. "There is another thing."

"What is it?" Garcia asked him.

"I have allies," Ashur told him. "Friends who also have an interest in the fall of the New Order. They are in hiding. Just give the word and they will lend their aid." That would be useful, on the off chance that Hawke managed to bring a sizeable group with him to the estate later. This way, they could take the New Order by surprise and wipe them out. But, again, that was an odd detail. The question remained, who were these allies of his? It was possible he was working as an agent of the cartel, though he didn't seem the type. The F.A.R.C., too, seemed unlikely. Not only would they not randomly authorise one individual to broker an alliance with Garcia, but it was highly unlikely they would involve themselves in this matter at all. If they were going to hunt Hawke and the other deserters down, they were going to do it on their own terms. Still, time was wasting and the Lovelaces were in no position to refuse help. There was work to be done.