Chapter 52: Dinero's Town Part 3

Ferra took the lead, holding the flare before her as her sisters flanked her. Larain brought up the rear, his pistols drawn while Dinero trailed behind with Marcy, who at this point was looking at the ashen mounts that were currently dotting the interior of the cave. These mounds hadn't been here since the last time he was here, and Dinero realized that these were likely all that remained of the previous workforce before the Legatum had taken over. So now he was going to have to restaff and rehire, too? This day was just getting better and better.

"Looks like the previous owners weren't feeling generous," Delilah sniffed as she kicked one of the ash piles. "And possessed quite a bit of energy weaponry. Anything you wish to confide with us, Markus?"

"Well, you tell me what's faster? Burials or burning?" Dinero shot back. Sophia shrugged in acknowledgment while Delilah kept her gaze upon him. Ferra held out her fist, forcing the group to a halt. Delilah kept her ear peeled as Sophia drew up her submachine gun. "Well, what's happening?" Dinero whispered, even as he was immediately shushed by all the women. Larain listened intently as the voices began to carry towards the group.

"…would very much appreciate if this conversation, if it needed to be had, would be steered towards something other than my chest, Ms. Perez."

"I mean, I don't go after girls usually when I'm sober, but I can think of some pretty entertaining evenings with those funbags. Shake'em around, get drinks paid for, and you could spend half the night doing nothing but foreplay!"

"And listening to petulant little brats constantly harangue one about things that cause me back pain and draw the attention of the shallow and easily amused."

"Hey, don't talk about D like that! You tell her, D!"

"Every word out of your mouth makes me beg for death. Just shut the hell up, please!"

"Now look what you did! D hates you!"

Larain felt his stomach drop as he recognized the voice approaching him. Of all the people in the wasteland he could have run into, it just had to be, HAD to be Rosa "The One Night Stand You Never Stop Paying For" Perez. Immediately, he began backing away.

"Where are you going?" Dinero hissed in his ear as Larain turned to run away.

"We… I need to get the fuck out of here!" Larain gritted in discomfort.

"C'mon, it sounds like we got them outnumbered," Dinero tried to argue.

"If Rosa finds me, I'm dead!" Larain pleaded.

"Will both of you keep quiet?" Delilah hissed. "Ferra, kill the lights. Sophia, we need bait. You know what to do."

"With pleasure, my sister," Sophia purred as she began to strip as Ferra smacked the flare against the wall to douse it.

Larain thought over what was about to transpire. These three women were going up against Rosa Perez and at least two others. The other female voice he could almost remember hearing around the AEG camp, but that other one almost seemed familiar, likely some old-timer he met during a Liberty Clan pow-wow. So, it was going to be a three-on-three fight? Four-on-three if he decided to join. Just enough to overpower the newcomers. Just enough to get the edge. Just enough to kill Rosa.

"…I need to leave," Larain hissed as he tried to brush past the old man and little girl.

"What, you scared?" Dinero grinned.

"Yes," Larain seethed in discomfort. He felt a hand tug on his pant leg. As he reached down to swat off the grip, he suddenly felt a sense of calm and clarity as the girl took his hand in hers. You don't want to have to face her again. I understand. But there's someone here I think you really need to meet. Come with me and I'll take you away from here. They don't need you for what's coming up.

Larain took a deep breath as he put his hand on the girl's shoulder as she led him down another path. Dinero watched as it appeared the two were just about to up and leave before they made contact with the assholes who stole the mine that belonged to him, but he didn't feel like thwarting the ambush because he suddenly felt lonely. Rather, he decided to quietly chase after the two and leave the women to wonder just where he had gone. The women in question likely noted his absence, they just didn't really care.

"Five seconds, Kim. It's just a hug, when you get down to it," Rosa continued to argue.

"I'm not going to allow you to slobber over my breasts, Perez," Kim sighed. "And no, I don't care how much you'll pay me for it."

"You're no fun," Rosa scoffed. "I just want to bond and you have to poop all over the party. Prude."

"I'm no prude, Rosa. I'm just saving myself for someone special," Kim added as she hid her smile.

"Oh? And who's that?" Rosa asked before realizing the trap she had fallen into.

"I'm saving these for daddy," Kim moaned directly in Rosa's ear.

"GROSS!" Rosa welched. "Dalton, tell her to stop being a nasty slut! …Dalton?"

Rosa turned to look back at the missing third member of their little posse. Dalton had vanished, no doubt having waited for an opportunity to run off and break into a cache. "He'd better bring back something good," Rosa muttered.

"Aren't you worried about him turning on us?" Kim asked as she set down the prisoner from her shoulders.

"Nah, he's too lonely for that. Like he'd give up the chance to spend his last days with one cute and one… above-average girl, wouldn't you think?" Rosa replied off-handedly.

"I would imagine he would find a way on his own," Kim muttered as she held up the gas lantern. "…You hear that?"

Rosa listened as the soft sobbing gently echoed throughout the cavern. Shooting a glimpse at Kim, Rosa quietly advanced. "…You OK? Who's there?"

The sobbing grew louder as Kim lifted her machine gun. Rosa held her machete as she approached the noise. "…We aren't with the Legion, you can be safe with us. Just tell us where you are and we can keep you safe," she announced as the light from the lantern gradually crawled over the hunched frame.

The woman sobbed as she held onto her tattered clothes. She covered her head as the light shone over her, wincing as Rosa set down the lantern and approached her. "Hey, hey, it's OK, it's OK," Rosa placated as she put an arm on her shoulder.

She turned the girl around to get a better look at her. The immediate thing that stood out to her was that the girl was wearing a cloth mask like some kind of bandit. The next was that there was a hissing sound in the darkness. Finally, Kim screamed at Rosa to get down as multiple canisters were thrown toward them. The sobbing girl laughed as she scrambled into the darkness as the canisters ignited, blinding and suffocating the two women.


They had found a chamber within the mine that had once served as a slave quarters. Now it had been modernized, almost, by cases and crates strewn haphazardly about, with a few racks of plasma weapons mounted against the wall along with semi-pressed uniforms folded. "What an ingrate," Dinero sneered. "I leave for a few weeks and they take it upon themselves to redecorate. I tell you what, Marc, some people just have no respect for ownership."

"Pretty cute coming from a slaver," Larain sneered as he looked over the equipment. The faint memories started to return, remembering a green-hued firefight against assassins just outside Legion territory. It might very well have been the first time he saw someone killed in combat, remembering seeing two of the Frumentarii ignite into plasma while one of his uncle's comrade's heads was caved in by a sledgehammer. He wished he was wherever Kenzie and the others were. He'd give anything to be back with Daph and Mickey and Amos and Gavin, to be back in the sack with Audrey and/or Willow, just to sit around that campfire just one more time. Anything beat being here, and anyone beat this idiot. Still, it couldn't hurt to at least pick up a few weapons.

Marcy immediately tugged on both Dinero and Larain as the grumbling and wheezing drew closer. Larain ducked behind a supply cabinet while Dinero took Marcy and hid themselves behind a crate. An old man wearing an antiquated military uniform came stumbling in, grousing and lamenting his dire straits and current misfortune. He looked over the supplies until finding what he was looking for. He cracked open the first aid case and immediately downed what little medication inside remained. As his breathing steadied, he took the brief moment of respite to look over the supplies before reaching for a plasma grenade. Holding it before him, he then held it aloft as he motioned to prime it. "If any of you idiots think sneaking up on me is going to end well for any of you, then come on out and fucking try me!"

A shot rang out as Dalton felt the grenade blast out of his hands. Turning to intercept, his other hand reached for his blade as a figure immediately tackled him against a crate full of weapons. Dalton looked into his assailant's eyes and his world came to a screeching halt.

"…Sir…" Dalton mouthed in disbelief.

Larain's eyes widened as the recognition finally hit him. Here. Now. After so many years and so many miles of distance. Uncle Dalton was back.

"…Uncle?" Larain got out.

Dalton snapped out of his stupor as reality returned to him. It wasn't him. Of course it couldn't have been him. He died long ago, had been dead for years, and was always going to remain dead. But for a few precious and glorious seconds, he could look at his old friend in his flesh and blood and remember.

"…Abel…" Dalton finally breathed in recognition, unable to hide his dejection.

Larain crawled off Dalton, keeping his gun on him as Dinero and Marcy peeked out from behind the other crate.

"…Small world," Dalton began as he sized up the boy he left behind. "Didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"I can fucking imagine!" Larain snarled.

"What? You not feeling warm and misty-eyed?" Dalton taunted. Larain drew back his fist. "Well, at least you finally figured out how to fight!" he praised as Dinero and Marcy looked at one another. "That whole business with McGrath, maybe… "selling" wasn't the proper word," Dinero admitted.

"You think?" Larain growled. "What would you have rather gone for?"

"…Security guarantee," Dalton shrugged. "My only priority with you was keeping you alive, and this…" he motioned around him. "Wasn't going to see it through. I valued the promise I made to your father more than your comfort, I admit."

"Really missed out on joining your suicide cult, Uncle," Larain nodded. They stared at one another as a smile crept on Dalton's lips. "Well, I think it worked out rather well. You might have been raised a dissolute and faithless gun-toting hippy, but at least it beat out every other alternative I could have thought of."

"Because you are so creative and forward-thinking," Larain muttered. "…Where's the rest of them?"

"…Rest of who?" Dalton cocked his eyebrow, confused.

"Your team? Where's… Valak and… Chul and… whoever," Larain held his hands to his side in exasperation.

"…I dunno," Dalton shrugged. "They're probably all dead."

"GOOD!" Dinero screamed out as he jumped from behind the crate. "SERVES EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU MISERABLE BASTARDS RIGHT! YOU COME INTO MY TURF AND STEAL MY KINGDOM AND TURN MY GUARDS AGAINST ME, IT SERVES ALL OF YOU SO FUCKING RIGHT!" Dinero howled as he approached Dalton and began jabbing him in the chest with his finger.

Dalton stared at the other man before closing his eyes and exhaling. "…God dammit Sheol…"

"What?!" Dinero snapped.

"My second told me he killed one of the leadership when he took this place over. When I realized what this place was, a part of me kind of hoped that…" Dalton broke off before deciding not to continue. "…So, how goes, Dinero? And, uh, my sincerest condolences about Kekos, I guess."

"…Larain, give me the gun," Dinero growled.

"I mean, it's not like we could risk taking anything affiliated with the Legion," Dalton continued. "Half the frontier out here doesn't even realize this place belongs to Dallas, technically."

"Larain, gun, please," Dinero gritted.

"And it's not like you were ever really part of the Legion, anyway. I mean, why else do you think Caesar sent you and yours so far out here and never bothered to check on you? The only reason you were here is so the more important could forget about you. On some level, you had to realize that," Dalton continued. "Not that it didn't come in handy," he motioned to Larain.

"That's it?!" Dinero spat in anger. "That's all the gratuity I get for looking after the boy and his mother on your behalf?!"

"He was only with you for a few months and the woman died under your watch," Dalton snarled back.

"What was I supposed to do about cholera?!" Dinero snapped.

"I don't know, maybe clean the fucking water pump!" Dalton screamed back.

"LARAIN! GIVE ME THE FUCKING GUN!" Dinero howled as he dove towards Larain. Larain, in turn, sidestepped away as Dinero lunged, face planting on a weapons crate as he sunk to the floor. Marcy rushed around to check on him as Larain looked to Dalton. "…You sent me to live with this guy?"

"…Yeah," Dalton nodded, embarrassed.

"…And my mom died here?" Larain added.

"…Apparently," Dalton concurred.

"…I thought she died giving birth to me. To stick it to Dad," Larain offered.

"…Sorry to disappoint you," Dalton shook his head.

"…Hand me that first aid. We need to patch this idiot up or Marcy will never let us hear the end of it," Larain replied as Marcy vigorously nodded her head.

"Your call, Abel," Dalton replied as he passed the case into Larain's waiting hands.

"I don't go by that name anymore," Larain countered.

Dalton snorted. "Of course you would turn your back on everything we ever did for you."

"And can you blame me?" Larain looked to his uncle as he pulled out a roll of gauze.

"…Guess not," Dalton admitted. "Probably for the best, anyway. We got Legion waiting for us outside and I don't think they'd be too thrilled to see either of us."

"I thought you said the Legion doesn't care about this place at all," Larain asked as he began wrapping Dinero's head.

"They don't, but the Legate himself and some of his best and brightest are currently holed up in the village outside of here. …Say, come to think of it, should the worst come to worst, we might have a ticket out of here," Dalton stroked his beard as Dinero mumbled some vague and abstract threat.

"What ticket?" Larain asked as Marcy began backing away.

"You know that Allied Expeditionary Group that everyone's been talking about lately?" Dalton asked.

"…I'm aware," Larain nodded.

"Turns out they're guarding someone on Vegas's behalf. A girl who got separated from the main host. Her name is-"

"Rosa Perez," Larain interrupted. "She's twenty-one years old. She likes whiskey, bar-fighting, and shady hotels. She hates her old man almost as much as I hate mine and has a mean arm when there's a machete on the other end. She also has a mole on her right butt cheek and a tattoo of the ace of spades on her ribs just under her left breast. I know her," he recited, flatly and without passion.

Dalton stared at Larain. "…I'm so sorry, kid," he said as he placed a hand on his shoulder in understanding and consolation.

"Thank you, Uncle. Wait, how do you know her?" he suddenly realized in incredulity.

"I tried to kill her and ended up changing my mind," Dalton admitted. "She thinks she can get a good deal for anyone who tries to help her get back to the others, and right about now I figure there's not that much harm in giving it a shot."

"It's not going to work," Larain shook his head.

"I don't see why it wouldn't. These Californians are too soft, you should know that" Dalton countered, scoffing in disgust.

"No, I mean she wants to kill me," Larain retorted. "Got a little too much water over that bridge right now. I say we take these two and bail as soon as possible before she catches up with us."

Marcy grabbed onto Larain's sleeve and shook her head. "Who's that? One of Dinero's?" Dalton asked.

"That right there is the only reason I haven't plugged one in his skull," Larain admitted. "What now? Something wrong?" he asked. Marcy held her hands above her head, spreading her fingers out as she bared her teeth, her tongue sticking out from her lips. Coming from her it came off as funny, but something about how she carried herself sent shivers down Larain's spine.


The figure approached the sounds of a fight, rifle pointed towards them. In the distance, down the tunnel, several flares had been lit to show the five figures dancing in the shadows. Two of them dueled with blades while another pestered one with a knife, and beside them, a wild cloak dashed around and harried the largest figure. Between the screaming and profanity, the newcomer was almost tempted to watch until they saw the figure hunched over on the ground.

They put to fingers against his neck. Still breathing, strong pulse. The figure then leaned the head up and struck the older man across the cheek. Sputtering awake, Falco's eyes adjusted to the dark long enough to see the vaguest outline of the figure before him. Said figure took off the burlap mask that protected their face from the elements, and Falco realized that he was effectively being rescued by the one rider he ironically trusted the least.

"Are you well?" Hypatia asked.

Falco realized that none of his captors saw fit to bind his limbs, though he had been disarmed. "…Where are the others?" he asked as he got to his feet.

"Back in town. Safe," Hypatia nodded as she helped him up. "What happened?"

"I was jumped by two outlaws. One more familiar than the other," he began. He looked down the tunnel to see the fight. "…That's our prisoner and one of my abductors. No sign of Dalton, though."

"One step at a time, centurion," Hypatia said as she surrendered her spare revolver to Falco. "Let's secure these two and worry about the rest later."

Falco giggled. The game had turned while he was asleep. True, there was one unaccounted name, but with the might of all the riders, there was precious little Dalton could hope to achieve against them even if he wanted to start something. It made perfect sense to capture the accomplice and re-capture the prisoner in the meantime. So much for leverage.

Rifle and revolver before them, Hypatia let out a shrill whistle. The five brawlers stopped their melee, Kim having her hand around Ferra's throat while Sophia had climbed on Rosa's back as Delilah was pulling her machete out of the wall. "…Sister," Delilah purred in delight as Rosa and Kim felt outflanked and defeated.

To the victors went the spoils, and Ferra helped herself to the discarded machine gun while Sophia picked her SMG back up. In the confines of an unstable mine, the notion of using firearms in such close quarters was almost too torturous, so the ladies had come to a civilized and feminine agreement to beat their opponents into submission in hand-to-hand combat.

Rosa and Kim sat on their knees with their hands on their heads as Delilah and Hypatia embraced one another, kissing each other on the cheek. "The fates are kind," Delilah smiled.

Hypatia started to smile then thought against it, merely turning to acknowledge Sophia and Ferra. "Fortune smiles upon us all. You have freed the second in command of the Legate and intercepted a prisoner along with an enemy of the Legion," she said as she stood over the two.

Rosa glared at Hypatia while Kim shot her a look. "…We surrender," she spoke up. "Just take us back to Barabbas and we can pick up where we left off."

"Captures haven't the right to speak!" Sophia hissed as Ferra nodded.

"Fine, then. I guess I won't tell you where our accomplice is, then," Kim cast her gaze down. Delilah turned to Ferra and motioned for her to pull out something. Reaching into her cloak, the mute woman pulled out a pair of spiked knuckles that seemed to be wrapped in thin strands of barbed wire. Fastening them to her hands, Ferra looked over the captives like an old world eagle spotting a rabbit.

"We haven't the time for this," Falco spoke up. "We have secure hostages and their only accomplice has nothing. We take them back, unmolested, and let Barabbas figure out what to do with them."

"We don't take orders from you!" Delilah snarled as she got in Falco's face.

"You are a servant of the Legion, woman," Falco snapped. "The words of Caesar, the Oracle, and the Legate are law, and I don't see the first two anywhere near here, do you?"

Delilah stared him down while a smile crept onto her lips. "…Tell me, centurion, what brings you out here?"

"You must have heard the reports. The Legate seeks to find his blood," Falco recited.

"Four foot eight. About sixty pounds with shock blonde hair and is currently wearing sunglasses?" she asked.

Falco said nothing even as his expression betrayed him. Delilah was overjoyed. "My brother, shall I have the distinct honor of introducing, in my custody, the blood of the Oracle, Pari-" she turned to look where Dinero, Larain, and Pariah had been standing not long before. Come to think of it, it was rather odd that they had been rather quiet during the fight, now that she thought of it. Her anger began to bubble in her stomach. "…Fine," she snarled. "You win. You and Hypatia can take our "guests" to the Legate waiting outside. My sisters and I have to hunt down a geriatric and his lackey."

"Oh, fuck," Rosa muttered under her breath.

"Just keep your mouth shut and ask for Kyra," Kim discreetly whispered to her.

"And that's enough out of both of you!" Delilah aimed a kick square in the ribs of Kim. "After all what did I tell you about captures and spe-"

During the fight, Delilah hadn't gotten a good look at Rosa's face. Now, with everything calm, she could finally get a sense of familiarity in the now sober face of Rosa Perez. As she stared, she felt her stump of an arm act up. "…You…"

"…What?" Rosa asked, annoyed. The flat of a blade whipped across her face, sending Rosa sprawling back as Delilah's sisters, Kim, and the newcomers all screamed at the sudden outburst. "FERRA, SOPHIA, HOLD HER DOWN!" Delilah howled as she readied her machete.

"WHAT DID I DO TO YOU!" Rosa cried out, to which Delilah answered with a series of kicks and curses, having to be dragged off by Hypatia and Falco before she could injure Rosa.

"We can't afford to hurt his one," Falco gritted. "She's important to California!"

"She's dead, she's so dead," Delilah repeated as Rosa tried to crawl away, only for Sophia to haul her up and hold her in place. "What did this one do?" Sophia asked. Delilah pointed to her stump of an arm with her machete.

"What?!" Rosa cried out. "You got the wrong girl! I never did anything like that!"

"You and Cassidy can both rot, girl!" Delilah snarled. "But… I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to… take what's mine. Sophia, hold out her arm."

"Stay where you are!" Falco called out as he pointed the revolver at Delilah. "These prisoners are under the custody of Legatus Barabbas! They are not yours to brutalize!"

"Keep your prisoner!" Delilah screamed. "This one belongs to me!"

Kim couldn't keep watching. She broke from her position and tried to charge forward and protect Rosa. Ferra immediately fell upon her, beating her with the knuckles, pummeling her into submission with sharp, quick strikes. Sophia forced Rosa on her stomach, stretching out her arm as Delilah approached. Falco looked between battered Kim and the soon-to-be mutilated Rosa, then looked beside him to watch as Hypatia chambered a round in her rifle. The meaning was clear. Now was no time for negotiation. Now was the time for quick, decisive actions, consequences be damned. The rumbling in his head sounded like the world was about to come to an end. Then he realized that that wasn't where the noise was coming from.

Right behind Delilah, Sophia, and Rosa, something above them gave way, sliding headfirst from the ground above, having dug its way down after having picked up all the rich scents it could handle. It had taken some time, but the creature had dug its way down further for less. As the dust and the debris began to clear, two orange eyes peered out from behind the cloud as the mouth began to salivate.

One thing immediately jumped out at him. A female, holding a machete. Best to get this one out of the way first. It snapped its jaws right to the woman, shooting immediately over the other two females on the ground, his teeth piercing into her torso as she screamed and dropped her weapon.

Sophia immediately scrambled away as Rosa looked up at the monster as it gripped her assailant in her teeth. For some reason, one of those dumb Latin phrases Arcade tried to make her learn immediately jumped out at her. Deus Ex Machina. Though, judging by the shape it took, she figured Diabolus would be more appropriate.

"DELILAH!" Hypatia screamed as Ferra wordlessly and silently howled. Delilah perked her head up as she looked over his sisters. The fangs were in too deep and even now she could feel her bones crack and her blood pouring from her body. Struggling to breathe, she mustered the last of the air in her lungs and let out, "RUN, SAVE YOURSELVES!"

The hastily dug tunnel above began to collapse. The lizard looked up as Kim ducked under it and dragged Rosa away. The cave-in followed suit as the mound of rock and dirt above separated prey from predator. As the dust cleared, Sawney growled to himself. All that digging and only one lousy morsel to show for it? In anger he chomped down on his meat, separating flesh and bone as the carcass fell to the ground. Already, he could hear sweet, sweet wailing on the other side of the dirt. He looked at his claws, battered and bent from his delving from above, and he felt he had done more than enough digging for today.

Then he smelled it. The scent. The familiar one. Blood and saliva poured from his mouth. Oh, to have let something so succulent escape so easily. So rarely in the wasteland did second chances come about, when either meals escape or expire too early. Now, after so long, he had another opportunity. Tongue lopping out of his mouth, Sawney picked up the remains of the corpse as he crawled his way down the dark tunnel, his nose leading him to the meal he would not let get away again.