No Rest for the Weary(Alex//Cat,Rufus)

She had just begun to nod off when there was a tapping on the door. “Who is it?” she called out groggily.

“It’s Miss Nelly, dear. May I come in?”

Alex pulled off the blanket that was covering her and traipsed over to the door to unlock it. “What do you need, Nelly? Are those pigs back causing trouble?”

“No, no, dear, nothing like that.” The short lady came into the room and allowing the many voices to break through the silence of room 3. “There’s some fellas downstairs who wish to meet you.”

“Aw, Nelly, I was almost asleep. Can’t it wait ‘til morning?” The girl looked longingly at the bed, trying to give the dear woman a hint.

Nelly smiled sympathetically, “You really should come down. One of the young men took out at least two dozen of those hoodlums in front of Al’s Diner. I think you ought to go and thank him for such a grand service.”

Alex knew from past experience that there would be no dissuading Nelly. Reluctantly she mumbled that she’d be down as soon as she put some pants on.

“Thank you, dear. You’ll find them in the parlor eating.” She quickly left the room to tend to her other guests.

Alex grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor and slipped them on under her nightshirt. Not bothering with her boots, she padded down the wooden steps in her bare feet. She looked like a little girl standing in the doorway of the parlor in her oversized shirt and mused hair. She politely acknowledged various ones as they passed in and out the door. Alex knew that it had to be close to midnight but the house showed no signs of emptying out any time soon. Nelly seemed to be in her element as she scurried about with blankets, pillows, and food. Alex walked into the parlor and found a man and a boy not much younger than herself eating and talking with some other guests.

“Nelly?” she hollered stepping back into the little hall.

“Yes, dear?”

“I thought you said the men were in the parlor.” She scanned the room again. Nelly politely pointed them out. “Them! Which one did all the killin’?” Nelly indicated the younger of the two. “Hmmm. Interesting.” Her questions answered Alex strolled into the room to the greetings of several guests.

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“What in blazes was that all about?” asked the rabbit irritably while catching his breath under the safety of a box.

“How should I know?” came the curt answer, “I saw everything you did. I’m just happy it didn’t come down to this end of the town. I’ve heard that some humans eat cats.”

“Had I known that, I wouldn’t have let you in my box.”

The orange tabby let out a hiss, warning Rufus that he had gone too far in his joking. “Soon as things settle we need to report. All three of them under one roof – most interesting. Has Tavalox given any indication of joining ‘the cause’?”

“No.” answered the brown rabbit as he proceeded to nibble on the edge of the box.

“Will you please quit doing that unless you want to be my dinner.” The rabbit stopped his gnawing in mid bite. “Thank you.” The cat flicked his tail in annoyance of the situation. He hated waiting and hated waiting with the rabbit even more.

“What about your folks, what are they planning on doing?”

“My ‘folks’ will be here when it is the right time. Unlike the centaurs, they will not ignore the great forces.”

“Now listen here, you over grown fur ball,” the rabbit began to hop about the tiny box in anger. “I’ll have you know…”

“Sit down before you tip the box over, you floppy eared rodent.” The cat stared at Rufus, his eyes mere slits of green, waiting for an excuse to pounce on the hare. The rabbit knew when he was treading dangerous ground and sat down on his haunches to wait patiently for the coast to clear. The cat took advantage of the time to wash and nap, enjoying the quiet.

Rat(Riddles)

“Arsenic? Are you sure about that, Mort?” The chief stood looking at the blue bodies of three prisoners that were found dead in their cell.

“I’m positive, Chief. They were injected with it” the lanky mortician pointed out the puncture holes on each stiff – one in the back of the neck, one in the upper arm, and the last on the outside thigh. “There was enough stuff in each of these blokes to kill an elephant. Whoever did it wanted to make sure they would die.”

“Excuse me, sir,” Slade approached the Chief of Police tentatively, “I remember seeing some arsenic listed on our inventory sheets for the evidence warehouse when I was doing a rotation there.”

Rubbing a hand over his round belly, the old man pondered this bit of information. “Go down there and see what you can’t find out about it. Check to see who signed in over the past few days and report back to me. Don’t let on as to what you’re up to, I think we’ve got a rat in the house and I aim to catch it.”

The newbie left the morgue excited to be a part of what could be a huge sting.

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“Dylan, you’ve got to help me!” the pock marked officer begged, his face was a pasty color and sweat trickled down his chubby cheeks. “I know they’re on to me, it’s just a matter of time now.”

“Of course they’re on to you, you idiot.” Dylan sat calmly in a chair with his feet propped up on the scuffed up kitchen table. “You left a trail that even a kid could follow. Arsenic? Really, Riddles, I thought you could do better than that.”

“I panicked. What am I going to do?” He stood up to peer out a dingy window expecting at any moment for the cops to show up to arrest him. “You’ve got to get me out of here. Get me passage on one of those freight ships or something.”

Dylan looked at the cowering man as he took a seat across the table from him. “You know, Riddles, nobody trusts a crooked cop.” Without batting an eye the bearded man fired a bullet into Officer Riddles gut from a gun hidden beneath the table. The wounded man’s eyes budged in shock and horror as he fell from the chair onto the floor. Dylan came to stand over him, the barrel of the gun aimed at the cop’s head. “Why? You ask. Simple. What’s to stop you from panicking and telling them about me? No, you’re better off this way Officer Riddles.” Another shot was fired. Dylan walked quietly from the abandoned building, careful to shut the door on his way out. “Nobody will notice one more dead rat in this place.”


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“Sir, we just got an anonymous phone call saying that they’ve found the body of Officer Riddles at the old Baley place.”

The Chief of Police rubbed his hand through his thinning hair. “Let’s go check it out.”

Several squad cars, an ambulance, and some personnel from homicide soon arrived on scene. Nobody was surprised to learn that Riddles was dead, just an hour before the call was placed they had found several incriminating items on the officer linking him to the recent disturbance and payoffs.

“Looks like the rat got caught in his own trap.” Remarked the unsympathetic chief after identifying the body. “Duke, make sure the press doesn’t get wind of this. Something like this could bring the whole department down. He didn’t have any family so we can pull off a John Doe death and diffuse an ugly situation.”

Thus ended Officer Riddles, no family, no friends, not even a funeral. He died as he had lived, like a rat.

Full House(Alex)

Alex sat in the back of an ambulance, patiently allowing the paramedic to look at her arm and place it in a sling. She had protested to Will about being treated, telling him that it was just a minor wound but he wouldn’t hear of it.

“You might want to have a doctor look at this tomorrow so he can put it back in place” her arm was hung at a comfortable angle in a sling and taped to her side so that her shoulder wouldn’t be moving until she could see the physician. “This will keep you from doing any more damage to it tonight.” Alex smiled a ‘thank you’ at the man as he removed his blue latex gloves.

Will held a hand out to help her out of the vehicle. “Sam, gentlemen, I’m going to take her back to Nelly’s now.” He waved goodbye to the men still gathered in front of Al’s Diner and taking Alex by the elbow proceeded to guide her through the crowds gathered on the side walk and in the street.

“Did you get a chance to see that kid take out all of those thugs?” Asked Will excitedly after they passed through the congestion at the far end of the street.

“No, he must have been gone by the time I got to your end. I heard Sam and the other’s talking about him though. Glad he was on our side.” She kept a watchful eye on the allies and side streets knowing all to well that those were good places to hide when you’re wanted.

“Yea, too bad we couldn’t have cops like him, then we wouldn’t have problems like this.” Will opened the little side gate that led to the kitchen door of the bed and breakfast.

Alex noticed that there were several lights on in the house, "unusual at this hour." Together they entered the kitchen and were surprised to find Nelly and a man sitting at the table having a cup of tea. Alex eyed the stranger suspiciously while the older woman hastened to her side.

“Oh, you poor dear, come have a seat at the table.” Alex politely declined explaining that the bandage was just a precaution until she could see a doctor. “Oh, and look at your poor dress. Blood won’t come out of that, you know.”

The chiming of the bells at the front door put an end to Nelly’s mothering. Several locals had shown up looking for a warm place to stay due to damage in their flats. The round woman was only too happy to help and babbled non stop as she showed the various ones to their room.

“Looks like you’ll have company for breakfast,” remarked Will as he backed his way towards the screen door.

“Maybe I’ll skip breakfast tomorrow. Don’t much care for eating in large crowds. Besides, Nelly will have plenty of people to fuss over.” Stepping outside with Will she inquired as to who the man was in the kitchen.

“I was wondering when you’d ask me,” smiled Will rubbing the stubble on his chin. “That there is none other than Captain Edwardo, owner of the Sardine. Strange ol’ bird, keeps to himself quite a bit. I can’t fathom what he’s doing over on this side of town, not exactly his type of neighborhood.”

“Do you think he’s connected to the low life’s we just cleaned up?” she glanced into the kitchen window and was relieved to see that the captain was still sitting at the table.

“No, Captain Edwardo is a good guy even though he is friends with some questionable characters. . .”

“Like who?”

Brushing a lock of hair out of his eyes he continued, “Like Quint Yuhasz. Now there’s a fellow who has some stories to be told. He’s alright as long as you don’t give him reason to dislike you. Doesn’t blink an eye at killing people and does it well.” Scratching the back of his head he mumbled something incoherent. “Just keep your eyes open. If you need me, just call.”

Alex turned to go back inside but stopped in her tracks, “Will, thanks for the evening. I know it didn’t go as planned but I still enjoyed going into that Hotel Grande.”

Will smiled shyly and meandered on down the side walk his cheeks glowing bright pink. "Hey, how about we meet up for breakfast in the morning?"he added as an afterthought. It was now Alex's turn to blush as she accepted the invitation.

Returning to the kitchen Alex found the captain still seated at the table with his tea. “Hello, there. You must be Alex that Nelly speaks so fondly of.” Alex nodded her head still trying to size up the man. About that time Nelly flitted into the room her long skirt swishing about her ankles. She was glowing with the excitement of having so many people in her boarding house to tend to.

“The rooms are all filled, only the couch left but if somebody needs it I'll gladly give it to them to sleep on.” Without asking she fixed Alex a cup of tea and refilled Edwardo’s who didn’t seem very happy that she had done so. The look on his face reminded her of a mouse being cornered by a cat. She chuckled at the image causing the captain to raise one of his bushy eyebrows in question.

“Nelly, it be kind of ya to offer me another cup o’ tea but I best be gettin’ back to the Sardine. I don’t like to leave her alone fur to long with mischief like this goin’ on.” The kind woman looked heartbroken at hearing this but saw the old salt to the door with an invitation to come back again.

“What was that all about?” asked Alex the moment Nelly returned to the kitchen.

“The sweet man was just tending to a friend of his that fell victim to some hoodlums.”
Remembering what Will had told her Alex quickly asked if the ‘victim’ was a Quint fellow. “Certainly not!” Her face turned an angry red, “What kind of a place do you think I’m running here?”

Alex apologized for offending her and quickly changed the subject. After discussing the evening’s events, the girl excused herself to retire for the night. Upon entering the upstairs she found a line at the bathroom door made up of two young children an elderly man, and a woman about Nelly’s age. Too tired to wait, she accepted the fact that she would have to go to bed dirty and bloody. Slipping into her room she closed the door without drawing any attention to herself.

Looking in the large mirror she hardly recognized the image as her own. Her once waist length hair was now even with her shoulders and cut in a way that caused it to frame her face. The beautician had added blond highlights to her auburn hair, brightening her face and bringing out her green eyes. The beautiful yellow satin gown clung to her slight frame accentuating her tiny waist. She felt a little guilty at having ruined the delicate dress. Carefully she began removing the tape that pinned her arm to her side. Once the bandage was off she looked at the joint that stood out grotesquely from her body. Not wanting to bother with the doctor she decided to remedy the problem on her own, taking a deep breath she slammed her shoulder into the wall knocking her arm back into its place. She wiped the tears that streamed down her face from the pain and proceeded to dress for bed.

Sitting on the edge of the bed she opened the little box that had mysteriously appeared in her saddlebags. Expecting to see one of the many happy images she was dissappointed to see nothing. Furrowing her brow in confussion she peered into the box at the ornate key, “I wonder,” with tentative fingers she reached for the key and was surprised by how cold the metal felt under her fingertips. Holding her breath she removed the key, studying it under the light on the desk. “Now what do you suppose this means?” Not wanting to put it back in the box for fear of not being able to remove it again, she found a leather cord to slip it on and tied it around her neck. Where the key rested on her chest she felt warmth that seeped into her bones making her feel relaxed and at peace. Turning off the lights, she quickly fell into a peaceful sleep, an occurrence that didn’t often happen.

Chain of Command(Slate, Chief//Riddles, Dylan)

“We have three of them in the tank, Sir.”

“Just three of them – what happened to the others?” The chief of police looked down at the report on his desk, “says here that the whole neighborhood was targeted and you want me to believe that these three were the only perps.”

“N-no, Sir” stammered the young beat cop, “these were the only ones that we could find alive.”

“Who killed the others?”

“We don’t know, Sir. Nobody seems to have seen anything in the mist of all the confusion.”

“Put the men in separate interrogation rooms; let’s find out what these guys know.” The chief resumed his study of the report giving the police officer his cue to leave the room.

Within a half hour the young man was standing back in front of the chief’s desk all color drained from his face. “What are you doing back in here, Slate?”

“S-sir, the m-men are dead.”

The chief looked up from his paper work, eyeing the young officer suspiciously. “What do you mean ‘dead’?”

“The jailer and I walked down to the cells and found all three of them lying on the floor. No pulse, nothing. The paramedics are on their way now, Sir.”

“Judy!” an immaculately dressed secretary rushed into the office, “Get me Detective Riley on the phone.”

“Yes, Sir,” the lady left for her desk and immediately began looking through her directory for the detective’s number.

“Slate, soon as I finish this call, you and I are going downstairs, I want answers. Nobody dies in my prison unless I say so.” Seeing the phone on his desk light up, he waved a hand to dismiss the officer. “Detective Riley, I have a job for you. . .”


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“It’s all taken care of, Dylan, no need to worry about the cops tracing anything back to us.”

The bearded man paced the room in annoyance. “I don’t care about the cops, you fool, I want to know who this girl is that keeps killing my men. Before I took out Larry he told me that she single handedly took out three of the boys. What kind of a woman does that?”

Sweat trickled down the sides of Riddles blotchy face, he didn’t like being around Dylan when he was agitated. “She’s just a girl. She’s been lucky is all, we could easily take her out if we wanted to but we agreed to no killings. It’s bad enough that three of those losers got picked up as it is. We don’t need more cops snooping around.”

“I don’t like this, Riddles, I want my money – all of it. I’m not going to be your pawn in this game any longer.” Without warning he pulled a knife from behind his back and held it under the fat man’s chin with just enough pressure to evoke fear. “Do you understand?”

Eyes bulging, the helpless officer slowly nodded his head. Satisfied, Dylan removed the knife. “I want you to do some work for me now. Find out everything you can about this girl – where she lives, what she eats, where she spends her time and with whom…”

“I told you, she’s just a girl. She’s not worth troubling with…”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Looking out the dirty window Dylan warned “Riddles, do this or the cops will have all kinds of interesting information about you. Do I make myself clear.”

“Crystal.” Mopping his forehead with a handkerchief from his pocket, Riddles prepared to leave. “Just tell me why she interests you so much.”

“I don’t know, that’s what bothers me.”

The two parted ways until their next meeting. Dylan was eager to end his association with the officer but he needed him around for just a bit longer. “Patience, Dylan, patience.”

Suburban Assault(Alex)

They were just cutting into their steaks when the first of what would be several sirens sped past the Minute Man Hotel Grande. Initially they paid no attention to the racket but when the sirens kept blaring by they began to grow anxious. After what was surely the fifth blast of a siren Alex put her fork and knife down and told Will that she wanted to get back to the neighborhood because she had a “bad feeling.” Will didn’t argue with her for he too felt trouble in the air. Signaling the waiter, they quickly retrieved their check without finishing the fine meal. Together they walked briskly through the grand lobby and quickly retrieved the car from the valet. Driving as fast as he legally could, Will took a direct route back to Nelly’s.

The scene that greeted them was like something out of a movie. The entire town was basked in an eerie orange glow from several fires throughout the area. Fire engines were set up at various spots with their crews trying to douse the flames. People were running through the streets screaming and crying. Those that refused to fall victim to the bullies bravely fought the assailants with whatever means necessary, be it guns, knives, clubs, or fists.

Alex told Will to drop her off at the Bed ‘n’ Breakfast so that she could get her stuff and he was to head on to his place to check on his mother and grab his weapons as well. “I can’t just leave you here,” he argued, concern forming lines across his brow.

“I may look fragile in this dress, but I promise you that I can take care of myself.” Reaching into one of her boots she retrieved a small knife. “Always be prepared.” Will shook his head, smiling at her “boy scout” attitude. Without further delay, the young man did as he was directed and left his date as soon as she shut the door to the vehicle.

Alex hiked up her dress and dashed up the steps to her room. Throwing open the door she retrieved the tattered green duffle bag from under the bed. With a speed that came from endless hours of practice, she donned her holster and sling, as an afterthought she grabbed the 30-30 and rushed back out the door.

She had just sprinted up the street to where Ran’s Bakery was when she encountered her first perpetrator to the mayhem. The greasy haired character was coming out of the alley where he had just finished starting a dumpster fire. Alex leveled the Winchester at him and without a word of warning fired a shot that left a gaping hole where his heart used to be. Cocking the gun she slowed her pace ready to be the hunter instead of the hunted.

With all of the noise around her she didn’t hear the man come up behind her grabbing her roughly by the shoulders. Bringing the butt of the 30-30 down she managed to blow out the low life’s knee cap. He fell over in pain his hands holding his wounded leg. In one fluent motion, Alex spun around and fired a bullet into the man’s head. Blood splattered across the bottom of her yellow satin evening gown. Cocking the gun once again she continued her hunt.

She had made her way to the next block without further incident and was relieved to see that the fire crews were doing an excellent job of saving the various shops. The police had finally showed up and with their presence, the ruffians seemed to be dispersing. Alex stood for a moment taking in the scene when without warning she was tackled from the side causing her to fall to the ground and dislocate her right shoulder. With her right arm pinned under her she fished for some kind of weapon with her left but her movement was hindered by the lug lying atop of her. The filthy swine rolled her over onto her back where she came face to face with the ugly brute. He was giving her a toothless smile and the smell of him made her gag.

“Hello, missy, come out to play with the boys have ya?” He made an effort to kiss her but having anticipated his move Alex jerked her head to the side causing the man to collide with the asphalt. This gave her just enough time to grab one of the six shooters.

Not waiting for his next move she stuck the barrel of the gun in his ribs. “Get off of me, you pig,” she spoke the words from behind clenched teeth. The grungy lout got slowly to his feet while the girl kept him covered with her gun. Once he was standing erect she fired two shots, one into his groin and the other into his gaping mouth.

Cradling her sore arm she strolled up the street to Al’s Diner where she found Sam, Will, and some of the other shopkeepers. Upon seeing her covered in blood and holding her arm, William rushed over to her. “Are you alright?” He put a protective arm around her and brought her over to a chair where he proceeded to look her over.

“I’m fine, just hurt my shoulder is all. The blood belongs to somebody else.” Surveying the street it was apparent that the perpetrators were gone but the havoc they had caused would take quite a clean up effort. Looking over at Sam she inquired as to what the town would do now.

“Rebuild, repaint, we’ll be fine. The important thing is that nobody was killed.” Nods of agreement went around. Too tired and stunned to talk, they sat there in silence watching the last of the fires being put out.

When Cinderella Leaves(Alex,Will//Dylan)

They spent the entire afternoon scouring the shops for just the right dress. Alex didn’t really like any of them, feeling that they were much too revealing but both Nelly and Ran insisted that only a dress would do. They did give in and allow for a dress with complete back coverage; Alex didn’t want everybody gawking at her scarred back. After finally finding the “perfect” dress, they whisked the cowgirl away to a beauty salon to have something done with her hair. She didn’t see what all the fuss was about but by the time the stylist was done, even Alex had to admit that she liked the new look.

Before long the clock in the sitting room began to chime announcing that the hour had arrived for the “big date.” Nelly flitted around Alex, smoothing her dress, fluffing her hair, and adding just a “touch of make up to bring out your features.” The young girl remained silent during the ordeal, allowing the sweet lady to have fun. She knew that the proprietor had taken an emotional attachment to her, thinking of her more as a daughter than a guest. She really didn’t mind too much, it was kind of nice having a mother figure around again after all of these years.

“Hello!? Miss Nelly?” called Will from the kitchen; he always used the kitchen door out of habit from his deliveries.

Nelly bustled into the kitchen unable to hide her beaming smile. She had taken a position by the counter so that she could see Will’s first expression when the young girl made her appearance. Alex entered the familiar room as if the wind had carried her. The sunlight coming in through the windows silhouetted her slender frame giving her an ethereal glow. Nelly took her eyes off of the lovely vision to sneak a peak at Will who stood with his mouth hanging open. Feeling pleased with the results she gave herself a mental pat on the back.

“Wow!!” Uttered Will as he finally found his voice again, “You look beautiful.” Alex’s cheeks turned a bright red and she muttered a thanks. She felt way too done up but trusted Nelly’s judgment. Extending his arm the two young people left the house strolling arm in arm up the street. “I’ve got to pick up the car from a friend of mine; he just lives around the corner. I hope you don’t mind the walk.”

Alex smiled at the boy’s awkwardness but decided that she couldn’t stand feeling this uncomfortable with him all evening. Stopping in her tracks she turned to face Will who was looking at her baffled. “Look, Will, I know I look a little different but it’s still the same old me.” Hiking up her dress she revealed her black cowboy boots which brought a round of laughter from both of them. Having succeeded in breaking the ice, they continued on their walk behaving like the friends that they were.

It wasn’t long after acquiring the vehicle that Alex found herself standing in front of a large ornate building. She brought a shaking hand up to her throat as she forced herself to breath. Never had she seen such a lovely building, much less been inside of one. Reading the uncertainty on her face, Will gently took her hand in his and guided her through the large glass doors that had been opened for them.

Alex let out an audible gasp upon entering the lobby. Will stood still, allowing her to take in the beautiful Hotel Grande. The highly polished marbled floors reflected the light causing the place to literally sparkle. She watched the glass and gold elevators move up and down disappearing from view after the forth floor. She craned her neck to see the gold trimmed cathedral ceiling. “This is beautiful, Will.” The boy smiled, this was exactly the effect that he was hoping the place would have on her.

Placing her hand on his forearm, he escorted her to a room at the far end of the lobby where soft piano music issued forth. “Good evening.” Greeted the matre de, “Will there be only the two of you dining with us tonight.” Will confirmed this in an unnaturally deep voice and the two of them were quickly seated at a square cherry wood table in the middle of the room. Handing over the menu and reciting the soup and wine of the day, the tall gentleman left them alone.


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Dylan wasn’t surprised that a few of the idiots were late; he had actually calculated this into his plans. However, what he was not prepared for was a phone call from Riddles saying that he couldn’t guarantee that the cops wouldn’t show up. Dylan was more than ready to throw in the towel, after all he didn’t care about the neighborhood either way, but Riddles offered more money. Even Dylan had his price. He agreed to go along with the plan on one condition, that he would not be on sight, he would have to trust the hired thugs to follow through with the orders on their own – something he doubted they were capable of doing.

At a quarter to seven they left Red Lantern Alley heading for their intended target. Dylan shook his head in exasperation as he listened to the childish banter of the men. He knew without a doubt that none of them would live to see the rising of the sun.


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They hit the street like a pack of wild animals, screaming and shouting profanities, grabbing women on the sidewalk and harassing them, throwing rocks through store windows and bashing cars with bats. Pandemonium broke out in the peaceful neighborhood until Sam fired his rifle into the air catching the attention of the residents.

“Listen, this is what we have been training for,” his voice carried into the street as a throng of people gathered around for guidance. “Get your weapons, man your stations, and proceed as we have practiced.” With military precision, the crowd dispersed in order to prepare for battle. Nobody even noticed that Alex and Will were missing.

A Date(Alex//Dylan

By the month's end, Alex was completely exhausted. She had spent the past eight days along with about five other skilled people, training the shop keepers and residents of the area in different tactics for defending themselves and their belongings. By the time she got home, ate a small meal, and showered it was well into the early morning hours, giving her a few hours of sleep before the laborious task began again. They ran training sessions all day in order to ensure that everybody was given a chance to attend the lessons despite their work schedules. It had been Will’s idea to convert the beach front into the training grounds where everything from sparring to archery was taught. A target range had been set up allowing a variety of fire arms to be shot off. Alex didn’t much care for the semi-automatic and automatic guns that some of the people had chosen to use, but she had to admit that they would certainly take out the intended target. Sam the butcher had made comment that the local gun suppliers were getting a little nervous with so many sales of weapons; seemed they feared that another war might be brewing. One thing was for sure, if there was a war about to happen, her neighborhood would be more than able to defend itself.

The last day of training finally came to an end with the setting of the sun. Alex and the other trainers packed up the supplies but decided to leave the targets in place for practice. Waving a farewell to the stragglers, she walked up the bleached wooden stairs to the street above the beach. To her surprise, Will was leaning against the railing waiting on her.

“You did a really good thing for this community this week. I’ve never seen them ban together like that.” Looking out over the darkening waters he seemed to become nervous and fidgety. “Umm, Alex, you know I had promised to take you to a nice place to eat before the month was over. Well, would you like to have dinner at the Minute Man Hotel Grande tomorrow evening?”

Even in the fading light she could see the blotchy red marks upon his cheeks, something that made him all the more endearing. Too tired to think of an excuse not to go, she agreed, and a time was set for six o’clock the following night. Will walked her back to Nelly’s with a slight spring in his step. Alex didn’t know why, but she was feeling a bit giddy about the upcoming evening as well.

When she entered the bed ‘n’ breakfast, she found the proprietor sitting on the bottom step grinning from ear to ear. “Did ‘e ask you?” Alex wasn’t a bit surprised that Nelly knew about their conversation tonight; the woman seemed to know a little bit about everything that went on in the town. Nodding her head the physically depleted young girl climbed the stairs to her room followed by the nosey older woman as if she were a dog waiting for scraps. Knowing that Nelly wouldn’t have a good sleep until the details of the day were disclosed, Alex proceeded to verbalize the events of the past eighteen hours.

Finally quenching Nelly’s curiosity while cleaning and stowing her weapons, Alex was left alone with the promise of a shopping trip after breakfast. It seems that jeans and boots aren’t appropriate attire for dining at the Hotel Grande. Too worn out to even move, the now sun kissed girl fell asleep on top of the comforter still wearing her clothes and boots.


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“Listen up, now that I’ve finally gotten you all together, let’s go over the plan for tomorrow night.” Dylan paced back in forth in front of the two dozen disreputable men gathered in an abandoned building on the outskirts of Red Lantern Alley. “Brake windows, steal, torch the place if you want, but don’t kill anybody.” An audible groan came up from the men. “I mean it, NO killing. Hurt them if it’s in self defense, but no killing. The cops can’t turn a blind eye if upstanding citizens start turning up dead.” Stopping in front of a particularly loathsome character Dylan stared down the group as if daring them to disobey his command. “Do you understand these simple instructions?” Affirmatives were given in various styles but the grizzly leader didn’t believe any of them.

The meeting was short and to the point, leaving the paid imbeciles in little doubt of what there objective was. They would meet at this same spot tomorrow at six to leave for the intended neighborhood. The offensive group dispersed into the muggy night, wagging their tongues about the upcoming conquest. More than one of them was a little leery about the “blind eye” of the law but because the money was good, they put their reservations aside.

Officer Riddles stepped out from behind a door at the back of the room where he was able to observe the meeting undetected. “I don’t know about these guys. Can they be trusted?”

“Of course not, that’s why they’re dispensable.” Dylan gave the officer a wicked smile that caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end.

“Just don’t forget about the clean up once all of this is done. Wont do me any good to get my neighborhood back if those fools go tellin’ everybody who they be workin’ for.”

“No need to worry about that. As far as they’re concerned – they’re working for me.”

“All the same, no one is to be left alive.” Peering out the window to make sure the coast was clear Riddles pulled the collar of his jacket up and the brim of his hat down over his face.

“Yea, you look inconspicuous.” Mocked Dylan at the ludicrous sight.

Ignoring his comment, Riddles stepped out into the dimly lit street to make his way back to his comfortable home.

The Return Of ??? (Phae)

Stepping out of the car she took a second and made sure she wanted to continue with her current course of action. Closing the door she straightened out the wrinkles in her dress and taking a deep breath strode up to the threshold of the Serendipity. She had been here before for both work and pleasure but could never remember feeling the wave of calm serenity that came over her as she reached for the door. Stepping through the portal she looked around the common room. Spotting the large bar she also saw Phae, the proprietor.

Walking up to him she said ”Hi, can you point me to the owner?”

“That would be me.” Phae said flipping his towel back up over his shoulder.

“I wanted to see what you guys do around here for entertainment.”

“Nothing organized.”

“How about I do it.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a singer.”

“Hmmm…hop over to the piano and see what you can do. I’ll be over in a sec.”

“Fair enough.”

Passing Casey, Michael and Gabriel on her way to the piano the woman slowed as she tried to figure out why Casey felt so familiar. Chalking it up to hormones she hopped up onto the raised platform the piano sat on and gave the instrument the once over.

Sliding onto the bench she cautiously began ‘tickling the ivories’ unsure of when or even if the piano had been tuned. Eventually a tune began to form and the soft calming sounds of a lounge piano being played were heard in the Serendipity for the first time in too long.

“So what do you think?” Phae asked Rus.

“She’s got a gift. She’s able to relay more then just sounds with that piano. She can transmit her emotions with it. If she’s in a good mood she’ll rock, if she’s not you won’t have a customer.”

“Really?”

Walking around the bar Phae approached this woman mixing with the other lost souls but not being lost herself. Passing Casey and her brothers he could tell they were deep into whatever they were discussing. From the look on Casey’s face it didn’t appear to be a favorite topic of hers. Stopping at the foot of the platform Phae closed his eyes and listened to the music being played on that old piano.

“You like it?” she asked smiling.

“Feels nice.”

“Feels?”

“Sounds, I mean it sounds nice.”

“Thank you. So do I have a job?”

“150 a night plus tips sound okay to you?”

“200?”

“If I’m gonna pay you 200 a night I should at least know your name.”

“Sa…Rosey. Folks call me Rosey.”

Okay Rosey, 200 a night plus tips and you can start now. I’ll give ya a meal and drinks on the house too.”

“Set me up with a tall glass of water and I’ll settle in for the night.”

As he set the glass down on the sweet sounding piano he said to Rosey “Your hack’ll be alright in the back if you want to pull it around.”

“Hump…thanks Phae.”

Rebellion (Casey)

Casually the elder gentleman continued to sip at the date juice ordered from Phaedrus, occasionally casting glances back over his shoulder toward the celestial triumvirate gathered at the far end of the room. Oddly enough he also noticed that damn dwarf hadn’t moved for as long as he could remember.

“So Phae, looks like you recently had a run in with the Prince.” the old man mentioned as he leaned back slightly looking up over his head at the nearly invisible mystic sigil painted in vampyre blood.

“He stopped by for a drink and decided to schedule a business meeting while he was here, after our discussion, however I think he’ll pick a different venue next time.”

“Yeah those damn suck heads can’t be trusted for anything. Cut their heads off and stake ‘em and you still can’t trust ‘em. I’ve run across a few myself and never found one worth his salt. Stakin’ ‘em is about the only thing for ‘em.”

“I guess over the years you’ve seen just about everything there has been to see on this planet haven’t ya Rus.”

“Funny you should mention that I was just talking to a publicist this morning about the possibilities of publishing my memoirs. I guess that’s the kinda shit that happens to ya when you got one foot in the boat and get called back.”



“What if I don’t want to go back?” Casey asked twirling a chair around so that she still faced the table but sat in the chair backwards.

“I’m really not sure?” Michael replied. “We weren’t given any specific instructions beyond seeing what you were up to.”

“I’m content here and I’ve found someone willing to teach me how to be human.” Casey said glancing up at the old man at the bar as she intoned that last part.

“Human, dear sister.” Gabriel spat. “You are one of the chosen, you can never be human.”

“Besides you know I can’t go back.”

“That can be fixed.” Gabriel said looking around Casey’s shoulder at her back.

“Father also wanted us to speak to the ‘time keeper’. Have you seen him?” Michael asked noticing Casey again glancing toward the bar.

“He stopped by a month or so ago, I guess. We don’t really keep track of time in here.” Casey thought back fondly to the way he called her Gaza.

“Did he say where or when he was going to be?”

“Not that I recall. He stops in for a quick drink and then sets on his way.”

“And I’m sure you would tell us if you knew more, correct.”

“O absolutely.” Casey nodded.

“Tell us what happened Casey. Michael and I need to know why you left.” Gabriel asked gather Casey’s two hands gently into his huge mit.

“I was studying at the temple...

“Casey have you heard?” the young ofanim asked interrupting Casey’s study of ‘The Word’.

“No, what is it?”

“The ‘heosphoros’ is gathering together those that want to leave. They are going to petition father to be allowed out of the city.” he replied barely able to breathe.

Dropping her studies Casey ran from the temple toward the citadel. She knew in her heart of hearts how this was going to end and she wanted to be present for it.

Fully a third of all there had gathered in support of Samhazai. Casey was astounded to learn that the numbers dissatisfied were that large. She also recalled what father had said would happen if Samhazai again disobeyed him.

“Azael, you must stop this.” Casey cried grabbing the arm of one of the temple attendants.

“I want to leave young one, why would I then stop him.” Azael replied jerking his arm from the assurance hungry Casey.

Casey then fell to her knees and started mumbling to herself for father to have mercy on those gathered outside the citadel. So intent on her pleading was she that Casey failed to notice the silence that slowly descended and the increasing distance between her person and any other.

“Fear not little one.” Samhazai said reaching down and placing his hand beneath the tear soaked chin of his youngest protégé. “Father will hear our plea and release us.”

“But father said…”

“I recall father’s words, but they were not meant for us he was angry. Come you will see.”

Haughtily Samhazai entered the antechambers within the citadel. Purposefully he strode ever closer to the throne room. Hesitating briefly he grasped the twin doors and thrust them open entering his father’s presence. The entire room shone with a light nearly to bright to be endured. At the head of the room sat the three aspects of the father. To the right sat the human embodiment of father’s love for his children, to the left his wondrous gifts and will and in the center sat the father himself. From the center seat emanated the near blinding light of perfection that was filling the room.

“Father I have come to ask a boon.” Samhazai spoke as he knelt at the feet of the creator and began to bathe his feet with a dish setting a step lower for just such an activity. Tenderly Samhazai finished the task and set about toweling off his father’s feet.

“Samhazai, you have been told before that we are all to remain in the holy city until such time as ‘the word’ has been told to all of mankind.” Jesus spoke.

“Reaching out his hand and grasping Samhazai’s shoulder the Holy Spirit said “Samhazai you have been disobedient in stirring up this rebellion. You must now go quell it.”

The father extended one mighty arm and pointed back the way Samhazai had entered into his presence. Turning he made his way back out to address the throng awaiting word outside the citadel.

“Brothers and sisters.” Samhazai said his body shaping and melting into a form better adapted to get his words out above the general din of the crowd. This being his gift given to him by his creator to further the ‘Praise and Worship’ of the father. Samhazai’s body was a musical instrument…the first ever created and so he was chosen as the father’s second.

“Father does not want us to leave; he says we have to stay here however he preaches free will. Yet when we exercise our free will we are wrong. I say we leave and find our own home where we can worship the father from.” As Samhazai spoke more and more angels loyal to the father were gathering around those that he was speaking to.

“See already they come to enforce the will of the father despite what we want for ourselves. Let us leave. NOW!!!”

Hundreds of thousands of celestial beings pulled divine energy from the father and transformed into their ultimate ‘rage’ form. Instead of the human forms that were there, now visible were creatures ten feet tall or more adorned with crown’s and wings and brandishing weapons of every sort all composed of ‘holy’ flames. None could be felled by their brethren; however the injuries inflicted would momentarily stop them until the body was healed.

The battle was the greatest to ever be observed. Slowly the tide began to turn until suddenly the father appeared on the outside steps of the citadel flanked by the son and Holy Spirit. With a single sweep of his arm those angels siding with Samhazai began to disappear until only Samhazai was left. Trying to hide behind his understudy Casey he now feared what his father would do. As he too was banished from the ‘holy city’ he grabbed Casey by the wings and ripped them from her body in an effort to shield himself with them.

“Casey”, the son spoke. “Our father needs you to stay with Samhazai and the infernal. When your wings return will be the sign of the end times and the banishment of the Satan to hell for all eternity. You must go because you doubted your father. Your aspect will remain that of a celestial and not an infernal but you will not be welcomed back into the ‘holy city’ until then.”



“So you see, I have been left to my own devices and have had to do by myself.” Casey finished looking up again at the old man at the bar as well as another young lady Phae was currently speaking to with a paper in his hand.

Beer for Two(Riddles,Dylan)

Riddles stepped into the Purple Onion and quickly scanned the room for his appointment. Not spotting him, he took a seat at one of the white tiled tables in the corner, positioning himself so that he could see the door and all who entered. He didn’t have to wait long for a young girl wearing tight jeans and a white button up blouse to come over and take his order. After naming his beverage he proceeded to study the room. It was an older joint but clean, the owner seemed to have a sea fetish as the whole place was covered in nautical paraphernalia. In an adjoining room there was a game of billiards being played accompanied by plenty of laughter and cheering. He couldn’t help but notice a red headed woman dressed in tacky clothing that was too tight for her voluptuous figure standing behind the bar chatting with the patrons. When she smiled he feared that her face might crack from all of the paint she was wearing. Although she was gaudy, she seemed to have a spirited personality that demanded respect.

Straining his ears he attempted to pick up the latest news on the street. There seemed to be a lot of talk about the disappearance of a fellow named Quint who had been having a field day killing some questionable entrepreneurs in the shipping industry. Riddles made a mental note to look up this Quint person if Dylan didn’t pan out.

Engrossed in his thoughts, Riddles was startled by the appearance of the heavily bearded man standing in front of him. “What kind of cop doesn’t even notice his guest’s arrival? I could have shot you and left before you even knew what happened.” Taking a seat across from the flustered man the two remained silent until another beverage was put before them.

“Did you find the help that you were looking for?” Riddles asked eagerly, his eyes darting around the room in search of others from the force.

Dylan finished his frothy beer before answering, seemingly unaware of the officer’s discomfort. “Do you have my money?”

Beads of perspiration began to form on the officer’s brow. He didn’t like dealing with the very scum he wanted to be rid of, but desperate times required desperate measures. With shaking hands he retrieved a brown briefcase that was sitting on the floor by the leg of his chair and passed it along the floor to Dylan. Casually picking it up, the disreputable character excused himself to go to the bathroom where he could count the money in private.

While his companion was gone, Riddles ordered another round of beer in the hopes that the bitter drink would calm his nerves. Before long, Dylan returned to the table, briefcase in hand and a smile on his grizzly face.

“When will you go to work?” The balding cop inquired anxiously while rubbing his sweaty palms on his pant leg.

“When I feel like it!"Barked Dylan slamming his empty mug onto the table top causing heads to turn in their direction. "And if you want the job done, you’ll quit asking questions. You just make sure your friends down at the station don’t start snooping around. If any of my men get caught, your name will be the first word out of their mouth. Understand?”

Riddles nodded his head slowly all the blood draining from his face. Dylan smiled at the effect that his little speech had on the cowardly cop. Feeling content with the business transaction he picked up the battered brown briefcase and left Riddles sitting alone once more.

The Brothers Grim (Phae, Casey)

Things at the Serendipity had been quiet for the last little bit as will happen on occasion. Unfortunately as we are all aware those slow, peaceful times should be cherished as they are all too fleeting and come far too infrequently.

The threshold opened and admitted two men into the haven of ‘lost souls’. Two men that would have passed unnoticed to most individuals, however to those that have means of perception more attuned then those possessed by mortals these two men stood out from the pack due to the intense aura surrounding each. The energy that was held in check by the clothe and flesh they surrounded themselves with, was quite substantial when possessed by a single being and now was staggering in its volume in the presence of two such beings.

The two men quickly scanned the bar in such of the object of their ongoing quest and not immediately seeing her decided to take seats at a table to the left of the door and deeper into the room then the bar extended. The two started the casual conversation of two individuals used to each others company when the larger of the two noticed for the first time that sitting at the table next to then was a smallish man, a dwarf perhaps, dressed in a miner’s garb. He looked almost to be petrified; as if no one had disturbed him nor had had any type of interaction with him for a period of time longer then is easily explained. The table was clean, unadorned by dishes or any other type of accoutrement associated with the consumption of food. The dwarf miner just sat there with the look of one who had maintained a position of observation long enough to have seen all that there was to see

“So what are we gonna do if she doesn’t want to come with us?”

“I don’t know. We’ll just hafta play it by ear I guess. My thoughts were that we were sent down here to see what she has been up to and just talk to her. I didn’t get the impression that we were supposed to bring her back. I thought that father wanted her to come back on her own.”

“Well yes, of course, father wants us to do everything of our own free will. He just seemed to be particularly hurt that she left with the others in the first place.”

“True. Whenever he does speak of her you can often detect a tone that does not fill his voice at any other time. She was, after all, placed by father in ‘his’ camp as the understudy to the Praise and Worship service. He must have seen that she would, by necessity, be spending a great deal of time away from home learning her craft.”

“Oddly enough I don’t see her around yet.” The smaller of the two men stated breaking the conversation and surveying the bar once more in hopes of seeing her. “I thought this was the most recent place she had been seen.”

“Fear not my brother, this realm has dampened your righteousness as happens to us all. I can still feel her, she is close at hand.”

“How about the gentleman behind the bar, what do you make of him?”

“He is Infernal touched, but I don’t believe he will cause us any concern. We were not told by father to expect any interference by Infernals. Father would most definitely have been aware of that possibility. Maybe we will have the opportunity to come back and take his measure when we have completed our current task, if he has been touched there cant be much left to his soul that is of any worth.”

“Ahh… but first things first. Casey has finally arrived.” He finished nodding his head toward the opposite end of the bar. It was there that Casey emerged from the double doors that separated the large common room from the back room that held the stores and a small grill.

The two most recent ‘lost souls’, both casually motioned to Casey to draw her attention.

Casey, for her part, stopped what she had intended to do. Visibly setting herself as one would that had begun to travel a road unintended, she set her jaw and resolved herself to the meeting to come. She easily walked over to the two men and inquired as to what the Serendipity had to offer on such a wonderfully sunny day.

Phae also noticed Casey’s reaction. He had know Casey for long enough to realize that she was not easily put off her game. Phae searched through his mind to list those things that could have the kind of effect on Casey he had just witnessed. Making the short list were beings that Phae had neither the will nor current disposition to meet face to face.

“Hello sister” the two gentlemen intoned simultaneously while nodding their heads at Casey as she stopped in front of their table.

Placing her towel and order pad atop the tray she carried she set the entire ensemble on the table. Looking at one then the other and back to the first she shifted her weight onto her back foot and crossed her arms across her chest. “Gabriel. Michael. What pray tell brings the two of you to my doorstep?” she queried.

The two ‘brothers’ immediately picked up on Casey’s tone. Looking at each other they both turned back toward Casey and raising and eyebrow. “Casey, dear sister, are you not happy to see us? It seems like an eternity since last we supped.”

Looking first at Gabriel then focusing in on Michael she said “Perhaps one of you Michael, dear brother. When you and Gabriel run in packs it can only mean that you are about doing father’s bidding.”

“Casey, that sounds as if you are taking an almost irreverent tone toward our father.” Gabriel replied.

“No Gabriel what you hear is not irreverence. It is rather the tone of one that has been cast out and forced to live on their own without the help of their father. I am doing quite well and have found my way. I do not need your help nor father’s intervention”

“But Casey, father wants you back.” Michael added.

“For more years then a human lifespan I asked, I cried…I did everything I could to let father know that I desperately wanted back into his house and you see where that has gotten me”

With intense interest Phae continued to observe the conversation between Casey and the two newest ‘lost souls’. His attention was drawn, against his will, to an elderly gentleman who entered the bar. The man quickly, despite his age, stepped up to the bar and looking Phaedrus in the eye said “Gimme a mug a date juice.”

Phae smoothly filled the man’s order and slid the mug in front of him.

“That’s the main reason I keep coming back to your place Phae. Well that and the fact that Casey works here.”

“How’s she doing?” Phae asked wiping the bar with his ever present bar towel.

“She learns fast and is not afraid to use her strength. The biggest obstacle is her inability to get angry at most things. Her celestial abilities are best controlled when she is angry. Unlike you she does better when she is angry.”

Meetings

It didn’t take long for William Paris to get the message that Alex was looking for him. He quickly went through his deliveries at a record speed and shortly thereafter appeared on the doorstep of Nelly’s Bed ‘n’ Breakfast. Running his hands through his brown curly hair, he knocked on the kitchen door. He didn’t know why, but he was feeling rather nervous even though he frequented the B&B at least once a week.

A short plump woman appeared at the screen door wiping her hands on a faded green apron tied around her generous waist. “Oh, hello young William.” She greeted warmly while opening the squeaky door. “What brings you here? I haven’t ordered anything to be delivered today.”

Will stepped into the spacious kitchen taking in the tantalizing aroma of a cake baking in the oven, no doubt a desert for tonight’s dinner. “No, ma’am, you didn’t place an order. I’m actually here on a personal call.” He rubbed his sweaty palms down the front of his shirt to smooth out any wrinkles, “Alex left word at the shop that she wanted to see me.”

Nelly gave the young man a knowing smile which caused him to turn a bright red much to her delight. “I see. I’m afraid she’s not back yet but you’re more than welcome to wait on her here. I could use a little company myself.” She winked at him causing the boy to blush once again.

Clearing his throat he accepted the offer to wait and took a seat at the small round table in the kitchen while Nelly fixed him a glass of iced tea. “You’ve taken a shine to my girl, have ya?”

Will choked on his beverage causing some of the liquid to spill down the front of his shirt. Taking the back of his hand he wiped his chin, using the time to compose himself. “What do you mean, Miss Nelly?”

“Ah, now, don’t be shy about it, boy. Any fool can see that you two have taken an interest in one another. I think it’s sweet.” With a huge grin plastered on her round face she continued with her work in the kitchen.

“Meaning no disrespect, but I think you’ve misread our friendship, Nelly.” He tried again to take a sip of the tea needing desperately to replenish the moisture in his mouth.

“Could be,” came the offhand remark as the chopping knife came down with a loud thud on a head of lettuce. With skilled hands she quickly prepared a salad while the clock on the wall ticked the minutes off.

The tinkling of the bell above the main door announced Alex’s arrival. She burst into the kitchen eager to show Nelly her new holsters that George had made but came to an abrupt stop at seeing Will perched at the table. Their eyes locked for a moment before both turned away.

Nelly again grinned at the situation but refrained from any comment. “Hello, dear, we were just talking about you. Let’s see this getup that George made for you.”

Alex quickly stepped into the center of the room to show off the holsters’ design and use. “This is going to make my life much easier.” She said enthusiastically while replacing the shotgun in its sheath.

“I hope so, dear.” Nelly had a way of speaking to people as if they were children which could sometimes be annoying as well as endearing. “Supper won’t be ready for another hour yet, why don’t the two of you have a seat in the parlor while you wait. Will, you might as well stay for dinner too; we could use an extra voice around the table.”

Will agreed to stay and the couple retreated into the privacy of the appointed room. “So what did you want to see me about?” He asked nervously, taking a seat on the wicker couch.

Alex quickly revealed her idea about teaching the shopkeepers how to protect themselves, thus ending their need to pay somebody else for the service. “After all, what’s to stop somebody else from taking advantage of them once I’m gone?”

Will had been able to follow everything up until this last statement. He could see the girl’s lips moving but he was unable to focus on the words. All he could think about was “once I’m gone.” "What in bloody hell does she mean by that?" He wondered.

“Will? William!”

“Huh?” he stared into the face of the beautiful creature across from him and realized that she was asking him something. “What was that again?”

“You’re not listening to me, are you?” she flung up her hands in exasperation. “What was the last thing you heard?’

Will strained his brain to remember but the only thing that kept coming to mind was her leaving. Shrugging his shoulders he looked down at his dirty white sneakers angry with himself for becoming distracted. He was startled by a gentle touch on his back and realized that she had quietly came to stand beside him.

“Is it possible for us to train these people to protect themselves?” she repeated patiently. Will looked up at her with those big brown eyes and she felt her knees grow weak. “You’re just hungry. Stay focused.” She chastised herself silently.

“Yes, I do believe it’s possible, but what’s this ‘we’ stuff?”

Clearing her throat as well as her mind Alex tried to answer. “Well, I need some help and I would really appreciate it if you could work with me. I know you’ve got Trumper’s but we could work around your schedule. I can train you on some weapons first and then you can help me teach the others.”

“I don’t need any training, thank you.” He answered with a grin, “I already know how to use a weapon or two.”

This set them up for a conversation that carried them through dinner and on into the night. It seems that Will was quite efficient with the bow and arrow. Apparently while in his youth he had befriended an elf who taught him the skill and eventually presented him with an elven bow. Besides this, he was a traffic swordsman and could use a knife rather effectively thanks to his stint aboard ship. By the time the two parted ways that night, Alex was sure that she had “deputized” the right man.


*************************************************************************************


“Are you sure it’s him?” asked Lith of the cat.

The orange tabby gave the elf an indignant look at being asked such a question. “Of course, I’m sure. I would recognize that boy anywhere.”

The ethereal figure ran a delicate hand down the cat’s back. “I’m sorry, old friend. I trust your eyes.”

The cat purred contentedly under the affectionate caresses.

“Is Rufus still watching the girl as well?”

The cat suddenly jumped to his feet twitching his tail irritably. “Don’t even get me started on that buck-toothed creature. The hours I’ve had to sit there listening to his endless ramblings. It’s torture, I tell you, plain and simple.”

“I know it’s not easy, but we must watch the girl. I don’t know why she’s here but her presence has caused a great disturbance in many ways. The fact that the centaurs are keeping a watch on her is reason enough for concern.”

The cat was busy licking a delicate paw in an attempt to calm himself. “You’ve explained this before but I still don’t have to like being by that jack rabbit.”

* ***********************************************************************************


“Interesting, young William and the girl crossing paths – I never saw it coming.” Glottack pawed at the ground contemplating this bit of news. “What of the others?”

“Still holed up in that shiny tower down town. There’s a whole mess of them up there now, the kids finally found the one eye.”

“Hmmm, I didn’t think it would take them too long once Viatoris spoke to them. Has there been any more sightings of the wise one since he last spoke to the children?”

“Not since he went to visit a frightening fellow named Carnes”

Rubbing a muscular hand across his bearded jaw the centaur paced the forest floor lost in thought.

“I hate to bother you, Glottack, but how much longer do I have to watch that girl? That prissy cat is getting’ on my last nerve. All he does is glare at me and twitch his tail. You should see the disgusting things he eats – rats, birds, moles…it’s not right for an animal to eat meat. Just wrong it is.” Glottack let loose a deep belly laugh causing the brown rabbit to hop around. “It’s not funny I tell you!”

“No, it’s not, Rufus, but I enjoy it all the same.”

The two parted ways, Rufus muttering under his breath about that “darn cat” and Glottack lost in his thoughts about the ever impending war.

No Tricks(Dylan,Riddles,Alex)

“What’s your game, Riddles?” barked the unsavory character as he strolled across the street to the bench where the overweight, dirty cop sat. “You set me up, leading me to believe that we just got to harass the neighborhood.” He spat on the ground in front of the wary looking officer. “You didn’t tell me we were gonna be facing Annie Oakley in her pajamas.” He picked up a stone and threw it at one of the ancient trees in the forest.

“Honest, I d-didn’t k-know she was going to be a p-problem,” stammered the balding pockmarked man as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. “You’ve got to believe me…”

“Like heck I do! You think I’m gonna believe a lying, thieving, dirty cop? You make me sick, Riddles!” He spat on the officers paten-leather shoes. “If I find out this is some kind of trick to get rid of me and my men, you’ll be a dead man. Do you understand that, you putrid slug?”

Riddles nodded his head emphatically as he cowered on the stone bench. The scruffy looking man before him eyed him skeptically. After taking a moment to cool down, he took a seat on the bench. “I’m gonna need more money, Riddles, if people are going to be taking bullets.”

“Of course, I understand, completely. Just name your price and I’ll have it for you by tomorrow evening.” He scratched his bulbous nose with a stubby finger that was moist with perspiration.

“I’m gonna try to hire some idiots to do the dirty work. They’re a dime a dozen in Red Lantern Alley and nobody will miss ‘em when they’re six feet under. My men are loyal to me and too good at what they do to get wasted on your sordid affair. I don’t care about your beat or if you live or die, but as long as you’re going to pay me, I’ll take your money and have fun.” The man suddenly turned his attention on the trees behind him feeling suddenly uncomfortable. “What’s in there anyways?” he asked offhandedly gesturing at the ancient trees.

“You’ve heard the same stories as me, Dylan, whether they’re true or not beats me.” The short officer now stood next to his partner in crime eyeing the woods suspiciously.

“The place gives me the creeps.” Turning his back on the legendary forest he barked one last order before leaving, “meet me at the Purple Onion tomorrow night at eight fifteen. Don’t be late or you’ll be my new project.”

Riddles let out his breath as the tall figure strolled away. He hated that man but he didn’t have much choice, he needed that money. His cost of living far exceeded his meager income from the force. If he couldn’t get the shops to come back to him then he would be forced to take part in the drug push that was taking place in the shipping yards, a most unfathomable option.

Meanwhile, across town Riddles’ new enemy was being fitted with her custom made shotgun holster. She couldn’t believe how nicely the piece had turned out. She had truly underestimated George’s talent. As an extra bonus, he had also made a hip holster for her six shooters. Both the belt and sling strap had slots lining them for the bullets to be stored along with an additional pouch for more ammo. Alex couldn’t restrain her huge smile as she strapped on the leather.

“How much do I owe you, George?” she asked while loading bullets onto her new accessories.

“Absolutely nothing, my dear. You’re doing this community a great service and this is the least I can do to thank you.”

The girl’s cheeks tuned scarlet, she didn’t like receiving so much attention. Reaching into one of her pants pockets she removed a gold piece and tossed it to the well dressed man. “Here’s your tip then.” She left before the gentleman could retaliate.

Feeling a boost of confidence now that she had her weapons at the ready, she strolled down the sidewalk taking stock of the shops. She was surprised to see that the window had already been replaced at the This ‘n’ That store. Observing the tightness of the community gave her an idea but she’d have to run it across Will first to see if it was practical. Quickening her steps, she made a direct path to Trumper’s, anxious to see her friend.

The Past(Alex, Nelly)

She didn’t know how long she sat there hunched down next to the barn watching the fire take away everybody she loved. At one point the pain had become too much to bear and she had thought about running inside of the burning building but she knew that her parents’ would not approve of such selfishness. Not knowing what else to do, she left the smoldering scene behind her and sought shelter within the hayloft where she finally cried herself to sleep.

Alex awoke early the next morning with the dream still haunting her. Usually she could shake the memories but for some reason they wouldn’t allow her to move on today. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she grabbed a pair of blue jeans from a drawer and slipped on a white cotton button up shirt that was too big for her slight frame. After making a quick trip to the bathroom where she pulled her hair back into a loose braid, she went downstairs to join Nelly for breakfast.

“Good morning, dear” greeted the robust woman merrily while scooping out the last of the scrambled eggs onto a plate. Walking over to the little breakfast table she placed the eggs onto the table and without looking at the girl, left to retrieve the coffee. Feeling satisfied that all was ready, Nelly took a seat across from her young house guest. “Goodness, honey, you look like you’ve got a rain cloud hoverin’ over ya.” She unabashedly remarked upon seeing Alex sitting forlornly in her chair. “It’s those dreams of yours. Do you want to tell me about it?”

Alex shook her head half-heartedly while picking at her eggs with the end of her fork. The older woman reached over and gently clasped her hand around the distraught girl’s scarred hand. “Sometimes talking about horrible things, makes the burden easier to carry,” she said soothingly. Alex studied the woman sitting across from her, she had never told her story to anyone – there was nobody to share it with. Looking at the honest face before her, she felt safe enough to disclose her life to this kind woman.

Without warning, she began pouring out her heart to the attentive host. By the time they had finished breakfast and cleared away the dishes Alex had caught her up to where here family had been murdered and she was left as an orphan. “You poor dear,” was the only comment Nelly made while dabbing at her teary eyes. “What did you do? Did you go stay with family? What happened?”

Placing the last of the dishes up in the cupboard, Alex walked over to the sitting room followed by the curious woman. Taking a seat in front of the large picture window, she continued the story.

“Hunger finally drove me out of hiding but when I laid eyes on the smoldering ashes that had once been my home I quickly lost my appetite. I stood there a long time just watching the smoke spiral up to the white fluffy clouds overhead, void of all emotion save one – hatred. The longer I stood there, the stronger the feeling became until I was completely consumed with it. From that moment on, my one driving force was to find and kill every last one of those bastards who had stolen my life from me. I walked away from that place and never looked backed.”

“How did you survive? Didn’t somebody notice a little girl traveling alone?” Nelly was so engrossed in the story that she had forgotten that the girl was talking about a place and time out of the history books.

“I kept to the woods and only went into town or around homesteads when necessary. I quickly learned how to live off of the land and to make a shelter that could withstand most storms. I soon discovered the art of conning and thieving, I’m not proud of either but you do what you have to do in order to survive.” She paused for a moment out of embarrassment for her past behavior but with a reassuring comment from the caring woman, she continued her tale.

“Widows were the easiest to get a hot meal from and at times a warm place to sleep. I’d tell them some sob story about getting lost and they’d invite me in without a moment’s hesitation. I moved from town to town, thus avoiding any legal problems with guardianship. I only had to hide out until I was 16 then I was considered an adult. Those first few months were about nothing but survival and with winter fast approaching I knew that I needed to find a warm place to hole up. That’s when I heard about hired hands being needed in California. It was a good ways off from home but at least it was warm and I could make some honest money. However, there was only one hitch, I was a girl.

After running through my options, I decided to chop my hair and find me some trousers and a hat. I spent a few days observing how the young boys acted and dressed and feeling confident that I could pull it off, I went to work reinventing myself. With a new haircut and new clothes that I had swiped from a clothes line, I added the finishing touch by giving myself a new name. Thus Alex Milds was born. The next day I boarded a train along with two dozen other men of various ages heading west. Nobody questioned my awkwardness with the horses and ranch life, they just chalked it up to inexperience due to my young age. The more experienced hands were quick to show me the ropes and how to shoot a gun. I spent the next three years honing my skills and the day I turned sixteen I headed out on my own bent on revenge.

It didn’t take me long to get the names of my family’s murders, seems they just couldn’t help bragging about all the families they had gunned down or bullied into selling their homesteads. Unfortunately, the seven I was looking for had parted and gone their separate ways, meaning more time in taking them out. On the plus side, I wouldn’t be taking on more men than what I could handle.

Because I was now legally an adult, I wasn’t too concerned about disguising myself as a boy any longer, however, I did decide to keep the name because Alexandra Fields was dead to me just as much as my family was. Being a girl had its advantages because nobody thought of me as a threat. My first three victims were easy pray, they had become sloppy and lazy on all the money they had taken from innocent families. I showed no mercy in my killings and was more than glad to rid the plains of the filthy swine.”

Alex stood up and began pacing around the sun filled room as she continued with her story, her arms gesturing wildly and her eyes taking on a feverish look that concerned Nelly.

“In many of the towns I passed through, they didn’t care if some of the scum wound up dead, but when there’s too many in one place – well, that leads to trouble. I didn’t care though, I saw the two of them sitting in the saloon, laughing and drinking and I saw red. How dare they enjoy life when they stole mine away! I shot the bastards in front of everybody; a mistake that nearly cost me my life. The sheriff couldn’t turn a blind eye, not with that many witnesses. I was scheduled to be hanged the next day. If the other two men I was looking for were dead, I probably wouldn’t have cared if they hung me or not, but as it was I still had business to attend to. I sat in the cell that night crying my eyes out, laying on my best feminim charms, and wouldn’t you know it worked. The deputy, a young man not much older than me, couldn’t take the tears and unlocked the door allowing me to walk out of town. Men just can’t handle a girl cryin’.”

Alex started up the stairs indicating with a tilt of her head that Nelly should follow, which she was only too happy to do, for she was anxious to hear where the story was going. Once inside of Room 3 the cowgirl retrieved a slip of paper from within her saddle bags and handed it to Nelly who was perched comfortably on the bed.

“This here’s a list of the men who ruined my life and killed my family. Only two remain. I was on the trail of that fellow there” she pointed to a scrawled name that read Jake Small. “Old Jake there hadn’t turned into a drunk like the rest of the gang, he decided to embark in gold smuggling. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I crossed paths with him. He was taking gold from some Mexican General in return for information about the American Army. I really didn’t care about any of this, I just wanted the man dead but as luck would have it, I got caught spying on him. They pulled the local sheriff in on me by feeding them some cock –n – bull story about me being the gold thief and that’s why I was running from the posse the day I got caught in the sand storm. And the rest as they say is history.”

Alex stared out the window to the street below taking note of the cat and rabbit sitting across the street, “What is it with those two.” Shaking her head she crossed the room to stand in front of Nelly who was sitting quietly trying to make sense of all of this.

“You don’t believe me, do you? I can’t say that I blame you.”

“No, dear, that’s where you’re wrong” Nelly tenderly pulled the girl down to sit next to her on the bed, “I do believe you. I don’t know why but I know that everything you’ve said is the truth. Further more, I believe I’ve met this Jake Small before. I can’t be sure, I’ll have to do some checking around, but it seems to me that he was here once. Odd fellow, always wore cowboy boots like you and wore a dark brown Stetson. I can’t place where or when I saw him last but I know I’ve met him.” She stared at the paper as if the answer could be found there. After another moment of silence she handed the weathered parchment back to Alex. “You best be heading out, dear, I believe you have a busy day ahead of you.” And with that she exited the room leaving the girl alone with her thoughts.

Alex folded the list and returned it to the saddle bags. She picked up one of the six shooters and tucked it in the back of her pants at the small of her back. By untucking her blouse she was able to conceal the weapon. Stuffing a handful of bullets in her front pocket she was ready to patrol the streets.

She had her hand on the door ready to leave the bed ‘n’ breakfast when Nelly came rushing up to her. “Armani just called. Says he has your order ready and to bring the gun with you.”

The girl quickly returned to her room to retrieve the 12 gauge. With a quick “good-bye” tossed to Nelly, she left the building in the direction of Armani.