Hidden Agenda
Early the next morning Bailey and Stranger were once again scouting bounties, getting information from the locals and meeting every half hour to compare notes before splitting up again.
Around late morning Bailey was waiting at their planned rendezvous point, away from the prying eyes of the locals, when Stranger stormed around the corner and almost barged blindly into her.
“Whoa, whoa Stranger, what bit you in the butt?” Stranger blinked and shook his head, his gaze resting on Bailey after a moment.
“Bailey.” He sounded furious and relieved and uncertain all at the same time.
“Stranger?” Bailey approached him slowly, knowing that moving too fast would put him on edge. She gently placed a hand on his forearm, running her fingers through his fur, knowing it would calm him.
Stranger’s neon green eyes closed in pleasure as Bailey continued to stroke his fur. After another moment he began emitting a rumbling purr, almost too low for Bailey to hear.
“Sit down before you fall down.” Bailey said, highly amused by the effect such a simple gesture could have on Stranger. The bounty hunter obeyed the human girl and sank to the floor, Bailey kneeling beside him.
“He’s just like a giant pet cat…” she thought. Following this line of thinking Bailey paused her ministrations for a moment, Stranger frowned slightly, eyes still closed. Bailey hesitated and then moved her hand to rub the fur of his jaw, just like scratching a cat under the chin. Stranger leaned into her hand, silently urging Bailey to continue. “You big softie.” Bailey muttered. After a while she stopped, “Stranger, what were you so annoyed about before?”
“Don’t stop.” Stranger said in a low voice, his eyes still closed. Bailey tilted her head to one side,
“What?”
“Don’t…stop…it’s, nice…” Stranger pressed a cheek to her hand. “Keep goin’.” Bailey raised an eyebrow but did as she was told. Stranger purred and rested his head on Bailey’s shoulder, completely trusting.
“Well, what’s buggin’ you?” Bailey asked again, still scratching.
“Odd-damn Doc…it’s because of you, yer know.” Bailey stopped rubbing in surprise.
“Me?” Stranger’s eyes open and he looked up at her,
“He hates yer.” Bailey grinned evilly.
“Not surprised, I’ve threatened to blow his brains out enough times…but what has that got to do with anything.” Stranger didn’t answer but rubbed his cheek on Bailey’s jumper, Bailey got the hint and went back to stroking the fur on his jaw.
“He didn’t say it outrigh’ but I could tell, he’s up the price of ma…”
“Of the op right?” Stranger nodded,
“To ¥20,000.”
“Oh…” Bailey nibbled her lip uncomfortably. “Sorry…’bout that.” Stranger picked his head up from Bailey’s shoulder,
“It’s not your fault, he’s been lookin’ fer an excuse fer ages.” Bailey made an unconvinced noise and went back to stroking, an idea beginning to percolate in her mind like a coffee pot.
After a while Stranger made a disappointed sound.
“As much as I’d like ter just let you do that fer hours, we gotta get back ter scouting.”
“Well…you’re kinda pinning me down, so yer gonna havta get up first…” Bailey said grinning. Stranger got to his feet and Bailey did likewise – though with a bit more difficulty as Stranger had been leaning his full weight on her leg and it had now gone to sleep. “Well this is annoyin’.” Bailey muttered as her leg refused to do anything. Stranger chuckled and put his hands under her shoulders, helping Bailey to her feet.
“Alrigh’, see yer inna bit.” Bailey rubbed her leg until the blood flowed again, it hurt a bit but after everything Bailey had been through it was hardly anything. She nodded in answer to Stranger’s statements. Then she grinned and reached up to scratch the fur on Stranger’s cheek. Stranger fought to keep his eyes open and stop from purring. “I’ll never get anywhere if yer keep doin’ that.” He muttered.
“Maybe I just like havin’ something up on yer.” Bailey grinned, “C’mon, you gotta admit that you becomin’ putty in the hands of something just over half your size is pretty amusin’.” Stranger grunted. Bailey stopped rubbing and gave him a hug. “Shouldn’t you be going now?” she asked sweetly. Stranger growled gently,
“Varmint.” He muttered and pressed his nose to her hair before they went their separate ways.
There were bounties to scout after all.
By the afternoon both had come to the same conclusion. If they wanted any information on the higher paying bounties, then they have to go to one place; a bar, known as The Black Talon, located in the less savoury part of Birdington.
It was the kind of bar that people didn’t come out of…
“Right, Bailey I want yer ter stay in here.” Stranger said while they sat in The Stoned Crow, having a drink and forming some sort of plan to get into The Black Talon. “I’ll go an’ get the information we need.” Bailey opened her mouth furiously.
“Like hell. I’m comin’ an’ you can’t stop me. We’re a team-” Bailey paused and looked doubtful, “We are a team right?” Stranger was silent for a moment, he’d never thought of their relationship as teamwork before but now that he did, he found he liked the idea.
“Yeh, we’re a team.”
“And partners always stick together.” Bailey said firmly. Stranger let out a sigh and shook his head, smiling slightly.
“Yer never give up do yer?” Bailey grinned,
“Nope.”
“Alright then, but stick close to me, it might get a bit rough in there if things go downhill.” Bailey took one of the mini-Desert Eagle handguns from it’s holster secured behind her back under the arrow quiver and loaded it, grinning at Stranger.
“Just the way I like it.”
¤§¤
Half an hour later the two bounty hunters stood side by side in front of a seedy bar. A gruff looking creature stood at the entrance. He looked of the all brawn and no brains variety, which would make getting in the tavern easier for Stranger and Bailey.
“Stranger,” whispered Bailey, “What’s that?”
“Wolvark. They work fer whoever’ll pay ‘em more Moolah.”
“Oh.”
“Remember, look as if you belong, don’t hesitate, don’t show fear and-”
“If anyone gets in me way be my wonderful
persuasive self with me gun. I got it, no quarter asked or given, right, right.” Stranger grinned briefly,
“Let’s go squirt.” He took the lead and swaggered to the Wolvark guard, Bailey padding after him.
“What’s the password?” the guard said as if he’d said it many times before. Stranger swore a long expletive. The Wolvark snickered,
“Heh heh. I love making people say that.” Bailey snickered at Stranger outburst,
“Nice, but I don’t think that’s it…”
“Seriously, what's the password?” asked the Wolvark guard again,
“Uh,” said Stranger, “‘Mole's Ass?’” the guard thought for a moment, Bailey decided it looked like a painful process.
“Ah,” he said finally “Close enough.” And let them enter. When Bailey was sure the Wolvark was out of earshot she went closer to Stranger.
“You have
got to be kidding…” she whispered sniggering. Stranger shrugged and put a hand on her shoulder, drawing her closer so she could hear him,
“Don’t question good luck.” Bailey rubbed her ear.
“I’ve told you about breathing on my ear.” Stranger grinned and purposely blew gently on the same ear. Bailey growled and rubbed it before swatting at Stranger’s stomach. “Evil codger…” she muttered. Stranger smiled and put a hand on her hair affectionately.
After a moment of walking down a dark tunnel-like corridor from the door to the bar Bailey and Stranger came out into a dimly lit room, torches flickering from wall brackets and the patrons muttering in quiet voices, all of them shady and shadowed in the darkness caused by the inconsistent torchlight.
Bailey and Stranger approached the bar, Stranger pulled out some of the Outlaw posters and began talking to the barkeeper. Meanwhile, Bailey, after making sure that Stranger’s full attention was on the barkeeper, went further down the bar to find another ‘tender, she found one, a gaunt female Clakker that looked bad-tempered.
“Yer have a phone in this place ma’am.” The Clakker looked down it’s beak at Bailey – until it saw the Slig rifle on her belt.
“Jist a moment.” She went below the bar and after a moment resurfaced with an old fashioned two-bit phone. “Here ya.”
“Thankee kindly ma’am.” Bailey drew the phone into a darkened corner and climbed up onto a barstool. Reaching into her jumper Bailey drew out the Steef bounty. It was her fault the Doc had doubled Stranger’s fee and Bailey intended to do something about it. She dialled the contact number and waited.
After a couple of rings the phone was answered and a deep voice spoke;
“Hello?” it wasn’t deep like Stranger’s, which comforted Bailey, it was so deep that it shook Bailey’s core, but she didn’t falter.
“Is this Sekto I’m speaking too?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“A bounty hunter interested in the Steef bounty.”
“Ahhh. And what would you be charging for the acquisition of a Steef head?”
“¥20,000. No more, no less.”
“That is…satisfactory. Call me when you have the item.”
“Aye.” The phone went dead. Bailey slowly took it from her ear and let out a breath, staring at the phone receiver. What had she done? Who or what had she just agreed to work for?
Bailey returned the phone back to the ‘tender and made her way back to Stranger, unfortunately he’d noticed her absence.
“An’ where have you bin?” he asked stuffing the posters into his poncho and throwing a ‘Thankee kindly’ over his shoulder to the barkeeper. Bailey shrugged,
“Just gettin’ info.”
“Oh, find anythin’ worth mentioning?” Bailey shrugged,
“Nah, not really, only what we already know.” Stranger gave Bailey a look, he knew very well that Bailey was lying. But he trusted Bailey’s judgment and didn’t press.
He would regret that later…