Well, it took some time and fighting with writer’s block
but I managed it, and here it is, the next chapter…
The Calm Before The Storm
A week later Bailey and Stranger crouched in a clump of tall, dry weeds and watched the Outlaw activity around an abandoned mineshaft.
“What d’you reckon they’re doin’?” asked Bailey.
“What d’yer think?” answered Stranger, Bailey frowned, thinking,
“The Outlaw ‘bosses’ have bin collaboratin’ their efforts and their undertakin’s have been a lot more successful…”
“Good, and?”
“So they’re plannin’ somat big.” Stranger nodded,
“Jist what I think. So Bailey, how do we git in there?” Over the last few days since they had managed the get into The Black Talon bar Stranger had been mentoring Bailey on successful bounty hunting, he was very pleased to find out that she picked it up quite easily, remembering what he’d taught her and applying it. Bailey watched the movements of the sentries for a while.
“We take down him.” she said gesturing to one in particular, “And him.” she pointed to another one, “There’s a blind spot and with them down we could sneak in.” Stranger ran Bailey’s strategy over in his mind before nodding and grinning.
“That’d work. So how d’you plan on takin’ ‘em fer a walk?” Bailey opened the ammo pouch on Stranger’s belt, she took out a Chippunk and rubbed it’s head with one finger.
“We ask this lil’ guy to help us. Whadda ya say dude?” she directed her question to the Chippunk,
“Does he,” the Chippunk jabbed a little forepaw at Stranger, “Stink as bad as a Stunk?” it said in answer. Stranger scowled but Bailey sniggered.
“Thanks.”
“No problem, anythin’ fer a polite sista.” The Chippunk glared at Stranger, “Unlike some people. What do you need ma to do?”
“I need to you draw those two goons over here in moment if you would.”
“No problemo.” Bailey set the rodent on the ground and went into Stranger’s pouch again and brought out a group of Fuzzles, the Fuzzles began snarling as soon as they were out of the pouch but as Bailey began stroking their thick brown fur all the Fuzzles stopped growling and looked up at Bailey with innocent orange eyes, clearly enjoying the attention. Stranger couldn’t help thinking that Bailey could pretty much get anything she wanted, all she had to do was scratch in the right place…
“Hey there ya lil’ cuties,” Bailey cooed like she was talking to a bunch of rabbits, “You gonna help us bring down some Outlaws?” the Fuzzles rubbed themselves against Bailey’s fingers. Bailey set them next to the Chippunk and then picked up the rodent. “Alright dude, yer on.”
“Bring ‘em on dudette!” the Chippunk enthused as Bailey set him outside of the weeds and directed him to the nearest Outlaw she’d targeted. The little rodent darted over and began spouting obscenities at the two Outlaws Bailey had pointed out. The Outlaws tried to ignore the abusive Chippunk but they finally lost their tempers and rushed over to stamp on it. The Chippunk darted back towards the weeds where Bailey and Stranger were hiding and then dived into a burrow.
“You’re up.” Bailey whispered to the Fuzzles who saw the Outlaws and began to growl.
Stranger loaded them up into his crossbow and fired. The Fuzzles latched onto the Outlaws, biting and gnawing. The Outlaws began screaming and running around in circles.
“Thudslugs.” Bailey growled, “Should have added Thudslugs to shut them up, they’re gonna bring all the others down on us.”
“We can fix tha’.” Stranger grinned, in under twenty seconds he loaded a couple of the Thudslugs and fired them, knocking out the two Outlaws.
“Damn.” Bailey muttered, “Should have seen that comin’.” Stranger put a hand on Bailey’s hair.
“No one’s perfect Bailey.” He murmured, “C’mon, let’s go.” The two bounty hunters crept out of the weeds, around the old scaffolding and struts littering the outside of the mineshaft and using the gap they had created in the sentry rounds, the pair slipped into the mineshaft.
Bailey followed Stranger along the tunnel, relying on his eyes as they were better in the dark then her own. After a time the two came out into a huge cavern that soared above their heads and plunged down into a giant crevasse with scaffolding and chains everywhere. Walkways, spanned it at ever level and loose ropes, chains and other mining paraphernalia were hanging from various levels and scattered about on the huge rock ledges that jutted out at various heights.
“Moria eat your heart out…” Bailey thought looking around.
Suddenly there was a crash. Stranger and Bailey froze and listened warily. Not long after another crash echoed around the cavern, and then voices,
“You IDIOT! Now look what you’ve done!” Stranger’s ears flicked. Bailey watched him intently, waiting for the slightest signal to run or prepare to fight.
“Two of ‘em.” Stranger muttered, “Comin’ this way…” there was nowhere for them to run expect across a rope bridge that looked like it had come straight of an old jungle movie.
Stranger began to run, pelting towards the bridge, Bailey followed, but as she came to where the rock ended and the bridge went out into space, she hung back, nervous. Stranger, not hearing Bailey’s footsteps turned quickly.
“Bailey!” he hissed, “C’mon!” he beckoned urgently. Bailey shook her head and took a step backwards.
“I can’t.” she mouthed. “I’m…
I’m afraid of heights!” Stranger gaped, Bailey shrugged apologetically.
“Bailey you have to!” he yelled, not bothering to keep his voice down in his urgency.
“Hey!” hollered one of the approaching Outlaw voice, “I hear voices!” the Outlaws suddenly came out, running around the corner and saw Stranger and Bailey.
“It’s Stranger an’ his lil’ Gunslinger!” howled the other Outlaw,
“Get ‘em!” shouted the first and they began advancing on Bailey, loading their guns. Bailey gulped. She glanced at the bridge, then back at the Outlaws.
“Oh heck.” She whimpered.
“BAILEY!” that was Stranger voice, shouting at her to move, to run, to do
anything except stand there and get caught. Bailey gulped again and took a step back, her heel hit the bridge. Even if she got the courage to cross now, the Outlaws would just follow…unless…they couldn’t…
It was a desperate thought, but Bailey reasoned, desperate times called for desperate measures…right? Bailey wrenched the hatchet out of her belt, glanced at Stranger and tried to tell him what she was doing through her eyes. She must have managed it because Stranger nodded and crouched, wrapping his fingers around one of the boards of the bridge. Bailey twirled the hatchet, looked once at the Outlaws, and then sank to the small axe into the guide ropes. They snapped and the whole bridge fell from one side.
Taking Bailey and Stranger with it.
Bailey managed to get the hatchet back into her belt and clung onto the bridge, eyes squeezed shut. After what seemed a stomach-churning eternity of broken bridge flying through the hot air of the mines Bailey felt a thud as it hit the opposite sheer wall of the cavern.
The blow knocked the wind from Bailey’s lungs and her grip on the boards slipped. Fortunately she felt her jumper snag on something a fraction of a second before she fell. Bailey breathed a sigh of relief and looked up. Stranger was holding her jersey, neon green eyes concerned.
“I’m okay.” Bailey nodded. Stranger looked relieved and pulled Bailey up into a more secure hold before clambering up the boards of the bridge-turned-ladder. When they reached the top he set Bailey down and put a hand on each shoulder,
“Yer sure yer okay kid?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, shaken up,” she looked across the chasm and shuddered, “But I’ll live.”
“Good,” growled Stranger, “Coz if you
eva do anything like that again,
I’ll kill yer.” Bailey blinked at him completely surprised, until Stranger drew her into a fierce hug. “Don’t you ever scare ma like that again. Yer hear me squirt.” Bailey was dumbfounded for a moment, but then;
“Yes, I hear you.”
“Yer the only friend I got, yer important ter me.” Stranger voice was very quiet now, “I don’t want ter lose yer kid.” Bailey buried her face into Stranger’s poncho so he wouldn’t see her get teary. She only made a small muffled sound in affirmative. Stranger hugged the human tightly for a moment before letting her go. “Let’s go squirt.” Bailey nodded, her eyes dry now.
“Right.” Stranger led the way into another tunnel, Bailey sticking close. After a moment Stranger stopped dead, so suddenly that Bailey bumped into him.
“Stranger? Wh-”
“Quiet.” Bailey clammed up at Stranger’s tone. She moved back a step so she wouldn’t bump into him if he moved quickly and curled her fingers around the grip of one of the handguns. Suddenly her heel sank, Bailey jumped backward, gun drawn, but it was only a cylindrical stone that had been perturbing from the floor sinking to the same level as the other stones…
Wait a second…
Oh dear…
“Stranger.” Bailey squeaked.
“What?”
“Prepare to take the plunge.”
“WHA’!?” the floor dropped beneath them. Bailey shrieked and began sliding down what appeared to be a stone chute. After a minute or two she tumbled out at the other end and crashed onto Stranger.
“Ow.” She muttered.
“How d’yer think I feel…” came Stranger’s voice, Bailey swatted at him.
“I’m not that heavy!” she protested. Stranger grunted and rolled over, Bailey fell off him and hit the dirt and groaned. “Alright, all endorphins report to my butt…that was seriously painful…” Bailey got up rubbing her posterior and scowling at Stranger. Stranger brushed off his poncho, completely oblivious to her glare. Bailey huffed and looked around, stopping short. “Er…where are we?” Stranger looked around as well.
“Off hand, I’d say we were deeper in tha mine.” Bailey gave Stranger a look.
“No, really?” she asked sarcastically. “It’s journey to the centre of the earth…” she muttered under her breath.
“C’mon Bailey, jist standin’ around won’t git us outta here.” Bailey groused mutinously to herself and followed the bounty hunter.
The room they had landed in was dimly lit by torches but as they left it and entered another tunnel the lights snuffed out, leaving them in complete darkness. Bailey couldn’t even see her hand in front of her face. Bailey whimpered. She had a phobia of not being able to see. She reached blindly for something familiar and felt coarse fur brush her fingertips.
“Stranger.” Bailey whispered hoarsely. “I can’t see, where are you?”
“Right here Bailey.” Bailey felt a hand close around her fingers. “Don’t worry, I got yer, I ain’t lettin’ yer go.” Something warm and furry brushed her cheek and Bailey was reassured. Keeping a firm hold of Stranger’s hand Bailey let the bounty hunter lead her through the darkness.
Finally they came out into another lit chamber, this one however was lavishly furnished to resemble an office-throne room hybrid. Bailey shrank behind Stranger, goosebumps rippled across her arms and the hairs on the back of her neck rose.
“I have a real bad feelin’ about this.” She whispered. Stranger made a low rumbling growl in affirmative.
“Well well,” said a voice suddenly, “What ‘ave we ‘ere? Well if it ain’t Stranger and his purdy lil’ par’ner.” A huge outlaw, easily nine feet in height came into the office-throne room with a smirk on his face and three smaller minions at his back. Stranger tipped his hat mockingly,
“Howdy.”
“Well ain’t that jist nice mannered, whadda ya say boys? Why don’t we give Stranger a warm welcome. We’ll play wiv his lil’ pal later.” Bailey unholstered her handguns and held them ready.
“I’m hauling yer ass in, alive or a corpse, it’s your choice, but yer butt Is Mine.” The Outlaw chuckled,
“Git ‘em boys.” Stranger heard the click of Bailey locking and loading her guns, and grinned.
“Come an’ get it, yer mama did!” he called and darted out of Bailey line of sight and Bailey took down two of the minions and spun the handguns around her trigger finger to reload before she aimed both barrels at the Outlaw boss. Stranger took care of the last minion.
“If you ain’t just a purdy gunslinger.” The Outlaw purred, Bailey cocked her guns.
“And if you ain’t just a butt-ugly Outlaw scumbag.” She shot back, imitating the Outlaw’s accent.
Suddenly Bailey saw a small black and white something whiz past her ear out of the corner of her eye. The thing hit the floor right at the Outlaw’s feet and a noxious green cloud issued up from it. The Outlaw keeled over, heaving, Bailey also got a whiff of the green cloud. And immediately gagged. The stench was
awful. Bailey fell to her knees, her stomach retching.
After a minute Stranger crouched down beside her. He pressed something over her mouth and nose like a wet cloth and Bailey found she could breathe again, she began coughing and Stranger rubbed her back to help her breathe.
“Easy now, easy. Jist breathe deep Bailey, it’ll pass.” Bailey’s coughing subsided after a while as she took deep breaths, Stranger still stroking her back. She took another deep breath;
“I’m okay…what
was that?”
“Stunk.” Answered Stranger, “I’m sorry Bailey, I wouldn’t have used it if I’d known it would affect yer so badly.”
“Don’t-” she coughed again, “Worry about it. You didn’t know.” She patted Stranger’s leg reassuringly. Stranger helped her up and over to the fallen, unconscious Outlaw. “What happened to him?” Bailey asked, she hadn’t fainted because of the Stunk, and the Outlaw was bigger then she was.
“I walloped tha scumbag. I ain’t gonna let anyone talk ter my kid like tha’.” As he said it Stranger pulled back a small lever on the front of the crossbow and aimed the barrels at the Outlaw’s body, there was a sound like air being sucked into a vacuum and the Outlaw’s bulk sucked into a small compartment at the back of the crossbow.
“Wow, that’s nifty.” Bailey muttered, Stranger gave a grin.
“Baggin’ bounties made easy.” He said, “The Doc worked it out.” Bailey’s fist clenched at the mentioning of the Doc but she soon returned to herself.
Suddenly Stranger went still and flicked his ears again. Bailey strained to hear what he could but failed.
“What now?” Bailey muttered to no one in particular.
“Shhh.” Stranger put a finger on Bailey’s nose. His fur tickled and Bailey tried frantically to stop herself from sneezing. She clapped her hands over her mouth and nose, Stranger removing his finger in surprise, and then she sneezed.
“Sorry.” She whispered, it was then she heard voices,
“C’mon, let’s check it out.” She looked apologetically at Stranger. Stranger smiled slightly and put a hand on her head to let her know it wasn’t her fault she’d sneezed.
Bailey could hear footsteps coming now.
“Man, I hate déj* vu.” She thought as Stranger took the lead out of the office-throne room through another door. They raced silently through a labyrinth of twisting corridors until they came –
To a dead end.
“Damn…” muttered Stranger.
“Wait a sec.” muttered Bailey, she went up to the ‘dead end’ and found it not to be a dead end at all. “There’s a hatch here Stranger.” Stranger came up beside her, she was right. There was a rotting wooden hatch that jutted out on a squat columnar outcrop of rock from the wall. Unfortunately the metal padlock didn’t looked half as worn.
“It’ll make some noise to break it.” Stranger warned. Bailey took out one of the handguns.
“I’ll be ready.” She grinned. Stranger hesitated, then nodded and taking hold of the padlock he twisted it apart with a screech of metal. Immediately there were running footsteps. Stranger threw open the hatch. “Where does it lead?” Bailey asked, her back to him, her gun aimed at the mouth of the tunnel into the room.
“Into a cave, there’s water, don’t worry, it’s lit.”
“Is the water flowing, if it can get out, so can we.”
“I can’t really tell…yeh, I think it might be.”
“You go, I’ll follow.” Stranger considered arguing but just then three small Outlaws burst into the room.
“There they are!”
“Git em!”
“GO!” yelled Bailey, Stranger did as he was told and jumped down the hatch. Bailey began firing and moving backwards to the hatch, it didn’t take long to take down the three Outlaws but even Bailey could hear more on the way. She holstered her gun and made to slip into the hatch…
If her spear hadn’t caught…
“This isn’t fair!” Bailey wailed, more Outlaws burst into the room and one fired his gun, hitting Bailey in the shoulder, Bailey yelped.
In the chamber below Stranger was frantic, pacing, the ceiling was dark above him and he couldn’t make out why Bailey hadn’t come yet. And then he heard her yelp.
“Bailey!” he roared. “BAILEY!” but she couldn’t her him, everything was going fuzzy from the pain and everything seemed to slow down to a Slurg’s crawl even though in reality it had only been a few seconds. Bailey knew she was going to black out in a moment but she held onto her last thought,
Break the spear…
She brought her elbow down on the spear. It didn’t break but it was dislodged from where it was wedged into the rock and Bailey dropped through the hatch, the howls of the outraged Outlaws following her and crashed into the lake below.
Stranger saw the human fall and hit the water, he waited anxiously for a second for her to pop up, shake her hair and grin, making a snarky comment. But she didn’t. Stranger waded into the underground lake and plunged in. He saw Bailey straight away and he was soon pulling her out of the water. Luckily she was still breathing and she still had a heartbeat.
Stranger held Bailey’s limp body in his arms, holding her close to his chest to warm her up, he didn’t care that was hip-deep in cold water, nor that he was soaked through. All his attention was centred on the little girl in his arms, his friend, his kid, his Bailey.
“Bailey?” he said softly, she didn’t respond. “C’mon kid, wake up fer ol’ Stranger.” Bailey didn’t move, “Bailey, I need yer to wake up. I need yer kiddo.” Bailey stirred fractionally. Stranger caught his breath, “That’s it kid, wake up. I’m tellin’ yer.” Stranger drew the rough pads of his fingers across Bailey’s cheek. “I never depended on anyone in my life.” Stranger said softly, “I’m dependin’ on you now.” Stranger paused and broke into a half-grin, “Don't make me have to tell ya another joke.” Bailey coughed,
“Oh no,” she said hoarsely, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice, “Not another one of your jokes.” And she finally opened her eyes. She squinted up at Stranger.
“Howdy kiddo.” Stranger grinned in relief.
“Hi.” Murmured Bailey, grinning tiredly, she frowned, “What happened? And why is everything green?”
“Yer fell into tha lake. And tha green’s just natural lighting, don’t worry about it.” Bailey watched the light water patterns moving over Stranger’s face, making it look different and making his iridescent, neon green eyes glow. She suddenly felt the pain of the bullet in her shoulder, breaking her concentration.
“Ow.” She muttered.
“What, tell me what hurts kid.” Bailey touched her shoulder.
“Here.” Stranger nodded, carried the young human to the lakeshore and sat her down, rolling up her jumper and shirt’s sleeve. He studied the gunshot wound,
“I can take out tha bullet Bailey, but it’s gonna hurt.” Bailey nodded and reached back with her good arm, taking an arrow (which were thankfully dry) from the quiver and put it between her teeth. “Yer ready.” Bailey closed her eyes, turned away and nodded.” Stranger scraped out the bullet. Bailey made a muffled sound but nothing more. Stranger used Bailey’s dark scarf as a bandage and helped her up. “When we git back, we can git a proper dressin’.” Bailey nodded.
“So, which way?” she asked cheerfully.
¤§¤
Two hours later Stranger and Bailey stumbled into town. By now they’d moved on from Birdington and were in a more northward Clakker town whose name Bailey could neither pronounce nor remember. Bailey looked around town, noticing something she hadn’t before, as they made their way to the Bounty Store.
“Hey Stranger, why ain’t it all like deserty around here?”
“Because we’re closer ter tha Mongo.” Bailey blinked at him, completely clueless. Stranger saw the expression. “Look, I’ll tell yer later a’right?” Bailey nodded,
“Promise?” Stranger ruffled her hair.
“Yeh, I promise.” Satisfied Bailey followed Stranger into the town prison.
“Yarg! You git them damn Outlaws Stranger?” squawked the Clakker prison guard. Stranger nodded and reversed the suction in his crossbow, depositing a griping Outlaw into an empty cell. “Nice goin’ Stranger.” The Clakker continued as he stamped the Wanted poster, “Now you an’ Gunslinger can git yer Moolah from the Bounty Store.” Stranger gave the Clakker a look,
“Gunslinger?”
“Yer lil’ friend dere.” Stranger glanced back at Bailey who was exchanging insults with one of the other prisoners. “Round these parts yer lil’ partner’s been dubbed ‘Gunslinger’. Word is she’s a nasty varmint wiv that gun of hers.” Stranger’s expression was completely staggered, he looked back at Bailey again still arguing with the Outlaw. “Got quite a rep, she ‘as.” The Clakker rattled on, completely ignorant that Stranger was gaping.
“Er…better git tha’ Moolah.” He said finally, taking back the red stamped poster, “C’mon kid, we’re leavin’.” Bailey looked over, nodded before throwing one last parting shot at the captive Outlaw and then following Stranger out of the jailhouse, the Outlaw yelling profanities after them. “Did ya know that the Clakkerz are callin’ yer ‘Gunslinger’ now?” Stranger asked once they were half way down the main street. Bailey didn’t seem in the slightest worried by this.
“Do they now?”
“Yer ain’t worried?”
“Are you?”
“Yes.” Bailey looked at Stranger curiously.
“Why?”
“Because yer’ll be easier to find.” Stranger gave Bailey a pointed look, “An’ I don’ want them ter find yer.” There was a pause. Bailey felt the need for a subject change.
“What’s this Mongo yer mentioned earlier?” Stranger frowned slightly at the subject change but answered,
“Years ago the Mongo River came all the ways down here but then it was dammed.” Bailey cocked her head to one side,
“Dammed? What for?”
“For a bottled water company, run by a guy called Sekto.” Bailey choked, memories rushing in.
“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.”
Stranger looked at Bailey concerned,
“Bailey?” Stranger’s voice snatched Bailey back from her memory.
“Sorry, throat’s dry.” Bailey invented, forcing a cough. Stranger looked at Bailey his expression half way between concern and confusion and a hint of hurt, as if he knew she was lying and was concerned as to why, and hurt because it hurt him to think that there was something Bailey wouldn’t tell him. He ploughed on with his story.
“When the river was dammed, the water started to dry up and the lower land became a desert.” Bailey looked depressed.
“That must have been hard.”
“Well, the Clakkerz had no problems coping. But the Grubbs, they suffered.”
“Grubbs?”
“River folk. Traditionally they’d fish in tha river, but since tha river's been dryin’ up, an’ Sekto's forces have been killin’ them fer still tryin’ ter fish, their people ain’t in a very good state. They live in fear…now tha the Steef are gone-” Stranger cut himself off as if he had said too much.
“Where did they go? The Steef I mean.” asked Bailey, a guilty feeling was squirming in her stomach as she asked.
“Sekto had them hunted down and killed, they were the guardians of Mongo Valley, and the Grubbs, very fierce fighters, they believed very much in honour… If they had been left alive they would have fought Sekto and he couldn’t risk it.” The sick, guilty feeling in Bailey’s stomach squirmed more violently. She’d agreed to hunt down a Steef for someone who appeared to be as bad as the Cartel. It made her feel sick. But her determination did not waver. What she did would help Stranger.
That was the only thing that mattered.
“Were they all destroyed?”
“No, not all.” And he left it at that. Bailey thought Stranger looked sad but she didn’t say anything, too busy fighting her own demons to really process why he was depressed, too occupied to make the connection…
¤§¤
It was dusk, several hours later. Bailey and Stranger had set up camp outside the Clakker town in the wilds, which were lusher up north. They sat next to the campfire, talking occasionally but mostly miserably silent, for astonishingly similar reasons. And both used similar methods to occupy their minds. Stranger took care of his crossbow and mentally totted up what ammo he needed and Bailey – after her shenanigan run-around with the Outlaws, hatch and spear – decided it was time to rearrange her arsenal for ease of movement, and inconspicuouscy. Her movement stiff because of the bandage Stranger had replaced the scarf-make-shift bandage with while they had been in the town.
While in town earlier she had wandered off while Stranger was at the Bounty Store and purchased a small knapsack pack, a small medical kit, a length of tough, brown leather, a pair of silver scissors, a strong needle and a bobbin of coarse thread. She sat by the fire and proceeded to make loops from the leather and securing them too all her non-gun weaponry.
After watching her for a while Stranger finally had to ask what she was doing,
“I’m makin’ it so that all me stuff can go onto that Compressor, I ain’t gonna risk another incident like today.” When she finished she put her bow and arrow quiver, the spear and the Slig and sniper rifle (along with all the gun ammo) onto the Compressor and put it on the forest floor next to her. In a separate pile was the sling, the whip with rocks on the end, the two daggers, the hatchet, and Desert Eagle handguns which she decided could be concealed and therefore carried on her person.
Next she emptied her original pouch of everything and rifled through them, adding the medical kit, scissors, spare leather, needle and thread to the pouch’s contents, among of which were a length of rope with a grappling hook on the end, the bowstring, a human lighter, the poncho, gloves (the ones with fingers) and scarf and lastly a pack of cards. She also unhooked the moneybelt from under her shirt and placed it on the pile. The hat she won in the poker game was hanging around her neck.
Stranger gaped at her things. Bailey saw his expression and snickered,
“Pays ter be prepared mate. I learnt that lesson a very long time ago.” She then examined all her equipment and once she was satisfied that it was all in good working order she put all of her pouch supplies and compressed weaponry into the small pack, after a moment she put in everything else in as well, there was no point in sleeping in it.
Once everything was safely put away to Bailey’s satisfaction she grinned at Stranger and began shuffling her pack of Oddworld cards.
“You game?” she asked teasingly. Stranger glanced from her face to the cards and back to her face again. He matched her grin with a feral one of his own.
Little did he know that Bailey was about to whup his over-confident hide and take a good chunk out of his Moolah stash…
Not that Bailey would lose any sleep over it, she might feel a bit rotten about taking his cash, but puncturing that ego would make her feel better.
How could it not? She was after all, Bailey the poker playing Gunslinger.
Although this was but the calm before the storm…
-----
I await your replies
Oh, and a side note, because some’ve you have read all this before, I’m just gonna re-post up to the chapter I last had on here.
No problem buddy, and I look forward to ya next post and fic chapter. 
Oddworld Just Got Stranger
Oh Bailey and Stranger's relationship have a few ups and downs ahead of them (they ain't perfect after all and they don't get on all the time...). Anyway, glad you're interested, and I predict that Bailey will do her nut when she finds out what kind of operation Stranger had...*insert ominous music here* and yeh, you're right, Bailey is a mean gunslinger when she wants to be.
Okay, you've completely lost me. I have no idea what you mean...but I admit I was amused when I read that. 
