Killer Be Killed (The Frontier Book 1)

by Travis E. Hughes

  “Okay,” Roslyn said, stepping between them. “I don’t know if you two have a past life history together or not, but you need to just avoid one another, seems like to me.”

  “All right, Roslyn,” said Drago. “I’ll see what I can do.” He walked behind the bar and approached Jules. They spoke with hands covering their mouths.

  “No one saw Grace after she left the casino. I hit all the bars and gambling halls on the east side,” said Talbert. “What’s he going to see what he can do about?”

  “I figured if someone did abduct Grace, his boss would know something about it,” said Roslyn.

  “Aren’t you two cozy?” Talbert said.

  “Shut up,” Roslyn snapped. Murmurs among the patrons caused them to look to the door. Dogg Holly entered the club.

  “We’ve been searching for Grace all day, Dogg,” said Talbert as the latter made his way to the bar. Dogg ordered a glass of whiskey. He indicated he needed it to be three fingers deep. Charlie obliged.

  “No one’s seen her,” Dogg said, taking a long hit off the glass.

  Talbert handed him the muddy scarf. “This hers?”

  “No. This is cheap. She doesn’t own anything cheap,” Dogg said handing the scarf to Charlie the android. “Lost and found?”

  Drago hurried out of the bar. Roslyn debated whether to follow him or not. She waited a moment and gave in to her first impulse.

  “Where are you going?” Talbert asked.

  “I’ll be right back,” she answered over her shoulder.

  Out on the boardwalk she spotted Drago hustling along. He dodged in and out of people, sometimes stepping into the street to get around a clump of people. Roslyn hurried up the other side of the street, using columns and posts as cover.

  She followed him to an apartment building four blocks away. There were less people about and she hid in the alley across the street, peeking around the corner. Drago glanced around before making his way up the back stairs.

  Using a key, he let himself in the top apartment. He emerged with Squirrely-Eyed Dave on the landing of the fire escape. They spoke for a few moments, looking around. She ducked before their eyes scanned her alley. She searched an over stuffed dumpster for a mirror or something reflective she could use to peek around the corner undetected. Coming up empty, she went back to the mouth of the alley.

  When she looked again, Dave and Drago were gone.

  But Grace sat, slumped against the side of the building. She hadn’t been there just now. Her head bent forward. Roslyn looked all around for any sign of Drago or Dave. They had left or were up in the apartment still, cleaning up the evidence. They’d acted impulsively and now they needed to cover it up.

  Rushing across the street, she knelt down before Grace. Her skin was warm, hot actually, and clammy. Roslyn lifted her head but it fell back limp. She was still unconscious from whatever drug they’d used on her. Roslyn tried to decide what to do. Grace was too heavy for her to carry alone. An elderly man passed by, but purposely avoided eye contact. Roslyn tried to revive Grace. She slapped her cheek softly at first, then harder.

  “Grace,” shouted Roslyn. “Wake up, girl.”

  She decided to chance leaving her for the moment and running back to fetch both Dogg and Talbert.

  “Found her,” said Roslyn, out of breath.

  They followed her to the spot and discovered Grace unmolested, at least further than whatever had taken place the night before.

  Talbert lifted her and carried her to the doctor’s residence, a few blocks away.

  The doctor ran a few tests with old and faulty equipment, but it still scanned her enough to tell him that she had been drugged.

  “Did they rape her, Doctor?” asked Dogg, trying to rein in his rage.

  “No. It’s not clear what the purpose of the drugging would have been then,” said Dr. Morrow. His white hair was a wild mess. But he was cleaned shaven.

  “She still has chips in her pockets. So she wasn’t even robbed,” Dogg said, fishing out plastic bytes. She even had a small piece of gold in a plastic wrapper.

  “This is about something else,” said Talbert.

  “This was directed at me,” Dogg said, his jaws clenched. “It was that tubby piece of shit from the Golden Jewel who did this? The dragon hunter.”

  “No,” said Roslyn. “He had nothing to do with it.”

  Talbert turned his head and bore his steelies into her.

  “Why so certain?” asked Dogg.

  “It was Squirrely-Eyed Dave who was keeping her up there,” Roslyn answered, avoiding the main question. “Drago is the reason they released her. He didn’t know they’d done what they’d done. He only just found out and talked Jules into giving up the plan. They’d seen the opportunity and took it, hoping to be able to get Dogg out of town.”

  “Either way, it was Jules Divine behind it,” answered Talbert. “And Drago is his right hand and muscle. Either way, he’s going to die today.”

  “No,” Roslyn said, before she could stop herself. “We can’t just kill him for what we don’t yet know.”

  “I’m with your man, here. They want a fight, well, that’s just my game,” Dogg licked the side of his mouth.

  “So, the drug used,” said Dr. Morrow, reading a fuzzy and glitchy hologram. “Looks like it was a strong sedative. Mixed with the booze she was drinking, it nearly proved fatal. Lucky you brought her straight here.”

  Dogg’s ire was beyond measure and Roslyn feared what he was about to do.

  “Think about it, guys,” Roslyn said, in her calmest voice. She decided to try another tactic. She knew it wouldn’t stop them fully, but hopefully delay them until she could come up with something better.

  “What other reason to do this to her, if not to bait you. Dogg, they find your presence here in town a great threat to their operation. Their whole thing works if they’re the top dog, pun intended, around.”

  “Now’s not the time for jokes,” Talbert mumbled.

  “I’m being serious,” she said. “Why play into their hand?”

  “I’m not afraid of Jules Divine and I’m certainly not afraid of his tub of lard body guard,” Dogg said, checking his pistols for their charge.

  “He’s really not that chubby. He’s more stocky and strong,” she said. “My point being, it’s foolish to walk right into their plans.”

  Dr. Morrow administered an IV drip that slowly woke Grace. Meanwhile Dogg paced the floor, stewing but perhaps heeding her advice.

  Grace’s large eyes fluttered opened. The long lashes seemed to weigh the lids down to where she could barely keep them open.

  “My darling?” Dogg knelt beside her bed. “You’re alive.”

  “What da fuck happened?” she whispered, trying to sit up, but Dogg pushed her back down.

  “Rest, my little peach,” Dogg said, caressing her hair. “You’ve been drugged, I’m afraid.”

  “What’s the last thing you can remember?” asked Roslyn, taking her friend’s soft hand.

  Grace blinked several times, looking back up into her own brain. She shook her head, uncertain.

  “What were you doing last night, my flower?” asked Dogg, grabbing her hand and kissing it.

  “I am playing cards with her,” Grace motioned toward Roslyn. “Nothing more.”

  “After you fell out of your chair, you went home. At least you were going to…” Roslyn stammered. The mole had dug a new tunnel.

  “Did you not escort her home, Mrs. Epps?” Dogg asked, cocking his head at her.

  Roslyn knew that was coming. She just couldn’t think of any way to get out of it before it did.

  “I was pretty loaded as well,” Roslyn said, in a regretful voice. “I was on a hot streak. I really should have. I’m a shitty friend. I’m so sorry about this Grace.”

  “Is okay, Rosy,” said Grace. “I would have done the same.”

  This made everyone laugh. It broke the tension like someone had lobbed it off with a knife.

  Dogg rolle
d a cigarette.

  “Could you not smoke that in here, sir?” Dr. Morrow said.

  “I’ll take it outside,” Dogg snipped and continued to roll it up. “Then, I believe I’ll join a poker game at the Golden Jewel.”

  “Dogg, I’m serious,” warned Roslyn. “Don’t play into their--”

  “Hands, I know,” Dogg cut her off. “I plan to play it cool. I’ll just get a feel for things. That’s all. If anything, I won’t make the first move, I assure you. I can be quite tenacious while hunting.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  They decided not to enter the Golden Jewel as one unified group, but stagger in over a small period of time. Talbert made his way to the bar first. Hattie was finally there, to his surprise.

  “Where’d you get off to?” he asked as she moved through the gathering crowd to get to him.

  “Where’d you guys go? Or are you the first one back?” Hattie asked.

  “We found her,” Talbert explained and went into a few more details. Roslyn would have explained it more thoroughly, but Hattie was able to catch the gist.

  Hattie tapped the hilt of her sword. These were close quarters and she did her best work in said conditions. She then positioned herself at a slot machine just behind the table where Squirrely-Eyed Dave dealt poker.

  Drago stood overhead, leaning on the balcony rail. Well armed, he had the best vantage of all. Jules strolled around the room, talking with people, watching over his kingdom.

  Roslyn wandered in next and found a slot machine near the door. Dumping in chips, she began to pull the lever. She could feel Drago’s eyes on her. She dared not look up. But then a thought struck her. If she appeared to be his new girlfriend, wouldn’t that get her close enough to take him out? Could she at least get up there beside him? Take away his advantage? She’d have to try. If she spared him, but took him out of the fight, Dogg wouldn’t kill him.

  Cashing out, she strolled through the crowd toward Talbert at the bar.

  “Look, I made twenty bytes,” she said as they met. “We can stick around another day.”

  “Good for you,” Talbert said.

  The atmosphere suddenly shifted in the house. Murmurs and whispers filled the hall. Dogg Holly, dressed to the nines, entered the club. He took a moment to survey the place. Spotting Squirrely-Eyed Dave’s table was full, he first made for the bar. No one knew what his plan was other than they figured it would end in the killing of, for certain, Squirrely-Eyed Dave and possibly Jules Divine. The latter would bring a shit storm down on all of them. They’d never make it out alive, of that she was certain.

  Roslyn excused herself from Talbert to freshen up in the powder room. Part of her hoped it would break out while she was in there. Then she could wait long enough to act as reinforcement. Was that cowardly thinking, she wondered?

  The thought of being cowardly and the natural conclusion to her business, forced her back out there. On her way she caught eyes with Drago, still leaning against the rail of the balcony. She stopped walking and changed directions. With her eyes only, she motioned for him to come down and meet her in the hallway. In response, he shook his head and grimaced an apology. She gave large eyes and shook her head.

  She needed him down from there. But she also knew she didn’t have a natural way of forcing him. He’d put his job before her. He needed to be up there, just in case things turned ugly. And since Dogg Holly just sauntered in, things were most likely about to do just that.

  Dogg bellied up next to Talbert for a drink.

  “Hope you’re smart about this,” mumbled Talbert. “Else you’ll get us all killed.”

  “Oh, but today is a fine day to die,” Dogg said, taking his shot of whiskey with a wink over the glass, an ornery smirk on his pallid face. His skin looked particularly yellowed.

  Finally after two more shots of whiskey a gambler lost it all and left Squirrely-Eyed Dave’s table. Dogg promptly took his spot.

  Roslyn debated on how she could find an excuse for climbing those stairs and getting next to Drago. She decided she’d wait and see how aggressive Dogg came into the game.

  At first Dogg said very little, only the necessary things to allow him to join the game. Dave seemed nervous, but Dogg acted perfectly natural. Roslyn, out of sheer curiosity wanted to hear what was being said and so she made her way to a slot machine next to Hattie. She realized, strategically, this wasn’t the best place for her to be, but she couldn’t help herself.

  “You’ll have to excuse my aggressive play,” Dogg said after winning the second pot. “I’ve had a trying few hours.”

  “Is that so?” asked Squirrelly-Eyed Dave.

  “Turns out my lady friend went missing last night, only to be discovered this evening, drugged and nearly dead.”

  Roslyn’s gut turned over. It was starting.

  “That’s horrible,” said Granny Shades, who played next to him. “People these days, do the worst shit. Makes me sick. It’s why we need some law and order out here.”

  “Well, madam, in lieu of law and order there is a more brute form of justice, I’m afraid,” Dogg said, motioning for the android waitress to bring him another drink. He called for three fingers of whiskey.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “The kind that makes men ugly, I’m afraid,” said Dogg. “I grew up on this planet. Down south in Annabellus. Before the war, when I was just a small boy, we were civilized. We had culture.”

  “These damn fools wanted independence and look at where the hell it got them,” Granny Shades said, in her raspy voice. “Taxes are for asses? Please.”

  “Yes,” Dogg said. “It’s a complicated issue.”

  “So did you find out who did that to your companion?” she asked after another round of cards were distributed. Squirrely-Eyed Dave paid close attention to his answer, while trying to act busy dealing.

  “Oh, I know exactly who it was,” Dogg said, arranging his cards. “I just don’t know why.”

  “Are you going to kill them?” asked Granny Shades.

  Dogg coughed and then slowly, coldly looked up at Dave. “Perhaps you could help us out with this one, David?”

  “What do you mean?” asked Squirrely-Eyed Dave, his eyes now wider than normal.

  “As I said, I know who,” Dogg said. “I just don’t understand why.”

  “Are you accusing me of something?” asked Dave.

  “I know you don’t take a piss without your master’s consent, David. But my question then would be, does that hold you accountable?”

  Squirrely-Eyed Dave stammered in his seat. He glanced behind the bar at Jules and then back to Dogg. Jules, as if on cue, made his way toward the table.

  “Is there a problem over here?” asked Jules.

  “Oh, I’d suggest we’re on the brink of a solution, sir,” Dogg said with a dry grin. “David here was just explaining to me why you ordered him to abduct my lady friend last night. That wasn’t very hospitable of you.”

  Shit, Roslyn thought. A fearless man need not tip-toe.

  “I beg your pardon?” Jules said, folding his arms. He glanced up at Drago in the balcony. Drago nodded and pulled a shotgun out of his coat. Roslyn realized her mistake, but it was too late. She should have been up there.

  “You’ll be begging for more than my pardon, soon enough,” Dogg said, pulling back his jacket to expose the nickel handle of his pistol.

  “Dogg, you may be a dangerous man, and I can respect the shit out of that, but right now, you need to realize where the fuck you are and who the fuck you’re talking to,” Jules said, nostrils flaring.

  Roslyn decided it was time to move. Should she do so and start the fight off? But she wasn’t in any kind of helpful position. Hattie had this section covered. She needed to get a better aim at Drago.

  Pretending not to notice the confrontation, she cashed out her credits and left the machine for the stairs. This seemed to distract Drago enough for Dogg to take the next step. His pistol was to Jules’ forehead before anyone could
blink. Everything else stopped.

  Squirrely-Eyed Dave’s pistol came out next, but a blow from behind with a tainted sword dropped him. Hattie nodded. “Scrimchi.”

  Talbert shot another goon lurking by the front door, with what Roslyn hoped was his stun setting. There was no blood that was a good sign. Roslyn ran halfway up the stairs. Drago, confused, turned to her just as she aimed and shot him with her stun gun.

  Amid all this, someone came to the front door of the club and yelled, “FIRE! There’s a fire!”

  Fire in a poorly constructed mining town meant disaster. People, despite being in shock over the spectacle, ran from the club.

  “Is this what you wanted to happen?” Dogg asked Jules.

  “I had a different outcome in mind, if you must know,” Jules said. Dogg used Jules to get out of the building, while Talbert, Roslyn and Hattie had his back, aiming at anyone left in the place holding a weapon. Roslyn was surprised at how many people Jules had working security for him; people in plain clothes, pretending to gamble or hang around the tables.

  Out on the boardwalk, the sweet smell of Da’akwood burning rented the atmosphere. Black smoke billowed across the thoroughfare. Bells rang and people scrambled to find water. Amid the chaos a black buggy hovered up to them. Grace was behind the wheel. She motioned for Dogg, Talbert, Hattie and Roslyn to jump in. Had Graceless set the fire? Roslyn had no doubt.

  Dogg stepped back and nodded at Jules. Jules pulled a knife and charged but Dogg dropped him before his second step. The bolt split his head in half. Dogg didn’t have a stun setting on his gun, Roslyn was pretty sure. The blood confirmed that.

  “What about our stuff?” Roslyn asked as they sped through the streets.

  They made a hasty stop at the hotel where Roslyn shoved all her belongings into her bag. Puff perched on her shoulder. The dragon seemed agitated as well. He kept making clicking noises and bobbing his head. Roslyn glanced in time to see the latest picture Hattie had been drawing in her sketchbook. It was of Talbert, looking handsome and rugged. It turned Roslyn’s stomach and she looked away. Hattie, having noticed Roslyn’s gaze, quickly shut the book and tucked it into her backpack.