by Rachel Aukes
Neither spoke for a length. Joe eyed Rex. “You want to say something for him?”
Rex shook his head. “I already said my piece when I was in the back of Val’s cutter with him.”
Joe’s brow furrowed. After another length, he spoke. “You were the best boss I had, despite being too young to know how to run a decent business. You were too good for the guild. You deserved better.” With nothing left to say, he returned to silence.
“Really?” Rex asked.
Joe turned to see the hunter’s head cocked in his direction. “What?”
“That was the worst soliloquy I’ve ever heard.”
Joe bristled. “What was so wrong with that? Then how about you do better?”
Rex waved him off and returned to Val’s vehicle. Joe followed.
When Rex climbed into the driver’s seat, Joe said, “Val specifically said you weren’t to drive her cutter.”
“She’s not here right now,” he said and shut the driver’s door.
Joe shook his head, walked around the front, and climbed in the passenger side.
Rex drove fast over the rough terrain, jostling Joe. He grabbed the bar above his head to hold on.
“You’d better slow down. Val won’t like it if you bust up her ride,” Joe said.
Rex grunted. “I won’t bust it up.”
The next second, the headlights no longer illuminated the ground, and the rig went airborne over a ledge. It landed a good eight feet down, sending Joe and Rex smashing into the windshield. Their helmets cracked the pane.
Rex paused before driving forward. “Oops.”
As they made their way out of the ravine, Rex said, “Hey, you don’t think Val would shoot me for messing with her cutter, do ya?”
“Would you shoot someone for messing with your cutter?” Joe asked back.
“Of course. Crap.”
Rex drove slower the rest of the trip back to Grundy Campo’s house, their hideout for the night. A thought occurred to Joe. “So, what really happened in Westown?”
Rex chuckled. “I didn’t tell Reuben. I’m sure as hell not telling you.”
A few minutes later, Rex pulled in to find Val standing in the headlights’ beams, hands on her hips. Kit stood a couple of feet behind her, arms crossed over his chest. The moment the pair exited the vehicle, Val spoke. “Did you run into murcs?”
“No,” Joe replied.
“Did you run into a road gang?” she asked.
“No,” Joe answered.
She looked slowly from Joe to Rex. “So, you didn’t run into any trouble?”
“No,” Joe said.
Her features tightened as she glared at Rex. “Then why were you driving my cutter?”
Rex shrugged. “I wanted to.”
Her lips thinned. “Take off your helmet.”
“You’re not going to shoot me, are you?” he asked.
“Take. Off. Your. Helmet.”
He hemmed and hawed, then finally did so.
She swung back and punched him, sending the bulky hunter back a couple of steps. She said nothing, turned, and walked into the house.
Kit watched her enter the house before turning to Joe and Rex, a smirk on his face.
Rex came forward, rubbing his jaw. “She has a good right hook.”
“Look at the bright side. She didn’t shoot you,” Joe consoled.
He smiled with bloody teeth. “I like her. She’s got ganache.”
Joe cocked his head. “I think you mean ‘panache.’”
“Oh, so now you’re the wordsmith?” Rex asked.
Joe held up a hand in surrender.
Rex entered the house, and Kit gave Joe a small smile before following the hunter inside.
Joe remained outside. He took off his helmet and inhaled the fresh night air. The stars were brighter that night, brighter than they’d been for some time now that the atmosphere had cleared from the latest dust storm.
Sara joined him outside. “Dinner time.”
He turned to head inside. “I’m starved.”
She put her hand on his forearm, and he paused. “I wanted to thank you, Joe. You saved our lives: mine, Nicky’s, Romy’s. All of ours. Thank you.”
He looked away. “You wouldn’t have been in trouble to begin with if it wasn’t for me.”
She shook her head. “It’s not just for what you did today. It’s for what you did after Nick died. Things were bad after the war. I wouldn’t have made it without you.”
He shrugged, uncomfortable with the conversation. “It’s the least I could do. I made a promise to Nick that’d I’d look after you.”
She smiled. “I know you loved each other, and he would be so proud of how you’ve helped us. But, you’ve more than fulfilled your promise. You don’t have to look after us anymore.”
He frowned. When he opened his mouth to counter her words, she held up a finger. “Val’s taking us to a place where she’s taken others who are on the run. We’ll be safe there. Nick, Romy, and me.”
“So, you’ve decided to take in Romy?”
Sara laughed. “It’s the other way around. I think Romy and Nick decided to take me in.” Then she sobered. “You can come with us. We’re leaving tomorrow.”
He gave her a tender expression. “As long as a Sloan is walking the earth, you’ll be in danger.”
She slowly blinked her eyes. “You’re going after the other Sloan.”
He gave a single nod. “I gave Val my word.”
“And you’re not one to break your word.” She sighed. “You can’t change who you are. And I’m glad. What you’re doing will help a lot of people. They need you more than I do.” With that, she turned and walked inside.
Joe remained outside for another minute. The Swintons had become family, even though they were never his family. He felt an emptiness in his heart—he’d watched Little Nick grow up from a squawking infant to a capable boy who bore many of his father’s traits. Sara was right—Joe had loved Nick Swinton, and it broke Joe’s heart every time he remembered that Nick could’ve been still alive and taking care of his family if only Joe had been one second faster.
A lot of good people had died around Joe…people too good for the violent world they lived in. Reuben had deserved better. The same with Terry, and more names that began to filter through Joe’s thoughts.
After a time of surrendering to his memories, he gave one final glance up at the stars in the sky, then walked inside. The dark calm outside was a stark contrast to the bright bustle within. Sara was using a large ladle to dish stew into mismatched bowls before handing them out. Joe set his helmet down next to Rex’s by the door.
Grundy lifted a pitcher from where he sat at the table. “Fresh goat milk.”
“Screw the milk. Where's the whiskey?” Rex asked.
Grundy motioned to a cabinet, and Rex helped himself.
“Here you go, Joe,” Sara said as she handed him a bowl and spoon. She claimed the last bowl, taking a seat at the table with only two chairs.
“Thank you.” He leaned against the wall and stirred the thick soup to cool it before eating a spoonful.
Rex leaned against the kitchen counter, where an opened bottle of whiskey sat. He’d forsaken the spoon to drink his stew directly from the bowl.
Across from Joe, on the floor, sat Nick and Romy. As they slurped from their bowls, he noticed they took turns sneaking chunks of meat and potatoes to Champ, who sat before them, watching with the intent focus only dogs can manage. Kit and Val sat on a bench made from a couple of two-by-fours laid across two buckets.
Rex smacked his lips and set his bowl in the sink. He took a long swig of whiskey before putting the cap back on. He looked around the room, then walked over near Joe and picked up his helmet. “I need to pick up my cutter from Layni.” He gave a crooked grin. “Besides, her bed is a lot more comfortable than trying to sleep on a hard floor surrounded by people who can wake the dead with their snoring.”
“I don’t snore,” Joe said.<
br />
“Yeah, but he does.” Rex pointed to Nick.
Nick grinned.
“He does. He sounds like a real old engine,” Romy said.
“Where are you off to after that?” Joe asked.
Rex thought for a moment. “A vacation. After that, who knows? Maybe I’ll look into restarting the Agency.”
Joe guffawed. “You at the helm of a guild?”
Rex grinned. “Yeah, I think I like that idea.” He then jabbed Joe in the ribs, though Joe barely felt it through his armor. “Come find me if you want a job?”
Joe’s brows rose. “You want me to work for you?”
“Hell no, but I’m desperate.” Rex nodded in Kit’s direction. “Offer stands for you, too.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Kit said.
Rex winked at Val. “And I hope to see you again.”
Val narrowed her gaze, then gave him a ghost of a smile. “See you around, hunter.”
“Take care of yourself, Rex,” Sara said.
Rex tilted his head in Sara’s direction, then he smirked. “It’s funny how nice people are to you when they know you’re going away.” Then he pulled on his helmet and walked out of Grundy’s house.
The remaining dinner conversation was subdued, and Joe could see the exhaustion in everyone’s movements. No one had gotten more than a couple of hours of sleep the night before, and adrenaline tapped deep into a person’s energy supply. Joe remained at his position near the door, standing guard over the occupants in the house. His exoshield was dirty, he was in dire need of a bath, and he wanted nothing more than sleep at the moment, but he knew that the murcs would be scouring Cavil for Gabriel Sloan’s assassins. Joe wasn’t sure if the murcs had figured out who’d killed Sloan, but he reckoned they had to have their suspicions. He had no doubts the MRC would issue knockout tickets for Joe and his friends—if they hadn’t already.
Grundy scrummaged enough blankets together for the children, and Sara lay down next to them, her arms draped over both kids. Champ lay at Romy’s back, and Joe smiled at their relaxed contentment. Grundy had disappeared to his bedroom, while Val and Kit sat at the table as she changed his bio-wraps.
Joe winced as he saw Kit’s hands. “Those cuts look pretty deep.”
“They’ll heal,” Kit said. “How’s your leg?”
“Healing,” Joe said.
“I can take a look at it,” Val offered.
Joe shook his head. “I’ll be fine.”
“Have it your way,” she said. “I’ll give you a lift to your cutter in the morning.”
Joe’s lips thinned. “I imagine the murcs will be watching the house.”
“Not to mention that it needs some work before it’ll drive again,” Kit said.
Joe sighed. “Yeah. Monster’s going to have to sit there awhile. I’ll get back to her once the dust settles. The next few days are going to be pretty hot around Cavil.”
“You going to hide out here at Grundy’s?” Val asked.
“No. He’s already put himself in danger by helping us. I don’t want his death on my hands. I’ll head out in the morning and disappear for a while until I can grab some supplies. Then, I think I still need to make good on a promise I made to you.”
Her brow rose. “You still up for taking Roderick Sloan down?”
Joe eyed her. “He needs to be taken down. It was people like him that led to the Revolution, the Shiprock War, and the Wild War after that. He and his brother were building an army for something. I’d prefer not to see another war in my lifetime.”
Kit chuckled. “You two are crazy to go after another administrator right now. His protection will be impenetrable after his brother’s death. Besides, he’ll have a vendetta the size of the Midlands out for you if he thinks you’re behind Gabriel’s killing.”
Joe shrugged. “Probably.”
Val eyed Kit. “You’ve seen what the Sloans were doing. They were turning people into slaves while they tried to build an empire. Gabriel was the rational one. With him gone, there’s no telling what Roderick will do.”
“What I should do—what you should do—is run as far from here as possible, and let time work out the mess,” Kit advised.
“Probably, but I’ve never been very good at running.” Joe unholstered the blaster and set it on the table. “Here. It’s not the one you loaned me, but it’ll do.”
Kit pushed it back toward Joe with the back of his wounded hand. “Keep it. You need it more than I do.”
“Is that what you’re going to do? Run as far from here as possible?” Val narrowed her gaze at the man sitting across from her.
“That’s the smart thing to do. It’s not like I have a job anymore, and if I know Cat, she’s already issued a knockout ticket on my head,” Kit said.
Joe chortled. “Join the club.”
Kit examined his bandages for a length before glancing at Joe and Val. He leaned back and blew out a breath. “It’s not like I’d be much help right now with these.” He held up his hands. “Not to mention that there’s no way I’d go up against an army without my cutter, exoshield, and sword.”
“And all your stuff is sitting in the middle of a murc hot zone,” Val said.
Kit grimaced. “Cat’s probably having my sword mounted above her desk as we speak.”
Joe eyed the other man for a moment. “You’ve already decided that you’re going back for your stuff, even if you have to take on the entire Iron Guild.”
Kit thought for a second before he nodded. “If that’s what it takes.”
A smile tugged at Joe’s lips. “And once you get it back, you’ll go after the other Sloan with us.”
Kit’s features tightened as though he’d just eaten something rotten. “Why not? I guess I have nothing better to do.”
Joe clapped his hands together. “All right. Then let’s go get your stuff back.”
“Then we’ll take down Roderick Sloan together,” Val said with a smile.
Kit reached for the bottle of whiskey and took a drink before setting it on the table. “Together.”
Epilogue
“Mr. Sloan, your brother is dead.”
Roderick Sloan sat in his office and replayed those words over and over in his head. He’d sent the messenger away within seconds of delivering the message. Not because he was distraught, but because he was free.
His entire life, he’d stood in Gabriel’s shadow. Whatever the decision, Gabriel had had the final sign-off. But now…now Roderick had the final say. Now he could take control of his brother’s finances and murc army. The Midlands lay at Roderick’s feet, and all he had to do was to reach out and take them.
He spent several moments composing his features into a proper sadness before placing the call to MRC Central. When President Darville was patched through, Roderick had managed to bring a tear to his eye.
“I heard the news. I’m sorry for your loss, Roderick,” the president said.
“Thank you, Madame President.”
“Your brother is the fourth administrator to have been killed in the past year, all without a confirmed suspect. I’m growing concerned about the security of the Midlands,” she went on.
“There are small groups of riffraff. Their views are spreading among the youth like a disease. With your permission, I will engage the other administrators and quash this uprising before these hooligans can unite.” He neglected to mention that he’d already bought—or killed—all of the administrators within a two-hundred-mile radius of Clearwater.
There was a delay in her response. Finally, she asked, “What do you need?”
He fought to keep himself from smiling. “I’m glad you asked.”
COMING MAY 18, 2020
Bounty Hunter: Dig Two Graves
Pre-order your copy today!
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Message from the author:
Thank you for reading BOUNTY HUNTER. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would take two minutes to post a review, I would be very grateful. R
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Available to Pre-Order Now
Bounty Hunter: Dig Two Graves
There are only two rules for being a bounty hunter. One, get paid, and two, never make it personal. Joe Ballast isn't very good at either.
With his name on the Iron Guild's most-wanted list, Joe is forced on the run to survive. But when the sinister Roderick Sloan goes after Joe's friends, he decides to write his own tickets, starting with Sloan. The only problem with that plan is two hundred soldiers stand between Joe and his target.
Coming May 18, 2020.
Pre-Order Bounty Hunter: Dig Two Graves now!
Also by Rachel Aukes
Bounty Hunter Series
Bounty Hunter (April 2020)
Bounty Hunter: Dig Two Graves (May 2020)
Bounty Hunter: Nothing to Nobody (June 2020)
The Deadland Saga
100 Days in Deadland
Deadland’s Harvest
Deadland Rising
Fringe Series
Fringe Runner
Fringe Station
Fringe Campaign
Fringe War
Fringe Legacy
Colliding Worlds Trilogy
Collision
Implosion
Explosion
The Tidy Guides Series (Nonfiction)
The Tidy Guide to Writing a Novel
The Tidy Guide to Self-Editing Your Novel