The celebration at the bazaar seems to grow for some strange reason. The two Jeanettes and Hikaru found it odd that there would be a party going on as they looked for various supplies. Moro was left behind to look after the kids. But amongst the celebration there was also much confusion. Their shopping venture shortly turns into an intel gathering mission.
 
They try not to be suspicious as they follow an older lawman as he goes to the younger ones in the area, and trying to listen in on what is being said.
 
“Wha’ you mean you can’t git anyone on da radio? The elder lawman says.
 
“Just lissin, boss... just noise on all the channels!” The younger lawman says.
 
The elder lawman just growls, sensing something is not right, as strange things tend to happen when their radios go dead; though actually the radios themselves are not dead but the airways are filled with loud static.
 
The elder lawman turns to his underling, “Go gather the others in the area and have them meet by the pastry shops, we’re goin’ to da Hacienda and git the others for this meetin’! And tell Al to bring his truck – I ain’t walkin’ over dare!”

---

 
Above the static of the airwaves on 27.145 MHz (Toy Channel 4), a faint beeping can be heard
.-.. .- .-- -- . -. / --- -. / - .... . / .-. ..- -. -.-.-- / .-.. .- .-- -- . -. / --- -. / - .... . / .-. ..- -. -.-.--
 
There was a quick reply
.-- .... --- / -.-. .- .-. . ... -.-.-- / .- -. -.-- / --- ..-. / -.-- --- ..- / ..-. --- ..- -. -.. / - .... . / -- . -.. .. -.-. .. -. . ..--.. / .-.. .. - - .-.. . / -- .- .-. -.-- / .. ... / --. . - - .. -. --. / ... .. -.-. -.- . .-. .-.-.-
 
Followed by another one
.-.. .. .-.. -.-- --..-- / -.-. .- -. / -.-- --- ..- / --. . - / -.-- --- ..- .-. / -.. --- -.-. - --- .-. / ..-. .-. .. . -. -.. / - --- / - .... . / -... .- ... . ..--..
 
Then a short one
-. --- / --. .-. --- .-- -. / ..- .--. ... / .- - / - .... . / -... .- ... . -.-.--
 
After a long pause, another replies comes
.-.. .. .-.. -.-- .----. ... / ..-. .-. .. . -. -.. / .. ... / .- / -.. --- -.-. - --- .-. .-.-.- / .... . / -.-. .- -. / .... . .-.. .--. / .-.. .. - - .-.. . / -- .- .-. -.-- .-.-.-
 
The short one repeats again
-. --- / --. .-. --- .-- -. / ..- .--. ... / .- - / - .... . / -... .- ... . -.-.--
 
It is replied with
.-.. .. .-.. -.-- --..-- / --. . - / -.-- --- ..- .-. / ..-. .-. .. . -. -.. / .- -. -.. / -... .-. .. -. --. / .... .. -- / - --- / - .... . / -... .- ... . .-.-.-
 
The short one repeats again
-. --- / --. .-. --- .-- -. / ..- .--. ... / .- - / - .... . / -... .- ... . -.-.—
 
A shorter reply is given
-.-- --- ..- / .-- .- -. - / .-.. .. - - .-.. . / -- .- .-. -.-- / - --- / -.. .. . ..--..
 
After a long pause, a reply is given
-. --- .-.-.- / -... ..- - / ... .... . / ... .... --- ..- .-.. -.. / -. --- - / .... .- ...- . / -... . . -. / .--. .-.. .- -.-- .. -. --. / .-- .. - .... / - .... .- - / .-. --- .--. . / -.. --- --. -.-.—
 
Then another
- .... . / .-. --- .--. . / -.. --- --. / ... -. ..- -.-. -.- / ..- .--. / --- -. / .... . .-. / .- -. -.. / -... .. - / .... . .-. -.-.—
 
An answer is given
- .... .. ... / .. ... / -... .-. ..- -.-. . / .-.. . . .-.-.- / .-.. .. .-.. -.-- --..-- / --. . - / -- .- .-. .-.. .. -. / .- -. -.. / ...- .. - .- / .- -. -.. / --. --- / -... .-. .. -. --. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / -.. --- -.-. - --- .-. / ..-. .-. .. . -. -.. / - --- / - .... . / -... .- ... . .-.-.- / .-- . / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -.. . .- .-.. / .-- .. - .... / .- -.. ..- .-.. - ... / .. -. / - .... . / -... .- ... . / .-.. .- - . .-. .-.-.-
 
A final reply is given
--- -.- / .. / - .-. -.-- .-.-.-
 

---

 
A loud knock is put onto the side door the electric camper.
 
Though not asleep, Fernando gets up, trying to peek through the gaps in the curtains but sees no one there. He tells Ichigo, “Get dressed.” He puts on his pants and shirts quickly himself.
 
Stepping onto the camper floor, he leans to the camper’s side door with his firearm in hand. Looking through the gap in the curtains of the side doors, he still sees no one. If it were Ruth, he would have been able to see her. He heads to the front seats but with the windows blocked out by the privacy curtains, he cannot see a thing unless he pulls the curtain aside and letting anyone outside to be able to see in or open the door and confronts them directly.
 
The passenger front door opens and he steps out finding Lily with two older Willahara (Rabbit Wessen) children in their early teens with her.
 
“What are you doing here? I said for you to be here tomorrow.” Fernando tells her.
 
“I know... but...” Lily begins to say but is cut off by the only boy of the three.
 
“Listen mister. Lily here says you’re a doctor and that you can help.” He says to Fernando.
 
“And I said for her to come tomorrow about fixing her arm.” Fernando tells him.
 
“We are not here for that.” The boy tells him. He adds, “Look. One of the little ones got bit by a rope-dog and is very sick, and needs a doctor’s help.”
 
“A what?” Fernando asks.
 
“A rope-dog...” The boy says. He then tries to explain, pointing to the ends of the bus and then makes a fist, “It’s about that long, a head this big but has no legs or tail and moves very fast in the grass.”
 
“A what... a snake?” Fernando asks. The three of them look at each other and nods. He continues, “What color was it? What design it had on its back?”
 
“It was dirt brown – they are all dirt brown...” The boy says.
 
The girl with Lily says, holding up her index fingers and thumbs touching each other making a diamond shape, “It had that all over its back.”
 
“A Diamond Back...” Fernando says to himself. He then turns inside the camper, “No arguments from you – get dressed, put on a hoodie and get the med kit from under the sink. We have no time to waste!” He then turns to the children beside the bus. “Give me one second and we will be on our way.”
 
Fernando gets inside the bus and puts on his shoes, hats and jacket, getting one of Macey’s hoodies for Ichigo to wear. With a couple of the hanging electric lanterns, the med-kit taken out of its storage location, the side door opens with him stepping out with the medical kit and lanterns tied to it hanging from his shoulder. Ichigo hops out of the electric camper after him. He locks the doors to the camper before looking at the children.
 
“Where is she?” Fernando says to them.
 
“This way...” The boy says as he points to a direction, adding, “To the cliffs by the stinky water.”
 
“That’s a long walk.” Fernando says to himself, thinking at the mental measurements of at least 5 miles at best. He gets an idea, then walks to where the teens have their dune buggies parked and gathers Karl, Marvin, Madison, Robin, Patricia and Alicia from their usual guard position. “I need the dune buggies and I need you guys to follow me. Somebody is in need of emergency rescue.”
 
The group nods to each other and go to the two dune buggies, securing the rear trailers as Fernando taught them how to before, and then separating the dune buggies from the camper trailers. He is realizing that this is going to be a tight squeeze but it will have to do.
 
“Ichigo, take the med-kit and sit with the teens in the other dunebuggy. Marvin, Karl, you are with me and these kids. Patricia, Madison, whoever is driving follow me, we are going to go fast. Now, let’s go.” He tells them.
 
Karl and Marvin get into the first dunebuggy with the children and Fernando in the driver’s seat, while Ichigo with the med-kit gets into the dunebuggy with the teens. Fernando stomps on the gas and leads the way with the boy Wessen giving him directions. In a few minutes, they get to the outskirts of town by a ravine with a flowing river at the bottom of it. There were several drainage and sewer pipes sticking out of the cliffs pouring a slow flow of a brown smelly yuck fluid into the waters of the river. The smell from the drainage pipes was offensive: the smell of rotting flesh and raw sewage just reeks about the place.

 
About 200 yards or more upstream from the drainage pipes was the hulk of a plane that crashed there many years ago, if not decades ago. Looked like the remains of a C17 Globemaster Military transport to him. The wings and tail have been sheared off and further behind the crash site but the fuselage seems to be intact with parts of it covered in a tarp of some kind and held down by rope that has seen better years. The boy points to it.

 
“There.” The Rabbit Wessen boy says.
 
Fernando drives the dunebuggy until he is several feet from the cliff and directly over it. They all get out of the vehicles and stand by the cliff.
 
“Karl, Ichigo, you two come down with me and bring the med kit with you. The rest of you stand guard up here and protect the dunebuggies and alert me of anyone that might come by.” Fernando tells them. He then turns to the Wessen children, “How do we get down there?”
 
The Wessen children start walking down a thin path on the side of the cliff that has a slight incline. Fernando follows them with Ichigo and Karl behind him. It takes them a while to get down the side of the cliff and to the wreckage of the plane. He follows them around the fuselage to an open door covered by a tarp. They walk into a maze of sorts, with a direct path down the middle of the plane. There are military cots were set up like beds for at least 20 people. A Cat Wessen girl sits down next to a cot with a small girl on it inside a ratty sleeping bag, looking like a Mouse Wessen. The Cat Girl looks at them, “No adults are to be in here!”
 
The Rabbit Boy Wessen looks at the Cat Girl, “Bruce Lee said to bring a doctor to see Little Mary. So here he is.”
 
Fernando just looks at the scene, and then at the mouse girl in the cot and then at the cat girl, “Ichi – my med-kit, now.”
 
“It does not matter. She is about to die like all the others.” The Cat Girl tells him as Ichigo gives Fernando the Med Kit.
 
“I’ll be the judge of that. How long ago was she bit?” Fernando says
 
“Since before the sun was high in the sky.” The Cat Girl says to him.
 
“Almost three hours ago.” Fernando says to himself. He then looks at the Cat Girl, “Where was she bit?”
 
“Out in the fields gathering wild bush berries...” The Cat Girl begins to say.
 
Fernando interrupts her, “Where on her body was she bit.”
 
“I do not know, I was not there when it happened.” The Cat Girl tells him, adding “They bring me the hurt and sick to take care off. But those who get bit by the rope dogs all die by night time.”
 
“Then get out my way. I got work to do, nobody is going to die tonight if I can help it.” Fernando tells her.
 
Fernando takes a lantern, turning it on and hangs it from one of the wall’s support structures. It lights up an already gloomy area.  He steps over to the girl, she looks like she is on her final hours of life as the poisons does its deed of destroying her life sustaining tissues from inside her body. Much of her lower body has turned black and blue. He opens his med kit, flipping items around the bag until he gets a plastic box the size of a small loaf of bread with a masking tape label on it saying “Snake Bite Kit.” He opens it and organizes what he might need on the top layer of the contents of the box. He then opens the sleeping bag and looks at the girl inside. She looks like she could be no more than 7years of age, though she could be 10 or older with her growth stunted by malnutrition. She was only wearing a t-shirt and nothing more underneath, and was already unconscious from the poison. Time was running out for her.
 
He lifts and checks both her legs, front, back, inside, outside and there it was – the typical double needle mark holes above the outside knob of her right ankle at the bottom of the meat of her thigh. He takes his knife and cuts an ‘X’ onto her skin between the bite marks. He takes a rubber bulb from the med kit and squeezes it hard, crushing it to a smaller size but in actuality removing all the air from it. He puts the opening of the bulb onto the bite wound and cut skin, releasing it. The vacuum on the bulb pulls on the body fluid pressure and pulling back on the venom from flowing deeper into the body. But at this point it might be too late for the girl. He then looks into his med kit, finding several vials of anti-venom in crystalline from. He finds one for ‘Rattle Snake’ though there are many kinds of rattle snakes. He takes a large hypodermic syringe and opens it up, pouring a few granules of the anti-venom into it. He then looks around for some water and finds a cup the Cat Girl was feeding her with, he takes it and fills the syringe with water and then shakes the solution until the crystals dissolve in the water and it clears up into a yellow liquid that looks like urine inside the tube.
 
Fernando sighs before he takes the girl’s arm and inserts the needle into her arm at the elbow at the vein that is there, slowly pushing on the plunger put inject the fluid into her body. He keeps the needle in the girl’s arm even though he had inject all of the fluid into it, waiting for a sign to see if it will work or not. He gets it the form the girl taking a gasp of air. He presses his thumb onto the site of the needle’s entry and pulls out the long silver shaft out of the girl’s arm. He throws it into the med kid, and gets some gauze and medical tape. The gauze gets folded up into a small pad and the medical tape is placed on it to hold it in place on her arm. He folds up her arm and puts it on her chest. He then takes another gauze and balls it up, going to her leg before taking off the rubber bulb off her leg. A thick black liquid oozes out from the bulb – broken down proteins from the girl’s body that is infused with the snake venom. The gauze is put onto her leg and pressed hard against it. It was taped up tightly. How much snake venom was removed remains to be seen but the anti-venom should deal with what is in the body whether the venom was removed or not.
 
Fernando takes the rubber bulb and chucks it into the cup of water and cleans/closes up his medical kit.
 
As he closes the med kit, the Cat Girl asks, “How much is this going to cost?”
 
Fernando looks at her annoyed in being asked that but pretends not to hear, “What was that?”
 
The Cat Girl Repeats herself adding, “How much is this going to cost? We ain’t got no money to pay.”
 
“How much you think her life is worth? Or yours? Or theirs?” Fernando asks before he throws in, “It’s invaluable, meaning it has a price so high that can never be paid. Understand that. And understand that any doctor who charges to save a life should be beaten to an inch of his life. Working at a hospital is one thing – that he should be paid for, but doing rescue work and saving lives out in the wild – no. He should not be paid for that. That one does out of the goodness from their heart.”
 
“You sound like a damn preacher saying that one should believe in the redeemer and prepare for his coming.” The Cat Girl tells her.
 
“The Redeemer came and left this misbegotten world a long time ago. That is what the Chaos was about.” Fernando tells her, adding, “Anyone wanting to play god will face him in the afterlife. So prepare for him in life because when you die and go to see him, it will be too late to do or say anything.”
 
“The redeemer does not exist. It is a story to keep the people in line by the powers that be.” The Cat Girl says like she won an argument.
 
“You believe what you want to believe. I’m not here to teach anyone anything. Nor am I charging for saving some poor little girl’s life because rescuers do not charge for doing rescues.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Then if you do not charge, what or who will you take?” The Cat Girl asks, throwing in, “Nobody is that dumb that they work for free. Everything has a price.”
 
“I said that I am not charging for a rescue. Rescues are done for free.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Humans can’t be trusted. Your kind take and take when you find out that the Wessens you helped cannot pay for the services given. If you cannot find property to take, you take one of us and turn us into a Sex Kitten and keep us as slaves until we die. Hector is right, you Humans are scum.” The Cat Girl tells him as she crosses her arms in front of her chest.
 
Fernando reaches into his jacket and pulls out his gun, putting it to the Mouse Girl’s temple while looking at the Cat Girl, “Then maybe I should kill her now, as you said, ‘those who get bit by the rope dogs all die by night time.’”
 
The Cat Girl stands there with her arms crossed but jaw dropping, remaining silent for the moment until Fernando pulls back on the gun’s hammer. She then yells out, “Don’t!”
 
Fernando just looks at her, but not doing anything.
 
“Alright...” The Cat Girl says in a defeated tone. She drops her arms for a second before reaching up to her shirt buttons and undoes the top one between her breasts, “I’ll pay for you saving her.”
 
“You ain’t paying for nothing. Nobody is paying for this rescue.” Fernando tells her as he puts away his gun and finishes closing up his medical bag. He slides the bag to Ichigo’s feet, “Watch that while I go outside for a moment. Alone...” He then picks up the cup with the rubber bulb inside the contaminated water and takes it outside. Standing by the edge of the river he looks further upstream but only sees cliff face and rocky shores, with fish swimming in the clear waters. Downstream where the drainpipes were located was a different story. When the wind blows upstream, there was no way to avoid the smell of raw sewage coming from those pipes. He bends down and puts his hand into the water, rubbing it between his fingers and sniffing his hand. The water at this point seems to be unaffected by the pollution from the drainage pipes downstream. He dunks the cup with the rubber bulb inside the contaminated bio-fluids into the water, shakes it and rinses it out for almost a minute until it was clean to the eye. Waiting for a few moments for the items to surface dry, he places the rubber bulb in his pocket before heading back.
 
 
In the fuselage after Fernando left, the Cat Girl watched him leave and then looks over the mouse girl for a moment. She’s improving, but slowly and it will take some time before she could be considered to be 100%. Then the Cat Girl tries to walk to follow Fernando out of the plane. Karl takes his rifle and holds it across her to stop her from leaving.
 
“Where you think you are going?” Karl throws at her.
 
“To have a talk with that man.” The Cat Girl tells him.
 
“No. You stay right here until he returns.” Karl tells her.
 
“This is my place and I will come and go as I please!” The Cat Girl tells him.
 
“When Master Fernando says he is going somewhere alone, he is to be left alone.” Karl tells her.
 
“Master? So you’re his Slave Wessen?” The Cat Girl asks.
 
“No. I am a Free Wessen. He is ‘Master’ because he takes care of us all in the convoy without want or demand of payment. We do for him as needed: guard the vehicles, prepare the food, gather water and supplies, maintain and repair our vehicles. He pays us for the work we do, all we have to do is follow his orders on getting things done. We are free Wessens and we can leave the convoy any time we think it is our time to go.” Karl explains.
 
“That is not possible. Humans hold us Wessens as slaves. No Wessen is free unless they escape their Human Masters. Hector says this to be true!” The Cat Girl says.
 
“I do not know who this Hector is, nor do I care. But it sounds to me like somebody is trying to control you through their words like an evil master controls his slaves with a whip.” Karl points out, adding, “Master Fernando and Master Hondo worked hard every town we went through to end slavery of Wessens and Humans, and have done so with the help of General Jastrey and her army.” Karl explains.
 
“Why would anybody do that? Wessens are better than Humans though there are more of them than there is of us.” The Cat Girl replies.
 
“Wrong. We Wessens are Humans. We were forced by a Lab Town to be turned in Wessens against our will. Made to forget who we were when we were humans, separated from our families and sold to be slaves.” Karl explains.
 
The Cat Girl remains silent at this revelation, but then she lets out “Lies! All Lies!”
 
“I had seen Master Fernando bring a wessen back to her Human form for a while. She was changed back as it was her wish to remain as a Wessen. Bringing a Wessen back to being a Human proved that we are humans on the inside.” Karl tells her.
 
“Lies! Hector says that Wessens are the chosen ones!” The Cat Girl says to him.
 
“If you are so chosen, then why are you living in a shell of a crashed airplane and not in a house you can call home? Where are the nice clothes and the kitchen smelling of good food being cooked?” A voice can be heard from behind them as Fernando enters the plane and walks down the fuselage. He continues, “Why must you forage for wild berries in the bushes where a snake can bite you and inject you with its venom, and kill you in a matter of hours? Why must you beg for scraps at the bazaar, show off your privates and offer them as a form of payment for those scraps? Why must you bear the scars of your wounds, not get proper medical care, not have those things you need in order to survive like clean drinking water? Funny. You and the others here are forced to live in filth while Hector has a clean home, be served hand and foot by slave servant wessens like you, and have all those things I have stated? Something is rotten here and it is not coming from those drain pipes.”
 
Fernando walks past Karl and steps up to the Mouse Girl, putting his hand to her neck to see her pulse there. It is weak but increasing in strength, she will have another night to sleep through and many nights to follow as long as life allows. He then picks up his medical bag, hefting the carry strap over his shoulders.
 
“Karl, lead the way out of here. Ichi – follow him. I will be right behind you both.” Fernando tells them.
Karl nods and starts walking away. Ichigo follows him to exit the structure. Fernando turns, getting on his knee to face Lily, “I will see you tomorrow morning.”
 
Lily smiles and nods. Fernando slowly gets up and leaves. He catches up with Ichigo and Karl at the face of the cliff. He signals to Karl to lead the way up a steep but manageable foot path. Ichigo continues to follow Karl, and Fernando goes up after her. It takes them a couple of minutes to climb the path and join Marvin and teens. They can see that they were not happy.
 
Marvin leans over to Karl, “Something happened while you were down there?”
 
Karl replies, “Fernando save a girl’s life but the attitudes of some people, I swear. It may have been better if she was not saved at all.”
 
“Hmph...” Marvin replies.
 
Fernando gets into the dunebuggy, turns on the engine and revs it a couple times to get their attention. The Karl, Marvin and the teens get into the dunebuggies and start driving to the convoy camp. Fernando does not say a word as they drive home.
 
Fifteen minutes later they get to the convoy camp and Fernando helps with putting the dunebuggies connected to their trailers. After thanking Karl, Marvin and the teens for their help, Fernando leads Ichigo back to their electric camper, locking the doors as they strip down and get comfortable on the camper’s bed. Fernando just lies on his back staring at the ceiling. Ichigo in just her t-shirt and panties, crawls up to him, resting her head on his chest. She lets out a sigh.
 
“I see how stupid people can be.” Ichigo says.
 
“Stupid is as stupid does, and it runs high and deep in this town.” Fernando says.
 
She replies, “I see how stressed out you are right now. Want me to... you know... alleviate that stress for you?”
 
“How so?” He asks.
 
“Well, you know... with sex. A blowjob maybe. Perhaps vaginal if you like... with me on top or not...” She explains.
 
“No...” He tells her. He pauses before continues, “Look, now is not the time. But thanks for offering.”
 
Ichigo remains silent for the moment.
 
He continues as he notices her silence, “Maybe one day soon, I’ll pounce on you and #$@! your little ass until your head is spins off its little neck.”
 
“You want to #$@! me in my ass?” Ichigo almost protests, adding, “As big as you are, you’d split me in half!”
 
“Protesting? From you of all people? You used to tease Hondo and I by showing off your black lace silk panties all the time, saying that you’d take on the both of us at the same time.” He tells her.
 
“That was to test you two, because those who came by pretending to be you and he would immediately fail by reaching over and touching me down there. Neither of you ever did that to me so you two had to be the real deal. And even though it turned out bad for me in the end, I’m glad to be here with you right now.” She explains.
 
“So… If I were to reach over and touch you there right now...” He begins.
 
“The test was for then. You passed it. What happens now between us is between us. And it’s only been a couple of days I have been you but I am getting to know you better and fallen for you – whether you want me as a girlfriend, wife, daughter or slave because that is what we agreed on for me being here with you.” She explains.
 
How about at the next town we get into I get you some white cotton panties for you? You only wearing your black silk or nylon ones makes it looks like you only have one pair of panties.” He says, tying to change the subject.
 
“I grabbed what I could when I ran, but I have enough for a week before I need to wash them and I do wash the ones I wore by hand and let them dry under the sink cabinet where they can not been seen.” She explains to him. Then she adds, “But if you want me to have white ones or any other color ones, I’ll wear them too.”
 
Nothing is said for the time being.
 
After a few minutes of silence Ichigo lifts herself up off him and positions her head to plant her lips against his for a moment. Fernando was mostly unresponsive for the moment. She lifts herself off him and looks at him in the eye.
 
“Thank you...” She begins, “Thank you for allowing me to be part of your ride, for saving my life and protecting me those willing to harm me. I do not know how I can repay that back, but I’ll try to do something every day even if it means doing nothing and just be out of the way. But I’m also sorry, for I am not an easy person to get a lot with, and you seem to understand that. I do not mean to be such a bitch but that is who I am, what I had to be, because of Fight Town and how it changed me. I must seem like an ugly person to you...”
 
“I really do not care about any of that. All I care about is what is going to happen the next day, at the next time, what lies on the road ahead. And I’ll do what I can to keep us all safe, even if it means that I get hurt to save one of us. Even you.” He tells her.
 
“I appreciate that. But do not get hurt trying to save me. I would not know what to do if that were to happen.” She explains.
 
“I’m not saying that I would sacrifice my life, or an arm or a leg or an eye for you, but if something were to happen, I would do my best to save you and hope I do not get hurt in the process but hurt is what I am going to be and I am going to have to deal with it. And if you think that you are not worth it, think again. There are people one can say are of a lesser value than you and I’d do my damnedest to save them if I can, and without needing to charge for the service.” He tells her.
 
“You mean like that little mouse girl?” She asks.
 
“Let’s just say yes.” He replies. She nods in understanding. He continues, “Human life, in any form is worth saving at any expense other than losing another life to save it. A baby still in the womb, a small child, a cripple person, an elderly person, a well endowed person of wealth and strength, a poor homeless waif, Wessen or Human, even some animals – are all worth saving.”
 
She just nods for a second before lowering her head on his chest.
 
“I’m going to close my eyes for a moment to rest. Wake me up if somebody comes knocking.” He tells her.
 
She nods, “I will.”

As Hector came to, all he saw was wood, dust, and smoke. His head hurt like hell and he squinted as he looked around. It took him a moment to realize what had happened, but it all came back to him. That cowboy and that asshole medic! They ruined everything! As he looked around he realized he was in what was left of the Hacienda but it was in ruins. He was sure those two had something to do with it. A beam of light off to his side look promising and he crawled to it and pawed at the debris. It took a little work, but with the help of his added wessen strength and agility he managed to get out. The sunlight hurt his eyes, but thankfully it was getting on to sunset so it was not as bright as it could of been. He looked around but did not see much as part of the front wall was still partially up. He half walked around the side of the building but stopped short as he saw a crowd gathering at the front of the dilapidated building. not far from the crowd was Big-Willie. The hole in his head was all he needed to see to know that he and most likely the other two were gone.  
 
After a moment he stepped back and slipped off towards the road, ducking through some trees and brush to hide himself. As he made his way to the road, he found the two Ziegevolks wessens, Ted and Jed, standing off a ways watching but staying out of sight. He picked up a rock and threw it, hitting one of them in the arm. The one hit rubbed his arm and looked in the direction it came from sourly. Once he saw who throw it he yank on his brother's arm and nodded in Hector's direction. The other turned and looked and when he saw who it was his eyes widened significantly. After a moment they backed away slowly and trotted off to where Hector stood, out of sight of the crowd.
 
 
"Boss! We thought you was done killed like Big-Willie!" Ted said.
 
 
"What happened? I'm a little fuzzy on what happened." Hector asked
 
 
Jed shrugged, "We saw big willie come out the window, unconscious, heard some shootin', saw the big cowboy and medic start to leave with that pinked haired girl you had, There was another couple shots and.... hell it was hard to tell what exactly happened next."
 
 
"What do you mean?" Hector asked half angrily.
 
 
Ted nodded, "Jed is right, it was hard to tell. Those two big fellas and the girl moved like nothin' we've seen before. They went back in like the wind, and then there was a few more shots. The cowboy came out and shot big willie and they took off like a flash again, the place blew up  behind them. There was a couple old guys an' that ornamental dude who owned the place who ran out, but they seemed to be runnin' scared."
 
 
"But it was those two who blew up the place and left me for dead?" Hector asked
 
 
Jed shrugged again, "We can only say the one killed Big-Willie, Boss. Couldn't see anything else. We were setup to watch for trouble coming from outside, not see what happened inside."
 
 
Ted nodded, "And we thought you was dead for sure, and with all that happened we stayed away so folks didn't think it was some wessen/human war. I've heard talk there was wessen hunters in there, you know, the ones that call themselves lawmen."
 
 
Hector breathed deeply to pull his anger down. He had left it get the best of him with that medic and it had been his downfall. That it was the supposed Timewalker and the Righteous Cowboy frmo the fight did not surprise him at all. In fact his contact said they might come through here and if they did he was to act accordingly. He had plans on how he would act if he met them and it was all going well until the girl, the pink-haired sexy fox girl said called the Righteous Cowboy her father. He had plans for her. She was the perfect mate. He had plans for how to deal with her if she rejected him too, but now all his plans were in ruins because of her connection the the cowboy. It angered him and he let it run him. Taking the pot-shot was stupid. She had trained him better than that and if he failed due to letting his anger best him again she would not forgive him so readily this time. But, there might be a way to save all this, he just needed to think.
 
 
He sighed and breathed as deeply as his bruised ribs would allow for the moment. After he calmed himself he spoke again.
 
 
"Yes... of course, compadres. You did as I asked and I could ask nothing more. Let us return to our town. I have t think... to plan.... THe chosen might have to fight soon.  Maybe soon we will rule the humans and they will be our slaves...soon." He said as he looked back at the smoke that drifted lazily upward from small fired that were starting in the wreckage of the Hacienda.  
 
 
He turned and walked quickly, though with a slight limp, back to Wessen town.
 
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With Hondo's good arm now free he reached out and grabbed the big man by the collar and pulled him off his feet, half lifting him over the counter.
 
 
"THAT..IS..MY..ADOPTED..DAUGHTER..YOU..SICK..FAT..#$@!!!" He growled loudly though his teeth.
 
 
The fat man literally pissed himself, the yellow stream running down his leg and across the floor. A couple of the ladies working for him acted like they saw nothing, afraid of the angry cowboy who had killed the butcher and the arsonist, but a few of the others watched out of the corner of their eyes with sadistic glee, thinking of the times he had forced the to do things they found revolting, with him mostly, for the safety of their jobs and families.  
 
 
The fat man shook as he dangled like a worm on a hook.
 
 
"Please, have mercy.... I... I didn't know!" He whined.
 
 
Hondo was about to say something when another voice spoke from behind him. It was the voice of an older woman.
 
 
"Not that the little shit doesn't deserve having the snot beat out of him, but could we talk a little business before you pummel him?" The old woman asked.
 
 
Hondo half turned to see an old woman wearing a leather aviator cap, goggles, and a bomber jacket. She wore old leather gloves on her hands, of which had the faint smell of grease and gasoline, and a patched pair of jeans. She seemed to have the look of one of the dirigible pilots, of which Hondo had seen a few around. It was not so much the old woman who caught his attention, but the other three with her. For behind the old woman stood a pretty, but scowling redheaded woman in western garb, a sad looking racoon wessen in what looked like a patched nurse's outfit and a coyote wessen in biker garb who had the look of someone who felt dead inside in her eyes.
 
 
The dangling fat man looked at the old woman with pitifully and spoke with desperation in his voice.
 
 
"Mum, please! He'll kill me!" He pleaded.
 
 
Valentine sneered, "Yeah, that's my big tough hero of a husband. Beatin' up morons instead of doin' anythin' that matters."
 
 
Hondo frowned sourly and sighed, dropping the fat man, who did not land on his feet but fell completely to the floor landing in his own piss puddle.
 
 
The old woman looked between Hondo and Valentine, then at Molly who just shook her head. The old woman gave a half knowing nod then looked back at Hondo for a moment with her head cocked a bit. Her eyes lit up after a moment and she smiled and pointed a knowing old finger at him.
 
 
"I thought I recognized you from somewhere, but now I know. You were one of the ones in the fight. The one looking and fighting to get his woman back, yes?" The old woman said.
 
 
Hondo nodded, "Yeah. That was me."
 
 
The old woman chuckled, "I was there! Oy! what a fight!! The whole town expected you to be dead within the first minute! The wessen lived a little longer than expected, but not much. That Timewalker though, no one thought anyone could take out the lich, but he did so without breaking a sweat! If I hadn't married my Harold and I was 30 or 40 years younger, I'd be at his door morning and night!"
 
 
Hondo sighed and rolled his eyes a bit behind his dark glasses. It was not the first time he had heard similar about Fernando. It did not bother him that women like Fernando over him ninety-nine times out of one hundred, but he was not in the mood for listening to it at the moment.
 
 
Molly looked away a bit and Hondo caught the sad look that flickered in her eyes. The old woman did not know, so he left it alone for now but he would check on Molly later.
 
 
Before anyone could say anything else Valentine spoke up, "Yeah. He might have said he was fightin' for me but if it hadn't been for Maggie I'd still be there."
 
 
She turned away from Hondo with that angry look in her eyes that he had never seen before today. The old woman patted Hondo on the arm and nodded knowingly.  Tonya stood back a ways off still looking at the floor with embarrassment. Molly noticed and walked over and put an arm around Tonya as she looked at Hondo.
 
 
"What happened? What's with the dress? It's not safe for her to wear it." Molly said.
 
 
"Probably dressing her up as my replacement. I came back from the dead and ruined his plan to replace me." Valentine muttered viciously and loudly enough for all to hear.  
 
 
Hondo ignored her and replied to Molly, "She went to town alone, got hurt by some low-life asshats. Long story but someone rescued her an' put her in that as her clothes were supposedly ruined."
 
 
"They were.... he's not a bad guy... he can't be." Tonya said softly, almost in a whisper.
 
 
Molly looked at Hondo questioningly.  
 
 
He shook his head, "Long story. But anyway, this fat piece of shit called her things, made her not believe that she is beautiful, an' insisted on buying her as a sex-kitten."
 
 
"He's right... I am ugly and a freak.... maybe I should just be a sex-kitten." Tonya whispered.
 
 
"No, NO! That's bad talk, bad thinking! You are pretty and good! You are better than this talk." Molly said to her.
 
 
She then turned to the fat man who had finally pulled himself out of his own piss puddle. She pointed at him and his eyes grew wide with fear.
 
 
"You! You bastard!" Molly growled as she started to lunge forward.  
 
 
Hondo caught her but barely, and with his left arm. A slight tearing pain was felt in his shoulder as he tried to hold her back.
 
 
"Let me claw his face! Just once!" Molly growled.
 
 
"Mum! Save me!" the man cried as he stumbled back against the wall.
 
 
"Molly! Enough!" Hondo growled
 
 
She growled but stopped pulling. Hondo spoke to her again.
 
 
"Molly... We'll deal with it. I understand how you feel. I almost throttled him myself. HE deserves it, but not in front of his Ma. Go outside an' cool off if ya need to." He said firmly.
 
 
She looked up and him and snorted. She sighed after a moment then nodded. She walked over to Tonya first and wrapped an arm around her.
 
 
"Tonya and I will go sit outside for a bit." Molly said.
 
 
As they walked to the door they passed valentine who was seeming to purposely look away from them.
 
 
"I wanted a family, you know. You have one but you don't deserve it with this attitude. We should have been holding you back from killing him." Molly said flatly to her.
 
 
Valentine acted like she did not hear, but the real her, deep inside was crying out, sobbing and hurting for Tonya and for the lack of empathy that controlled her. The battle was within but it dd not show on her face.  
 
 
Molly did not wait for Valentine to reply but continued out with Tonya, finding a near by bench for them to sit at. When they sat down Tonya melted into a puddle of tears. Tonya had told herself she would not cry, but the words of that fat, smelly man was the last straw, and she could not hold them back any longer. Molly said nothing as she held the sobbing Fuchsbau in her arms. A few tears of her own fell too. She knew the sound of a heart breaking, as her own had broken a few times. She knew Tonya would have many more, but she hoped none would be as bad as her own. Molly had learned the hard way that some broken hearts will never mend and some tears will never be dried.  
 
 
After they had gone a long, uncomfortable silence hung over the room. After what seemed like an eternity the old woman spoke up.
 
 
"So... I'm sure you had some business with this louse of a son of mine before he so rudely offended your daughter. I'd try to make him apologize and make it right but I know it would not mean much. I don't know where I went wrong but I failed him long ago." She said sadly
 
 
"Mum!" The fat man complained.
 
 
"Don't you mum me! You are a disgrace! I loved your father but he was always a small, frail man. Maybe that's what was wrong. He couldn't beat you strongly enough. Lord know I tried, but you were always a big boy. Needed a big man to make you learn respect. Your father was big at heart, though, God rest his soul. How you turned out was his biggest regret at his death." She said.
 
 
"Mum, please!" He begged.
 
 
She started to speak again but Hondo spoke up first.
 
 
"We have a caravan, an' your son told my partner that there is no water taps 'round that we can use unless we rent a hanger." Hondo said
 
 
She nodded, "Unfortunately he's right. A hanger, shop, or a vendor stall, but most of those you'll not get your rigs close enough to fill. I know there are hangers available, so what's the issue?"
 
 
"The issue is ten thousand dollars a day he wants us to pay." Hondo said flatly.
 
 
The old woman closed her eyes and shook her head before turning to look at her son, "It was not bad enough that you are a gluttonous, lecherous, fearmongering, lying man-whore, but you're also a thief too?"
 
 
"Did you just come to see your son?" Hondo asked, trying to stop another lecture from happening.
 
 
"No, I came with... your wife I presume?" She said, as if she was hunting for more to the story.
 
 
"I am his wife ... for now." Valentine said coldly.
 
 
The old woman gave a slightly nod, knowing she was not getting any further information at the moment, "Yes, well we..."  
 
 
"I bought a dirigible from her and need to rent a hanger so I can get it ready to fly. I figured I should have some fun wth some of that money you won while I was getting ripped apart by a mad scientist without morals." Valentine said flatly, interrupting the old woman.
 
 
Hondo stepped forward and tried to get her to look into his eyes but she would not.
 
 
"Val, what happened to you? to us?" He asked
 
 
She looked off to the left, "You should know."
 
 
He shook his head, "I don't."
 
 
She turned and looked into his eyes for a moment, what he saw almost made him visible shiver.
 
 
"Until you do we are done." She answered coldly.
 
 
Hondo sighed and stepped back. He was half ready to turn to the door when the old woman spoke again.
 
 
"Do you just need a hanger or anything special?" She asked
 
 
"Would like somethin' with maybe a few bedrooms, showers, kitchen, and the like. Got a lot of folks sleepin' on movin' mats or car seats. Would be nice to give them a few nights on a bed an' a real shower.
 
 
"You think a a 100' by 300' would work? With two master bedrooms,  6 regular rooms with 3 bathrooms, and a small bunk room that can hold 10 more? It has a galley and a rec room too. Was made for cargo crews for some of the larger airships. Should fit the dirigible and several vehicles too." She said
 
 
"Yeah, it would work, but not for $10k." Hondo said
 
 
"What about for free for? For a week?" She asked
 
 
"Mum! I can't let it go for free! I have investors who  I have to answer too!" The fat man whined.
 
 
"Use some of your ill gotten gains to cover it then!" She growled.
 
 
"How 'bout $800 for the week." Hondo offered.
 
 
"No, I think..." she started to say.
 
 
"YES! I'll take it!" The fat man said loudly, cutting her off.
 
 
"Still rude as ever." The old woman muttered.
 
 
He sighed  with relief when Hondo nodded.
 
 
"I'll pay $800, but I want the papers done up, I want it legal, an' I want witnesses, your Ma included as a witness." Hondo said.
 
 
He nodded and turned to the ladies at the desks, "You heard the man! Get me the papers so We can sign them.... NOW!"
 
 
The ladies got to typing quickly, the clattering or the typewriter keys striking was almost deafening, even compared to the yelling that had preceded the flurry of action.  
 
 
The fat man turned back to his mother, "You'll be leaving after this I expect, mum?"
 
 
She scowled, "As much as I hate that my leaving brings you joy, yes. You're sister needs some help as little Cora is sick."
 
 
He shook his head, "I don't know what you waste your time. She married that dirt-farming half-wessen bastard. She deserves everything she gets!"
 
 
"That's your sister and your niece you are talking about! They are family!" The old woman said incredulously.  
 
 
"Sister? Niece? She was my sister until she let that animal-bastard stick his dick in her! And that thing is not my niece! It's an animal too and deserves to die! If she is unlucky enough to live all she's still a #$@!ing animal. All those animals are good for is hard work or if they are pretty enough , for a man to get his jollies with!" He said.
 
 
Hondo had enough and grabbed the man again by the collar with his right arm and hit him with his left, breaking the fat mns nose, which started to gush blood everywhere. Hondo dropped him back to the floor where the fat man squealed in pain and held his nose, cussing as he yelled. Hondo's shoulder started throbbing worse itself and an all to familiar warm-wet feeling began under his shirt where he had been sht earlier. He put his right hand to his shoulder and held it firmly to slow down the bleeding under his shirt.
 
 
"You alright?" The old woman asked.
 
 
Hondo nodded, "Yeah. Sorry 'bout hittin' him. I just couldn't listen to any more from him." Hondo said.
 
 
She shook her head, "Do not worry about it. I should thank you. He needs that and more! As far as I'm concerned, anyone who treats his family like that is no blood of mine! I"m done with the bastard."
 
 
Valentine sighed loudly, "Well if you're done proving how much of a man you are and think you can handle the papers without having them 'captured' I'll go see to the dirigible."
 
 
"You'll need directions." The old woman said.
 
 
Valentine looked at her in a surprised manner then nodded sheepishly. The old woman wrote down directions to the hanger and handed them to her. As Valentine reached for them, the old woman grabbed her hand and pulled her in close.
 
 
"Don't let the past eat at you and ruin your future." the old woman whispered.
 
 
Valentine took the directions and pulled away.
 
 
"Thanks," She muttered as she turned and walked out the door.
 
 
Maggie stood against the wall and looked from the door to Hondo and back. Hondo pointed at the door.
 
 
"Go with her, an' keep her safe from herself an' maybe you an' I will talk." He said a bit coldly.
 
 
Maggie nodded and scurried out after Valentine.
 
 
The old woman turned to Hondo and shook her head, "Young man, you have your hands full."
 
 
Hondo sighed, "An' you don't know the half of it."
 
 
"I figured as much. I don't need to either. Just don't give up on her or yourself." She said.
 
 
"It's not me that has given up on us." He replied.
 
 
"Give her time. I saw her eyes. She's fighting something. The worse person you can ever fight is yourself, and she's doing just that. She will come around if you just give her time." She said
 
 
"I hope you're right." He replied.
 
 
After a few moment minutes the papers were done and the fat man, Hondo, The old woman, and a vendor who had dropped in to pay his stall rent were signing the papers. Once they were signed Hondo payed the money, thanked the old woman and left her to her final lecture to her wayward son.
 
 
As Hondo walked out he found Molly and Tonya sitting on a bench, not saying much of anything. When they saw him they stood up. They both noticed his sleeve looking wet with blood.
 
 
"You alright, papa?" Tonya asked in a worried tone.
 
 
"Yeah, just stretched wrong, I reckon. You two alright?" He asked.
 
 
Tonya looked down and nodded. Hondo looked at Molly who shrugged letting him silently know that Tonya had not told her what had happened.  
 
 
Hondo nodded, "Well, we need to get you into somethin' that causes less of a stir, young lady."
 
 
"You need to take care of that shoulder too, looks like. What happened?" Molly asked
 
 
"Nothin' to worry 'bout. Just a scratch." He said
 
 
Molly gave him a look that said she knew there was more but she was not asking at the moment.
 
 
"We can got to the bazaar and get your some more clothes." Hondo said to Tonya.
 
 
"I have some more at the camper. Could use another set or two but I can wait a day or so, besides if you got that hanger you need to tell Fernando and have him look at that shoulder again." Tonya said
 
 
"Again?" Molly asked
 
 
Hondo ignored Molly for the moment and nodded at Tonya, "Yeah, I'll got take care of that, if Molly wants to take you back to the camper to change."
 
 
Molly nodded, "I can do that."
 
 
Tonya nodded and started to walk off, but Hondo put a hand on Molly's arm to stop her for a moment.
 
 
"Stay with her, please." He whispered
 
 
Molly looked at him, "Shouldn't I go after Val instead?"
 
 
He shook his head, "Not right now. Tonya needs you more."
 
 
She nodded and turned to the path, trotting to catch up to Tonya. As she caught up to her she put an arm around Tonya's shoulder.
 
 
"Sound's like you have a story to tell." Molly said
 
 
Tonya shrugged, but started telling her side of what happened at they walked.  
 
 
Hondo waited a bit until they were a ways off then followed. keeping his distance as he did so. They were in the camper for a couple minutes before he even entered the camp. No one seemed to notice him, as they were all busy with other tasks. He looked around and noticed a couple of the dune buggies were missing. He stopped one of the teens who was on guard and asked what was going on. they said Fernando and a few others went to someones aid and they did not know when they would be back. They asked if Hondo was alright, as they saw his red sleeve, but he made the same excuse, shrugging it off like before. Once the teen went back on their way He went to the bronco tailgate and pulled out a small med kit. He carefully, but painfully shrugged off his vest and shirt, finding the bullet hole mostly open again. He packed it with gauze, and taped it up before carefully shrugging into a clean shirt and his vest once again. He pulled out a sealed vial from the med kit, which contained a mix of part water and part bio-pill. Fernando had showed him how to mix and store partials for less than serious injuries that needed some help healing. He drank it down, figuring that his shoulder would be good as new withing 2 or 3 days, so there was no reason to worry Fernando about it.  
 
 
Once everything was cleaned up and put away he checked Fernando's camper to see if he was there. Seeing he was truly gone, he stopped in at Ruth's camper. She was extremely busy setting things up for supper and had the girls helping her. Seeing that  Zoey and Macey were at least doing well made him feel a little better. At least a couple of them were not baring the brunt of the shit that was happening. Ruth was busy so he left a message with her for Fernando then got out of her way. He stopped by the camper quickly, but did not go in as he head Tonya and Molly talking about what had happened. Tonya was crying still but was talking through the tears, so he left them be.  Not knowing what else to do, at the moment, he pulled out a copy of one of the lease papers, looked at the directions and headed off in the direction of the hanger to check it out.
 
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Down in dimly lit basement, Hector sat at the monitor of a machine that looked way more technically advanced than most of what you would find in this town. It was a computer with a transceiver built into it, that looked even more advanced than anything you could buy before the happening. It should not have existed in the world, yet it did. He tapped on a few keys and a window on the screen flickered to life showing a camera emblem crossed out. A voice crackled over the speakers.
 
 
"Have you seen them?" a female voice asked.
 
 
"Si, I have, my lady. I think I have the means to lure them where you want them too. I am unsure on your information about the cowboy being poisoned though. He does not seem to be slowed any." Hector replied
 
 
"Do not under estimate them! Do and you'll die!" She said
 
 
"Si, ah. I will be careful." He said hesitantly
 
 
"That tone... I recognize it. You let your anger get the better of you and #$@!ed up again, didn't you?!" the voice replied
 
 
"Eh, #$@!ed up is a harsh term. A small set-back is all. I misjudged the situation but I will not again." He said
 
 
"You better not! I'll have your hide for a rug if you do!" She replied angrily.
 
 
"Why is your camera off, my lady? You always have it on." He asked
 
 
"I am having to build another device as my other one was crashed by idiots who could not handle a hacked up woman and a frightened wessen. Had they survived, they would have begged for their deaths before I had finished with them!.... But that is in the past. Do not fail me or the punishment I would have given them will seem like child's play compared to what I do to you." She replied coldly.
 
 
Hector swallowed hard, "Si, My lady. I will not fail you."
 
 
He sighed as a pulsing tone signaled that she had signed off. She scared him badly, but she had taken him from the gutters in town in Mexico, that had no name back in a time when he had no name either. She had healed him, groomed him to be a gentleman, and trained him to be a heartless killer. What he did not expect was the feeling that stirred deep in his loins at the thought of Tonya. from the moment he looked into her eyes he knew there was something different about her. He had lusted before and got his jollies off, but this one was different. Still, he had a job to do, and even if he didn't and she rejected him, he had people who could make her compliant like he had done to others who had rejected him, though he hoped she would fall in line and obey hi so he never had to do that to her. The reality was, though, if he could not convince her that all humans were evil she would reject him when he did what he had to with her adopted family.  
 
 
He pulled out a bottle of tequila from under his desk and took a deep pull from it. He had sent Ted, Jed, and a couple others to spread out and keep an eye on Tonya's camp and then Tonya herself once she was spotted. For now all he could do is rest and wait, wait fro the right moment to try to talk to her again, alone.
 
 
 
 
 

Back at the ruins of the Hacienda four lawmen, known by some as wessen hunters, had finally arrived on scene. As they approached the scene, they witnessed people digging through the rubble, looking for more bodies. The ones that had been found lay out front. Three lawmen and three wessen. The older of the four scowled and worked his jaw angrily as he looked over the bodies.
 
 
One of the others swore in a low voice, "#$@!in' shit! that's the bosses brother and nephews!"
 
 
The older man snapped around and glared at the one who spoke, "Yeah its my family, an' what else do ya see?"
 
 
"Wessens?" youngest one asked innocently.
 
 
The other looked down and shook their head at their younger member. The older man walked up to the young man angrily and got right in his face.
 
 
"Even a blind ruskie could see there are dead wessens here! What else!" he barked
 
 
The younger man swallowed and looked around frantically but was not sure what was the right answer. One of the others spoke up to save him.
 
 
"Since our men didn't report in, and the place is blown to shit, there must have been other wessen's involved, Boss." He said
 
 
The older man looked at the one who spoke and pointed at him as he looked back at the younger man.
 
 
"You see there, boy? There's some-un who uses 'is brain for somethin' other than a hat rack! Learn from him!" He barked.
 
 
"Yes boss!" the younger man squeaked.
 
 
The old man glared at him for a moment longer before taking a coupe paces away. He stood looking at the mess quietly before turning back to his men.
 
 
"These wessen started this by bein'. We didn't ask for them, yet they came an' brought their sicknesses, their pestilanses, and their animalistic violence with them!  We tried to keep them in line, an' let the peaceful ones live apart, live as servants, aid us in tasks as animals should... but this? This is war, men! They cannot live. Tie to get the others, the auxiliary, an' anyone else who will stand with us, round up these rabid monsters, and put them down like the dogs they are! From the old to the new born!" He barked passionately.
 
 
Two of them cheered and hollared, "Yes sir!"
 
 
The younger stayed silent at first and the older man walked up to him and got into his face again.
 
 
"You not like that, son?!" He asked firmly.
 
 
the young man jumped, "Oh, uh, yes, no... uh, I mean, Yes sir, lets kills some damn wessens!"
 
 
The old man nodded, "That's more like it! Now We need to start spreadin' the word among those who are like minded. We will meet tomorrow afternoon at pappys bar on the south edge of town to start plannin'. We have to keep this quiet from those who are blinded by the truth. I want to be ready to launch a round up the mornin' after tomorrow mornin' and start puttin' them down before supper of that day. You all know what needs done, so get to it!"
 
 
"Yes Boss!" They all three shouted, though the younger with less conviction.
 
 
They started off in different directions, the youngest south and the other two east and west. The older man stood there a while before heading back to the office to get others to spread the word to the 'faithful'.
 
 
The youngest went out of sight to the south then hid and waited until the boss had passed and the other two were out of sight. Once there he made his way carefully north, to the northern outskirts of Wessen Town.
 
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Valentine walked to the hanger and scoped it out. It needed some cleaning but the others could handle that. ONce she looked everything over she decided where to place the dirigible then went to find a crew to move it. That did not take long either, as there was a place where men and woman, human and wessen alike, hung out to take on temporary work. Seeing as Hondo had a lot of money and her care was suppressed somewhere deep inside her being she did not argue on the price, just merely paid what was asked and supervised the job herself.
 
 
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Hondo made his way slowly to the hanger and looked it over. His shoulder throbbed and he felt tired, but he had things to do. The place was open and there were boot prints in the dust. He recognized them as he had seen them many times before. Valentine had been here and looked it over already and left.  
 
He looked around and saw it needed a cleaning. Whoever had left it last had not cleaned after they left at all.  He went through the rooms and looked the over. One of the master bedrooms and three of the regular rooms, and half the bunkhouse was untouched. The kitchen was a shambles, and the rec room was partially wrecked but there was water, and things could be cleaned. As he was looking around he heard a noise in the bay and came out to look. The sound was of a large, ship like dirigible being moved into the bay. Up on the deck stood Valentine, she looked strong and proud, but there was something cold and cruel about her look and stance too. It reminded him of someone, but he could not place who at the moment.
 
 
As the dirigible stopped, Valentine climbed down, paid the workers, and left them to remove the haul dollies and leave. Hondo walked up slowly and looked it over.
 
 
"Bigger than I imagined." He said.
 
 
Bigger, smaller, what the #$@! does it matter to you? It's not yours anyway." She said coldly.
 
 
He grabbed her by the arm and stopped her from passing him.
 
 
"What happened to us? How do I fix this?" He asked
 
 
She glared at him, "I'm not sure if there is any fixing for us. That ended when you chose to fight over  saving me."
 
 
"I was told I had to fight to find you or you were dead!" He growled angrily.
 
 
"Well, I died anyway... inside. " She said coldly.
 
 
He gazed deeply into her eyes and looked for hope, "Val! I'm sorry! Please, please let me in. Let me help you!"  
 
 
A solitary tear rolled down her cheek, but she spoke flatly, "Kill me then."
 
 
"What?!" He asked incredulously  
 
 
"Kill me... please. Finish what they started. I thought I could come back, but I can't. Just finish me." She said without emotion.
 
 
"I can't do that. You know better." He said softly.
 
 
"Then you can't help me." She said coldly as she pulled away from him.  
 
 
She walked towards the tool box in the bay and started looking over the tools.
 
 
"I'm going to be here for a but, then I'll head back to sleep in my bed... Make sure you are not in it." She stated flatly.
 
 
"An' Tonya?" He asked.
 
 
She paused for a moment, "You're girly toy can sleep with you in the bronco. Zoey can stay in the camper. She's to young to know what the world has in store for her. Let her think she is safe for a little longer."
 
 
Hondo sighed and walked out, headed back to camp. He was not sure how much more of this he could take.
 
 
After he was gone Valentine slumped down into an old couch in the hanger and just sat there, staring at nothing. Her voice, words, and thoughts did not feel like her own, yet they were in control. None of it made sense. She was angry, hurt, and felt hollow, but she did not know what. She was not herself and half wished she had died in that dungeon. Maybe Hondo would not have suffered so. The venom that spewed from within her was not of her own making, yet he enabled it. She knew Fernando had healed her body, so what else could it be?
 
 
 
 
 

Hondo sat on the camper stairs and opened his bag of food. He really was not hungry, but his exhausted body could use the fuel and he knew that to many in this time regular meals were hard to come by, so he wasted none of his.  He finished fairly slowly, his mind wandering as he ate. Where did he go wrong? He had tried so hard to find her, and he had failed. Yet she came back to hi, was healed from... that he was not sure of still, but then as quickly as she was back, she was gone again. The hardest part was that she physically was still here; yet her mind was not. Fight people to find her? That he knew how to do, yet he failed on that. Save her mind? Hell, he had no clue where to start! How could he succeed on something he knew nothing about??  
 
 
He finished up, deposited his flat-ware, and containers in the appropriate place, then went back to the camper. It was getting close to dark, so he grabbed some weapons, clothes, odds and ends he might need, a couple spare quilts, and enough liquor to kill that bull wessen three times over, and moved it all the the Bronco. He had to move things around in the bronco to lay the back seat down into a bed, but he managed. It was pretty well dark by the time he finished. As he finished up, the sound of two pairs of small feet approached him. He turned slightly to see Zoey and Macey standing by and looking at him. He did not say anything right away so Zoey spoke up.
 
 
"Papa.... you alright?" She asked softly
 
 
He tried to give her a smile, but it was a weak one. Not angry like the ones before. This time it was just tired and sad.
 
 
"I reckon I'll live. What you two up to?" He asked
 
 
Zoey shrugged, "Nothing.... what you doing in the bronco?"  
 
 
He sighed, "Well, kitten, your mama is not feelin' well right now, so I'll be sleepin' here for a while."
 
 
"Should I sleep with you?" She asked.
 
 
He shook his head, "You won't be comfortable here. Besides, Tonya will be sleepin' here too, so won't be a lot of room."
 
 
"Mama mad at her too?" Zoey asked
 
 
"She's mad at me, an' Tonya just said the wrong thing in my defense." Hondo said
 
 
"Is.... is she angry at us too?" Zoey asked hesitantly.
 
 
"No... not at you, but..... " Hondo sighed and paused for a moment.
 
 
"Macey, is their any room in your camper?" Hondo asked
 
 
She shrugged, "She be with Maggie moving out, unless daddy rescued someone else."
 
 
Hondo nodded, "Would you mind Zoey sleeping over with you?"
 
 
Her eye's brightened some, but she tried to not show her excitement slipping a bit at first.
 
 
"Really?!... I mean, Sure, I guess. Don't want her to sleep outside and get sick, I guess." Macey said
 
 
Hondo chuckled slightly and nodded, "I appreciate your charity. Zoey, got get that sleeping bag I got you, put a change of clothes and some night clothes in your backpack, grab a pillow, and brush your teeth before you come out."
 
 
She nodded and headed off. Macey started to follow but Hondo stopped her.
 
 
"Macey, wait." He said.
 
 
Macey stopped short and turned slowly. She looked down and waited for Zoey to leave before speaking.
 
 
"Am I in trouble?" she asked quietly.
 
 
"No, not in trouble at all. I just wanted to thank you for being a friend to Zoey. I know you've had your rough spots, but she needs you." Hondo said
 
 
Macey just shrugged, "It's ok.  Got nothing else to do anyway."
 
 
Hondo sighed, "Listen, little lady, I know you've had it rough an' I know the tough act is safer at times, but you don't hafta put it on for us."
 
 
She just kicked some dirt and shrugged again.
 
 
Hondo hunkered down to get eye level with her. She looked up occasionally then would look back at the ground, as if it was something worth studying.
 
 
"Macey,... I know I'm a bit gruff at times, an' I don't always mean to be. I think you an' I area lot alike like that. Just know you're family, we love you, an' you can be yourself with us." He said.
 
 
She kicked the ground for a bit longer than sighed, "...Is Aunt Val gonna be ok?"
 
 
Hondo sighed and shook his head, "I don't know... She's very angry right now. Blames me for not rescuin' her. I don't know if somethin' in her snapped or they did somethin' to her that your Pa missed. I'd believe the first way more easily as your Pa rarely misses things..... I think I just failed her an' she knows it.... I don't know what it will take to fix this. Zoey might need some extra help from you, if you're up to it. Zoey has been through a lot, but you seem to understand how some things work better, I think."
 
 
Macey shrugged, "I think she just pretends to not understand sometimes.... I'll watch her."
 
 
"Thanks Little lady. I appreciate it." He said standing up.
 
 
She started to turn away but paused and turned back after a moment.
 
 
"Uncle Hondo?" She asked
 
 
He looked at her questioningly, "Yeah?"
 
 
"I know it hurts, but... we love you too.... and... thanks." She said softly before turning back to go help Zoey.
 
 
He smiled a bit to himself, and it was probably the only real smile he had smiled all day.  
 
Macey disappeared for a bit and returned 10 minutes later with Zoey in tow. Macey had Zoey's backpack and Zoey carried her sleeping bag and pillow and they disappeared off to Fernando's camper. A few minutes later Tonya and Molly came out. Tonya was dressed in a pair of jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt, and an old hoodie. They had washed their dishes and took them to Ruth's first before stopping back by Hondo.
 
 
"Where did that sweatshirt come from?" Hondo asked
 
 
"My light jacket was pretty well destroyed today, so Molly lent me this." She answered
 
 
Hondo sighed, rubbed his eyes and nodded, "Alright. We'll get ya a new one tomorrow."
 
 
"You alright, Papa?" Tonya asked.
 
 
Hondo scowled a bit, "Everyone keeps askin' me that! Do I look that bad?"
 
 
"N.n.no." Tonya said hesitantly.
 
 
"You look like shit warmed over, boss." Molly said.
 
 
Hondo frowned, "Thanks for the vote of confidence there, and I'm not your boss."
 
 
Molly shrugged, "You rather me lie or be honest? And you might as well be my boss. I have no where else to go. I still hate you a bit because of... of what happened, but I know it's not your fault. You have been harsh at times but I see how you treat folks here and you never used me wrong. I could do worse for a boss."
 
 
Hondo just shook his head. He started to say something but one of the teens who was coming on night duty stopped by.
 
 
"Mr. Hondo, you ok? You look terrible." He said.
 
 
"Do I really look that terrible or is everyone talking about my wife losing her mind?" Hondo asked in annoyed tone.
 
 
The teen shrugged, "Some of both, I guess."  
 
 
Hondo shook his head and was about to respond when Marvin came up.
 
 
"Damn, Master Hondo you ..." He started to say.
 
 
Hondo shook his head and interrupted, "Just don't finish that thought. Not sure I can hear it again right now."
 
 
Marvin chuckled, "Sorry."
 
 
Hondo turned to the teen who still stood there, "How many of you are on night duty?"
 
 
He thought for a moment,"Me and one other are on duty all night. Two others are with us until midnight, and two of the others will rejoin us about 2 am."  
 
 
"Karl and I nap as needed so we are available. I usually stay up until 1am and Karl gets about about then and we switch to help them, Why?"
Marvin asked
 
 
"I got us a hanger, with some real beds, showers, a large kitchen, lounge, and of course running water so we can fill out rigs. Unfortunately it was not cleaned will. There was some laundry soap an' cleanin' stuff there, but need someone to clean it." Hondo said
 
 
"We would but we have to stand guard." The teen said.  
 
 
"What if the four of you went? The two that need to go to bed can use the bunks there to sleep in, an' you an' the other can take a bunk when you get off duty. Leave the other two to come on. Marvin an' I can pick up the slack, if he's fine with that." Hondo said
 
 
"I'm fine with that, but don't you need some sleep?" Marvin asked
 
 
Hondo shook his head, "Not sure I can sleep right now anyway."
 
 
"I've not done a lot today. I can help too." Molly said, patting the newly bought 20 gauge pistol that hung at her side.
 
 
"It would be appreciated." Hondo said.
 
 
"I can help too, Papa!" Tonya offered.
 
 
He shook his head, "No. You get some rest. You might be needed here tomorrow. We're a bit short handed now unfortunately."  
 
 
Tonya sighed but nodded, "Alright.... Is it alright for me to sleep in the camper, or..."
 
 
Hondo shook his head, "We need to give Val a little space. I made up a bed in the bronco. You an' I will be sleepin' there. Sorry you have to share with me but It's the best I can do at the moment. Best you grab whatever you need from the camper now, just in case."
 
 
She nodded and headed back to the camper.
 
 
Molly sighed and shook her head, "It's all bad business, boss."
 
 
Hondo nodded then turned to the teen, "You guy don't mind cleanin' that place up, then?"
 
 
"Are you kidding? For a chance to sleep in a real bed? I don't remember the last time I slept in one!" He said with a smile.
 
 
Hondo nodded, "Alright, get at it then."  
 
 
The teen nodded and took off to get the others.
 
 
Hondo shook his head and spoke to no one in particular, "I really should learn their names someday."  
 
 
Marvin shrugged, "Eh, whats it matter? You humans all look the same."
 
 
Molly nodded, trying to repress a grin at Hondo's scowl.
 
 
"You two think you're funny. Well, funny folk, get whatever you need as we are securin' the place now. Molly, you an' Marvin discuess where ya want to patrol an' I'll take whats left. Make sure ya cross each other's path at regular intervals to make sure each other is alright." He said
 
 
Marvin nodded, "That's SOP, but I'll make sure Molly knows."
 
 
Molly pulled out her 20 gauge pistol, breaks the action, looks at the shells then snaps it back shut.
 
 
"This isn't my first death match." She said as she started walking away.
 
 
Marvin looked at Hondo and shrugged before turning and trotting after her.
 
 
"Molly, wait up!" He called as he chased after her.
 
 
Hondo sighed and shook his head, He grabbed his lever action 12 gauge from the bronco and checked it over. Once he was sure it was good he grabbed his 1911 double stack and shoulder holster to add with his revolver. Hopefully none of it would be needed but it was better to be careful. He took a quick swig of whiskey to help him focus and shrugged on his coat. It was cooling off fast and threatened to be a cold night.
 
 
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Valentine started to look over what work needed down as Maggie followed me like a lost puppy. Valentine sighed after a bit as they kept getting in each others way.
 
 
"You know you can relax on the couch or somethin'. Ya don't have to watch my every move." Valentine said flatly.
 
 
Maggie shrugged, "It's ok. I...I like watching."
 
 
Valentine raised an eyebrow and spoke dryly, "I could take that so many ways."
 
 
Maggie cocked her head a bit at first then it hit her what Valentine meant.
 
 
"Hmm? Oh! On, No! I didn't mean it like that." Maggie said hurridly.
 
 
Valentine gave a light chuckle, "I know."
 
 
Valentine bent down to check on a junction box but ran into Maggie again wen she stood up.
 
 
"Ooph! Maggie!" Valentine exclaimed as she almost fell on her ass, catching herself on a railing at the last moment.
 
 
"I'm sorry! I'll try to stay out of the way." She said
 
 
Valentine looked at her for a moment, "... Did Hondo tell you to watch me or somethin'?"
 
 
Maggie looked at the floor for a moment then nodded, "... yeah. He said if I kept you safe from yourself we'd talk."
 
 
Valentine shook her head angrily and growled, "#$@! him! Thinks he can protect everyone one way or another and yet fails when he's actually needed."
 
 
"Maybe... maybe your a bit hard on him?" Maggie asked meekly.
 
 
Valentine's eyes snapped to her angrily, "Don't let his swingin' bologna fool you! If he was haf what he claimed to be they'd never have cut into me even once!"
 
 
Maggie shrugged, "I don't know. They are an old, powerful organization. No one has gone against them and lived. That any of us are still alive is a miracle. Why do you think I served them without question? I was scared to death! I'd never had tried to escape if it hadn't been for you."
 
 
"I know it was hard on you too, but remember, WE escaped, an' without them! We are the strong ones!" Valentine said
 
 
Maggie shook her head, "No... it wasn't us at all. If fight town had not have gone into chaos because of Fernando and your husband we'd never had the chance. They had me strapped to a gurney and ready to experiment on! They only let me go because they needed extra hands."
 
 
"You're making it worse than it is." Valentine said brushing her off.
 
 
"No I'm not!" Maggie said, stamping her little foot angrily. "I failed! I chickened out and was set to but cut up like you! They gave us the only chance we had! Honest. And if it wasn't for your sons saving us from that airship that tried to gun us down..."
 
 
Valentine turned to her with a confused look, "Wait! My sons?"
 
 
A faint flicker of humanity jumped in her eyes as the wheels of her mind started turning.
 
 
"I said too much. " Maggie said turning away.
 
 
Valentine spun her around, "What happened?"
 
 
Maggie shook her head, "No. I promised not to say anything."  
 
 
"Maggie! What happened?!" Valentine asked forcefully.
 
 
Maggie sighed, "We only got out because the Doctor took us out to flee. He wrecked the van in his hurry and got  a flat tire. The van still ran so he made me change the tire. I tricked him and stole the van but we ended up getting chased my an airship that was trying to kill us. I.. I got scared and accidentally crashed the van, totaling it and knocking myself out. A pickup with a couple cowboys in it drove up. They shot down the airship and gave us a ride to camp. they said they couldn't go into camp as two were your sons and one was your grandson. I don't understand how that's possible but that's what they said. I carried you in the rest of the way but I said nothing like they said. Who would believe me anyway?"
 
 
Valentine thought for a moment and turned back to her, "Are you sure thats exactly what happened?"
 
 
Maggie nodded, "I've done some bad things but I've never lied to you, honest. I ... I'm no hero. I'd have gotten us both killed if we didn't have help."
 
 
Valentine shook her head and shrugged it off, "No, you still saved me. Hondo did nothin'."
 
 
Maggie shook her head, "We got lucky. He tried hard, I know he did. It's not his fault."
 
 
Her mid started to think a but but the sound of the teens approaching snapped her out of it and her eyes went cold again. She sighed and growled.
 
 
"What the #$@! is the puberty squad doin' here? I can bet that failure of a husband of mine had somethin' to do with it!" she growled.
 
 
She climbed half down the dirigibles ladder before jumping the rest of the way to the ground and landing in front of the teens.
 
 
"What are you four doing here?" She asked sharply.
 
 
"Hi, Miss Valentine! Mr. Hondo sent us here to clean up." One of them said cheerfully.
 
 
They all stopped short when they saw her surly disposition.
 
 
"Who's on guard duty then?" She asked coldly.
 
 
"Mr. Hondo, Marvin, and Molly are taking guard so we can work here." One of the others said hesitanty.
 
 
Valentine sighed a frustrated sigh, "Now the whole camp is doom... Fine. Get to it. I'm going back to camp. Don't touch my dirigible!"
 
 
The teens swallowed hard and nodded.
 
 
"Yes ma'am." They said in unison.
 
 
She looked at them all the strode off. She could hear them whisper as she walked away, but ignored them.
 
 
"Is he like that 'cause of one of those woman things?" One of the boys whispered.
 
 
One of the girls shook her head, "No. Some women get cranky, but that... I don't think menopause would even make a woman that irrational!"
 
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To be continued . . . (have a little left, but can rewind time to do it. Just a late night rendezvous)

Fernando takes the few steps to Jeanette’s gas camper/ambulance to where Mavis is on the roof thereof. She watches him as he walks to the vehicle. He stops a couple feet from it and calls to her.
 
“Excuse me, Mavis... do you have everything you need for the night? Meal, drink, weapon, radio?” He asks.
 
“I have everything I need.” Mavis replies to his question.
 
“Good. Both Hondo and I are out here. Call either of us if you need anything.” He states to her.
 
“Will do, sir!” Mavis replies.
 
“Then I’ll see you later!” Fernando tells her before taking a step away from the camper/ambulance.
 
“See you, sir!” Mavis responds in kind as he walks away.
 
Fernando walks to the other side of the camp where his electric camper/ambulance was to check on the girls. He walks to the passenger front door and gingerly opens it. He looks inside seeing the girls looking like they are playing some kind of card game. Meeshie and Kitty are in the Driver’s seat curled up against each other. The girls look at him back before he steps in. Closing the door behind him, he sits down at the passenger seat. He reaches out and starts closing the window curtains in the front to ensure some privacy. He steps out onto the middle area of the camper and closes the side windows’ curtains. The rear window curtain was fine and did not need to be closed as they already were closed.
 
He looks at them and tells them, “I will be back, hopefully you will be having your supper or going to sleep when I do. Good night ladies.”
 
They reply to him, “Good night...”
 
Fernando leaves through the side door, closing and locking it behind him. Other than the noise outside from the nearby bazaar and the landing of a blimp onto the blimp landing/parking area, there was nothing much going on. If it were not for the noise from the activity, it would be quiet over all.
 
He looks at his watch, seeing the time approaching 9o’clock. Early to many, late to some. The stars look normal to those who are used to it but to Fernando, it was not right. But there was no time to care. He thinks about heading out to Moon Dog Maddie’s place to put the order in for breakfast but needs a vehicle to get there. There was little in options to take. As he walks to the Blimp parking area and to the nearby bazaar, he sees Val heading into the parking area with Maggie behind her. He decides to stay in the shadows and follow her from a distance while she was here in the convoy parking area.