The doors of the saloon swung wide and Abram stepped in. His eyes scanned the room for his target as he walked to the bar, a middle-aged man with a cybernetic arm—a member of the Scarlet Riders. Abram slid a tablet to the barkeep. “I’m looking for this man. You seen him?” Abram pulled aside his duster and revealed his Hunter badge. “Heard he likes old town bars on Mars.”
The barkeep titled his head to the side, towards a group of five playing cards in a backroom. Abram tipped his hat and made his way to the table. Patrons eyed him as he passed. An old town bar wasn’t the place for government dogs, the locals preferred the Federation stay out of their business, but they’d be damned if they touched a Hunter.
“How much to play?” Abram lit a cigarette and pulled out the empty seat at the head of the table. “I reckon I win, I get some information outta y’all.”
The man to his left stood and kicked the chair away from Abram. “Whoa there, buddy. You think we’d let a pup like you join in?” The man stood a few inches taller and had at least fifty pounds on Abram. Scarlet tattoos covered his face and exposed chest. A little young, Abram thought, and no cybernetics—not the guy.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Tell you what, you tell me where the Black Rose is and I’ll let y’all live.” Anger flashed across the man’s face as he reached for his gun. “Wrong, choice,” Abram replied. In the moment it took for the man to grab his weapon, Abram already fired his. Dead center. The man dropped. The rest retaliated. Time slowed for Abram and his hairs stood on end as his body tingled with electric energy. The air cracked and the room exploded with light. The light faded and the air burnt with the smell of chlorine. “Should’ve just told me where he is,” Abram said as he kicked the charred remains of one of the men.
A voice came from behind. “Lightning’s a bit dangerous inside, Hunter.” Abram spun and met the glare of his target, the Black Rose. He raised a shotgun but Abram was faster, as all Hunters should be, and the Black Rose fell out into the common room.
His head melted into a puddle of brown goo. Abram pulled out a small jar and filled it. As he stood, he caught the bewildered faces of his audience. Abram paused. “A parasite from Kepler-90 system. Keep your mouth closed at night.”