“What’ll it be, ma’am?” a large man with a large beard asked from behind the bar.

“Got anything for free?” I asked.

“Got a few things for free,” he said, as he placed an empty shot glass in front of me. “Air’s free, so you can get a shot of that on the house. I can give out advice for free too, I reckon.”

“Okay, let’s hear it,” I said, taking the empty shot glass to my lips and throwing it back, wiping my mouth.

“Well…” he said, grinning. “Was going to say something smart-mouthed, but seeing as you’re good humored maybe I can help us both out.”

He reached behind him, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and filling my glass.

“Gonna ask you a real straightforward question. Could always use more help around here, but the real question is do you want to make a little money or a little more money than that?”

I downed the shot, slamming it on the counter in front of me. He refilled it.

“That question doesn’t sound very straightforward. Don’t be afraid to ask it directly.”

He laughed again, but it was a bit more nervous this time.

“Well, I’ve got two jobs for a lady here, dependin’ upon whether or not the lady prefers to sell her own wares or mine.”

He gestured to the row of three women posed very seductively at the top of the stairs, then back to his stock behind the bar.

“They were carrying out a man when I got here. Seems like he made quite a mess before enough patrons were able to throw him out.” I pointed to the table still overturned in the middle of the room, and the several others in disarray. “You sure you don’t need somebody to take care of the troublemakers? That pay more than a waitress?”

“Well yeah, little miss, for sure it’d fetch a higher wage. You know somebody interested in fillin’ such a role?”

I pondered for a moment. I could certainly do it, but less attention was always better. A small woman suddenly throwing large men out of a saloon might just escalate the problems even more for the saloon and add to my own. I wasn’t looking to make it rich in this town, after all. Just needed food, clothes, and a bit of luck.

Mostly luck.

“I’ll ask around. That waitress position sounds good for me. I know it’s a long shot, but would that position happen to come with room and board?”

The bartender laughed again.

“Well, if you were looking to take the other option, I’d say yes, as is standard. But I’ll tell you what… you’re a very pretty girl and you got… something of an exotic look. I hope it does not offend by my saying. Got one of our upstairs ladies currently out with child. It’ll be some days before she is able to return to her duties, and likely she’d welcome someone to keep her room tidied while she is away.”

I nodded. “That’s acceptable, and no you do not offend. Your way of saying it is more polite than others who have said the same,” I said, trying to match his tone and cadence.

Already, being here was difficult. Hearing the familiar speech and mannerisms that I only ever knew as belonging to Linus. Now, I was hearing it all around me.

“Then do you mind if I venture another question?” he asked.

“Go ahead.”

“For you to be looking for a place, are you perhaps in a quarrel with your husband?” He held up his hands, as though shielding himself against an attack he knew was coming. “I only ask because such circumstances have led to troubles for the establishment in the past. I don’t ask to pry into your personal affairs.”

“I am unmarried,” I said.

“Ah, well, I suppose young ladies are not in as much hurry nowadays as they were in mine,” he said, forcing a smile against some distant memory that clearly pained him.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Suddenly, the swinging gate at the entrance flung open, with three men spilling in near simultaneously.

They wore black suits. High quality, but it was impossible to keep anything clean in the blowing sands of a desert. I should know that. Upon their chests, gold badges with a star. Lawmen.

One looked to me.

“There she is,” he said, drawing his single-action revolver and pointing it directly at me.

“You’ll point your gun at defenseless women? Do children frighten you too?” I asked, picking up my shot and drinking it, placing the empty glass back on the bar.

“Now see, that’s the problem. We reckon whether or not you’re ‘defenseless’ ain’t been established yet. Up in the air, so to speak, like that big black bird you was spotted with along the edge of town.”

“Oh, Ghost? He’s my pet falcon. Don’t tell me no one here has a pet bird.”

He took a step forward, his gun trained on me. He meant business.

“I ain’t never seen no falcon the size of a toddler. Ain’t no birds like that around here, that’s for sure.”

“He’s imported,” I said, raising a brow.

I’d screwed up and gotten spotted by the wrong people before I had a chance to blend in. Should’ve known this would be much more difficult than it was in Arc City, filled with thousands of people. Probably not even a thousand here, from what I could tell. Everyone knew everyone in a small town like this, and by now weeks had passed since PanTech’s fall. The world was changing. There would be fewer and fewer people who were fully unaware of it, unprepared for me.

“Yeah, well, after last week we ain’t takin’ no chances. Feller came in here took probably twenty well-placed shots to take down. Three in his noggin’. Outsiders are gonna be treated with due caution.”

I wondered who that could’ve been. It didn’t sound like anyone I knew, and their knowledge was probably limited too. Wouldn’t do me much good to start asking about it, or they might think I was his accomplice looking for revenge.

“In that case, I understand your caution. What can I do to alleviate your worries?” I asked, raising my hands.

“Sheriff wants to talk to you, little lady. I reckon you ought to behave yourself and keep them hands where we can see ‘em.”

Now wasn’t the time to taunt them more than I already had. They were spooked.

“Okay, fine,” I said, waving my hands high above me. “I have no intention of resisting.” I looked back at the bartender as I walked. “I’ll be back after all of this is cleared up. I can start as soon as they’re satisfied.”

He nodded, not confident speaking in front of the deputies.

I followed them out of the saloon as they slowly and carefully repositioned to surround me. All three kept their guns drawn. One walked backward, the other two on either side. How many were traveling between zones already?

“Sorry, ma’am, this must seem mighty strange to you,” another deputy said.

“A little,” I said, still keeping my hands firmly above my head. “But you do what you have to do. I’m your guest here so I don’t mind playing by your rules.”

We didn’t walk far before I was guided into another building with the words ‘Sheriff’s Office’ above the door.

“Please wait in the cell there,” a man said.

I hesitated. I certainly wasn’t a fan of being imprisoned like this. An enhancer might not allow me to bend thick steel bars, but I could easily best these three young men and be gone before they knew what hit them. Though, if I did that, I’d be blowing my only shot to get this over with quickly and peacefully.

Reluctantly, I complied, entering the cell and sitting on the bench against the wall.

“The sheriff will be with you shortly,” he said, locking the door.

“Some sheriff!” a red-haired man in the cell next to mine shouted. “King, more like it. King Eric the Great. Lord Sheriff. Master of the land and ruler of all creation.”

“Shut your mouth, Clarence,” the deputy said. “Lay off the drinks and you won’t be in here so much.”

“Oh, pardon me for offendin’ the Lord Sheriff, Mister Supreme Mayor of this here town!”

“Clarence, we’ve got a lady guest as your neighbor. Reckon you could show a little civility for her sake?”

“I don’t care about no ladies!” he shouted, defiantly, looking me directly in the eyes as though the entire statement was meant for me specifically.

“Psssh!” the deputy blew air through his lips, almost hissing, shaking his head as he disappeared out the back. “We got us another hangin’ today, Clarence. Reckon you ought to start thinkin’ real hard about not gettin’ a rope yourself.”

Clarence suddenly became quiet. And stayed that way for a while.

A few minutes later a tall, mustached man came in. He flashed me a gentle smile, squinting his green eyes and squishing his bushy eyebrows together. He was one of those men you found yourself wanting to trust the moment you laid eyes on him.

But I’d met many men like that, and some weren’t as kind as they appeared to be.

He tipped his hat to me, pulling up a stool and sitting in front of my cell.

“Sorry for the inconvenience ma’am. I’ll keep this brief,” he said. “I understand you’ve already lined up a job for yourself here and I’ll feel mighty guilty if I keep you from that. We respect someone willin’ to pull their own weight ‘round here.”

“Thank you, Sheriff,” I said, bowing slightly. “Sorry to intrude. Had I been familiar with customs here I’d have visited your office first thing.”

He smiled again.

“So, which zone do you hail from?”

“PanTech HQ, sir. I’m one of the survivors.”

“One of the survivors, huh? I didn’t realize there were any.”

“Ohhhh you’ve done it now!” Clarence said, finally springing back to life. “You’re in for it now!”

“Please, keep it down Clarence. It’s hard to talk to our guest here with your drunk shouting.”

“He’ll kill you for sure now!” Clarence shouted again, laughing so hard it turned into a coughing fit. “You’re dead. Dead. Dead!”

The sheriff stood up, walking over to Clarence’s cell.

“C’mere,” he said, waving Clarence over.

When Clarence stepped close, the sheriff punched him in the face, knocking him to the cold stone floor, out even colder.

“Now…” he said, wiping the back of his hand on his vest. “Where were we?”