“Let it be known that those who follow the teachings of Chatillion are not dangerous in their own right, more a side effect of the religion.”

For however long it took Lucia and her assistant to finish up within the village, it was at least a good time to see how everything worked with the software they asked him to download. So far he was able to get through the chapter of what the Vegas brigade was about. Some sort of bastardized teaching of this Chatillion Vegas person. Someone well before the Union’s inception. Though as the recordings would talk of him, it seemed like he was less of a man of god and more a-

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Hey!” The face that greeted Shoa was an unshaven mess. Stress lines along the tanned forehead and sweat dripped down their face. The longsleeved shirt was ripped off to reveal built arms underneath a drenched cloth. The fogging on the window was certainly proof that whatever issue this man had, it was pointed toward him.

“Hello…. How can I help you, sir?”

“This ain’t your car.”

“Well yes, This is the vehicle of my… superior? Supervisor? I’ll have to ask for the official Org chart, but this car belongs to Lucia Ensign”

“I know that.” The angry stranger raised up a thumb and pointed behind himself. “ Get out.”

Shoa raised a thumb up in return. “I would rather not.”

“Wasn’t asking. Get. Out.”

As Shoa reached towards the door as if to get out, his hand slowly moved towards the open engine button. The moment it even brushed on the signature, a smoother voice rang out behind the man.

“Hey, Marty! What’s the issue?”

“Some Scraphead in Lucia’s car. Union.”

“Oh come on, Marty. Might just be one of her co-workers.”

Marty wiped the sweat off his brow as he turned his back on Shoa. “Well she’s one of the good ones, she should know not to bring them here. Ain’t right.”

“If he’s here, then he’s clear. Lucia doesn’t bring suspicious folk around if any at all. Just chill for a bit while I talk to him. Alright?”

A grunt answered the man as Marty backed off. Another face greeted Shoa, this one with a focus on grooming and glasses. Baby blue eyes and a dusty blond field for hair. Though with no signature that Shoa could recognize. Small stitching mistakes overall on his plain white T-shirt and his navy blue jeans. The only thing Shoa could recognize from a mass producer was the belt buckle.

“Heya,” he said cheerfully. His accent was certainly one of a rural upbringing, as Shoa could identify. What’s your name, partner?”

“Shoa.”

“Well, nice to meet you, Shoa. Sorry about my friend back there, he’s a bit protective.”

“That is clear.” Marty’s eyes hadn’t left Shoa’s person since he had backed up. Protective was underneath at least 100 hundred words to describe the motive in his gaze.

“So what brings you and Lucia here, anyhow? She must be here somewhere iffn you’re in her car. ”

“Union business. We came to talk to someone about some issues that happened a couple of towns over.”

“Ah, Hickshaw I presume.”

A small pause went through before Shoa answered.“That would be the case, yes.”

“A damned shame, ain’t it.”

“Yes.”

Shoa could see the eyes of the man flick toward Shoa’s still-outreached hand.

“Ah. Now don’t worry, I’m not here to take Lucy’s vehicle or ask you to step out. Simply wanted to ask a few questions on what’s going on.”

“Ok…”

“You wanna stay in there, that’s ok. But if you want a tour, my treat, you’re welcome to come out anytime. I’m just gonna sit outside, alright?”

As the man slowly came down, he knocked on the outside of the car as he sat against the chassis.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“What brought you here, then. If you’re looking to run down those who did Hickshaw.”

Even with the situation with the wildly bearded man still close by, the voice of the man outside the car was a lot more comfortable to talk to.

” I wouldn’t be the one to ask. Though she should be back soon.”

““Oh I’m sure she will. Wouldn’t leave this car if the devil himself claimed it. Bet she’s been nothing but a stone-cold professional.”

“She’s been dedicated when it comes to the job.”

“Of course she is. So what does bring a Mechanoid out this far.” A small chuckle. “Well, damn. I guess I already know that. I guess the question is what requires your expertise, then.”

“I’m simply here as a record keeper. Unfortunately, some people in your town are under suspicion of a horrible crime.”

“Why’s that?”

“The skirmish between Animalia farmers and Vegas Brigade forces over a dispute regarding farming rights. The harassment around the wilds ended with 5 injured and the occupation of land by Union Forces led by the then-called Johnny Terra. A caravan of Animalia traders was robbed by Vegas Brigade members that ended with the death of 3 Animalia and one human. The damage led to a revenge burning down of one of those members’ houses. Too many of the people arrested came from places like this one. Associated with Chatillion teachings. ”

A hardy laugh manifested itself from the man below. The kind of laugh you heard around a dinner table. “Skip damn boy. You know a hell of a lot about them. You a scholar or something?”

“I’m simply working under the Notary’s authority, good sir.”

“So are they a Mechanoid like you then? With so much knowledge on hand, can't be a human to have it, right?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know-”

"Harris! Step away from the car!"

Shoa could see Lucia storming towards the car with Rhys following behind. By the look in her eye, she wasn’t expecting him. By the look at what he assumed to be Harris, he most definitely was. Bright Blues focused directly on her as if she was just another person to chat up.

“Now, Lucia. I was simply talking with my new friend here.”

“Shut the hell up, Harris. Shoa, stop talking.”

“It's bad manners to cut off a conversation like that. What brings you around these parts anyway? Probably not to catch up. The old man doing well?”

“Union Business is none of your business.”

“When it involves my town and my people. Well… I feel that it kind of is.”

“Look, partner.” The mockery laced in that Rhys’s last word could kill a sarcastic elephant. Rhys was already in Harris’s face. Any closer she would’ve knocked him flat. “Business is business, and unless you’re involved, you don’t need to know shit.”

“Why Ms.Lucia. I would think you could teach your ward proper manners. She really shouldn’t speak outta turn with company present. ”

With the way he flicked his eyes, Lucia could only peer out the corner of the corner of hers. Guardsman seemed to be out of his seat, with a few men already behind him. Each in uniform. Each armed. It seemed that the man in the back had caught up too, with a wicked grin flashing his yellow teeth.

“Well, is he involved or isn’t he? Or do you need your talking calculator to order you for that too?”

“Step off, asshat.”

“Or what?”

“RHYS.”

With Lucia’s commanding voice, the place went silent. With the attention refocused. Lucia moved Rhys back to get face-to-face with Harris.

“The Union needs to ask you some questions. As well as a few of your associates. That’s what we came here for.”

“Well with how you’ve hurt my feelings so bad, I would find it hard to muster the courage. Lest I be so disrespected again.” He moved his hand through his hair, Shoa could only be amazed at how cool he was acting in the face of such serious charges. Rhys however, could feel the grift slip through his teeth with every word as he maintained his smirk.

“Besides, last I checked. You don’t have the jurisdiction to make me do anything.”

“Of course, Lucia can’t. With her position, she doesn’t have the clout to get into fights with low-priority people.” From wherever the smile on Rhys’s face came from, it certainly wasn’t a place of goodwill. However, that doesn’t mean, Harris Malaki, that things can’t happen. We're here to keep things from escalating. See, people are currently waiting for the results of this investigation. A lot of people who had family members in Hickshaw are currently waiting for us to bring this little issue to light. Leaks happen. ”

The smirk on Harris’s face didn’t budge an inch, but Rhys could see something in his eyes change for the colder.

“Someone hears from someone that some Vegas affiliates were involved in it. Now, of course, people presumed as much. But now, now they have a lead. Now. I may be new, but I know how quickly threats and presumptions lead into conspiracy.” Rhys moved closer to the man in front of her, with a smile still stuck on her face and her eye on him, even with Marty in the back staring daggers at her.

“Now all of a sudden, your connections start phasing you out. Run out of the markets, run out of the shops, run out of the Union. Anyone even mentions your name without spitting and they’re stuck at the far end of the table. All the while an angry relative of one of the many people you allegedly had nothing to do with slaughtering decides to take matters into their own hands. Judging by the man trying not to slap the taste out of my mouth behind you, that makes 2 out of the 5 of us willing to use violence at this point in time. Now imagine 2 out of every 5 of our furry co-workers alone at the Union hunting down anyone associated with you.”

Marty seemed fit to burst as his face turned as red as a tomato at its peak ripeness/

“You wanna speak up for those unhuman swine? All they are, all they ever will be are animals. Uncivilized horrible excuses for creatures.”

“Ohhh !” A faux laugh fluttered from Rhy’s mouth. “Big man knows a word bigger than three syllables. You must have some nice adult reading classes in your racist little clubhouse.”

While his facial expression hadn’t changed since the group got there, he had lost the aloof attitude. As he raised his hand to cut off Rhys, Shoa could notice the men in the back start to back off from near the gate.

“I understand your point. Just tell me where to be and I’ll be there. Or we can have our little interview right here. Right now.”

Lucia’s grim expression seemed to reach her eyes, looking deep into the eyes of the man in front of her. “I’d be happy to.”