As promised, here is the next chapter of Voyages. Enjoy 
Voyages of the Chosen One
Chapter 8
The trip to Modoc was a long and treacherous one. There seemed to be an abundance of wandering dogs along the voyage, which needed to be disposed of. Plus, the rocky terrain did not make the trip much better. However, the fact that I had two people with me did somewhat comfort me. I had never been away from people for more than a few days, if that. In Arroyo, everyone was expected to do their own share of work, and of course there was no way for me to duck out of it. So, every day I had to drudge into the tribe, be nice to the people, and finish whatever task I had been assigned as quickly as I could. I hated it at the time, but being in the desert made me realize how much I missed my home and even the people.
As we drudged onward towards our destination, Vic humored me and Sulik with stories of his various adventures. The first day went by fast, and without much trouble we managed to build a fire and arrange camp. However, after listening to the old man speak his wisdom, I became curious about something that I had almost completely forgotten.
“Vic,” I said as I took my eyes off of the fire to gaze at the elderly figure beside me, “I have something to inquire about one of your adventures. When I was in
Klamath-”
“Don’t tell me,” Vic interrupted. “Ardin told you about how I saved Klamath, right?” There was an evident hint of sarcasm in his voice, but he was correct, so I nodded in response. “Well, then I suppose I’ll fill ya in, seeing how we’ll be traveling together for a while.” With that, he motioned for Sulik to grab some beers.
“This better be worth it,” Sulik said. That seemed to be his favorite saying whenever Vic told a story; he pretended not to care or even be interested, but he always hung on every word that the raconteur spoke. He tossed a beer to me, one to Vic, and then returned to his seat on the other side of the fire with a beverage in his hand as well.
I looked over at Vic. As eager as I was to hear this, I did not want to be rude and rush him. Instead, I opened my beer and took a small drink.
Vic licked his lips, and glanced at Sulik and then me. Slowly, a smile formed on his face. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs and clasping his hands together in front of him. He was ready to begin.
“Technically, it was more fate and incredibly good luck than any work on my part,” Vic began. “First off, you should both be aware that Klamath was going through a drastic depression. Times were incredibly rough, and everyone wanted it to end. Most fled the town, and those few that stayed often wanted to do the same. However, there were a few hopefuls that were confident that things would eventually turn around. I was one that fell into that category; I did not want to see Klamath die. I had spent too damned many good years in that town!” He sighed reminiscently, and then opened his beer. After a long drink, he continued. “Well, I wasn’t going to let that town die no matter what. Nothing could change my mind about that…..
“I left for the Den early one morning in hopes of finding something that could change the situation for the better. What I found, though, could very well have saved the town. When I arrived at my destination, I proceeded to visit with Metzger. Believe it or not, we were actually getting along at the time! He knew the predicament that Klamath was in and that I would do anything to improve it. So, being the slime-ball that he is, he made me an offer.
“'You do me a favor, and I’ll help your town out,' Metzger said to me. The one thing about that man that did not ever change was that he was always looking for ways to further his organization. Of course, back then he was more tolerable about it; as the years progressed, he became more and more intense.
“'What do you want from me?’ I questioned, almost fearing what the answer would be.
“Metzger, instead of replying, pivoted on his right foot and proceeded to walk away. Quickly he motioned for me to follow. I complied with his instructions and surprisingly followed him right out of town. We walked for almost an hour before he finally stopped. During the trip, neither of us spoke. A few times he acted as if he was about to say something, but then decided against it. The silence was utterly eerie; there were none of the normal desert sounds. One of the things that I remember the most was that the sun was exceptionally hot. I’ve traveled in the desert all of my life, but I never experienced heat like I did that day. It was, to say the least, surreal.
“When we reached our destination, which was actually more or less when Metzger chose to stop walking, he turned to face me. ‘You want to save your town, and it just so happens that I can get my hands on what you need.’
“I waited for him to continue, but when he didn’t, I spoke up. ‘What do you have that can help me?’ I asked flatly. I wasn’t going to humor him with any small talk; Metzger was never worth it.
“'I can get you a herd of brahmin for Klamath,’ he said quickly. He kept looking around, glancing in every direction, as if he was worried that someone may have ventured out under the sun just to eavesdrop on our conversation. However, each time he searched with his eyes, he found nothing.
“'What are you talking about?’ I asked. I was hoping to get all of the details instead of having to beg for them like most have to do when dealing with Metzger. However, seeing how he was so worried of someone listening in on the conversation, the chances that he would lengthen it more than needed seemed unlikely.
“'It’s simple, really,” he stated flatly. I thought he expected me to urge him onward at that point, but I was going to do no such thing. After a brief moment of unnerving silence, Metzger continued. ‘In Modoc there is a slaughterhouse. The man in charge of the installation has a debt to the Slaver’s Guild.’ He paused briefly, and laughed to himself. ‘Actually, I have something he wants back. You see, one of his good buddies accidentally wandered too far into Slaver territory. You can figure the rest out.’
“'I see,’ I said to the man who stood in front of me. However, I knew that I would not get off that easy. Metzger does not do anything to help anyone but himself. I sighed, and said, ‘I suppose there is something that you want from me first, though.’
“A smile slowly crossed the face of the Slaver’s Guild leader, and he chuckled slightly to himself. ‘You never change, Vic. You always think you got everyone figured out, you always think you know what to expect. Did it ever occur to you that you could be wrong?’
“Mockingly, I replied, ‘No, never. When you’re as good as me, you’re never wrong.’
“The man laughed at that answer. ‘Vic, whatever you do, never change. I’ve seen some strange shit happen to some of the most seemingly sane people in my day.’ I wasn’t sure if he was referring to actual people or those that he had captured and reduced down to the level of slave. In spite of this, I felt it would be better if I did not ask. ‘You want to know what I want of you, so I will tell you. You see, I have this problem with a certain person in New Reno. It seems one of my acquaintances is a little slow on delivering a shipment of what I ordered. I need you to either dispose of him, or bring him to me.’”
Suddenly and unexpectedly, Vic rose from his seat at that moment. He said he would be right back, and ventured off into the desert. The reason was presumable.
I took a sip of my beer, and leaned over to Sulik. “This has been interesting,” I stated blandly.
The tribal laughed, then nodded in agreement. He swept up his beer and, taking a long sip, finished the bottle. He rose from his spot to grab another one. “Want one?” he questioned.
“Sure,” I replied. I still had some left in my other bottle, but who was I to refuse free service, and not to mention, beer was involved. He tossed me another beverage, which I sat on the ground next to my other one. I then grabbed another log that had been conveniently positioned behind me and tossed it onto the fire.
Just then, Vic returned. He looked at both of us, and then took his spot next to the fire. Me and Sulik looked at him with great anticipation. He smiled to himself, and then decided to continue.
“I looked over at Metzger, trying to decide whether or not he was serious,” Vic said. “Of course, I knew that he was serious; Metzger is a business man, and is not to be taken lightly, especially in matters such as this. I paused for a moment to think of the offer. It wasn’t that I had never killed anyone before, but this was different. I’m a trader; I wander through the wasteland with a vast bounty of merchandise. Of course, this caused me to be a juicy target for raiders and others of that kind. I killed when I had to then to save my own ass, and protect whatever merchandise I could. Now, though, I was being asked to kill for someone else just because the person did not deliver a shipment of some merchandise. I never did find out what type of stuff the guy was to deliver, but it was apparently important to Metzger.
“I knew that, although I had never been hired to kill before, it was probably the only opportunity like this that I would have to save Klamath. I did the only thing any man in my position could do.
“'I’ll do it,’ I informed Metzger slowly, thinking carefully and cautiously about each word, knowing that once they were spoken to a man of such power that they could not be taken back.
“'Excellent!’ he exclaimed. The smile on his face was one that I will never forget. It showed a mix of both happiness and bloodlust, which, in a man like Metzger, would send a chill down the spine of any sane man. ‘He is known as Squared Monkey. Bring him to me, or dispose of him. Once the job is done, you’ll have your brahmin.’ He stopped after that sentence and stared long and hard at me. I think he doubted that I was actually going to comply to his offer. However, I must have been able to convince him. ‘I’ll have the brahmin here and waiting when you get back.’ He pivoted to walk back to the Slaver’s headquarters, but after a few steps, he paused and turned back to me. ‘Oh, and Vic, if you back out now, I’ll be sure that your corpse will be buried in the cemetery.’ He smiled in the only diabolical and demonic way that he could, and then walked away.
“I let out a slow sigh as I watched Metzger leave. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach already for agreeing to this. I had met Monkey before; he was a nice enough guy, but in the wrong business. He was smart as could be, but insisted on making his living working for the Mordino family. He claimed that it was one of the best paying jobs around, and I didn’t really doubt him in that fact. However, he was still working for a major crime family, and all who get involved with such kind are bound to end up dead if they don’t get out while they still can. Monkey would be no exception. I sighed again, and then turned to begin my trip to New Reno.
“I arrived in the big city in a matter of days. Not a moment went by when I thought about what I was going to have to do, nor did a moment go by in which I didn’t regret what I was obliged to carry out. Of course, I was stuck with the fate, and could do nothing to change it.
“When I wandered into the town, I decided it would be best to do this as fast and quickly as possible. I would simply ask Squared Monkey to come with me to the desert to discuss ‘business.’ Monkey would not refuse; it wasn’t in his style to refuse anything that sounded remotely promising to him. However, when I arrived at Monkey’s normal hangout spot, the Desperado, he was nowhere to be found. I glanced around the room and constantly searching for the man I had to find. After repeated failures, my eyes fell on Lil' Jesus Mordino. He was the son of Big Jesus, who was the head of the family. I knew that it would not be good for me to ask to see Big Jesus; no one just asked to ‘see him.’ You had to have good connections, as well as a skill that was needed by the family. Otherwise, there was no way that you would even lay your eyes on Big Jesus.
“With that in mind, I decided to take my chances with his son. I ordered a beer and began to sip it slowly. Once it was about one fourth of the way empty, I walked slowly across the room, trying to remain inconspicuous. I don’t know how well it worked, but no one seemed to pay any attention to me. After what seemed like an eternity, I was finally standing next to Lil’ Jesus.
“'I know you,’ he greeted me flatly. ‘You’re Vic, the trader-man, right?’
“'Uh, yeah, that would be me,’ I informed him. I had been in the bar numerous times before, and was not surprised that he recognized me.
“'Hot damn, Vic!’ he exclaimed. ‘I heard a lot of shit about you! Don’t worry, though, most of it was good. If you’re anything like the man of the stories, then we’ll get along just fine.’ He smiled and chuckled silently to himself. I was trying to guess which stories he could have possibly heard. Then again, despite its large size, the communication lines in New Reno were amazingly fast. Lil’ Jesus then continued his speech, but this time with a more serious tone. ‘What can I do for you, Vic? You lookin’ to quite the tradin’ business and take a job for the Family Mordino? It just so happens we’re lookin’ for a replacement.’
“I almost laughed at his offer, but then remembered that I wasn’t there to die. Instead, I decided to see what information I could get out of him. ‘Replacement, eh? Why do you need a replacement?’
“'Simple. Someone died,’ he said flatly. He waited briefly for me to acknowledge the statement, but then decided to continue. ‘Good ‘ole Monkey finally got to the end of his leash. During one of his trips to our installation out of town, a band of raiders cut him off. He had some Jet on him. Everyone around here is crazy for Jet; they can’t seem to get enough of that damned drug!’ A large smile crossed his face. It was common knowledge that Jet was an incredibly addictive drug that was produced and marketed by the Mordino family. It was one of the aspects that made them so incredibly powerful. ‘Basically, the raiders were ready to do anything for the jet; even kill our good friend. After a few days when Monkey didn’t return, we began to worry, thinking that he took some of our fine product and left without paying for it. We sent a few guys out to look for him, and in a few days his corpse was recovered. It’s rotting in Golgotha right now’
“'That’s too bad about Monkey,’ I said. ‘I knew that he did a lot for your family.’
“'Damn straight he did!’ Lil’ Jesus exclaimed. ‘If he didn’t do a lot of shit, we wouldn’t have paid him as much as we did. Of course, his death could mean good news for you. You want a job with us or not? Honestly, we could use someone with your expertise on traveling and surviving in the wasteland on long journeys. Plus, I’m damn sure that it would pay a lot better than the simple trading you do.’
“Once again, I was given an offer that I didn’t want to accept, but this time I could actually refuse without getting myself murdered. ‘Thanks for the offer, Lil’ Jesus,’ I replied, ‘but the truth is that I’m not quite ready to give up the trade business.’
“'Fine, suite yourself,’ he said. ‘There will be someone else to take Monkey’s spot; the key is just to find ‘em!’ He smiled, and then reached out and patted me on the shoulder. ‘I tell ya what. If you ever need a job, or if you ever get sick of the trading business, come and see me. I’ll more than likely be able to hook ya up with something really nice.’
“I thanked Lil’ Jesus for the offer, and then decided it would be best for me to return to the Den and retrieve my Brahmin. I know that I didn’t actually perform the deed that Metzger had set out for me, but it was done nonetheless. I figured that he wouldn’t notice the difference, as long as Monkey was dead.
“When I arrived back at the Slaver’s Guild, Metzger was waiting for me at the front door. It was as if he knew I would return at that exact moment. He smiled at me, and said, ‘You don’t even have to say it; I already heard from another source that you have been successful.’
“I smiled back at Metzger. He was clueless as to what really happened. ‘Where are my brahmin?’ I questioned him.
“'Of course,’ the man said. ‘Follow me.’
“I was taken to the other side of town where my reward was waiting in a small pasture. I never thought I would be so happy to see a stupid brahmin, but the excitement was overwhelming. Klamath would be saved! However, my thoughts were interrupted when Metzger said, ‘they’re all yours. Just get them the hell out of here; I can’t stand that smell.’
“'No problem,’ I replied slyly.
“The rest of the story is pretty much self-explanatory. I had to drive the brahmin across the desert to Klamath. Luckily the two towns were conveniently close, which made the trip fairly easy.”
I smiled at Vic, and then looked over at Sulik. He seemed disappointed that the story was over already. Plus, even though it did explain a lot, there was one question that still eluded me. “Hey Vic,” I said, “why did you tell everyone that you simply found the brahmin in the desert?”
The old man laughed at the question, and then answered by saying, “The people of Klamath are simple. If I had told them that I was actually hired to kill a man or bring him back to be killed by Metzger, they would have disowned me. Anyone that causes trouble or kills for no reason is not wanted in Klamath; it’s just the way things are. Also, even though I knew most doubted that I found the brahmin in the desert, none of them questioned it. I guess they were just too damned happy that I gave them what they needed to get Klamath back on its feet that they weren’t about to question it.”
“Ah, I see,” I said slowly. The logic in that took me by surprise; I never expected to hear of an instance where morals ran so deep within a town that they would reject their only chance at survival just because the one who brought it to them did so on ‘immoral’ grounds.
“Well, that’s enough stories for tonight,” Vic said. “I need to get some sleep.” Sulik grunted in agreement. I stared silently into the fire for a while, sipping on my beer. “Aren’t you going to sleep, boss?” Vic questioned.
“Eh, I’m not that tired. I’ll sleep later.” I replied.
“Okay, whatever works for you, I guess,” came the response.
I stared into the fire, taking an occasional sip of my beer, while my companions began to sleep. I thought briefly of the stories that Vic had told throughout the day. Most were meaningless, but all told about life in the wasteland and, in general, about life in the world. It was strange how one man could gain so much knowledge and have it go unnoticed. However, I did not keep my mind on that thought for too long. Instead, I began thinking of Modoc. Vic said that we should arrive there sometime tomorrow afternoon. I was excited, yet something told me that what we would find there would not be expected.
Topic Closed
posted June 15, 2002 19:12
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posted June 25, 2002 02:15
