The 3 cold and shaken up travelers made it back to Billy’s house, Glad to see the light of a warm home after a long walk. The loss of a horse and carriage seemed trivial after making it back alive, Jen wearing the armored coat and Billy carrying the broken auto-pistol tucked in his belt. His serenity was shattered as he noticed the black and white carriage parked by the house, a familiar sight but one of the worst timing. He entered the house ahead, pistol behind his back.

  “Good evening Gentlemen” said the intruder sitting at the dinner table, Carol and Billy’s wife silently on the other side at casual gunpoint, as Hudson sat looking furious from a chair behind them. “My name is Fredric Prima, and I’m your guest for the time being.” Smiled the skinny man in a fancy black suit, black tie, and black tophat, a white pressed shirt and silver rings. His curled and waxed handlebar mustache the color of cherrywood curled up in an almost…civilized smile. An aura of vicious sarcasm in the air.

  “Why are you in my home?” Billy asked, gripping the pistol harder. “Pointing a gun near my wife?”

  “I feared if I did not catch your attention immediately, there would be shooting and death before any conversation.” Prima said, sipping his tea, Hudson mean-mugging him eye to eye from 12 feet back, chuckling at the statement.

  “Funny, you done shot first before conversatin the way I remember it, prick.” Hudson growled.

  “Now that was a warning shot, had it meant to be lethal you would be dead.”

  “Shot my damn gun.” Hudson huffed, drawing attention to the Prima 45 shotgun now in 2 pieces.

  “Well, seeing as how my name is engraved in it, I think it poetically fitting. A demonstration if you will at my accuracy and intentions, to disarm, not kill. I know where the weakest points are on my own guns, and from a hundred yards back I had no difficulty threading that needle. I assure you my pistol skills are just as sharp.” Fredric said pouring some more Tea as Billy circled, debating how fast he could raise that gun and thinking it unwise.

  “You come into my home, threaten my wife and drink my tea and act like you are the civilized one.” He breathed heavily.

  “Good sir, we are all civilized at the moment...” Fredric smirked. “Thanks to me. Billy Wandering Horse, you are currently harboring fugitives in your home. Dangerous criminals with a large bounty for multiple crimes, on their way to Coalridge no doubt. That happens to be MY home. Now, there’s no sense making accusations, perhaps you did not know they were wanted or were threatened by them to comply out of fear, so you will not be penalize for this crime by me, but Lee Buchannan would do things differently. Kill you and your wife, probably skin her first, boil her perhaps, knowing that savage. Truly the most uncivilized man if ever I have met one, but wealthier than myself so naturally he rules the roost and believes he owns Timber all on his own. He will hunt you down like dogs purely for the insult of making him chase.”

  “Get to the point Peckerwood.” Hudson muttered.

  “My point, is that you are all in serious danger over what that young lady has in her boot. A truly fascinating mechanical leg of very valuable metal. I’m not here to kill anyone for it, and I would hate to have to resort to that crude force. I am a man of deals and opportunity, and the one thing I want more than that leg is for Buchannan NOT to have it. That leg represents a number of weapons that could be made, and the man with the best weapons here is god. You may of course simply call me Mister Prima, but as your personal savior, I am here to make a deal and forgive your sins to save your lives. There is a banquet 3 days from now in Coalridge, a tusk auction at my estate. Most of the men who want you dead will be there, and as my guests you will be safe from them if you choose to attend.”

  “You’re just…protecting us?” Billy asked.

  “Oh not you, I was never officially here and you never saw the fugitives. These 4 will be offered protection, publically, on my property, and even Buchannan would not dare oppose me in my own home in front of the other lords of Timber. You would have immunity, and your names cleared of all charges, and in exchange, I want the leg.”

  “Don’t pop off, dickhead.” Hudson said as if he repeated it. “It’s Osteogenic.”

  “Osteointegrated.” Carol corrected “But he’s right, it’s glued into the bone.”

  “Yes I’ve heard, but it could still be removed without killing you. I have access to the best surgeons in Timber, and they could easily amputate at the knee, with anesthetic and aftercare of course, and you would be provided a new external, wearable polymer leg. It would not be as glorious or as mobile, but you would be alive and only missing a small amount of flesh for protection. That is a much better offer than most would give you, which is a bullet to the head and removing the limb on the spot with an axe. I do not want any unnecessary suffering or death, I merely want the leg and am willing to pay and make arrangements to get it as painless as possible. Someone will get that leg regardless.” He shrugged calmly.

  “Why?” Carol asked. “Why are you willing to do this, and not just kill me?”

  “Aside from it being brutal and unsavory, knowing you are alive and well will simply piss off Lee Buchannan to no end, and that amuses me more than the money for the surgery. You are also a source of knowledge where you are from, as would your friend, and you would work for me, helping me improve my inventions. Protected and well, a warm home and bed, freedom, spending currency and no jailtime, and all I want is cooperation, and the metal everyone is hunting you for. You see not only is that a weapon in my hands but a weapon NOT in anyone else’s hands. Knowledge of the future is priceless, and advancements in technology are why my family is one of the wealthiest in Timber. You are giving me the gift of warfare advantage and robbing my enemies of it. We both win.”

  “Except I lose my leg and risk dying of infection, spend the rest of my life with a primitive prosthetic above the knee, assuming you don’t just kill me anyway once you have what you want. You’d own me. Crippled and enslaved, is that right?” Carol asked, looking like she was steadying her emotions internally, by force.

  “A downgraded limb for certain, but you’d be alive with something, risk would be low, and you would owe me a debt. This is still better than death and that of your friends, is it not?” Prima sipped.

  “Debt IS slavery here, Prima.” Hudson said. “You rich bastards think you can own everyone and do what you want because your granddaddy claimed his slice of Timber first, and honoring a deal is up to your own discretion, because you people make the laws with that money. Nobody here trusts a word you say, we know you keep wages low, reduce the gun quality to suppress the people from risin up, livin in riches while people freeze and starve, because you like fancy shit and other people don’t matter. You got no blood in this deal, no flesh to sacrifice, no honor to uphold and no reason to do a damn thing you said even if we do comply and be your slaves. Want me to let you hack up that gal for a new gun, and you’re supposed to be…civilized.” Hudson grinned darkly. “Or we could just kill ya ass right here. Fancy long distance gun don’t mean shit at the table. You’re in the wolves den now Prima. Remember that fact. You may be the best ranged man in this land, but I’m a damn quick draw.”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Yes, you could all draw on me. I would outdraw the first who did and then be shot by whoever was next. Two people die, and my men will simply kill the rest of you, except you, who will be tied up and left for Buchannan to play with. For spite, of course. Hudson you live in an idealist world of dreams and equality that lacks one fact. Not all men are equal. Some are smarter and some are stronger and they rule the weak, as it is everywhere and has been since the dawn of time. There will always be kings and peasants, and you will live your life as you did, hunting and taking your cut of the payment but from me instead of Hunting Wolf. It’s not so different. I will charge the same fee. I am not offering to change the world, I am offering to save 4 lives that would simply be spent in servitude in some manner regardless, and in return you will have protection and your life, and I will become richer and more powerful as things should be. People like you work or die, people like me thrive and by the grace of good taste, some of us act like gentlemen and offer deals. Mull it over.” He yawned.

  “I kinda like my freedom.” Hudson said.

  “I kinda like my leg.” Carol said. “But I also like my life.”

  “You have a long ride ahead to decide and I have men delaying your enemies as we speak, so you can spend that time riding to a better life or escaping to die. I will absolutely kill you for that leg before I let anyone else have it. I merely wish to be generous and gain more myself in the process. Do not mistake a wise move for weakness, strategy and gentlemanly conduct for a fool’s error. Take the deal; let me know at the banquet what you prefer. If you deviate off course my men will kill you. If you arrive and refuse the deal, I will take the leg anyway, some of you will die, and some will run and die by someone else’s bullet. I don’t actually give a shit about either of you men, the women are the ones with knowledge I want, and only one of them the metal I have already claimed.” He finished as Jen looked aggressively at him.

  “I have something you want too.” She said. “I have something that keeps the wolves away. You kill me or anyone here, you’ll never get that secret.”

  “Why would I care about that?” Prima laughed. “Even if I believed you, people like me don’t fear the wolves in our high towers and the middle of warm protected cities lit brightly, traveling by armored carriage, with guns and guards. Save your wolf taming secret for a peasant who might want it.” he said, adjusting his collar and making his leave, strutting away with his back turned and practically glowing like a target in Hudson’s eyes.

  Carol sat in the upstairs bedroom, staring out the window at nothing, listening to Hudson’s distinct footsteps heading up the old stairs.

  “Mind if I enter?” he asked.

  “It’s not my home, door was open.” She shrugged.

  Figured you might either want to be alone or need company, so I figured I’d let you do the pickin.” He said.

  “No, stay. I’d rather have someone around. Jen is busy getting her hair washed out so they can make extract as wolf deterrent that won’t also attract them. Billy’s wife and Tom are tending to that, and Billy is in his workshop playing with his new gun because when we leave here, his life goes back to normal and he has an invention to deconstruct. Nobody else even noticed I went upstairs. Typical life. Typical Jen, trying to make every situation good or bad about her, Typical strangers leaving me with my problems while they distract themselves with something else. Here I am a target about to lose another part of my leg in some primitive butchery so bounty hunters don’t murder me, and nobody noticed I was up here.” She said looking distant and lost. “really doesn’t matter where I go. I’m an invisible nobody, and the only thing about me anyone notices is the part that’s missing. I’m a novelty.”

  “You’re a person same as everyone here, and I noticed you was missin. Billy’s just lookin out for his family, can’t blame the man for trying to stay uninvolved in this shit. Tom’s just distracted by Jen. She IS rather distractin, to be honest. I don’t think she was tryin to be the center of attention as much as share the target on your back. Everyone’s just doing their best, don’t take it personal.”

  “Feels pretty personal since everyone’s a fugitive because of me, and my leg is why I’m hunted. Hud, I’m scared. Losing part of you once is bad enough, losing another piece again is worse, and I could die in surgery. They don’t have medicine like they do in my time and there’s risks then. But if I don’t, then everyone else dies too. I can’t let people die so I can keep part of my mobility and don’t have to make any sacrifice. I shouldn’t have to, it’s not fair but it’s less fair to expect everyone to live like fugitives for me. Is there any option where we can just be free to live?”

  “Sadly no. Timber ain’t a friendly place, and freedom is too expensive for any of us. I can’t speak for anyone else but if you turn down that deal, for any of the reasons, I’ll back you up and won’t blame you for it. Remember when we first met and you were pissed about me robbin y’all, and I said you’d thank me later…?” he paused.

  “Thanks. I’m glad you’re doing this but why, why are you doing this at all? Tom is as lost as we are and probably just trying to get laid, he has no reason not to stay and nothing to leave for. You had a life before we messed it up.” She sighed with guilt.

  “I had a job, there’s a difference. Tusk hunter is as free as poor man can get with a job around here but to be honest I’ve felt more alive and free on the run the last few days than I have in 20 years. I took the job and worked for the rich man because I had a wife and baby on the way and you can’t be an outlaw with a family. Before the baby, Me and Sadie didn’t have no rules. Couple years together was the best years of my life, that’s freedom, but we never had anything to call home. When she got pregnant everything changed. I realized that baby meant more then our freedom, and safety meant workin for the people we hate. Worked my ass to the bone for 9 months tryin to get enough money to have a stable home. She died havin the baby. Baby died too. Little boy, never even had a name. Losin part of yourself is one thing I can relate to, losin it twice as well. Worked for the Chief for 2 decades because I dint have anything to live for except the job and they love workers who don’t care if they die on the job or not. Forgot what freedom was like till you showed up. Comes with a high price and costs you everything but I still got nothing to lose and I’m an old man with no time left to start over and try again. Woulda done anything to save her, gave up my freedom tryin. I’ll save somebody before I go, might as well be you. If that earns me points for heaven and I get to see my family again I’d be grateful, but even not, I’ll do it anyway. You did nothing wrong, like Sadie. Just got dropped here from her home, found her in the cold, took her in. Didn’t have shit, didn’t have nobody. I guess it’s just what I do. I loved that woman and I failed her. Out huntin while she went into labor alone.”

  “Could you have done anything to save her if you were there?” Carol asked.

  “Probably not. But she wouldn’t have died alone. So you take that feelin of guilt and toss that shit out the window. If you wanna keep that leg and your freedom, you may die for it, but you’ll die with me backing you up. If you wanna take the deal, I’ll stick around and make sure they keep up their end of everything, or I’ll make a ruckus and make em regret it. I’m a stubborn ol bastard. I’ll do a lot of damage on the way down and smile the whole way. Hell, if you wanna run, I’ll take ya hostage and let Tom and Jen have a life of their own. Nobody would hunt them down if I was the one with the prize. What they gonna do…threaten my family? Too damn late for that.” He smiled sadly.

  “You really want a one legged replacement for family?” she chuckled.

  “Nobody could replace Sadie, not askin you to even try. I’m too old for you anyway, so don’t be getting the wrong idea about that. Tom may have his motivations in his young heart and in his britches and he’s sure got eyes for Jen, but you and me, it’s about the principal and what’s right. You don’t go fallin in love with me little lady, I’m trouble, and not worth the trouble. Could use a friend though.”

  “You’re not my type anyway. I’d make a terrible wife. Jen and I are from a very different time. We can’t cook or clean worth a damn, we have no survival skills here, neither or us want a bunch of babies.”

  “What makes You so much worse then Jen then? You gotta have more self worth.”

  “I have mood swings, a limp, and the sex drive of an old cat lady. Jen is a social creature that’s horny and looks like Jen. You don’t see the value difference?”

  “You make arguin hard when you point out shit like that. Don’t make me lie to you to make you feel better. You just think about what you wanna do for yourself and what you deserve to choose. Just know you ain’t gettin us all killed for it, and you got one friend to back you up either way. Get selfish, think about your own freedom, let me know when you make a decision, and don’t let nobody tell you either one is wrong or you don’t deserve it. Have a good night, missy.” He said with a nod, heading down the stairs and shutting the door, leaving Carol to think about her life.