[IK] Dead Man Walking | ходы игроков | Party II: Brandon, Carter and Jenny

BRANDON

There assholes came at dusk. You’ve just ended all the work for today and were heading back to home.
The weather was pleasantly warm, but the clouds were gathering in the distance - it was going to rain soon.

You son was already sleeping - he was young, and worked really hard today. You smiled imagining his silly face me makes while asleep.
And then the bang went off.

You felt sudden pain in the side, and then heard several more shots - but they mixed into one long, scary sound, while darkness was swallowing you.



CARTER

You went mad.
Heat, far from normal food, and obsession. Your freaking obsession with freaking Helen.

That was your downfall. Or not?

You started seeing dreams while not sleeping.
You started seeing things that are not there.

Once, you saw your reflection in the steel of your gun.
You saw a Crow. A giant, humanoid crow. Fucking strange.

But, eventually, you were dead. You don’t really know the reason - hell, there was a shitload of them!

Not really important. Just everything went black.



PENNY

Fucking assholes.
You knew them all.
They work for a well-known, respectable banker named Patrick Grey.
He got money, he got power, he got everything - including a dark past.
And Bill knew it. Hell, everyone knew it.

But looks like they decided to get rid of Panes. All of them.
And they succeeded.

You were still shooting when darkness covered your eyes. And you heard a scream - you hit someone. They deserved.



ALL

Three pairs of eyes opened simultaneously.
One voice, woman’s, said:
- I remember your bloody face. - The voice was full of wrath and resentment.
Then - silence.
You were lying on the straw mats inside a strange building - probably, a redskin dwelling.

There were four people inside.
One had a bullet in his side and several in his stomach.
The second one… yeah, he was a human. But sometimes it seemed that in the corner of the eye he became a giant humanoid raven. He was starved, drained of any liquid.
Third one was a woman. She would be beautiful - but she had more holes in her chest than a sieve. Someone really hated her.

The fourth man wasn’t lying on a mat. He was sitting on the floor, and smoking a really long pipe. A redskin. Lots of tattoos, fancy hat and shitload of wrinkles.

He was looking at the other three.
- Welchom buck. - He said in broken english. - Spirit say you find. You dead than life.

- Sand crackers with bloody cheese! - cried out Crowford, aimed in redskin with his good old Colt. It was something irresitable, something, he even cannot control. If you see Just-The-Same-Red-Face that killed you a moment before, you will start shooting. Especially after words about 'spirits' - Dusty blamed them of his new appearance.

He even didn't meantion other people in the room. Carter will probably happy to see them - just two people, man and woman, with holes from a bullets. Not a demons of a desert, not a blasted savages or a nightmares drom the deepest corners of his maimed soul. Nothing special, you know.

Then he remembered something. Helen? Cage? He must deal with this. In some way. Maybe, new friends can help him?

- I need to find my family! - with that statement Brandon open his eyes and sit up.
- Holy shit! - he cry when saw a giant crow. But next second it was just ordinary (but very thin) man.
- Oh, baby, you've seen some shit, - he comment girl's state.
- What's up, Geronimo? - he ask indian. - Where am I?
All he remembered: fancy man ("faggot", he think) that send him to kill somebody. And his "yes". And pain before death.
But he wasn't in army anymore. He didn't take orders. And first thing he's going to do: take proves that his family all right.
He stand up. And look around. And ask:
- Where the fuck is my fucking gun?

Her chest was aching badly when Jenny opened her eyes and sat down in one move.
- Fucking Grey, I shall see your guts before sun sets, you son of the bitch, - mumbled she, bearing the pain over. - Holy shit! Who are you, bloody guys? He tried to kill you both, too, I bet. - frowned Jenny Penny, looking for her gun.

When one of the strangers tried to shoot the indian she just spat out and grinned:
- Crazy bastard...
Then she tried to move out, noticing that two painful feelings met in her heart at once - loneliness and revenge.
- Then, good luck and fuck off... - Jenny really wanted to leave the place, What`s more, she wanted to do it completely alone.

-- Hey, lady! -- Brandon not noticed Carter's attempt to kill Geronimo yet and try to stop Jenny. -- I think we in one boat now and better keep together. Who the fuck that Grey?

Jenny laughed but stopped - for sure, a couple of words isn`t a waste of time.
- What for, mister? - the last word was said with a grin.
But the question made her look at stranger suspiciously:
- What do you know about Grey? Did he try to murder you? Were you both working for him? - fingers felt the cold steel of her gun or was it just the illusion?...

-- Somebody kill me. I think, somebody kill both of you. May be that was the same somebody. May be that was that misterious Grey. May be not. I don't know. But I say you: we're in deep shit, lady. All of us. And I have a family to protect, -- there was tiny thought: "or to revenge". -- If you help me, I help you.

- Yes? No... Fuck! - croacked Dusty, shaking. - I-i-i hate him!!!

Jenny was still smiling but the obvious hesitation was seen in her manor of standing. She turned, looking at the stranger.
- That fucking bastard tried, yeap, but didn't succed and fortunately doesn't know about that. I have nobody to save, - her face reminded a piece of marble, - But if YOU help me to revenge, I will help you... And..one more thing... if your friends, - she pointed at the other two, - are mentally ill, I'll surely do it myself. Scared of insane, really.

- All by yourself? - squeaky laughed Carter, picking up a human ear from the pocket and throwing it into his mouth. - Good luck, sweety! Cause I... Or, maybe, we? Will do it first!

-- First my family. Next your revenge, -- Brandon frown. -- And he's not my friend, i see both of you first time in my life. Deal?

Carter’s hand rushed to the place, where his revolver was meant to be, but there was nothing.
He looked at his hip - and the holster wasn’t there too.

Shooting with his finger wasn’t really an option - Carter was a bit mad, but not mad enough.

You guns. - The indian pointed to the far corner of the room. There were three revolvers and ammo, and you instantly recognised your guns. - But. You stay. Circle not let go. Now...

The indian was going to continue his speech, but saw Carter eating an ear. And by the looks of it, the ear once belonged to a human.
Fiend! - The indian screamed, rising both his hands into the air, and started mumbling something in his own language. Not the language of his people, but something absolutely new for you.
After several seconds nothing happened. but you felt that the ground was trembling.
Suddenly, darkness fell, and dozens of skeletal arms came from the ground, grabbing Carter, and started pulling him underground.

You once again felt the heavy helplessness of death, but it felt differently. It came nor for you.
Soon it ended - and there was no Carter.

For a moment you saw a man - you knew him. It was the one from the darkness.
He looked at you, smiled.
-Sorry. It was the wrong guy. Everyone makes mistakes, you know. Even me. Good luck.
And he was gone.

The indian was looking at you two. He was frowning. He was afraid.
- You. Two. You no fiend?

Brandon looked at new death of crowman with anger. He's not give a shit about eareating but he need any gun that can stay on his side. However...
-- Problem solved? -- he ask girl. And go for his Peacemaker and Carter's revolver.

Too shocked to speak, Jenny struggled between getting off and taking her gun.
- It`s okey... - she said maybe to Indian, maybe to Brandon. Looking at the place where the strange guy was taken off to hell, she tried to move quietly but quickly.
- No fiends more, man. Just me leaving, okey? - Jenny took her gun and slowly moved back to the entrance with a strong intense to leave that spooky place.

'Fuck, she's doing it again', thought Brandon. But this time he wanted to join her.
-- Goodbye, Geronimo, -- he nodded. And went after a lady.
-- So, we have a deal? -- he asked.

- Deal? - lady seemed to be surprised by seeing Brandon.
- Yeap, the deal... - she nodded and continued walking, - Give me a sec to remember. Oh! You help me, then I help you - if that`s the deal, then surely I`m in, man, - her mocking smile obvioiusly said that she remebered everything but somehow wanted to be the winner in that game.

'Yeah, she's doing it again', -- thought Brandon again. And stopped.
-- No, lady. You help me and I help you, that order, -- he said to her back.

- Seriously, man, I even don't know your name, - Jenny continued moving but backwards.
- Or don't remember it...
- You can be one of them, sorry! - she laughed and moved forward, as if it was a joke, the whole their chat.

-- Name is Right. Brandon Right, -- he tell to her back and look around with late understanding: his farm was the same way girl go. So he frowned and went after her again. -- What's yours?

- Never heard, - Jenny walked as if nothing happened, even whistling or so.
- I`m Jenny Pane, - she thought for a minute and added, - sheriff Pane`s daughter, you know.

Brandon surprised. Sheriff Pane? He heard some good stuff about him.
-- Hey, I know your father! Tough guy, good sheriff, I heard. It's you and your husband take his place?

- Yeap, my husband took his place one day...- Jenny stopped, looking at the man with a squint.
- But now they are dead. Both. And I can`t leave it without revenge and lose even a second.

She moved again but turned inviting Brandon to come closer.
- And what`s your story?

-- Someone shot me in my back. I was close to my home, they could hurt my family. I need to check, -- Brandon explained. He thought a second, came closer and added:
-- Sorry for your losses,

Jenny closed her eyes and when she opened them, the answer was ready:
- Let's check it.
And started walking as fast as if being afraid of coming late.

Brandon nodded. And went faster.

=====

You went fast - because you were unsure of what you’ve become.
You were afraid, that this chance won’t last forever.
And a bit uneasy because of what happened to the birdy guy.

So you reached Brandon’s ranch in no time.

That was his ranch. Totally. At least - it was once.
Now it was a pile of smoldering ruins - and nothing else.

All the cattle was gone, everything of at least a bit of value too.
But something was interesting: there were two horses with saddles, and some movement inside.

And for some reason you were sure that these were not people who were ought to be there.

-- What the fuck? -- Brandon asked. Ranch looks like it was dropped for centuries.
-- I don't think we'll find my family here, -- he said to Jenny with heart trembling. -- But I know who we can ask about them, -- he showed her a movement. -- Let's try not kill them all. I need one to speak with and another to make an example.
He went in with revolver in each hand.

Jenny smiled happily as if she saw her best friends or so.
Nobody could stop her then. She roared like a lion taking out her gun:
- HEY, YOU!!! Sheriff speaking. Fucking bastards, hands up and let me see your bloody faces. One move and I'll kill you in one shot, - she was so alike her dad right now that even wanted to laugh in his memory.
But those two won't wait.
With her gun looking just straight on, she stared at the imaginary enemies, her eyes glistening madly, her lips trembling with a nervous smile.