“Front Royal, big ville a hundred-plus miles north of here.” Stephen suddenly seemed to register the presence of the companions. “Who are you folks? Friends of the deceased?”
“Hardly. These are the ones who chilled your top-notch crew,” Monty snorted, taking another sip.
The ville sec men were already stripping the bodies of usable clothing and boots before rigor made the limbs too stiff to bend.
“And you’re leaving tomorrow?” Mildred asked, sitting on a bench massaging her bandaged foot.
“At dawn,” the sec chief replied. “Not a tick later.”
Stephen glowered but said nothing.
“We were planning on traveling north,” Ryan said, approaching the caravan owner. “Mebbe we can cut a deal.”
“Just the seven of you?” Stephen sneered in contempt. “And three of those a whitehair, a kid and a crip? Bah, I can’t carry any more passengers. Besides, I need at least a dozen blasters to make it through the badlands.”
Slamming down his mug, Monty laughed. “Stephen, you are a total ass. These seven chilled your twelve and gave them the first shot.”
“Really? Well, then, mebbe” the fat man said thoughtfully, a crafty expression forming on his plump face. “So what would you charge for the trip? And remember, I already paid for mercies once already!”
“Cheap bastard,” Cord muttered at the bar, pouring the contents of a broken bottle into an undamaged empty.
“No charge. Not even a slice of any goods found. We’re not mercies,” Ryan said, as if the word were unclean. “We go as passengers. Passengers, mind you. But if there’s any trouble, we’ll be more than willing to help defend the caravan.”
“You turning down jack?” The fat man seemed scandalized at the very idea.
“The man who sells his honor,” Doc intoned, as if delivering a lecture, “sells nothing he ever truly owned.”
Stephen chewed that over for a minute, then extended an open hand. “Done, sir! Glad to have you on board.”
Hesitantly, Ryan shook on the deal, not sure if he had solved a lot of their problems or just invited a whole new set.
Chapter Four
As Ryan and Stephen talked over coffee in the dining room about the details of the journey north, Jak took the opportunity to go into the kitchen. The huge iron stove was blazing with heat, with a full cord of split wood nearby for easy access. Pots and pans festooned the ceiling, and plates and mugs were stacked in a plastic rack above a chipped enamel sink. There was no sign of the cook.
Moving down the aft corridor, he went straight to the last door on the left and knocked softly. A female voice bid him enter, and Jak used the iron key to let himself inside.
The room was dimly lit with candles, and Lily was standing near a canopy bed, the heavy blankets pulled back. Her work blouse was undone, showing that she was wearing nothing underneath. As he closed and locked the door, she slid her arms around the pale youth, and they deeply kissed. His hands glided down her muscular back to cup her buttocks, and Jak brought her closer, tight against his body.
A figure moved in the darkness.
With a curse, Jak pushed the woman aside and drew his Colt Python and moved to the corner to protect his back. Lily gave a low laugh as the figure stepped into the flickering light, and the teenager gasped.
“Twins?” he said, lowering his blaster. Suddenly feeling like a fool for not figuring it out, he bolstered the piece quickly.
“Sorry.”
“You didn’t think one woman could handle all the work in that tavern, did you?” Lil laughed, undoing the red ribbon in her black tresses. The ebony cascade tumbled past her shoulders, framing a strong face, a soft smile on her full lips.
Also smiling, Lily eased off her blouse and it fluttered to the floor. Her breasts were full but firm, unmarked by the signs of motherhood. “We share the work load.”
Lil undid her belt, her skirt tumbling into the darkness at her bare feet, undressing in the dreamlike motions of animal sensuality. Clearly, they had been expecting him as she also was wearing no undergarments.