Arachnid

Carnage

The rusty bell rang as I walked into the restaurant. I sat down across from my client in a booth. "Job's done." He dug in his bag and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. He set seven packs on the table. I went to grab them and he pushed my hand away. 

"Proof of completion?" 

"In here?" 

"Yes." 

"If you say so." I put my bag on the table. I opened it and grabbed a fistful of hair. I hauled the head out of my bag and set it on the table. Turning it so that it faced him. A look of shock and then disgust crossed his face. 

"Arachnid! The table!" Harbour said as she walked past our booth. 

"Sorry." I grabbed the hair and held the head off the table. "Good enough?" 

"You didn't... kill her like that did you?" 

"Decapitation is surprisingly hard to get right. Shot through the heart, the heads just my proof." 

"Yeah, yeah it's good. Put it away now." I shoved the head back into my bag grabbing the cigarettes and shoving them in the side pocket. "Now, anybody know you had a problem with her?" 

"Everyone." 

"Okay, when the guards ask about her disappearance I don't give a shit what you say. But if you say I did it... well there won't be a shot in the heart first." He nodded, standing and quickly hurrying out of the restaurant. "Get me the usual Harbour, and a rag if you don't want this blood to soak in." I looked down at the stained table, taking a sip of my coffee. I glanced down at my bag, the head positioned so that it was staring at me, "You want anythin'?" No response, "Didn't think so." 

Carnage was an anarchy town. The biggest one in the waste. I walked out of the restaurant and towards some of the shops. There were no rules in Carnage, just hitmen, cannibals, pickpockets, the undesirables of the waste. I walked over to one of the cannibal's shops. "Got a head if you're interested." 

"Let's see it." I pulled the head out of my bag. 

"Two packs." 

"Four." 

"Three, I'm doing you a favor by paying for it, could just wait for you to throw it out and get it free." I put my hand out and he gave me three packs of cigs, I handed him the head and started to walk home. 

There were rules in most of the town, not Carnage. So if you wanted something against the rules done, you made the trek, and you paid the price, and if you managed to not get scammed you get the job done. I threw my bag on my chair as I closed my door behind me. I grabbed five of the packs I had gotten today and threw them in my safe. I collapsed on my bed and instantly fell asleep. 

I woke up early, grabbing my bag and slipping my eyepatch over my right eye. I had no work but I wanted these next few days off. I clipped my hatchet to my hip and slung my rifle over my shoulder. I headed down to the town center, wanting to fill my canteen from the water pump. 

As I got towards the town center I heard yelling. People were crowded around. I started to push my way through. Someone was on the ground, a few of the town teens surrounding him. One of them kicked the guy on the ground. The crowd had created a circle, the middle empty except the kids. I pushed my way into the middle. The kids were laughing as the continued to hit the guy on the ground. 

The one on the ground was obviously a wanderer, groaning in pain. As I continued to walk towards them the teens looked up at me. It wasn't rare for fights to break out, but the one rule of Carnage was to not fight or kill or eat or in any other way hurt the wanderers. "Break it up."