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."
"We're just having fun!"
"It's a wanderer."
"That's what makes it fun." One of the teens started to walk towards me.
"You can't tell us what to do." He started to get in my face. "Why don't you run back to your corner and wait for someone to hire you for pickpocketing or whatever!"
"You live here?"
"Yeah, why?" They said.
"You aren't a wanderer." I cocked my fist and punched the kid in the face. He took a few quick steps back, his nose gushing blood.
"Oh, you're gonna pay for that! Do you know who I am!"
"You know who I am? Because I don't really care who you are."
"Let's just go." One of the other teens said.
"You'll pay for this." He said before turning and walking away. I walked over to the wandered and put out my hand. They grabbed it and I helped them up. Everyone around started to disperse. I walked over to the water pump and started to fill my canteen. The wanderer was standing behind me.
"You lookin' for someone?"
"Uh...Yeah."
"Hitman? Pickpocket? I can set you up with whoever, just tell me what you need."
"Oh, no...not like that. I'm looking for a missing person." I finished filling my canteen and turned towards them.
"You aren't going to find that here."
"I was just going to ask around."
"To who? The cannibals? The murderers, the kidnappers? Even if they were here they aren't now."
"...Right. I just thought...right." They turned and started to walk away.
"...Describe the person." I said.
"Blonde hair, blue eyes, lived in FinalFalls."
"Freckles."
"...Right."
"Hate to break it to ya' but they had a tag on them."
"A tag?"
"A price."
"A price?"
"Yeah, seven packs. Which is pretty stingy for a hit, but enough to get people interested."
"Well, what happened? Do you think she went into hiding?"
"The hit went through, you aren't gonna find her; Alive at least."
"Seriously." A tear ran down their cheek.
"You don't want to cry here."
"Right." They wiped their cheek, "Uhm... do you know who put the tag on her."
"I might. But that information comes at a steep price, even steeper if you want some follow through."
"How much."
"Ten for the info, twenty for revenge."
"I don't have that much, can't you just help me?"
"Next time you visit Carnage, remember that everything here comes at a price. Bring more if you want more."
"I did, but someone said I had to pay to get in, they took five packs."
"You paid?"
"Yeah, they wouldn't let me in."
"Follow me." I started to walk them back to the main entrance of the city.
"Why are we going back here?"
"Ink!" I yelled as we approached the official border.
"Rachnid! Nice to see ya'!"
"Save the chit-chat. Give him the five packs back."
"What? That's the entrance fee!"
"You know as well as me that there isn't an entrance fee."
"Rachnid, friend, don't cut into my profits like this!"
"This gentleman wants to pay for my services but you took his money. Now you see, you're the one cutting into my profits. And I don't take kindly to that...friend."
"Three."
"Five and I'll bring you an arm from my next hit."
"Leg, left leg."
"Right leg."
"I can't have a double right legged monster!"
"I was joking you heathen, a left leg, and you give back the five packs."
"Deal." He dug in his pocket and counted out five packs, handing them back to the guy. He scurried off as someone approached the border to start his scam on them.
"Now, if we're doing business, I prefer somewhere quieter."
"Why does he want a leg?" The guy looked sick.
"Didn't you hear, he's building a monster. Don't worry too much about it, his grip on biology is minimal, if he manages to get it to life it won't be very good at anything. Now, I know just the place for business. Follow me." The guy followed as I started to lead him to the restaurant.