GunBarrel Gauntlet: The Last Bronze II

23. A Face From the Past.

On the other side of the meeting, Scratch, Shamrock, and the Nomad were welcomed by the gasmask warriors, presenting themselves before a dignitary in a long duster coat whom waited between the wall of tankers. Shouldering a rifle as they approached, the eye lens of the mask reflected their cloaked form, studying their shambling gait.

"Hello." A female voice came through the breath filter.

"It's me, Scratch." The Scabeater replied. "Tin Lizard sent me to help with the trade."

"How is he? And Uncle? Has Zeus or Hercules broken the water pact?"

"No, there has been no violence, no slave taking. But we gotta talk, and we gotta talk fast; there's been some developments since the last trade." The cowl over Scratch's head nodded.

"What developments? Do I need to call off the exchange?" The spokeswoman craned her neck to look past the three cloaked men at the activity of the Skin Pirates in the background.

"Ssshhh! Don't make 'em suspicious, they've already been watching us since we brought more than the usual numbers to negotiate with you lot today. There hasn't been any trouble so far, connect the lines and start pumping; we'll need the noise to cover what needs to be said."

"Connect the hoses! Begin the exchange!" The masked woman called out, signalling with her arms in which direction the coiled hoses should be unfurled.

A similar order echoed in the distance from the mouth of Pigface, stirring the Pirates into action as they slotted the end of the fuel line sleeve onto the undercarriage of their tanker, opening the top hatch of the other in preparation for the water hose being rolled over the cracked pavement toward them.

The pump motors began to whirr, inflating the flat snakes of the hoses as the pressure carried the contents of gasoline from the Skin Pirates and precious water from El Dorado into the empty second tankers that had been brought to the rendezvous.

"Alright, I'm listening. What is it you need to tell us?" The woman asked.

"We've had some visitors at the Junkyards, got chased out of the wastelands by Dog Soldiers after they killed Blue Tattoo. Their driver claims that they were sent out from a city in search of water, she claims that the man that sent them knows about El Dorado and spoke with the Doc." Scratch informed her.

"You've betrayed us! Or someone else has, how could these visitors of yours know anything about us?"

"Listen! Listen! Nobody's betrayed no one, they were talkin' to the Doc on a radio."

"If anyone's dun the betrayin', it be yewr people. Hello Cassie." Shamrock's accent wedged into the conversation.

At the sound of her name, the woman froze, staring at the hooded figure beside Scratch. Other masked guards had also become alert to the shift in mood, swaying their rifle barrels onto the three cloaked men as they listened.

"Wha? Doin't yew remember us lass?" The Irishman drew the shadow of his hood back just far enough to show his face in the daylight.

"Sha... Shamrock?" Cassie peeled away her gasmask by the chin, revealing a noble face with strong cheek bones and hazel eyes under waves of long hair.

"It's been many years, but yew're still a beauty Cass. Life in tha bunker has been good to yew."

"We... we thought you were dead, you and the others, Bruce and the cop."

"Brucey never made it, but me and the Bronze sure did. Doc Idahoe and the rest of yew left us on the roads after tha fightin', but we ain't dead yet. We've come back, to collect payments for makin' sure that you and the others made the crossin' outta Silverton to yew're hole in the ground."

"Idaho told us you were never coming back, I'm so sorry..."

"Save it, Cass. We need yew ta deliver a message back to Idahoe. Tell him you saw us, Me an' the Bronze..."

The Nomad shifted the cowl from his face and winked.

"... and we're still owed that water he promised us. Tell him also thart we're now travellin' with a crew from tha city he was in radio communication with, and thart they'll die soon if they don't find some water. Now, if he's a smart man, an' I know he is, he'll understand that makin' friends with these folk will increase the number of allies he's got against Zeus. Together with the other's from Junkyards there's a chance yew can all fight back and take Gaswells, clear the Gauntlet of yew're troubles once an' for all."

"I don't know if he'd agree so quickly to help you and your friends. You won't have enough warriors to remove Zeus or Hercules from the Gauntlet, he's stronger than you know Shamrock."

"And he'll get stronger if yew all ignore my advice to 'im. If he won't help us, it will only make Zeus stronger. If these people don't find water soon, they'll join him. They already killed Blue Tattoo and some o' his men, with just a truck and a beat up ol' car... now they got me and Bronzey on their side, the bastards thart finished King Krome so you lot could escape. If Idahoe don't help us and trade, we'll join Zeus... then we'll come lookin' for the rest of you."

"Are you threatening us?" Cassie exclaimed.

"No." The Nomad suddenly replied "He's being honest; we came to negotiate on their behalf for haitch-two. If you won't share, you'll force them to Zeus, if that's their final option for survival."

"I'll pass on your message to the Doc. I can't guarantee that he'll agree to it, but there's not much else I can do in this situation. We only came out here today to make a trade with Gaswells, this is all sudden news, it's gonna take time..."

"We ain't got time! Carrion and 'er mate's from tha city will be dead in a few days. You gotta convince Idahoe to talk with 'em, come to the Junkyards and let 'em negotiate. We'll be waitin' there for his reply." Shamrock answered.

"Alright, I'll make sure he delivers a message back to the Junkyards, somehow..."

"Oi! Scabeaters!" The shrill voice of the Nipplebiter pricked their ears. "What are you all talkin' about so eagerly!?"

"C'mon, we've gotta go back, there'll be trouble otherwise." Scratch warned before he sang back: "Co-ming!"

Saying their farewells, Cass and the Irishman let their gaze linger on each other, reflecting on the events of another time, another road war, during the Lawless Times after the collapse of civil order. Cass could remember when she was a young woman, sitting in the backseat of a car as a convoy of luggage strapped vehicles escaped to the west. Smoke was rising from the wreckage of a collision, the twisted compaction of a truck bent around the boulders at the side of a country road.

"They're already dead, there's nothing we can do for them.." a voice had tried to calm her as the tears fell. "They were brave for us..."