Paco Valdez
<font face="bookman old style"Thank you," You say to the crazy old man with the peculiar aroma, "But I should be able to find it on my own."
"You sure about that?" He asks you, a frown of disappointment stretching momentarily across his face.
"Pretty sure, yeah. I have a map and all." You say before giving him a half hearted little wave and stepping out the door.
The air outside is refreshing. It feels good to be able to breathe without the need to fight back a gag reflex.
You take another deep breath of fresh air and make your way to back to the saloon, where you figure is the most likely place for you to encounter your companions.
As you walk, you tuck your "package" into your vest and step through the swinging doors of the saloon. Following the cloud of smoke, you find Gus sitting at a table with a cigar in hand beside Annie. They each have a drink in hand. You sit down at the table to join them.
"You get anything from the general store?" Annie asks you, knowing full well that you never stepped foot into the store.
"Can't say that I did." You say, shaking your head. There is a wide grin spread across your face that provokes a sour look from your female companion.
"What's that stupid smile'a yours about?" She asks.
"I have something that should make up for what we lost on the bank." You reach into your vest and pull out the cloth wrapped items. Slowly you spread open the cloth, revealing the key and gun within it's hold. You reveal that the cloth is in fact a map.
"Years ago," You begin to explain, "My father and some of his friends robbed a small troupe of the Mexican army for their gold. He and his surviving partner hid the gold in a mine shaft a few days from here. It's bound to be a dangerous journey, but if we can make it... Well, there's surely more than enough money to compensate any level of danger." Having said this, you move your eyes from between Gus and Annie who look blankly back at you.
Annie is the first to speak. "You knew about this the whole time?"
"Boy-" Gus begins, but you cut him off. He gives you a sharp look for interrupting him, but hushes up.
"I ran into a man who claimed to have known my father. I didn't believe him at first, but this handwriting," You say, pointing to the print on the map, "is none other than my fathers."
There is silence between the three of you again. Behind you somewhere a drunken lout belches at the bar.
"So what do you think?" You ask.
Gus points to a spot on the map where the mine is supposed to be. "All around here is Kamani territory." He says simply.
Annie licks her lips. "But the gold..."
Gus looks between you and Annie and sees that the two of you are set on it. He lets out a sigh, leans back and takes a puff from his cigar. "All right." He says.
Behind you, three rough looking men walk into the tavern. You follow Gus's gaze to them and notice that one of them is a well reputed member of the Vigilantes, known as Jorge. Jorge is a little Mexican man. At Jorge's side, as always, is his tall and powerfully built companion known as Jose. The third man is unknown to you, but you're willing to wager that he is a Vigilante.
"Aw fuck." Annie says under her breath. "We gotta get out of here."
You follow her eyes to the rear entrance, and both you and Gus understand that it is her intention to make a break for the exit.
"Stay calm." Gus says to the two of you in a low tone. "They're here to drink. Probly won't even notice us."
Gus calmly takes a puff from his cigar and lets the cloud out over head.
Annie looks to you, her eyes telling you that you must make a decision.
So make a decision... </font>
"You sure about that?" He asks you, a frown of disappointment stretching momentarily across his face.
"Pretty sure, yeah. I have a map and all." You say before giving him a half hearted little wave and stepping out the door.
The air outside is refreshing. It feels good to be able to breathe without the need to fight back a gag reflex.
You take another deep breath of fresh air and make your way to back to the saloon, where you figure is the most likely place for you to encounter your companions.
As you walk, you tuck your "package" into your vest and step through the swinging doors of the saloon. Following the cloud of smoke, you find Gus sitting at a table with a cigar in hand beside Annie. They each have a drink in hand. You sit down at the table to join them.
"You get anything from the general store?" Annie asks you, knowing full well that you never stepped foot into the store.
"Can't say that I did." You say, shaking your head. There is a wide grin spread across your face that provokes a sour look from your female companion.
"What's that stupid smile'a yours about?" She asks.
"I have something that should make up for what we lost on the bank." You reach into your vest and pull out the cloth wrapped items. Slowly you spread open the cloth, revealing the key and gun within it's hold. You reveal that the cloth is in fact a map.
"Years ago," You begin to explain, "My father and some of his friends robbed a small troupe of the Mexican army for their gold. He and his surviving partner hid the gold in a mine shaft a few days from here. It's bound to be a dangerous journey, but if we can make it... Well, there's surely more than enough money to compensate any level of danger." Having said this, you move your eyes from between Gus and Annie who look blankly back at you.
Annie is the first to speak. "You knew about this the whole time?"
"Boy-" Gus begins, but you cut him off. He gives you a sharp look for interrupting him, but hushes up.
"I ran into a man who claimed to have known my father. I didn't believe him at first, but this handwriting," You say, pointing to the print on the map, "is none other than my fathers."
There is silence between the three of you again. Behind you somewhere a drunken lout belches at the bar.
"So what do you think?" You ask.
Gus points to a spot on the map where the mine is supposed to be. "All around here is Kamani territory." He says simply.
Annie licks her lips. "But the gold..."
Gus looks between you and Annie and sees that the two of you are set on it. He lets out a sigh, leans back and takes a puff from his cigar. "All right." He says.
Behind you, three rough looking men walk into the tavern. You follow Gus's gaze to them and notice that one of them is a well reputed member of the Vigilantes, known as Jorge. Jorge is a little Mexican man. At Jorge's side, as always, is his tall and powerfully built companion known as Jose. The third man is unknown to you, but you're willing to wager that he is a Vigilante.
"Aw fuck." Annie says under her breath. "We gotta get out of here."
You follow her eyes to the rear entrance, and both you and Gus understand that it is her intention to make a break for the exit.
"Stay calm." Gus says to the two of you in a low tone. "They're here to drink. Probly won't even notice us."
Gus calmly takes a puff from his cigar and lets the cloud out over head.
Annie looks to you, her eyes telling you that you must make a decision.
So make a decision... </font>