Chapter 24 - A New Town, A New Beating

Two new graves stood under the same tree where those inside had been killed. They didn't know their names, so Drake and Higler just put a simple sign, with the words 'gone too soon'. They didn't know if that was right or not, but whoever tortured and killed them was a beast that didn't deserve to live, so they would find them.

"Tracks of four or five Yscalents, going towards Park. Do you think they live there?"

"Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it. They probably are going there to celebrate their... Feat. It happened tonight, not earlier. If we go quickly, we might be able to find them, and make them answer for their crimes."

"Why did they hang them? Why not just put a bullet in their heads?"

The ranger sighed, and mounted his Yscalent. Some people were just maniacs who liked to see others suffer, but he didn't think that was the case.

"Those two probably were lawmen. Not army, maybe a private detective agency. I told you before that sometimes the law can be brutal in the wilderness, didn't I? Many times, death row criminals are hung or killed by firing squad, instead of the so-called civilized way. That's the payback. Plus, it serves as a warning to any law enforcers, showing that they are not welcomed."

"Uhmm... I guess the wise thing to do would probably turn around and go to another city, right? Considering you are a ranger and everything."

"Yeah, probably."

"Haha... I already noticed you are not very wise."

"Hey!"

Higler feigned indignation, but he was smiling. Of course they couldn't just ignore it. It wasn't like him, nor Drake, from what he could tell.

...

Park was a small town. The only paved street was the one right in the middle of the city. Small buildings, mostly shops and bars, were erected on the sides of the street. The people seemed unhappy, which reinforced their conviction that something was wrong with the city.

"This is worse than a graveyard. It will be a miracle if we can find an open saloon."

"I don't think so. Look over there."

Drake gestured towards the only part of the street that was somewhat crowded. It was a bar, with it's sign falling apart, unreadable. There was a lot of noise coming from it, including music and laughter.

"I guess we found what we are looking for. See the four Yscalents in front of it? They are tired. How much do you want to bet their owners are who we are looking for?"

"I only make bets I'm sure to win. Let's go."

Drake sighed, already prepared for another brawl. Luckily, when he pushed open the door, he saw that the bar was nearly empty. It was just after lunchtime, after all.

Apart from a barman who also seemed to work as a waiter, there were only six other people. Four of them were sitting together at a table, laughing, while a couple was as far as they could from them.

The people looked at the two newcomers uninterested, and turned back to their own things. Higler looked at the four men for a second, but, when he saw the couple, his eyes widened in surprise. He hid it quickly, but Drake noticed.

The couple seemed normal, so he wasn't sure why the ranger was so affected. The man was of average height, with brown curly hair, and brown eyes. He had a small scar on the left side of his mouth that made him look like he was always smiling.

As for the woman, she had long black hair, tied in a ponytail. She had her back towards them, so Drake couldn't see her face, but he could tell she was tall. Both she and the man were wearing suits, which was slightly weird considering the ambient they were in, but that shouldn't be enough to alarm Higler.

Still, he refrained from asking anything, and just followed his travel companion to the counter. The barman smiled at them, clearly happy for having more clients.

"What can I get you?"

"Two beers and an information."

The ranger threw a few dollars to him as he said that. The barman seemed confused, but he got the beers nevertheless. Looking at his naive expression, Drake was sure he had no idea that the information would probably mean a few broken chairs.

"What do you want to know?"

"Those four men, when did they arrive?"

"As soon as I opened. They said they were waiting for someone. Are you the friend they are waiting for?"

"Something like that. And the two over there?"

"They've been in the city for a few days. Businesses people from another city. But why do you ask?"

The ranger smiled, and said nothing. Drake grinned inwardly, knowing what was about to happen. Higler could be predictable sometimes.

While he walked towards the table with four people, Drake fished a few more dollars from his pocket and gave it to the barman.

"Uhmm? What's that for?"

"The broken furniture."

"T-The broken..."

Drake didn't hear the rest of his stutter. He had joined Higler just behind two of the men. The ranger took a gulp from his beer, and then poured the rest over one of the criminals - there was no doubt of their identity.

"What the..."

Two of them reached for their weapons while the one Higler was provoking cursed. Before they could draw their pistols, however, they felt the cold steel of Drake's guns pressing against their backs.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The fourth man was the only one who managed to get up, but a shot from Higler's pistol sent his flying off his hand before he could even fully take it out of the holster. Luckily for him, the ranger aimed at the weapon, and not his hand.

With the corner of his eyes, Drake saw the couple looking towards them, and the man about to get up, but his companion stopped him. Drake finally managed to see her face. She was pretty, but her eyes were cold. He shook his head to them, a clear warning for them not to interfere.

"What do you want, man? What the f*ck?!"

"I want to talk to you about two poor souls we found a few kilometers outside the city, hanging on a tree. They were tortured before they died. Really not a pretty sight."

Alarm flashed through their eyes, curing their drunkenness immediately. Drake knew that if he saw it, there was no way his friend didn't.

"That's horrible, but what does it gotta do with... Ugh!"

Before he could finish, the ranger punched him, catching him completely by surprise. Before he could get up, Higler had already 'helped' him.

"Let's start again. We know it was you who did it. I want to know why."

"I'm telling you, you got the wrong person! I have no idea what you are talking about!"

It was the wrong answer. Two quick blows from Higler sent him flying. He crashed into a table, and it's legs couldn't withstand the weight. With a 'crack', it broke, and he fell down in a mess of splinters and broken wood. Now the barman understood where the broken furniture came from.

Higler walked towards the man, and saw he was unconscious, so he left him there. Drake was still keeping the other three at gunpoint, so all they could do was curse.

"All right, you are next. And I swear, if you don't tell me what I want to know, you are going to have more broken bones than intact ones when I finish with you."

What followed next was as brutal as it was satisfying. When Higler finished with the last of them, the first one was waking up just in time to go through another beating. Drake was curious as to why no police hadn't shown up even after a shot was fired, but he wasn't complaining. That left more time for them to interrogate the murderers.

Eventually, one of them gave in. His face was so swollen that even his family would have trouble recognizing him.

"T-They were Null. We found them sniffing around, and gave them what they deserved!"

Drake wondered why every criminal he encountered until now was this stupid. He was already telling them what he knew, so saying anything more would only provoke Higler. As expected, the ranger didn't resist, and knocked him out with a left hook.

"You, continue what your friend was telling me."

The chosen bandit shivered, and didn't waste any time in continuing the story.

"He was the one who tortured them! He hates lawmen!"

"I will pretend I believe you. Now, tell me the real reason why you tortured them."

"Scarred Jack wanted them dead! He said we should leave their bodies there to send a message!"

"Who is Scarred Jack?"

"He is... Argh!"

Before the man could answer, a shot rang out, fired by one of his counterparts. Without Higler or Drake noticing, he had woken up, and used his pistol to fire not at one of them, but at the bandit Higler was holding.