Kinley & The Bounty Hunters: Chapter 2

Kinley & The Bounty Hunters
"I just can't win with you, can I?"

The cold morning light blazed through the window against Kinley's naked chest, smoking from his pipe Jilled stood behind him, her face filled with frustration. Kinley made no effort to respond, and instead blew a stream of smoke toward the panes of glass. Raising a finger he drew idly upon the newly formed patch of condensation.

"What is it with you anyway? You barely sleep, you rarely eat and when you do speak, you talk in riddles. Are you even listening to me? Kinley?"

Kinley peered out across the city, the rain from the night before had left the old slate rooftops covered in small droplets of water, each of them reflecting the hazy morning sun perfectly and creating the illusion of thousands of tiny diamonds. The city was slowly wakening, below the jaunty building tradesmen rolled their wooden barrels from the harbour down toward the trade district. Children screamed and chased one another, weaving in and out between the already maddening crowd of Stormwind locals. The distant sound of hammering echoed in from the Dwarven district and the familiar smell of sulpher filtered through the icy air.

A flock of seagulls flew overheard and Kinley's attention was lost for a moment as he watched them head down toward the harbour, their flight formation carving a direct pattern through the grey sky. The clock tower's bell bellowed across the city and as it did, the door to Kinley's room was slammed shut - throwing a glance over his shoulder Jilled was gone. Approaching the bed he scooped up an inside out shirt and threw his arms into its sleeves, with the front unbuttoned he perched upon the beds end and finished the pipe.

The room was dusty and the walls were littered with chips and cracks, in places the plaster was so deformed that the bare brickwork was on clear display. Various half empty bookcases stood around the edges of the room, the books they did house had numerous pages missing. The floorboards were rotten from damp and had gaps between them so large Kinley could see into the room below, occasionally the mice that inhabited the building would plunge through the holes, falling from storey to storey in search of food. A sudden gust of wind shot up and howled around the decrepit building and the top-heavy structure swayed slightly - much as it always did.

Jilled made her way through the busy streets, zigzagging in and out of the crowds of people that seemed to be walking in every direction but the one she was heading. The street merchants called out to random passers-by, their stalls and barrels laden with exotic fruits and far-off cheeses, Jilled tried her hardest to ignore it all. Her mood was foul; another argument with Kinley, or lack of argument had left her bitter. Kinley knew exactly what to do to rile even the calmest of people and he'd done it without even using his voice, he knew what buttons to press and when to press them. Jilled plowed through the crowds of city dwellers, walking with intent she made for the closest tavern, if she was to head off for a training exercise with the rest of her unit she'd need something to calm her down first.

"We're looking for someone, scruffy, about so-high, dark hair, abit of a shady fellar."

Reese eyed Spooks and threw a glance across the tavern at a dozen or so men that matched the exact same description. Shrugging lightly he continued wiping the glass on the bottom of his apron. Spooks shook his head, running his tongue along his lower lip he decided a different tactic.

"The name MacFarlane mean anything to you? Kinley MacFarlane?"

Reese arched an eyebrow but shook his head, the glass squeaked loudly as he wiped it with an unintentional added effort. Intimidated by the group, the last thing he wanted was trouble and whatever he replied with, it'd either come from them or Kinley himself, so he decided to stay quiet. Spooks laughed lightly; looking at Reese he tapped Rufio on his large shoulder.

"Ask him nicely, won't you Rufe?"

Without so much as a moment’s hesitation Rufio lunged across the bar top, Reese's eyes widened in fear but it was all too late. Rufio grabbed him by the collar and slammed him, face up upon the bar. A few of the bars patrons had leapt from their seats to intervene, the first to stand was met with a throwing dagger to the throat and he fell with a gurgling yell. Slim eyed the other men, his blades on perfect display and in a matter of seconds they took their seats once again, and continued with their drinks, completely ignoring the man on the floor.

"Now, I'll ask you again before Rufio loses his temper. Kinley MacFarlane, do you know him and where can we find him?"

Rufio's shovel sized hand tightened around Reese's throat and slowly, desperately he nodded. With bulging eyes and a face as deeply coloured as a beetroot he spoke, trails of spit and phlegm trailing down his chin as Rufio's grip held him tightly.

"Aye... I know a MacFarlane... dodgy fellar, eye piece, leg brace... comes 'ere and sits in the corner... doesn't say much, always... pays."

Spooks crouched over and leant toward Reese's face, creasing his nose he spoke with a lowered voice and the others watched on while Slim kept an eye upon the rest of the tavern.

"And where can we find him?"

At that moment, the dim tavern was lit up - the door swung up and a large beam of daylight glared across the dust filled watering hole. "She! She'll... know."

Rufio released his grip on a much relieved Reese and the group turned to the doorway, Jilled stood there as all eyes fell upon her. Looking toward the group she let her eyes wander over each of them, a group of men in the corner watched on anxiously and on the floor the body of a man bled heavily - his blood congealing amongst the sawdust.

Spooks eyed the woman and then looked back to his band of merry men, raising an arm he motioned for them to remain calm and took a couple of steps toward Jilled.

"That's as far as you come, another step and your friends there will see what the inside of your head looks like."

Jilled pushed her cloak to aside and let her hands hover just inches from her flintlocks, Spooks raised both hands mockingly, turning a head back to his men he nods and lets out a cocky smirk.

"I mean it, dickbreath."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa - come on darling, we've just got off on the wrong foot is all. I'll tell you what, why don't you leave those little toys of yours to aside for a moment and let me buy you a drink?"

Spooks motioned for Jilled to come toward him and turned his back on the woman, throwing a wink to Slim, Slim readied a throwing blade from under his sleeve and set his focus on Jilled, his eyes unfaltering. Jilled instantly pulled both guns free and skillfully spun them in her palms, looking at the back of Spooks a smirk curled from the corner of her mouth.

"I've got a better idea."

Jilled unloaded the guns simultaneously toward the rafters, her aim hitting the bolts around the wooden candle chandelier above the bar. The weight of the chandelier was too much for the now weakened beams and the whole thing came crashing toward the group, Rufio grabbed a hold of Spooks just in time and launched him to aside, the chandelier crashing to the floor right behind him. In the chaos Slim had launched his throwing blade at Jilled and readily prepared another. There was a yell, and after the gun smoke and dust had settled Jilled was grasping her shoulder tightly, a blooded dagger on the floor.

Verne pulled free his mace and made a head toward the woman; before he even got close enough to swing the cumbersome lump of metal Jilled unloaded her flintlock into his chest. The man crumpled to the ground instantly, his mace flailing toward Jilled's feet. She grasped the weapon and predicting the oncoming onslaught dove behind a table, turning it on its edge in the process to act as a makeshift shield. With her back pressed against the wood, her guns spent and in need of reloading she jumped - Slim's throwing blade burrowing through one side of the table and out of the other, missing her head by inches.

"Now darling, you really should've come for that drink. People are all the same in this city, it's always gotta' be the hard way - Verne?."

Not quite dead, Verne forced out his dying words.

"Kill... her!"

Verne's body went limp, and his exposed innards bled streams of blood into the gaps between the floorboards.

"He never was able to grasp the concept of patience. Besides, if she tells us what we want to know, well, she's free to leave - aint that right Slim?

Slim nodded a slow nod, his hand slid beneath his belt and he grasped yet another hilt-less throwing blade between his fingers. Stood against the bar the group looked across the tavern, the Pig & Whistle was never known for its cleanliness and the sudden movement had sent dust everywhere. In the corner, the drinkers sat silently, afraid to move they looked over the scene, throwing passing glances to one another.

"So, tell me darling, Kinley MacFarlane - you know him dontcha? See we know you know him because good old Reese here told us so. Well, with some gentle persuasion of course. Now, I'm an ... honourable man. You tell me where we can find Kinley, and we'll let you go without further harm. How's that sound?"

Jilled smirked to herself behind the table, slowly she began to reload her weapons, making as little noise as possible she called back to the group;

"Well that sounds just peachy, but first, I don't know anyone called Kinley, and second - if I did, I wouldn't sell him out to a no good bounty hunter like you. So, -darling- how about you take your offer and go fuck yourself? Now, how's -that- sound?"

Spooks let out a long sigh, looking to Maggie he threw a glance at the tavern's entrance and slowly she made her way toward the large set of stairs and hoisting herself up and over the banister she pulled free a long, arched sword. Slim casually played with his throwing blade, jostling it from one finger to the next as it occasionally caught a glimmer of light from the now floor mounted chandelier.

"It's a shame it had to be this way darling, we could've had a beautiful relationship, but if you ain't prepared to tell us what we want to know then we'll have to get it out of ya... Rufe?"

The huge man calmly made his way toward the table, moments before he got there Jilled leapt out, stunned by the sheer gargantuan stature of the beast she hesitated. Already reeling from Slim's blade she yelled yet again as Rufio burrowed another just below the first. Firing her flintlock in blind rage she never noticed Maggie who approached her from behind, smashing the hilt of her blade into Jilled's lower back. Jilled stumbled forward, but before she could fall she was caught by Maggie who quickly wrapped a scarf around Jilled's neck and kept her upright. Jilled coughed and spluttered, she stood helpless as the rest of the group slowly approached.

"It didn't 'ave to be like this you know. Should've really, really come for that drink. Hindsight eh? Wonderful thing, but useless."

Jilled eyed Spooks with a burning rage as he stepped through the group.

"There, there... sshhhhh."

Spooks ran a hand back through Jilled's hair and pushed it out of her face - with a trailing finger he ran his nail across her cheek. Gripping her jaw he held her head in place and leant in, planting a forced kiss upon the woman's lips. Jilled fought back and drove a knee into Spooks' groin, cursing loudly he smacked her with the back of his hand.

"I love a feisty girl; maybe we can find another use for her, eh Rufe? ’Ere Slim, give me one of them blades; let's see what she keeps under that shirt"

Slim palmed Spooks a small dagger and the group looked on, each of them with their own sadistic smile. Stepping forward Spooks cast his eyes across Jilled's body and waved the blade before her. "Now, you hold still darling, because wha-"

Whatever Spooks was about to say was cut short, a chair splintered and broke across his back - the drinkers in the corner had clearly seen enough. The groups attention turned to the men and a brawl broke out amongst them, seeing this as her moment of opportunity she snapped her head backward and caught Maggie across the bridge of her nose. Blood sprayed violently across her face and she stumbled to the floor, scooping up her pistols Jilled turned to the ensuing brawl before making her way to the exit. Maggie yelled out, but above the din no one heard a thing - they'd taken their eyes off of Jilled for a split second and she had vanished, leaving them no closer to finding Kinley.

Jilled sprinted out of the tavern and down the closest alleyway; she knew the backstreets and alleyways far better than anyone giving chase certainly would. Her arm racked in pain, pulling free the second blade caused her eyes to water in agony, tossing it to the floor she headed directly to the trade district - anyone that was following would surely be lost amongst the crowds. She had no idea who the group was or what they wanted with Kinley but she knew she had to let him know, she just hoped she got to him first.