Book 2 Ch 7: Cold Bounty

The bounty hunter pushed the rim of his hat up with his rifle, revealing more of his face. His eyes were light gray so soft that they seemed to blend in to the white around them.

“Now, I know I jumped the gun a bit by taking that shot, but I do want to give y’all a chance to give up the woman, and the little noble.”

Michael’s eyes widened as he looked at the others who were wearing the same surprised expressions. The man was speaking English.

The man held up a hand, “Wait, wait, let me try this again.” He coughed a bit into his hand to clear his throat and hardened his expression. “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. It’s up to you.”

“What is he saying?” asked Lance.

“He’s asking us to give you and Francesca up. I’m surprised he wants you both.”

“You shouldn’t be too surprised. One bounty is from Stent, and the other from Tusinia. Of course, I’ll likely be giving both to whichever one feels like increasing my pay the most.”

“You’re a taker?” asked Michael, surprised at the man’s ability to hear him, though he shouldn’t have been. It wasn’t hard to see that his long list of titles and deeds included several that seemed to be related to awareness.

The man pulled the brim of his hat back down and nodded. “Clint Westwood, at your service.”

“Cute,” muttered Pyotr crouched low with his sword and shield. “He is playing cowboy.”

“It was only playing for the first few bounties. I’d say I’m the gen-yoo-wine article now.” He slid the rifle behind his back and cocked his neck left and right causing a loud crack that made Marcus wince a bit.

“Listen, we’re mostly takers too. There’s no reason for us all to fight. What if we could create some kind of fake proof that you killed us? They don’t trust takers anyway, there’s no reason to work with them for just some coin.”

“Trust ain’t important. What’s important is strength and integrity. Unfortunately for all of you, I have both in spades.”

Michael frowned and dropped into a low stance with his sword in one hand and his shield in the other.

“Guess we’re doing this then,” said Michael.

Clint placed a hand on each of his dagger hilts and then, quicker than Michael thought was possible, he slammed into Ollie’s forcefield with his shoulder, shattering it.

Marcus fired his shot, but Clint had already moved in front of Pyotr.

Pyotr attempted to slash at Clint, but the man was too fast and ducked under Pyotr’s elegant strike before driving his dagger smoothly into his side between the slits in his armor twice and moving toward Ollie.

Michael started healing Pyotr even as he moved in front of Ollie. He slashed out at Clint’s midline, but the bounty hunter ducked smoothly under the blow before kicking Michael with enough force to cave in his chestplate and throw him backward.

Lance slashed at the man while his back was turned, but he turned around so fast it kicked up snow all around him, and caught the blow on one of his daggers before slashing across Lance’s face, carving easily through his helmet. If Michael hadn’t already been healing him his lower jaw would’ve likely fallen into the snow at his feet. Didn’t seem like he minded if he brought the young man in dead or alive.

Ollie clenched his fist as he blurted out obscenities and the snowflakes that were falling around them all stopped in the air formed up together before shooting at Clint like tiny daggers.

Clint jumped easily ten feet into the air to avoid the attack and landed next to Davi. He drove a dagger into Davi’s side, and Davi wrapped his own arm around Clint’s, locking the dagger into his side. He followed that up by attempting to smash his helmet into Clint’s face, but Clint stopped the blow with his forearm before twisting the blade in Davi’s side and pushing him away.

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Pyotr stepped toward Clint and aimed a kick at his center mass.

Clint moved to block it, but changed direction at the last minute and moved around the kick, slamming his dagger into Pyotr’s leg when it was fully extended and quickly dragging it down his calf exposing red muscle to the freezing air.

Pyotr just gritted his teeth and slammed his shield toward Clint’s face. He dodged that as well, yanking his dagger free violently as he did so. Unfortunately for him, Lance was right behind him and slashed downward with his sword. Clint twisted and caught the blow on the rifle across his back, then smashed the hilt of his blade across Lance’s face and sent him tumbling into the snow.