New Sheriff in Town

  Bucket fires off three shots in rapid succession before the revolver jams. Removing orange earmuffs, some of the black vinyl flakes off, sticking to his ear, he brushes it away. The small 3 lane shooting range is deep under ground, at the same sublevel where he had his operation. The air is stale, the metallic sulfur smell of the gun powder lingers in the air.

  Hitting the button, the paper target on the range comes whirling back along the track. “These earmuffs are crap Lenny, and this shit revolver jammed.” Bucket says, pulling the pin he turns the chamber, shaking the three remaining bullets out he starts pulling the hammer and trigger until it operates smooth.

  “I told you, your reflexes are cranked up, you're trying to fire faster than the gun will allow, it'll take a bit.” Lenny says. Bucket turns his attention to the paper target. Holding it up, there is only one hole in the target. “All three shots in one hole. Between the eye and the steady hand that's pretty smooth.” Feeling a bit overly pleased with himself distracts him from the dull pain in his head behind his left eye.

  He places the target on the table. Using the HUD in his new eye, he locks a pin on a new paper target, assigning a neon green marker. Clipping the target on the line he hits the glowing green square button, sending it down the track with a whirl. The counter on his eyes HUD tracks the target's growing distance to the millimetre, he sees the wind speed of 0.0023 km/h in the indoor range, an electric blue rectangle around Lenny with his range, some of his vitals. “It's also too much information constantly, I can refine the input, correct?”

  “Yes. How are you with tech?” Lenny says with a look not showing much confidence in what he believes Bucket can do.

  “I can muddle through it,” He starts reloading another six rounds in the revolver, “but I have a guy that trained to be a field agent and is the best with scripts.” With the flick of his wrist and a click, the chamber of the revolver in place.

  “The best you say?” Lenny says with a snort, “You can't be telling everyone about that tech, boss.”

  “He's not just anyone; he's part of my team and I trust him.” He fires all six shots of the revolver slower than before. He smiles, hitting the round glowing red button the target races towards him, retrieving the target the holes all line up perfectly on the horizontal axis.

  “Hehe, now you're just showing off.” Lenny says, giggling with almost a sense of pride.

  “I'll go insane looking at the distances Lenny, who the hell set the default to millimetres?” Bucket says.

  “I did.” Lenny says with a frown, “What, you don't want accuracy?”

  “Have you worked in the field before Lenny?” Bucket asks.

  ”No. But you need as much info as possible." He says, more as a statement than a question.

  “Lenny, when assholes are trying to kill you, you need relevant information fast. I don't need to know distances to the millimeter, it'll just give me a headache.”

  “Centimeter?” He says, with an annoyed look.

  “Less damn zeros, so decimeters for now.” Bucket says. Lenny starts punching away on his communicator, muttering to himself. “Lenny, my head is screaming and I need to get used to this shit. I do appreciate the tech.” Lenny looks up and nods. Bucket inspects his hand, “I'll stand out too much, going to have to wear gloves and an eye patch.”

  “Always the agent, aren't you?” He turns, the Colonel is there, arm in a sling. His eye is flooding him with info; she's stressed, nervous, recovering from a gun short to the arm, all observation he can see without the extra input. His hand pulls off him, morphing to a raven it flies to the Coronals shoulder.

  “Arrack, sexy beast.” The morphed raven says, cooing and bobbing its head on her shoulder.

  “Well, that's unexpected.” Lenny says with a fascinated look, “He is Edgar's clone after all, with his memories to the point of when we cloned him. Try speaking to him like before Bucket.”

  Can you hear me Edgar? Bucket thinks.

  Arrack... yes. He hears Edgar think.

  I kind of need you on my hand.

  Sorry, I miss Jodi.

  He fly's back to Bucket arm and morphs to his hand.

  “He seems really keen on you.” Bucket says smiling. His eyes linger on the Colonel before he banishes the smile from his face and looks away down the shooting range.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “For a few years when I was doing forward surveillance I would go weeks not talking to another human. Edgar kind of kept me sane.” She says. He didn't turn back as she spoke, lighting one of Frankie's cigars he exhales a big cloud of smoke.

  “Well it could be interesting for surveillance.” Bucket says. Ideas of having Edgar go to hidden places and communicating run through his mind. He should practice left handed shooting. He reloads the revolver, awkwardly holding it in his left hand as he looks down the range. It feels backwards but more real. Real like he'll never feel again. He slams it down on the table and turns to the Colonel, “So, what now?”

  She looks at him with a look of sorrow, “We don't have much time. I'm going to be staying here for a bit, there is a lot going on and I'm needed here. We need to discuss something, for your ears only. Lenny, can you give us a moment?”

  “You want me to leave?” Lenny says, surprised.

  “I'm sorry Lenny, yes.” She says.

  Lenny looks at them both, Bucket has the impression Lenny is suspicious of the Colonel's request, he heads out the door and closes it behind him with a click.

  “Ok, for now, well, you kind of aren't employed. I need you to be the acting sheriff at the Cavern until we get a permanent police force.” She says. He can see the wheels turning in her head, she has plans.

  “Oh, so I don't have a job yet I'm still taking orders?” He says, nudging her, maybe she'll actually say what's on her mind.

  “Can you just stop, we don't have time for bickering.” She says, he knows she's deflecting away from shit she doesn't want to tell him now. The usual crap with her.” You know what's at stake here. We need to discuss a mission I need you to do. The success of it affects everything.”

  Facing her he crosses his arms, leaning against the firing table, “So, I heard you and a Net Lord were talking alone.”

  “What do you mean?” She says with a sincere look of surprise he finds disturbingly convincing. He lets out a deep sharp sigh, annoyed at how easily she lies to him.

  “I overheard Lenny mumble to Frankie, he speaks louder than he realizes, I think his hearing is shot.” Bucket says. Immediately her expression changes and she shrugs. “Right, so you had planned out what you were going to say but you need to adjust it now. Do you need a minute to think up new bullshit to feed me or are you going to speak the truth?”

  “What do you want from me?” She says, shrugging her shoulders in a defeated fashion. He can see she’s just worn, she was just shot after all.

  “The one thing you seem incapable of doing; being straight with me. Look, just tell me the plan.”

  “You make it all sound so simple, whatever we had was based on your lies at the start.” She says, narrowing her eyes.

  “Holy fuck, can we just focus on what you need me to do?” He puts his hand to his forehead, leaning over, the pressure in his head feels like it will explode.

  “Are you Ok?” She asks, walking close to him, looking on with concern.

  “Yeah, I'll be fine.” He says, taking a deep breath.

  She gently places her hand on his shoulder, he looks at her, she looks back at her with a pained look. “When Jen took Oscar back to the mainland and I was relieved of duty I felt the most free I have my whole life. No pressure, no obligations, no navigating one impossible decision after another. There was just drinking, relaxing, dancing, joy in my life that night, with you. It abruptly ended when we were forcibly separated, I was told you were killed. I couldn't deal with being alone, so yes, I slept with him, that night, not repeatedly over the last three weeks. So hate me, I actually understand because what happened to you would likely not have happened if Underwood did not catch wind of us being together. But don't think for a second I don't care for you.”

  He takes her hand, removing it gently from his shoulder, “Is it true about Underwood?”

  “What I can say for certain is he's dead. And, between you and I, he was working for the Net Lords. He admitted it before the Net Lord murdered him.”

  He holds her hand in his, “I believe what you said about us. But I also think we can't revisit that. We both have too many obligations.” He says as she pulls her hand back she turns, takes a few steps before turning back to face him, “Ok, so what's the plan?”

  “This has to stay strictly between us. I can't do this on my own anymore, it's been too many years. I met the creator of the Hype.”

  “The creator?” He says.

  “Yes. Nadine is linked to a Net Lord that is making a power play. Our Mr. X wants us to eliminate her, make it look like an inside job. I think he wants things to be destabilized. He said he wants to work towards the Net Lords and the Collective joining forces.” She says.

  “Well, there is no doubt you would say all that if you weren't being truthful.” He says, arms crossed they look at each other, both in deep thought. “So what of Nadine?”

  “He wants her turned over.”

  “I bet.” He says. “So what would happen to you if you got caught turning over a Net Lord?”

  “I would be charged with treason.”

  He won't let that happen. He doesn't see Nadine being sent back to the Net Lords as something that'll happen. “We need to isolate Nadine and figure out what she knows before we do anything. Look, I hate to doubt you, I know you likely have your next 20 moves planned, but if you're wrong...”

  “...I'll hang.” She says.

  He can hear the mob yelling as the trolley pulls up to the Cavern. He hops out, his head still aching but his other aches virtually nonexistent. His eye shows a count of 54 citizens by the holding cell, all outlined in acid orange; he sees three men by the door of the jail, Smithy and Tales, all outlined in blue. A few in the mobs are armed citizens; citizens are not supposed to be armed in the Cavern.

  He marches over, some of the crowd turn to him, exclaim that it's Bucket. The crowd parts way as he heads to the jail, “What's going on here?” Bucket yells.

  “The rapists need to be brought to justice!” A man screams, the crowd roars.

  “Ok, everyone listen. I have been appointed temporary Sheriff, given the powers to legally govern this town. First off, I'll need the crowd to disperse.” Some of the crowd boo, they get rowdy. It's not a good time, but they need justice and he doesn't have the time or manpower to hold them at bay. Also, he agrees with what they want.

  “So are you siding with them Bucket?” A man yells out.

  ”Second...” The crowd starts to drown out his voice, he yells, “Second, the five men that have admitted to their crime will be executed tomorrow at noon.”