Post by Gecko on Apr 12, 2021 1:46:10 GMT
"Well it's about damn time you showed up!"
A tanned woman with an air of elegance sat herself down across the wooden table from you, holding a small crystal glass filled with whiskey, the deep amber sloshing around the bottom quarter of it. Bright blue eyes peered from beneath a black matte hat and a dark lipstick curved to a smirk as the glass hit the table. The woman, adorned in a black leather vest and a button-up red flannel topped with a double bandolier racked with bullets, leaned forward while narrowing her eyes. It was clear that she was analyzing you, looking into your eyes and then up and down your form, judging your reaction. She chuckled to herself. The chair gave a loud creak as she leaned back, taking a sip from her drink and coolly setting it down once more.
"If you don't already know who I am by now," the woman said, "I'm Winnifred Blackwood, but I make everyone call me Winnie." The gears finally clicked as to who the straightforward stranger was - the meeting had been a long time coming, after all. Arrangements had been made by a shady businessman, an industrialist leader that only referred to himself as the Affiliate. He didn't let on much information besides the assurance that he held a high ranking and would pay a lot of money if you met with a companion of his to get a series of jobs done. He also didn't speak as to whether or not the jobs were on the right side of the law. Even if it was illegal to do whatever you were about to do, the payment alone would get you out of jail...assuming that you weren't sent to the gallows.
Winnie wiped a small trail of liquor from the corner of her mouth with the pad of her thumb after taking another sip. Her eye lightly twitched as the drink went down. "I take it the big man didn't tell you a whole lot about what we're doing, hm? He likes to keep to himself like that. He also asked that I not divulge in our plans until just before we execute so as to not allow information to leak. That'll probably change once he starts to trust you a lil' more though. Assuming you live long enough, anyways." Winnie finished off the rest of her drink and set it down once again, this time pushing it away from her. "All you need to know right now is that you were chosen by the Affiliate for a reason. I personally don't give two hollerin' hoots about it, but he sees you as a potentially good asset. There's others like you, they're just waiting outside."
With the scraping of wood, Winnie stood up while gesturing you to follow her with a wave of a hand. Spurs rattled against the polished tavern floor as the bartender gruffly called out, "You gonna pay for that, darlin'?"
"Add it to the tab, Mickey!" Winnie responded. "And get this one's drink on there too. Friend of mine!" The man gave a nod and continued cleaning a glass that looked suspiciously clean already. You followed Winnie as she confidently walked out of the bar. It almost looked as though if you were to stop following, she wouldn't notice or care. The small town outside was bustling with activity, cowboys and ladies alike tipping hats and nodding heads to each other with cheerful greetings. Horses whinnied and neighed, many being hitched to posts outside of the few businesses in the town. Most were either outside of the bar or the bank. The bank stood in the center of town, bright and gleaming, forcing anybody's attention to it as they passed.
The cowgirl approached a well-groomed horse that was standing next to yours, giving her a few pats on the neck before going to the back of the saddle and pulling out two revolvers. Winnie spun the chamber a couple of times, listening to it rattle as the metal whirred around. "I'm known for being able to read people pretty damn well," she said as she pulled out some of the bullets from her bandolier and slid them into the chamber. "You seem like you're not gonna screw us over. I think it'll be time for you to meet the rest of the posse." She holstered the pistol and pulled out another one that was bigger and heavier, sporting an intricate design of an eagle on the handle, and began to reload that one as well. "They're stationed all around the town already - you'll know who they are. S'long as you're with me, they won't shoot you."
It quickly became apparent by what Winnie was talking about when a loud explosion erupted from the bank down the road. People began to scream and run wildly around the town, taking cover and fleeing wherever they could. Normally, the town bell would start ringing to notify the lawmen, but it hadn't yet. Several gunshots resonated from inside the bank. You turn to Winnie for answers and are met with her now wearing a black bandana around the lower half of her face and holding up a bolt action rifle. Though her mouth was covered, you could see the smirk reappear.
"Now darlin', you ready to meet the crew?"
=====
Inside of the bank, three figures with disguised faces stood confidently at the doors to prevent any escape, the center figure holding a pistol with wisps of smoke floating away from the barrel of his long silver pistol. He pulled his bandana from over his nose to reveal a dark-skinned man with a neatly-trimmed beard and eyes the color of dark oak. The lapel of his black leather jacket was brushed aside as his pistol was slid neatly into the holster and he held his other hand up as a sign of good faith towards the people currently screaming in terror, shouting prayers of safety and mercy. The man flicked his hat up in order to get a better view of the people, checking that none were planning to do anything dangerous.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he stated in a warm voice, "please keep calm and follow my instructions exactly. My name is Silas. We're not here to kill anyone - we're simply here to collect some funds and then get out of your hair. Now, while my associates scavenge the back room to get the bonds, I'm going to have to ask you all to keep to one side and stay on the ground. Men, toss your weapons towards the center of the floor." Silas watched carefully as the people followed his commands. The worst it looked right now was a few women that were sobbing uncontrollably into their husband's hands, but no one looked as though they might try to stop them. Silas nodded his approval at the situation. Things so far were going very smoothly. Two other members of the crew had already blasted the vault open and were collecting as much as they could handle and there were no alarms sounding for the law. They already had more time than they had planned for.
=====
Meanwhile, over at the post office where the alarm bell sat in its' little tower, two other members quietly watched over the panicking townspeople. The taller of the two leaned against the wooden rail, eyeing a couple of residents that seemed to be contemplating whether they were going to run into the nearby shops for safety or go elsewhere. He was well aware of where the sheriff's office was from here. All they had to do was make sure that no one went that way. His partner elbowed him in the side and pointed down between two buildings with a chuckle.
"Look...look at that old lady that doesn't know where to go!" He slapped the railing and gave a boisterous laugh as the woman frantically looked back and forth, clutching her dress in distress. The tall man looked and shook his head. He found it rather disgraceful to mock an elderly woman fearing for her life. "There is no need to laugh at her."
"Don't be such a stick in the mud," the other man responded gruffly while wiping tears from his eyes. "If we're gonna do bad shit, why not at least have fun with it? Besides, I could do much, much worse." A creaking came from behind the two, but neither heard it in time to properly react. One of the men from the town had sneaked his way over to ring the bell and climbed up quietly enough so neither man could hear. Propping himself on top of the ladder, he held up his pistol and fired into the short man's chest three times. The taller man reached for his own pistol only to have a bullet hit his hand. He cried out in pain and stumbled backwards up and over the railing, plummeting about ten feet to the ground below. The townsman climbed up the rest of the way and holstered his pistol, grabbed the rope, and began desperately swinging back and forth in hopes of alerting the lawmen.
=====
Sure enough, the clanging of the bell resonated throughout the town and into the ears of the deputy that was already scrambling to collect his things. One thing the gang hadn't calculated was the deputy being back early from his visit with his sister a few towns over, and so he was already preparing to wipe out the bastards that set off explosions from inside the town. He already knew exactly where to go to - the bank was the only place in town of true monetary value. Picking up his rifle, he turned to his trusty group of lawmen and frantically waved for the door. "Hurry up fellas! These assholes ain't gonna arrest themselves!"
With that order in mind, the hefty group of lawmen mounted their horses and reloaded their weapons....
A tanned woman with an air of elegance sat herself down across the wooden table from you, holding a small crystal glass filled with whiskey, the deep amber sloshing around the bottom quarter of it. Bright blue eyes peered from beneath a black matte hat and a dark lipstick curved to a smirk as the glass hit the table. The woman, adorned in a black leather vest and a button-up red flannel topped with a double bandolier racked with bullets, leaned forward while narrowing her eyes. It was clear that she was analyzing you, looking into your eyes and then up and down your form, judging your reaction. She chuckled to herself. The chair gave a loud creak as she leaned back, taking a sip from her drink and coolly setting it down once more.
"If you don't already know who I am by now," the woman said, "I'm Winnifred Blackwood, but I make everyone call me Winnie." The gears finally clicked as to who the straightforward stranger was - the meeting had been a long time coming, after all. Arrangements had been made by a shady businessman, an industrialist leader that only referred to himself as the Affiliate. He didn't let on much information besides the assurance that he held a high ranking and would pay a lot of money if you met with a companion of his to get a series of jobs done. He also didn't speak as to whether or not the jobs were on the right side of the law. Even if it was illegal to do whatever you were about to do, the payment alone would get you out of jail...assuming that you weren't sent to the gallows.
Winnie wiped a small trail of liquor from the corner of her mouth with the pad of her thumb after taking another sip. Her eye lightly twitched as the drink went down. "I take it the big man didn't tell you a whole lot about what we're doing, hm? He likes to keep to himself like that. He also asked that I not divulge in our plans until just before we execute so as to not allow information to leak. That'll probably change once he starts to trust you a lil' more though. Assuming you live long enough, anyways." Winnie finished off the rest of her drink and set it down once again, this time pushing it away from her. "All you need to know right now is that you were chosen by the Affiliate for a reason. I personally don't give two hollerin' hoots about it, but he sees you as a potentially good asset. There's others like you, they're just waiting outside."
With the scraping of wood, Winnie stood up while gesturing you to follow her with a wave of a hand. Spurs rattled against the polished tavern floor as the bartender gruffly called out, "You gonna pay for that, darlin'?"
"Add it to the tab, Mickey!" Winnie responded. "And get this one's drink on there too. Friend of mine!" The man gave a nod and continued cleaning a glass that looked suspiciously clean already. You followed Winnie as she confidently walked out of the bar. It almost looked as though if you were to stop following, she wouldn't notice or care. The small town outside was bustling with activity, cowboys and ladies alike tipping hats and nodding heads to each other with cheerful greetings. Horses whinnied and neighed, many being hitched to posts outside of the few businesses in the town. Most were either outside of the bar or the bank. The bank stood in the center of town, bright and gleaming, forcing anybody's attention to it as they passed.
The cowgirl approached a well-groomed horse that was standing next to yours, giving her a few pats on the neck before going to the back of the saddle and pulling out two revolvers. Winnie spun the chamber a couple of times, listening to it rattle as the metal whirred around. "I'm known for being able to read people pretty damn well," she said as she pulled out some of the bullets from her bandolier and slid them into the chamber. "You seem like you're not gonna screw us over. I think it'll be time for you to meet the rest of the posse." She holstered the pistol and pulled out another one that was bigger and heavier, sporting an intricate design of an eagle on the handle, and began to reload that one as well. "They're stationed all around the town already - you'll know who they are. S'long as you're with me, they won't shoot you."
It quickly became apparent by what Winnie was talking about when a loud explosion erupted from the bank down the road. People began to scream and run wildly around the town, taking cover and fleeing wherever they could. Normally, the town bell would start ringing to notify the lawmen, but it hadn't yet. Several gunshots resonated from inside the bank. You turn to Winnie for answers and are met with her now wearing a black bandana around the lower half of her face and holding up a bolt action rifle. Though her mouth was covered, you could see the smirk reappear.
"Now darlin', you ready to meet the crew?"
=====
Inside of the bank, three figures with disguised faces stood confidently at the doors to prevent any escape, the center figure holding a pistol with wisps of smoke floating away from the barrel of his long silver pistol. He pulled his bandana from over his nose to reveal a dark-skinned man with a neatly-trimmed beard and eyes the color of dark oak. The lapel of his black leather jacket was brushed aside as his pistol was slid neatly into the holster and he held his other hand up as a sign of good faith towards the people currently screaming in terror, shouting prayers of safety and mercy. The man flicked his hat up in order to get a better view of the people, checking that none were planning to do anything dangerous.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he stated in a warm voice, "please keep calm and follow my instructions exactly. My name is Silas. We're not here to kill anyone - we're simply here to collect some funds and then get out of your hair. Now, while my associates scavenge the back room to get the bonds, I'm going to have to ask you all to keep to one side and stay on the ground. Men, toss your weapons towards the center of the floor." Silas watched carefully as the people followed his commands. The worst it looked right now was a few women that were sobbing uncontrollably into their husband's hands, but no one looked as though they might try to stop them. Silas nodded his approval at the situation. Things so far were going very smoothly. Two other members of the crew had already blasted the vault open and were collecting as much as they could handle and there were no alarms sounding for the law. They already had more time than they had planned for.
=====
Meanwhile, over at the post office where the alarm bell sat in its' little tower, two other members quietly watched over the panicking townspeople. The taller of the two leaned against the wooden rail, eyeing a couple of residents that seemed to be contemplating whether they were going to run into the nearby shops for safety or go elsewhere. He was well aware of where the sheriff's office was from here. All they had to do was make sure that no one went that way. His partner elbowed him in the side and pointed down between two buildings with a chuckle.
"Look...look at that old lady that doesn't know where to go!" He slapped the railing and gave a boisterous laugh as the woman frantically looked back and forth, clutching her dress in distress. The tall man looked and shook his head. He found it rather disgraceful to mock an elderly woman fearing for her life. "There is no need to laugh at her."
"Don't be such a stick in the mud," the other man responded gruffly while wiping tears from his eyes. "If we're gonna do bad shit, why not at least have fun with it? Besides, I could do much, much worse." A creaking came from behind the two, but neither heard it in time to properly react. One of the men from the town had sneaked his way over to ring the bell and climbed up quietly enough so neither man could hear. Propping himself on top of the ladder, he held up his pistol and fired into the short man's chest three times. The taller man reached for his own pistol only to have a bullet hit his hand. He cried out in pain and stumbled backwards up and over the railing, plummeting about ten feet to the ground below. The townsman climbed up the rest of the way and holstered his pistol, grabbed the rope, and began desperately swinging back and forth in hopes of alerting the lawmen.
=====
Sure enough, the clanging of the bell resonated throughout the town and into the ears of the deputy that was already scrambling to collect his things. One thing the gang hadn't calculated was the deputy being back early from his visit with his sister a few towns over, and so he was already preparing to wipe out the bastards that set off explosions from inside the town. He already knew exactly where to go to - the bank was the only place in town of true monetary value. Picking up his rifle, he turned to his trusty group of lawmen and frantically waved for the door. "Hurry up fellas! These assholes ain't gonna arrest themselves!"
With that order in mind, the hefty group of lawmen mounted their horses and reloaded their weapons....