Desperados
Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 1:10 pm
Desperados
Quick introduction. This new story is more a test than anything. It was inspired by my playthrough of Desperados III (once again a huge thank you to Ascetic for pointing out the existence of this game) and features characters from this game. For those who don't know, Desperados III is a Real-Time Strategy Stealth-Based Game, developed by Mimimi Games (of Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun fame) and published by THQ Nordic The setting is Old West America (1875).
For those who didn't play the game, I will try to quickly sum it up: The main character is a man named John Cooper, a bounty hunter who's trying to have his revenge on Frank, an outlaw responsible for the death of his father. Currently, Frank is working as an enforcer for a corrupt railroad company called the DeVitt Company. Cooper will therefore end up trying to put an end to the plots of the evil company while also trying to kill Frank.
Cooper is helped by his friend Hector Mendoza, a boisterous trapper who used to be part of Frank's gang long ago but quit it when Frank went too far. During the events of the game, he will meet other companions: 'Doc' McCoy, a former doctor who's also an elite marksman now working as a bounty hunter; Isabelle Moreau, a woman who practices voodoo and is working with a marshall called Wayne to expose the criminal activities of the DeVitt Company; and the character that will interest us the most in this story, Kate O'Hara, a woman working with her uncle in a ranch the the Company is trying to take by force for its lands, and the one who can disguise herself in the game.
This story takes part in Louisiana, shortly after the New Orleans Mission and before the Queen's Nest Mission. The main characters just found out that Wayne may have been kidnapped by the Company and sent to a place called the Queen's Nest.
Feel free to let me know what you think of it. This part is short, I have a slightly longer one that I will probably one day post in the same topic, though I don't know already if this will turn out into a real longer series. Anyway, it was fun to try a different setting.
Kate O'Hara:
https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamco ... 71db3e.jpg
Isabelle Moreau:
https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamco ... 508a2c.jpg
Story 1: Redwood Run
**************
How did we get to this? Kate asked herself.
It was Baton Rouge's fiasco all over again...
One moment, they were in the saloon of a small town called Redwood Run, trying to gather informations. Thanks to their previous infiltrations in New Orleans, they knew that marshall Wayne and other people kidnapped by the DeVitt Company to be used as slaves were locked in a place called the Queen's Nest, in the middle of the bayou. However, according to Fracine's contacts, they could find more informations in a small town called Redwood Run.
The next moment, they had to flee an angry mob of townspeople out for their heads. Angry townspeople armed with guns and whisky. Lots of whisky.
During the flight, Kate and Isabelle were separated from the others. They managed to lose three groups of pursuers, each one more drunk than the previous.
They took shelter in the town's barn, a building slightly isolated from the rest of Redwood Run. They were hiding behind some haystacks. For now, nobody had found them. However, they needed to find a way to regroup with the rest of their group and flee this town.
“Good Lord, these people are persistent.” Kate said. She glumly looked at her brown dress and her white blouse, which were torn up during the escape. “And rowdy...”
“They tend to be like that when they think you killed someone.”
“Shouldn't they let the Law handle things?”
Isabelle chuckled. “In these parts, they like to take matters into their own hands... Especially when people like me are involved, if you see what I mean.” She was smiling, but Kate could see that she was more affected than she let on.
“I do.” Kate simply answered. Isabelle didn't want to talk about the subject anyway, just like when they tried to enter the Chez Manu at New Orleans... and were told that her 'kind' wasn't allowed there.
“Hush, I think I hear some of them coming.” Isabelle suddenly said.
**************
While chatting, two women entered the barn.
“I tell you Liz, some satanic swamp witchery is at work! Just like the one in Baton Rouge! Heard they turned the sheriff's wife into straw there...”
“No way! So that's how they poisoned the mortician...”
The first woman had white skin, black hair and brown eyes. Her hair were tied up into a ponytail over her left shoulder. She was rather pretty, but her harsh voice and her accent were unpleasant to listen to.
The second woman also had white skin, but her shoulder-long hair were loose, on her back, and light brown. She had hazel eyes and was slightly shorter than the first woman. While she had the same accent as her partner, her voice was a lot softer.
Both women were wearing smilar-looking leather cowboy boots and black trousers. (There didn't seem to be much choice in this small town's shop...) The woman with the ponytail was also wearing a red poncho, a brown Stetson, and a white bandana around the neck. The woman with the light brown hair was wearing a brown poncho, a black hat and a black bandana around the neck.
The pair was also armed with rifles. And each had a cartridge belt full of ammunition.
“But Sarah... Why would they do such a thing?” the woman with the light brown hair added.
“Who knows? They're strangers, Liz!” the one with the ponytail answered.
“Still... I can't help but think that we're missing something...”
“I tell you, it's best to not ask questions. You see them, you shoot them! Now, come with me and search the barn... I have a hunch we'll find something in here...”
The two gunwomen started to search the building. Luckily for the two fugitives, their pursuers were starting with the opposite side of the building.
“We can't let these two see us or they'll raise the alarm.” Kate whispered to her friend.
“Sweetie, I think that these women may be a blessing in disguise, if you catch my drift...” Isabelle answered.
Kate smiled lightly. She looked at her own dress and blouse, which were torn up during her escape.
“I think I do. Though I don't usually steal this kind of clothes...”
“Desperate time, desperate needs.”
The redhead nodded, then added: “Even if they are dumb backwards hicks, these people aren't with DeVitt. They just think we are criminals. Let's try to prevent things from getting bloody.”
“Took the words right out of my mouth!”
Isabelle rummaged around in her pouch. She pulled out her blowpipe and two darts. She coated them with a colorless liquid that she was keeping in a small vial. “This thing will make them sleep for around one hour. Way enough time for us to do our business.”
Kate didn't try to question her friend. Isabelle wasn't a doctor, far from it, but she was still able to concoct mixtures with spectacular side-effects. Even though she was calling it 'herbalism', the redhead couldn't help but wonder if all the locals' talks about 'voodoo witchery' didn't have a grain of truth in them...
“Hurry up!” Kate whispered. “They're about to search behind the haystacks! They will spot us in a few moments.”
Isabelle put a dart inside her blowpipe. “I have a plan. Take your Derringer.”
**************
The two gunwomen were now searching the other side of the barn, and were about to look behind the haystacks. Isabelle aimed her blowpipe, and blew.
The blowdart hit Sarah in the neck.
“Bloody hell!” The ponytailed black-haired woman froze and grabbed the dart. “Damn bugs... They'll be the death of m...” Her eyes widened when she looked at what was in her hand.
“Now that's one weird bug...” Liz commented.
“That's no bug!” Sarah retorted.
“Then what is it?” her partner asked.
Sarah suddenly felt weak. Her legs trembled.
“S... Swamp witchery...” she uttered.
Then her eyes rolled and she crumbled on the wooden floor. She was asleep before even reaching it.
“The fuck?!” Liz exclaimed. She then saw Isabelle, with her blowpipe still in hand. “Witch!” She tried to raise her rifle.
Kate pointed her small Derringer pistol at her before she could. “I would drop my weapon and put my hands up if I were you.” she said.
The other woman blinked and stared at her.
Then she wisely chose to comply.
“On your knees.” Isabelle added.
Liz's eyes shot daggers at her, but she got down on her knees nevertheless, hands still up.
Isabelle took her second dart. She immobilized Liz with one arm and jabbed the needle of the dart between the woman's shoulder and neck. “Don't worry, it will only make you sleep for the next hour.” she said to the woman who was reflexively trying to struggle. “You'll live.” The spasms quickly stopped though, and Liz went limp in the black woman's arms. Isabelle laid her on the wooden floor next to Sarah.
“Effective.” Kate commented.
“Swamp witchery, remember?” the black woman answered with a smile. She rolled Sarah on her back. “Now, let's get to work.”
The redhead grabbed Liz. “I'm surprised these hicks allow their women to dress the same as men, let alone to use firearms...” Kate said while removing the woman's brown poncho.
“Ain't easy to shoot in a dress.” Isabelle explained while unbuckling Sarah's belt.. “These small isolated towns know that they need everyone if they want to fend off gangs of outlaws.” She chuckled while taking off her victim's boots. “Of course, they would never admit it in front of strangers, or let them enter the church dressed like that...”
Kate chuckled. The poncho that she was holding was smelly and a little dirty, but if it was going to help them escape the townspeople out for their heads, the redhead wasn't going to complain. Well, not too much at least...
Kate also took the trousers, to replace her torn up dress, as well as the boots and the white socks. Liz was wearing white cotton drawers underneath, but Kate didn't touch these. Finally, since she was refusing to have this poncho of questionable cleanliness touch her bare skin, Kate also unbuttoned the woman's plaid shirt and took it off, though allowing her victim to keep her white cotton undershirt.
“Done. Now I just need to change myself and...” Kate paused.
Isabelle had also taken the boots, the socks, the poncho, the button shirt, and the pants of the other woman. Sarah was also left in her white cotton undergarments.
“Why did you...?”
“I know the poncho and the hat would have been enough, but I'm not one to refuse free clothes...” She looked at Liz and Sarah. “Now, let's tuck them in!”
Since they were in a barn, there was no shortage of ropes. Isabelle was very good with her hands when it came to trussing up people. Each woman's legs and thighs were bound with ropes. Their wrists were tied behind their backs. Then, they secured their upper-arms. Kate and Isabelle filled the two stripped gunwomen's mouths with strips of Kate's torn up dress. Two other strips were used as cloth-gags, one for each woman, and two more as blindfolds.
Blissfully unaware of their predicament, the two citizens of Redwood Run were still sleeping like babies.
“Adorable...” Isabelle commented with a smile.
Finally, they chose to hide the two unconscious underwear-clad trussed up women behind the haystacks. Isabelle grabbed Sarah under the shoulders and Kate grabbed Liz under the shoulders. They dragged their victims out of sight.
Once the pair was out of the way, Kate threw off her remaining clothes.
She grimaced because of the smell, but she bravely put on Liz's clothes: starting with the socks, then the pants and the shirt, the boots, and the poncho. Finally, she put on the woman's hat and used the bandana to cover the lower part of her face. It was perfect. From afar, nobody could recognize her.
Isabelle was almost done changing clothes. She was already wearing the pants, the boots, and the poncho which she was using to hide her pouch and her wooden blackjack. The hat and the bandana still in hand, she looked at her friend.
“Sweetie, even in these rags you still look stunning!” the black woman said with a smile.
“I hope it'll be worth it though. These clothes stink of gun powder and sweat...”
“Well, you can't always take the perfumed dress of a pretty coutesan of New Orleans.” Isabelle joked.
“Right now, I wish we still were at New Orleans!”
“Then let's regroup with the others and we'll return there. We'll learn nothing here. We need to prepare ourselves for our mission in the Queen's Nest.”
**************
Thanks to their disguises, they could walk in open view without fear of being shot on sight – at least as long as they kept their distance with everyone else. Luckily, the other townspeople were too busy searching every part of Redwood Run to interrogate them. As long as they walked confidently while looking busy, the illusion was perfect. They could hide most of their faces with the bandanas.
“Still, I wonder who made them believe that we were the culprits...” Kate whispered.
“They say a woman with red hair exited the mortician's shop just before his body was found. And they found a note signed with your name in his hands.”
“That's bullshit! A moron could see it's a set-up!”
“Well honey, we clearly saw they weren't the smartest bunch around these here parts...”
“I don't like that Isabelle. This move has DeVitt's pawprints all over it.”
“ I couldn't agree more. And I...”
A meow interrupted her. A cat was standing next to Isabelle's left foot.
“Stella! You found someone else?” the black woman asked to the animal.
The cat meowed again and scampered towards the outskirts of the town.
“I think she wants us to follow her...” Isabelle commented.
Kate nodded with a small smile.
Stella, Isabelle's cat, was a lot smarter than the average pet. Isabelle said that she was simply well-trained, but the redhead doubted her claims. Even the best-trained cat couldn't understand instructions that well... It was as if the woman and her pet were soul-linked...
This cat was the main reason why Kate was suspecting that her friend's competences were a little more than mere herbalism...
**************
Isabelle's cat allowed them to find McCoy, who was hiding in the woods near the town.
The stern Doctor didn't comment on their new clothes. Instead, he filled them in with the situation, as professionally as usual.
“I was looking for you. Cooper and Francine are hiding in the ruined house at the outskirts of the city. Hector has returned in town. He said he was going to create a distraction.” Doc explained. “I fear that he will do something stupid.”
“Perfect!” Isabelle said with a smile. “Then we just need to regroup with Cooper and wait for the spectacle.”
McCoy grumbled something in his beard.
“Sunshine, you're always there to brighten my day...” Isabelle joked at him.
**************
Unfortunately, two townspeople found the ruined house at the outskirts of the city in which Cooper and Francine were hidden before Kate and her group.
Isabelle, Kate, and McCoy crouched down in the tall grasses and watched the scene from afar.
“Come out of your hideout you rats! This is a lawful town, here!”
The gunwoman who just talked had shoulder-long dark blond hair, grey eyes and a white skin. She was wearing a brown hat, a red poncho, blue trousers, a cartridge belt, and leather boots. She was accomplanied by a slightly shorter woman sharing an uncanny resemblance with her, though with longer braided hair, and who was wearing similar-looking clothes. Her sister probably.
Cooper answered by shooting the ground in front of them to try to scare them. The two townspeople ducked behind two different parts of the ruined wall around the house.
“Oh, it's a fight that you want?!” the taller woman shouted. “Reinforcements are on the way, asshole!”
Suddenly, they all heard a huge explosion coming from the town.
“What the...?!”
“That's Hector... He must have found some dynamite.” Isabelle whispered to her two companions.
“I think reinforcements will be late, Casey...” the shorter gunwoman shouted.
“Who cares?!” the woman called Casey retorted. “Let's show 'em why you don't mess with the women of Redwood Run! Mary Ann! Grab your rifle! We'll waste these suckers!”
Another gunshot.
“Casey, I think he hit me! It's all red!”
“You're wearing a red shirt, you idiot!”
From her hideout, Kate and the others were watching the scene in dismay.
“Truly, we are facing the cream of the crop.” McCoy commented.
“Afraid they ain't worth your time, sunshine?” Isabelle snarked at him. “Then let the ladies handle things!”
“These two have all their attention on Cooper.” Kate added. “With the noise of the gunshots, I think we can sneak up behind them and knock them out before they realize we're here. Isabelle, you take Casey. I'll deal with the other woman.”
“Killing them would be faster...” McCoy objected.
“These people are maybe stupid hicks from a backwater town, but they are not working for the DeVitt Company. I refuse to kill them if we can avoid it.”
“Suit yourselves.”
The two women silently approached their targets.
“Casey! My ears are ringing!”
“What did you say? I can't hear you with all the noise!”
A second explosion could be heard from the town.
**************
Casey reloaded her gun, slightly rised over her cover, aimed, and shot. Then she quickly ducked down while another gunshot was heard.
“Bloody bastard!” she screamed.
When the gunwoman quickly looked over her shoulder she saw Isabelle and Kate approaching their respective targets.
The black woman stopped. She thought that they were done for.
But Casey simply smiled. “You see that, asshole?! Reinforcements are coming!”
Blessed are these disguises! Isabelle thought to herself.
In the heat of the moment, and because she only gave them a brief glance, the gunwoman only saw their clothes and didn't notice Isabelle's black skin.
The black woman grabbed her wooden blackjack.
Casey shot another bullet. “We'll fill your sorry carcass with lead and use it as a scarecrow, you piece of sh...” Isabelle hit her in the back of the head with her wooden blackjack. “Uh!”
Her hat fell on the ground. She quickly followed suit.
“Just take a nap...”
**************
To neutralize her opponent, Kate had her own personal technique. A kick in the groin. While it was more effective on men, even a woman couldn't take the hit and recover easily from it. Mary Ann dropped her rifle and fell on her knees with a small grunt of pain.
“That looks painful.” McCoy dryly commented from behind Kate.
“Still better than a bullet to the brain if you ask me.”
The doctor gave her a handkerchief soaked with chloroform. “Maybe. But I know which one hurts more.” he answered.
Kate clamped the hankerchief over the woman's mouth and nose to put her to sleep.
Isabelle arrived, carrying the unconscious Casey on her back as if the latter was a sack of grain. She threw her burden on the ground next to her companions. The woman with dark blond hair grunted when she hit the ground.
At the same time, Mary Ann lost consciousness with a long sigh.
“Well, that takes care of 'em!” the black woman said.
She waved at the ruined house.
Cooper and Francine left their hideout.
Kate was relieved to see that they were fine. Especially John.
She and John had gotten closer to each other during their adventures.
Francine was one of marshall Wayne's contacts in New Orleans. Isabelle knew her a little. She was a white-skinned brown-haired hazel-eyed woman in her mid-thirties. She was working as a 'courtesan', as she liked to call herself. While there were already a few grey strands in her hair, she was still beautiful. After they arrived in New Orleans, she contacted them. Francine was the one who learned that they could find some informations in Redwood Run.
Currently, she wasn't amused.
“Can't say that I'm blown away by the quality of my contacts' intel.” she dryly commented. “It was one of my favorite dresses...” Francine's garment was torn up: it didn't come unscathed from her flight.
“Technically, the Company did have something to do with this town. They set up a trap.” Kate answered.
“I don't like it, Kate.” Cooper intervened. “They saw a woman with red hair exit the mortician's shop. We know it's not you, but it means that the Company knows enough about our wherabouts to set up traps targeting us specifically. I don't want you to be...”
“We should have this heartfelt discussion later.” McCoy interrupted him. “Let's leave.”
“You may wanna change clothes first...” Isabelle said to Francine while looking at her torn up dress.
“Would we have the time?”
They heard a third explosion. Then a fourth, even louder.
“I don't think investigating the gunshots is their priority right now.” McCoy dryly commented.
“I hope he's not destroying too much of the town.” Kate said. “They're already enough angry at us.”
“He's not blowing up buildings, if that's what worries you. He's throwing them in the fields and the orchards.” Cooper explained.
“Well, I prefer that. I wouldn't want to have to explain to Wayne why we murdered townspeople with dynamite.” Isabelle said.
She then pointed at the two unconscious gunwomen.
“Anyway, since we have the time... Francine, go ahead, take your pick.”
Francine looked at Casey's dirty greasy dark blond hair and at the dirt on her sister's face.
“More like pick your poison...” she dryly commented.
The brown-haired woman chose Casey's younger sister, Mary Ann, because at least her hair weren't greasy. She quickly stripped her.
“You're good at removing clothes...” Kate said to her.
“You have to be in my profession.” Francine answered with a smile.
In the meantime, Isabelle grabbed Casey's wrists to tie them behind her back. Her victim started to stir and to groan in protest. Isabelle absent-mindedly hit her in the back of the head before finishing to bind her. “Quit complaining! At least you'll live.” She shoved the gunwoman's own bandana into her mouth. “Mmm! Mm! Mm! Mmmm!” Another hit in the back of the head. “So loud...” the black woman said while rolling her eyes and knotting the bandana behind the woman's neck.
Kate looked at Casey's dirty greasy hair and frowned. “Glad I didn't have to steal her clothes...” she commented.
“Try her sister's.” Francine retorted. “They're not much better!”
Casey's sister was down to her underwear now. The undergarments were similar to the ones worn by Liz and Sarah: white cotton drawers and a matching undershirt. Casey, who had regained consciousness, stared wide-eyed at the scene. She struggled to try to free herself from her bonds, but Isabelle had now hogtied her and she couldn't do anything about it.
While Francine was putting on her new clothes, with the men politely turning their heads away, Isabelle quickly hog-tied and gagged Mary Ann.
“Let's regroup with Hector and flee this town.” Kate concluded. “I have enough of these hicks. Let's return to New Orleans, where things are slightly more civilized.”
They left Casey and her sister behind to struggle in their bonds and groan in their gags.
Quick introduction. This new story is more a test than anything. It was inspired by my playthrough of Desperados III (once again a huge thank you to Ascetic for pointing out the existence of this game) and features characters from this game. For those who don't know, Desperados III is a Real-Time Strategy Stealth-Based Game, developed by Mimimi Games (of Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun fame) and published by THQ Nordic The setting is Old West America (1875).
For those who didn't play the game, I will try to quickly sum it up: The main character is a man named John Cooper, a bounty hunter who's trying to have his revenge on Frank, an outlaw responsible for the death of his father. Currently, Frank is working as an enforcer for a corrupt railroad company called the DeVitt Company. Cooper will therefore end up trying to put an end to the plots of the evil company while also trying to kill Frank.
Cooper is helped by his friend Hector Mendoza, a boisterous trapper who used to be part of Frank's gang long ago but quit it when Frank went too far. During the events of the game, he will meet other companions: 'Doc' McCoy, a former doctor who's also an elite marksman now working as a bounty hunter; Isabelle Moreau, a woman who practices voodoo and is working with a marshall called Wayne to expose the criminal activities of the DeVitt Company; and the character that will interest us the most in this story, Kate O'Hara, a woman working with her uncle in a ranch the the Company is trying to take by force for its lands, and the one who can disguise herself in the game.
This story takes part in Louisiana, shortly after the New Orleans Mission and before the Queen's Nest Mission. The main characters just found out that Wayne may have been kidnapped by the Company and sent to a place called the Queen's Nest.
Feel free to let me know what you think of it. This part is short, I have a slightly longer one that I will probably one day post in the same topic, though I don't know already if this will turn out into a real longer series. Anyway, it was fun to try a different setting.
Kate O'Hara:
https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamco ... 71db3e.jpg
Isabelle Moreau:
https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamco ... 508a2c.jpg
Story 1: Redwood Run
**************
How did we get to this? Kate asked herself.
It was Baton Rouge's fiasco all over again...
One moment, they were in the saloon of a small town called Redwood Run, trying to gather informations. Thanks to their previous infiltrations in New Orleans, they knew that marshall Wayne and other people kidnapped by the DeVitt Company to be used as slaves were locked in a place called the Queen's Nest, in the middle of the bayou. However, according to Fracine's contacts, they could find more informations in a small town called Redwood Run.
The next moment, they had to flee an angry mob of townspeople out for their heads. Angry townspeople armed with guns and whisky. Lots of whisky.
During the flight, Kate and Isabelle were separated from the others. They managed to lose three groups of pursuers, each one more drunk than the previous.
They took shelter in the town's barn, a building slightly isolated from the rest of Redwood Run. They were hiding behind some haystacks. For now, nobody had found them. However, they needed to find a way to regroup with the rest of their group and flee this town.
“Good Lord, these people are persistent.” Kate said. She glumly looked at her brown dress and her white blouse, which were torn up during the escape. “And rowdy...”
“They tend to be like that when they think you killed someone.”
“Shouldn't they let the Law handle things?”
Isabelle chuckled. “In these parts, they like to take matters into their own hands... Especially when people like me are involved, if you see what I mean.” She was smiling, but Kate could see that she was more affected than she let on.
“I do.” Kate simply answered. Isabelle didn't want to talk about the subject anyway, just like when they tried to enter the Chez Manu at New Orleans... and were told that her 'kind' wasn't allowed there.
“Hush, I think I hear some of them coming.” Isabelle suddenly said.
**************
While chatting, two women entered the barn.
“I tell you Liz, some satanic swamp witchery is at work! Just like the one in Baton Rouge! Heard they turned the sheriff's wife into straw there...”
“No way! So that's how they poisoned the mortician...”
The first woman had white skin, black hair and brown eyes. Her hair were tied up into a ponytail over her left shoulder. She was rather pretty, but her harsh voice and her accent were unpleasant to listen to.
The second woman also had white skin, but her shoulder-long hair were loose, on her back, and light brown. She had hazel eyes and was slightly shorter than the first woman. While she had the same accent as her partner, her voice was a lot softer.
Both women were wearing smilar-looking leather cowboy boots and black trousers. (There didn't seem to be much choice in this small town's shop...) The woman with the ponytail was also wearing a red poncho, a brown Stetson, and a white bandana around the neck. The woman with the light brown hair was wearing a brown poncho, a black hat and a black bandana around the neck.
The pair was also armed with rifles. And each had a cartridge belt full of ammunition.
“But Sarah... Why would they do such a thing?” the woman with the light brown hair added.
“Who knows? They're strangers, Liz!” the one with the ponytail answered.
“Still... I can't help but think that we're missing something...”
“I tell you, it's best to not ask questions. You see them, you shoot them! Now, come with me and search the barn... I have a hunch we'll find something in here...”
The two gunwomen started to search the building. Luckily for the two fugitives, their pursuers were starting with the opposite side of the building.
“We can't let these two see us or they'll raise the alarm.” Kate whispered to her friend.
“Sweetie, I think that these women may be a blessing in disguise, if you catch my drift...” Isabelle answered.
Kate smiled lightly. She looked at her own dress and blouse, which were torn up during her escape.
“I think I do. Though I don't usually steal this kind of clothes...”
“Desperate time, desperate needs.”
The redhead nodded, then added: “Even if they are dumb backwards hicks, these people aren't with DeVitt. They just think we are criminals. Let's try to prevent things from getting bloody.”
“Took the words right out of my mouth!”
Isabelle rummaged around in her pouch. She pulled out her blowpipe and two darts. She coated them with a colorless liquid that she was keeping in a small vial. “This thing will make them sleep for around one hour. Way enough time for us to do our business.”
Kate didn't try to question her friend. Isabelle wasn't a doctor, far from it, but she was still able to concoct mixtures with spectacular side-effects. Even though she was calling it 'herbalism', the redhead couldn't help but wonder if all the locals' talks about 'voodoo witchery' didn't have a grain of truth in them...
“Hurry up!” Kate whispered. “They're about to search behind the haystacks! They will spot us in a few moments.”
Isabelle put a dart inside her blowpipe. “I have a plan. Take your Derringer.”
**************
The two gunwomen were now searching the other side of the barn, and were about to look behind the haystacks. Isabelle aimed her blowpipe, and blew.
The blowdart hit Sarah in the neck.
“Bloody hell!” The ponytailed black-haired woman froze and grabbed the dart. “Damn bugs... They'll be the death of m...” Her eyes widened when she looked at what was in her hand.
“Now that's one weird bug...” Liz commented.
“That's no bug!” Sarah retorted.
“Then what is it?” her partner asked.
Sarah suddenly felt weak. Her legs trembled.
“S... Swamp witchery...” she uttered.
Then her eyes rolled and she crumbled on the wooden floor. She was asleep before even reaching it.
“The fuck?!” Liz exclaimed. She then saw Isabelle, with her blowpipe still in hand. “Witch!” She tried to raise her rifle.
Kate pointed her small Derringer pistol at her before she could. “I would drop my weapon and put my hands up if I were you.” she said.
The other woman blinked and stared at her.
Then she wisely chose to comply.
“On your knees.” Isabelle added.
Liz's eyes shot daggers at her, but she got down on her knees nevertheless, hands still up.
Isabelle took her second dart. She immobilized Liz with one arm and jabbed the needle of the dart between the woman's shoulder and neck. “Don't worry, it will only make you sleep for the next hour.” she said to the woman who was reflexively trying to struggle. “You'll live.” The spasms quickly stopped though, and Liz went limp in the black woman's arms. Isabelle laid her on the wooden floor next to Sarah.
“Effective.” Kate commented.
“Swamp witchery, remember?” the black woman answered with a smile. She rolled Sarah on her back. “Now, let's get to work.”
The redhead grabbed Liz. “I'm surprised these hicks allow their women to dress the same as men, let alone to use firearms...” Kate said while removing the woman's brown poncho.
“Ain't easy to shoot in a dress.” Isabelle explained while unbuckling Sarah's belt.. “These small isolated towns know that they need everyone if they want to fend off gangs of outlaws.” She chuckled while taking off her victim's boots. “Of course, they would never admit it in front of strangers, or let them enter the church dressed like that...”
Kate chuckled. The poncho that she was holding was smelly and a little dirty, but if it was going to help them escape the townspeople out for their heads, the redhead wasn't going to complain. Well, not too much at least...
Kate also took the trousers, to replace her torn up dress, as well as the boots and the white socks. Liz was wearing white cotton drawers underneath, but Kate didn't touch these. Finally, since she was refusing to have this poncho of questionable cleanliness touch her bare skin, Kate also unbuttoned the woman's plaid shirt and took it off, though allowing her victim to keep her white cotton undershirt.
“Done. Now I just need to change myself and...” Kate paused.
Isabelle had also taken the boots, the socks, the poncho, the button shirt, and the pants of the other woman. Sarah was also left in her white cotton undergarments.
“Why did you...?”
“I know the poncho and the hat would have been enough, but I'm not one to refuse free clothes...” She looked at Liz and Sarah. “Now, let's tuck them in!”
Since they were in a barn, there was no shortage of ropes. Isabelle was very good with her hands when it came to trussing up people. Each woman's legs and thighs were bound with ropes. Their wrists were tied behind their backs. Then, they secured their upper-arms. Kate and Isabelle filled the two stripped gunwomen's mouths with strips of Kate's torn up dress. Two other strips were used as cloth-gags, one for each woman, and two more as blindfolds.
Blissfully unaware of their predicament, the two citizens of Redwood Run were still sleeping like babies.
“Adorable...” Isabelle commented with a smile.
Finally, they chose to hide the two unconscious underwear-clad trussed up women behind the haystacks. Isabelle grabbed Sarah under the shoulders and Kate grabbed Liz under the shoulders. They dragged their victims out of sight.
Once the pair was out of the way, Kate threw off her remaining clothes.
She grimaced because of the smell, but she bravely put on Liz's clothes: starting with the socks, then the pants and the shirt, the boots, and the poncho. Finally, she put on the woman's hat and used the bandana to cover the lower part of her face. It was perfect. From afar, nobody could recognize her.
Isabelle was almost done changing clothes. She was already wearing the pants, the boots, and the poncho which she was using to hide her pouch and her wooden blackjack. The hat and the bandana still in hand, she looked at her friend.
“Sweetie, even in these rags you still look stunning!” the black woman said with a smile.
“I hope it'll be worth it though. These clothes stink of gun powder and sweat...”
“Well, you can't always take the perfumed dress of a pretty coutesan of New Orleans.” Isabelle joked.
“Right now, I wish we still were at New Orleans!”
“Then let's regroup with the others and we'll return there. We'll learn nothing here. We need to prepare ourselves for our mission in the Queen's Nest.”
**************
Thanks to their disguises, they could walk in open view without fear of being shot on sight – at least as long as they kept their distance with everyone else. Luckily, the other townspeople were too busy searching every part of Redwood Run to interrogate them. As long as they walked confidently while looking busy, the illusion was perfect. They could hide most of their faces with the bandanas.
“Still, I wonder who made them believe that we were the culprits...” Kate whispered.
“They say a woman with red hair exited the mortician's shop just before his body was found. And they found a note signed with your name in his hands.”
“That's bullshit! A moron could see it's a set-up!”
“Well honey, we clearly saw they weren't the smartest bunch around these here parts...”
“I don't like that Isabelle. This move has DeVitt's pawprints all over it.”
“ I couldn't agree more. And I...”
A meow interrupted her. A cat was standing next to Isabelle's left foot.
“Stella! You found someone else?” the black woman asked to the animal.
The cat meowed again and scampered towards the outskirts of the town.
“I think she wants us to follow her...” Isabelle commented.
Kate nodded with a small smile.
Stella, Isabelle's cat, was a lot smarter than the average pet. Isabelle said that she was simply well-trained, but the redhead doubted her claims. Even the best-trained cat couldn't understand instructions that well... It was as if the woman and her pet were soul-linked...
This cat was the main reason why Kate was suspecting that her friend's competences were a little more than mere herbalism...
**************
Isabelle's cat allowed them to find McCoy, who was hiding in the woods near the town.
The stern Doctor didn't comment on their new clothes. Instead, he filled them in with the situation, as professionally as usual.
“I was looking for you. Cooper and Francine are hiding in the ruined house at the outskirts of the city. Hector has returned in town. He said he was going to create a distraction.” Doc explained. “I fear that he will do something stupid.”
“Perfect!” Isabelle said with a smile. “Then we just need to regroup with Cooper and wait for the spectacle.”
McCoy grumbled something in his beard.
“Sunshine, you're always there to brighten my day...” Isabelle joked at him.
**************
Unfortunately, two townspeople found the ruined house at the outskirts of the city in which Cooper and Francine were hidden before Kate and her group.
Isabelle, Kate, and McCoy crouched down in the tall grasses and watched the scene from afar.
“Come out of your hideout you rats! This is a lawful town, here!”
The gunwoman who just talked had shoulder-long dark blond hair, grey eyes and a white skin. She was wearing a brown hat, a red poncho, blue trousers, a cartridge belt, and leather boots. She was accomplanied by a slightly shorter woman sharing an uncanny resemblance with her, though with longer braided hair, and who was wearing similar-looking clothes. Her sister probably.
Cooper answered by shooting the ground in front of them to try to scare them. The two townspeople ducked behind two different parts of the ruined wall around the house.
“Oh, it's a fight that you want?!” the taller woman shouted. “Reinforcements are on the way, asshole!”
Suddenly, they all heard a huge explosion coming from the town.
“What the...?!”
“That's Hector... He must have found some dynamite.” Isabelle whispered to her two companions.
“I think reinforcements will be late, Casey...” the shorter gunwoman shouted.
“Who cares?!” the woman called Casey retorted. “Let's show 'em why you don't mess with the women of Redwood Run! Mary Ann! Grab your rifle! We'll waste these suckers!”
Another gunshot.
“Casey, I think he hit me! It's all red!”
“You're wearing a red shirt, you idiot!”
From her hideout, Kate and the others were watching the scene in dismay.
“Truly, we are facing the cream of the crop.” McCoy commented.
“Afraid they ain't worth your time, sunshine?” Isabelle snarked at him. “Then let the ladies handle things!”
“These two have all their attention on Cooper.” Kate added. “With the noise of the gunshots, I think we can sneak up behind them and knock them out before they realize we're here. Isabelle, you take Casey. I'll deal with the other woman.”
“Killing them would be faster...” McCoy objected.
“These people are maybe stupid hicks from a backwater town, but they are not working for the DeVitt Company. I refuse to kill them if we can avoid it.”
“Suit yourselves.”
The two women silently approached their targets.
“Casey! My ears are ringing!”
“What did you say? I can't hear you with all the noise!”
A second explosion could be heard from the town.
**************
Casey reloaded her gun, slightly rised over her cover, aimed, and shot. Then she quickly ducked down while another gunshot was heard.
“Bloody bastard!” she screamed.
When the gunwoman quickly looked over her shoulder she saw Isabelle and Kate approaching their respective targets.
The black woman stopped. She thought that they were done for.
But Casey simply smiled. “You see that, asshole?! Reinforcements are coming!”
Blessed are these disguises! Isabelle thought to herself.
In the heat of the moment, and because she only gave them a brief glance, the gunwoman only saw their clothes and didn't notice Isabelle's black skin.
The black woman grabbed her wooden blackjack.
Casey shot another bullet. “We'll fill your sorry carcass with lead and use it as a scarecrow, you piece of sh...” Isabelle hit her in the back of the head with her wooden blackjack. “Uh!”
Her hat fell on the ground. She quickly followed suit.
“Just take a nap...”
**************
To neutralize her opponent, Kate had her own personal technique. A kick in the groin. While it was more effective on men, even a woman couldn't take the hit and recover easily from it. Mary Ann dropped her rifle and fell on her knees with a small grunt of pain.
“That looks painful.” McCoy dryly commented from behind Kate.
“Still better than a bullet to the brain if you ask me.”
The doctor gave her a handkerchief soaked with chloroform. “Maybe. But I know which one hurts more.” he answered.
Kate clamped the hankerchief over the woman's mouth and nose to put her to sleep.
Isabelle arrived, carrying the unconscious Casey on her back as if the latter was a sack of grain. She threw her burden on the ground next to her companions. The woman with dark blond hair grunted when she hit the ground.
At the same time, Mary Ann lost consciousness with a long sigh.
“Well, that takes care of 'em!” the black woman said.
She waved at the ruined house.
Cooper and Francine left their hideout.
Kate was relieved to see that they were fine. Especially John.
She and John had gotten closer to each other during their adventures.
Francine was one of marshall Wayne's contacts in New Orleans. Isabelle knew her a little. She was a white-skinned brown-haired hazel-eyed woman in her mid-thirties. She was working as a 'courtesan', as she liked to call herself. While there were already a few grey strands in her hair, she was still beautiful. After they arrived in New Orleans, she contacted them. Francine was the one who learned that they could find some informations in Redwood Run.
Currently, she wasn't amused.
“Can't say that I'm blown away by the quality of my contacts' intel.” she dryly commented. “It was one of my favorite dresses...” Francine's garment was torn up: it didn't come unscathed from her flight.
“Technically, the Company did have something to do with this town. They set up a trap.” Kate answered.
“I don't like it, Kate.” Cooper intervened. “They saw a woman with red hair exit the mortician's shop. We know it's not you, but it means that the Company knows enough about our wherabouts to set up traps targeting us specifically. I don't want you to be...”
“We should have this heartfelt discussion later.” McCoy interrupted him. “Let's leave.”
“You may wanna change clothes first...” Isabelle said to Francine while looking at her torn up dress.
“Would we have the time?”
They heard a third explosion. Then a fourth, even louder.
“I don't think investigating the gunshots is their priority right now.” McCoy dryly commented.
“I hope he's not destroying too much of the town.” Kate said. “They're already enough angry at us.”
“He's not blowing up buildings, if that's what worries you. He's throwing them in the fields and the orchards.” Cooper explained.
“Well, I prefer that. I wouldn't want to have to explain to Wayne why we murdered townspeople with dynamite.” Isabelle said.
She then pointed at the two unconscious gunwomen.
“Anyway, since we have the time... Francine, go ahead, take your pick.”
Francine looked at Casey's dirty greasy dark blond hair and at the dirt on her sister's face.
“More like pick your poison...” she dryly commented.
The brown-haired woman chose Casey's younger sister, Mary Ann, because at least her hair weren't greasy. She quickly stripped her.
“You're good at removing clothes...” Kate said to her.
“You have to be in my profession.” Francine answered with a smile.
In the meantime, Isabelle grabbed Casey's wrists to tie them behind her back. Her victim started to stir and to groan in protest. Isabelle absent-mindedly hit her in the back of the head before finishing to bind her. “Quit complaining! At least you'll live.” She shoved the gunwoman's own bandana into her mouth. “Mmm! Mm! Mm! Mmmm!” Another hit in the back of the head. “So loud...” the black woman said while rolling her eyes and knotting the bandana behind the woman's neck.
Kate looked at Casey's dirty greasy hair and frowned. “Glad I didn't have to steal her clothes...” she commented.
“Try her sister's.” Francine retorted. “They're not much better!”
Casey's sister was down to her underwear now. The undergarments were similar to the ones worn by Liz and Sarah: white cotton drawers and a matching undershirt. Casey, who had regained consciousness, stared wide-eyed at the scene. She struggled to try to free herself from her bonds, but Isabelle had now hogtied her and she couldn't do anything about it.
While Francine was putting on her new clothes, with the men politely turning their heads away, Isabelle quickly hog-tied and gagged Mary Ann.
“Let's regroup with Hector and flee this town.” Kate concluded. “I have enough of these hicks. Let's return to New Orleans, where things are slightly more civilized.”
They left Casey and her sister behind to struggle in their bonds and groan in their gags.