"To Kill A Runner" Chapter Nine "Breathmaker" (Cyberpunk Fiction)

“Hold it there, Lets see what you got there, empty your pockets.“ The older tan skinned man had short dark hair, wrinkles cracking his face and a large scar down his cheek to his neck. A face shaped by battle and poverty. “ Look, It ain't personal. I just need to hold your piece while you're in the store. “

Clearly the laws where different here and instead of confiscating the gun or asking for registration for open carrying the pistol. A wild west approach to the space they controlled, more in line with what the white founding fathers of the land practiced.

Jarome slid the magazine out of the handle and handed the guard his gun in two pieces, then entered the store with Britney. The convenient store sold everything from gasoline, cigarettes, second hand clothes, and cheep junk food, all tax free. Walking through the isles Jarome and Britney picked out a couple of cold sandwiches wrapped in plastic cellophane, a large bag of potato chips, two forty ounce bottle of cheep malt beer. Jarome also found a new pair of used clothes that fit him on the rack. A pair of digital camouflage surplus pants and a t shirt that depicted the symbol of a coiled snake ready to strike with the phrase under the snake “Don't Tread On Me”. Purchasing the outfit mainly to change out of his blood stained clothes from the conflict the night before.

Bringing the Items to the counter and pulling out a few blood splattered hundred dollar bills. The female teller acted like this was a normal site she dealt with several times a day, and she most likely did.

“Let me also get twenty cartons of those Seneca one hundreds” Jarome said as he waited to hand over the total amount.

A lot of cigarettes for just the two of them, Britney knew that Jarome was just trying to perpetuate the money. The cigarettes where tax free and so they averaged about two dollars a pack. They would buy a large amount and then later when they left the reservation land they could sell those same packs for five dollars to pretty much everyone, As long as was not Lone Star. This tax evasion scam would successfully double the money they put into it by selling the packs later for more than double what they paid for them and still undercut any price of the stores off the reservation land by more than half.

Walking out of the store with the items, Jarome collected his pistol from the guard and nodded.

“Hey are you kids on the run ? If I may suggest don't let the Breath Maker gang catch you with any fire arms, They don't tolerate outsiders coming in with good firearms. If you are looking for any work the Casino is the place to ask around. Lots of runners like you two stop there, they even have cars for sale sometimes If you talk to the boss. I just so happen to know him personalty and for a meal and a forty I will give you the note you will need to meet with him “

“Why are you telling us this ?” Jarome asked suspicious of the old man.

The man responded by holding up a short wave radio and he turned it on, A few moments of radio chatter and they could tell that the man had hacked into the Lone Star radio communications and was monitoring them. “I knew that you guys came from that arson in the next county. I know that they have choppers in the sky looking for you. I suggest you don't leave this reservation until you trade in your vehicle. You should be ok to drive it here though, we don't extradite friends off our land. “

Jerome taking a hundred dollar bill thinking the information was worth it he gave it to the man and then walked to the back of the gas station and to their white van. Looking back on the ridge line of pine trees again and seeing a full grown Silver coated wolf peering back at him. Not running just staring at them from a distance of forty yards.

“Britney do you see that wolf, I think it is watching us “ Jerome pointed out as Britney unwrapped her sandwich and started to eat it quickly, and drinking her beer.

“That's stupid It's not watching us. It probably just wants us to leave so it can eat out of that dumpster. “

Several minutes went by as he watched the wolf and it made no attempt to hide from them not growling or howling just staring at them from a distance. Then a thought entered his mind that seemed as if it came from another person.

“Wolf sees your every move, Obey Wolf and he will grant you victory in your battles”

A strange thought that was so intense it gave him a headache much like the night before when being attacked by the Triad hit man that had almost killed him.

Shaking the pain off, Jarome nodded as he got back into the van and got ready to change his clothes and eat his food still thinking that the wilderness of this reservation held more power than it showed on the surface and that stalking wolf was just the beginning.