Kit Cooper for this header ;) My friend's tough lil guy.

Lupe struggles to come up with some money and learns some disturbing news. Kit, Dan and Eddie start the think something's not quite right with this town.

Big Hearty Nod to the RDR2 poster style this was heavily influenced by. Its a very fun style to play with

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Lupe didn’t know how he was going to come up with the money for Carmen’s information, he figured her cut from the widow’s home robbery would have been close to twenty dollars, and the poor residents of Alabaster hardly ever carried so much money on them. He rode his black quail, Luna, through the dense mid-afternoon shadows and considered his options; A blind home-robbery could end in disaster if he didn’t know what to prepare for. He could rob someone out on the road, providing they actually both had money and didn’t shoot him first in retaliation. He could play cards for it, although his own money was down to a few silver dollars and without a partner to cheat with there was no guarantee of a big score.

Lupe groaned and paused Luna at the trail fork, he could see a set of three quail tracks heading back down the road towards the widow’s cabin. His fur bristled at the thought of Kit, Eddie and Dan going through with the robbery behind his back and snapped the reins to go after them. He couldn’t count on that juvenile rabble to do anything right!

—

Kit, Dan and Eddie were currently riding down the main street of Alabaster, with the robbery called off and Lupe leaving them in the dust they had found themselves with some free time, and boredom was Eddie’s greatest enemy.

“How many street lamps do you think I could shoot out?” Eddie barged his quail between Dan and Kit’s birds as they talked ahead of him.

“If you unholster your gun in this town so help me.” Kit growled at Eddie. “We don’t need to spark any trouble with our camp spitting distance from here.”

“Then find something for us to do!” Eddie spun his bird around and had his mount walk backwards in front of them. “I know! Let’s go finish what we set out to do today? Finish that robbery?”

“Eddie!” Kit hissed. “That’s called off and you know it.”

“Ach, but why! Lupe’s not even here anymore! That walkin’ hypocrite dosn’ have to get his hands dirty and we’ll have enough to get through til the next town! Maybe a town with actual pockets?”

“I mean,” Dan started, looking at Kit. “I know that sounds sensible, Red, but this was Lupe’s score. If we start stealing from one another that’s gonna be a bad time back in camp.”

“Is it really stealin’ if he says he doesn’t want it?” Eddie pointed out. “I mean really! If Dan was full from dinner and set down a roll, is that not a free roll?”

“Never going to happen.” Dan muttered, who received equal rations to his mouse gang brothers despite being a growing rat four times their size who needed every scrap and then some.

“Just drop it!” Kit adjusted his hat more securely over his ears. “Look, we’ll go see what Roach says and go from there.”

Eddie pouted but wheeled his bird around to walk beside them once more.

Dan looked down the row of shabby buildings on main street. Three that they approached were boarded up tight, another was missing its roof and he could see sticks and feathers protruding from broken second story windows where birds had made nests of the abandoned interiors.

“I’m starting to feel that Lupe might have been right.” Dan said. “Look around this town, no one here has any money. It’s almost a ghost town, or it will be as soon as the general store and saloon close up. How do folks here even make a living?”

“I don’t know.” Kit sighed. “Lupe’s informant said there was some sort of illness in town that killed a lot of folk and sent others packing. Not sure what folks did before. Maybe a mine?”

“That’s weird.” Eddie said behind them, causing both bucks to turn where he was staring down the alleyway between two boarded up buildings. Dan wheeled about and the thick fur down his neck bristled.

“What’s that about?” he asked Kit.

Kit furrowed his brow as he took in the sight of the alley. It was criss-crossed in dozens of red cords like a web. Threaded into the middle of it was a long stick with one short and one long cross bar.

“I’m not sure.” Kit admitted. “But I don’t like it.”

“It’s like some sort of shrine.” Eddie shrugged. “My ma told me about the old druids buildin’ stuff like this out in the woods but not in towns. Maybe someone’s just havin’ a laugh?”

“Yeah, real funny.” Dan made a face. “Think we should tell Roach about this?”

“I’ll add it to the list.” Kit nodded. “Let’s go.” he snapped the reins and rode out of town with Eddie and Dan in tow.


—

Lupe had been ready to snap at his gang brothers when he reached the widow’s cabin but perked his ears at the sound of strange voices. He steered Luna off the main path and dismounted. He crept through the patches of withered grass until he could hear them clearly and flattened out on his stomach to peer under the leaves of a dead arrowleaf.

A cluster of four critters was on the porch of the shabby cabin; an alligator lizard, a tall gray rat, and two mice. One of the mice, the loudest voice so far, was tan and white buck in white chaps and a dark vest. He was pacing the porch in agitation.

“How long are we going to wait around here for?” he grumbled to the rat. “Don’t we need another victim tonight?”

“Zico!” the rat scolded softly. “Do not dismiss those taken as ‘mere victims.’ Their life will sustain El Jefe and help him shed his current form to a more suitable design. It’s all the tellings. We cannot think of it as something so petty as a murder.”

“Yeah yeah yeah.” Zico kicked a rusted food can off the porch. “Whatever you say.”

“No one’s coming.” the lizard said, almost sounding nervous. “This town is nearly empty. They’ve gotten wise. After the O’Malley fiasco–”

“That was a mistake and you know it.” The second mouse, a scruffy gray buck jumped to his feet. “If someone had just followed the rules no one ever would have sent up an alarm!” he looked at Zico sharply. “El Jefe said he didn’t want us takin’ no kids.”

“Huh! You think people saw me as a child when I was twelve? Brat got in the way. Besides, it wasn’t like we could release him and let him talk.” Zico waved a hand airily.

“Yeah, but then his folks started poking around too.” The lizard said gravely.

“And I dealt with them!” Zico snapped. “Honestly, you lot act like I leave loose ends everywhere. The husband was dead before he knew what he saw and the wife fled town with the other two brats as soon as he was in the ground. Sorry you couldn’t kill him in your own fun way but I thought it better than to have the rest of the town up in arms.”

Lupe’s eyes darted from the group on the porch to the hastily scraped together grave of Edwin O’Malley that he had inspected just a few short hours ago.

“Wasn’t Carmelita supposed to be working her wiles?” The gray buck lit a cigarette and took a drag. “Send some ne'er-do-wells this way?”

“She said she was working on it. This is what you get for trusting a doe with your heavy lifting.” Zico sneered. “You should have done things my way. I’d have enough folks lined up to give your precious Aguillandro two new bodies!”

“Our precious Aguillandro.” the rat scolded softly once more. “You act like you aren’t even part of the flock, Zico.”

“No, I’m just part of the flock that actually gets things done.” Zico spat on the porch. “We can’t all just hunker down underground and chant like a pack of fools waitin’ for action. Ya’ll actuall have to go out and get your hands dirty.”

Lupe flattened his ears and felt his heart thud so hard it made his whiskers tremble. So El Jefe was in the area, and picking up more critters for his cult… or to be killed for his bird. He had hear enough. Carmelita must have been Carmen’s real name. She had set him up, him and his gang brothers. If he hadn’t told Eddie to get out of that house… He stifled a shudder and remembered the sandy-furred buck back in the cavern. He started to inch backwards. He had to get out of there before he got spotted.

“It’s nearly sundown. No one is coming.” The alligator lizard said with a touch of nervousness to his voice. “We should head back.”

“They was here before.” The gray mouse muttered. “But they didn’t stay. Somethin’ about that grave out front made ‘em real skittish.”

The tall rat sighed. “Yes, can’t have critters thinking this place is haunted. Zico, Andre go and move the body somewhere it won’t be found. It isn’t buried deep. Take the marker too. The rest of us will go back to El Jefe. I wish we had a better report.”

The alligator lizard, Andre, sighed and stepped off the porch. “Very well but… leave a lantern will you? I hate going back in the dark.”

“Wretched little hatchling.” Zico sneered at the much taller lizard and jumped off the porch and walked around the side of the cabin.

Lupe froze and watched the rat and the gray mouse. The rat walked over to where one of the three quail were tethered and to his surprise, he lead the quailsteed in through the front door into the cabin and closed it behind them.

He watched in disgust as Zico and Andre uncovered a cloth-wrapped buck from the shallow grave. Zico picked up the cross and snapped it over his knee, throwing the pieces into the grass away from the house.

“What… do I do with him?” Andre looked down at the miserable little bundle.

“Chuck it in the creek.” Zico shrugged. “Its just a corpse. I’m going back to town to scrounge up a victim, oh, I’m sorry, a ‘blessed sacrifice’ for your quail splat cause.”

Andre looked concerned. “You’re leaving me here alone?”

“Handle it.” Zico whistled for his bird and a tufty scaled quail ran over. “You’re pathetic.” he snapped the reins and tore down the path back towards Alabaster.

Lupe waited until he was sure Zico was gone and saw Andre start to go into the brush and head downhill towards the creek. Lupe gave the small cabin a wary look, unsure if the two rodents inside were watching, then made a wide arc through the grass, always within earshot of the lizard until they reached the creek. When he reached the bank he saw Andre standing in the sand staring down at the bundle in his hands. He looked at the shallow, mud-colored water then let out a heavy sigh and stepped back from the water’s edge and gingerly set the body on the ground.
“It ain’t right.” he muttered and looked behind him nervously, then started to dig in the red sand with his hands.

Lupe watched him from behind a rock, hand resting on his gun as the lizard dug a new shallow grave and carefully set the figure inside and covered him up again. He swept his long tail over the grave site to smooth it out. He was dusting his hands and stepping back to leave when Lupe finally revealed himself.

“A good start.” he said firmly. “But its missing a marker.”

Andre spun around, hand going for his pistol but Lupe already had his rifle pointed at him.

“How long have you been there?” The lizard’s gold eyes were wide.

“Long enough.” Lupe prowled closer. “So, the cults taking in lizards now?”

“Cult?” Andre said nervously. “I… I’m in no cult.”

“Don’t play dumb with me, I know a lot more than you think.” Lupe pulled his glove off with his teeth and showed him his scarred palm. Andre winced and looked down at his own hand.

“And I’m not one of them, not anymore.” Lupe told him. “And I’m not letting you take one more soul.” he raised the rifle.

“Wait!” Andre begged and raised his hands. “I… I never knew you could get out alive!” he stammered. The lizard fell to his knees. “Please! I never wanted this! These critters are monsters! Everyone who’s ever tried to leave… tried to object…” he shuddered. “I didn’t think there was a way out!”

Lupe glared at him but saw tears in the lizard’s eyes and ground his teeth. He remembered how terrifying it had been in the cavern. He lowered the rifle.

“If you’re lying to me.” he hissed. “They won’t find your body to toss in a creek.” he straightened up. “You’re gonna talk.” he rested a foot on a small stone and leaned forward. “And you’re gonna tell me what is going on with El Jefe and this town.” he put his glove back on. “Then I’m gonna turn around and you’re gonna run like hell in any direction as fast as you can, and never look back.”

Andre nodded feverishly. “Th…thank you.”

—-

Shadows were stretching long back the time Kit, Eddie and Dan were back in Roach’s camp outside of town.

“Eddie, take care of the birds.” Kit said. “I’m gonna go talk to Roach.”

“I always have to take care of the birds!” Eddie pouted.

“And I always help so quit your belly-achin’.” Dan cuffed the back of Eddie’s hat.

“I still say we should go rob that place. Someone else is gonna do it if we don’t!”

“See anything interesting through the window?” Dan asked as he removed the saddles and laid them on a long bleached gray branch on the ground.

“Not really.” Eddie admitted. “It was real dark in there, thick curtains. Smelled kinda loamy.”

“Loamy?” Dan arched a brow. “The heck is loam?”

“Its dirt, you rock-head. Rich dirt.”

“I always thought it was 'dirt-poor.'” Dan grinned and dodged a swat from Eddie.

“Yer useless.” Eddie huffed. “Usually means there’s a cellar or something. Maybe a secret vault? Jewels? Gold?”

“In that house? That’s like hiding riches in a paper bag. No, Lupe’s probably right, if they had the money they would have lived in something nicer.”
“Lupe’s off who knows where and sulkin’ while we do grunt work around camp.” Eddie rolled his eyes. “I don’t get him, I really don’t. Thinks he’s all tough and grown. Too good for us.”

“Probably is.” Dan smirked and brushed out the ruffled breast feathers on his mount.

Eddie shot him a look and went back to brushing out his own bird. “Yeah well maybe if someone else brought in a decent score for once it would knock him down a peg.”

-

Kit knocked on the side of the open doorway and entered the dilapidated house. He saw Roach sitting down with his back against the wall, reading by the light of a lantern.

“How goes it, boss.” Kit sat down on one on the rickety chairs across from him.

“I heard you boys didn’t rob the O’Malleys. At least Lupe didn’t.” he marked his page with a shed whisker and closed the book. “So it’s going about as well as an empty larder.” he huffed.

“Yeah.” Kit shook his head. “Honestly, Roach, the place kinda looked like a dump. I think Lupe was given the run-around. It ain’t his fault he was played, we never saw the place before today. I think he… he’s giving his informant a piece of his mind.” he lied.

“Well, good.” Roach stood up with the groan. “We can’t take kindly to false leads. If you think this town is dry then I’ll take your word for it, son, it didn’t look like much. We’ll have to make do with what we can to get to the next one. You boys think you can rob the saloon tonight? Strong box and enough high shelf liquor to sell at the trading post we can use for goods and supplies.” he tallied off. “Don’t get yourselves shot at. The rest of us will pack up now and be moving on south. Meet us at the trading post some time tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.” Kit nodded. “It shouldn’t be difficult. Do you want us to hit the generals store too?”

Roach scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Might as well, but don’t leave a mess. Just enough for the stew pot. These poor bastards.” he gestured vaguely at the direction of the town. “They ain’t got much more than we do and ain’t done nothing to looted to death over.”

Kit thought about the creepy web of red strings and cleared his throat. “Listen, you know anything about red cords?” he tried to explain. “Like, sorta strung up weird?”

Roach’s confused look was all the answer he needed.

“Never mind, we saw something unusual looking in town, maybe its just some critter being strange. It just seemed a bit off.”

“Hmm, well, put it out of your mind, you’ve got a task.” he walked out into the camp. “Folks! We’re moving out in one hour! Get this place torn down.” he called.

Kit left and went over to where Dan was sitting by the fire outside their tent, taking a swig from his canteen.

“We’re robbing the saloon tonight, where’s Eddie?”

Dan looked around. “Said he would be right back.” he stood up and a frown darkened his face. “He wouldn’t…”

Kit followed his gaze to the quail, and noticed that Eddie’s bird and saddle were missing. He swore softly. “He would, come on, lets go get him.”