» Sat May 28, 2011 2:50 pm
Harlen Jake
Celeste's Diner - Afternoon
Harlen sat across from James and Sue, apparently the mute Sue. He felt a bit rude with all his staring off into space. The old man awoke from his trance to see Pawnee sit down beside him with a few beers.
"Well guys and gal, I just wanted to say thanks for your help," Pawnee held up his spiked beer, "I'd be as good as dead on my own, so I'm glad you're all coming."
The four beers clinked together.
Pawnee guzzled half of his drink and then rolled his shoulders.
"You know. . .despite our time together, I feel like I don't really know you guys," he turned to Harlan, "what's your story Harlan? Got any family? Why'd you take the bounty on me and how'd you get started as a bounty hunter? The way you go on about justice and God all of the time, it seems like an odd career choice for you."
Pawnee took another sip.
"And you James, where are you from? How'd you get here and why'd you come? I know you and Sue aren't an item so to speak, but why do you stick together? I remember you coming into Greyditch with a broken arm, and you mentioned the Talon Company did it. Know why? Scared they'll come back for ya?"
Harlen looked over to Pawnee with a query in his eyes, "Are you sure you wanna open this can of worms up?"
Pawnee motioned onward.
Harlen took a swig of the beer gifted to him. "Well, it goes back to when I was sixteen. Y'all weren't even around or even an idea at the time, nor were your parents probably. I lived with my mother in the ruins of Arlington cemetery. My father wasn't around much, and when he was it wasn't for long enough. My mother still loved him though, so I didn't care for him not being there so much."
The old man took a sip of the beer, "I met a man by the name of Kent Jameson when I was 16. He lived with us for a few days, and he offered my mother training for me. Free of charge, and only thing she'd have to worry about is me. My mother thought. About it for a couple days, but she allowed it and I became apprentice to Kent Jameson, Master Bounty Hunter."
He tapped his fingers on his beer and continued to contemplate his past. "He is the man that guided me toward God. He himself was a man of faith. During my time with him I met a young woman, I was 17 and so was see. Her name was Isolde, she had long blonde hair that flowed down like rays of sun shine all the way to her derrière. We lusted after each other for a couple years. Pawnee, you wouldn't has been able to resist her." He gave a bit of a chuckle at this.
"Well, she got shot down when I was 19, one of our bounties got loose and ended up taking lives, she was one of them." Grief could plainly be seen in his eyes at this memory. "It took me several months to get over that. Kent kept my mind busy though. He taught me that some jobs go wrong, and it's not something any of the hunters involve do, but things just happen, like the wind blow too hard, or a dog bark."
Jake huffed a sigh, "Ooh well. Jameson had a huge reputation, he was known far and wide until he passed. He could wrangle up ten men without pullin' the trigger, I mean that's how good he was. Kent could convince someone here like Pawnee who gets himself in trouble very so often, to turn his around and do a complete 180. I mean that's what I mean by Master Bounty hunter, ninety five percent of his marks ended up goin' in alive. He was unreal at time. He could pop a bottle cap a hundred yards away while it was in the air. And he could, but didn't do it so often, take a man's head clean off from five hundred yards with nothin' but his long barrel .44 magnum."
He took a swig of his beer, "I tossed up a beer bottle once, I was a hundred yards away and he put that bullet through the bottleneck and out the bottom side. Some people think they're marksman, but they ain't never seen Kent Jameson fire the most powerful handgun in the world, at least thats the reputation he made for it."
The old man shook his head and pinched his beard. "Scythe, if he knows anything about the history of bounty hunter's he knows about The Legendary Kent Jameson. Now he's only told of in old campfire stories." Harlen held a thousand yard stare, "He was like a father to me. Taught me everything i know about being a good man, and an excellent bounty hunter. I'll never be as good as he was. The day he passed away, it was on a dead or alive job. Much like your's Pawnee, except this guy was ruthless. I mean he skinned people alive, ruthless. Kent tried to convince, but he was too far gone for us to do any convincing. He ended up dead... I was twenty four at the time, and my beautiful brunette, Eleanor, just had Rusty. I ha a family, and I was doin' good. But that day Kent ended up taking a round that he couldn't recover from. A doctor told me later that he'd takin' the round in his liver."
Harlen looked to James, Sue, and Pawnee as he explained the liver, "The liver is probably the most important organ in our torso, as it cleans out all the bad stuff we put in, like beer and whiskey. If the liver stops working, or gets shot, you die."
Jake returned to his memories, "He told me he knew I would take care of my family. That was the second saddest day of my life. Anyways, I went home, stayed at home for awhile. I returned to the job eventually. When Rusty turned twelve I started to teach him exactly what it means to be a good bounty hunter, and not one in it for the money. Taught him all the skills I knew, that Kent had taught me and more. Well, during my forty second year, my wife came down with a sickness that no stim-Pak or doctor could take care of. In the old world it was called cancer. In this world it's impossible to cure, without rapidly killing them at least. I sat by her side every single hour until she went home."
A tear rolled down Harlen's cheek, "That was the saddest day of my life."
The old man stared off further into the void. "The next year, I got a job to take down the son of that ruthless man that ended up being the death of Kent. Turned out it was a set up by him. I got ambushes and he through me into a cage for ten years. No light ever entered his cage. The days and the nights all felt the same. Eventually my mind stopped thinking there was such thing as day, and only darkness. I got fed food and water every three days, at least it felt like it. A small cup of water and a slice of bread was all I got."
Harlen wet his whistle again, "Eventually a ray of hope wherever my life. A beautiful red head by the name of Isabella ended up sharing a cell with me. It took a long time for her to get over "the blindness," as I termed it. She had the brightest most beautiful red hair. It was my light in the darkness. I prayed to God everyday to get us out of that hell, and to safety. Eventually, and it felt like eternity, her brothers and sisters over at the Enclave stormed in and took over the prison. We were able to get out amidst all the chaos. She ended up getting shot on the run though. I dragged her bleeding body out of their in all that gunfire. Gave her a proper burial. She had a beauty, Pawnee, that would have made your heart stop beating. A doc would probably have declared you medically dead I'd you looked at her. Even with the years in darkness, she was still a ten, but not as beautiful to me as Eleanor."
Harlen chuckled, "Let me tell ya, a relationship built on love will be much, no, a thousand times stronger then that built on lust. During my time here I have only seen love in one, no, maybe two persons eyes. That'd be my son, and someone else..."
He took swallow of beer. "You asked me why did I take this job Pawnee? After the hell hole, I promised God that I would apply his teachings, his son's teachings, to this career. All my bounties since have come in alive, or they've changed thief life style entirely. That's why God gave me this particular job Pawnee, he wants mento help you become a better man. That means you have to live tomorrow mornin' so don't go dyin' on me just yet."
-
Rusty Valentine
Jesse's Home - Afternoon
Rusty awoke on a bed with sheets thrown about, and the pillow on the floor. He yawned, "I did another marathon in my dream last night, dangit." He got showered up, dressed into his usual handsome attire, tie and all(weapons included), and went off to the diner.
He stepped inside. He didn't know it but Harlen had finished telling his life story. His main concern was to apologize to Celeste. He went up to the beautiful woman, and he couldn't help but give a loving smile. He put his head down in guilt. The shame of last night filled him, "Celeste, I apologize for my behavior last night. It was childish of me and uncalled for. This is no excuse, but, there's just something a bout you that I find overwhelming. The last thing I wanna see happen to you is get your heart broken, and I am frantic that Joe is gonna do that to you. I know you don't see it now, and I understand why, I just don't just him with your heart. I know we've only just met a few days ago but there is just something about you thy would kill me if I saw you hurt. I will try to ignore all the kissing in here. If he ever breaks your heart though, I'll kill him, and if anyone ever bad mouths you i will break their jaw. All I really ask for though is your forgiveness. I will do better, I promise." He held his hands together and stared into her eyes, straight to her soul.
Nice to have a robot companion. 
