Alex was one of the best bounty hunters in the country, but no one knows that. He used to work alone and had single-handedly caught every man with a reward on their heads. But this time, he needed help. Each day Barkov and Hadir's Bounty was increasing and none of the other bounty hunters had the guts to catch up to his sneaky schemes. This is his story on how he caught the most elusive criminal of his time.
I suck at summaries!
Western AU for Alex because why not. Thank you battle pass *kiss*
Part I - The Bounty Hunter, The Bartender and the Other Bounty Hunter
He groaned in frustration against the world's distractions that bothered his basic senses. The sun's rays on his eyes, which he attempted to cover with his arm, the loud annoying cheering of the crowd just below his room, the searing heat of the area making his skin sweat, the smell of gunpowder from downstairs and the taste of last night's drinks were still lingering on his tongue. It was going to be a tough day for him.
He turned to the woman who slept peacefully on the other side of his bed, wondering how she could sleep with all these things going on around. He just chuckled and made his way to the bathroom, washed his face and cleared off the taste of liquor in his mouth.
He grabbed his coat and hat by the door, holstered his gun, wore his boots and exited the room.
The inn was quiet and empty. Ever since the villainous Barkov and his right hand man Hadir were on the loose, tourists no longer visited the area, despite it usually booming with people given that this town was home to the best bazaars throughout the county.
He tipped his hat to the receptionist who eyed him differently ever since he entered the area. He was a new face to the town, so locals might just be suspicious. That or she's another one of those who gets attracted by his charms.
The Bounty Hunter pushed the double doors open to see the culmination of the high noon duel, people started going back to their places as the Sheriff, an old man with a signature moustache and his right hand man, a younger fellow with a skull mask, were already clearing up the area.
He didn't let this moment stop him from going to the bar, where he was advised by the lady he met last night that a certain bartender with an unmissable hairstyle would know a lot about the person he's looking for.
As people ran away from the sheriff, the saloon was now filled with rowdy people getting back to their businesses after the duel. Some tables were splitting bets while some resumed drinking and being loud.
Alex set his gaze on the counter where a man with a mohawk, donning a decent bartender attire, stood shaking a few bottles and wiping off the table. Most of the barmens eyes were already on Alex as he walked to the stool by the counter and was greeted by the bartender he was looking for.
"Howdy! Welcome to Saloon 141. What can I get ye?" He greeted the new face who sat in front of him. Alex stared at the man and placed a piece of paper on the table, a wanted sign with Barkov's face on it, along with a wealthy amount of reward.
The bartender looked down and looked around, suspiciously looking at everyone in the room.
"When I heard rumors of a new face in town, I half expected it to be another bounty hunter." He murmured, pouring a drink and sliding it to Alex.
"The name's Soap by the way. And judging on how you knew that I know stuff, you must be very good at this." He mused, shoving the paper back on his pocket.
"Barkov is a very stealthy son of a bitch. I once knew someone looking for him for three years now. She occasionally visits for more information, but as time passes by, I only know one thing." Soap said as quietly as possible.
"My friend works for him. He's always on the run, but every third Sunday of the month, he visits the abandoned mine on the edge of this town. He resupplies water there. Now please, if you intend to catch him, try your best not to compromise his location. This is the only thing constant in his schedule." Soap informed Alex and he gave him a wealthy tip. The bartender chuckled as he pocketed his reward for such information.
He stayed for a while as he ordered some grub to eat. It was still the second Sunday of this month so he still had time to devise his perfect plan to capture Barkov.
Alex observed everyone at the saloon. He could notice that he's being the center of gossip on most tables and didn't mind it. Maybe it's because of his flashy coat, or his foreignness, but he wasn't new to the feeling.
"Say, you got yourself some fancy clothing. Are those from the Capitol?" Soap asked as soon as he was free from customers. Alex wasn't a fan of small talk, but considering how this man helped him a lot today, he might as well share a few things.
"Yeah. Bought them after my hundredth catch." He said, not attempting to boast but Soap felt astonished.
"Damn. Hundred catches. Does that mean?" He quickly grabbed a pen and tissue, sliding it on Alex's front.
"My old man would love a signature from you. It's just miner rumors but he thinks you're the one who captured The Wolf." he said, pretty amused at his discovery.
Alex chuckled and signed the tissue. He didn't sign autographs but if some of the miners knew of him, they might as well deserve the recognition.
It was indeed him, who caught the wolf. It was also the last memory of his trusted steed, who got shot by his target. The bastard ran through the mines and threatened to kiss everyone just to evade capture. One way or another, he outsmarted the outlaw and saved the mines. That was one of his near death moments, where he realized that he'd better work alone.
~
He had nowhere else to go so he decided to stay at the saloon and get drunk. It was already three in the afternoon when the door opened and everyone fell quiet.
Curious as to who might be the cause of the disturbance, Alex slowly turned his head to the door, where a woman walked in. She had a green bandana on and matching wear that made her look like a bounty hunter too. Alex wondered who this woman was after and how she established quite the presence.
"You. New face. What is your deal here?" She asked, her tone was demanding and Alex wondered why she was mad.
"Just enjoying a drink." He lowered his cap and greeted. Her eyes stood out once their gazes met, there was something in there that Alex can't seem to forget.
"John. Is this man telling the truth?" Alex turned to Soap who was now referred to as John. Soap turned to him and back to the woman.
"Yes Karim. He also ate lunch here." He replied. Then what happened next was muttering between the two and the rest of the tables. Alex didn't mind as he resumed his drinking and classified this event as an awkward moment. Whoever this girl was had enough authority to quiet a rowdy crowd and Alex was to not take her lightly.
But he already had a feeling that they're both after the same person.
"A little competition couldn't hurt." He muttered with a smirk, downing his last drink, leaving his payment and exited the saloon.
The abandoned mine was Barkov's consistent trading area for water and Alex decided to give it a visit. What would they discover inside?
Series Masterlist
Part 3
The blistering heat of the sun was already permeating through Alex's clothes. The flannel was admittedly suitable for warm weather, but this kind of intense heat was already too much that he already took off his vest.
Soap was already a few meters ahead of him when he decided to stop and grab his flask of water, gulping it down thirstily as excess drops trickled all over his chin down to his neck until it dried out just by his chest.
"Haaaah. This heat is killing me!" He sighed as the refreshing liquid cooled his system.
"Hey! We're almost there!" Soap waved from afar, his deep tone was barely audible in the vast plains, but Alex kind of got the idea.
"Wait up!" He yelled as he let his horse gallop through the gap between them as Soap stopped for a drink. No wonder Barkov liked the abandoned mine as a pick up point, it was so far from civilization that no one would ever waste their time going there.
"Of all the days we decide to go there, It's gotta be the one with zero clouds." Soap complained as they slowly galloped through the empty field, the only thing present was a few cactuses, tumbleweeds and a small bit of the mine they're supposed to go to.
"Is it that one?" Alex asked, squinting as he was pointing at the little dot over the horizon. Soap nodded and turned to him.
"Aye. Looks a wee bit far, eh? That's the top of the mountain. The entrance is quite near." He assured as his horse neighed and they trotted faster.
"Okay, lead the way then." Alex muttered.
"So, you and Kate?" John asked. Alex found a hint of hesitation in his voice, like he wanted to know what's up but he also doesn't want to hear the news.
"We uh… " Alex pondered. He was treading on thin ice here, considering John was her childhood and only friend, and him getting in the way between them was getting awkward. However, John's easy denial earlier hinted to the bounty hunter that there was still doubt, hope and lingering feelings. Not that this mattered at the moment, but to piss John off meant losing his guide home.
"... we're figuring things out. Everything happened in a flash. It's not that things could escalate-" Alex muttered only to be met by John's palm.
"Shh.." He whispered as they trotted across the mine entrance. John stepped down from his horse and stared at the horses near the cave.
"We've got company. And it's not good." John immediately stepped back and rode his horse, urging the mammal to move away from the mines as fast as possible.
"Hey hey hey! What's wrong?!" Alex quickly followed as John found himself a hiding spot by the rocks.
"Karim and her partner's in there. Probably mapping out the whole place. I can't afford to be seen helping you out." he whispered as he peeked once more, pulling the horse down within visible range.
"It's a dead end anyway. You can't explore with her around. She'll never let you in." John added. Alex quickly got down his horse and gave John a quick pep talk.
"Look, if Karim claims to be a bounty hunter she'll accept help. Especially that she's after the most notorious of them all. Trust me. Now tie down that horse and guide me within the mines. I'll take care of you when she asks." John looked up and stared at Alex's eyes. He'd been good at detecting liars as some of the bar customers exhibit such tactics to get free drinks, but what Alex was exhibiting was pure genuinity.
"Fine. I've only been here once. Let's hope nothing has changed since I last got here." He got up and tightened his pants, pulling his horse by the reins and tied it to the fence.
"Got a light?" Alex asked as he pulled a lantern off of his horse's bag, allowing John to spark up his lighter to ignite the flame.
"I'll stay near." He handed the lantern to the bartender as they navigated the dark mines.
Hot dry air encircled the duo as they pressed deeper into the cave. The only sound was their footprints along with the occasional drops of water from the ceiling. So far, the route only offered a straight path, slowly descending into the deeper part of the cave network.
"This is the most absurd place to trade water." Alex muttered, his voice echoed across the tunnel.
"Who's there?!" A distinct female voice with an accent roared, followed by the echoes of what sounded like guns clicking.
"It's me John from the bar!" He yelled, his hands easily raised to surrender despite not seeing Farah or any light source ahead of him.
"What are you doing here?" A male voice followed. Alex raised an eyebrow, questioning the presence of Karim's partner.
"He's taking me on a tour." Alex declared, defending John from the threatening male voice.
"I half expected I'd see you here, Alex." Farah said as she invited them into their location. John led the way to a small opening leading to an open area where light peeked through a huge crack by the mountain, revealing a huge functioning train track with trolleys already ready for the next drop.
"Whoever's dealing with Barkov is ready. These trolleys weren't here yesterday." The male partner informed them as they approached the area to investigate.
"Gaz, this is Alex. He's also after Barkov." Farah introduced as the men had a staring contest which ended with a nod. Gaz and Alex acknowledged the competition and decided that being selfish isn't going to be of any help.
"Nice to meet you." Alex greeted him.
"You too." Gaz replied with his arms crossed.
"Where does it lead?" Alex asked as he kicked the wheels, testing its capability to move.
"Tracks split into two different cave networks. The other one led deeper into the mine while the other one led to the worker's quarters." Gaz informed, pointing to the two entrances not far from the beginning of the tracks.
"We already explored the quarters yesterday and it turned out empty. If you want to see it for yourself, go ahead. We'll be investigating the other route." Gaz and Farah paced to the other entrance leaving Alex and John behind.
"What's your call?" John looked at Alex with an expression of relief, wondering how Farah let this man work with her.
"Let's check out the quarters." Alex muttered as they made their way to the other side of the fork on the road.
Not too far from the entrance, the track ends on a wall in the middle of a huge room that once housed tired miners. Rusty lockers, broken tables and ripped hammocks surrounded the area as John illuminated it with their lantern.
"I'm no investigator but I see no sense creating train tracks here so close to the start." He muttered, checking out some items sprawled around the room. Alex just stared at the huge wall pondering about John's initial thoughts. Something the two of them noticed upon entry.
"Well, I guess my trail ends here. Let's head home." He muttered, exiting the scene as John quickly followed him back.
"What about the other route?" John asked, catching up to him.
"Not worth checking." He dismissed, silencing the curious man.
"Well, if that's the case then… is it safe to assume you wasted your time here?" John asked.
"Not really. What's important is that they're still using this route this month." Alex mounted on his horse as they both went back to town.
~
"This meal tastes delicious, Kate!" John exclaimed as he chewed happily on his meal. Once they got back, Kate invited them over for lunch, something that the two needed.
Alex eyed Kate and nodded as Kate smiled at the thought of it.
"I haven't prepared a meal for others in quite a while. I'm glad I still had it in me." She shyly commented as the two clearly appreciated her meal.
"So, what did you find out there? Guessing from the pace of your eating, you had a tough time?" She asked.
"Well the weather was particularly hot today, so that basically burned us out." Alex replied, downing a glass of water.
"Did Isabelle treat you well?" She asked with a smile. Alex could clearly see something forming once again between them and he was truly convinced that this was more than just basic attraction.
"Yeah. She's a good horse. Never made a problem for me." Alex chuckled as Kate hovered her hand against his.
"Good." she smiled as their eyes met. He was slightly worried that John would feel odd about this, but he trusted his words were genuine. His words saying that he could never go to her as more than a friend.
"Thanks for lunch, Kate. Delicious as always. I've got to get some sleep now. I've been awake for almost a whole day." he chuckled as he grabbed his hat and left the kitchen, leaving the two alone.
"So… what's next for the cowboy?" She purred, as her hands tightened against his. Alex quickly reciprocated as their hands intertwined with one another.
"A bath and a nap… and maybe something along the way?" he raised an eyebrow as a wide suggestive grin flashed on his face.
"I like how you think." She smiled as she slowly straddled on his lap and reached out for a kiss.
The rest of the day went by and by the time Alex woke up, it was already midnight. Kate was sound asleep beside him and a quick peek at the window revealed to him a person guarding the tower. He thought about the abandoned mine, the night raids and Barkov. Something didn't make any sense. A town raid where nothing gets stolen. And these townspeople just let this thing happen? It just didn't make sense.
So, he dressed up and went to the most sensible place to ponder.
"Welcome to the Saloon 141. Can I get you anything?" Soap greeted as Alex pushed the double doors and sat on the bar.
"The usual." He muttered as Soap expertly brewed his drink and set it in front of him.
"Barkov's resupply is almost near. Any final preparations?" Soap whispered as Alex gulped a shot and asked for another.
"I have a feeling he won't do it this time. The mine looked like a trap." He muttered as Soap frowned.
"You think Barkov knew?" His voice was shaky. No doubt he was afraid that somehow Barkov would track him down.
"One way or another, yeah."
"What about Farah and Gaz? Why didn't you warn them?"
"They knew it. That's why they let us in. The only thing they can do there is look for evidence." he muttered as he downed another shot.
"So the elusive one escaped again…" he sighed.
"I've had enough of these raids man, I just wanted to sleep peacefully." John added, groaning in frustration.
"Speaking of raids… when was the last?" Alex asked.
"A few months ago… The sheriff actually captured one of the members. They're from another town. The captured man was promised protection if he joined the cause."
"And I assume that cause is unknown."
"Aye. Sheriff Price tried everything to let the guy talk but this one was a blind follower. He had nowhere to go, that's why he joined. It's some sort of cult thing."
"A raid without anything stolen…" Alex scratched his chin.
"Maybe they're stealing people? Because we hide when they arrive, so they have no one to steal?" Soap suggested. It made sense, maybe the raids are just ways to recruit people to join a cause. That's one way to recruit, by force. Especially when you have no resources like money to make them commit.
"That's a good idea." Alex said as he placed his payment and bid his bartender friend goodbye.
~
As soon as the sun rose up, the whole town was greeted by a corpse sprawled in the middle of the road. As soon as Alex got there, the Sheriff had already investigated the scene and held John for an interview.
Rumors quickly spread that this was John's friend from another town, the one that works for someone that deals water to Barkov. The murmurs also revealed a note drawn in blood saying "Not today, Bounty Hunter." Which the whole town assumed to be Farah and Gaz.
They left them alone back on the mines yesterday and he hadn't heard from them since. He quickly dashed back to his inn and asked Kate for permission to borrow her horse.
"Kate, can I borrow Isabelle for a while?" He quickly got up to Kate, who was already dressed and carrying a bag.
"Are you going to the mines? I'll come with you." She said. Alex had a lot of questions going on in his mind but the urgency of the matter made him dismiss it.
"Okay. But-" He asked.
"Sheriff Price radioed me. Farah and Gaz might be in danger."
Alex was one of the best bounty hunters in the country, but no one knows that. He used to work alone and had single-handedly caught every man with a reward on their heads. But this time, he needed help. Each day Barkov and Hadir's Bounty was increasing and none of the other bounty hunters had the guts to catch up to his sneaky schemes. This is his story on how he caught the most elusive criminal of his time.
Content Warnings : Implied sex, violence, guns and shooting, horses and everything about the wild wild west.
Part 1 - The Bounty Hunter, the Bartender and the Other Bounty Hunter
