BXBX NOVEL Chapter 186: Hostile Movements
Perhaps if this was the old world, she would cover these obvious signs of aging with the likes of makeup and hair dye. But the old world was gone, and like most of the resources that were once freely available to the people of Reno, Nevada, Makeup and Hair dye had become increasingly difficult for one to get their hands on.
While there was sure to be quite a bit of cosmetic products that lied within the ruins of Old Reno, the residents of New Reno were more concerned with the likes of food, water, and ammunition than they were luxury items like makeup and hair dye.
Because of this, the woman who would have been able to pass herself off as ten years younger was showing her actual age. Even then, she wasn\'t exactly bad to look at. At least from John\'s perspective, who openly flirted with the older woman to get on her good side.
"Malory, you are looking as ravishing as ever. It is good to speak with you again."
Malory seemed to be in a good mood after hearing the compliments that the man sitting across from her had given. Because of this, she returned the favor with an alluring tone in her voice.
"Well thank you, John. It is not every day than an older woman like myself receives such a compliment from a handsome young man like you. So tell me, you didn\'t just summon me here to drink some coffee together, now did you? What can I do for you, John?"
John was just the alias that this man had been using the past few weeks ever since he stumbled into town. He was, after all, a man with a far more powerful backing, but as far as the locals were concerned, he was just another survivor from the wasteland who had found his way to New Reno.
It was, after all, not hard to find, as several major highways connected to the city which the settlement was at the heart of.
Despite being known as just a random nobody, John had rather quickly ingratiated himself with a woman of significant power. Malory was, after all, a high-ranking member of the local Spades family, one of the four major families within New Reno who basically ran the settlement.
Especially now that the legitimate government of the city had been deposed, and for quite some time at that. John really did not want to think about the lawless state that the ruins of Reno must have been in immediately following the collapse of human civilization.
He had no doubt that many of the citizens of the city had almost certainly passed away at the hands of their neighbors. After all, such was human nature, especially when there was no law to keep them in place.
Truly, he was thankful to have been stationed where he was when the world collapsed. But unlike the others in his faction, who looked down upon the survivors of the outside world as barbarians and outlaws, he had a great deal of sympathy for them.
Perhaps this was because, unlike his superiors, he had been able to walk among them. And because of this, he was not just feigning pleasantness with Malory, but was genuinely treating her with respect.
"Come now, Malory, must we really get down to business so quickly? Can I not have five minutes to share a cup of coffee with a friend?"
Malory, however, knew that John was just using her for information, and because of this, her smile was curt, quickly transitioning to a frown as she no longer wanted to waste any time entertaining this man.
"Johnathan, if you do not have anything of note to speak with me about, then I\'m afraid I have more important things to do."
The woman was just about to get up and walk away when Johnathan reached out his hand and grabbed hold of her wrist. His grip was not tight or threatening, but just enough to convey his intent.
"I apologize for wasting your time. Please sit. There is something which I would like to discuss. It is rather important to me, and I am willing to pay a fair price."
Malory smiled once more before sitting back down in her seat, drinking the coffee which Johnathan had ordered for her, before pulling out a photograph which he handed over to the woman. The photograph was the same one which the Remnant had sent to their headquarters in Washington. And it was the one that John had taken of Zane shortly after he killed the missionaries of Elysium.
Of course, the moment Malory saw the picture, she recognized the man within it instantly, but she was surprised that John did not when he spoke of his intentions behind giving her this gift.
"The man in this photo… Who is he? You do know, don\'t you?"
Malory looked over at John cautiously, it was clear that he was not just some random drifter who had wandered into town like she had previously thought. No, if he was asking about Zane, then there was someone behind him who was interested in the boy.
Because of this, she acted much differently than before, as she took another sip from her coffee before asking a question of her own.
"Who wants to know?"
Naturally John could not say that he was working for what remained of the United States Federal Government, or that Zane\'s settlement of Gravestone was sitting on the former Governor of Nevada\'s personal bunker, one which might have critical information that they wished to dispose of.
Instead, he was very vague in his response as he took the photo back and stuffed it in his coat pocket.
"Let\'s just say New Reno isn\'t the only place where people have survived in America. Nor is Elysium, as I am sure you know about by now. My boss is someone who is keenly interested in this young man, and we would greatly appreciate your assistance in this matter…"
Malory examined John for quite some time in silence, struggling to understand what this man would want with Zane and the settlement of Gravestone. She was quite apprehensive about revealing any information about this subject.
After all, Gravestone may be a much smaller settlement than New Reno, but they were the ones providing food, water, as well as equipment to the people of New Reno, and for a decent price at that.
If John\'s employers had some form of grudge against Zane, then New Reno\'s lifeline would be cut off. And it would only be a matter of time before they went back to fighting one another over the scraps that remained in the ruins of the old city.
With this in mind, she would require a hefty price if John wanted specific information about Zane and his background, and naturally, she was quick to give voice to this demand.
"I\'m assuming that if you have come to me for information about that boy, then your employer clearly holds some kind of grudge against him. If that is the case, then let me be the first to inform you that any information you may require regarding his identity and his background would absolutely be against the interests of everyone here in New Reno, including myself, to divulge.
Needless to say, if you want me to speak, then you\'re going to have to pay me substantially for it…. So tell me.... What exactly is the settlement like that you come from?"
Johnathan immediately understood what game Malory was playing at. If his target really was that important to New Reno, and that was likely the case considering how high of a level he must be to so swiftly eliminate the missionaries of Elysium, then she would effectively be betraying her people.
If that were to happen she would need to relocate, so if Johnathan wanted her to speak, then he would need to convince her that where he came from was much better than the squalor she currently lived in. Luckily for him, this was just the case. Even still, he needed to confirm this with his superiors first and thus was quick to step away to make a call to his boss.
"Give me just one moment Malory, if I\'m understanding what it is you want from me in exchange for the information you have, then I am going to need to make a call to my superior in order to approve it first…"
Malory scoffed when she heard this, while commenting on the absurdity of the man\'s statement.
"Make a call? Johnathan you are aware that the phone lines are down across the country, right? You seriously don\'t expect me to believe that you are going to call your boss, do you?"
However, Johnathan pulled out a rather unique looking phone as he flashed it in front of the woman, before bragging about his capabilities, and that of his backers. While at the same time subtly hinting who he worked for.
"It\'s not that type of call, ever hear of a satellite phone before?"
After saying this, John dialed the number and walked away for some privacy, leaving Malory in complete and total shock. If her suspicions were correct, then John was working for a very powerful faction, making her all the more willing to betray the residents of New Reno in exchange for a place at their settlement.