Chapter 17 - Interrogation...?

Higler brought them to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Fallen Star City. The few people they saw when they got there didn't stay long, but also didn't say anything. Apparently, they were used to this kind of situation.

After kicking down a door, the ranger dragged the unconscious criminal inside, and dropped him on the floor. Meanwhile, Drake was looking at him curiously.

"What?"

"How did you know about this place?"

"Every city has them. You just have to ask around, which is what I did while you were playing with this one and the other two at the bar."

"Playing?"

Higler brushed his question off, and squatted next to the hooligan. He seemed like he was about to wake him up when he stopped. Seemly in thought, he turned to Drake.

"That move Frainer used, Nightmare Cloud... Try to avoid using it in public if you can. Although it might not look like it sometimes, we are the good guys still. Sending people screaming in fear, effective as it may be, doesn't exactly inspire trust."

He tried to put his words nicely, but Drake got the message. Of course it wasn't a good idea. He had been stupid. If he ever was to become a ranger - because he was now sure that's what he wanted - he would have to think more before taking action.

"Hey. Don't worry about it too much. Living and learning, isn't it?"

Higler tapped his shoulder with a sympathetic expression. He had made his fair share of mistakes when he was younger, and he knew that no one liked to have their faults pointed out. However, some things must be said if he wanted Drake to go the right way.

"All righty! Should we start? Great! Warkin, wake him up, would you."

The lizard-like Ifere chirped happily, before breathing a small flame of fire just a few centimeters away from the man's face. Unsurprisingly, he woke up screaming.

"What the hell?! Where am I?!"

The ranger didn't feel like answering, instead, he pulled the man up by his collar, and put on his serious face.

"Your two friends tried to kill us, and now they are food for worms. You better tell us everything you know about the Association of Riverplate, or you will feel like they were lucky to die quickly."

The hooligan's expression showed many emotions, from shock and surprise to anger, and finally fear.

"If I tell you anything, they will kill me!"

He had barely finished speaking when Higler hit him with a powerful punch, which threw him through the air.

"If you don't tell me, I will kill you!"

The threat was effective. Drake knew it was a lie - a ranger would never kill anyone in cold blood - but the criminal didn't. After hesitating a little more, he finally gave in.

"If I tell you, you gotta let me walk away. Not even the prison is safe."

"Hum! I have no interest in a small fry like you. Now, spill the beans."

"Okay! Mister Anderson discovered gold under the farms. That's no secret. But the f*ckers refused to sell, so he created the Association to control the market, and leave them powerless. They have to go all the way to the nearby cities to buy seeds and equipment. That's three days through the wilderness."

"Bastards! That's low even to criminals. They are basically forcing them to choose between selling or eating!"

Drake was outraged, while Higler made the face of someone who was listening to a familiar story. He sighed.

"Who is part of the Association?"

"Mister Anderson is the head. Cramer controls the bars and pubs, Bartow the stores, and Montez is the muscle. Chief Jones, of the police, is also in it. There are many others, but those five are the main ones. Oh, and there is Miss Lauren. She is the owner of the Angel's Nightclub."

The ranger frowned, while Drake was deep in thought. He might not have the experience Higler had, but he knew that was a lot of people to take care of, especially since Montez had at least ten bandits under him, probably more.

"How many men can Anderson count with?"

"More than you can deal with. Hahaha! I don't know who you are, but you signed your death sentence!"

The ranger stepped forward, but Drake was quicker. He shut him up by hitting him with a good punch, which knocked him out.

"I was getting tired of him."

"Yeah, me too. You learn quickly. Now, however, we have to decide on our next move. It's going to be dangerous, so, if you want to get out, now is the time. I won't judge you."

"What will you do if I leave?"

"Dunno. But this is my job, so I can't back down."

There was a resolute expression on his face as he spoke, which prompted Drake to think that this wasn't the first time he had to face a large number of enemies alone. Well, this time, he wouldn't be alone. Drake might not be the bravest of men, but he also wouldn't abandon a friend in need.

"We are with you. I wanted an exciting life, didn't I? Can't get much better than that."

As he said that, he shrugged and turned to Frainer, as if he wasn't talking about anything important. Higler, however, showed a grateful look on his face, and smiled slightly. Once again, he understood why Drake had been chosen.

"You are right about that. All right then, shall we visit Angel's Nightclub?"

Slightly surprised, Drake turned back to look at the ranger. He had thought they were done for the day.

"Why there?"

"So we can have a good time, obviously. And also because I often find that women, even if they are criminals, are more reasonable than men. If we show Miss Lauren who she is dealing with, she might be convinced to change sides."

Drake raised an eyebrow, unsure of what exactly that was supposed to mean. However, if Higler had already decided, he could only follow his lead.

Leaving the unconscious man in the abandoned warehouse, they walked towards a stable, where they left their remaining Yscalent. Taking the chance, they also bought a new one for Drake, since his had died.

Every time they passed by a police patrol on the streets, Drake would get tense. Not only was the police chief a scumbag, but they had also killed two people in a gunfight in the middle of the city, and ran away after kidnapping the third one. Even with his status as a ranger, it would be difficult for Higler to explain that. Only now was Drake realizing how crazy they had been.

However, nothing noteworthy happened. Maybe the police didn't have their descriptions, or maybe Crwmer didn't want to alarm his partners, and decided to settle it quietly. Either way, it worked out well for them.

At night, Fallen Star City had quite a lot of movement. Angel's Nightclub seemed especially crowded. Drake understood why after they entered. The place was class.

Giant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, live music, tables for almost every kind of gambling game you could think, and several beautiful women using revealing clothes walking around. Clearly, the club was directed towards a male audience.

As they approached the counter, one or two girls approached them, and whispered someone in Drake's ears before hinting that they should go to the second floor, where the private rooms were. For a moment, he was tempted, but they had a more important task, so he declined with a smile.

Frowning, they scoffed and turned around looking for another target. Meanwhile, Higler nodded his head approvingly, and called the barman.

"What can I get for you, misters?"

"We need to talk with Miss Lauren. It's important."

The man sized them up, his eyes stopping for a second at their holsters, and laughed.

"The miss doesn't talk to anyone that comes, buddy. If you want to see her, wait for the show."

Higler smiled, but his eyes were cold. He put his hand over the handle of his pistol. The threatening gesture didn't escape the barman's eyes, and he gulped loudly, scared.

"It's about the Association... Buddy. She will want to see us."

"I-I... I will see what I can do."