Epilogue

"Last call! You asshats don't gotta leave happy, ya just gotta leave!"

The bartender for the Den O' Thieves tavern has inherited the place through attrition. He has worked there for twelve years, and when the old man who ran the place died last year, he just keeps on working as if nothing has changed. It has taken them a week and a half to find the old man dead in his bed, and no one challenges the fact the place remains operational. It is just understood that the residents of San Daño look out for each other, and this is part of how things work. He has been serving the African-American woman with the Japanese guy drinks all night. He has grown tired of their incessant conversation and lousy tips and has decided to call it a little early tonight, maybe go home and open a bottle of the stuff he doesn't serve in the bar.

The Japanese man grins at his companion and says, "Well, I'm satisfied, anyway. You want to get out of here, Miss Ruby Two Shoes? I think we got a mess that's waiting for us."

Ruby nods a bit sloppily and whispers, "I dunno, Kenji. We might be in danger of leaving happy. You think you can handle it, cowboy?"

Kenji's grin widens as he stands up and pounds his beer, slamming the bottle on the bar. "Oh, no! Someone call the fucking happy police."

The bartender rolls his eyes expressively and sighs. "Get a coffin, you two. There's a coffin hotel just down the street, after the General Store."

Kenji shrugs and says, "Why not?"

Ruby shakes her head vehemently. She says, "Oh, honey, no offense, but I'm as gay as the day is long."

The bartender mumbles, "Whatever. Wrap it up. I want to go home already."

Kenji glances around and notices the bar has cleared out, leaving them alone with the bartender. He says, "Come on. This party just died a tragic death."

Ruby nods, stands up, and follows Kenji out into the dusty street. She says quietly, "We gotta get those bodies out of the room."

Kenji nods in agreement. "What's the plan for that?"

Ruby says, "We should get something to carry them in. Luggage or something. That way, we can move them to the truck. Some plastic bags and sheets too, so we don't get blood everywhere, and we will need some cleaning supplies."

Kenji sighs tiredly. "I don't suppose you have all that in the truck?"

Ruby shakes her head. "No. Best bet for that stuff is a run back to the dome."

Kenji nods and says, "That'll work. Maybe I can get a nap on the ride."

Ruby frowns. "What, and make me do all the driving?"

Kenji looks over at her. "You're gonna let me drive?"

Ruby laughs loudly. "Not in a million years!"

They walk on in silence for a moment. Ruby breaks the silence. "Ever wonder if the Yakuza will be in control forever?"

Kenji says, "What, of Horizon City? It's impossible for them to not be in control. The amount of money they can throw at any problem isn't even worth thinking about. I mean, sure, power dynamics shift, as you have seen firsthand with Preston and Pratt. With them out of the way, the Horizon Justice Force will be a different place entirely, and the Yakuza's influence will grow. Ren is on top of his game and can't be dethroned. Rather, I should say he won't be dethroned. He knows what he's doing, and he bows to no one who isn't back in Japan."

Ruby smiles and continues on in silence. As they walk down the dark dirt road, they pass old houses and commercial venues in various degrees of repair. They had all been built according to need and with no concern for zoning, intermingling residential and commercial freely. As they pass the General Store, Kenji says, "Did you know they actually have a decent selection of small arms and ammo there?"

Ruby grins and says, "Of course! Who do you think their best supplier is?"

Kenji nods. "I might have guessed that."

Past the General Store is a dirt lot where various vehicles sit in different states of repair. Ruby's rig is parked near two even bigger ones in the far corner, so they turn and weave in between the parked cars towards it. The lights on the cab flash, it beeps quietly, and the doors unlock as they draw near. Kenji climbs into the passenger seat, and Ruby walks around to get in to drive. They are putting on their seatbelts when Kenji has another thought. "So then you've been working this place for some time now."

Ruby grins and starts the engine with a roar. "Yeah, it's been..."

A gigantic fireball erupts next to the General Store as the three pounds of plastic explosive on the underside of Ruby's truck detonates with a deeply resonating BOOM that echoes up and down the street. The cab lifts ten feet off the ground and crashes back down in a column of smoke and dust as an enormous mushroom cloud rises above the outpost.

Across the street, an old farmer and his wife sit quietly on their porch, swaying in their rocking chairs. The man puts a small car alarm remote in his pocket and fishes out a lighter, which he uses to light his corn cob tobacco pipe. His wife looks on at the gigantic fireball without reaction, just continuing to rock away as if nothing unusual has just happened. She whispers to her husband, "Another one?"

The farmer nods and puffs on his pipe. "Yup."

The wife says, "Yakuza?"

The farmer nods again, blowing out massive billowing clouds of smoke. "Yup."

The wife asks, "They ever gonna learn?"

The farmer shakes his head. "Nope."

The old couple continues to rock away on their porch, the wife sitting quietly and the old man pulling on his pipe as the orange flames lick higher, casting long shadows down the dusty road.