The sun was beating down on the desert with little clouds overhead for shade. A hot breeze pelted Gabriel's face with the smallest grains of sand as he walked alongside his old Prong-horse, Jasper, a sizable brown prong-hose with a blond mane and two horns of average atop its head. Sitting in the drake skin saddle, Gabriel stared to the horizon he was coming upon Jericho. With his tongue, Gabriel could feel the grit caught between his teeth and lips. His hair had become long and unkept. His face was covered with a thick mane of beard that blended into his shoulder-length black hair with a silvering grey coming in with his age. Behind him, he dragged a bandit who stumbled more than walked. The bandit looked tired and dehydrated. Gabriel only gave him enough to survive. But the rations became less as they got closer to the settlement.<br/><br/>Outside the gate, Gabriel dismounted and walked Jasper towards the Gate.<i>"It's a bounty hunter, has a live one with him. Open the gate." </i>The guard from the tower shouted down below. The gate started to open, and Gabriel continued inside. Leading Jasper by the reign in his hand. His wide-brimmed hat cast a menacing shadow over his face as he tilted it low. He made his way to the Sheriff's office; Gabriel hitched his horse outside and pulled his knife from its sheath, cutting the rope that tethered the bandit to Jasper.<br/><br/>The bandit falls through the door as Gabriel shoved him into the Sheriff's office. The Deputy jumps to his feet while the sheriff was equally surprised he remained in his chair. Looking to the doorway and seeing Gabriel walk through the door. "Well, look at what we have here. What am I supposed to do with that, Gabe?" The sheriff said.<br/><br/><b>"Not my problem,"</b>Gabriel said gruffly. The deputy got the bandit to his feet and traded the rope for iron shackles.<br/><br/>"Shit, he's already half dead; why didn't you finish him off?" The sheriff asked, agitated, standing and leaning on his desk. "This isn't Old Tree."<br/><br/><b>"He surrendered. Kill a man who has given up. I'm no better than the bandits,"  </b>Gabriel said, walking out of the office and closing the door behind him. "<b>Still not my problem."</b><br/><br/>"Shit, get him in a cell." The sheriff ordered his deputy then kicked his chair over.<br/><br/>Gabriel back on the dirt road with Jasper following behind. He opted to head back home but instead thought he should stop in the saloon maybe get a meal and drink. He stood outside the saloon, tying Jasper to the hit with a trough near it filled with water. Gabriel stepped through the doors of Jericho's Saloon. The chatter of the busy saloon quieted to his heavy steps as he made his way to the bar. His next destination would be the crossroads; he hadn't been home in a long time and wanted to go, but he needed to resupply, and the Crossroads was closer than Old Tree to Jericho.<br/><br/>"What'll it be?" The barkeep asked as Gabriel sat at the bar.<br/><b>"Top shelf and whatever food you have to serve today."</b><br/><br/>***<br/><br/>Sawyer sat in the Sheriff's office, his feet on the desk as his group of bounty hunters came in to report their successes on hunting the Bounty Hunters. He was happy with their work. But one thing had him disgruntled even if he didn't show it. Sloan was late with the latest group of slaves collected from the wastes. He needed to send some more people, or it would be his own ass on the chopping block. But at least he did have some good news; it was really too bad Milo had refused his offer.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(226, 80, 65)">"Milo is dead."</span>The lone female of the group he had selected to become hunters for the NHA informed Sawyer of their deed. This was good now if only they could get rid of the Phantom that has been a thorn in his side since he first took on the job of snuffing out the bounty hunters. Maybe it was time he took matters into his own hands. That's when Sloan walked in.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(84, 172, 210)">"The shipment is here, but some of them didn't survive the journey,"</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"> </span>Sloan said to Sawyer, which was unfortunate but at least the majority of them had made it to the crossroads. Which meant he would be getting a bonus this time around, seeing as he was sending double the requirement and quadruple the last shipment of slaves. Sawyer looked at his watch. The train should be showing up soon. It was a day train ride to Eden, where the slaves would be dispersed.<br/><br/>"Logan, go get the slaves some food and water, so they don't die before they get to Eden again." Sawyer stood up and approached Sloan. A bandit he had helped to get into power in the Bazaar. Sawyer didn't like Sloan anymore than he liked any other bandit. They couldn't be trusted, but they were useful for getting things done that required NHA to be involved as puppeteers controlling the bandit clans like marionettes on strings. "Sloan, I have something special for you to do," Sawyer said. "I guarantee a wealthy compensation."<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(84, 172, 210)">"Sure, what is it, Boss?" </span>Sloan asked, his eyes widening, becoming eager at the proposition for getting a wealthy compensation.<br/><br/>"Take this map, go to the Bounty Hunters' Guild house, kill them all and burn it down," Sawyer ordered Sloan with a tone of satisfaction. "It's time to go ghost hunting," Sawyer said; Sloan looked less than thrilled to be the one luring The Phantom of the Wasteland out of hiding so that Sawyer could finish him off. Sawyer held a large purse filled with tokens that could change a man's life in the Wasteland. Fearful or not, Sloan nodded and took the coin purse leaving to gather a band of bandits and head out to the points on the map. There were two places Sawyer had marked. The bounty hunters' guild house and Old Tree.