But if Bill helps, then, in addition to information about Wetton, this man will split the rewards in half.
To this Bill responded simply:
"Well, I can't give any blanket guarantees. I need to think about the well-being of my people. I can assure you that if you give me information that proves useful, I will seriously consider your offer."
Bill saw the man's eyes flicker slightly at these words. He wanted Bill to promise help, but Bill would never sign a blank check.
Looking Bill straight in the eyes, Baskud said seriously:
"Would you consider my request if it meant fighting a very powerful man, a former marine captain who had turned traitor? Or perhaps a pirate with a significant force under his command? Or someone surrounded by dozens of other pirate crews? Would you really consider such requests?"
Hearing the bounty hunter's question, Bill didn't have to think twice. While it was never his intention to put his men in danger, they were all military personnel, and it would be impossible, and irresponsible, to constantly protect them.
So he simply replied:
— Yes, I would have every right to consider such requests if the information provided was verified.
Hearing this, Baskud nodded his head and took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket.
"This is what you need," he said, turning and leaving.
As the man left the building, Bill turned to his friends and Rance whistled.
"Partner, I didn't expect that. Hmm, now that I think about it, I saw this man around town, but he was so inconspicuous that I didn't pay it any mind."
After Rance said this, Akisu insisted that Bill look at what was written on the paper, and after opening it, Bill understood why the bounty hunter made such a statement.
Wanted Dead or Alive "Goatee" Wetton - 14,800,000 Belly
Holding the old wanted poster in his hands, Rance whistled again, and Bill, having handed it to his lieutenant, sank into thought.
The man in the photograph was about twenty-five years old, but Bill realized that it was the mayor of the town, although given the mayor's age now, the picture must have been taken about fifty years ago.
"Wait, fifty years ago?"
Bill remembered a conversation he'd had with Henzo a couple of days earlier. The old "fool" had claimed the Rainbow Mist had appeared fifty years ago, and that was when he'd lost his friends.
These facts, combined with the explanation about the stone tower, allowed Bill to see a connection he had not noticed before.
"Is that possible?" Bill asked himself. "Can a pirate retire for fifty years, waiting for some mythical lost sea?"
This led to a number of other practical questions, one of which was: What do city residents think about the fact that their mayor is a former pirate? Do they even know about it?
With these thoughts in mind, Bill thought of the only person who might be able to provide answers. It was the old man he had previously considered mad—Henzo.
"Rance," Bill said before standing up, "get back to Frontier Run quickly, transfer 35 men to Victory by morning, and Fia and Borodo should be among them."
We'll discuss the details later, but inform the special operators of the situation and prepare a strategy for attacking the soldiers' barracks on the island.
Having received the answer, "I'll take care of it," Bill stood up and, merging with the shadows in the tavern, disappeared through the door, so that no one even noticed his departure.
Leaving the tavern, he soared into the air and headed for Henzo's house. Entering the house, he approached the old man's bed. A figure lay there, but Bill immediately realized it was a fake.
Looking around the room, he listened and felt a slight draft coming from behind the chair where Henzo had been sitting during their previous conversation.
After examining the area, Bill found a lever at the bottom of the chair and, pulling it, opened a secret hatch leading to a narrow staircase.
The stairs were narrow even for a six-foot-tall man, and for Bill, they were nearly impassable. Luckily, he could only use his arms to move and managed to guide himself headfirst without crashing through the stone walls.
About halfway down the stairs, Bill heard a noise and realized that Henzo had woken up. He shouted loudly:
— Henzo, this is Bill. Bill from the Science Department. I just want to ask you a few questions.
Bill didn't know what to expect, but he heard the old man start moving faster, and as soon as his head popped out of the ladder, he saw three grenades lying on the floor.
- Ah, damn... BANG FLASH!
Bill barely had time to close his eyes when he raised his hands just as three flashbang grenades exploded.
It would have been extremely dangerous for anyone else in such cramped conditions, but Bill managed to regain his sight just in time to see Henzo escape into another tunnel.
Having emerged from the stairs into a simple laboratory, Bill still did not want to destroy the old man's house, but following him through the tunnel, he came across more and more traps.
Trying to reason with the old man, Bill navigated through spikes, new flashes, and even mechanical poisonous spiders until he reached the top of the steps.
It was only when Bill was hit by a 20,000 volt shock that he couldn't take it anymore and roared:
- I tried to be polite, old man, but now it's your own fault
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