The vast lands at the center of the continent were so hostile to life that for most of the recorded history not even the nations surrounding the arid waste had wanted to lay claim to it. Something that only began to change when technology fueled by magic developed to the point that pioneers could use armored trucks to survive traversing through the unnatural storms that plagued the cursed land. So slowly but surely the tendrils of the civilization began finding suitable places to set up outposts, mines, and even towns to tame the last of the unclaimed territories.
One of such trucks that braved the savage lands had just reached a well at the side of a barren cliff. The marvel of magical engineering was a massive behemoth that was more like a small castle than just a vehicle. Not only did it have heavy magic-forged armor but several turrets and hatches for rifles on the sides. And the majestic metal beast was crowned by a battlement.
A group of armed people who wore the blue uniforms of the Desert Express jumped out of the truck once it had parked next to the well. They only did a quick sweep around the area as excluding the dominating cliff on the side, the only cover the place had were tiny brushes or distant rock formations.
"Nina, you seeing anything? Does the storm look as bad up there as from here?" Head Courier Mason shouted from next to the truck. The entire horizon before them was covered by a massive wall of swirling dust and lightning.
"Worst I've seen so far, is this unusual?" Nina replied with a raised melodic voice while she leaned into the truck's battlement. On her beautiful symmetric elven face was a slight pout like she was missing out on the most exciting action that was going on. Below her two guys were dragging out a long hose from a hatch and lowering it down to the rustic well that had only been marked with a circle of stones and a metal lid.
"Completely normal, it's just going to be a rough night," Mason exclaimed and he turned to the guys at the well. "Hurry up filling the test tank, If it's even somewhat passable, just pump as much as we can fit."
Nina sighed and she let her goggles-covered green eyes trail along the horizon. She did so while adjusting her jean jacket which was a bit too tight for her sizable mounds. The other guy who was up there on guard duty was staring at her ass from the other end of the battlement but she just leaned back down after she was done making herself feel a bit more comfortable. The guy would definitely be willing to trade at least a portion of his rations tonight for minimal fuck-buddy favors so she just let him have his fill in advance.
"Chief, mist is not normal here, right?" someone shouted and Nina looked up. A wall of solid steam was pouring down the cliff and a specific exercise from her time in the Republic Army came into her mind. One that involved magic-made covers to sneak attack enemies.
"Drag that hose out and get in, we leaving fast," Mason commanded and he already rushed to the open side door to enter the truck. He headed straight to the driver to give instructions.
Meanwhile, Nina knelt down to partially enter the vertically handicapped turret at the back of the battlement to get some cover from any possible attack from above. She took out her sleek company revolver and spun it to make sure it had all the bullets before lifting it in case she saw something descending from the mist. The guy with her had a similar idea but he opened one of the ladder hatches and partly climbed down to use the hatch as a cover while pointing his revolver up.
The truck's engine ignited to life with a loud hum that made the hull vibrate a bit. It combined with the tense rush that filled Nina and she began nibbling her soft lower lip with her teeth while her heart beat in her ears. She had to get her knees off from the trembling metal to control her arousal so she lifted to a crouch with spread knees but her stimulated body was already making her clit swell a bit to distract her.
"Don't be a moron," a loud shout came from above before a man in brown leather clothes crashed down with a groan to all fours before Nina. There was a weird shotgun with an ax head on his back. He gave a wild smile to Nina with his rugged face before reaching for the weapon while the truck began moving forward. Not even her revolver being pointed at him slowed him down
Despite the slight tremble at Nina's core, she managed to steady her hand and pull the trigger to send a bullet flying straight through the man's right bicep. He roared painfully and rolled to a side to reach for his weapon with his left hand. Wild excited fear filled his face while Nina aimed at his other hand but missed her second shot as the trembling truck began to move.
"I won't miss next time, surrender and your rights will be respected," Nina shouted while having some panicked fear in her eyes as she really hoped the man would not just lunge at her. Loud mixed cursing filled the air above but it was soon left behind. Even as the heavily tanned guy's attention was on Nina, he noticed how the rest of his buddies missed the moving truck despite their attempt to hurry down their ropes. None of them had wanted to come down as haphazardly as him.
"Fuck, I can barely move my limbs, I really should have let your fine ass go this time," the bandit almost roared before collapsing on the ground with a tilted grin. He did not pass out but just clenched his teeth while Nina got up to remove his guns and cuff his trembling hands behind his back. After that she applied a magic crystal to stop the bleeding but not long enough to properly heal him. Then she let out a silent curse when she noticed that she had been left alone with the bandit by her supposed guard partner even as she had fully indulged his staring.
** * **
The bandit was stripped from all things but his large gray t-shirt that doubled as a nightshirt before being brought into the Chief Courier's office for interrogation. Though calling the small safe room anything but an isolation chamber with a desk, filing cabinet, and a chair was a bit much. And the guest of honor was cuffed into a ventilation pipe to sit in the corner with exposed hairy legs.
"You sure you want to do this?" Mason asked while he locked the door. Nina gave his brown bearded face a stern glance. This time she had agreed to spend time locked into a tiny room with two sweaty men entirely because Mason had said he wanted to interrogate the prisoner. Since he was technically her prisoner, she felt certain responsibility toward him to make sure that he was not tortured.
"What can I say, I'm experienced," Nina voiced as she sent a glance at the prisoner that might have as easily meant that she wanted to beat his cock off as to suck it. Though what she really hoped was that the chief would learn what he wanted to know before she had to figure out how to stop him from going too far. Not that she even knew how far he was willing to go.
"She's been in the army, special operations or something like that, I heard those types can be really creative," Mason mused while he moved to tower over the bandit even as his well-built form imposed far more fear. Nina just rolled her eyes while she avoided making jokes that would make it clear that she had not been one of the really special ones as was implied.
"Please tell me she is going to crack my balls if I won't play nice," the bandit grinned with an intense glare that made Nina shift her long legs.
"Alright, you can call me Mason and I believe you have been acquainted with Nina already," Mason introduced. "I believe the bone in your hand is still broken?"
"So nice for her to leave me a memento, I like her already," the bandit said while Mason moved to block his view. "The name's Jack."
"Just tell a bit more about that gang of yours," Mason suggested while he took out a revolver and crouched down to point it at Jack's left thigh. As his ankles were cuffed to the leg of the heavy desk, he could not exactly move even if he wanted to.
"We are a bunch of desperate amateurs, used to work in a mine before it collapsed, the company fucked off and left us behind," Jack pleaded like the truth or a well-rehearsed line. "So why not give me some slack and drop me off and hope my mates find me."
"Bunch of amateurs do not have mist magic," Mason stated while he pressed his muzzle harder into Jack's thigh. Nina watched it with an odd mix of feelings, she did not really know what she should or even could do if the chief decided to shoot. Sure it could be healed but that definitely would be torturing a prisoner she had captured.
"The mining company had a machine to make working in the sun more tolerable, they left it behind," Jack replied and Nina felt a bit of relief. Maybe she would not need to do anything and Mason would not go that far.
"You sure have answers to everything, how many guys do your gang have?" Mason demanded and he lifted the gun just to press it on Jack's other leg.
"Five trucks, like fifty guys, I bet they would be really glad if you just dropped me off," Jack voiced with a slightly nervous tone. "Might put a good word about you, not worth the trouble and all that."
"Well, since you are being so honest, might as well do the same," Mason voiced as he got up to point his revolver at Jack's head.
"What are you doing?" Nina uttered after Mason cocked his revolver.
"Company policy, besides, he just admitted being part of a bandit gang," Mason stated with a casual tone.
"The policy is to drop him off at the nearest outpost," Nina almost flared.
"Not if we can't afford to feed him, there is at least a week before any outpost," Mason shrugged with a disturbingly casual tone. "And thanks to them, water is going to be extra limited."
"You heard him, he had no choice, you can't just execute him like that, all he did was get shot and give up," Nina pleaded and Jack nodded.
