Jeff and Vaeri entered the bar 32 minutes later, as they had discussed the plan some more, they had made some headway, still it wasn’t like Jeff or Vaeri were any less concerned. Even their new plan was pretty underwhelming, considering their goal. Overall however there was thankfully no tension between the two of them. Well not more than there had been previously. Vaeri was clearly still very concerned, probably as much as Jeff should be, but both were now stuck with the situation and both guessed it was their best chance at surviving anyway. Not that a different plan would’ve been safer, in all likelihood the best both could’ve hoped for was a slightly worse alternative.

  In any case, both of them entered the bar, having stored their stuff in a nearby spot Jeff knew was safe to hide things, Ken had shown it to him for goods he was trying to fence or something. It thankfully fit all their stuff and wasn’t too far away, worst case was probably that Ken found it, but they didn’t plan on staying long so hopefully everything would be fine. It had been Vaeries idea to store their things in some location, because she feared people would try to steal one or multiple of their bags, which Jeff had to agree was a possibility. In the end it was probably as likely as that someone found their hidden bags, but Jeff had not really felt like he could argue the point. He was afraid of the next moments, of what would happen when he met the others again. But he could not dodge it much longer, if Butch wanst in the bar they would go find Ken or if that didn’t work go to Candys house directly, Jeff had argued to go there last because I felt like Butch would be the least angry with him.

  They entered the bar, Vaeri not as confident as she was a minute ago when she said she knew bars and Jeff didn’t have to explain to her what she should look out for and what she should avoid. Now she looked like a teenage girl going for the first time into a bar she probably shouldn’t be allowed into, well Jeff thought this is how it must look like it wasn’t like he had reference material.

  Her eyes went from calm to more and more nervous as they moved toward the bar, the music voices, laughter and shouts rising, until they entered just now. As they opened the doors the first thing that hit Jeff was the smell, alcohol, sweat, smoke and a hint of vomit, it was still early enough that no one probably had puked yet. Jeff had never liked the bar he had gone with Butch and Kate because they had more or less dragged him along, if it had been up to him he would’ve just spent time with the two of them. Still despite his best-efforts people had gotten to know him over the three months he had spent in Brindgap.

  “Jo Steve get me another beer!” Was the second thing to hit him and Vaeri, a loud large man stood in front of the bar one hand raised shouting loudly. Jeff had known the mans name for like a week until he forgot it again, he was a regular, and a friend of Butches. Though the large man was probably two times the age of Butch. Which had been weird for Jeff at first but he soon learned, drunk men regardless of age were pretty much the same at hearth, well the once in this bar at least.

  Seteve the owner of the bar just gave a wave and shouted over the voices and music to one of the two serving girls behind the bar.

  “Jen give the fat bastard a beer, remember it’s still on the house for the ass!”

  Free beer, Steve must either be in a good mood or lost a bet, more likely the second part. The bar owner never was really in a bad mood. He just never was quite happy. Maybe Jeff just couldn’t tell, though then neither could Candy, Kate, Ken or Butch or any other patron of the bar really. Maybe Jen and Maja could tell, the two were like daughters to him if Jeff understood their relationship correctly. Steve was a sturdy built man, broad shoulders, thick arms, big broken nose. The man had just one eye and a habit of beating people up that broke something in his bar.

  Overall Jeff liked Steve, he was surely angry and he couldn’t understand the man, but he was also pretty earnest. He also had treated their whole group with respect, something a ragtag of youth in Bridngap rarely received. His clientele was just like the man, though most had much better moods than the one eyed devil.

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  As Jeff entered he realized how foolish it had been to hope he would get in and out without being much noticed and evading Butch and Kate. It wouldn’t have worked because Is aw steves eyebrow raise the moment he saw me and Vaeri standing in the entrance, he didn’t comment. Another reason to like him was he left you and your own business alone.

  Jeff noticed some other glances, people giving him a slight nod of greeting, he didn’t even recognize them so maybe they were just polite. In any case Jeff had yet too see Butch or any of the others here, well Candy wouldn’t be here anyway but Ken or Kate might be here. Not in the first room, at least, the bar was divided into two room,s the entrance where the main bar was and where you got your drinks and sometimes snacks if Steve felt like cooking and then the second dining room where depdning on how full the bar was, most guests sat. Most people preferred the main room, it was closer to the bar and if something interesting happened it happened most of the time there.

  Since none of the people Jeff avoided were in this room he and Vaeri moved slowly to the second room. Jeff tried to stall but couldn’t really think of a good reason, he regretted doing it in the bar, if Butch was there it might get really awkward. He also didn’t know whether or not to tell him and the others about the danger, maybe they would try to help others, but even if the whole of Brindgap was behind them if the Boss was in on it, there would only be a slaughter. That and who would believe them? Jeff wouldn’t really, in the best case, they’d got some more people to leave but then what They’d all die. Jeff had not broached the subject with Vaeri either, because he didn’t know how she felt about it. He thought she also didn’t want to risk it, there had not even been a mention of trying to safe the folks from the camp, that and she was rational. Candy and Butch … less so, Ken didn’t care much for people outside the group and Kate well Jeff didn’t really know but she was a survivor so she’d probably be fine with focusing on their own survival first.

  It wasn’t even that Jeff didn’t want to help he just knew it would end badly. So he had resigned himself to letting the people die sad as it was can’t help anyone if you are dead.

  Then they entered the room Jeff still a bit distracted when he heard the crash.

  “Yeah bitch! I won again!”, boisterous really didn’t catch Butchs voice, he was loud, large and as Kate liked to joke, in charge. The man stood at roughly two meters in higher and while Jeff didn’t bet he might take a bet on Butchs shoulders being a meter wide.

  He wore his normal stuff, Candy had chosen most of his clothing. He wore a wide jacket, which strained under the pure Mass of his body. He wasn’t fat but also not pure muscle he was just massive. Thick arms, Thich legs, thick body, stretching most clothes to their limit. Well normal clothes Candy had refit his clothes to hang loser outsid ethe jacket which Butch liked to see stretch when he flexed his muscles.

  He had short blonde hair, dark brown eyes, a weirdly small nose, a round face and a pointy chin. His voice too was not as dep as one would imagine, boisterous sure but clearly on the higher spectrum, it always stuck out to everyone around him and Jeff had learned to not mention it. Thankfully he had warned Vaeri that Butch was a bit sensitive on some topics so she would hopefully ignore them.

  The reason for Butches outburst lay on the table defeated, well not knocked out or anything just head on the table clearly annoyed that he had. The thing he had lost was clearly a game of cards and the price was a part sheet, which was just a slice of one of the main sheets for trade.

  Next to Butch sat Ken, bored as usual, working on some trinket or another. He had Asian features like Vaeri, had a slim build like her too, they looked rather similar … well you could see his muscles, not hers and she had breasts and he didn’t. Well ok there were a lot of difference but if you actively ignored all important distinguishing factors they looked very similar from the body structure. Ken had black hair in comparison to Vaeris light red, which stood out even more with some not violet light. His eyes were also a much darker brown, nearly all black. He wore his hair in a hairbun like always, lose clothes much less than Butch who always wore too many, just a thin tank top and short pants. He sat in his typical weird way at the table more as if he was squatting on the wooden bench than sitting. He looked up at Butches scream of victory and his eyes slightly widened, then he poked the defeated man.

  “Hey Henry could you give us a minute?”

  Both Henry and Butch looked over, Butch looked more confused than shocked and Henry seeing the twos reaction just stood up and gave a wave to Ken and the middle finger to Butch who returned it with a wide grin.

  “So Jeff, finally back? Thought you would take longer”, was Ken’s opening statement.