Coyote

[22] is this goodbye?

Moon Colonies News: The government of Io has called for more immigrants to the moon. They will pay them five thousand credits if they have a child with a native woman. This comes after the number of births decreased by twenty percent because more men are enlisting themselves in territorial war and they end up dying, leaving the women alone.

Oli sat beside Wolf, trying to come to terms with the information they had exchanged. The constant explosions shook the floor, and the cries for help echoed in the sky. But none of that mattered at the moment.

Wolf seemed in pain after learning of his roommates' deaths. Though he insisted he hadn't known them for long, his trembling lips and clenched fists made it hard for Oli to believe.

"Me wanted tuh tell yuh bout Victoria, buh me did tink yuh were also after her," Oli said. "Sorry fah nuh trusting yuh before."

Wolf rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and sniffled. "No worries. I get it. You didn't know me or my intentions. You did the right thing at the time." He smiled, but the pain in his eyes swirled like a city-wrecking tornado.

Me hope him guh be aright., Oli thought. We still have to ketch The Forgotten Nuns an' fine Victoria.

"Me cyaan believe we a dealing wid aliens." When Wolf told her about Circle 10 and what he thought happened to the last nine, fear weakened her knees and she had to sit on the floor to recover her strength. "Wah a we gwine duh now?"

"With what? The supposedly universal war? The evidence we have on them and all their clients? The people they turned into golems? All the above?" Wolf asked before exhaling through his mouth. "This is too much for two bounty hunters to deal with. We don't even work in the same organization. How can we stop them? They're soldiers. Once their superiors—The Majors—arrive then we're doomed. You saw the clientele list. The Forgotten Nuns have their fingers wrapped in every moon, planet, and asteroid colonies' leaders. We can't stop them."

Wolf was right. Who was to say the moment he caught the nuns and took them to the GSF, they wouldn't be released? The two of them were out of their depths here. Having evidence didn't mean grounds for prosecution. At the end of the day, those with power always stood above the law.

"Since dis may be di laas time we a alive, how bout wi git tuh know each oddah ah lickkle bit," Oli said, catching Wolf by surprise. His eyes widened and his mouth opened into an O-shape before he smiled.

"There's a battle going on around us and you want to get to know each other?"

"Yuh."

"There's something wrong with you hyenas."

"Come on."

"What about Victoria? I sent her to find you."

"An' she will."

Wolf raised his brow. "You tricked me last time. Who's to say you won't do it again?"

"Me didn't know yuh dat well laas time."