They had listened to San and took off immediately, only the three of them speeding through the dusty planes on the backs of their horses.

San was by far the best rider out of the three of them, his powerful legs slung around his horse tightly and he rode it with one hand at the reigns, the other one balancing his body behind him. Hongjoong kept watching his muscular back, riding at his left while Wooyoung was at the right.

The hunter expertively did know his way around the plains, easily showing them the best paths to follow around large boulders and avoiding the nests of any wild animals. Hongjoong was sure that a man like him must spend most days of his year out in the wild with all the venomous snakes and hungry coyotes and he could respect that. While Hongjoong knew how to live out in the wild he was not very keen on doing it more than absolutely needed.

Their journey was mostly silent, everybody preoccupied with not breathing in too much dust and Hongjoong memorizing the landscape around them. It was only after the first period of canter when they slowed down their horses to an easier trot, that San spoke up again.

"See those trees back there? A treck starts there that leads up the mountain. However, horses cannot take it. We either have to rest here for the night or travel in the dark. What shall it be?"

Hongjoong tried deciding, not sure about how well the bandits would take to them literally camping in front of their hideout. Had San ever had run-ins with them? Did he know how to fend them off?

"What do you think? Are we at a risk of getting attacked?", Hongjoong calmly asked back, not yielding to the fierce look in San's eyes. The man had a distinct white streak of hair in between his black locks, looking like lightning had stolen a lock of his hair.

"I'm not sure... They might come out if they see us close or they might watch only. However it's not more or less safe here than in Davis."

Hongjoong studied the other man's face, his high cheek bones and full lips, the way his fox-like eyes seemed to narrow a bit when he noticed Hongjoong's gaze on him.

"Let's stay the night then and go up tomorrow.", Hongjoong decided smoothly, looking forwards again.

-

Hongjoong tried not to fall alseep, he really did. The atmosphere kept creeping him out, the eerie silence of the plains only seldomly interrupted by the noises of wild animals he would rather not meet.

Wooyoung has had less problems with calming down despite their unfamiliar surroundings. After spending the whole evening sitting close to their little fire and staring into the distance he had nodded off quite easily, curling into a little ball underneath his blanket.

San himself kept watch without seeming to tire. His eyes were sharp and quick, ears picking up any sound and he also kept their fire burning, warming up the little group and keeping predators away.

Hongjoong and he had conversed a bit when Wooyoung was still awake, simple questions that San had avoided quite mysteriously. His shell was not easy to pierce and Hongjoong gave it up after some time, quieting down as not to disturb Wooyoung.

And after some time he also felt sleep tugging on him. His eyelids drooped where he was mindlessly staring into the fire. His limbs seemed much to heavy to still be used to move much and when he lifted his head again it felt already light.

"San.", he whispered carefully, meeting the other's fierce eyes over the fire that danced in them like a certain death creeping closer.

"Wake me up when you need me to sit guard.", Hongjoong mumbled tiredly, just getting a quick nod before the man resumed to looked out over the plains.

Hongjoong was asleep before his head hit his arms.

-

He got visited again.

This time the hand settled on his mouth instead of his throat, silencing any scream that may have sounded. At the second he awoke Hongjoong already knew that this was not San, the cold of the shock immediately settling in his limbs.

Still he stayed calm, glaring up at the man in black blocking the sky above him.

It was all dark out, their fire having died out already and Hongjoong was quite sure that dawn was no more than an hour away. In the hopes of Wooyoung or San waking up before the bandit could flee Hongjoong stayed calm, cautiously glancing down towards his hip.

His gun was gone again, having found it's place in the secure grip of the stranger's hand who just waved at Hongjoong with it before sliding it in front of his belt. Hongjoong frowned at the obvious display of mockery.

The hand slid from his mouth again when the man was sure he would not scream, leaning over Hongjoong to whisper in his ear through his mask quietly.

"We meet again, Sheriff."

"Is this the moment you let me arrest you like a good boy?", Hongjoong growled back, his patience running thin and they were three people after all. They easily outnumbered him so why did he feel so confident?

"No, not at all, that has to wait until later still. This is the moment I warn you. Stay away from the mountains if you do not wish for your little village to get hurt. People have been dying."

The other was so very close, his black jacket brushing against Hongjoong's chest while the many chains dangling from it completely uselessly and probably for fashion only tickled against Hongjoong's neck.

"What is your goal then? What do you want? If you are so mighty you could have killed all the people long ago already.", Hongjoong spit maybe a tad too loud as the hand immediately came up again, pressing against his mouth.

"No, no... That's not what this is about. I just want to play, dear Sheriff. No need to get all business-y."

Hongjoong tried peeking under that dark hat of his, tried to see behind the silvery decorated mask but there was only black nothingness, absolutely nothing hinting at him having a face.

Hongjoong shuddered at the thought of the other man maybe not having a face at all, just some kind of twisted nightmare having taken on human form.

It would make sense actually, this being a nightmare. However the cold Hongjoong felt seemed very much real.

"Who are you then? What are you doing here mocking me? Is this part of your scheme?" Hongjoong spoke again as soon as he was released, memorizing the smell of fire on the other man.

The bandit however gave a disappointed noise, pulling back. His eyes wandered over Wooyoung and San, both deeply sleeping before he focused Hongjoong again.

"I said no business. You are no fun today, Sheriff. Entertain me more when we meet next time, I'm begging you."

Hongjoong huffed when his revolver was dropped on his stomach heavily, hitting a rib. The man stepped back then, easily turning his back and walking away through the grayness of dawn but Hongjoong wasted not another second.

As soon as the man turned his back to him, he grabbed his dear White Rose, lifting her to fire at the man's retreating back.

However, his first shot missed when the man easily avoided it, his fluid movements terrifyingly fast.

Hongjoong gritted his teeth, aiming at his broad shoulders again but a confused voice saying his name interrupted him.

"Sheriff... Just what are you firing at?"

When he turned around San was looking at him groggily, rubbing his eyes as if not quite believing them.

"One of the bandits. He was here, he is just-"

When Hongjoong looked back, wanting to point, the man was already gone, having disappeared between dead vegetation and prickly cacti. He blinked, suddenly unsure whether the man truly had been there. Confused, he lowered his gun.

"Maybe we did stay out too long yesterday... Let's just check out the trail today and then go back. I fear you might catch a fever. Tell me if you see things again." San sounded mildly inconvenienced, his face showing distrust.

Could Hongjoong have imagined it with his sleepy brain? Well, today for sure but his throat did hurt the day before. But if that had been from the dust? Were those paintings of the bandits already haunting him in his sleep?

Not quite decisive he just rose, going to give some water to the horses while San woke up Wooyoung. Hongjoong tried sneaking a peek at them, tried catching them at slipping up but both played their parts, keeping a safe distance.

Hongjoong was nearly diasppointed but Wooyoung had been right. Seeing the people here interact with each other made him curious indeed.

Wave and the other two did not seem disturbed, did not show any signals of noticing the dark man come and go and Hongjoong had to accept it, calming himself down again.

He brought the horses with him, when he returned, San giving the call to start their journey again. Hongjoong munched on his bread while they were going, trying not to search too obviously for the dark man who had to be here somewhere.

On second thought they might even prepare to capture them right now, waiting patiently until they were stupid enough to walk right into their lair.

Their cockiness made Hongjoong angry, sending him into a dark spiral of curses. Those were bandits, robbers and murderers, taking whatever they wanted, how dare they play them like a cat a mouse? Hongjoong would put an end to this for sure and he would start with that brainless bastard who kept haunting him.

"San.", he calmly called out to the other man, coming up to his side to talk better.

"Have you ever had any run-ins with the bandits? What are they like? Are they willing to let people go?"

There might be some sort of motive, some way to prevent the killings. Was it money they were after? Respect? Simple entertainment? Hongjoong needed to know in order to confront them.

"I met them. But I never saw their faces, just like the others. So far... I only see them from afar normally, only actually talking once. They had a woman with them then. She was easy to persuade." San's grin finished the story for Hongjoong and while he did not intend on using that for himself, he did take a internal note.

San standing in one of their's favors might be an advantage too. If they were to get that woman weak enough for him she might spill some beans.

He shared that thought with San, getting a thoughtful look.

"I agree with your technique, however I would not know which one she was. Seducing the right one might get difficult."

Their multiple leader system was indeed no bad idea. Hongjoong started to wonder then. Was the man visiting him at night one of their leaders too? Did the bandits know he was spying on Hongjoong and did they approve of it?

Hongjoong was not entirely sure whether he could recognize that man in a swarm full of same looking people but he did memorize the details well enough to know whether it was the same one visiting him.

So if he tried the San technique himself, could he win the bandit's favor? He might be able to worm his way into their secrets somehow without the other bandits ever knowing, without that man himself ever knowing.

Hongjoong's plan was starting to form already in his head, making him try to think of a way to get the bandit pliant and trusting for him. It would have been easier indeed to seduce a woman but depending on what exactly that bandit truly wanted from him he might be able to give him just that.

And if the man ever got too comfortable he would lock him up and demask him. And after laughing at his disbelieving face Hongjoong would annihilate their whole group.

Wooyoung threw him a funny glance when Hongjoong just evilly giggled to himself. San did not comment on it, his eyes focused on the mountains.

********

I might be a bit busy with moving these days so please don't expect daily chapters here but I will try to get back to that soon ^^