Chapter 75: Rotten Silence
The inn smelled like grease, dust, and something faintly rotten. It was packed with travelers and locals, but the moment Rudy and his gang walked in, the air changed.
Laughter died down. Conversations paused. People suddenly found their drinks far more interesting than anything happening around them.
Rudy led the charge, swagger in every step, arms swinging loosely like he owned the world. Bollie and the others followed, cracking jokes between themselves, loud enough to fill the room.
Dune trailed behind then silently.
"We eat first," Rudy said with a grin, kicking a chair back and flopping down at a large table near the center. "Can't fight with an empty belly."
He stretched, then waved at the closest girl carrying a tray. She looked young, with a nervous twitch to her hands. She nodded quickly and hurried toward the kitchen.
I could feel how fast her heart was beating. Seems like she knows these guys.
Billo grabbed a pitcher off another table, didn't even ask. "Smells like piss wine, but I'll take it."
"Better than nothing," Mark said with a grunt.
The innkeeper peeked out from behind the counter but quickly ducked away when Rudy made eye contact. No one here was going to say a thing. They were used to swallowing pride and fear in equal measure.
dune sighed. I'd seen this before, people like Rudy had a way of poisoning a place without even trying.