Journal Entry: Andre Hyppolite and the severed head

[Dweller_Benthos]

Met Andre again at the bar in the marina. He was still grateful to me for springing him from whoever had him locked up at the brewery. No problem I said and saw the look on his face, knowing he was going to ask a favor.

Sure enough, seems some guy had killed someone's brother and kept a body part as a souvenir and the brother wanted it back. Andre was tossing names around of people I didn't really care to know, so I didn't bother remembering who they were. The trophy was in a box stored in Weelegol Village. Oh great, THAT place I thought. What a dump. Was probably a nice place when it was a quaint fishing village, but the water had long since dried up and it was just a hangout for scumbags now. I took the job anyway, figuring Andre would owe me double and maybe pay me back sometime. HA, fat chance I thought.

I left the marina and made my way south along the shore of the lake. Had a skirmish with some mercs at the pipeline and lost my grenade truck to a mortar round from nowhere. Sonofabitch, if I ever find the buggar who launched that, he's going to regret it. Hoofed my way to a safe house where I had another truck stashed, only a 30 cal on this one, but it would have to do.

I followed the dry stream bed under the pipeline to avoid any problems with the guys who hung out up there. They heard me, but didn't think to look down into the ravine as I drove by, since not a single round was fired my way. Lucky for them, too, I was in no mood and it probably would not have gone well for them.

I rolled into the edge of Weelegol and carefully topped the hill overlooking the village. After taking out a few of the guards who were in sight, the rest started to make their way to my position. One by one they fell to rounds from my AS50. I walked into the now seemingly empty village and plugged a lone guy in a post outside the village who was sporting a rocket launcher of some type. From a distance, looked like a Carl G, am I glad I saw him first.

Made my way around the central building and tossed a few grenades into the room before going in. Good thing, too, a couple goons had been hiding in there, guarding the "trophy". It was a cardboad box sitting on a table, with blood soaking through in spots. I didn't even want to get close to it, much less pick it up and carry it, but Andre was insistant that we get it back and give it to the next of kin. Whatever, I thought and hoisted the thing into my truck and drove off.

I circled back through the village and headed north to the post office, picking up a message there about someone else who was after my main target, the Jackal. Seems he left a clue in Sepoko, I'll have to head up there some time and see what's up.

I headed back to the marina by way of Mosate Selao and ended up circling the lake completely by the time I was done. Rolled into the bar at night fall and handed Andre his prize box. It was his problem now, and I was glad to be rid of the thing. Gave me the creeps. I'll kill a guy for the right reason or price, but I'll leave him dead to the buzzards or whoever might want to bury him, not chop him up into little pieces to keep a memento of the deed. I have enough memories to last me a lifetime, I don't need a physical reminder.