Black Collar Workers

Black collar workers are a unique type of mercenary that are unique to Russel Cave. The Jeffries Act was signed into law it created a system in which certain laws were made punishable by fine. This law was expanded later to include all crimes, meaning anyone who could pay the fine could get away with whatever crime they wanted.

Black collar workers (sometimes called private contractors or temps) are criminal mercenaries that commit crimes on behalf of anyone who offers to pay their fines if caught. Black collars have been hired for pretty much every crime imaginable, including kidnapping, assassination, sabotage, theft, smuggling, torture, bribery, money laundering, and more. They are also sometimes used for legal yet still dangerous jobs, like guard duty and investigation work, especially when such work requires plausible deniability on behalf of the employer. These workers are generally hired off the books and paid under the table to avoid retribution, but especially bold businesses will have them on staff and pay them a salary.

This in turn has created an insanely cutthroat business community. Office workers have guns strapped to the bottom of their desks. Lunch breaks double as watch duty. Every office has at least one armed and armored guard. Janitors are routinely trained in body disposal. Working in a cubicle has the same aura about it as The Cold War, someone could sneak up and slit your throat at any minute. This doesn't happen all the time, or even usually as casualties can be expensive, but it does happen.

Black collar workers are sometimes betrayed. The company that hires them may refuse to post their fees when they are captured, or refuse to pay up on a contract. These types of employers are increasingly rare however. Failure to pay often results in dead executives or attacks on branches until they change their mind. This is one of the reasons they work in groups, so that their friends can avenge them if need be. Black collars also have a sort of community. If a company does not post bail it is blacklisted, and other black collars will refuse to take jobs from it. This puts them at a serious disadvantage among their competitors, especially since the blacklist is not secret or hidden.

## The Jeffries Act

The Jeffries Act, at the time, enjoyed wide support from delegates in the House of Rule. It proposed that certain misdemeanor laws would have a fine associated with them, which when payed would absolve the suspect of their crimes. Suspects who could not pay would be sentenced to work for the government until their fines were paid. The act was praised for freeing up the court system, bringing in public money without raising taxes, and acquiring cheap labor for the public sector. Most lower class criminals faced years in forced work camps, paving roads and delivering mail for decades to pay for their charges, saving the government money, lowering taxes, and making everyone happy.

Unfortunately, mostly due to the meddling of private interest group, over the years pretty much every law was added under the purview of The Jeffries Act, including murder. Consequently, the rich can literally pay to get away with with anything. This led directly to the Black Collar Worker phenomenon, mainly as a way for business to claim innocence in the various attacks. Jeffries himself tried to amend the act to only include minor non-violent crimes, but he was outvoted by his more corrupt colleagues.

## Known Black Collar Workers

### Boneshaker MC

The Boneshakers are a criminal motorcycle gang, and are one of the largest criminal organizations in Russel Cave. In addition to running illegal alcohols and smoking substances, gun trafficking, armed robbery, and various other crimes, they also rent out their seasoned members for black collar work.

The Boneshaker MC is widely known to be effective yet expensive. However they tend toward direct, violent, hit-and-run tactics over subtlety. They are very skilled at armed combat, and rarely take heavy casualties. They are usually used as a last-ditch desperate measure. When you really need a competitor gone and are willing to pay anything to get it, these are the guys you go to.

### John Doe

This guy will never be traced back to you. He's very secretive. In fact nobody has ever met him. Nobody even knows if he's actually a he. When you want John Doe you go to a payphone and ring a special, ever changing number, let it ring three times, then hang up. Wait thirty minutes then leave. He'll find you.

John Doe is in possession of a magical, mind altering surgical-technique. He can dominate the minds of anyone, and he does so often. Anyone who meets him has the memory erased. John Doe has sleeper agents all throughout Russel Cave, they live their normal lives until they get a phone call. Then these people drop their lives, find a mask and a gun, and do some work. Afterwards they find themselves at home, covered in blood, with no idea what just happened to them. Most have never heard of him, half that have think he doesn't exist. That's how he likes it. He charges a lot.

### The Smallfire Twins

A caveman sibling duo from The Knetucky Tribe. They specialize in stealth. Brother uses a short bow, while Sister uses a bone-carved hatchet. They cover themselves in warpaint and scraps of leather. They are silent. Most of the time they will be in and out before anyone notices that their boss is missing her scalp.

The Smallfire twins partially work out of hatred for Russel Cave, and the satisfaction of committing violence against businesses. They also use the money to support the tribes more subversive activities. Although they are members of an actively hostile organization, businesses still hire them for their abilities.