CHAPTER 1: Starting with Heartache one...
"Wake up ya damn fool." I heard in that lovely voice. I pulled the leather hat from my face and got a full blast of the desert suns powerful shine. I put my hat on and sat up. I was in the back of a passenger cart, drawn by cattle. In front of me sat my beautiful sweet heart, Marie. She had black curly hair and eyes darker then coal. Her skin was brownish-white, which made since because her father was black and her mother was white. Still, her skin had the most perfect mixture of color.
"We're almost too Good Springs," her sweet southern accent hummed "so get the bags packed 'n' ready for us to bug out, we're hiring these guys per hour y'know." I smiled and nodded. She had her usual serious look on her face. I just kept smiling and staring. God it was good to be alive. After a minute of staring, she smiled, rolled her eyes, grabbed the sides of my head and kissed me on the nose. I leaned back against the wooden wall and began to pack our 3 suitcases.
I looked down at my clothing while packing. A worn out leather vest, a dirty orange plaid shirt, a red bandana, dirty jeans and cowboy boots, along with my cowboy hat. Yup, I was a rancher all right. My skin was well tanned from constant work, but according to Maria it was "sexy", along with the stubble on my face that could never quite grow into a full beard.
I set the three leather suit cases aside and leaned back. I pressed my feet against Maries and she pushed hers back. We let out a random laugh that grew louder and louder. Actually, it was so heavy that I had my arms around her and she had her arms around me, both of us red in the face. We both slowly stopped laughing. We were there, kneeling on the dusty wood of a mercenary cart. We locked eyes and I stared into those shiny black holes of beauty, her hair shining in the desert light. I leaned closer, as did she. I could feel her breath on my lips. That's when it happened.
All I can remember is waking up on the ground and looking up at the cart. It was on its side, a wheel splintered and a black mark scorching the ground where an explosion had gone off. I got up and heard a whistling noise. An explosion went off next to me, tossing me into the brush. I slammed into pointed rock and gravel, feeling blood begin to pour from my forehead. I was on my back, staring at the sun. I crawled in the ditch as gun fire and explosions rippled through the sky. I could hear soldiers yelling at other soldiers, radios buzzing, even a few bullet shells hitting the dead earth below. Nothing could tear me from the one thought in mind; Marie.
I crawled further through the gutter of rock shards and tumble weeds. I jumped up and ran over to our transportation. I saw Marie behind cover, a shocked look on her face. One mercenary had his hand around her arm, the other holding a 357. revolver. The other man was tending to the other mercenary who had been shot in the abdomen. I ran over and the mercenary with Marie swapped her to me. She wrapped her tiny arms tightly around me, crushing me almost. I did the same, brushing her hair back. Still, gun fire exploded in the empty desert. I ducked back into the wood, kneeling. She did the same.
"Marie, if something bad happens, I love you, and I," she protested as I talk, wanting me to shut up, tears in her eyes "will always make sure you are safe. I will kill any man who dares harm you." My voice and charm had worked. She pressed tightly against my chest and held there, the mercenaries working hard to patch up their wounded partner. I took my 9MM out of its holster and racked a round into the chamber. The click-clack of the gun gave me a strangely pleasurable shiver. Marie looked terrified. I gave her an assuring kiss on the forehead and told her to stay put. I grabbed the binoculars from my satchel and aimed it at the gun fire that was coming from the side we didn't have cover on. I saw, behind sand bags, men wearing tan armor. It was a bit puffy and their helmets were flat and resembled safari hats. They had a bear on their chest plate with two heads, and some of them had lettering, but I couldn't read it.
I then put the binoculars through the cracks in the side of the cart. I could see men wearing red armor, leather chest plates and red kilts. I had heard about these guys, Caesar's Legion. Heartless bastards. "Ok, let's get these two to the NCR, they'll help us." one of the mercenaries said, throwing the wounded man over his shoulder. "You two, follow me." he said. He started to sprint to the men in tan. They didn't fire on us, ignored us really. I followed behind, the last mercenary behind me. The NCR were behind sand bags, a solid ridge behind them. And that's about where it all ended.
As we were half way across the sand, Marie starting to lose her breath. I had to tug her along half the time. Bullets hit the areas around our feet, meaning that Caesar's Legion was aiming for US! We were almost to the sand bags, almost home free, until I saw a black form rise from the ridge, then another, and another. Before I knew it, there were 10 Caesar's Legion on the ridge, holding assault rifles, sniper rifles, and grenade launchers. I pointed but the NCR ignored. Fools mistake. A wall of yellow and orange shot out above the ridge line. A bullet hit the mercenary behind me in the neck, sending him on the ground. The NCR behind the sand bags were getting slaughtered. One man on a machine gun got a bullet to his head. I could see his brain matter all over the sand bags. He had a death grip on the gun too. I heard Marie scream before I started to forget.
A bullet clipped me in the leg. I dropped to one leg. I looked behind me and saw several charging men. Marie tried to tug me along. I got on my feet and felt a blunt SLAM against the back of my head. I fell into the dirt and could hear Marie give a blood curdling scream. I saw 3 men start dragging her away, her legs and arms flailing and kicking. I draw my gun, laying on my belly, and started to shoot. I got one man in the side of the neck, forcing the bastard to bleed out in the sand. I was aiming at the other before I saw a boot kick my hand. My fingers stung with broken pain. I looked up and saw a figure, a shadow in the sun. I saw a boot coming to my face, and before I knew it, I woke up in a cot.
