The route 22 checkpoint was busy as usual during the night watch as Kayla made her way toward the command building. Music could be heard with laughter and profane remarks coming from the bar as the men usually liked to get drunk after getting off of shift. She waved to a few Knights, smoking a cigarette outside the bar. Monroeville was a nice checkpoint area with two dining places and a few bars for the civilian population and Knights as well.
Still Tai's story of fending off the super mutants still amazed her along with his family ties to the Brotherhood's top Special Forces. Her training was hard enough, but she couldn't begin to imagine the type of training Tai had gone through.
Kayla stepped into the small two story brick building, feeling the cool air wash over her. She was standing in a small lobby with another female sitting at a desk at the far end of the room, typing information on a computer. "Another graveyard shift Marsha?" Kayla said as she walked up to the desk.
Marsha looked up and cracked a smile through her tired expression. Her red hair was done up nicely as always. "Yeah, I pulled a double today because Tiffany was sick."
"Bullshit, she's too busy blowing Lt. Barnes." Both of them laughed after the smart statement. "Ahh, but anyways." Kayla said. "Who's in command as of the moment?"
"Commander Watson."
"Geez, long day not to put any Lt's on duty, must've been busy. May I see him? It's about something he might know more about."
"Sure, just head up. He should be at his desk going over paper work. You were always one of his favorites around here."
"That's because I actually do work as in; out in the baking sun for twelve hours and not in a nice cooled office, but hey...you look cute."
Marsha chuckled with a grin. "Nope, trust me its work today. I gotta do everyone's pay and inventory...This is gonna be fun."
"How 'bout you add a few extra bucks into my check? Thanks!"
"How 'bout they just fire me now and kick me out into the wasteland? No thanks."
Kayla chuckled once more. "I'll catch you later." She said as she walked up a short flight of stairs and opened a door to the commander's office. The office was a decent size filled with maps, filling cabinets, pictures and other items of importance. Commander Watson sat in his chair looking at a pile of papers and maps. He was the top commander of the checkpoint as he received his orders from Elder Thompson, one of the four Elder's. "Commander."
Watson looked up. His green dull eyes met with Kayla's. He was aging well as he still held a sense of a ready Knight, willing to still go into battle if need be. "Oh, Kayla it's nice to see you. What can I do for you?"
"Well we have a problem that needs to be looked at around here." She said as she walked up and took a seat in front of the desk.
"And this problem is?"
"Today Kaz took into his home a girl and a boy. The boy was wounded with a bullet in his stomach, but he survived. The girl had been running from super mutants from Pitcairn. The problem is that she and the mutants crossed 22 without us noticing."
"Hmmm..." Watson rubbed his grey beard in thought. "That is a problem. I'm thinking more patrols will have to be set up. We can't be having people and especially mutants crossing over without us noticing..."
"Also the boy that was wounded is a Tai Mason, son of Richard Mason a former Paladin of the Brotherhood."
Watson's eyes lit up and his facial expression became serious. "Are you sure of this?" He questioned eagerly.
"Y-yeah." Kayla replied, worried about the situation. "He killed three super mutants alone, no power armor or anything."
"This boy is extremely dangerous..." Watson stood up from his chair. "Thank you for reporting this Kayla, I need to get some men together and capture this boy."
Kayla stood as well. "But sir, he is no threat to us."
"Kayla this situation has nothing to do with you, as of right now you are dismissed." Watson said as he walked over to a radio.
"Wha-wait, hold on." Kayla insisted. "What are you going to do? He hasn't done anything wrong."
"He has information regarding a top secret matter that I cannot further explain to you. Now return to your quarters Miss Rose." Watson said in a cold blunt manner.
Kayla tried to think of what the boy could know, but it was useless to try and figure it out with nothing to go on. "Yes sir..." She said as she turned and made her way out of the office, thinking to herself. "Whatever that was about, it doesn't seem to be good for that kid..."
xxxx
Lily had found her way to the couch in front of the TV, which was playing one of her favorite shows she got to see when only having a few hours in between 'shifts' for the slaves. I Love Lucy was like a dream land to her as she wished she was the house wife of a handsome man, in a beautiful home and a busy city...It seemed like it was from a different world, as in a sense it was.
Lily's world was stripped from her at the age of seventeen as she grew up in a small town south of the Pitts called Upper St. Clair. Her mother was the head doctor of the town and taught Lily medical skills since she could remember. She grew up helping the wounded and sick as the town would take in outsiders and escaped slaves, but soon the slavers found out about the town and saw nothing but mass profit. Her world was soon turned upside down when they came, killing those who fought, raping all the women and taking everything anyone ever had. Families were broken up and sold, but her and her brother went to the Pitts together only to escape four years later.
"Luke..." She said softly as to not wake Tai. Her brother was always by her side, a father figure when they had no father. Their mother would never speak of him, but they had each other even through the hard times. Still they were separated after they she was recaptured..."He could be dead..." Her mind thought, but she quickly forced those thoughts to the side and focused on I Love Lucy once more.
She was still glad to be free from the harsh slavers in the Pitts. She also found it horrible that even with the Brotherhood of Steel taking command of key areas around the state of Pa, they traded with the Pitt slavers in order to gain the steel needed for armor and other industry. It seemed the slavery was the best way to keep people working and the slavers with caps in their pockets.
Lily looked over as Tai sat up and picked his head up as if he sensed something. She could see the look on his face as he was focusing his senses. His eyes shifted side to side and he looked at her. "Company..." He said and almost as if he knew, then suddenly...the house went pitch black.
Outside of the house, one of the knights had severed the power to the house and looked back at Commander Watson. "Power's gone sir. The house is black."
"Good." Watson said as he looked at the dark windows. "Two teams of two, team one through the front, team two through the back, the rest stay out here and make sure he doesn't slip out. We need him alive, but he is very dangerous. Proceed with extreme caution."
The knights silently nodded and proceeded to group up and infiltrate the sound. The power armored knights moved in the front door quickly, scanning the room with NVGs. "Clear..." The point knight called out as he looked over at the other group making their way out the kitchen.
"Kitchen is clear. Head up to the second floor and we'll hold the living room." The other group's point man ordered.
"Right." He said as he made his way up stairs with his team behind him, his shotgun focused in front of him with buckshot load. Still, he had to capture the target. The group made it up to the hallway. The point man signaled to the other two knights to check the other room and bathroom. They nodded and moved to the other rooms. The point man took his backup to a door and looked at him. His backup man nodded as the point man kicked in the door and the backup man stepped in aiming at a girl with something in her hand.
"What the hell?" The backup knight said as he looked at her light green figure through the NVGs. The point man came in aiming as well, but dropped his aim when he saw the girl. "This isn't our target..."
"What's that in her hand-AH!" The point man's vision turned a blinding white as both knights were blinded by the flashlight in Lily's hands.
Tai rolled out from behind the door, baring his combat knife. "Power armor..." He said as he rushed in and sliced the back of the backup knight's power armor, cutting its coolant supply. Quickly he rushed at the point man, coming in low like a football player and drove upward catching the point man off guard driving him back.
"WHAA!" The point man yelled as he tried to catch his footing, but Tai sent a leg behind him and forced his head backwards toward the ground, sending him directly onto his neck. His body went numb after a loud CRACK.
Tai's slick Judo takedown on the point man left him with a broken neck after he heard the sound of it snapping. Tai looked back at the backup Knight he the Knight tried to move, but the suit was already overheating. "Shit!" The Knight yelled as he hit the emergency armor drop, dropping the thick armor plating allowing him to move freely again. He quickly took his helmet off and looked over at his fallen comrade, but Tai wasn't there. "What the fuck?" He said in confusion and looked over at the girl. "A flashlight? How the-?" Something caught his eye on the side as he looked, but a sudden flash left him in darkness.
Lily cringed as she watched Tai blow the Knight's head clean off with the shotgun he picked up from the point man. Blood, hair, skull fragments, teeth and mushy brain matter sprinkled all onto the wall. Tai looked down at the Knight. "...The fuck are they doing-" Quickly Tai took aim at another Knight that suddenly appeared in the doorway, but the Knight grabbed the shotgun and Tai by the throat. Tai felt his feet leave the floor as his breathing was cut in half by the tight grip of the Knight. Pain shot up his body as a punch landed hard into his wounded stomach. Suddenly he was weightless as he was thrown back landing next to Lily.
Lily gasped as she watched Tai hit the floor hard moaning in pain. She could see his bandaged wound start bleeding through the patch job. "Tai!" She called out as she dropped to his side and looked at the Knights. She had never seen anything like them...They were like monsters in her eyes.
"Jesus..." The Knight said as his backup Knight came in after him. "How the hell did he take out two Knights with Power Armor?" He looked at the tags of the headless Knight. "Damnit...Reynolds..." He looked at Tai. "He was a good soldier...You're lucky we have to take you alive..." The Knight seethed in anger.
"F-fuuucckkk..." Tai groaned as his whole body thrived in pain. He looked at the Knights in anger. "W-what do you want?"
Outside Kaz made his way up to the yard of his home with Kayla, but they were stopped by two knights guarding the area. "What's going on here?" Kaz demanded to know.
"Matters that do not concern you Kaz..." One of the Knights said Kaz looked at the name plate.
"Gains..." Kaz said as he looked up. "This is my house, so I'm sure it does concern me Gains."
"Kaz, back down." The other Knight pleaded. Kaz could tell from his voice it was J.D. Scott, a kind Knight. "Look the guy you brought is very dangerous and is wanted by the Brotherhood."
"Hey!" Gains yelled at Scott. "We aren't supposed to give out ANY information."
"That kid is skilled, but he's not a threat." Kayla said as she saw Commander Watson walk up.
"Kaz and Kayla." Watson said calmly. "Kaz I'm sorry about this mess and any damage to your home will be repaired out of the Brotherhood's pocket. We have the situation under control and you will be given a reward for the capture of a high value target. One of the top wanted on our list. I'm sure you will get a promotion, meaning more caps and a bonus."
"You hear that Kaz?" Gains added. "You're a hero; now move along somewhere else with your girlfriend."
"Fuck you Gains." Kayla spat.
"Don't make me tell you again slut, leave." Gains said as he stepped up. Kayla didn't back down, but without power armor she was powerless to do anything.
Everyone's attention turned to the house as the front door swung open and Tai was tossed down the short steps onto the dusty ground with the Knights aiming at him. "Sir we have one dead and one in critical condition, we'll need a vehicle for transport of Gromola...I think this punk broke his neck. Reynolds's will need a closed casket and his brains scraped off the wall."
"One dead and the other with a broken neck?" Kayla's mind exploded in amazement. "How does someone with no armor take out two of ours with armor? This kid is something serious."
One of the knights pulled out the girl from the house and sent her to the ground next to Tai. "We also found this girl."
"Well done Knights..." Watson said. "Secure them both and take them to the holding area for interrogation."
Tai felt his body ravage in pain once more as a Knight sent a brutal kick into his wounded stomach again. Tai yelped in pain as Lily quickly made her way over to him. "Please stop hurting him!" She cried as tears streamed down her face. "He didn't do anything to you! Why are you doing this?"
"L-let her...-g-go." Tai spoke through the pulsating pain. "She doesn't...k-know anything...I'm your guy you st-stupid fucks..." Tai yelped in pain as another boot nailed him in the back. The pain was intense as his body strained.
"Stop it!" Lily cried out.
"We'll take the girl." Kayla said as Watson turned to her. "She doesn't know anything as this boy only saved her today."
"...Fine." Watson said as he turned to the Knights. "Take the boy, leave the girl and call in for MTs.
Tai was pulled to his feet and dragged away by two Knights as Lily tried to hold onto his leg, but lost her grip. "No, please...He didn't do anything! Why are you doing this?" Kayla quickly made her way to Lily and comforted her by hugging her close. "Please don't let them hurt him anymore..." She sobbed. Tai in her eyes was the closest thing to safety she had felt in a while.
"What's going to happen to him Commander?" Kaz asked as he watched the injured Tai being dragged around the corner and up the road out of sight.
"Interrogation on matters of high importance."
"Are you going to kill him?"
"That's up to him." Watson said coldly as he followed the rest of the Knights leaving the area. He stopped and looked back. "Take the night off Kaz. You'll be given you're new rank in a few days' time." He continued to walk on.
"...Shit." Kaz said as he looked over at Lily and Kayla.
xxxx
Kaz stood in the guest bedroom of his house and looked at the gore on the wall along side with Kayla. They both couldn't believe that someone could take on two men without armor. The armor was designed to give the user equipment and safety in the field.
"One kid..." Kayla said in awe as she looked at Gromola.
"Ahh..." Gromola groaned as the medical team prepped to move him. "K-Kaz..."
Kaz took a long drag of his cigarette as he looked at the helpless sight of Gromola. "How did this happen?"
"That girl...Blinded us with a flash light...The little prick knew we were using NVGs...How many wasteland punks know about NVGs?"
"This kid is different..."
"Too bad I know now...They say I won't be able to move anymore...Broken neck and all..."
"I'm sure we can still take care of you. You'll just be doing a lot more paper work"
They both chuckled.
"Yeah...But this kid tossed me, even with my armor on. Flipped me right on my neck." He groaned once more with the throbbing on his head. "I had to weigh three fifty tops with that armor on, but he caught me off guard...That isn't any regular kid."
"He's the son of a Paladin."
"That explains a lot..." The medical teams lifted the stretcher and rolled him out. "See ya later Kaz..." Gromola's weak voice called out before fading quickly.
Kayla looked at Kaz. "What do you think's gonna happen to him?"
Kaz took another long drag and thought. "...I don't know, but our methods of interrogation are never pretty."
xxxx
Sweat dripped from Tai's nose as he looked at the spackles of blood on the floor. His arms were tied behind a chair and his head hung low, throbbing in pain. Suddenly a white flash and then the sore sensation of a well landed right hook from a man in fatigues. Tai's head snapped to the side from the blow, sending more blood onto a nearby wall. Once again Tai's head hung, his breathing becoming heavy with pain and frustration.
"So are you going to tell us where the key is?" Asked another fatigue wearing knight who kept in the shadows. "Cus' I got all night with you buddy..." The knight taunted as he rubbed his knuckles.
"And I'll keep telling you...I don't know anything about no fuckin' key..." Another flash and pain from a back fist. Tai felt blood pour from his nose and his eyes water. "Mmm...Fuck!" He groaned. Once they brought him in, they wasted no time in letting him know that they meant business with assaulting him violently.
"You know what the fuck we're talking about. Just give us the key or where it's located and you're free to go." The knight in the shadows said with authority. "We don't have to do this the hard way, come on."
"And what I'm trying to tell you and that I don't know about no fuckin key. I've lived in a motha fuckin' shanty shack! Why the fuck would I need a-" Another flash and then pain. "...I'm so going to kill you when I get outta here."
"You and what army?" Asked the hulking Knight as he got in Tai's face, only to be met with a slew of spit and blood. The Knight stood back up and calmly wiped his face before sending another blow to Tai's face, this one nearly knocking him out.
"Alright Nicks, we do need him alive until he tells us where that key is. Let's wait for a while and let him think about it." One of the other Knights called out.
"I'll be back..." Nicks warned Tai before walking out with the rest of the Knights.
In the lobby of the holding area Kayla and Lily walk in. To Lily it was a cold enclosed like facility with grey walls and bland furnishings. The only good thing about these places was the air conditioning. Something she only felt a few times in her life and still amazed her to this day. Lily followed close behind Kayla as she saw the eyes of the guarding Knights lock onto her. Kayla stepped up to the desk to see a young Knight with his power armor on, but his helmet off. "Myers." Kayla said getting the attention of the Knight as he looked up.
"Hey, what's up Kay?" Myers said with a smile.
"Nothin' much. I have this girl here who would like to see the new prisoner."
"He's a HVT. No visitation allowed." Myers replied. "Sorry."
"Come on Myers, that boy saved this girls life." Kayla said as she let Lily step up. "This girl has no one and she at least wants to say thank you."
"Kayla..."
"Please...Just do it this one time for me?" Kayla asked with a girly manner.
"Ehh..." Myers sighed. "Alright, but she has to get checked over at the gate. Go down the hall, make a left and he's at the end."
"Thank you Myers!" Kayla said as she led Lily over to the side of the lobby where a Knight stood in front of a barred door. "Simmons."
"Miss Rose." Simmons replied as he looked at Lily. "She's going in?"
"Yep."
"Alright." Simmons said as he stepped up to Lily. He could see she was nervous of his presence. "I have to pat you down for hidden items or weapons. Excuse my hands." He said as he began to pat Lily up and down. After a quick search he found nothing. "Alrighty, you're good to go."
"Here's my things." Kayla said as she gave him her 9mm handgun and combat knife.
"Alright," Simmons turned to the front desk. "Clear to open!" He called out as a loud buzz came to ear and the sounds of the locks unlocking.
Kayla opened the door and led Lily along through a long corridor with multiple rooms. Lily could hear crying and some screaming from all angles of the place. It was horrible to her, but she had seen worse. They turned down another hallway and stopped at the door. "I hope he's okay." Lily said.
Tai looked up slowly, ready for more punishment when he saw Kayla and Lily. Lily's face turned serious when she saw how badly they had beaten Tai. Quickly she rushed up to him. "Tai...Are you okay?" She asked in worry.
"What does it matter to you?" He spat back at her in anger catching her off guard.
"Hey, calm down we're here to see if you were alright." Kayla said as she walked up. "Those Knights didn't take it easy on you as I can tell..."
"Fuck you both..." Tai replied as he looked at them. "This was a set up...You both set me up. I wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for you both..."
"No...No we didn't...we wouldn't..." Lily tried to defend as she ran up to Tai and wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Tai was surprised, but felt something small fall into his hand. Lily came close to his ear. "Get out...and I will meet where we first met..." She said as she pulled away.
"Mother fucking Myers..." A distant voice came from the corridor with other voices behind it. Kayla turned around to see Nicks and another Knight marching up to the room quickly. "Rose! This is a restricted area! I can have you locked up!"
Kayla stepped to the side as she looked at Nicks. "This girl only wanted to thank him for saving her life before she wouldn't see him again."
Nicks stepped into the room and looked at the girl. "Well I hope she said it already." Nicks turned to Tai. "Cus' this fucker is..."
Suddenly Tai sprung up into the air in a front layout. In midair he grabbed Nicks head and violently twisted as he twirled in the air, breaking his neck. The Knight behind Nicks was in shock and awe, but it cost him as Tai landed on his shoulder, wrapping his arm around the Knights neck and using his momentum to snap his head back, breaking his neck as well.
Kayla couldn't move as she saw two Knights taken out with ease and grace that she's never seen before. Tai landed perfectly and his murderous eyes landed on Kayla. Kayla's instincts kicked in as he tried to grab her, but her hand to hand combat training came full blown as she met him and tried to Judo hip toss him. Still Tai's skillful agility allowed him to aerial and roll with the momentum, pulling Kayla into an armbar. Kayla hit the ground and felt the pressure applied to her elbow, but she was able to slip free from the lock. Tai quickly switched up his leg positioning and wrapped them around her neck, locking in a tight triangle choke.
Kayla was in a deadly spot now and losing oxygen to the brain. She had leverage to pick him up, but as soon as she tried she felt him hit the back of her knee with a fist, dropping her to the ground once more, this time deeper into the choke. A blackish grey started to set in as her head felt hollow.
"Stop it...Stop it!" Lily yelled as she came and tried pulling on Tai's arm. She could see the look in Tai's eyes; it was one of fearlessness and a subtle rage. "Tai stop it!" She screamed as she slapped him.
Suddenly it was like Tai snapped back to reality as he let go of the hold and slid back, letting Kayla collapse face first onto the floor. He looked at Lily and saw her crying. "I-I'm sorry..." He uttered. He was lost in the moment and didn't know what he was doing; his mind and body acting to only survive. "Eh...Meet me back at Evergreen...If you aren't there in five hours, I'm gone." He quickly searched Kayla and found what he needed as the pain of his previous injuries started to set in; a stimpak. He quickly stuck himself and felt the adrenaline of the shot kick in almost instantly.
Tai looked at the doorway as he heard more Knights coming, his instincts were about to kick back in. "Five hours or I'm gone..." He said with determination in his eyes as sweat rolled down his face.
Tai took off as Lily watched him take off down the hall and turn it. Soon after loud screams and gunfire was heard and then dying screams. Lily looked at Kayla and tried to shake her awake, but she was out cold.
xxxx
Kaz jolted from his sleep as the alarms sounded around the area. Instinctively he grabbed his rifle and looked around as if there was an attack. "What the hell?" He said as he grabbed his radio. "Yates, what's the alarm?"
"That guy you picked up...He escaped...Word on the radio is that he took out ten Knights so far and we can't find him."
Kaz's eyes widened at the sound of ten Knights dead from one man. "Are you serious?"
"I don't know what kind of guy this is you brought here, but he's...Shit I got him in my sights..."
Kaz heard Yates fire multiple shots. "Did you get him?"
"Fuck! How does someone move like that? No, he's headed north!"
"Shit, keep in touch Yates...And switch to a private feq!"
"What?"
Kaz quickly made his way off his roof and into his house. "Just do as I say, I'm going to track him." Kaz opened his closet in his living room to revel a recon power armor suit. "I'm going to see about this kid..."
xxxx
Kayla's vision slowly came too as she found herself in a bed. It was the local clinic with sounds of moans and screams of pain. Last thing she remembered was Tai snapping out and nearly killing her. "Shit..."
"Shit it right Miss Rose." A voice said next to her as she looked over to see Watson. "You come into a redistricted area to meet our HVT who I told you to stay away from. You directly disobeyed my orders and somehow our target has gotten away with killing ten of our men and wounding a dozen more..." Watson grabbed Kayla's shirt and yanked her close. "How the fuck do you explain yourself, Miss Rose?" Watson seethed in anger as his eyes burned with rage.
"Uh...Uhh...Th-The girl that came with him...she wanted to see him again...That's all. I had nothing more to do with it than that...H-he nearly killed me..."
"Girl? The one from the house?"
"Y-yeah, she wanted to thank him for saving her..."
"By saving him..." Watson let Kayla go and thought about the girl. "Shit...She tricked you." Watson looked at Kayla. "You should have known better...but I will let that go for now...Where is that girl?"
"I-I don't know sir...Tai...He attacked so suddenly and quickly that it caught me off guard. He put me out somehow after taking out Nicks and Homan. Hell...I'm lucky to be here..."
"We have to find that girl...She might know where he's going." Watson quickly stormed off.
Kayla looked around still trying to gather her senses. She slipped out of the bed and stood up, she was a little woozy, but nothing she couldn't handle. She looked around the large room at knights in pain in the beds. Most were wounded with gashes and cuts. All of these men from one boy...Knights who were trained to handle the harshest enemies of the wastes and he was able to take them out with ease...
She almost felt as if it was her fault and maybe Tai was a serious threat to the Knights. Still it bothered her; he was only provoked into defending himself and escaping. She had to find Kaz and figure things out.
xxxx
Tai had made it back to his ruined shack and salvaged most of what he could find, stuffing it into a backpack. He was armed now with a pump shotgun, a 9mm handgun and combat knife. He found a few stimpaks, but laced his arm with a super stimpak that gave him a steady but safe dose of the stimulant to help heal his bullet wound and other picked up injuries plus numb any pain. It was his emergency stimpak, but now was an emergency.
He was in the process of digging up his father's grave. It took him about thirty minutes of hard digging, but he finally hit the coffin. "Bout time...Sorry dad, but this is what you would want..." Tai said, brushing the sweat from his brow. He jumped in the hole and slowly opened the casket to the sight of his father's skeleton. Memories flashed by of the times when he was alive and well...Tai pushed them back for another day as he grabbed the necklace from his father's neck and placed it in his pocket. "I wish I had time to bury you dad...but those Knight will be here soon...Love you..."
Tai climbed back out and stood, taking a deep breath. He snapped around with his handgun drawn aiming at Lily, who had her hands up in defense. "S-Sorry...I didn't m-mean to startle you..." She said timidly.
Tai lowered his aim and looked at her. "...I guess I outta' thank you for helpin' me out back there."
"You saved my life, so it was only right."
A smirk came on Tai's face, but he pulled his handgun up and fired. Lily froze as the bullet missed her by inches, but she saw that he didn't miss but hit someone behind her.
A Knight Armor suit appeared out of the blue with the Knight holding up his rifle in surrender. "You are good..."
"Recon Power Armor?" Tai said as he never had seen one of the suits in person.
"And you know you're armor." The Knight said as he took off his helmet to show it was Kaz. "Thankfully that was a nine...a .40 and up would rip through his armor."
Tai looked at Lily. "Dumbass, you were followed."
"Don't blame her, only someone with senses like you could've known I was in the area." Kaz said as he shouldered his rifle. "But I'm not here to kill you."
"Oh, but your sniper buddy is ready to put one in me from way over there at any moment you give the signal huh?"
Kaz stood there stunned at the fact that he knew Yates was scoping him, hell if there was a sense of danger Kaz would have given him a sign to pop him. "Well you know the whole plan...Impressive."
"Tell him his scope is reflecting off the moonlight, I can see him flashin' me."
Kaz paused and pressed his radio. "Yates...Tai here says your scope is flashing him..."
"...Shit..."
"Look, you seem to be out of the loop from the rest of the Knights meaning to the higher ranks you ain't shit...No offense." Tai said, getting down to business.
"None taken."
"I have something of great importance and power that my father left me in charge to take care of. I thought it would have been forgotten...I should have known better."
"What is it that you have?"
"Sorry, but I can't tell you. You are still a Knight..."
"Look, maybe we can help you."
"I just killed about ten of you guys and wounded a dozen more; the only thing right now the brotherhood will help me with is a slow death." Tai looked around. "You only had one sniper?"
"Yeah."
"Shit..." Tai said as his teeth clenched as he saw multiple scope reflections. "Looks like things are going to get complicated..." He looked at Kaz. "At least for you."
The wind blew across the land as Kaz could hear in the radio chatter that the snipers see him, but don't know it's him. "They aren't aware of Yates..." "Looks like they were on to you..." The situation was sticky for Kaz...He wasn't sure of Tai's intentions, but so far they didn't seem harmful...More like trying to avoid conflict. His decision at this point was one or the other...
"It was only a matter of time..." Tai said as he reached into his backpack and pulled out a canister. "Make your choice..." He said as he pulled the pin. "Shit is about to hit the fan, tenfold."
Kaz slipped his helmet back on and turned on the temp regulator for his suit, which started making his suit unreadable by thermal. "Yates, pop a shot near me." "This is fucking insane..." He thought.
"What? What are you talking about; there are Knights all around me I'm not tryin to..."
"Do as I say Yates, I'll keep in touch..."
Tai tossed the canister behind Kaz. It made a loud pop noise before spewing smoke, soon after that a bullet hit the ground next to Kaz. "Lily, hit the ground!" Tai called out as everyone hit the deck as bullets started flying through the smoke.
"Hot smoke, eh? Damn you're good." Kaz called out as he could hear a squad leader over the radio calling for a cease fire.
"Always be ready for someone with better equipment with smarter equipment." Tai called back. He noticed the fire power died down. "Move!" He yelled as they quickly scrambled to their feet and took off running toward a half fallen in house that was 70 yards away.
"What's the plan? We can't out run them!" Kaz yelled as he followed closely, keeping an eye on Lily who kept up.
"Shut up and follow my lead!" Tai said as he ran across the small front yard of the house and pulled open the garage. The moonlight showed a black armor plated pickup truck. "Hello baby..."
"Holy shit..." Kaz said in awe.
"Quick, hop in the back!" Tai said as he got in the front with Lily and pulled down the visor to find the keys. Kaz jumped in the back as the truck roared to life and pulled off quickly, but something came to Tai's ears.
Kaz heard it as well and knew what it was. "Shit, we got a chopper on us!" He yelled up front as Tai turned a corner, forcing him to hold on to the side.
"I've got a TSAM back there! Use it!"
"What?" Kaz looked under a tarp to find the launcher. "You expect me to fire on my own?" As soon as that was said bullets pelted the truck, almost hitting Kaz! "Fuck! That's a 40 Cal!"
"Well, I didn't expect you before, but after that maybe you'll think about it?" Tai yelled back.
"Fuck that!" Kaz grabbed the TSAM and turned on the locking monitor, taking aim. "Come on, come on..." He could hear the chopper gunner spooling up again. He heard the flat line and fired. The rocket flew at an angle then turned and found the rotor of the chopper, sending it spiraling out of control and into the ground.
"Looks like you're good for something!" Tai yelled back as he took another turn.
"Fuck you!" Kaz said as he sat back. "I might have killed someone I knew..."
Lily looked at Tai in worry. "Where are we going now?"
"To a friend of mine..."
xxxx
"What the fuck do you mean you lost them?" Watson growled in anger at the Knight. "We may never find him again...I want every available unit heading that direction. Make a report on the local broadcasting stations, TV and radio. The Knights are offering a reward of 250,000 new dollars or 130,000 caps to whoever provides us with information in the capture of Tai Mason."
"Sir!" The Knight said in taking the command and quickly made his way off.
It was three in the morning and it was already a long night to Watson. After hearing about Richard Mason's son being alive and running like that, he had the key that he heard Elder Azure talk about to his close commanders. It was of great importants and could put him in a great standing with Elder Azure and possible Elder position in the future to control what goes on in the North Eastern part of America.
"And a recon power armor suit getting away with them?" He rubbed his beard as he thought about it. "An inside job? No with the skills that boy had, he didn't need someone on the inside...I guess we'll just see who's M.I.A. from the base in the morning..."
Another female Knight stepped into the room. "Sir, we have a total of fifteen dead and thirty wounded...Are you sure we weren't attacked?"
Watson sighed deeply as he looked at the Knight. "No, it was one boy."
"A boy...sir?"
"Did I stutter?"
The Knight tensed up. "N-no sir."
Watson relaxed in his chair. "He's highly skilled as you can see. A serious threat to our organization..."
