CHAPTER TWO

(I really appreciate the review that said I was taking thinks too fast, I had the same feeling and needed to here. Conversely, if things get to fluffy or I'm taking to long to flesh out characters let me know. Really glad people are actually reading it. Enjoy chapter 2.)

James Valdor exhaled thick smoke through his nose as he stood arms crossed above their two captives and stomped out his smoke with his boot, John attempting to ensure that the women wouldn't lose her hand as he skeptically stitched closed the wound he inflicted. He shook his head as he picked up a small metal tray containing the bone fragments he'd simply had to pull out. John had been increasingly interested in the women, the contents of her bag had indicated they held some of the same interest. The varied types of tools indicated she had a diversified her skills and space between medicine, lock-picking, electronics and fire-arms. He wouldn't mind having a technical conversation with someone, that was for sure.

"She's lucky, really. Torn ligaments and for certain sure nerve damage, but she's still going to have a hand. How much function is to be seen, only time will tell." John informed as he walked up the stairs across the rock face that hid their camp, returning his tools to the work shop upstairs. Garcia and the woman had been tied together sitting down back to back, dosed with sedatives to knock them completely unconscious. James turned and walked towards Garcia's armor, examining it while his friend returned. T-60 all the way down the frame, well-worn but also well-maintained. James smirked as he realized a small imprint had made it's way onto his chest plate after he'd stomped him out. It was faint, but he marked him. It was the armor of a real warrior, that's what James had decided.

"What do you think they wanted?" James queried as his friend lumbered down the steps, staring at the armor as if it held the answers. John lit a rolled joint as he lingered down the stairs, he had vacuum sealed a large bag of some retail purchased sativa as an impulse decision.(It had always been his favorite vice.) Reassured he'd be able to relax in the same nostalgic manner as James, rolling one up had become his reward for a operation well handled. It typically made him less introverted and more eccentric, and as soon as he had taken his first hit he had been plotting where among his food crops he'd hide his seeds. He took a deep breath and held it in, considering the question.

"Well, I suppose they could of been confiscating our tech." He stopped to exhale and continued. " Brotherhood ideology, being low on supplies from Scorch Beast attacks and all that. Before his bald face lie though he indicated he knew who we were before he got here, so I don't know. If they wanted the base they could of approached more silent, the women obviously has some covert training and or experience. I'd say they wanted help -but- also considered themselves superior in strength -but- weren't completely sure, which is why they pulled the introduction with one of them cloaked." John explained, working through the situation trying to justify each option in his head.

"Help? With what? From what I saw of the Brotherhood headquarters there isn't a Brotherhood chapter in Appalachia anymo-" James stopped in his tracks, and looked up at John who had made the same realization that he had; they were aimless soldiers in need of a cause and organization. This could be precisely what their team needed, what the Enclave needed. James had set up a fairly elaborate hierarchy structure in case we could acquire some real numbers, and more military minds would certainly be useful in their cause. The Brotherhood went down like a roaring lion, and they seemed like loyal men if not somewhat misguided. John was impressed with their ability to maintain such large fleet of power armor in wasteland conditions, and the Major simply liked their moxy. Lots of dead scorch beast around their old facilities. Knight Captain Garcia as a senior NCO would be invaluable as another leader, and John knew the women was most likely a medic. (Another commodity you could never have enough of in war.)

"I'll get the juice." John stated as he grabbed the railing and stomped up the stairs while throwing his smoke over the side. James put on his officers hat that was resting on his seat and grinned while he lit another Red. 'This is going to be fun' He thought, John mentally sunk into his predator stance. He had quite the interrogation glare. 'Fuck, I miss the company.' He mused about his days in the CIA. They were bored, their talents being wasted. It was time to crank the Enclave's capabilities to 11 and start establishing real borders for the U.S.A.

Knight Captain Garcia's eyes shot open, he clutched his fatigue covered chest in confusion. His heart beat felt like thunder and his ears rung with pain as blood rushed to his head. It was time to fight.

"It's adrenaline, I had Sgt. O'Connor reverse your nap. Left the girl be 'cause I figured taking a bullet warranted letting her get a little rest." James explained looking down, bringing his smoke to take a draw halfway between sentences as he did. Garcia began to struggle to get his hands loose with all his might, to which he heard the four distinct clicks of a single action army. He look over to see John crouched down with an empty syringe in his left and and was pointing his now cocked cavalry revolver at the man's temple. The Sgt. had a wild look in his eye, crouched on his knees wielding his weapon he had donned a campaign hat and now a black bandanna he'd found with a skulls face on it he'd found across his face. John had unofficially named the skull SOG 0's mascot.

"Noooo, sir." John informed, slowly standing but keeping his weapon trained on him.

"So we've developed a theory." James continued, Garcia's eyes filled with bewildered anticipation. He couldn't speak because a rope had been tied around his head and left to rest in his mouth, he finally took a deep breath to slow his heart rate and decided to listen. He didn't have much choice otherwise. He'd heard these men where fierce in battle, but he feared they may be insane. The Enclave Officers knew they'd set up the perfect play.

"We think, after finding that corpse of a headquarters of yours y'all are shit out of luck. You're low on fusion cores and a squad leader and field medic do not an effective unit make." James drawled, as his captor slowly nodded his answer. He wasn't wrong, and it was time to see where this was going.

"So what most likely happened is y'all were going to try and confiscate our armor with sparky over there while you provided us an ultimatum to become new Brotherhood recruits. You hadn't anticipated us being well prepared, and you're stupid for coming in armor and not sneaking up with your friend. Am I right?" James questioned, a smirk developing. Garcia's eyes flooded with anger an confusion, unsure of the outcome of his situation. He nodded affirmation once again.

"Well, let me make you a similar offer." James said as he turned around and rested his right on on the guard rail of the deck while he stared of into the distance at the mountainous scenery.

"Well, shit." John laughed as he placed pressure on his gun's hammer, and controlled his trigger coming forward to make the weapon safe. His gun belt was polished black leather that he fastened from the officer's belt, a holster on his right side held his more modern 44 that was his personal side arm before the war. Across the front sat a sideways holster that he housed the single action in, the left side held a black powder pistol on a cross draw. He holstered his weapon and pulled Buck Ranger(A smaller, leaner fixed blade hunting knife) that had myrtle wood grips that matched the ones on his revolvers. It sat in a sheath sideways on the back of his belt as well, the hilt pointing towards his right hand.

"I think it's time we grow this little operation." James smiled as he cracked his flat black zippo lighter and lit another smoke.

"We've got a test for you."

( I know the chapters seem a little short, but since this is an archive and not a book I'm going for lots of chapters with each one kind of representing a scene to keep me from getting burnt out so I'll post more often. Leave a review or follow if you liked!)

-John M. Kilgore