Chapter 3

"When Freedom Calls"

Nothing could have prepared Nate for what he is now looking at. The landscape around him is completely dead and barren. The trees around the landscape are leafless and charred. It is as if there are no signs of life anywhere. The neighborhood of sanctuary is completely demolished, however some homes appear to be mostly intact. At the bottom of the hill lay the skeletons of the people he can only guess were once the scared residents of Sanctuary Hills.

Nate approaches his home with only one thing in mind, "Who would have a reason to take my son?" The more Nate thinks about it the less sense it makes.

As he approaches his home a .32 round hits Nate's right leg. He lets out a scream, and the raider puts his gun to Nates head, "Hey Wolfgang! I got something you're going to want to see!"

Wolfgang approaches the raider, "Good work. This one is well-fed, and it looks like he came from a nearby vault."

"What makes you say that boss?" Wolfgang sends the raider to the ground with a well-placed punch in the gut.

"You moron, He has on one of those blue jumpsuits." Wolfgang looks at Nate. "Yes this one will be worth a whole heap of caps." Nate is now fully aware of his situation, but unable to do anything with the pain in his leg, and the four raiders surrounding him. "We can sell him to the raider gang at Corvega."

Wolfgang confiscates Nate's .10mm pistol and hands it to the raider wielding a bat. Nate let out a pain filled grunt and with one swift motion of his rifle Wolfgang renders Nate unconscious.

"Now let's head out, I heard those Coverage raiders are attacking a group of nobodies from down south!"

Back at the museum of freedom, night begins to creep over the horizon. Most of their day was spent cleaning the bodies out from the perimeter in front of the museum. The stench of death hangs over the exhausted fighters like a dark shroud.

Bill pulls the last body over to the gas covered pile and Hollis sets it ablaze with his last cigarette. With a somber tone Hollis addresses Bill. "Go get Preston out here. He and Carman will take first watch."

Carman takes up over watch on the balcony overlooking the road wile Preston takes the watch on the road. Fortunately for them the road to the left of the museum is completely blocked by the collapsed church tower. Preston joins Hollis out on the road, "Hollis, it's been three days. Do you really think it was a smart idea to send them out for supplies?"

Hollis takes a deep breath. "After that last raider attack, I was beginning to ask myself the same thing." Preston bows his head. "But we can't dwell on that right now. Bill and I will relieve you two in a few hours."

They stand and Hollis turns towards the door of the museum. "Hollis, we can't stay here forever." Hollis cocks his head and returns a nod before closing the museum door behind him.

Later that night Bill steps out onto the street and approaches Preston who is keeping watch over the road. "Any movement?"

"No." Preston looks at Bill. "This doesn't make sense. Those raiders have been chasing us ever since we left Lexington." Preston lowers his head.

"It doesn't have to. All they look for is an easy meal, and something fun to do." Bill takes a swig from his canteen. "Look The people in there are counting on us to keep them safe."

Preston lets out a sigh. "Well, we've been doing a pretty lousy job. Is Hollis up yet?"

Bill takes another swig, "No. Couldn't sleep so I thought I'd . . ."

Carmen whistles from the balcony. "We have movement, four raiders. West end of the road."

Preston takes a look through his binoculars confirming the call. "Looks like they are dragging a civilian with them."

"So? Looks like some Waste lander let themselves get captured." Bill responds nonchalantly.

"We have to go help him!" Preston blurts out.

Bill chokes on his canteen. "Are you nuts? The last thing we need is for you to try and be some sort of hero. Besides you I both know he is as good as dead."

Taking offence to Bill's response Preston Jumps over the perimeter. "Bill, we joined the minutemen to help people and right now that man needs our help!"

Preston darts off along the buildings on the right. Bill jumps the perimeter to follow. Keeping his voice just above a whisper he responds, "The people HERE need our help Preston!"

Ignoring his comrade Preston follows the four raiders until they come up to a redbrick building just around the street corner. There are two sentries keeping watch just outside. Bill grabs Preston by the shoulder and whispers, "Alright we know where they took him, now let's go back before more of them show up."

Preston waits for the sentries to let the group through the door and he quietly makes his way towards the collapsed structure behind the red building. Bill scrambles to keep up with him.

The duo creep through the structure and out of the rear collapsed wall.

Preston stops at a door on the back of the red building and turns to look at Bill, "Remember when we first got here? Hollis had us search all these building for supplies?

Bill acknowledges with a worried nod.

Preston continues, "This is one of the buildings Jim and I ransacked. Through this door is a staircase blocked by ruble. We can use that to get the high ground on them."

Bill let out a sigh, "Then what? We have no idea how many raiders we are dealing with."

"We know there are at least six raiders. Besides . . ." Preston reaches into his coat, and removes two M84 flash bang grenades, "I nabbed these from the old military checkpoint on the way here from Jamaica Plain." Preston hands one to Bill.

Bill nods.

"Alright this just might work."

Nate begins to gain consciousness as Wolfgang's crew drag him through the door of the red building.

A tall dark man wearing a raider harness come out from behind a pile of rubble. He is covered in dirt and grime from head to toe. Wolfgang approaches the man with his arms extended. The raiders that surround the walls tense up. "Gristle my main man! It's been a long time!"

"Cut to the chase mutt." Gristle stands at the top of the mound of rubble with arms crossed.

Wolfgang retreats, "Well I'm here as always ready to strike a bargain my friend! I know how you guys are always in the market for huge payouts!"

Gristle raises an eyebrow "This better be good Wolfgang, our last deal didn't go so well."

He signals for his group to drag Nate in. "We found this one scavenging the town just north of here."

Gristle instantly recognizes the blue jumpsuit. "Is he from 81?"

"No. To far north from their usual parties. But this just might be the key to starting up your own gang!" Gristle begins to show a slight grin.

"Just imagine it. You will have access to clean water and a large food supply! If you make me an offer I just might sell him to you."

"You will take twenty caps" Gristle spits out.

Wolfgang grows a deep frown. "What?! This guy is worth way more than that! I'll get more selling him to. . ."

Gristle raises his arm and all the raiders in the room aim their guns at Wolfgang and his crew. Gristle is now walking slowly circling around Wolfgang. "Let me say that again. You will take ten caps." Gristle stops to put his face to Wolfgang's, "And I won't hang your carcass off the Corvega overpass."

The room gets eerily quiet, and Nate hears the equally grim sound of a grenade hitting the floor.

"BANG"

Everyone in the room is blinded. Chaos erupts as both Gristle's and Wolfgang's crews fire blindly in all directions. It is literally blind luck that Nate gets tossed right behind an over turned desk.

Preston fires his laser musket at full charge through the head of one raider and into the chest of another reducing both to ash. Bill fires his musket into the gut of a female raider sending her to the ground. Wolfgang is just barely able to gain his composure before he manages to drag himself out of the building.

One raider manages to yell out, "They are above us!" and though disoriented Gristle blindly fires his pipe rifle in the direction of opposing fire as he tries to get to cover.

Bill takes another shot and severs a raiders arm. "Preston, the leader is over behind that pile of rubble." He removes his Flash bang and tosses it down into the mess as more bullets pepper their position.

Nate struggles to lift himself over the desk when he sees it. He lets out a sigh, "This world can officially bite my ass." The flash bang explodes sending Nate to ground, and the exchange of fire continues for a few more moments.

Preston jumps down first and scans the room. In the corner of the room he spots Gristle cradling the wound in his abdomen. Preston approaches the raider leader and places the muzzle of his musket to Gristles head. 'Yup, this is for sure the worst deal yet Wolfgang. . .'

Preston looks Gristle in the eye, "This is for all those lives you have taken." At full charge Preston pulls the trigger and Gristles head is atomized.

Bill looks around the room, "Preston, I think we may have killed your blue friend." Preston looks around the room and sees the man in the blue jumpsuit stumbling to the ground.

Preston approaches the disoriented Nate, takes a knee and places his hand on his shoulder. "If you're going to kill me just do it already."

"The name is Preston Garvey, This is Bill, Commonwealth Minutemen."

"Come on wha . . ?" Nate passes out due to the blood lose in his leg.

Preston and Bill carry Nate back to the museum stretcher style.

Hollis jumps over the perimeter and helps bring Nate into the museum.

"Are you boys out of your god damn mind? You guys are lucky I'm short on men!"

Bill stays outside for night watch while Hollis and Preston bring Nate into the Museum. They set him down on the floor next to a support column. "Preston go wake Marcy, and bring a med kit."

Nate stirs awake still disoriented, "Where, where am I?"

Hollis squats down in front of him, "This is the Museum of Freedom, and from what Bill told me, you are very lucky to be alive."

Nate turns to look at Hollis, This man bears a striking resemblance to George Washington. His hair is black and thinning at the top and is dressed in a long tattered navy blue coat.

"So you guys are minutemen?" Nate breaths out.

Hollis flashes a grin. "That's right, helping people at a minutes notice. That's the idea at least. What's your name?"

"Nathan. . . Nathan Adams" he says as he regains his awareness.

Preston returns with Marcy in pursuit. "So you're a vault dweller? Bet you wish you'd never left your cushy vault huh? Now bite down on this." Marcy shoves a piece of cloth into Nates mouth. "This is going to hurt. . . A lot."

Hollis stands, "I better go take over for Carmen. Don't worry. Marcy will take care of you." He turns to Preston and orders him, "Go check on the rest and help Marcy with Nate before you turn in."

Preston holds Nate's leg down as Marcy injects him with Med-x and begins to dig around in the leg for the bullet. All the while Nate bites down on the rag. Even though his leg is numbed it wasn't a large enough dose to completely dull the excruciating pain. After a short while she is able to dislodge the projectile and inject Nate's leg with a stimpack. "All done, you can scream now." Nate spits the rag out of his mouth and lets out a pain filled scream.

Marcy's son joins them as she begins to clean Nate's leg. "Hey kido, I thought I told you to stay upstairs."

Her son sits cross legged next to her, "I couldn't sleep. Maybe I can help you take care of the blue man?"

Marcy kisses her son's forehead, "Sweetie you are too kind."

Preston squats down to the kid's height, "Hey, run upstairs and bring this man something to eat."

The kid quickly jumps to his feet and returns an exaggerated solute. "Yes sir!"

Nate lets out a chuckle and looks at Marcy, "What's his name?"

Marcy wipes the blood off her hands with a rag and tosses it aside. She then begins to stitch up Nates leg. "His name is Kyle. He gets his eccentric behavior from his father."

Nate rubs his head where Wolfgang struck him, "Where is his father now?"

Marcy stops mid stitch and bows her head, "He was killed when we were attacked in Lexington. The raiders there, they just . . ." Marcy starts to choke up as she recants those events.

Nate is reminded of his own situation. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to . . . I understand."

Marcy wipes away her tears, "I. . . I'm sorry to hear that. Jun was a kind hearted man. He always had a knack for seeing the good in people." Marcy ties up the last stitch and sits back on her legs.

Nate can't help but empathies with her. He knows exactly how she feels loosing someone like that. He lets out a sigh, "My wife she was . . . She was beautiful . . ."

He pauses, "They, were beautiful."

Marcy lifts her head, "They?"

Nate instantly regrets it, "My son, someone took him. I don't know who they are and I don't know why. When we heard the bombs were coming we just ran. We made it to the vault and they stuck us inside these pods." Nate pauses and swallows the not in his throat. "Next thing I know I'm waking up to a gun shot."

Marcy has her hand over her mouth. She know his pain, more than she would like.

"I just can't think of any reason why someone would take my son." Nate sighed.

Preston and Marcy freeze and say in unison, "Bombs?"

Marcy continues, "What bombs? What are you talking about?"

Nate bewildered by the question. "You know. The nuke that was dropped on top of Boston?"

Preston takes a step forward and gets down to eye level with Nate, "There hasn't been a nuclear detonation in over two hundred years."