IV: Saul Almighty Brings The Second Wind
Same Day: The Compound
I know we're not saints or virgins or lunatics; […] But our innocence goes awfully deep, and our discreditable secret is that we don't know anything at all, and our horrid inner secret is that we don't care that we don't. - Dylan Thomas
Amanda managed to crawl through one of the tiny holes that ran through parts of the Wall, just out of sight of any of the settlement slaves working on repairs or chores. Not that any of them were especially fond of her, but even if Rick never had his daughter in the same room let alone talked to her, they knew that if she were to disappear or get lost in the Wastes he'd string every one of them up until she was returned. The dirt and loamy sand felt cool and silky inside the metal monstrosity and she was almost tempted to curl up and take a nap there, but she was on a mission.
She'd heard the guns firing since noon and now she knew her father and his men were out collecting the spoils, and with any luck they'd be busy for an hour or so. Amanda also overheard one of the slavers in the camp mention that Saul was coming too. She couldn't miss seeing his men and him arrive, sticking out like a royal procession in the desolate landscape. He was called the Almighty for a reason. Though, Amanda only knew him as being the odd type of adult who knew just what kids like her laughed at and the type who could make grown men shiver like frightened children. He always was nice to her when he visited her father, maybe he'd give her a gift this time, or something from outside. Finally she found a hole big enough to peep out of into the Wastes.
Even though it was late in the year, the air waved on the hot and barren landscape and letting her eyes adjust she quickly picked out the people she knew in the combing mass. Her father was walking steadily next to Garret, who was having fun shooting at raider stragglers as they darted out from behind bushes and dunes. She eventually found Milla slightly to the east, pulling her spear out of the belly of another raider, then as if strolling through a bazaar; she went along poking at different raiders' armor until she found something she liked. Black Jack, the slaver she knew Milla hated, was not far away, but instead was combing for weapon parts. Amanda thought he looked rather funny holding his forehead during all of this, as if he was going to vomit at the sight of it all.
She knew they were more than impassive to the necessary evil of their occupations. Being this far away and detached from it all made her as well. She certainly knew what a dying man sounded like, but she didn't always understand why. Only that some men, like the ex-slaver Baker, did things that got them killed.
His head was now sitting on a spike near the entrance of the settlement, as a reminder to everyone. Amanda didn't like to look at it, but the image of his head and many others that she'd seen over the years would rise in her mind whenever she thought of breaking the rules. She knew Milla would never do anything like that to her, or even her father, but if that's what happened to adults when they misbehaved she didn't want to start now.
"There's rules… for a reason… That's why we're not… animals", she muttered in syllable.
Closing her eyes and repeating the few direct words her father had given her in her short life, was like a charm to chase away the images of shriveled heads.
Amanda eventually grew bored with watching once the battle was over, since now everyone was regrouping and talking with Garret and her father. She jumped in place a bit to keep alert. Only knowing that if they were talking like that, then Saul would be there soon and they'd return. Eventually they did, and Amanda quickly went out the way she came. If she was caught by anyone in, let alone around the Wall, she'd be in more trouble than ever before. Baker's head shoved on a pike popped into her mind and she quickly darted out behind a stoop then joined into the fray of busy people before anyone would notice.
The settlement was like a hive as everyone scrambled to make the place gleam. Not that her father didn't keep an orderly and clean operation already, it was just the norm for whenever someone important was coming. Whether they liked it or not, Saul was the only important person in the world that day and anything less than perfection wasn't going to fly. Eventually the gates opened and more busy people began scrambling around with armfuls of weapons and gear, only Rick and Garret appeared unaffected as they got ready for Saul and situated themselves at the front of the settlement to greet their leader. Amanda was standing in wonder at everything when Milla came up behind her and picked her up. She shook a little in fright at first, and then hung her arms around Milla's neck.
"Sorry if I scared you sweet pup, but I was afraid you'd be run over with everyone racing around here. We should probably get you back to the house and ready for when Saul arrives."
"Did you find anything good out there, more than armor good?"
Amanda kept a sweet and still face. Hopefully Milla wouldn't bother with her intuition and point out her lie. She'd heard Smokey and Andrew once talk about how women had a way of always, eventually, knowing when you fibbed. They'd called it intuition. She still wasn't sure what it was exactly, since Milla often knew before she made up one anyways, but in any case the young girl deduced she was so good because she'd had forever to practice. As always though, Milla immediately saw through her words, but she didn't frown or get angry and just gave a sly smile.
"Well now, I may or may not have. Unless, there was a particularly good little set of eyes spying on me who might have seen this -"
Milla pulled out an old and tiny metal box that had an equally tiny crank at its side. There were strange bumps marking its insides and little metal teeth resting on them too.
Amanda's eyes widened in curiosity.
"What is it?" she said in a whisper.
"It's a music box, from before the GreatWar. There used to be lots of them and you turned the handle to play a song. See the little teeth? The wheel moves against them and they sing when they hit a bump. You have to turn it slow and steady though. I don't know if it still works so be careful.
I'll give it to you, but you have to promise to stay out of trouble when Saul comes. This was a busy day and he won't likely be very happy at all the trouble those raiders caused him. Okay?"
Amanda held the tiny metal box like a fragile butterfly and quickly nodded.
"Thank you! It's so pretty."
"Your welcome, sweetie. Now, you better hurry inside and put that in a safe place too. I don't know if Saul is going to stay long with your father, so don't worry about having to look too nice now. Just keep quiet in case of anything."
"Okay. See you later on, and let me know what happens too!"
"I will, I promise."
Milla watched her quickly dart inside and head off to her small room with her new toy. Giving a sigh, she turned back to the human tide of commotion that was finally started to slow down. She crossed the courtyard to join the other slavers, who were standing next to the pile of their spoils. In front of them sat Rick with his friend beside. Cali Rose was the first to break the silence next to her.
"I can't believe he's actually coming… Not just some of his lackeys, it's actually him."
Smokey Joe, one of the more seasoned slavers scoffed beside them.
"Eh, don't get your hopes up there honey. He'll come, say his bit in his own weird ass way, and then disappear to talk with Rick and ol'Garret. The luckiest you'll get is maybe with one of his bored guards if he plans are staying the night."
"I don't want to fuck him you old bastard! I just want to talk to him, maybe get a more exciting spot out on the routes. You know, the big jobs."
Smokey rolled his yellowed eyes and put out his cigarette.
"Whatever, keep dreaming there darlin'. Not even if you were half as seasoned as Garret there would he even talk to you. Besides, there's a reason why men like Garret stick with Rick. After a few more meat runs up to the Almighty's and you'll learn soon enough."
Cali Rose gave a scoff in return and muttered under her breath,
"…Like you know anything about him anyways."
Milla gave a smirk in Smokey's direction and looked back at the front of the gates. She just wanted to get this over with so she could repair some of her armor and maybe smirk at the handiwork on Black Jack's face.
Within a few minutes the guards at the top of the Wall began pulling on the old rusted alarm bells. Saul was here.
"Well, well, gentlemen… and ladies -"
Saul's booming voice paused for a moment and nodded towards Milla and the few other females standing in the crowd. She rolled her eyes and shifted her weight. Saul would be awhile, as usual.
"I can't even tell you how grateful I am for your stellar performance today. With all the commotion these past few weeks spent on eradicating these vile excuses for human beings our business has taken somewhat of a downturn, but after today… I know, oh I know we'll come back. Hopefully this shall be a lesson to raiders and other human animals everywhere, that Saul's boys and girls don't tolerate this, this pitiful revenge…"
The crowd burst into fits of laughter and hollering. It had been revealed earlier in the week that the raider's informer had been caught and slowly killed, by laying their body out at Saul's front gates to be trampled by returning slaver and new slave alike. This way, they would realize the machine of human sale and suffering could not be stopped.
"…And as loyal, hard working and strong men and women I have known it no less than to well, y'know…"
Saul paused for effect and shrugged a little. Milla felt a sudden flashback to the old world, as if she was watching a politician parade across a television screen to the crowd. It took most of her control not to genuinely laugh and instead let her cheeks puff in a failed cough. Smokey's eyes darted in selfish concern. The last thing the old slaver needed was Saul's direct anger at being interrupted, and Smokey's lack of correction by letting a slave get away with it."… Share some of my own spoils. So, I hope that all of you, my loyal family, every one of you - Enjoys these treasures. You've earned it."
Saul ended his speech with a flash of a smile and a wave of his hand towards two large Brahmin carts filled with weapons, parts, armor, alcohol, and every nearly imaginable grade of ammo. It was every slaver's wet dream.
As the spoils from the carts were distributed, Saul walked with his guards down to their level, with Rick at his side. Saul passed shortly within the crowd, uncharacteristically being friendly, shaking hands and greeting his subjects as he went. Eventually he made it to where Smokey, Milla and Cali Rose were standing near the back. Cali froze in a fanatical stupor when Saul came to shake her hand.
"I… I…" she stuttered in amazement.
Saul flashed a smile and laughed.
"Its okay babe, I understand. What's your name?"
"It's… I'm Cali. Cali Rose."
"Ooh, nice. Well, hang in there Clara Rosa, who knows, there might be a spot open at HQ for someone like you."
Saul concluded by effortlessly squeezing her ass. She was in too much awe to notice him or that he obviously didn't care. He scanned around him waving at the crowd, until his gaze rested on Milla, who now stood stoically, but respectfully.
Saul gave a weak smile.
"Oh Milla, how you've grown into our little army. It seems like only a day ago we picked you up out of the Wastes, broken and lost. Still quiet as ever though, I hope you're not thinking of anything in that pretty head of yours, but what should I worry? From what Rick tells me, you've been doing an awesome job here.
You know what? You can have anything you need from those carts over there, don't worry about my special guards, hell, you can have one of them too! If you know what I mean… Anyways, take care Milla, and don't let that mutation get the best of you."
Rick gave a stiff smile towards her as Saul and he walked away.
Where Saul was flamboyant and had a mood that could change with the weather, Rick was everything his opposite, but he followed him as his leader all the same. To some of the more perceptive slavers it often made them wonder who was controlling whom, but none dared to breathe a word about it.
"Ah, hello! How do you know Saul? You're not even a slaver, just, just…"
Saul's magnetic air was immediately burst by the whining voice.
Milla, still angry over the encounter with Saul, snapped back at it's owner, Cali.
"Just what? Huh? Say it, I don't mind. Oh right. I can't, now can I you little bitch? Go ahead and chase after him for all I care. Maybe we'll get a good laugh over it in the end."
Cali stepped back with a defeated scowl.
"Jeez, fine then. Just cool your jets. I just was curious, with your contract and all, how he actually recognized you. Even though you're a well, y'know."
Milla gave a sigh, while Smokey looked over. He'd heard her story already before, he'd been there at Saul's gates when she first arrived.
"It was Saul and his personal guards who found my body after a super mutant attack. They were tracking down some escaped slaves for their V.I.P.'s when they found me. They killed the few remaining mutants and took me back to HQ, where I was eventually put to… sale. It was a private auction. I guess I wasn't kitchen slave material, instead I was put in a contract… Saul's own reasons of course, after I had completed my Task."
Cali gave a look of intrigue.
"Oh… You got one of those. I heard most slaves don't make it back from them, or they're so fucked up in the head or scared dumb afterwards that they have to be killed since they're useless. If you're this sane still all I can say is, you've got balls, that's for sure. Sorry about earlier I guess."
Milla only stared into the dirt with a grunt.
"Say, you still want to get that drink I mentioned earlier? Come'on, you earned it the way you leveled Black Jack today. Sick perv deserved it, even from someone like you. Besides, you'll get to see that ghoul friend of yours... I've seen the way he looks at you when you leave sometimes. I think he has the hots for you, poor bastard."
She only looked up at Cali and nodded towards the bar.
Milla tried to ignore the spew of dribble that never seemed to cease from the girl's mouth now. She knew that tomorrow it'd all be different and they'd go back to being slaver and slave. But a drink was a drink, after all. She tried not to take the part about Andrew literally either. In her own way, she knew he'd been growing soft on her, but there wasn't any purpose running after it.
Besides, they both knew better, in the end she was still a slave and every day she'd have to serve as was expected. There wasn't room for anything else.