Chapter 10: Memory is a Bitch
Sarah checked her Pip-boy. We're almost there, she thought. She glanced back at Charon. They hadn't really spoken during the journey. He hadn't said anything since…
I'm sorry, his voice echoed in her head. He had sounded so plaintive. His voice was filled with pain, and although she was familiar with the feeling, she wasn't sure how to help him. Dad would know what to do.' Sarah was still angry with her father for abandoning her, but she still valued his advice. Shaking her head, she tried to brush her thoughts away. She needed to be focused on the problem at hand, not her dad (or Charon, she added.)
Sarah eyed the sky, then set her bags against a large boulder formation. They were a hundred yards from the south side of Fort Bannister. The info that Dukov had given her about the Talon Company had been extremely useful. The south side fence was down in one place, just like Dukov said. If the rest of his information was correct, they would have over half the camp wiped out before anyone knew what was happening. If it wasn't, Sarah hoped she got out alive just so she could put a bullet between Dukov's eyes.
"Might as well settle in. We start at 1 AM. It's 4 now. I suggest we sleep in shifts. I'll take first watch," she said, nonchalantly. At least, that's how she hoped it sounded. In truth, her stomach flipped at the thought of seeing Charon sleep.
"No, I will watch. I am your guard," he objected.
"Look, I need you in top form. That means rest. You can't help me if you get shot," she pointed out. Charon stared at her silently with his arms folded. Ordering him was technically an option, but she was loathe to do that, even though she knew he wouldn't budge. "Fine," she said, throwing up her hands, "if you get shot don't complain."
When she turned away to get her sleeping roll, she was damned if she didn't glimpse a smirk on Charon's face. Her jaw dropped, but she snapped it closed so quickly that her teeth hurt. Rolling over, she tried to get comfortable on the rocky ground. Sooner than she expected, she was drifting off to sleep.
God she's a stubborn little ass, Charon thought. The smoothskin had put her hands on her hips and had tried to take first watch. Like hell. Charon wasn't about to let his employer watch him while he slept. It was against every bit of training he had. He was trained to take orders, but his primary directive was to protect his employer. When she gave in, he smiled internally at his little victory. He may be a slave in all but name, but even slaves can win occasionally.
Once her breathing was regular, Charon relaxed a bit. Tilting his head back, he watched as birds circled above them. His mind drifted to his past. His father bringing back ducks from his hunting trip… His dog Peaches, a yellow lab, would come bounding through the door after him. The dog would run up, giving long licks to Charon's face until he giggled for her to stop. His mother, so beautiful, dried her hands on a dishtowel before kissing his father. They looked down at him and smiled. Peaches felt warm in his lap. The image blurred.
Charon opened his eyes. The world seemed dark and cold. Birds still circled above them. He was tempted to shoot them. "Goddamned vermin," he mumbled. It had been a long time since he had thought about his family. He sighed. Charon didn't want to remember.
A quick touch to the arm woke Sarah, and she nodded to the dark figure. The sun had fallen behind the horizon, casting her companion and everything else into darkness. She checked her Pip-boy and realized it was 12:15. Forty-five minutes. Gathering her weapons she turned on the flashlight from her Pip-boy and began making routine repairs and making sure all weapons were fully loaded. She wasn't particularly skilled with weapons repair, but she could make sure the damn thing didn't fall apart in her hand. Normally she would've been worried about the light her flashlight produced, but behind this large boulder they wouldn't be able to see the glow from their direction.
By the time she had finished it was 12:45. Noting that her had been checking his weapons as well, she nodded. He was obviously more skilled than she was, and she hoped eventually she could persuade him to teach her. "You ready?" Sarah asked.
"Are you?" he responded stoically. Without responding, she turned off her Pip-boy light. It was time.
When they were past the gate the smoothskin signaled Charon to go left. He flanked off, going about ten feet before he saw the first sentinel walking in front of him. The man had his back turned and his throat was slit before he could even register the blade on his neck.
Moving on, he noticed a tent up ahead. He slipped in and noticed two men sleeping on mattresses. He crouched at the head of one man and covered the man's mouth with his hand. The man's eyes flew open and Charon slipped his blade between his ribs. Charon watched as the man's life drained out of his eyes. It gave him satisfaction. Moving onto the next man, he performed the same grim ritual. When he exited the tent, he wiped the blood on the door flap, marking it.
Sarah moved quickly through the shadows. Time was limited. Her plan was to completely wipe out the ground sentinels, working their way around the perimeter until she met Charon on the opposite side. Along the way, they would eliminate any sleeping Talon Company in the tents that edged along the fence line. Dukov had warned her about the tent in the crater. Apparently the guy slept with a missile launcher. She crouched in the shadows when she saw the tent and crept in slowly. Luckily the man was still sleeping, his arm draped over the prophesied missile launcher. In one fluid motion she swung her leg over the man, pinning his arms to his sides. She covered his mouth with her hand and held one finger to her lips.
"Shhh," she whispered, almost seductively. The man eyed her warily. She wiggled her hips and the man smiled, relaxing. Men are so simple, Sarah thought before pulling out a silenced 10 mm. The man struggled as she aimed it at his head. The quiet pop of her gun stilled him. Blood dripped onto the floor, pooling beneath the bed.
By the time she had made it to the northern wall she was sweating. She checked the time. 3 o' clock, she thought, we have just enough time. She looked around for Charon and saw him striding towards her in the dark. Even in the shadows, his form was unmistakable. Her body grew warm at the sight of him. In his hand was a wet blade. It was dark, but she could see the hard glint in his eyes.
They met under one of the ruined buildings along the north wall. Dukov had mentioned in his notes that this would make the best sniping spot to pick off the Talon Company mercs in the center, as well as the ones on lower ruined buildings. The ascent was easy and they had made it to the third floor without trouble, when Sarah stopped. She looked up and realized that she couldn't reach the next floor. If we stay on the third floor we'll be even with the other snipers. That's not really an advantage, she thought. Large hands picked her up, and she almost yelped before covering her mouth. Looking down, she realized that Charon was lifting her onto his shoulders so she could reach the next floor. Smiling, she rubbed Charon's head, then pushed off with her hand, putting her feet on his shoulders. From there it was an easy climb to the fourth floor.
Charon had picked the smoothskin up before he knew what he was doing himself. She just looked so damned…something… standing there biting her lip, he thought. He knew she couldn't reach the next floor without difficulty. Even though she hadn't asked, he decided to make it easier, even though Charon was sure, left to her own devices she could figure something out.
After she had climbed onto the next floor, she poked her head over the ledge and grinned. A hand reached out to him, her fingertips wiggling.
"Let me help you," she whispered down to him. He scoffed in reply, looking away. When he looked up at her again she looked hurt. "Charon, please. Trust me," she pleaded. In spite of himself, he found himself reaching out to her. He grabbed her hand and was surprised when she was able to pull him up.
"Save me," Charon whispered, but his words were lost to the wastes.
