She worked hard, cleaning the bar that night, the amount of dirt and dust that she scrubbed from the tables and floor was disgusting. She and Sally would never have let their place get that bad. Eric, the owner of the bar thanked her for the hard work she had put in and offered her a room free of charge as part of her employment.
She set to work, cooking for the patrons of the bar and for Eric and his two young daughters. It soon became apparent that there was no school for the children, nor was there a decent doctor in town. Though she was trying to keep a low profile she couldn't help but put forward an offer to be the teacher for the small two room school that was incorporated into the Nipton Town Hall.
With Amelia and Dana, Eric's two girls, they cleared the school rooms of broken desks and damaged fittings. Soon the school rooms were ready, scavenged pencils stood in tin cans, pre-war books and magazines were placed on shelves and ready for the children to use. Angie, as she was now known, was finally feeling like she was free and achieving something good, instead of being at the mercy of an evil man.
The months passed with the community coming to know and trust her, she worked days in the school, educating the children, and any adults who wanted to learn, and nights working the bar. Her hair grew back to shoulder length and with it, her beauty returned with her smile.
Eric commented on this one night when they had closed. He sat at the bar with a whiskey in hand while Angie cleaned. "You're smiling a lot more these days, something going right for you?" he asked. She favoured him with a grin, "Yes, my life before coming here wasn't the best; it was a very hard place to be where I was. My friend, the one I was with when we arrived, she decided to move on, I wish I knew where she was, but it's probably safer that I don't know." She said as she sipped a Nuka-cola. Dana came into the bar rubbing her eyes and holding a teddy bear. Angie turned to her and smiled. "Hey kiddo, can't sleep?" the little girl rubbed her eyes again and shook her head, "Read me Grognak Angie?" she asked, Eric looked at his daughter, "What do you say Dana?" he asked her.
"Please." She said the required response. Angie smiled, "Okay sweetie." She took the little girl's hand and they went up the residence.
The next day was a Saturday, the kids were out playing in the sunshine. A man from the Mojave express came in to town. He told the news to Eric who looked grim.
"The Legion has crossed the river at Nelson, and from accounts they are also coming up from the south." He said to one of his patrons. A stranger at the bar watched Angie as she cleaned the top of the bar with a damp rag. The top button of her blouse had popped off with wear and tear and her cleavage was exposed a little. As she leaned over a little further to reach the other side of the bar her shirt opened a little and two red intersecting lines could be clearly seen against the pale skin of her chest. The man drank deeply and finished his beer, leaving five coins upon the bar.
Eric took up the coins, and called after the man, "Hey, this ain't a Vegas Casino! I don't trade in Legion coin!" Angela came up beside him, frowning, he looked at the coins in his hand and then at her face.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, she had gone as white as a sheet, "Yeah, I'm fine." She mumbled, and headed into the kitchen to stir the Mole rat stew on the stove.
She should have run that night, but she had grown attached to the two girls, and she had made a home here in the last eight months that she had been free. Now the Legion had crossed the river and they were close, too damn close.
The bar was quiet the next day, even though there were plenty of patrons; the news had brought in more men to drink away their woes. Angie was busy serving when three men came in fresh from the road. They each asked for a bottle of water. When she turned away to get their orders, one watched her like a hawk from beneath his hat. Eric came out and helped her to serve, the three newcomers watched her as she headed back into the kitchen to cook some food for another patron.
"What's that lovely young lady's name? Asked one of the men,
"That's Angie, she's our school teacher when it's not the weekends, and she works here other days." The man nodded, "How long has she been here?" Eric thought as he cleaned a glass, "Oh about six months, maybe more." The men looked to each other and returned their attention to their drinks. Eric went to serve another patron as Angie came back with the food platters.
As she walked back past the three men at the bar and collected a fresh glass for a patron, she heard a voice that she had hoped never to hear again. "Hello, Miranda." Caro said, from beneath the hat he wore, she froze, the glass slipping from her hand to shatter at her feet. Eric looked up, "You all right, Angie?" he asked, "Yes, fine." She replied. As she looked at him, her eyes told a different story, and he looked confused.
Caro spoke again, "You have two choices here, Miranda. You can come with us willingly, or we can take this entire town and kill each man, woman and child while you watch, starting with the owner of the bar, and his daughters. History will repeat itself at your choice, or not, at your choice. He has no desire to eradicate this town, He only wants you back. We are not leaving here without you."
There was the sound of a rifle being loaded and cocked, "Yes, you are." Eric said, holding the shotgun to Caro's head. Miranda turned to him, placing her hand over the barrel. "Eric, it's alright, I have to go." She said sadly.
"Angie?" he asked her, confused, "No, My name is Miranda, and I was an escaped Slave, I was one of Caesar's slaves. Thank-you for your kindness" She explained to him, she turned back to Caro, "Let's go." She said, coming out from behind the bar. Caro took the lead, with the other two disguised Praetorian Guard following behind.
She walked with her head down and a feeling of numbness and hopelessness deep in her heart. She walked with her eyes upon the ground, following Caro's feet.