Doctor Thom Lowery dropped the camouflaged scoped killing machine onto the planning table inside the makeshift command post. Wade and Beauregard stood on the other side, dressed in their black, Kevlar-padded covert operations uniforms. The uniforms themselves bore no insignias in order to hide any affiliation nor did they represent any rank assigned to the wearer; the only implication of identification was a shoulder patch depicting a brown fox staring outward with a combat knife in its mouth and the word "FOXHOUND" across the top. Thom, on the other hand, was dressed in a ghillie suit: a woodland disguise meant to blend in with a dense forest surrounding or forest floor. He removed his hat and tossed it onto the rifle.
"You don't seem happy," Wade remarked.
"Cheeky fuck managed to get wind of me," Thom replied. "I only managed to take out one of his eyes before he was evac'd. I can only hope that skull fragments made their way into his brain."
Wade took a deep breath and offered some condolence: "Sorry, Thom."
Thom pulled up a chair and lit a cigarette. He was a rough character, not unlike Wade, with short black hair, heavy brown eyes, and a round, worn face. With broad shoulders and standing well over six feet, it was hard to imagine that he often served as a physician and scientist instead of a routine mercenary. He shared the same accent with Wade, not to mention many experiences they tried to forget.
"How's the kid?" Thom asked.
Wade stepped over to the aluminum door of the metal shed which served as their command post and war room and shut it.
"She still doesn't know," he said without turning around.
"You don't need to hide this shit from her, Wade; you need to tell her."
He sighed heavily. Beauregard lowered his gaze and slumped into a metal folding chair across from Thom.
"What do we tell her?" the rabbit asked aloud. "She's only a youngin…"
Thom took a long drag before saying, "Goddamn right she's a youngin, but that's no excuse to think she's stupid. She'll figure it out on her own and if she does, she's going to be beyond pissed. Jesus Christ, Wade: she could turn out like we did. Do you really want to be indirectly responsible for another killing machine?"
"It's not like I asked for it, Thom," Wade snapped. "I tried to keep them from going through with it, anyway. So save your preaching for the pulpit."
Thom put his hands up.
"I'm not preaching," he explained. "I'm just saying: how fair are we being to her?"
Wade turned back to the door and pushed aside the shade covering the window. Night had fallen; millions of stars littered the sky giving the illusion of peace across the land.
"How's the 'bot coming?" he asked Thom.
"Slow. It's hard trying to keep a low profile on that thing, especially with the limited personnel I have—had to fire two guys just last week."
"Are they going to find their bodies?" Beauregard inquired.
Thom extinguished his cigarette.
"Depends on how deep they're willing to swim. I guess I'll go tuck the girl in and read her a bedtime story tonight. Don't worry: I'm not going to deprive you of your solemn duty."
Wade gave Thom a middle finger. The doctor laughed and walked out of the command post still wearing his ghillie suit.
Bunnie shared her aunt and uncle's tent on the edge of the camp. There was little activity going on as most had already retired to their quarters or were stationed elsewhere in the field. Refugees who passed through the base were ushered to safe houses and neutral zones under the cover of darkness; unfortunately, this led to many families being separated due to space limitations. Thom smoked a cigarette all the way to the quarters where Bunnie stayed with Lulumae and Beauregard before dropping it onto the dirt at the door. He opened the door, "Sweetheart?"
Bunnie was under the covers of a military-grade cot on the left side of the shelter. The tent itself was about the size of an average living room and dining room put together. Two bunks were pushed against one side while a sleeping bag occupied the plywood floor. A single overhead fluorescent light provided the default light source for each unit; in this one, Bunnie relied on a battery-powered lantern to help provide a sense of security, especially when she had to go to the bathroom.
The young rabbit sat up and yawned.
"Is it time, Uncle Thom?" she asked.
"Afraid so, sweetie," he said. "Did I wake you?"
"Naw… I was just getting sleepy."
Thom pulled up a chair.
"What do you want to read tonight?" he asked.
"I want you to tell me the story of the Flower Girl again."
Thom laughed gently, saying, "Never get tired of that, do you?"
Bunnie shook her head.
"Nope," she said. "I love that story. I wish that 'materia' stuff was real…"
"If it was real, dear, this war would be a lot worse."
"But maybe Mommy and Daddy could be back… are they ever coming home?"
Thom sat back in his chair.
"I hope so, sweetheart," he said reassuringly.
Thom proceeded to tell the young girl her favorite story. At the end, Bunnie leaned back into her pillow; a look of question across her face.
"Uncle Thom?" she asked. "Did you kill anyone today?"
"Kind of out of left field, huh?" Thom remarked. "Why do you ask that?"
"I saw you leave this morning with your gun. You don't ever leave in your troll suit with a gun unless you're going to kill someone."
"And what if I did?"
Bunnie turned her head to face him, her green eyes wide with anxiety.
"Is… is it bad people that…"
"Yes," Thom said firmly. "Yes they are bad people, Bunnie. These people only want to hurt you and your family and everyone around them. That's why you've got to stay here in the camp and never, ever leave without one of us. Do you understand?"
"I… I do," she said cautiously. "Did… did the Flower Girl ever kill anybody?"
Thom halfway smiled.
"If she did," he said. "I'm sure it was only bad people that she did."
"I wish I could meet her."
Thom turned out the lantern sitting on the nightstand next to the cot.
"I would too, dear," he said. "I would, too. Now, get some sleep. Your Uncle Beauregard is moving you and your aunt somewhere safe tomorrow and you need to be fully rested."
"You're not coming?" she asked, mildly distressed.
Thom shook his head, saying, "I can't right now sweetie; I'm sorry. Uncle Wade will be going, though—I'll catch up with you guys in a few days. Someone has to be here for when your parents come back."
Bunnie gave a slight nod as he tucked her in. Thom left the shelter and returned to the command post. Beauregard and Wade were standing around the map table marking different locations with a red marker. Thom gently shut the door and walked over.
"Won't believe what she asked me," he said to Wade.
"What?" Wade asked.
"She asked me if I killed anyone today again; she seems to be asking that a lot more."
Beauregard rubbed his face, saying, "I don't know how I feel about that child getting accustomed to death."
"I don't know if she has much of a choice," Thom said. "What's the latest?"
Wade circled a location on the map.
"Rumor has it Kintobar has managed to construct a Metal Gear," Wade said. "If that's the case, we're going to need to act fast."
"I thought his brother was scuttling humans out of here?"
Wade nodded, saying, "He is. Problem is Acorn wants to make sure they don't come back."
"That furry fuck," Thom said. "No offense, Beau."
"None taken," Beauregard replied.
"We're going to get these people out of here at o-nine-hundred," Wade explained. "Beauregard is going to take point, Lulumae and Brent are going to escort, and I'm going to bring up the rear. You sure you're going to be okay for a few days here with minimal support?"
"I should be," Thom said. "These kids seem to have a handle on firing a gun without pissing themselves. If Acorn and company show up, we'll just have to stall them and try to draw them deeper into the mountains. Just do me a favor and don't take your sweet time getting back here—I'll get lonely."
Wade gave Thom a soft punch in the arm.
"You got it, you queer," he said nonchalantly.
"And," Thom added. "I know it's probably asking too much, but…"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn pink ribbon.
Trying to maintain his composure, Thom said, "Can you wrap this around Aeris' grave marker for me? I… I know you'll be passing that way and I just want to make sure it makes it just in case something happens to me."
Wade gave a solemn nod and took the ribbon, placing it into his shirt pocket for safekeeping.
"Your daughter will get what's hers, bro," Wade said.
Thom gave a small salute before picking up his rifle.
"Hopefully," he said, pulling back on the bolt and loading another bullet into the chamber. "Kintobar and company will get theirs, too."
