Augustine came up with the whole chapter save two scenes which were either my idea or my side of the story only. Aside from that, full credit to any scene involving both parties.
Chapter Twenty Five
Panic had set in with the Liberators, and the crew of the Half Moon. Mina had scurried up the rope and relayed what James had told her. Once finished, and everyone save the Vanderbrauns were on deck, they set off doing what needed.
What was needed was to clear a whole section of cabins, at least two of them, and a curtain or plastic tarp to seal that section. The quarantine just became bigger.
After hurried moments of clearing the personal effects out on deck, and the two requested rooms, the Vanderbrauns were signaled to come aboard.
Julia's symptoms were already taking effect. Lowell felt his hair stand on end when he saw the blood red blisters on her once beautiful face. She said that she was weak, shivering, and that her head was on fire.
"We're coming on board, you all better clear away!" James shouted and everyone stepped on deck.
James, working hard not to panic, carried his wife into the corridor.
Once they disappeared, Adam drove his fist into the wall of the ship. Lowell, more calmly, just stared down the darkened hallway that led to the quarantine. All he could do was shake his head.
In a way, Lowell knew what James was going through. He only hoped that it wouldn't be exactly how he felt.
"So what do we do from here?" Alex asked Adam. The latter only rubbed the back of his head in uncertainty. "I'm not the expert when it comes time to medicine." He said, dismally.
"Well, not to be a prick, but we can't just sit here. We'll be an easy target for pirates." Alex carefully pointed out. Adam mused on that thought. "Well, James did say that we were suppose to continue on our route looking for communities which may have something to treat Ibrahim." Adam began, sighing. "I guess it's more important now than ever that we continue doing that so let's continue on and find the Mohawk."
"Fine, but lets linger a little longer. Me and Sven we'll slip on gasmasks, salvage everything we can, put any of those poor bastards still alive out of their misery, and then torch the town." Lowell said as he opened the tin with his Albany war gasmask.
"All right. I'll get the engines warmed up. Alex said, and hurried off to get the Half Moon and the pirate ship moving.
It was then, a aged James appeared out of the doorway. Everyone could tell, that he was trying his best to keep a brave face. It was a good chance that the most precious thing in his life would die, and all his medical expertise could do close to nothing.
"Don't get close to me, I'm just out here to explain what is going on for awhile." James said holding up one of his hands, stopping Mina. It was just waiting for him to speak.
"No one is to approach within ten feet of the corridor except to bring food or drink. Only Sufia will be allowed to go in and only for brief moments to visit Ibrahim. I will give you specific equipment to keep you safe in there." James explained to everyone, mostly Sufia at this point. "If at any moment you do not hear from anyone within the quarantine area…" He trailed off. "Well…run the ship aground and burned it." James finished frankly.
Everyone stared amazed and shocked at him. "You're going to be staying in there?" Carl asked. "Someone has to keep an eye on them." James answered. "You think burning is a little…um…harsh?" Adam asked.
Lowell shook his head and leaned against the rail. "It's the only way to…prevent it from spreading." He said, reminding them of the Olsco settlement.
"Exactly." James said nodding. "God help all of you." He added then disappeared back to the makeshift and hastily erected quarantine area.
Lowell sighed and dropped his pack against the wall, taking only weapons. "Alright Sven. Sven?" He asked, when the malignant pyro didn't answer him. "Hey!" Lowell said, slapping him in the side of the head, which got his attention. "You with me on this?" Lowell asked staring spears into the man. "Yeah." Sven said softly and pulled both masks down. "Right." Lowell said muffled after pulling his down.
He then motioned with his head. "Lets go."
As the two of them slid down, Carl moved to the Bofors gun and Mina went on top of the bridge. Once they were out of the shallows and with the Half Moon rumbling behind them, the pair got to work.
It didn't take them too long to clear the first house. Once it was empty of anything that could be used, Lowell cocked his thumb at it. "Alright." Sven then angled the Incinerator at the open door and a stream of Napalm was sent inside.
As they went along, Lowell switch the rifle to semi-auto and fired once at every body, except the Lab 18 wounded and dead, they went by. Lowell planned on something heinous for them at the end.
As he went upstairs at another house while Sven was busy burning the one across the street, he entered a bedroom. He sighed at what he saw on the master bed.
It was a whole family. A father, a teenage boy, and a little girl. He looked at his feet when he saw their blistered forms.
"Please…" A voice said that made him literally step back. When he looked through the goggles of his mask, he nearly vomited.
It was the little girl. She was still alive.
"Help my papa." She said feebly.
Lowell's first instinct was to rush over and try to help her. But he stopped and restrained himself.
He was panting. The girl's black hair was stained and crusty with both her and her parent's blood. Her skin was a pale as pure white. Even Lowell couldn't bring himself to look the girl in the eyes.
Against every instinct in his body, and every emotion as a parent, he slowly raised the rifle. His eyes were beginning to become cloudy and burn. He began to shake as he leveled the weapon of death at this small girl.
Looking away, Lowell said quietly. "Forgive me." After a moment, he pulled the trigger.
One the casing hit the ground Lowell nearly fell down the steps, wanting to get out of the house. After stumbling down the last steps, he kept panting, and quickly crossed himself several times. "Forgive me father. For I know not what I do."
"SVEN!!" Lowell shouted, and then stopped in the middle of the street. "Is it empty?" Sven asked. "Just burn the damn thing!" Lowell yelled making the pyro jump, then rush over and torch the house.
It quickly went up in flames.
Lowell panted and tried to steady himself. "That was the last one." Sven said, not wanting to know what spooked Lowell so badly.
As he kept panting, Lowell's shock quickly became rage. More so when he saw a badly wounded Lab 18 scientist trying to crawl away. Lowell slung his rifle and gripped his entrenching tool.
The enraged Regulator then briskly walked over to the scientist. Once he was there, Morgan gave him a quick and heavy kick in the abdomen. "There you fucker!" Lowell shouted as he savagely began kicking the wounded scientist.
After mercilessly beating the now dead scientist, Lowell rolled him over on his back and in one sharp motion brought the spade down like a headman's axe. It did the same job, though it took a macabre amount to sever the head.
To even Sven's horror, Lowell decapitated every agent that was there. Dead and wounded, Lowell spared none of them.
Once it was finished, and he and his tool were caked in blood, Lowell then stared at the horrified Sven. "Burn the civilian's bodies, and let's get out of here." Lowell said tiredly. As he walked away, Sven hesitated for a moment, but did as he was told.
As he climbed back on the Half Moon he terrified everyone on deck. "Lowell--" Adam began but was pushed away as Lowell then began dropping his weapons, his duster, his mask, his hat, and finally his armor. Once it was all off him, he then sat down and faced away from them.
Sven then clambered on board and the Half Moon lurched forward.
As everyone stared at the shaking form of Lowell Morgan, only Mina braved to go and stand next to him.
"Lowell?" Mina asked, her voice breaking and she began crying. Lowell sniffled and with tears pouring out of his eyes, seized the adolescent and embraced her tightly.
His shoulders bucking, Lowell had his hands on his face. "I don't know how much more I can take." He said, through his sobs.
Adam and the others stood in silence. Adam musing over his childhood friend. He knew now that it was no longer a matter of if Lowell would break, but now rather when he would break.
It took a whole day for Lowell to calm down, and half forget about the young girl.
He and Adam sat on one of the benches, slightly phased out. It had now become a waiting matter of James reappearing, and saying the news everyone knew was coming. Nothing seemed to make it any better, not even prayer.
Though after what Lowell just did, he wouldn't even be surprised if it went unanswered.
"So…" Adam said, breaking the silence. "Think we'll find anything on the Mohawk?" Though Adam was stating the obvious, Lowell only shrugged. "Considering the Shades now have our pictures, names, and want us dead, I'm going to go with more Shades." Lowell said dryly. "Could be worse." Adam said out of pure sarcasm.
As they watched the former pirate vessel drag behind them. They continued to sit in silence.
Lowell then remembered something and reached into his cleaned duster pocket. "I just remembered this, and I think you should take it." He said, handing the photo of them when they were children to Adam. It took him a moment to remember, but then he then stared at Lowell in mild surprise. "You kept it?"
Lowell sighed dismally. "Kiddo, those two faces next to the one I don't remember, got me through the worst years of hell. Including the additional ten after Maria…" He trailed off tiredly.
Adam then stared back at Leslie. Her bemused grin made Adam allow a rue smile to spread across his face. "She was always the one who how not to get hurt." Adam said, thick sorrow in his voice. "Ain't that the truth." Lowell muttered.
"And the one time she got hurt…" Adam said, trailing off. Lowell knew what painful memory he was conjuring up. He could only imagine what the scene was.
Adam rubbed his face in shallow agony. "Seems like she wasn't the only one that did get hurt." Lowell said.
"That's all there seems to be in this world today. A world of hurt." Adam said sighing. Lowell had known this for a long time but he still asked, "So, you still set on thinking this world can be a better place?" Adam hesitated with an answer.
"Francis seems to think so. It's the reason he sends us on these crazy missions." The young man answered.
Lowell then grinned and nudged Adam. "Right, and you just go along for the caps." Lowell quipped. Adam grinned wryly.
"Darn straight…plus I think that's what she'd want me to do anyway." Adam answered motioning back to the girl in the picture, now only alive in their memories, and their fragile hearts.
Mina found herself in the bridge with Alex. The sleeping bundle of Isaac in her hands. It was her turn for taking care of the babe as Sufia was sleeping.
As she paced as quietly as she could behind the captain, she was surprised to hear her speak. "So how long have you been traveling with him?" Alex asked. At first Mina didn't know what she meant but then answered, "Almost two years."
"What was going through your mind when you went along with a man like that?" Alexandra asked, taking her eyes off the river to briefly stare at the teenager. "I thought 'He is a very angry, yet lost man.' Lowell had been fighting a war with Talon Company for twelve years by himself." Alex stared at Mina in bewilderment. "Alone for twelve years? He made war with the worst mercenary army out here, by himself for twelve years?" Mina nodded. "When his family was murdered by them, he had nothing else on his mind but revenge."
Mina then leaned against the wall, Isaac still asleep in her arms. "When he came to Meresti station, the place I was living at the time, he seemed blinded with anger, yet drained."
"I still think he was out of his mind taking them on by himself." Alex said, shaking her head. Mina scoffed gently. "Before Lowell made war with them, their bands had six to eight soldiers, and they had two permanent bases of operations. By the time he was finished, he had cut their numbers in half, and destroyed one of their forts." Mina grinned at Alex's disbelief.
Lowell watched as Adam then switched on Julia's radio set. It was obvious that the leader of the Liberators had come to the conclusion that Julia would not survive to the next day. So he then picked up the receiver and said what needed to be said.
"This is Adam Anders, reporting to all Regulators and Francis Garret. Be on the lookout for Lab 18. They are spreading the plague and one of my crew is infected. I repeat, Lab 18 is spreading the plague and one of my crew is infected." He stopped himself and after sighing in hesitation he added, "We don't know if she will make it."
Adam switched the radio off and then looked down.
Lowell stepped over and put his hands on Adam. The young man said, what needed to be said.
Now all that mattered, was waiting this situation out.
And to pray for their forgiveness.
That's Chapter twenty five, the village scene, and the photo hand off, are my ideas. The rest are from Augustine, through Lowell's eyes. Read and review.