Chapter 25: On the Road Again
There was a gentle tap at the door of the general's quarters. Iliana shifted, slowly rousing, trying to push herself out from Arthur's grasp as he snored soundly, his arm like a heavy bag of sand pinning her down. She looked back at him tangled in blankets and his heavy coat and smiled before turning back for the door. She slowly opened the thing, trying to fight the creak of the ancient hinges and worn wood. Danse stood in the threshold, his eyes heavy, showing signs of a long sleepless night.
"Maxson wanted me to report in as soon as I got any information out of our prisoner." He said, all business.
"We'll let him sleep." She stepped out of the room, lingering in the corridors with him, "What did you find?"
"It was difficult, he was in and out of consciousness, but he did mention something about Vault 81."
"What about it? There's no way he came from there, those people have stayed isolated for generations."
"Just that they betrayed us. But that's all I got out of him before he well… short circuited." Danse yawned.
"Bastard must've initiated his reset. Alright, get some sleep soldier, we'll hit the road in the morning. And this information, let's just keep it between you and me." She nodded, dismissing him and turning back towards her room.
Iliana was anxious to head out, she felt the need to fight buzzing through her body as she settle back into bed next to Arthur. He grunted and shifted but never roused. In the morning he would go back to the Prydwen to meet with Captain Kells and Proctor Ingram. Fortunately for her the three of them could go about strategy and tactics for some time, giving her the perfect opportunity for a head start.
Iliana managed to drift back to sleep, but morning came too soon as she woke feeling Arthur stretch in bed beside.
"Good morning my beautiful wife." He kissed her forehead softly.
Iliana's gut twisted slightly, "Good morning." She muttered back, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Part of her conscience screamed in opposition, that she needed to tell him her plan. But she knew that he would never let her go, and she had to, for herself, for Preston, for the Minutemen. Iliana knew she had to see this thing through to the end, and if Arthur had any say in the matter she would be aboard that damned ship of his while he sent men out to do their bidding. Not this time.
"I'll try not to be too long." He said, strapping on his boots and smoothing the creases out of his clothes.
"Ok. I love you." She said a silent goodbye hidden in the words of that sentence. Taking a deep breath and swinging her legs over the side of the bed she willed herself to get moving. She had little time to gather supplies and get a head start. Pulling her combat armor and some weapons out of a trunk at the foot of her bed, she stared for a moment, trying to mentally note what she would need.
But right away she knew what she wouldn't need. She unsnapped the latches on her pip boy, Arthur had put a location mechanism in it when Danse left the Brotherhood, and she knew he would use it to find her. She tossed it on the pillow and took a deep breath before packing up the rest of her gear and strapping herself into her armor.
The Institute had managed to trample on far more of her personal life than she would have liked. Their hands were invasive and reached into the delicate corners of her heart, and she was going to implement her revenge as swiftly as possible.
She gave Sturges and Ronnie specific instructions on how to handle both Arthur and Shawn while she was gone. They seemed reluctant to let her go, but ultimately their faith in her capabilities and Danse's watchful eyes kept them at ease.
The pair started off on their journey, feeling much like it had nearly a year earlier. Iliana marveled on where time had brought them, all that they had accomplished, and who they had become. Danse had flourished in the Minutemen, opening up into more of a person, one that only needed to be good to feel complete.
A comfortable silence hovered between them as they walked through the brush of the wasteland. They could speak volumes or say nothing at all, either worked just as well, and in this moment though they were each still processing the events that had recently unfolded and were imagining what would await them at the end of the road.
Iliana struggled to piece together the mystery that surrounded the courser's appearance, but she couldn't come up with any practical connections. She had worked to help stabilize life in that vault, secure medical information and improve the overall welfare of some of its citizens. Hell, she had even been given a residence there and was always received with open arms and warm welcomes.
She simply couldn't connect the dots, and she hoped fervently that answers would await her upon her arrival.