Chapter Twenty Eight
After leaving the town and rendezvousing with the Half Moon, the group continued on it's way.
Everyone immediately noticed that there was a change in Sufia. She now wore what looked like leather armor under her Brahmin skin dress. She began training heavily with both Julia and Adam. The former on using laser pistol, and the latter trained her vigorously on sword training with her brother's sword.
She had a certain determination about her. This was noticed by the Vanderbrauns and Lowell during their morning devotionals. Though by the time the two finished parrying with each other, Sufia was quite exhausted.
Lowell shook his head. He knew she perhaps was planning some type of revenge. He prayed that wouldn't happen however. Lowell had known what it was like to be consumed by revenge. During his ten long year war with Talon Company in the Capital Wasteland, Lowell had nothing but revenge on his mind.
Revenge is nothing short of a poison. It turns one into something they won't like. Even getting to the point where the person keeps killing even if it wasn't the person that spawned the vengeful lust.
This madness would continue, for years even, until the person wakes up and realizes what they have become. An empty shell, whose whole existence now centers around revenge.
Lowell watched as she at her hand, which was now in pain. Sufia then actually reached down and tried to pick the sword up. Adam shook his hands, trying to signal her to stop. "You can't keep doing this, or you'll hurt yourself and won't be able to use that arm. Then you'll be no good for a couple days. That's enough for today, you earned a rest." Adam said. Sufia sighed as he walked away.
Lowell and Adam nodded to one another as they passed.
"What are you doing, Sufia?" Lowell asked, surprising her.
"I only wish to know how to defend myself." Sufia answered quickly. Lowell scoffed when he heard that. "That's crap. You don't think I know how vengeful you are right now? You reek of it. Did Adam ever tell you what happened to him after Leslie died?"
"Well, someone has to bring the very kind of people who killed my brother to justice. I don't blame any of you guys for his death. I blame the pirates. I blame the Shades." Sufia snapped at him. Lowell sighed.
There was a fine line between justice and vengeance.
"Sufia, I know how you feel, I-" Lowell began but Sufia interrupted him. "How do you know how I feel? Yes, we both lost family, but at least yours died to savages. You know how hard it is not to hold a grudge against your close friends who were forced to do that? Again, I don't blame you guys but don't blame me for being a little resentful." Sufia growled. "I'm hoping that training with you guys will help me get over the pain and rebuild my friendship with all of you. Hopefully by the time that's done, I'll be ready to kill some of the dogs who do such evil in this world."
Lowell sighed, and then gave his response carefully.
"Sufia, it took ten years, and the blood of countless lives, maybe hundreds, maybe thousands, that made me realize revenge had become my entire life. When you get to that point you come to understand."
She squinted at him. "Understand what?"
"Understand that when revenge consumes you, you'll seek out another person, and another, until you start killing people who don't deserve to die. Just talk to Adam." Lowell said. Then he began telling the story he had learned from the other Liberators. Apparently after his cousin died, Adam was obsessed with destroying Talon Company that he even seemed to betray his own friends just to get inside the headquarters of the mercenaries.
Not unlike himself.
"It's only some crazy stroke of luck that all of them walked out of that…even crazier still that they're all still friends." Lowell finished the story that he was told. Sufia only stared at the weapon hanging by her side.
"Someone has to stop this from happening to others…all I have left are my friends…you guys. No one else should have to lose their family like this." Sufia said, her eyes getting misty.
"Who knows, maybe if you get good enough at it we can have you talk to our boss. But until that happens, I want you to know to understand that there is a difference between justice and vengeance. When you figure that out, come talk to us." Lowell said sympathetically, then walked away.
Mina leaned against the railing, looking out across the empty wasteland. The Rat was curled up next to her legs. She sighed at how dismal it was before her. Lowell then leaned against the railing next to her. "I don't think even the Capital Wasteland is quite as empty as this land." Mina said, still glancing out. "Yeah, don't think I've seen anything this empty on this side of hell." Lowell said grinning.
"So, what does Adam wish to do now?" Mina asked. "Well, there's only one town left on the river. So we'll see what's what, then we turn around and head for Ticonderoga." Lowell answered her.
"Somehow I think we might get there before then." Mina said cryptically. "You're not thinking that are you?" Lowell asked. "Well, these towns are more empty than otherwise. All from either the Plague, or the Society." Mina answered as she sighed. "Yeah. Well, if Vinioux wants to shuffle, he's going to be hard pressed to beat us." He said and playfully jabbed her shoulder.
They both chuckled as the Half Moon chugged on.
As the Half Moon came to rest along the side of the river, the Regulators all began climbing off. Once again, Rat and Julia stayed on board. This time Lowell made sure that Adam was on the ground this time.
When he glanced back at the Half Moon. Lowell saw Alex. Saw her starring out at them. At Adam. She then disappeared into the shadows of the wheelhouse.
"Hey Adam. You gonna walk away from our captain with nothing to say?" Lowell asked, yet Adam didn't' turn around. "There's nothing to say."
"You think I believe that? I've seen the way you stare at that girl, and the way she stares at you." Lowell said, and everyone stopped. Lowell then walked up and faced his best friend. He began stammering.
Finally he found his voice. "Lowell, what do you want me to say? We probably won't live past tomorrow?" Adam asked, then spitting out away from the two.
Lowell sighed. "That's a big, fat comfort. Look kid, I don't know what you should say. Personally there's a lot more I wish I had said more to my wife. But the fact of the matter remains; is that woman up there feels something for you, and you her." Lowell said.
Adam then turned around to face his team. All of them were nodding in agreement. "She certainly more entitled than seeing your backside, walking away." Lowell said.
As they all stood there, the waited for Adam to make his choice.
"There is nothing wrong trying to think this through, but seriously man, if you have to think this hard about it, save it till after the mission. Though if you do that, do your best to survive it."
After a moment, the Regulators could tell he was thinking about it hard. "Aw hell." Adam said and pushed past his team back to the Half Moon.
They all watched as he scaled up the rope, then to the wheelhouse. They watched as he knocked on the door, and waited.
The door opened up and saw Alexandra appear, she was mildly surprised to see him. They began conversing for a while. To their surprise they saw her smile.
It was then Adam nodded and walked back to the rope. "I'll be waiting for you Adam Anders." Alex called out. Adam turned around briefly then scaled down the rope. A small grin on his face.
When he got next to Lowell, he muttered, "Happy?" Lowell shrugged and nodded. "If you are."
After a few moments of walking they entered the empty township. Much to Carl's dismay. From what the others told him, this was Carl's hometown. This was understandable.
As he looked around he was a common tavern, a set of docks at the river side, a rock quarry on the hill, and next to that was a cemetery. Lowell hated those places.
When he was in the Capital Wasteland he would often patrol the western half of Washington D.C. This was also the side where Arlington cemetery was located. Lowell remembered the long rows and columns of crosses that even after two centuries of neglect and abuse, were still white.
The ones buried beneath those crosses were the lucky ones. They didn't have to put up with such struggles as they did. They also were given a burial and had visitors. Now one would be lucky if he didn't get eaten, more if he was found at all, and even more if he got a burial.
Lowell shivered slightly, as he flipped up his lapels, across from him, James tightened the scarf on his neck. It must now be early November.
Mina sighed, her breath visible. The people who lived here once must've packed whatever they owned or could carry on their backs or on the backs of Brahmin and simply left. The former Ghoul army, and the risk of the plague must've scared the people south towards what little towns remained, perhaps towards the city.
She just didn't know.
They all noticed that Carl now was facing the cemetery. "Hey, you alright, Carl?" Adam asked the giant. "Yeah…um…I just…want to make one more visit." Carl said solemnly.
Lowell sighed and patted Adam on the shoulder. "Mina and I'll go back and let the others know y'all will be getting back shortly." He said. Adam nodded. "Alright, we'll see you soon."
"C'mon Mina." Lowell said and the two began making their way back to the Half Moon.
Mina felt empathy towards Carl. He had lost everything, just like her and Lowell.
No, not everything. He still had his friends. Just like Lowell and her.
When they reached the Half Moon, now facing south, Lowell's instincts were beginning to kick in all of a sudden.
Something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
As they climbed up the rope, he had it figured out; the engines weren't running. There could be a number of reasons for this, but why now?
"I'm going to the galley, I wish to have something to eat." Mina said, but Lowell barely heard her.
This was because he was looking at the deck. There were fresh water marks all over. Someone was on board with them.
This became truth when Mina suddenly screamed as a man in a black hood appeared out of the hatch and grabbed her. It was a Shade.
Lowell immediately pulled his revolver, but before he could, he felt his legs give way from under him. He had just been tackled by two Shades hiding behind equipment behind him. He found himself spin and land on his back.
Though he wasn't done fighting yet, this became apparent when he used his left hand to knock one of his attackers senseless.
Mina however now was in a bear hug grab by the first Shade, her arms pinned to her sides. Even as she kicked madly trying to break free, she was not strong enough.
Then her attacker released her and began screaming himself. When she turned around she saw the massive Rat on top of his head, biting and scratching like crazy.
Then the Shade, bleeding, his hood ripped off, pushed Rat hard off his face. The result was the rodent being thrown into the river.
Then she found herself being thrown onto the deck.
"Enough!" A female voice said. Mina looked up and saw a woman with a Chinese assault rifle in her hands, and her boot on Mina's back.
"Look what that damn rat did to my face!" The first Shade yelled, his face covered in deep scratches, blood pouring down from them. "Quite whining. We got to get back to Ticonderoga before the others show up."
Lowell gritted his teeth and glared at the four men on top of him. One of the Shades then stop above his head, his assault rifle in one hand. "Night night, sweetheart." He said mockingly and the last thing Lowell saw was the stock of the rifle slamming into his face.
That's chapter 28, read and review folks.
