Chapter 36

"What!" Dominic roared, throwing a nearly full glass of scotch against the wall. He rounded on the tech who was reporting in. "What do you mean the deathclaw didn't kill that god damn ghoul?!"

"w-well," the tech stammered. "We released Goliath near the ghoul as ordered. But…well…let me show you sir."

The tech crossed the Dominic's terminal and loaded the holotape he'd brought. Dominic watched in furious disbelief as the ghoul shouldered his rifle and held out his hand. The holotape didn't have audio but they could see Charon was talking and it appeared that that deathclaw was listening. Goliath stepped forward and then…like a sign of the end times…the beast licked the ghoul, jumping around like an excited puppy for Christ's sake.

Dominic sat heavily in his chair. "How is that possible? It killed four of my best men before they were able to get it into the arena."

"We do not know, although there are whispers that the ghoul is as holy as Angel herself." The tech told him, unable to hide to awe in his voice.

Dominic growled. "Radio Roberts and alert him to the Deathclaw's loyalty. The commander will need to take care of the ghoul from a distance."

"Should we tell him to dispatch the deathclaw as well?"

"No you idiot," Dominic snapped. "I want that beast alive."

Kevin got to see firsthand what Claws could do to the people he didn't like within the hour. It was only luck that the rifle shot had missed the teenagers head. He'd been so distracted by the deathclaw that he'd stepped out onto a street with looking first.

The only thing that had saved him was Charon's big hand flashing out and yanking him back. The gunshot echoed off the tall buildings surrounding them and Claws snarled. Whoever it was that had fired at them regretted it as soon as the massive deathclaw stalked into view.

They heard a couple more shots, Claws roared in nothing short of fury and then a scream followed by a wet ripping sound.

Charon leaned around the corner, the tower looming in the distance and waved at Kevin to follow. The boy had never seen so much blood before and his stomach rebelled. He stumbled to the side and bent, vomiting what little had been able to eat in the last few days.

Charon hesitated and then clapped the boy on the back a few times in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

Kevin spit and wiped his mouth, eyes watering. He was panting and red with embarrassment.

"Sorry," he mumbled, ashamed.

Charon offered him their last bottle of water. "Don't worry about it. The first time a saw a person ripped apart I puked too. Poor bastard had stepped on a land mine."

"Really?" Kevin asked. He was having a hard time imagining badass, hardened Charon losing his lunch over a little gore.

"Really,"

They kept moving after that, the tower getting closer and closer. They killed several more people on the way, both ghoul and boy on high alert. In the late even Charon signaled him to move into what used to be a café of sorts.

"We'll rest here for a couple hours. Cook up that meat, keep the fire small."

Kevin nodded, doing what he was told even though he wasn't sure he'd be able to eat anything just yet. Charon kept watch, crouched by the broken store front window. Claws snorted, settling himself by a rusty car frame just outside the door.

Kevin thought it was remarkable how a creature that big could blend in. Remarkable and terrifying.

Kevin cut the meat into thin strips so it would cook quickly and set it to roast in a pan he'd found in the café'. The pan was balanced on a cooking pot that held his fire. The meat began to sizzle quietly and Claws head shifted in interest. Kevin wasn't sure how he felt about the beast watching him with that much attention. It was unnerving to say the least.

The meat was just about finished when the loud crack of a gunshot split the quiet evening air. Kevin whirled around as Charon snarled in pain and fury, his shotgun clattering to the floor. Bright red blood was blooming on the big ghoul's right shoulder.

Charon ducked quickly behind the wall, his hand clamping over the wound. He glanced at Kevin who stood frozen. "Gun." Charon growled out.

Kevin jerked, fumbling to get his gun into his hands.

Outside gravel crunched as Claws drew himself up. Then everything was quiet. They waited in tense silence but nothing more happened. Finally Kevin, keep low and out of the line of fire, crept over the Charon with the ghoul's pack in hand.

"Do you think they've gone?"

Charon inched forward enough to see part of the street. Claws was pacing in front of the storefront but other than that everything was still. "I don't know."

"Here," Kevin slid the bag forward. "Do you have a stimpak?"

"No, but the bullet went clean through and I have some bandage. I'll be alright." Probably. It wasn't exactly a lie, Kevin didn't need to know that the bullet had ripped through his muscle and bone alike. He didn't need to know that Charon couldn't lift his arm, the bullet having broken something important for motion. Kevin didn't really need to know that presently Charon couldn't move his fingers so even if he could lift his gun he wouldn't be able to pull the trigger.

Kevin inspected the blood pouring from between the ghoul fingers and he looked up him with wide eyes. In that moment Charon cursed because Kevin knew…and they were not fine.

Brandy sat in the war room with a handful of other people, both ghoul and human, watching the games live feed. Charon and the boy had tamed the deathclaw and that had sent a wave of hope through every slave and citizen who'd seen it. From what she'd heard they had more support for the siege then they could have dreamed of.

Charon and Kevin had kept moving but now Commander Roberts had them pinned down. Every time they tried to leave the café he'd take a pot shot at them. Craven had growled that the commander was probably going to wait until the dead of night and then sneak down to finish them off. Every time a shot fired on them the big deathclaw roared, stalking angrily with its nose in the air. It seemed like it knew where Roberts was but it couldn't get up to the Commanders vantage point.

As much as the rebels wanted to help the ghoul there was nothing they could do for him at the moment. Instead they put the final details on their plan of attack, assigning entrance point to each team.

Severus was still sticking close to Brandy, she was still the only one who really accepted his presents. Over the last three days he'd noticed that like himself, she was a black sheep of her social group. Most of the other woman didn't make eye contact with her and he'd heard a couple of them whisper about how unsuitable it was for Brandy to not wear skirts.

They'd made hushed comments about how much time she spent in the workshop, even preferring to sleep there instead coming back to where the other woman slept. The comments hadn't been nasty exactly, more like a fearful kind of gossip among the more timid girls.

Severus had though she hadn't heard them until he'd let a small growl slip the day before while he held her ladder steady.

"It's not their fault." Brandy murmured just loud enough for him to hear her. "This whole thing has already pushed them way past what they're used to. I'm just more adaptable. They'll adjust with time and patience."

Brandy's eyes never left her work and Severus got a whole new kind of respect for the girl's inner strength.

Now in the war room Brandy was sitting at the table, dividing her attention between the screen following the games and the men plotting around the maps on the table.

"Joshua," Ike called, waving him over to one of the maps of the castle. "I want you to pick a small team and use the fighting as a distraction to go in and get Rachel out."

"I suppose you and Craven needed elsewhere?"

Ike nodded. "I'm storming the front gates with two squads. Craven is going into the barracks with two of his own squads. We want the people to see us, to know that we're fighting for them."

"I'll go," Brandy announced, turning to look at the men fully.

They both exchanged a loaded look and Joshua started to shake his head slowly. "Ah, listen I appreciate the sentiment but you don't have any combat or stealth training. I'm not sure this is the right job for you."

Brandy drew herself up and scowled. "I may not have any combat training but I have been trained to be neither seen nor heard since the day I was born. Without Rachel I would be either dead or close to it by now. I want to help and I know all the servants passages."

"Brandy I can't guarantee that you won't be hurt, killed even. This is going to be very dangerous."

Severus shifted against the wall where he'd been leaning. "I will be responsible for her safety."

"You want to go too?" Joshua asked carefully, not sure if Severus could be trusted.

"I owe Rachel my loyalty." He said simply. "And Charon was a friend once. I do have combat training and I know the security codes. We will not be a burden."

Joshua looked at Ike, asking a silent question. Ike shrugged, so far Severus had done nothing to make him suspect he was still working for Dominic. "It's up to you. I still may not trust him but I do trust your judgment."

Joshua looked between the girl and the big ghoul. Severus could make up for Brandy's lack of fighting skills and between the two of them it was probably the best chance of getting their savior out of the Locker and back to base unseen.

"Alright, fine. Meet me in the cafeteria. Four AM ready to move fast. We'll need to be in position when the fighting starts."

Brandy nodded and got up to go, Severus lingered behind. When she was gone he looked at the men watching him warily. "You have no reason to trust me, but I would like permission to look over your armory."

Ike cocked an eyebrow. "Why would we let you at our weapons?"

Severus glanced over his shoulder, looking at the now empty doorway. "I would like to show the girl how to use a firearm. She is unprepared for what is to come. Should she get separated from me she should have the ability to defend herself."

Joshua and Ike exchanged another look and finally Ike nodded. "Joshua, you have a key. Take him to the armory and let him take something for Brandy."

Severus followed Joshua through the hallways to storage and the smaller ghoul unlocked the door to the armory. It looked like the room was maybe once a maintenance office. Now the walls where lined with shelves which were stacked with both weapons and ammo boxes.

Joshua lingered near the door, gesturing for Severus to go ahead. He looked over the range of weapons. Pressed for time and going on the assumption that she had zero experience Severus selected a simple 9mm pistol. He took two extra clips and a small boot knife complete with the leather sheath.

"Armor?" Severus asked and Joshua pointed to a row of lockers to the left.

He looked through them and found some leathers that looked small enough. He turned and Joshua nodded, picking up a clip board. "We sign in and out everything in this room." He explained.

Severus nodded. "Smart."

After everything was recorded Severus went to Garret's work room looking for Brandy. She was there at her desk writing. He cleared his throat and she jumped, quickly covering the paper with her splayed hands. "Severus! I didn't hear you come in."

"What are you working on?" he asked, moving towards the desk.

Brandy blushed but she moved her hands to show him. Severus's eyebrow snapped up. "A will?"

Brandy nodded. "It's more like a note. I don't really own anything but its thanking Garret and asking that what I do have be given to the other girls here." She smiled at him to hide her fear but he saw it anyway. "I know there's a good chance I'll probably die tomorrow."

"If you are afraid then why did you fight to be included?"

"Because…the way we've lived…it's wrong. I guess I figured if I die fighting for what's right. Fighting to make things better? Then that's a good death. Rachel made it so the slaves might be able to start living without fear of getting raped to death for looking a man in the eye. We can never repay her but I can try to help free her. I have to try. Even if I know that I probably won't live to see it through till the end."

Severus nodded, "I understand." Solemnly he set the 9mm on her desk over her paperwork. "But you will not die without a fight."

Brandy looked at the gun and then up at him. "Is that for me?"

"Yes. If you will accompany me to the firing range…we will prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Brandy asked in a low voice, running a carful finger along the barrel.

Severus nodded, eyes tracking her fingers sliding along the shiny metal. "For war."