The entrance to the Salem Witch Museum had, unfortunately, been chained shut. Renee tugged at the doorknob anyway. "Maybe it's rusty and it'll break!" She grunted, pulling as hard as she could.
"Or maybe the townspeople put the chain there to keep people out." Lily had her arms crossed and one knee popped, smirking.
Renee glared at her. "You could've told me that earlier."
"It was kind of funny watching you try to open the door…" Anita chuckled.
Lily started walking around to the side of the building. "There's an entrance to the basement over here."
"How do you know this?" Renee followed close behind and helped her open a cellar door.
"You really think I lived here for most of my life and didn't explore?" Lily began walking down into the darkness.
Once they were all in the basement, they stood around for a moment to let their eyes adjust. Renee didn't see anything particularly witchy. There was some rubble from the upper floors, some old chairs, crates, and a whole lot of dust. "Wow."
"I know it's not very impressive." Lily pushed forward down a hallway. "I imagine it was, before the war."
Anita followed directly behind her, with Renee bringing up the rear. Renee felt her heart start to beat uncomfortably hard in her chest and she held her rifle close. "S-so, um, who's Mrs. Patterson, exactly?"
"Oh, she's the town elder. Basically the mayor." Lily held up her hand. "Wait."
They were quiet.
Anita scoffed and started to push past her. "I don't hear anything."
"I said wait." Lily shot her arm out to prevent Anita from passing.
Renee squeaked as she heard shuffling from somewhere up above. "What is that?" She hissed.
"I'm not sure." Lily crouched low, motioning for Anita and Renee to follow suit.
"Sounds like Ferals." Anita readied her own gun.
Renee winced as pain prickled through her ankle. Walking normally was all right, but in the cramped space, trying to keep low and slow caused stress on her legs. Maybe Curie was right. Maybe I should've waited one more day. She bit her lip. She didn't have much of a choice now.
Lily led them up a staircase and pressed against the wall. "There." She jerked her head toward the hallway.
Two Feral Ghouls were stumbling around in the dim light, quite unaware of the trio. Anita raised her rifle. "I got this." She held her breath and matched one up in her sights.
The blast echoed in the small space but one Ghoul's head exploded all over the wall. The other Ghoul had barely turned around when Lily leapt forward and stabbed the saber on her hip up to the hilt through its chest. It gurgled and slid off the blade.
Renee shook her head and rubbed her ear to ease the ringing. "Can you maybe never shoot that thing in here again?"
"Agreed." Lily looked back at them. She batted at one ear. "Maybe we shouldn't be shooting while we're in here. Unless you want us all to go deaf."
Anita blinked slowly, clearly dazed by her own shot. "Yeah. Good idea." She flicked the safety back on her rifle and slung it across her shoulders. She shook her head to clear it.
Renee nudged one of the Ferals with her toe. "Well… I guess that's that."
"They must've gotten in while the town was abandoned." Lily sighed. "Let's keep going."
The present danger taken care of, they spread out to search the rooms. Renee found more crates and empty boxes, a few bookshelves with ruined books, and a supply closet with broken shelves. From the sounds of disappointment from her companions, it seemed they didn't fare much better. "Hey Lily?" She called, looking through some old school desks stacked in a corner.
"Yeah?" Lily was in the next room over and the wall muffled her low voice.
"Could you explain more about Mrs. Patterson and her, uh, predictions? Is that something everyone here can do?"
"Not much to explain." Lily came into the room, empty-handed. "The people of Salem have been here since before the war. We all have ties to this place."
Renee closed the desk and opened the next one. "So you're all cursed?"
"I don't really understand it myself. But things that seem out of the ordinary everywhere else are normal here. Mrs. Patterson gets premonitions. It happens." Lily leaned against the doorjamb.
"What do you get?" Anita came up behind her.
Lily exhaled through her nose. "It's hard to explain. Luck, in a word."
"Could use some of that myself." Renee sighed and let the desk close, yelping as it slammed down on her fingers. "Damn it!" She shook her hand out.
Behind her, she could hear Lily and Anita giggling. She frowned, glaring back at them. "Oh shut up."
"Nothing on this floor. Let's keep going." Lily shoved off the doorjamb with her shoulder and turned to keep exploring.
Renee relaxed as they went along. She found herself enjoying Anita's and Lily's company, even if they had very different opinions on the Minutemen. Currently they were arguing about following orders; namely, Lily wasn't too keen on following every little thing Anita said to do.
"You signed up for this, literally." Anita walked up a staircase next to the taller woman.
"I signed up to help the Commonwealth, not listen to you."
"Well, you get both."
As they stepped onto the next floor, Renee heard something else. A very faint, but clear, beeping noise. She looked around and finally found it. "There it is!" She dashed forward to a shaft of light, next to a mannequin hanging from a gallows.
On a broken table laid a small box with an antenna and the Brotherhood emblem, just as Anita described. Renee picked it up and turned it over in her hands. "How do I get this open…" She mumbled, prodding the sides and the top for any hidden buttons.
So focused was she that she didn't hear or see the glowing Ghoul come out from behind the wall. She held up the beacon in the light to get a better look. "Am I missing something here…?"
"Jones!"
She whirled at her name and came face-to-face with a glowing Feral. She gasped, her eyes wide.
The next moment, Lily dove in front of her and sliced the Ghoul's head clean off. Its body thumped to the ground while the head rolled around to land at Anita's feet. Lily flung blood off her sword. "Pay attention to what's going on around you," she said.
Renee stumbled back. "Thanks." Her chest heaved as she tried to calm her heart.
"He's got friends!" Anita ran over to them, holding her rifle in her hands.
More Ferals began crawling out of the woodwork—somewhat literally—toward them. Renee grabbed for her knife. "God damn it!" She tucked the beacon in her pocket.
"All right Cromwell. Time to prove you're Minuteman material." Anita smiled, smug.
"Prove myself? You're kidding." Lily stabbed a Feral that came too close, shoving it off to the side.
"Completely—" Anita buttstroked another Feral, caving in its skull "—serious."
Renee struggled to hold off yet another with her knife. "Guys? Little help here!"
Lily gripped Renee's shoulder, shoving her backward, and sliced into the Feral. "Stay back!"
She didn't have to be told twice. Renee pressed herself against the wall and let Lily and Anita take care of the small horde. The fight was over almost as soon as it began, and soon the bodies of half a dozen Feral Ghouls littered the floor.
Renee slid down the wall with a breath of relief. "That was…"
Lily sheathed her sword and looked at Anita. "Not bad."
"We make a good team, Cromwell." Anita gave a nod, wiping her brow. "No doubt about your abilities now."
Renee pulled the beacon out of her pocket and looked at it again. She finally saw the small button on the side. "I think I got it." She pressed it down.
"Congratulations, Wastelander."
"Maxson?" Anita stood over her.
"If you're listening to this tape, then that means you're Brotherhood material. You explore where cowards refuse to go, and you survived the abominations we planted to protect this message. The Brotherhood of Steel wants to offer you a chance to join our ranks. If you've got a fire in you to destroy that which threatens the Commonwealth, bring this beacon to the Boston Airport." The recording ended with a solid click.
Renee looked between Anita and Lily. "So they are recruiting."
"This isn't good." Anita took the beacon and tucked it away in her bag. "I need to get this back to the Castle immediately. Cromwell, escort Renee back to Diamond City. I'll make a full report to Preston and the General."
Renee got to her feet. "You're going back alone?"
"I can handle myself. This is more important." Anita's eyes flashed behind her glasses. "Cromwell."
"Right." Lily stepped closer to Renee and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry Renee. But this is Minuteman business now. And that means it's classified." Anita offered her an apologetic smile. "I'll make sure you get your payment, don't worry."
Renee bit back a retort. She looked away with a sigh. She understood, sure, but that didn't mean the whole thing wasn't irritating. "I understand."
Lily tugged her shoulder. "Let's go."
By the time Lily and Renee made it back to Diamond City, the sun had set below the horizon. Anita headed out before they did and they could only assume she made it back to the Castle. Despite Mrs. Patterson's parting words to them, Renee felt confident Anita was all right.
"It's just up here." Renee led Lily through the darkened Market. "Thanks again. I appreciate this. You'll be okay on the way to the Castle?"
Lily nodded. "I'll be fine. I'm staying at the Dugout tonight, I'll leave in the morning when it's light."
They stopped before the door to the Home Plate. Renee turned. "Well, I'll see you around, I guess."
Lily nodded. "I'll see you again, I'm sure." She looked toward the Dugout. "Take care of yourself, Jones."
"You too."
As Lily walked off, Renee knocked on the door. It opened only a few moments later. "I'm back."
Even with the light behind her, Renee could see Curie was smiling. "Can I come in?"
"Of course." Curie stepped to the side to let her inside.
Stepping into the foyer felt like coming home.
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