CHAPTER 42: SNIPER TRAP.
The slave hunter snubbed out the stub of his cigar in an ashtray after finishing his made up story to the Ranger. He spent a long time telling him a tall tale of the Vault dweller, how he abducted Jeremiah's girlfriend, that he and his group have been causing death and destruction across the land with very few witnesses to tell the stories.At first the story seemed too preposterous to believe, but the leader was really good at spinning a convincing story. He even made up a part about their boss owning a small caravan company that had been growing over the years. The Ranger simply sat quietly and listened, which made him nervous because he couldn't see his face and couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"So that's basically it. We've finally managed to locate that maniac and his group, but we need some extra help in taking them out. Their numbers are far bigger than we thought." he waited for an answer.
Despite them being unable to see it, the Ranger had a tight expression on his face. At first the story seemed too insane to believe. But on the other hand the Wasteland was full of weird and crazy people. Even more so during his days back in the NCR.
"I have a few questions before I consider this job..."
The others glanced to their leader and waited for him to answer since he did pretty much all the talking. "And what questions would those be?" he said while pulling out another cigar.
"Why isn't your boss, James, not here to help take her back?" the Ranger asked. They gave a false name to Jeremiah. "I find it strange that he loves her so much yet he's not the one hiring me."
"It's because James is searching for her as well. He has many of us out there looking for her. We just got lucky finding her first but we don't have the time to contact him. This is our only chance to get her back." he answered, hoping that would be enough for him.
"Why did this Vault dweller take her? It seems so random..." he asked next.
"As I said, this man and his group are lunatics." the slave hunter started to grow frustrated but hid it. "We don't know why he did it, maybe for a laugh. If even half of what we've heard is true, than I dare not think of the things he's done to her after all this time."
"So why come to me? Isn't there plenty of other mercenaries you guys can hire here? I don't come cheap and I'm sure you can get a whole group for what I charge."
Once more the slave hunter had to hide his frustration. "Because you've gotten a great reputation for bein' precise and deadly. The last thing we need is a bunch of trigger-happy mercs shooting her to pieces before we can rescue her. The plan we've come up with is for you to pick them off while corralling her away so we can retake her and finish off the rest. We will be quick, precise, and efficient in this operation. Especially with someone of your skill."
"Is my skills the only reason you want me to help?" the Ranger asked.
"On one hand, yes. A sniper like you doesn't come around very often." he figured now was a good time for a little flattery. "But I've also took notice of the jobs you've taken around here. Hunting bandits, raiders, killers, rapists and any other scum of the earth. So why not help us take out a few more bastards and make a rescue as well?"
They could hear the Ranger softly hum to himself through his synthesized voice. He wasn't planning on taking a job like this so soon after killing a former Legion general. But he was never the kind of person to turn down new work, especially if it meant eliminating more terrible people.
"Alright, I'll help. We'll discuss the price for my services later." he scooted his seat back and stood up.
"What are you? Hourly?" the man with the scarf asked him.
The Ranger ignored that. "When do you want this operation to begin?"
"I'm gonna contact our people that are followin' them." the leader answered. "With luck, we can begin tomorrow."
"Then I'll turn in for the night. Come get me when you're ready." the Ranger took his leave and headed back up to his room.
Once the Ranger was gone from sight, the slave hunter sighed in relief. "Well...that went better than I thought. Okay, that's another part of the plan down. All we have to do now is go over the plan to make sure we don't have any unexpected issues."
"There's still the fact those people are more armed than we are." the buzz cut woman pointed out. "The others we can handle, but a Super Mutant and someone in Power Armor is another thing! And we still don't know how well organized they are."
"I've already thought about that. You can all rest assured." he stood up from his seat. "Come to my room, time to break out something I've been saving for a rainy day."
Once they were in his room he went to the bed and reached down under it and pulled out a big dull silver case and placed it on the bed. He flipped the latches and opened it to show his comrades what was inside, which brought awe and surprise to their faces.
"So, any more questions you all want to ask?" the slave hunter said as he closed it. "This weapon should be more than enough to kill just about anything that comes across our path. And I have plenty of ammo for this back with our Brahmin. The sniper will pin them down while we wipe them out."
"This plan might actually work." the coughing man said.
"Better than nothing." the buzz cut woman remarked.
"Then get some rest. We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow." the slave hunter smiled.
His people left and turned in. Not long after he contacted the people watching the wanderers to report in on their latest position. Which to their luck they were still on the highway interstate and not too far from their position. A perfect opportunity to lead them into an ambush and attack.
April 16/2296
It was an hour just before dawn as the Ranger came out of his room and found the hunters ready to head out. They were armed with assault rifles and a few handguns and shotguns. The leader of the group carried a large case in his hands that made the Ranger wonder what was inside.
"You all seem very prepared for this fight." The Ranger commented.
"We intend to hit them hard and fast with the firepower we got." the leader said as he patted the case. "We're not taking any chances with those people."
"I see." the Ranger nodded. "But even so, I've been giving it some thought through the night. And I just don't feel eager to attack people I know nothing about. I don't know their reputation or how organized they are. Going in blind could be devastating for both sides."
"Not to worry, our scouts will meet up with us. We're going to the highway and form a plan of attack."
The Ranger thought it over and turned his head to another section of the room. "In that case, I'll bring my backup along, too." He headed over to the weapons storage section of the floor. A section that was heavily guarded with a steel welded wall and a section with a large opening and a bullet proof glass for the weapons storage manager on the other side. "I taking my weapon. The big gray case with the straps."
"Yes, I know it." the teller said with a smile as he closed the big open slot for security and walked to the back of the room. A few moments later he came back and placed the long case on the counter with a grunt and opened the shutter again. "This thing's a beaut'! I can't believe you have this, these kind of weapons don't come around often. You sure ya don't want to sell this? You'd be swimming in caps for a long time!"
The Ranger grabbed the handle and pulled it off the counter. "I wouldn't sell this for all the caps in the country." he grabbed the straps on the back of the case and threw them over his shoulders like a backpack while adjusting his rifle for easy reach.
They went out and towards the Brahmin pens where caravans penned them to feed and rest. They rounded up their Brahmin, one that had plates of metal under leather sheets and rope covering its body as a form of crude armor and several large packs strapped all over the back and sides. The lead of the group threw the case he was carrying onto the back near the necks as the Brahmin mooed in protest to the extra weight.
"Ah, shut up, you mutant." he said to it before turning to the Ranger. "Plenty of room here, wanna throw your case on?"
"Im fine carryin' it." the Ranger answered. "By the way, if we're gonna be working together, I at least want to know your name for professional reasons."
"My name's Nelson." he answered. "And while we're on the subject of names, mind if we ask yours?"
"Just call me Ranger." he answered back. "My name's irrelevant, I only focus on the task at hand."
"Fine by me..." Nelson said as they began to leave, pulling the Brahmin along by a rope connected to its bridles.
Once outside the town entrance they followed the road to the highway to meet up with their scouts and head towards the interstate where the wanderers were traveling to cut them off into a trap.
()()()()()()()()()
The wanderers woke up at the crack of dawn after spending the night in a small police station and headed out. The sun was in front of them as the highway started to get a little congested, so they had to go around the vehicles which delayed them for a bit. After some time they spotted the remains of a town in the distance but with only a few standing houses, the rest had crumbling foundations in the ground with several rusted construction vehicles scattered about. The area turned out to be a housing project before the war broke out, so the few finished homes never even had a chance for people to live in. And unknown to them, they were walking right into a trap.
()()()()()()()()()
The Ranger and his employers came in from the other side of the highway, they had arrived a little bit before the wanderers. The housing project came into view down a long hill, giving them a high vantage point. The sun was at their back and they had a clear view of the ruined town below, it was everything the sniper needed to pick off his opponents. Not long after their arrival, the scouts rushed up to them. They left early before the wanderers started out to get ahead while keeping them just within their binocular range.
"Hey! They're coming! I'd say about less than half an hour at the pace they're going!" the one with a eyepatch said to them while waving his arm up.
"In that case I'll go do a quick sweep of the area." the Ranger said while taking hold of his rifle. "I don't want any surprises, I suggest you all prepare yourselves. A sniper attack can last for hours if not days depending on the targets."
"I'm already on it." Nelson said to him while going back to the Brahmin. "We'll start setting up for this rescue operation."
The Ranger nodded in response and started going down the road of the hill to do his recon. Nelson grabbed the big case from the Brahmin and placed it down on the road while everyone else checked over their guns again and gave some extra hunting rifles to the scouts.
"I just don't get it." the man with the bandana spoke. "Sure, the reward is great. But I just don't understand why Jeremiah wants this bitch so much. He's got plenty of slaves to pick, why are we so far away just to catch her?"
"Good question. But let me ask you this?" Nelson said. "Have you ever met Jeremiah in person?"
"Well...no...I haven't." he answered, slightly nervous. "I mean, I've seen him from afar and I did talk to one of his uncles for a few minutes. Once, a few years ago. What's your point?"
"The point is if you've ever got to know Jeremiah in person, then you would know that whatever he wants...he gets!" Nelson said as he opened the case up. "Jeremiah's had a taste for the fine things his entire life since he was little. And his tastes only increased as he got older while his father ran things from home. So if Jeremiah wants a solid gold statue of himself, then you can bet he will have his people raiding any place in the country where they stored gold to make it. And if he wants some redhead back as his arm candy, then we better make sure she comes back with us."
He started taking out the weapon from the case. First he set up a large tripod that had spikes on each of the feet to bolt it in place on the ground. Next he set up a large box like machinery on the tripod with a long tube on the front and another slightly bigger and longer one on the back. The top had a few antennas poking upward while the left side had an open slot where Nelson mounted a curved rectangle feed tube that fit right into the opening. Nelson placed a large battery pack on the ground and plugged the cable into the port on the back side of the machine and powered it on. The next piece of the weapon was a small boxy item with a handle and two triggers and a screen on the back and three camera lenses on the other side. He plugged the long wire of the radar gun into the weapon and the system came alive with a quick diagnostics scrolling on the screen and the body of the weapon rotated and aimed up and down a few times on its tripod swivel.
"So what the hell is this thing exactly?" the buzz cut woman asked him.
"This, my friends, is the Long Range Grenade Auto Mortar, or LRGAM for short." Nelson answered to all of them. "It's a weapon that was manufactured some time before the war. Just one of many forgotten treasures that have been found and fixed up. Like I said, Jeremiah loves the good things in life. Caps, jewelry, art, cars, tech, fancy clothes, and even weapons. Think of this as a cross between a tennis ball or baseball pitching machine and a mortar cannon."
"Whoa, whoa! We're suppose to catch the woman, not blow her ass to pieces!" the man with missing teeth exclaimed.
"Relax, all of you! I wasn't planning on using it on her!" Nelson said as he finished running tests on the machine. "The sniper will scare the woman away while I blow them up if they get close enough."
"It still sounds very risky." the skinny man spoke before having another coughing fit. "How much ammo do you even have?"
"More than a hundred, all on our Brahmin. Luckily this weapon is compatible with your basic grenade launcher ammo." Nelson placed the radar on top of the body and went over to the Brahmin to get the grenades. "But this weapon is a two man job. So I'm gonna need one of you to load it."
"I'll do it..." the skinny man held up his hand.
"Good. But we'll need someone to keep an eye on the Ranger in case he gets wise to our plan..." Nelson looked to the group for a volunteer.
"I'll do it, I know what to do if things go south with him." the buzz cut woman said.
No sooner after she volunteered, the Ranger made his way back to them. "I've done a quick sweep. They will have a lot of cover with those old homes and construction zones."
"They won't be a match for my weapon." Nelson looked through the screen of the radar and made the black and white image zoom in on the town as a red target grid came up next on the display. "This nifty device will make them scurry like the rats they are."
"I can see them coming!" the lanky scout suddenly alerted them while looking though his binoculars. "They're about to reach the town!"
To that, everyone quickly got in position. Nelson took his place by the weapon and looked through the radar screen to wait for them to step within range. The Ranger went a few feet down the hill and found a rusted car which was perfect to place his sniper rifle over the front hood. First he put his long case against the car and flipped the bipod legs down and started adjusting the scope. As the scout said, the wanderers approached the town project, staying on the street that ran right through the center.
()()()()()
"So what do we have here?" Louis said no one in particular. "Was this place a neighborhood? I see more foundations than homes."
"This was probably a housing project before the war." Joe said as he looked at the remains of the town's plaque that was unreadable. "These things were everywhere across the country, too bad it turned out to be a waste of time."
"So I guess we'd be wasting our time searchin' them since no one lived in them in the first place?" Chloe asked as they came up to the first houses.
"It couldn't hurt to make sure." Doug pointed out. "Just because no one got to actually live in them before the war doesn't mean people didn't move in after."
"He's got a point. Someone surely must have used these homes in the last two hundred odd years." Louis agreed as he stopped in front of the first house on the right. "Let's take a break and look around. I'm sure we can all use the rest."
They began to spread out to keep a lookout while staying within sight of each other. Ezrah walked towards an open space several yards away and stepped out of his Power Armor to stretch and took his laser rifle for protection. Louis and Doug went in to the first house on the right after Doug broke the doorknob with his fire axe. Radcliffe checked the house on the left after he broke the lock by kicking the door open and earned a lecture from Joe about making too much noise and alerting anyone that could be inside. Cavall was sniffing the ground as the wind started to pick up. New scents from up the hill filled the air and made the large hybrid perk his ears and look towards the hill and began to make a low growl.
"Hey, Cavall, is everything okay, boy?" Inez said as she walked over to him and started petting his back. "What's got you so upset?"
Asimov was near Ezrah as he noticed Cavall was getting more upset as he began barking in the direction of the hill. The modified Assaultron looked in that direction and zoomed his optics, he couldn't see them clearly but could still make out several figures watching them.
()()()
"So who are you going to take out first?" the buzz cut woman asked the Ranger.
He turned a knob on the scope one more time before getting into position, laying his upper body across the car hood and peering down the scope. "I'll take out the man in the Power Armor now that he's stepped out of it. Might not have another chance to get him."
()()()
Asimov took a few steps forward to get a better look and saw two people at the side behind a rusted car as one of them adjusted a rifle pointing in their direction. The Assaultron realized the person was a sniper and figured they were most likely taking aim at Ezrah while he was exposed. Asimov quickly turned to Ezrah and dashed towards him at full speed while waving his arm up. "Ezrah, look out! You're being targeted!"
The former Brotherhood member turned his head to Asimov in confusion just as he got in close enough and pushed Ezrah in the chest and sent him falling to the ground. During that the Ranger fired, the bark of his rifle echoed across the land as Ezrah landed on his rear while the side of Asimov's head was struck. The bullet shattered against his armor plating and left a crack, the edge of his visor also cracked from the impact. Asimov collapsed sharply to the ground and the glow of his lense flickered and his body laid motionless.
"Sniper! There's a sniper!" Ezrah called out while grabbing Asimov by the arms and quickly dragged him across the ground. "Head for cover now!"
The wanderers were already dashing for hiding places right after the first shot. Chloe called for Cavall to follow and ducked behind an old bulldozer while Wayland had to lead Inez away, knowing she would run out into the opening to save Asimov. They took cover behind a large stack of concrete blocks with a forklift still in position next to it. Victoria ran towards the house Louis and Doug were in and hid on the side near the front entrance. Ezrah managed to get behind cover and pulled Asimov in as the next sniper round hit near him. The cover he went behind was an excavator with the scoop missing. He leaned against the rusted treads and sighed while looking to the left and saw his Power Armor standing in the opening and regretted getting out of it.
"Of all the times for me to step out..." Ezrah sighed as he looked down to Asimov. "I just hope you're okay. I don't exactly have Inez's skills..."
Asimov's lense flicked back on as he raised his head up slowly with a light grind of gears in his neck. "Is...is...everyone safe? Is Inez safe?"
"Take it easy, everyone got to cover just in time." Ezrah placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him down. "Thanks to you, I don't have a bullet in my head. I owe you one."
Asimov sat back up despite the scans showing light damage to his head. "Once I spotted the sniper I figured you would be a high priority target while exposed."
"Hmm, makes sense." Ezrah said as he poked his head up for just a moment. "I get the feeling this isn't just some random ambush. It's too well planned out."
Louis and Doug ran towards the house entrance with their weapons in hands after hearing the gunshots from the basement. "What's going on?! Who's shooting?" the Vault dweller called as he was moments from stepping out the door.
"No, don't, there's a sniper out there!" Victoria called to them, just around the corner of the house.
"A sniper? Dammit!" Doug cursed while holding his hand out in front of Louis. "Every few days it's some new crazy shit."
"My thoughts exactly." Louis kneeled down and started scampering towards the nearest window and called out to the rest. "Is everyone okay?! Has anyone been shot?!"
"Everyone's okay and accounted for!" Ezrah called to him. "Asimov was shot but the damage doesn't seem so bad!"
"Asimov! Where were you shot? Do you need it to be fixed?" Inez called out to him.
"I'm fine for now! Stay where you are!" the Assaultron responded.
Louis went back to the door of the house. "Joe! Hey, Joe! Can you and Radcliffe hear me?"
The ghoul dashed over to the door in the other house from across. "Yeah, we hear you! What is it?"
"Do you think your rifle can reach the sniper?"
Joe grabbed the Sako 85 from his back and inched over to the nearest window facing the direction of the sniper. He shattered the glass using the butt of his rifle and kneeled down and looked through the scope. After a few sweeps he spotted the sniper and several people up on the hill. The sunlight began to blind his view and Joe pulled away before they spotted him.
"No good! There's no way my rifle can accurately reach them. It's meant for hunting, not long range sniping." Joe reported to Louis. "Plus the sun's at their back so any of us tryin' to scope them will get blinded. Whoever these assholes are they planned this attack very well."
"You're pretty much the only one with a long range weapon..." Doug said with a sigh.
"Doug's right, we're too far out for our weapons to be affective." Louis called out. "We have to find a way to get close enough to attack."
()()()
"So what are they doing now?" the man with the scarf asked while looking through a pair of binoculars.
"Obviously they're hiding..." the man with missing teeth scoffed. "Too bad our sniper couldn't take out one of them before they got out of sight."
The Ranger slowly turned his head towards the man. "Do you want to take over? Because sniping can be a long game, and I'm trained for it. How 'bout you?..." he asked with an agitated tone.
"Don't worry about their hiding places, I'll send those rats scurrying in just a moment." Nelson said while taking aim with the radar. The launcher started moving in accordance with the radar as he looked at the screen and started moving the targeting grid across the field. "Let's see...who to blow up first? Ah, how about that Power Armor man and the robot he dragged away? That ought to be fun to watch."
The launcher machine turned its barrel upwards as a grenade from the ammo slot rolled into place inside. A deep suction of air and electric charge came from the long cylinder on the back. Nelson pulled the first trigger to lock on and then pulled the second trigger to fire. A high powered whirr escaped from the weapon and the grenade went flying at an incredible speed and velocity with a spin to it.
()()()
Several of the wanderers saw the grenade flying through the air but couldn't make out what it was until it struck the other side of the excavator. It exploded a moment later and shredded the rusted metal, sending pieces flying. Ezrah cried out as the shockwave rattled him and left a ringing in his ears. Asimov's vision and audio was scrambled for a few moments.
"God! What was that?!" Ezrah shouted while digging a finger in his ear to make the ringing stop.
"An explosive." Asimov stated plainly.
"I know that! But what kind? It couldn't have been a grenade!" Ezrah shouted again, louder than intended.
"I saw it flying through the air!" Louis called over to him from the window. "It came from the people on the hill! But it didn't look like a missile, there was no smoke trail behind it!"
"What are you doing poking your head up? Keep it down unless you want it blown off." Doug said to him.
"Heads up! There's another incoming!" Radcliffe shouted.
The grenade flew through the air and landed near the house Louis and Doug were in and went off a moment later. The explosion tore off a great deal of the wall at the back where the kitchen was, brick and mortar went flying all over the ground. Not long after another grenade landed on the roof and tore off a section of it, leaving a small opening on the second floor. Louis and Doug had their ears covered and crouched down in the unfurnished livingroom after the second explosion went off.
"Are these fuckers just shooting at random?!" Doug asked aloud.
"They might be trying to bring the house down on us. Force us out so the sniper can shoot us as we run!" Louis replied.
Victoria moved over to the livingroom window on the other side. "Hey, just sneak out over here! We'll figure out what to do next after that!"
Louis and Doug looked to each other with dumbfound faces for not thinking of that before. They went over to the window as Doug used his fire axe to bust it open and the two climbed out just as another explosion hit. But this one didn't hit their house, it hit the other one Joe and Radcliffe were in. The grenade went off near the livingroom, rattling the house and tearing off a section of the brittle outside wall. They were far away from the blast, but the house shook hard enough to send them both falling to the floor. The ceiling above creaked heavily with dust raining down on them.
"Let's get the hell out of here!" Joe said while getting back up. "I'm startin' to think these homes weren't built with very sturdy materials! And the centuries haven't helped!"
"You don't have to tell me even once!" Radcliffe said while getting up and running towards the window. He quickly pulled out his hatchet and shattered it open and leapt out, not even waiting for Joe to catch up.
The two got out as another grenade hit the floor above the livingroom and blew the window to pieces. Not long after, two more grenades hit the roofs of both houses a few seconds apart. Another hit the excavator to force Ezrah and Asimov out from hiding but they stayed their ground as he covered his ears and ducked low. The next one sailed and landed short a few feet from the pallet of concrete blocks and forklift where Inez and Wayland were hiding behind. The explosion caused the stack of blocks to shift around. Wayland wrapped his massive arm around Inez's waist to carry her away from the crumbling concrete blocks and next to the forklift hoping it would be enough cover for the time. Cavall was barking uncontrollably at the explosions and it took all of Chloe's strength just to hold him around the neck to keep him from fleeing.
()()()
"Why are you firing grenades off at random?" the Ranger asked Nelson, not even turning his eye away from the scope. "You only have so many of those at it is..."
Nelson readjusted the radar, thinking of where to fire next. "Hey, I'm just trying to make your job a bit easier. And if we take out a few of them like this than so be it. All that matters is saving her. By the way, where is she now? I lost track several minutes ago when I started shooting at them."
"Good thing you aren't too trigger happy. I saw her hide behind the house on the right at its side. It's hard not to notice her with hair that red." the Ranger answered. "But the Vault dweller and a slightly shorter man were already in the house before we attacked. Safe bet is they crawled out a window by now. I won't be able to get any of them as long as they stay behind there."
"Then we focus on the others. Once we thin them out, we can close in and take out whoever is still alive. We just have to wait for them to panic and start making mistakes. Just keep your rifle ready to pop whoever pokes their heads up first." Nelson spoke more harshly than before.
The Ranger frowned behind his mask as he began to feel something was off. He never took his eye away from the scope but he felt all of them looking at him like some kind of troublemaker. For now he shrugged it off and focused on the task once more.
()()()
The excavator took another explosion, increasing the damage to the side. The left tread was broken into pieces and the glass surrounding the driver seat was completely gone along with the seat and the controls in it. All Ezrah could do was keep his head down and cover his ears for protection.
"We can't stay here much longer! If only I didn't step out of my Power Armor. I could charge right up there and take them out!" Ezrah said after taking his hands off his ears. "Does this happen often with you all?"
"Life certainly has gotten complicated in the last several weeks since Inez and me joined them." Asimov answered. "But I admit the frequency of attacks tend to become troublesome."
Another explosion disrupted their conversation. This time it was aimed at Chloe and Cavall. Everyone could hear the large canine bark aggressively as Synth merc tried to hold him in place.
"I don't understand why they are firing on us so randomly. It seem very impractical." Asimov said once the explosion died down.
"It's because they're trying to make us panic! If we flee from our hiding spots the sniper will take us out if we don't get blown to pieces first!" Ezrah said before another explosion was heard coming from the house on the left. "We have to find a way to communicate and think of a strategy to fight back!"
Asimov quickly poked his head up from cover and looked around the construction zone and saw piles of old materials, the various machinery and vehicles scattered around and plotted a route. "I might have a plan. But it's risky, I'll have to expose myself while running from cover to cover to draw the sniper's fire."
"That's insane! You were knocked out by a single bullet to the head. What's gonna happen if that sniper gets a good shot on you?" Ezrah asked him.
"I wasn't prepared the first time. This time they won't get a second chance, I just need to keep ahead while the sniper readjusts." Asimov said while standing up.
"That's still too risky! How can you run if that mortar fire blows off your legs?" Ezrah pointed out.
"I understand your concern for my safety." Asimov spun around and crouched like a runner. "But only Inez can command me to stop."
The Assaultron dashed off before Ezrah could say anything else to stop him. Asimov turned his head towards the hill and anticipated the next shot. As expected the Ranger spotted him running and readjusted his scope and took aim ahead of Asimov. He fired a round and it bushed past Asimov's body by only a few inches before hitting the ground. He dove behind a cement mixer as the sniper fired again and hit the mixer barrel. Nelson turned his radar towards the cement mixer and took aim and fired. Asimov saw the grenade sailing through the air and ran from his hiding spot, this time fleeing back to get farther from range just as the grenade landed in front of the cement mixer and blew it to pieces.
While Asimov ran, the rest of the wanderers began moving around to find better cover. Wayland picked up Inez by the waist and held her under his arm and ran towards the bulldozer as Inez bounced around in his hold. Ezrah waited for the next gunshot before fleeing from cover and stayed low while holding his laser rifle close to his chest. Not wanting to push his luck he went behind an old truck with rubble piled in the bed and sat down against it to catch his breath.
Louis had his head poked out from the side of the house to get a view of what was going on across the construction site. "Guys, I think Asimov is drawing their fire. Let's get across to Joe and Radcliffe. Once we get to them we can start thinkin' of a plan."
"It's a bit far to the other house." Doug pointed out. "The sniper could change targets at any moment if he gets tired of trying to hit Asimov."
"If we start runnin' after the next shot the sniper won't have enough time." Louis poked his head out from the side again to check the area. "He can't just fire like crazy. Snipers need to readjust their scope and take in account of things like wind and distance."
"How do you know all that?" Victoria asked him.
"I read a few military books on combat tactics." he replied. The next gunshot rang out and they waited for several moments. "Okay, you guys want to do this? Because this might be our only chance to get across."
Doug sighed and drew his Winchester. "Guess we might as well. I don't see much options. Let's go!"
The three sprinted from behind the house and taking a few glances towards the distant hill. They crossed the dusty yard and saw Joe waving to them from behind the other house. A few seconds later they reached the road, getting themselves almost halfway across. Up on the hill the skinny man was scanning the construction area and spotted the three through his binoculars. He quickly alerted Nelson and the sniper of their position and they both turned their attention towards the entrance of the neighborhood.
Victoria was behind Louis and Doug as they reached the middle of the road before she suddenly felt her right foot get caught under a crack and went falling to the road. Despite having a jacket on she still felt her arms and back get scraped up and rolled a few times across the asphalt. She came to a stop as the side of her head struck the asphalt hard, getting a small gash that made her vision spin and cried out in pain.
Louis stopped in his tracks just as he reached the foot of the dusty lawn after hearing Victoria's cry and turned around to find her down on the road. She pushed herself up with one hand while the other covered her bleeding cut that blended in almost perfectly with the color of her hair. He called out to her and ran back onto the road as every second filled him with fear, thinking the sniper was moments away from taking a shot at her.
Back on the hill the sniper did have Victoria in his sights to keep an eye on her position before glancing to the side and saw the Vault dweller running back towards her. Seeing him do something so dangerous and practically suicidal to save her contradicted everything he was told about him and his group. What happened next surprised the Ranger even more than before.
Louis threw himself over her and pressed Victoria back down to the road, covering her completely from view of the sniper. "Don't worry, I won't let them shoot you!" he said to her, holding his arms around her tight.
"No, you have let me go or you'll be shot!" she tried to plead with him.
The Vault dweller stayed his position and waited to be hit, ignoring Victoria's pleas and the rest of his friends calling to him. But after several long moments nothing happened and Louis slowly turned his head towards the hill completely puzzled.
"I don't get it, why aren't they shooting?" he said to himself.
()()()
"What the hell are you waiting for, Ranger?" the man with missing teeth said. "Take the shot already!"
"Do you have any idea how powerful this rifle is? If I shoot him there's a good chance the bullet will pass through him and into her!" the Ranger said while turning away from his scope.
"Yeah, he's right! We can't fire right now!" Nelson said as he began to panic. He didn't expect the Vault dweller to do something so drastic as throwing himself over someone to protect them. Including the person they intended to catch, which made the slave hunter wonder what the Ranger was thinking now.
()()()
"I don't understand, why aren't they shootin' us?" Louis said as got on his knees.
Victoria stood back up with a stagger and grabbed him by the arm. "Who cares about that, let's go before they change their minds!"
He got up and the two ran over to Doug, Joe, and Radcliffe. Once behind the house, Louis asked Joe to tend to her head wound since he had one of the med-kits. Both the Ranger and Nelson went back to taking aim and waiting for someone to step out as the construction zone went back to being eerily quiet for the time being. But as they waited, Nelson began to fear that the Ranger was starting to question their mission after what the Vault dweller did. He turned his head to the buzz cut woman and gave her a slight nod to signal her stay at the ready in case the Ranger got any ideas or disobeyed.
Louis leaned his back against the house and slowly poked his head out to look around and try to find everyone else before pulling back. "It's quiet, I don't like that. What could they be up to now?"
"I'm surprised you don't have a bullet in your head." Doug said to him. "Why didn't they take you two out when they had the chance?"
Joe was kneeling in front of Victoria, patching up her cut. "More importantly what weapon are they using to lob those grenades at us?"
"How can those be grenades? I've never heard of a launcher with such range." Louis said to him. "It has to be some kind of mortar cannon."
"Whatever it is doesn't matter." Victoria said just as Joe finished wrapping a bandage around her head over the gauze patch. "I think I know why they didn't shoot us when we were exposed." she stood up despite the pain. "There's no other explanation, those people...are after me."
It dawned on the three as Radcliffe raised a curious brow. "Oh, damn, I was starting to feel unpleasantly nostalgic." Louis said with a palm against his head. "Would they really pull a stunt like this again? I wonder if it's the same guy we left alive?"
"Doesn't matter who it is." Doug said. "If Victoria's right then it means these people will be relentless."
Radcliffe raised his hand and waved it. "Sorry, but did I miss something here?"
"It's a long story, Radcliffe. We'll explain it later." Joe said while packing the med-kit away. "Right now we need a plan. You do have one, Louis?"
"Well...I'm kinda makin' it up step by step." he chuckled awkwardly. "Trying to get as many of us back together is part of it."
"In other words we crossed to the other side for practically nothing." Doug groaned. "Any other bright ideas?"
"Now, I wouldn't say we did it for nothing. We have to search for something around here that could help us." Louis quickly went back over to the other side of the house and poked his head out to look at some of the equipment laid out. "There might be something that could help us."
"Like what? We gonna use all this old shit to make a tank or somethin'?" Radcliffe asked with his hand pointed out towards the construction zone.
"Obviously not." Louis replied. "Our goal is to get in close to attack. None of our weapons can accurately reach them from this distance and that mortar fire is also a bit of an issue."
Doug went over and quickly poked his head out on the other side. "Is there any possible chance some of those vehicles could still work? I'm amazed no one had ever picked this place clean of all this equipment."
Joe hummed softly to himself. "It could be possible if some of these are powered by nuclear cores since fuel was growing scarce. So long as the reactor's intact it's possible, but even if those are still working I doubt the machinery has held up in over two hundred years. And if the cores are leakin' radiation than powering them on is out of the question unless you want to get blown sky high."
"God! What wasn't nuclear powered back then?"Doug asked him.
"Okay, let's not worry about that part for now." Louis said to them. "We can still run for cover between each shot and go from there."
"Then let me take the lead." Victoria said to the guys. "If those people really are after me then they won't try to shoot or blow us to pieces as long as I'm front and center."
"No, that's too dangerous. What if one of them gets too eager and slips up?" Louis said to her. "I won't use you as a shield just to keep them at bay."
"What other choice do we have? It's only a matter of time before we start getting hit. And I'm done running from people like them." Victoria stood her ground on her decision and went to the corner of the house and pulled out her SMG. "We have to do this or we'll never beat them."
The guys looked to each other, even Louis hated to admit it but their options were limited and time was running out for all of them. "Alright, we'll charge them." he said while grabbing his AN-94. "But we stay close, make it hard for the sniper to get a lock on us and the one shootin' the mortar won't be able to blow us up without hitting you."
"I suppose it's better than waiting to get killed..." Joe said while checking his Sako.
"Alright then, lead the way, Vic." Doug said as he chambered a round in his Winchester.
They each took deep breaths before bolting from behind the house and towards the nearest pile of construction equipment. Up on the hill they noticed that the sun had started to slowly shift in the past hour. That would eventually grow in their favor as the sun continued to move throughout the day. But that meant the sniper knew it as well and would step up his attacks as he began to lose the advantage of having the sun at his back.
As they approached the first cover, Louis and Victoria started firing in the direction of the hill to create a distraction. Even if their shots wouldn't reach, it was enough to draw attention to themselves as well and allow everyone else to start advancing on their position.
()()()
"What the hell are those people doing?! Are they insane charging in like that?" Nelson sneered in frustration as he watched them move with the radar screen.
"They're making it next to impossible for me to get a clear shot without putting her in danger, that's what." the Ranger said as he readjusted his rifle. "Why is she doing this? She seems way too willing to help them despite being a captive."
"We can ask later after we capture her and take them out!" Nelson snapped, almost throwing the radar to the ground. "Just do your goddamn job that we hired you for!"
The Ranger almost stood up from his crouching position to give Nelson a few choice words. But instead he just huffed and clenched his gloved fist before looking back down the scope while growing more suspicious of Nelson and his people and decided to observe the wanderers to figure out what is really going on. Once the Ranger wasn't looking at any of them, the buzz cut woman placed a hand on her magnum holster and undid the strap holding it.
()()()
Chloe finally managed to calm Cavall down for the most part by stroking his back. Inez and Wayland sat beside her with all of them leaning against the bulldozer tracks. Since they got across all they did was stay hidden, barely able to look upon the construction zone to figure out where everyone was.
"So...did you think of using your missile launcher to hit those people up there, Wayland?" Inez asked him to break up the awkward silence.
"Save your missiles. They'll veer off course at that distance." Chloe said to them. "And it goes without sayin' that my plasma weapons won't reach either."
"Wish we had a sniper of our own to tip the scales." Inez sighed and placed her chin in her palms while thinking about Asimov. "What can we do to get close to those people?"
"With my armor, I can charge them." Wayland said. "And when I get close enough I can use my missile launcher and minigun on them!"
"Now's not the time to test your new armor. Even for a Super Mutant I doubt you can survive an onslaught of sniper bullets and explosives." Chloe said to him.
"Then what should we do? Asimov is on the move. Ezrah's out of his armor. And we don't know what everyone else is up to!" Inez quickly stood up and kicked the massive track of the bulldozer.
Just then she stopped herself from kicking it again and looked the vehicle over. She took a step back while keeping in mind to not stand anywhere that could put her in the open. A few moments later she placed a few fingers to her chin in thought before coming up with an idea and took off her backpack and started rooting around for tools and earning the confused looks of Chloe and Wayland.
"Uh, Inez, what are you up to?" Chloe asked her.
"I was thinkin' if we can't get in close on foot, then maybe we can get in close on this!" she explained while pulling out a few tools. "These construction vehicles are still in good condition. And if they're nuclear powered than maybe we can get it to start up!"
"Whoa, slow down and take a deep breath, Inez. You're going a mile a minute." Chloe said to her. "Just stop and tell us what are you doin'?"
"Basically I want to turn this bulldozer into a makeshift armored transport and run those people down." Inez answered as she opened the side hatch and began rooting around. "If I can get it working long enough, we can get in close to attack!"
"Or get blown sky high because you're tryin' to fix a two hundred plus vehicle from before the war." Chloe pointed out. "For all you know this thing is leaking radiation. You wanna end up dead from rad poisoning?"
"I've worked on a few small reactors before. Trust me, we can make this work!" Inez started to dig around in the engine area. "And, Wayland..." she turned to him, getting his attention. "I'm gonna need your help."
