CHAPTER 46: THE GHOUL RESEARCHER
The air was heavy with the smell of burning flesh along with gunfire putting down the last of the feral ghouls trying to crawl away. The wanderers themselves felt like collapsing, running and fighting for the past few hours have taken its toll on them all. The man looked around at his people finishing up before turning his attention back to them.
"You people must be tough as bullets to survive against so many ferals in this rotten town." he said calmly to put them at ease.
"Have you dealt with these ghouls before?" Ezrah asked, stepping forward.
"We do routine patrols around this town to make sure none of the ghouls are skulking outside of it." he said, looking around for a moment. "For whatever reason they never leave the town, and we've seen others come in and never leave either. Some of us believe that maybe most of the ferals are prewar. And something in their rotted brains make them want to stay here."
"Then, chief, your patrol kinda sucks." Radcliffe rudely said and stepped forth and pointed his thumb back. "Because we found this woman and kid hiding in an old building for a couple of days before those burn bags attacked us!"
"I understand why you're...upset, but unfortunately people pass by this place all the time and we don't always catch them. Especially if it's a small group. We saw the smoke in the air and figured something was going on." he pointed up and they turned to see the black smoke in the distance. "What did you burn to cause that much smoke anyway?"
"About several nuclear powered cars blowing up because of a trigger happy moron..." Joe said, pointing his thumb at Radcliffe.
"You're fuckin' welcome, by the way!" Radcliffe shouted, drawing attention from the people nearby.
The man chuckled awkwardly. "Well it looks like everyone's still in good spirits despite all that has happened. Our crew should be finished wrapping things up. But we shouldn't linger here for long, they might get bold and attack again. Come with us, we'll give you shelter and supplies for all you've been through."
"We appreciate that." Louis said as he looked back to the woman and child. "And another thing, these two were traveling to find a new home. Think you can hook them up?"
"I think we can accommodate them, our town has plenty of space and work." the man replied, looking to the two. "And what about you all? Will you be coming to stay or passing through?"
"Passing through once we rest and resupply." Doug slung his Winchester rifle. "This day has been total hell."
"I feel like I could collapse any moment..." Inez sighed heavily.
"This town of yours better have a bar." Radcliffe said, throwing his LMG over his shoulder.
"For once, you have a good idea." agreed Chloe.
The wanderers followed the man to where the patrollers waited, about forty of them in all. They soon caught sight of what the people used to mobilize so fast to the town, and that was several vehicles lined up. Three school buses, one with its top completely removed. Two cars, both missing the tops. Two trucks with most of their windows intact. And several motorcycles with one dirt bike.
"You got working vehicles?!" Louis said with astonishment. "I've never seen any of these that weren't just heaps of rust on the streets."
"I'll say..." Doug went over to the motorcycles to see them up close. "Back home, my family and other farmers only had tractors. I've always dreamt of ridin' a motorcycle."
"Back home in the NCR we had a lot of vehicles too." Fayola said to them. "But they were mostly reserved for the military."
"Yeah, these things aren't pretty but they get us around." the man said as he approached one of the cars. "The only downside is these heaps need constant repairs. We've used just about every conceivable thing we can get our hands on. For example, some of the steering wheels are made of pipes fitted into an awkward shapes. And don't get me started on what we have to do with the engines, mismatched tires, and other important parts."
"What do you use for fuel for these vehicles?" Ezrah asked while wondering if he could ride with his armor.
"We make our own fuel distilled from combustible liquids that we get from all around." the man answered as he hopped into the passenger seat of the car. "It's dangerous work but it beats finding a car with a working nuclear engine. No one wants to get blown up or irradiated."
Louis and Doug climbed in the backseat of the car, which were brittle and uncomfortable to the touch. Cavall hopped in and sat between them, panting happily as if some deep instinct told him to get into the car. Ezrah and Wayland got into one of the buses and held on to some support rails that were meant for extra weapons. The rest found their own rides and everyone was loaded and ready to go. The vehicles rumbled to life, some chugged and sputtered with grinding gears. Even Louis and Doug's ride stalled and scooted a few times before driving off towards the settlement a few miles down the road.
It wasn't until about half a mile when Louis started talking. "Hey, by the way, we didn't get your name."
The man turned his head to him and reached out his hand. "My apologies, I'm Milton."
Louis returned the handshake and told him all their names in return. "So how long have you been doing patrols around that town and the ghouls anyway?"
"I've been doing this patrol for about five years since the last guy retired. But our town has been doing this since it was founded almost ninety years ago. Back then ghouls would roam around in small packs, and for some reason this area is always filled with migrations of feral ghouls. But despite all that, we've managed to carve out a sustainable life here."
"I'm surprised you allowed Joe to tag along." Doug said next. "Your people were quite trigger happy with those feral ghouls back there."
"If you mean the ghoul in your group than you have nothing to worry about with his safety." Milton replied. "Despite what I said about the ferals, we're not blinded by hatred and prejudice to be unable to tell the difference between one that hasn't turned. In fact we have a number of ghouls living in our town. So unless your friend is moments away from turning, he has nothing to worry about."
That answered satisfied Doug and he leaned back in his seat. "Well, you might be fooled when he wakes up in the morning. He's a real grouch there."
Cavall was having a fun time riding in the car. He kept turning his head in every direction, barely able to keep still from excitement. Louis had to wrap an arm around the large hybrid to keep him from leaping to the front seat. "I know, boy. This is new for me too. I bet you're the first dog to ride a car in centuries."
The people drove at a steady pace, around forty miles an hour so as not to be too rough on the vehicles. The cars and trucks stayed in the front while the buses trailed behind and the motorcycles stayed in loose formations all over the place. After almost an hour of riding, a town came into view, one that was built upon the ruins of a prewar town. All around a tall fence of sheet metal and wood stood strongly with large mounds of gravel and dirt at the base. The long gate of the town opened up and welcomed the returning guards. Once through the gates the drivers turned to the left and down the street a bit until reaching a large parking area where an open mechanic pit waited for their return. There was even a few other working cars and trucks parked in the lot being tinkered on. After the vehicles pulled in and stopped, everyone got out and began heading to their next duties while the wanderers gathered back together.
Radcliffe staggered down the steps of the bus with a hand on his stomach, groaning and swaying once he got on solid ground. "How the fuck did people ride these things? He said with a pale complection.
"Yeah, that's car sickness." Joe spoke as a wicked grin began to form. "And if you think that's bad there's also seasickness," Radcliffe groaned, "and airsickness," he groaned again, "I wonder if train sickness is a thing?..." Radcliffe began to dry heave.
"Alright, stop torturing him." Victoria said, holding back a laugh.
"For someone who drinks a lot, I'm surprised you can get nauseous so easily..." Chloe said to him.
"Speaking of which, we should look for a place of rest and evaluate the rest of our ammo and stock up." Ezrah commented.
"If you guys don't mind, I'll stick around here and talk with the people working on the vehicles." Inez could barely contain her excitement on the matter.
"I had a feeling you'd want to stick around here for a bit." Louis said to her. "Have fun, we'll come get you later."
Milton approached the group with the woman and her daughter next to him. "If you're all ready, I'll take you into town. Our market area has plenty of things to buy and places to lodge for as long as you need."
"Take me to the nearest bar..." Radcliffe all but demanded.
"Everything you'll need is in the market. Including a bar. I don't blame any of you for needing something strong after what went down today. Just keep in mind the place is always busy during the day." Milton waved for them to follow.
As promised the market was alive with locals and travelers. The display stands had all kinds of goods for sale and the stores offered even more inside. The wanderers stood amazed at how such a bustling town could work so well in a area filled with roaming feral ghouls. But despite all that, they still drew the eyes of the people, something that only a handful of them have gotten used to. Radcliffe practically sensed the bar as he turned sharply to the building and grinned happily. Milton lead them to the lodge and even went to bargain a deal and then took the woman and her daughter to another place for people planning to stay permanently. It was way past noon by the time they dropped off their stuff and decided to follow Radcliffe's example and go to the bar. Once inside they found themselves practically surrounded by the locals bombarding them with questions on how they survived the ghoul town.
The wanderers first took seats at a large table next to the window and started answering questions and did their best to recall what happened. During that they ordered meals and drinks, and it wasn't long until Inez and Asimov joined them since she soon became hungry as well. The locals warmed up to the wanderers as the stories of their survival brought a small crowd in the bar. Radcliffe was standing not too far from their table and already several drinks in as he told his own heavily embellished side of the fight. A few of them groaned from embarrassment as Radcliffe sloppily finished his drink and was already calling for another. Cavall laid on the floor next to where Louis sat, an empty plate licked clean after devouring his meal.
"Man, we sure became popular pretty fast around here." Louis said, glad that Radcliffe's drunken antics kept the crowd away from them for now.
"Than maybe he can use his drunken charms to scrounge up some caps for us." Joe said, slouching heavily against his chair and frowning. "Because I've been looking at how much we got and we're getting very low. Even with what Fayola brought along it doesn't leave us with much for supplies and ammo. We gotta do something about this."
"We can look for work around town. Some odds and ends jobs to bring in caps before leaving." suggested Doug. "I figured it was gonna come to this sooner or later."
"I'm fine with it if we're not in any rush right now." Ezrah spoke. "Perhaps we can also spend a few days resting."
Victoria looked over as Radcliffe started climbing onto a table and swinging his empty glass in the air. "And to rest from some hangovers as well..." she said, pointing to him.
"Yeah..." Chloe slurred. She leaned back far in her seat until its front legs were raised. "He's gonna feel like shit tomorrow..." she giggled, hiccuped, and took another gulp of her whiskey.
"Don't you think you've had enough for tonight?" Fayola asked her, although she had several drinks of vodka as it is.
Chloe threw her arms up. "Hey, it's a party! We fought a army of zombies and survived!" she tilted her seat back more. "No...no, no offense, Joe."
"Some taken." Joe replied and grumbled.
Wayland burped and then stacked his tenth plate. "I'm so full now. The food is so good. Can we eat here again?"
"More than likely considering we might be stuck here for a few days until we have enough caps to start traveling again." Louis said and leaned back in his seat. "Never thought traveling the Wasteland could cost so much..."
"Get used to it." Joe said to him. "We can go anywhere or very far without enough caps."
"Then first thing in the morning we'll look for work. The sooner we get enough funds, the sooner we can continue." Ezrah spoke determinedly.
"Are you always so tightly wound?" Fayola asked him, earning a raised brow.
Victoria watched as Radcliffe started swaying all over the table as the locals either watched or tried make him come down. He held up his glass and spoke in complete drunken gibberish. "Hey, guys, I think we need to get Radcliffe down before he hurts himself or someone!"
After the wanderers paid their tab and pulled Radcliffe down from the table, they turned in for the night. Inez helped Chloe walk back to the lodge as she swayed and slurred with every step. Radcliffe was far more drunk and the only way to get him to come was to let him take a bottle of rum that he was drinking out of from the bar. The wanderers were glad to put the day behind them and start anew tomorrow.
April 22/2296
The wanderers started their day looking for work by splitting off into small groups to increase their chances. There was a various amount of odd jobs to hunt. Inez and Asimov easily found work at a shop filled with things to repair. Joe, Radcliffe, and Wayland went out to the farms and assisted the farmers, having a Super Mutant till the fields was just the thing they needed to hire them and even earn a bonus. Ezrah, Fayola, and Chloe joined a patrol that went around the town dealing with any pests in the area. Louis, Doug, Victoria, and Cavall searched the town up and down but couldn't find any work fitting for them or paying a decent amount.
"I can't believe no one needs us for any work." Louis sighed deeply.
"Well I'm not washing dishes." Doug stated firmly. "What do I look like, a kid?"
"Maybe we can find some work with Chloe and her group? Patrolling the town should be easy enough for us." Victoria suggested to them.
Louis then pointed to a general store ahead and they went to it in hopes of finding work. They entered the store and went up to the front counter where the store owner was going over his stocks. They got to the point and asked the shop owner if he had any work for the day, only for him to tell them he had no work.
"Another bust..." Louis said, they stood in the middle of the shop. "What else is there in this town?"
"I hate to say it but we might have to go empty-handed. Hopefully everyone else had better luck." Doug said, sighing in defeat.
"Excuse me," the shop owner suddenly called to them, "but aren't you guys some of those people that were poking around in the feral ghoul town the other day?"
"We didn't know the town was infested." Victoria answered, slightly offended.
"I meant nothin' by it, I just know of this man outside our town who studies feral ghouls." the shop owner said.
"Study? Someone from this town actually puts his life on the line just to watch them?" Doug asked in disbelief.
"Well he doesn't actually live in this town." the store owner leaned back in his seat behind the counter. "He showed up about nine months ago with two others and been studyin' the ghouls from the towns between ours."
"Wait, you mean there's another town filled with ferals?!" Louis asked, finding it hard to believe any settlement could survive surrounded by such threats.
"Oh yeah, our settlement is wedged right in the middle. But thankfully the ferals stay in their towns." he pointed off to his right. "Just follow the road out of this town, opposite from where you all came in. Their camp is just a few miles from here. You can't miss it. Maybe you guys can sell your story of survival for his research, he always seems to have a lot caps lying around."
"Well, guys, wanna check this out?" Louis asked them, growing more curious.
"It still sounds like crazy bullshit." stated Doug.
"But it couldn't hurt either." Victoria said. "Should we go get the others and head there?"
Louis shook his head. "Nah, by the time we gather everyone up we can lose a lot of hours. Best we head there now. Who knows, this might be interesting after coming up empty today."
The group left the general store and followed the directions the shop owner gave them. Once outside the town border they followed the old road for a bit. After some time they began to think they went the wrong way or that the researcher moved his camp somewhere else. All around them was scattered patches of old trees and crumbling buildings
"If we don't find this guy in the next five minutes we're turning back." Doug said while wiping his brow.
"They must have moved recently or maybe headed back into town for supplies." Victoria said while searching the distance.
"I really hope not. Or this walk out into the open was a dangerous waste of time..." Louis sighed as they stopped for a moment.
Cavall suddenly turned his head up and barked while wagging his tail after picking up a new scent. Just up ahead they could make out a structure a few feet to the side of the road that didn't fit in with the area. The group hurried over and began to make out what it was as they got close. To their amazement it turned out to be a large vehicle. The entire back end was a large camper fit for a family and covered in patch works of sheet metal and wood with many dents and spots of rust but still structurally sound. At the top of the camper was a series of rails with a few ropes and chains holding down several crates and more placed on the ground. The front of the camper wasn't towed by a normal vehicle but rather a semi truck with the fifth wheel affixed under the camper where the towing section used to be. The camper wheels were replaced and customized to fit semi truck trailer wheels, placing the camper up higher from the ground.
The group slowly approached while looking for anyone around, soon enough they spotted someone sitting on a folding chair under the rollout canopy at the camper entrance. The dark skinned man heard them and turned his head and stood up quickly and stumbled for a moment, holding a assault rifle.
"Not another step. Who are you people?" he demanded, holding the rifle tight.
Louis held up his hands before anyone else thought to reach for their guns in defense. "Easy, we're not looking for trouble. We came from the town down the road. And we heard about you, the ghoul researcher."
The man relaxed but stayed alert. "I'm not him. I's his bodyguard."
"Well, can we see him?" Doug asked to break the silence.
The bodyguard thought it over for a moment before glancing to the open camper door. "Stanley! We got some visitors! They want to see you!"
The group waited for the researcher to step out, but what emerged instantly put them on edge. A feral ghoul poked its head from the camper threshold and seemed to be looking right at them, its eyes wide open and dry with its jaw hanging slack. The three were about to reach for their weapons before realizing the ghoul didn't attack, it stood with its arms swinging limply as they noticed something long and metal was stabbed into its left shoulder. It was then they finally saw that the ghoul was dead as it was carried out from the camper, its legs dragging as a woman with a assault rifle strapped to her back stepped out. She held the ghoul up with meat hooks, one in the shoulder and another in its waist.
The next person to step out was a slender man wearing a faded lab coat, a pair of glasses hanging from the pocket. On his head was a pair of magnifying goggles and wore a messy apron. He took it off and placed it on a hook at the camper entrance. "Wasn't expecting guests today. But then again, I never do." he chuckled as the woman carried the dead feral ghoul away from their camp. "What brings you all around here? This area is kinda dangerous."
"So we've heard." Doug said. "But it doesn't seem to stop you guys from studyin' these ferals."
"Well, only I study them, these two fine people are my bodyguards." Stanley chuckled and brushed back his blackish hair with his hand. "So do you all come from the settlement?"
"We don't live there, our group is just looking for work before moving on." Victoria explained to them.
"Then what brings you all the way out here? Because there's nothing here but us."
"Well, what you're doing out here is why we came this far." Louis said to him. "Because the other day we barely survived that other town filled with feral ghouls."
"You mean just the four of you went into that town?" Stanley reached into his side pocket and pulled out a notebook and pen. "Please, tell me everything. How you ended up inside the town? How many were there? How did you all survive?"
"Wow, I wasn't expecting you to be so enthusiastic about our fight to survive." Louis said, surprised to see him so interested in their story. "And it wasn't just the four of us, there's more in our group but they're back in town working for caps before we head out."
"Louis, a word?" Doug interjected. "We came all the way out here to see if this guy is even willing to buy information off us."
Stanley lowered his notebook. "I see. Well, I can't pay you guys for information. But maybe we can offer a trade. We come across a lot of guns and parts and we honestly don't know what to do with it all and they are taking up a lot of room."
"Wait a minute, Stanley. How do you know these people are even tellin' the truth about being in that town?" the male bodyguard asked him as he eyed the group.
"Because we spent the first three months studying that town. I'll know if they're making anything up." Stanley casually replied.
"Don't remind me of that town." the female bodyguard said after tossing the feral ghoul body away. "I got a bite scar near my ass because of that place."
The three began to tell Stanley their story. During that, Stanley jotted down notes and asked them various questions, including how the swarmed tried to cut them off and what they did when they barricaded themselves in the police station. The discussion went on for little over half an hour until Stanley seemed satisfied with what they told him.
"My, to think all of you survived such an attack with no losses and so many of them slain in your path!" Stanley shuddered with excitement and closed his notebook.
Louis scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, we still find it hard to believe that we survived too."
"Hey, be proud of your story! Not many can say the same thing." Stanley beamed with positivity. "And it could make quite a story for your kids and grandchildren one day!"
"If we survive that long..." Doug said to himself.
"So was our story very informative to you?" asked Victoria, hoping to wrap it all up for the day.
"Oh, definitely. Hearing stories like this always go down in my notes and research." Stanley said as he put the notebook away.
"About that, what exactly are you hoping to learn about these feral ghouls?" Louis asked him, unable to hide his scientific curiosity. "Is what you're doing worth the risk of getting mauled and killed?"
Stanley thought for a moment before answering. "I believe it's worth the risk. I don't research them on a whim. In fact, where I come from we do all kinds of scientific research to help the Wasteland and its people. And I chose to take up the study of feral ghouls. And I hope to learn everything about their behavior, what turns them, and how I can hopefully help other ghouls from going feral, and maybe one day find a method that can put them all down humanely. The ferals, of course."
"That's...quite an undertaking." Doug said, at a lost for better words.
"Is there a way to turn them back to normal?" Victoria asked, now growing interested.
"I once had that optimism when I was young. Even dreamed of treating a feral ghoul and they would turn back to normal before my eyes." Stanley bashfully chuckled. "But alas, that is more than likely impossible. The best we can do is help those cope with their affliction, and create treatments to stop people from turning."
"Hey, Stan, shouldn't we give these people our extra stuff and send them on their way?" the male bodyguard asked.
"Oh, right! Come on in, take all that you can carry. We got a lot of it, honestly you guys would be doing us a favor." Stanley said as he motioned for them to follow.
Once inside the group got an eyeful of all the lab equipment. Most of the camper had been gutted and refitted, at one part was the bedroom area where the bed frames were bolted to the floor and wall. At another was the kitchen, mostly gutted as well but left enough for a working stove top, some cabinets, and sink. The bathroom section remained untouched. Everything else in the camper was lab and medical equipment right across from the entrance lined against a reinforced wall. A long table was covered in lab tools and machinery with scattered notes, dozens of beakers and colorful fluids running through tubes, a terminal computer that was still on with its green glow. All the equipment was bolted down by an intricate system that allowed Stanley to move what he needed and keep everything in place as the camper traveled. Not far from the lab equipment was an autopsy table where Stanley dissected feral ghouls.
"Forgive the mess, this camper is nice to live and work in but it can get really cluttered." Stanley said to them.
"This is amazing, you've made an entire mobile lab!" Louis came up to the lab section and admired how sophisticated and organized it stood. "How did you get your hands on all this?"
"I can't take credit for all this." Stanley picked up a journal from the table. "Back home we have an abundance of prewar equipment and technology. This country is still full of hidden riches and secrets."
"Would it be all right if we see what you've learned over the years about the feral ghouls?" Louis asked as he eyed the notes on the table and cork board wall. "It's not often we come across someone who shows such an interest in science like you."
Stanley brightened up. "Why, of course! I'm pleased to meet someone with a scientific curiosity." he picked up one of his journals and started going through the pages. "Let me show you some of my early studies and my catalog of various types. I bet there are some none of you have ever heard of!"
Doug knew then that Louis wasn't gonna leave anytime soon. "If it's all right with you, I think I'll head back to town and regroup with the others."
"You want me to come with you?" Victoria asked him.
"Nah, stay with Louis until he's ready to go. I could use the alone time." Doug turned his attention to the crates Stanley's bodyguards pulled out.
Inside the crates laid various kinds of guns, all old or a bit rusted. Despite the guns being little more than junk were in decent enough shape to be scrapped and sold for parts. Doug wrapped the guns up with some rope, a random assortment of about two assault rifles, three shotguns, two hunting rifles and five handguns and placed them all in a sturdy backpack the bodyguard gave to him. Doug threw it on and adjusted the weight around before starting to head out. Cavall suddenly went up to him and whimpered gently, Doug reached out to gently scratch behind his ears.
"Easy, boy. I'll be fine." he said and Cavall wagged his tail in response.
"Maybe you should take him along." Louis said while walking out from the camper. "It's too dangerous to go back alone."
"Guys, I'll be fine. The town's not too far and I'll keep my eyes peeled." Doug assured them. "Besides, Cavall listens to you better than anyone else. So I don't want to be the one who lost him."
"Just please be careful." Victoria said to him.
"No worries. He'll be fine as long as he sticks to the road." Stanley said, holding several papers and a few journals and went towards a folding table near the semi truck. "We've been out here for months and barely seen a mole rat."
"And if I see one, I'll pop it between the eyes." Doug pulled out his Browning and waved it before finally walking off.
Not long after Doug left, Stanley began his presentation on his vast research. Almost as if he'd been waiting to give someone a lecture on feral ghouls. First he went over the basics, some of the most common knowledge on their behavior. And then a detailed list of various types with photos and drawings of them. And as he said, Louis and Victoria discovered different types like swamp ghouls, ghouls that crawled around on all fours like an animal, and even children ghouls that roamed in small packs.
"Now we come to the best part of my study." Stanley said while walking away for a moment and grabbed a long black case and brought it over and placed it on the ground. He opened the case and picked up a tall tripod and placed it down. Next he pulled out a military grade, high powered binoculars around a foot and a half long and metallic gray in color with a side bar to hold and move it around while looking through it. Stanley mounted it on the tripod and started adjusting the dials. "I moved our camp to here from the other abandoned town after I discovered, much to my joy, that the feral ghouls were an elusive type that I scarcely come across in the Wasteland."
"What's so special about these feral ghouls?" Louis asked him.
Stanley didn't respond right away as he looked through the binoculars to finish the calibration. "Very special. Very special indeed." he then stepped away and turned to them. "You see, not every feral ghoul is mindless. Or at least they don't stay completely mindless. Despite popular beliefs. I've seen ferals acting out in all kinds of strange manners, something very few ever see since most people avoid them or fight for their lives, or just kill them on the spot. I've seen one put on an old broken wrist watch. A female one that suddenly started pushing a rusted baby carriage down the street. I've even seen one that climbed into the remains of a car heap and acted as if it was driving."
Louis thought over everything Stanley said. "How can this be? I've always heard that feral ghouls are like brain dead."
"Indeed they are. MRI scans have shown that on multiple subjects." Stanley nodded. "But, and I do mean but...some have shown to possess tiny fragments of their former selves to an extent. Faded memories, flickers of things they've done all the time before turning into ghouls and going feral. My hope is to both find and isolate the neural decay of a ghoul in the process of turning feral and create a treatment that will save them from turning for good."
"That's amazing!" Louis said, learning all this only made him want to know more. "If only there were more people like you doing this kind of work for ghouls."
Stanley smiled and nodded. "I feel it is our responsibility to fix the mistakes of the past and help who we can. The ghouls are victims, many of them have lived through the war and have dealt with, well, the fallout for over two hundred years." he turned back to the binoculars and found his targets. "Now then, you asked me what makes these ferals over here so special. Well, to put it simply, they're a pack. With an actual leader that rules them."
He stepped back and gestured for them to have a look. Louis took the first turn peering through the lens. He didn't see much at first, most of the town was burnt to the ground with only a few scattered buildings barely standing. Louis moved the binoculars to the side and spotted a three story office building with a flat roof and all signs of what it was once called lost from age. He moved the binoculars downward and his vision became filled with feral ghouls scurrying all around. Louis jerked his head away from the binoculars for a moment in confusion before looking back through. Despite the ghouls being so distant, he could see them quite well and what they did outside the old building as the feral ghouls mulled about in the parking lot. Some scurried around randomly while others just sat or laid about and even saw two fighting over a scrap of meat. Louis stepped aside for Victoria to have a look.
"Unbelievable, how many ferals are over there?" Victoria asked as she watched them.
"Mmm, from my last count, I'd say about sixty to seventy. Definitely an odd amount of them. But it's their leader you must see. I'm sure he'll storm out eventually, you can't miss him." Stanley crossed his arms behind his back in anticipation as if expecting the so called leader to appear on cue.
Louis peered through the binoculars again and started searching. Suddenly the ghouls near the entrance of the building, where the doors had long come off their hinges, scuttled away. From the darkness stormed out a being that literally stood above all. The leader of the pack was immense, standing easily over seven feet tall from what Louis could tell as it passed by the other feral ghouls standing nearby. The only article of clothing it had was a tattered pair of pants that ended above the knees. It was broad across the chest, and despite being a feral ghoul, its massive muscles were still incredibly defined. Almost as if it was skinless rather than half rotted. The leader strutted across the pavement, hunched over a bit as the ferals got out of its path. Louis pulled away from the binoculars, almost unable to believe what he saw as Victoria moved in and had a look herself and silently gasped.
"Yes, he's quite a sight, isn't he?" Stanley said, knowing from their expressions they saw him. "I was quite stunned myself by his sheer size and build. Must have been a bodybuilder. I suspect he's from before the war, but I can't say for sure. I like to call him...Big Hank!"
"Big...Hank?" Louis turned to him. "Why call him that?"
Stanley shrugged in response.
"Do they do anything?" Victoria asked after she'd seen enough. "Or do they just hang around in those ruins?"
"Of course not. I don't call them a pack for no reason." Stanley answered them.
()()()()()()()()()()()()
Doug huffed deeply and shifted the backpack again. The haul was starting to weigh on him but realized he was halfway back to the settlement by now.
"Dammit, I should have waited back there with Louis and Victoria." he wiped the sweat from his brow using the back of his box cap. Just as he reached the area they passed earlier surrounded by vehicles all over the sides of the road, he heard a sound of pattering footsteps. He felt a cold shiver down his back and quickly pulled out his Browning. "I really hope that's a mole rat..."
A feral ghoul suddenly burst out from behind a flipped car from his left and charged. Doug quickly fired four shots and it dropped like a full sack. Two more came after him from the right and he quickly twirled around, sliding his arms from the backpack and hurled it at the two ferals. The backpack slammed into both since they were close together and the guns went flying and scattered all over the ground. Doug cursed for tossing the weapons and possibly damaging their value.
Another feral leaped down from a bus that was halfway on the side of the road. It landed and charged without losing a beat as Doug spun around and popped the last of his bullets into it. Once that feral was down, two others charged him from behind and he spun again, this time with his sawed-off shotgun out and gave each of them a chest full of buckshot. More feral ghouls started appearing from all around as he paced himself with reloading and firing upon those closest until he fired the last of his shells. He went for his Winchester and took aim, so far he shot down a more than dozen ferals in all, but more still kept coming after him. After his Winchester fired its last bullet, Doug started to sweat with fear and reached for his fire axe.
The first ghoul who got in close ended up getting its head split open with a single downward swing. Doug swung at another and sliced open the side of its neck and lower jaw, sending darken blood flying as it fell down. The ferals suddenly changed tactics and surrounded him instead of trying to attack. Doug held the fire axe up high and kept spinning himself around, waiting for them to jump him. As he made another full turn, a ghoul got in close and grabbed the handle and tried to tug it away from him. Doug could smell its rotten stench as it snapped its crooked teeth at him. He twisted the fire axe sharply and impaled its head with the pick end and pushed it away.
With only half a dozen left, Doug started to feel that his chances of getting out alive were looking good. But a sudden thumping from above caught his attention. He turned around and looked to see he backed up towards a car as a feral climbed on top it and leaped at him. Doug tired to counterattack but the ghoul landed on him and sent his weapon flying from his grip. Once the ghoul pinned him to the ground, the rest closed in.
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over an hour had passed since Louis and Victoria stayed to learn and watch the feral ghouls in their territory while Stanley continued on various lectures of his research. Cavall laid not too far away from them, Stanley gave him a bowl of water and some dog treats that the large canine happily ate. His bodyguards stuck to their usual sweeps of the camp perimeter.
"And that is why it's a very bad idea to have feral ghouls hopped up with chems!" Stanley said, finishing his talk on feral drugging. "The side effects proved too dangerous to keep the tests going..."
"Um, of course, because feral ghouls are dangerous enough as it is." Victoria said, most of the stuff Stanley talked about went over her head.
Louis kept focused on observing the feral ghouls. He still found it hard to believe that feral ghouls could be organized enough to act as a functional pack. He watched Big Hank the most, who currently stood in the middle of the old parking lot, hunched a bit and keeping a visual on the others in the pack. Just then he noticed a ghoul climbed out of a busted window at ground level holding something. He moved the binoculars over to get a better look and focused the vision until he saw that the feral was holding a rotting hunk of meat. It shuffled across the ground, sticking close to the outside wall until it reached a secluded area at the building corner and started devouring the flesh.
Big Hank sniffed the air sharply and whipped his head around and spotted the feral ghoul eating. Even though they couldn't hear them from that distance, Louis could tell that Big Hank screamed loud enough to send several other ferals fleeing as he bolt for the ghoul. Big Hank was on top of it in a matter of moments and grabbed it by the neck and hoisted it up in the air. The ghoul dropped the meat and it flailed around as Big Hank than slammed the side of its head against the concrete wall, leaving a massive splatter of blood. The ghoul still twitched in Big Hank's hand as he slammed it against the wall once more, shattering its skull and deforming the head. The pack leader did this a few more times before taking hold of the body and opened his mouth and bit down on the front of the neck. Blood flowed heavily as Big Hank tore off a huge chunk of flesh and spat it out, leaving the head hanging by just a little bit of flesh and bones in the neck. But Big Hank wasn't finished yet as he grabbed the ghoul by the arm near the shoulder and the leg at the knee and in one powerful jerk, tore the ghoul in half by the waist. Big Hank chucked the two halves to the ground and bellowed, making the other ferals who were watching scattered off.
Louis pulled away from the sights, feeling pale after what he just witnessed. "Holy shit!..."
"Yes, and that isn't even the worse that he's done." Stanley said.
Louis looked over to see that he had another pair of long ranged, handheld binoculars of his own while Victoria used a collapsible telescope. Stanley got them out when Louis was watching the feral ghouls.
"Big Hank likes to knock around a head or two every now and then." he said with a grim frown. "That ghoul made the foolish choice of taking food from whatever place he keeps it. From the looks of it, he let's it...age for a bit, as disgusting as that sounds. But he seems to like it. And what he doesn't eat of the lion's share, he lets the rest of the pack have the scraps."
"Are you sure this one is really feral?" Victoria asked, lowering her telescope.
"I've actually wondered that many times." Stanley answered. "I've had a few theories. Either Big Hank is faking it, or deluded himself into thinking he's one, or he's somehow stuck between the two sides. There's no way to tell without giving him an MRI."
"Which sounds like more trouble and danger than it's worth." Louis stretched away the stiffness in his neck from looking for so long. "How often do they leave their den anyway?"
"A pack of them goes off every now and then. Despite the fact feral ghouls don't need to eat, Big Hank somehow makes them go hunt. They even bring back live prey most of the time. Thankfully the big bad boss himself stays home."
"At least that part is good to know." Louis said, wondering just how much harm a ghoul like that could cause.
"I suppose. But I'd still love to study and take samples of Big Hank. I even have a portable MRI machine in the camper. Just put it on like a helmet and the equipment takes care of the rest."
Louis than thought to check the time on his Pip-Boy and saw that it was already quite a bit passed noon. "Wow, it's getting late. We should head back soon before Doug starts to worry. And gather back up with everyone else."
"You're right, we've been here for a long time." Victoria said as she collapsed the telescope.
"Shame you have to go. But I understand." Stanley said as he looked back through his binoculars. "Good luck to you all and-" his voice suddenly caught in his throat and gripped the binoculars tightly. Louis and Victoria and his bodyguards saw him tense up and that put them on edge. "Those damn ferals! They got another!"
Louis went back to the binoculars on the tripod. "Got another what? What's going on?"
"Another person! The hunting party brought back someone instead of some critter! To the right of the building!" he answered.
Once Louis and Victoria peered down their binoculars and telescope, their faces went a shade of pale upon seeing their friend. Several ferals had Doug hoisted up in the air, he struggled and fought to get out of their grips, but too many held all his limbs at once. He was missing all his weapons, jacket, and even his flat cap. From the looks of it he had a number of bruises and cuts but for the most part he was still in one piece. The ferals dropped Doug onto the ground and he quickly scrambled back up to his feet ready to go out swinging. But then Big Hank stormed over from behind surprisingly fast and came to a stop in front of Doug. He spun around and froze, completely at a loss for seeing a massive feral ghoul towering over him. Big Hank suddenly lashed out his fist and struck Doug across the chest and sent him falling back to the ground. Big Hank then reached down and grabbed Doug by his left ankle and started dragging him into the building with the ghouls following behind. Doug thrashed and kicked with all his strength, but it was all in vain as he was dragged through the doors and into the darkness.
After Doug disappeared into the depths of the building, Louis had already reached for his assault rifle and cocked it. "I won't let those bastards take him! We're going down there and get him out!"
"That's suicide!" Stanley firmly stated. "There's dozens and dozens of them and they're far more organized than your typical feral! They will overwhelm you all in seconds!"
"We can't just stay here and let them eat him!" louis retorted. "How did they even catch him? You said this area was safe."
"I don't know. This change to their usual hunting grounds is odd, there could be a number of factors to it." Stanley started pacing around in frustration. "I wish we can help, but we're not nearly equipped enough to fight that many. And I can't risk having my research lost."
"I understand..." Louis turned back to the town with a new plan in mind. "Which is why I'll go in alone. Victoria, you and Cavall run back to settlement and gather everyone else and bring them back here."
"That's even worse! You can't face them alone!" Victoria protested.
"There's nothing else we can do!" Louis said to her, harsher than he intended. "If we don't do something, Doug is gonna die!"
"I hate to say it, but he's right." Stanley morosely said. "Big Hank likes to take his time with his prey. I've seen him do it out in the open. But if there's any sign of an intruder in their den, they'll swarm all over the place and hopefully Big Hank will leave him alone for awhile."
Victoria still wanted to stop him, but she knew there was no talking him out of it and time was a factor. "Alight, go help Doug, but please be careful. And take Cavall with you while I go get everyone. He'll be of more use to you than me."
Cavall paced up to Louis and looked at him with a light whimper. He gave the hybrid a gentle scratch on the head. "And you be careful too in case more of those ferals are around."
"Victoria won't have to run back to the settlement and she won't be alone." Stanley said just as the female bodyguard wheeled out a motorcycle from the other side of the camper. "Because Milly will get her back much quicker and round up your friends."
"Milly?" Louis said to himself.
Stanley than ran into the trailer and came back out with a brown sack a few seconds later and reached into it. "And here, take these as well!" He pulled out a small square like item with a series of holes in the pattern of a circle and a few wires sticking out. "These are noisemakers. They're made from voice boxes in old toys with some upgrades to made them louder. Just flip the trigger or pull the cord and toss them and in ten seconds they will go off for about twenty seconds. Might help you out in a tight situation inside that building."
Louis took the bag and tied the strings to his pouch belt and thanked him. The bodyguard named Milly started up the motorcycle and waved for Victoria to hop on. She hesitated for a moment before going over and getting on and wrapped her arms around the bodyguard's waist. The motorcycle revved once more and drove off. Once they were on the road, Louis turned and started running towards the building with Cavall trailing right beside him. The Vault dweller didn't have a plan, he didn't even know what he was gonna do once he reached the old office building. He pushed those thoughts aside and hurried on, figuring the best and only tactic was to attack head on and hope Doug was also putting up a decent fight.
