Edward Deegan is still alive and working for Lorenzo now.
I mention that because all of the other residents of the Cabot House are no longer with us.
Deegan felt genuinely manipulated by the Cabot's in their dealings with Lorenzo and found a sympathetic ear. I think what impressed Lorenzo the most, as well as myself, was his stoic demeanor. After hearing the other side of the story, he said his piece and then told Lorenzo - "I'd understand if you want to kill me, but I would appreciate the opportunity to work for you instead." It wasn't groveling - he was genuine. Lorenzo looked at me, as if my opinion would mean something to him and I simply told him that Deegan had always been straight with me. That was enough for him and we proceeded to "meet" with the Cabots.
All in all, they were a pathetic bunch in the presence of Lorenzo. Emogen lost her shit and I was surprised when Edward shot her to shut her up. "I always hated that bitch...", I heard him mumble under his breath.
"Feel good?" I whispered to him.
"You don't even know... 200 years of that shit... you had it for 5 minutes and knocked her out.."
"Good point. I should introduce you to Marcy Long..." I responded, only half joking.
"Who?"
"Never mind."
When we turned our attention back to the "reunion", Wilhelmina was on the floor, still, with blood trickling from her ears.
"You know Jack, I was overjoyed when you discovered that the serum made from My blood extended your lives. I had dreams of travelling the world and exploring the greatest mysteries of the earth with My family. I tried to discuss these things with you, but you would not listen. I watched as your search for the "cure" turned into the search for a way to make the serum stronger. I never needed or wanted a cure - only to understand the artifact, and I finally do..."
"You killed people in the process, father." Jack responded.
"Yes, I did. 14 to be exact. Let me ask you a question, Jack. How many people have you killed?"
"None.. No wait... I killed four or five raiders while trying to..."
"Get to me to kill me?" Lorenzo cut him off. "How many mercenaries did you have guarding me that are now dead? Cain, how many people have you found it necessary to kill for the jobs that Jack has had you doing?"
"Including this last run? 40? 50?"
"Edward... You have been employed by Jack for close to 200 years... How many have you dispatched in the name of Jack Cabot?"
"Probably double that?" He replied.
"I didn't kill those people!" Jack protested.
"Their blood is on your hands, all the same. Around 150 people, dead, by your orders... Tsk.. Tsk... You call me a monster? I think not."
"I didn't want those people to die!"
"Oh, I believe you.. I believe, in fact, that you didn't actually care one way or another. That level of dispassion is truly monstrous..." He paused. "Cain?"
As I started to raise my pistol to end Jack's life, Edward put his hand on top of it.
"No..." He said quietly. "Jack.. you told me for hundreds of years that Lorenzo was barking mad..." He looked straight at Jack. "I don't see it. You led me to believe that there was no humanity left in him to rationalize or reason with. I have done everything you have asked of me, but it seems I never earned the truth..."
"Edward, I-"
Jack's words were cut off by Edward simply saying the word "No." and the sound of his .44 as it went off, decorating the wall with Jack's brains.
We all stood in silence amongst the bodies. It was Deegan who finally broke the silence in a way that made everyone actually laugh.
"So... Do I still have a job?"
Lorenzo slapped him on the back and asked if he could get someone in to clean up the mess that we had made.
"Not a problem, Mr. Cabot."
"Edward.. Call me Lorenzo..." Deegan nodded and left to go complete his first order received by his "new" employer. Lorenzo turned to face me. "regarding the first part of our arrangement, you can stop by any time next week to pick up your first delivery of the serum... and the other part our agreement.. I am going to need five vials of your blood..."
I gave him what he asked for after he handed me a needle and catheter, which he then took, poured one of them over his hands as he gripped the remaining four - two in each hand. He closed his eyes and I watched for the next ten minutes as his face shifted from looks of elation to concern to confusion.. Then he opened his eyes.
"Problems, Lorenzo?"
"Not so much problems, it is just not as clear as I expected. Rather than a single point, what appeared was more like a blood spatter with its central location being at a place once called CIT... He is there somewhere..."
"CIT is in ruins." Heather stated point blank. "There is nothing there but ghouls, raiders and super mutants..."
"...and Shaun. Come back next week to pick up the serum and I will have deciphered more of what the blood splatter pattern means."
"Do you expect me to believe that you are going to dedicate any time at all to this after just being released from a cell after being imprisoned nearly 3 centruries in a box?"
"I give you my word. My theory worked and I can see your son... I need to find out why I see him all over the place... That unexpected result requires me to investigate. Start your look at CIT." then he smiled a smile of a man that had just been freed from prison after being unjustly confined. "Where are my manners?! Come! Come!"
He led us from the living area into the dining room, closing the door behind us as we entered, separating us from the carnage in the other room.
"Drink! Talk! Relax! Feel free to shower and use the clothes washer and dryer downstairs... I can guarantee that there are extra bathrobes available now to lounge about in... I am going to do something I have been dreaming of for close to a century!"
"Drinking the blood of babies?" Heather whispered under her breath.
"Heather.." I hissed back. Which got a giggle and an eye roll. "What is that?"
"I am going to cook a meal and you are my dinner guests. I will do the best I can based upon available ingredients.. Now, relax, shower, rest and drink."
Not being one to argue about any of the above, I gave the green light and we did just that... Hell, even Edward got washed up and came in to relax for a bit. We told stories and just let everything unwind. For me, it was the first time since I thawed out, but I think it was the first time is two centuries for Xao and Deegan. It was a surreal scene... Two humans and two ghouls that had just effectively killed off an entire family, with the blessings of the patriarch, were now relaxing and preparing to have a gourmet meal prepared by a near immortal that had been imprisoned for close to 300 years...
The alcohol was top shelf, the meal was amazing, and Lorenzo can make one hell of a crème brulee. He invited us to stay the night and we needed little convincing. This was not what I expected when the day started. It was shortly before we all crashed that I had a chance to talk to Edward Deegan. I wanted to know a little something about how and why he turned so quickly on the Cabots.
As it turned out, he had been suspicious of Jack's motives and actions for quite some time. His allegiance was to the family and Jack was in charge of the family. It was the complete lack of compassion that Jack showed for anyone outside of the family that finally brought Edward to the point of just waiting for a reason and opportunity. He told me about a time recently when he had to retrieve Emogene from one of her adventures. He ended up killing about a dozen people in order to get her home and it wore heavily on him. When he told Jack the cost of life for Emogene's adventure, Jack's response was to ask if he as sure they were all dead. I knew Deegan's type. Tortured, hardcore, reluctant killers. Loyalty drove them to atrocity. Good men with a code that you could count on, but with tortured souls. That is the difference between men like him and myself. They live in the commercials and the short stories. The world I chose to live in is big picture... the book is the length of War and Peace.
It is the difference between fighting for an idea or cause versus a paycheck or a person.
Deegan works for the Family.
I work for the annihilation of the Institute.
I toasted Edward before I wandered off to my room, I feel he is a good man and respect him for that.
The final unexpected event of the day occurred when I got to my room.
A bit wobbly from too much good bourbon, I stripped down and crawled into the huge king sized bed... and ran into a very naked Heather.
"Heather..."
"Shut up."
"I am drunk... you are drunk... Neither of us are at our complete mental capacity right now..." I started to argue... It wasn't time for this yet..
"I know... Hammered... right?" She agreed.
"Exactly..."
"Yeah.. I know..." She did something I can't even describe with her hand to me, and I gasped. "We are shit faced..." She did it a second time.. "I say we fucking run with it..."
..and we did.
