Chapter II:
A Campfire on the trail
Gideon
I stepped out into the blazing desert, and began my decent from the Doctors House. It took a few seconds, but finally the burning light unveiled itself from my eyes and beheld to me the town of Goodsprings. I rolled my gaze over the great landscape around me, bobbing my eyes with the many perturbing rooftops of prewar homes, now owned by survivors some two hundred years after their construction. Suddenly, there was a crackle at my side and a song began to play. I lifted my arm and gazed at the Pip Boy on my wrist. I knew that song…
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day! Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to…"
Suddenly my mind seized and great pain shot through me, images began playing in my consciousness like a record player.
"Just hand over the money old man!"
"Never, fool! If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die with some dignity!"
"Hope you've said your prayers then grandpa, sense your gonna- -"
Suddenly my hand throbbed from a punching recoil as I suddenly heard a loud crack, then another and another, each followed by a bright flash.
"The brats killed Rob-aggghh!"
There was another flash, and a loud crash as something fell through a window, glass shattering under the impact. I could then smell the trailing mist of gun powder, and I felt a strange calm, like everything had just stopped breathing, stopped moving.
"My God Son… you killed them. Are you alright?"
"...for the stranger there among had a Big Iron on his hip! Big Iron on his hip…!"
Then more images began playing in my mind, but these where faster, blurred together. They were incomprehensible, and I closed my eyes, with the images slowly disappearing like mist. I was shaking uncontrollably, and I even felt chilled to my bones. I made a final effort to stand, my legs wobbling under my weight, but I stood anyway. I then looked ahead, and saw something blaring in a colorful light.
I focused my eyes at the thing, until it cleared to words.
"Prospectors Saloon..."I mouthed. Slowly I began moving towards the saloon or whatever it was. I could now see people walking about, some of them casted odd looks at me, but nothing more. I just had to sit down, clear my head… Damn, my headaches back, I need something to drink. Then finally, my ears return to their normality and I could hear the Pip Boy on my wrist playing another song… "Johnny Guitar".
I groaned at the tilly and rather annoying sound of a woman singing, I had always hated that song. I reached down and switched the damn radio off, and kept on walking. Finally I was at the "Prospectors Saloon" which was a rather run down old adobe building, with its name blaring out at me from a neon sign. I brushed on through the flopping doors and entered its rather cooled and dark atmosphere. There was a bar ahead, and I began moving towards it, removing my hat and shades. Suddenly there was a loud growl to my left, and my hand moved to my side, retrieving the long blade.
I faced the source of the growl, a big burly dark dog, holding the knife in front.
"Cheyenne stay!" roared a commanding voice, and the dog ceased its activity. I turned my head to the speaker and found myself staring at a woman shorter than I. She was well tanned, and well built, with fiery red hair cropped together in a messy ponytail. Her eyes though, were cold, no more like calculating, similar to the look I wore too. That part granted her immediate respect from me, that and the rifle on her back.
While I was studying her, she was studying me. I watched her eyes move around me, finally moving from the stained bandages to the blade I held in my hand. I sheathed it, looking a little embarrassed for still having it out, especially in the presence of a lady. She grinned at me, her green eyes teasing me with their stare.
"You Sunny Smiles?" I asked, breaking the sudden stillness of noiselessness.
"You the dead man?" She replied, rather sarcastically.
"I guess I am, hunter." I replied, motioning my hand to something I hadn't previously seen; a green, reptilian skin attached to her belt. She giggled a little as she moved her hand over the skin. She then brought her hand out, and I took it, somewhat gently.
"Yeah, I'm Sunny, and little barky mouth over here is Cheyenne." She pointed over to where the dog was sitting, who came over and moved its head into her hand. "She won't bite unless I say."
"Good to know, I guess. I'm Gideon, Gideon Maddox."
"You look like you could use a drink," She replied as she moved her hand over and pulled over a chair, "Here. Take a seat."
"Thanks." I replied, moving into the chair and removing my canteen from my belt. Damn, it was bone dry. I should have refilled back at the house.
"Here, take a swig." Sunny said as she handed me a flask, and even before I could touch liquid to lips I could tell it was brandy. I took a slow swig, filling my mouth until it burned, swallowing the cold liquid, which slowly made me feel a little better.
"Thank you," I said, handing her back the flask. "Doc told me I should go find you, maybe learn a thing or two."
"I figured as much. Might I ask why you were shot?"
"I think the real question is 'who the hell I am and why am I in your quiet town?'"
She grinned at me and shot me the 'yeah something like that' look.
"I don't know who I am, Sunny. Not really anyway. I can't even remember my own damn childhood let alone why I was actually shot. Look, I think I'm a courier by trade, so I think Mr. Checkered Suit may have shot me because of something I carrying or maybe delivering."
"Which was?"
"A platinum poker chip. No idea why I just remember the job was going to be well paid, when it was delivered to Vegas."
"Hmm, and this whole time I thought you were some kind of spy. Afraid I was going to have to shoot you again."
She laughed, but I could see in her eyes she was being serious.
"Well, I'm glad you didn't. I don't think that would've ended well, for both of us."
"Did you say a checkered man shot you?"
"Yeah, he had maybe four Khans with him."
"Hmm, well a couple of nights ago I saw a couple of guys come through here with the same description. But you should talk to Trudy about that, they busted up her radio afterall."
"I will, Sunny. You know where she'll be?"
"Here in a couple of hours. That's when the bar actually opens."
"Well, I didn't mean to B&E this place." I chuckled dryly. She did so likewise.
"Well on the orders of my good friend Doctor Mitchell, I guess you can be useful for a couple of hours." She sat up and began moving towards the back of the bar, "Come on I need to see how good your aim is."
I stood up, feeling new life in my limbs as I ran off after her. She then brushed through a back door and I followed, quickly putting on my shades as I went out the door. Before me stood a double column fence, with six Nuka Cola bottles on both logs, about 30 feet from where I was standing. Shooting Practice, my mind told me. I reached into my belt and removed the Browning, keeping the weapon down towards the ground.
"Go ahead and take a shot when you're ready." Sunny ordered as she moved behind me. I brought up my weapon, took a slow deep breath, and fired at the first bottle. I then move forward and fired at the second bottle, moving up again in a fluid motion, firing at the third bottle. I stopped and looked at my handy work, only the shattered rimmed bases remained. I took a deep breath and safetied the pistol, placing it back in my holster.
"Nice shooting, Gide. Now how's your draw?"
I then responded, drawing the pistol in a flash, unsafeting it in the process and executed the remaining three bottles.
"Nice work there, Gide," complimented Sunny, as she walked over to me; "Very nice. I'm little surprised that Pretty Boy was able to take you out with shootin' like that!"
"Yeah…" I replied awkwardly. I could feel my hands shaking again, trembling almost to the point where I almost dropped my handgun. I quickly placed it back into my holster again, no sense letting it fall into the dirt. There was all something familiar about this, and it truly sent chills gone to my bones of the skill I effortlessly seemed to possess.
"What am I am? What was I?" I asked myself in a low murmur.
"Sorry?" Sunny asked.
"Ah, it was nothing. You said I could be useful for a couple of hours, right?" I responded slowly, turning to face her, "What'd you need me to do?"
"You know what a Gecko is, right?" Sunny asked who instinctually touched the skin on her belt, running her hand over it. My mind spun and a series of images began playing in sequence, like a slide show. Gecko, this small creature is a malicious pack animal who bears sharp teeth and some can even breathe fire. They are best handled from a distance.
"Yes what about 'em?"
"Walk with me and I'll explain."
I obeyed, running up to her and matching her pace, step by step.
"These bastard critters have been plaguing Goodsprings for quite a while now, settin' up nests on its outskirts. Now they wouldn't be a problem, except fer the fact that the town's main water source is right next to Gecko central, and occasionally attack townsfolk who go out for water. When they do, we just go in and kill a few to scare them off."
"Why not just go in and wipe 'em out?"
"Tried. About twenty of us got as far as the caves where the nests are, that's when the Goldies showed up."
"Goldies?"
"They're bigger Geckos that have a gold coat. Those sonsovbitches can actually breathe fire, and our .223's only piss 'em off."
"They chased you off?"
"Yeah and killed two of the Rodriguez brothers—they're a large family who live in town."
"It sounds like you need some upgrades in the—"
"Don't you dare say 'firepower' or I swear I'll give you a fourth hole in your head!" She said in an annoyed yet humorous tone.
"Was going to say in the 'funeral department'"
"You smug bastard!" Sunny replied chuckling to herself in a wide grin.
"I know. So let me guess; we need to go in and kill of a few of the buggers."
"Yeah, that's basically it. Figure it'd be good practice to get you back on your feet."
After about a twenty minute walk, we finally arrived at a series of rocky outcroppings with some pipes jutting out of the ground, which ran together in junctions while others look as though they had been torn apart. One of them was still jutting out water.
"Ah dammit!" Sunny cursed aloud as she ran over to the pipe, removing a wrench from one of her side pockets. She then tightened a valve behind the torn section of the piping, which seemed to stop the gushing water.
"Geckos do this?" I asked as I ran over.
"Yeah little monsters must be after the water. The little things are getting smart."
"Hey look here." I said suddenly, pointing over to a series of tracks that lay fresh in the walked over and began to examine them, with Cheyenne burying her snout in the loose sand.
"We've got trouble." Sunny said, with a grim look on her face.
"What is it?"
"There are three sets of tracks, one human and two Gecko. The problem is that all three are fresh and the human set is the oldest."
I could feel the hairs on the back my neck stand up as I drew my handgun out of its holster and began peering about; "Should we follow the trail?"
"Yeah, we can't just leave this idjit all out by herself, 'specially if Geckos are close by."
"Her?" I asked quizzically, "How can you tell it's a she?"
"Look here." She replied, pointing at the human track. Taking a closer look at it, I understood;
"Shoe size, and weight of the print, correct?"
"See? It looks like this trip is startin' to get that brain of yers running again." Sunny responded, standing up to her full height (which she was still a foot shorter than me) and tapped my sore forehead; "I'm thinkin' that bullet might've made you bit more… ah what's the word… intuitive."
I nodded, running my hand over my forehead, which was still hurting like a royal bitchslap. It was bearable though.
"Alright enough of this jazz," I snorted, "Shouldn't we go find this… uh…"
"Idjit?" Sunny asked, with a creeping smile on her face, "Alright Cheyenne, you know what to do."
The dog bark in reply, running at a slow jog with her head held close to the ground…
Sunny
'We've been walking for at least ten minutes, and Cheyenne hasn't reached the end yet.' I told myself. I kept the varmint rifle close at hand, ready to rock in case the critters would be stupid enough to attack. I looked over to Gideon to see him doing likewise, retrieving his Browning and keeping it locked in his left hand. I felt a cold shiver in my bones every time I looked at him, although I didn't show it.
I don't know what it is about him, but there's just something… mysterious about him… and also about his connection with Victor. I mean that robot has never lifted an arm to help anybody, and yet barely last week he comes in with 5oo caps for Doc, Trudy and me, then drops off a body and tells us that he needs to be saved. I remember the expression that Doc had after Victor left, when he removed the tarp coverin' the body…
"I don't think the feller can be saved," the good Doctor had said, "But it looks as though I'll have to try."
How does a man survive being shot twice in the head and then somehow gets up from that? I remember the look Gideon had when he had systematically executed those bottles on the fence, the 'what the hell' look. Now, looking at him now… He wasn't actin' like a person who had just been shot should be actin'. No, he was movin' and holdin' that pistol like a predator. Like a man on the hunt.
"You okay, Sunny?" Gideon asked me suddenly, lookin' at me through those dark shades of his. Damn, he must've seen me gawkin' at him. Suddenly, Cheyenne stopped in her tracks and started barkin' like a madman at the hills ahead. I moved my hand over her brow, calmin' her a bit down.
"I think we've found the locals."
Gideon
I checked the Browning one more time, loading it and ensuring there was a round in the chamber. I gave a light pull at the blade down on my boot, which gave way easily. I nodded my state of readiness to Sunny, who nodded back and signaled her hand up the hill; up the hill, quickly and quietly.
Roger, I signaled back. I began moving in a measured pace, with an effort to remain as silent as possible. Eventually, I went down low, keeping my hand close to the floor with my gun hand free. I looked over to Sunny, seeing her do the same. Finally we came over the top of the hill and we went bellies to the floor.
Just below us, there was at least a dozen or so of the hideous looking lizards down below, all green coated. Good, no Goldies in sight. I looked over Sunny, who brought her hand into a fist and then pointed it in their direction. I brought my weapon up, brace myself on one knee, and took careful aim. Finally, with a lasting expression of air, I squeezed the trigger.
A spit second later, the copper coated nine millimeter round struck the collarbone of the ugly carnivorous creature in a red haze and dropped to the floor. That seemed to get their attention, because the little bastards started running up the hill. I began firing my handgun in quick recession, firing on overwatch at anything that came close enough. Over my own quickened haste of firing, I could hear the slower pops from Sunny's Varmint Rifle as she felled some of the incoming monsters.
"Reloading!" She suddenly shouted out. I nodded and continued firing. Suddenly I heard a load click, and I cursed aloud. As I reached for a fresh magazine, time seemed to stop as one of the uglies suddenly lunged at me from the corner of my eye. I knew it had sunk its teeth into my arm, but I didn't feel any pain, regardless I dropped my pistol into the sand.
Suddenly I felt myself being consumed by a hot flowing rage. I then plowed my fist into the Gecko and then held it, wriggling, by its throat. I wasn't here in this desert anymore; I was at my family home in Montana, holding a similar creature by its throat. The evil thing had just attacked my little sister, whose arm was bleeding from his sharp bite.
"Oohh, Gide it hurts so bad!" She wailed in pain.
"The pain will be gone, Cathie, I promise." Then my voice darkened into a growl, "As for you, burn in hell you monster!"
My grip tightened into a contracting vise, until I heard its spine break in a loud crunch, and the last of its life left its wretched body. I dropped the lifeless carcass, and slowly drew my combat knife. The whole world; Sunny, Cheyenne and the Geckos stopped moving, stopped breathing and just stared in horror at me. My gaze had completely crimsoned until I was only seeing red, red as blood.
"Time to die…"
