Chapter 5
On the journey to Ice's camp, William asked; "So, you're not the leader of your Raiders?"
"I'm cleaver enough not to be the leader, why? You starting to doubt me already?"
"I just want to know if you have enough clout to stop them from killing me when we get there."
"If you insist on talking keep it quiet," said Ice. "and yes, they'll listen to me. Glen's in charge. You might say he's my man. They think I'm lucky, not smart, and I let them think it. Better to be a lucky charm then someone to topple."
"Your turn;" said Ice. "what's the layout of the vault?"
William decided not to tell everything, including the fact that he didn't know everything. A lot of it was just a blur.
"Beyond the blast door is a ventilation room, but the controls aren't in there. Further in there is a security room and stairs that lead into the computer areas. The controls are probably there."
"Probably? Don't you know?"
"Those weren't my duties, but the computers have to be what controls the whole place including the ventilation. I'm pretty confident I can get it going."
"From your description," said Ice. "there would have to be a significant age gap between you and his sister; your old enough to be working as one of my boys. What did you say your Mom's name was?"
"I..." William paused. "I can't remember; it's probably the gas, it screwed my head up."
"My family and friends are down there in that vault." William said. "I know I can't get them all out, but if you want my help, my family is the price. I want them alive. Can you give me your word on that?"
"Didn't you hear old Agatha," Answered Ice. "I'm a Raider, you can't trust me."
"I don't think you're the cold blooded killer she thinks you are." He said. "If you tell me you won't kill them, I'll believe you."
Ice walked a while then replied, "I won't kill them, but I can't speak for the boys, and I don't control them. That's as good as it will get."
"I trust you."
They walked a while in silence.
"It's been a long time since I've heard those words." Ice said. "The last time was from my sister, when I promised I would find her. The last time I saw her, she was an indentured servant, being taken away, by the people who bought her."
"You were separated by Slavers." He said. "Did you ever hear what happened to her. Did her name turn up?"
"If I find her it will be by her nick-name; Rocksalt." She said. "When we were captured I told her we should use our nick-names. It would be easier to track each other than with our common given names."
"Unusual nick-names," he said. "did you pick them?"
"No, that was Nan." She said, "Nan raised us after our parents died. She used to call us Ice and Rocksalt. she said we were two of the rarest ingredients needed to make something sweet; ice cream. We did love Nan's ice cream."
"And your Nan?" He asked.
"Gone; she tried to save us during the slaver raid. I take a special pleasure in killing them now. We don't make a habit of it; as far as they know some of their crew disappears once in a while. One of the perks of being a Raider. It's also where we get half our guns from. The rest of the stuff we trade or sell. I won't wear their gear or armor; even I have my standards."
They walked a bit further and Williams asked, "I'm curious, did Agatha remind you of your Nan; Is that why you asked for the hug?"
"Please, what I was doing was making a point." Said Ice. "She can't see beyond the surface; to her I'm one dimensional. It's guilt by association. I knew she wouldn't hug me; I was just proving I knew her better than she knew me."
"You were proving it to yourself? Why bother?" He asked, still not believing her.
"Part of me thought she might prove me wrong, maybe believe in me."
Ice paused, remembering her Nan, then added. "I do admire Agatha though; that tough old gal's got balls."
They made their way to an old ranch, in the high hills near a communications tower, and approached a fenced path
"Stay close behind me," said Ice. "and let me do the talking. The others know their place and will follow Glen's lead."
At the top of the hill, near a dilapidated house, she called out, "Glen! It's Ice. Hold your fire, I've got someone with me."
William watched as Raiders emerged from behind rocks, and from just over the edge of the hill.
"You take a vacation?" One of them called back. "We've been out looking for you for days. Who is that with you?"
The other members came in and surrounded William, standing uncomfortably close.
Ice said, "Boys, let me introduce our new bank key. He is going to unlock the secrets of that vault we've been trying to crack."
Ice introduced her crew to William, "This is Glen, he's the brains and the brawn to this shitty smelling group."
They laughed but continued to eye William, one of them smelling him.
She pointed to a large man to her right and announced in a heavy German accent, "Zees ez Helmoot, so called because of that large cranium." she rubbed his big head and he laughed."
The small skinny one she turned her attention to, seemed to cower, and averted his eyes, as she addressed him.
"This one," she said. "is Wire our engineer."
He seemed to perk up, and smiled at the name.
"Oh wait," She continued. "that's not right. Wasn't there another name?"
His look of shame returned, as she spoke.
"Oh that's right," She said, "it's Cuddles now, isn't it?"
The rest of the crew burst into laughter.
"So named because of," she paused. "what was it? Oh yes, so named due to his affinity for Teddy Bears."
"Screw you!" Cuddles yelled back. "I told you I was saving it for a girl. How long are you going to keep this up?"
"There's no escaping it Cuddles," said Helmoot. "some things just can't be unseen. Besides, if it was for a girl, why were you sleeping with it?"
"I wanted it to smell like me before I gave it to her." He implored.
"Good plan" Helmoot said, "Burn out her nose before you get too close to her."
Cuddles' eyes darted around the group, trying to find an out. Then he asked, "So where the Hell did you wander off to and where's the other guys at?"
"The other guys are dead." She answered. The group stopped laughing. After it sunk in, she told them the events of the last four days.
William noted that she omitted the part about Agatha, and her home. He thought, She's keeping her word.
She explained the idea of trying to scavenge breathing equipment from the Old Oldney Fire Department. Everyone got quiet again.
"Who the Hell's idea was that?" Glen asked, looking at William, "Is he trying to get us all killed?"
"It was Tank's idea." she said, "He said he knew of a crew who saw the Fire Department in the town."
"Tank and I were part of that crew." Said Glen. "Did he tell you that? We were the only two left. They all got slaughtered by Deathclaws. We thought we could sneak in. The rifles and pistols didn't even slow them down. The guys in the wall never made it out."
"But we have the explosives." Ice replied. "We've been saving them up for a big score; this is it. We lay a mine field, and draw them out one at a time. Once we have one end of the town clear, we break into the building."
They sat thinking about it.
Over by the fire, Cuddles asked, "How about a new name? What do you think of Nuke? Nuke sounds cool."
"How about Sugar Bombs," Helmoot retorts. "for those nuclear farts you blow?"
The group laughs at Cuddles, as he broods, and goes back to poking the fire with a stick.
"Cuddles," Glen calls, "Pack up the weapons, all the big stuff, and missile launcher too. Helmoot, get the gear ready, Stimpacs, Med Kits, the lot. He looked at Ice, "If you're right about the score, we can toss the rest of this crap; the vault will be out new home. We'll rest up tonight, and set out in the morning. I want to see what I'm fighting this time.
