6. The Fall of Tainted Cave
The destruction of Tainted Cave, one of the Enclave most equipped research station seemed fine from afar. Black smoke rose from the base, and many military aircraft were traveling in and out of the base. They were transporting to Raven Rock everything and everyone what and who would be saved. However, the Enclave still suffered huge losses then and there.
The Brotherhood of Steel occupied in no time the sub-sectors, and because their intent became known, evacuation orders were sent out soon all over the base.
Autumn and his men secured the exit to the airport, where they rescued the people and their experiments with vertibirds.
Among others there were Whithley with the two Eyebots as well. He turned his head around while concerned about Elaine, but he saw the woman nowhere. He had no choice but to enter into the machine. He knew exactly what is at stake. On board he heard the lieutenant is in there as well, even near the lab where the main hub was.
Whitley wanted to be confident, that Elaine made out as well, since she left the building earlier, but he had a very bad feeling when he looked out of the window at the smoke what came from inside of the base. Deep down, maybe he felt that his colleague and friend is still inside.
Because Elaine was really still inside the control room, still unconscious. Her rescuer laid her on her back, than he tried to wake the woman up. After some sort of attempts he managed to make Elaine open her eyes.
At first, the world span with her, she saw obscured, but as she slowly recuperated from the shock, she saw a man in front of her. He had short, brown hair. How it seemed, he was in his thirties, but despite his young age, grey hair locks could be seen in his hair. He was definitely a handsome man with his tanned skin, and as she looked in the man's eyes, she felt more relaxed.
It also came to light, during the time, when the unknown man helped her up, that he's a soldier. It's true that he wasn't wearing the usual Enclave officer or military equipment, but under his dark brown coat there could be seen an armored vest, and a laser pistol it was attached to the side, which was used only by the soldiers.
He anxiously looked at her broken nose, but because of the smell of the smoke spreading there, he knew that they couldn't stay there for long.
"Do you work here?" he asked from the woman.
"Yes". Elaine replied tentatively.
"Don't you know were can we find somewhere nearby Stimpak? Your nose needs one".
"I know a place where we can find one…" she nodded, then walked back down the hall, but she stopped when she saw that the place was blown up. Plenty bodies were lying under the rubble.
"It doesn't matter" he shook his head, then grabbed her hand and began to pull her out from there. "They'll heal your nose out there. Try to stay calm, and don't take a sudden breath".
Smoke was swirling in the hallway, however at least the people no longer pushed each other up.
The man went in front of Elaine, holding her hand. This went on for several minutes before they reached an army checkpoint where soldiers in gas masks distributed wet rags to the crowd, with which they could cover their faces in the big smoke.
The man there passed the people, then grabbed a gas mask out from a soldier's head what he put on Elaine's head, then he also got before his face a wet rag and they continued on their way.
Elaine's previous intuition suddenly vanished. Now she wasn't so happy to be near that man. He was not sure who the man was, but she knew one thing for sure: no one can take down a soldier's gas mask without being punished, except if that person is someone more influential than the soldier himself.
Now came the most dangerous part of their escape. The big smoke turned its victims, but who wanted to live, marched forward, leaving behind weaker companions. While they went through many lying bodies, Elaine wanted to help them, but the man pulled her with him, but as he slowly ran out of breath, and Elaine paused again, he pulled out his laser gun and shot in the head the choking civilian, who was lying on the floor. Then still with his gun in his hand, he grabbed Elaine's hand and continued to march towards the light.
They went next to more drowning man, but Elaine opposed no more. She only hoped the soldiers wearing gas masks will bring out those who still could be saved.
Reaching the outside, the man coughed. He fell to his knees, wiping his eyes filled with tears from the big smoke.
Elaine also removed the gas mask, and while she busied herself with this task, a soldier spotted them, and went straight to them.
"Lieutenant!" the soldier ran beside the man kneeling on the ground.
"Soldier, why are you standing here?" screamed at him the man, though now we can call him by his name, Lieutenant Autumn. "Go, and help the people trapped still inside, or give a Stimpak to the lady! Don't you see how the blood is running from her nose?"
That so much discussed blood almost went cold through her veins as he looked at her.
The man who signed her death sentence was the one who at the end saved her life… But we all know what strange games the fate can play with us…
She was standing there for several minutes, looking at the man, who in turn took just one look at her, because other soldiers came to make reports.
Half an hour later the base was completely evacuated. Elaine also saw how the last masked soldiers came out, and soon after the whole base was blown out at Autumn's command. Thus cutting off all other people's ultimate hope of getting out who were still trapped inside of the tunnel. But he couldn't do otherwise, the Brotherhood of Steel posed too much threat at that moment.
Moving onto another topic, Elaine received a Stimpak, which made its job, temporarily removed the fractures but there was a little time left for the complete healing.
As the last vertitird was ready and was waiting for its passengers, the last group of Enclave people was about to get on. But before this thing happened, Autumn still had something important to discuss with Elaine, so he turned around to face her.
"I heard from the soldiers that you were working at the Eyebot research department as assistant to Dr. Sam Whitley".
"Yes, this is true…" replied the woman, casting down her eyes, fearing that someone finds out among the soldiers that she's not entirely honest, but no one gave sign of the crowd of knowing the entire truth.
"Courage, Lisa, because that's your name, if I'm not mistaken, isn't it?" asked the man, and Elaine nodded. "The worst part is behind us".
"Lisa?" repeated the name one of the soldiers. "You are Lisa McGee, Edgar's girlfriend?"
Elaine's face went white. She thought that if the truth remains hidden this time, then she'll be safe. She quietly nodded, while all of the soldier's face went somber.
Autumn looked deeply into her eyes, then stepping closer to her, put a hand on her shoulder.
"Lisa…I'm terribly sorry, but I saw Edgar, your friend with my own eyes… My condolences…"
Elaine felt a cold shudder inside. She took a deep breath, feeling tears bursting out her eyes, but not because Edgar was dead, instead she remembered her assistant, the real Lisa's death. She tried to hold back the tears, but couldn't help herself, and the tears just rained down from her eyes.
Autumn pulled her to him, trying to calm down the girl. Many horrors he had seen before, he had lost many comrades of his, and anyway, he wasn't one of the sensitive types of people, so he didn't really begrudged his bodyguard, but for some reason he wanted not to see her suffer
"Lisa" said the lieutenant, after she calmed down a bit. "There is still one last thing we have to discuss before we go. You heard secret military information before, and on the vertibird will be constant radio contact with the base. You must swear here and now that everything you've heard you're going to kept confidential. Repeat after me: I swear that I shall keep secret all of the confident information!"
"I-I swear…"
"Louder and firmer, to be heard by every ear witnesses!"
"I swear that I shall keep secret all of the confident information!"
"In case of perjury the maximum possible penalty may impose on you, which was just the same in the case of Dr. Ronin which I assume you are aware, is none other but the death penalty!"
Elaine felt as the strength went out of her legs. This was too much for him. First the execution followed by a comma, running at the end for her life, and finally making an oath, while threatening with non other but herself.
All that was missing for her was to uncover the truth. She certainly got a heart attack first before Autumn could raise his laser gun at her.
So thus it ended Dr. Elaine Ronin's life in the Enclave, and started Lisa McGee's second life!