A/N: I'd like to thank the readers who wrote reviews and that I really appreciate the concrit. I've gone back to prior chapters to remove the acronyms and a few other minor corrections like spelling and directions. Doh! I get turned around in my backyard. This chapter doesn't have much action, but everyone has to be in the right place at the right time. Thanks for reading.
The Fallout of War
Chapter 10, Every Which Way
Colonel Preston Garvey roamed through Sanctuary on his customary rounds, but tonight the usual whistled tune that accompanied his presence was absent. His thoughts were concerned with the abduction of his friend and General of the Minutemen, Tanna Steel.
His concern had been amplified when Cait had returned with her disturbing discovery of Tanna's dog tags. Danse and MacCready had headed off in the wrong direction assuming they were on her trail. Cait was in pursuit of them, but he'd still not received any further news.
He was passing the market area and heard the rabble of civilians and off duty Minutemen unwinding for the night at the drink and food stand. He would usually join them, sharing a drink with his men and expressing gratitude to the settlers for their days hard work. His stomach twisted into a knot thinking one of those men or women had also betrayed them, leaking info about the caravan.
Striding past he entered the Communication room that led into the Meeting hall. Peterson sat listening to 3 radios; a ham, another tuned to Diamond City and a third to Freedom radio. Preston looked hopefully at Peterson who shook his head negatively indicating nothing had come in over the air waves.
The sound of running boot steps had Preston turn to see one of the front gate guards jogging toward him. "Colonel, a runner just arrived from Zimonja. He has an urgent message he wants to deliver to you personally." "Bring him on in, I'll be at my desk." Preston responded.
Preston recognized the runner as soon as he entered, a new recruit to the Minutemen. He looked tired so it appeared he hadn't wasted time with stop overs to get to Sanctuary. "Come in Timothy." "Colonel sir. I have a note from the General to be delivered to your hands." Preston was out of his seat and around the desk immediately, practically snatching the missive from Timothy's hand.
Reading it quickly, confusion shone in his eyes. He read it again then glanced up at the runner, "The General herself put this in your hand?" "Yes, sir." "When?" "It was I guess late afternoon." "Was anyone else with her?" "No sir. She was alone at the settlement." "Okay, thank you Timothy. Good job. Go get some food and find yourself a bed for the night." "Thank you sir." Preston reread the message yet a third time as the runner exited.
It made no sense. It said she was with Danse. That was impossible since Danse had been here yesterday. Was she trying to tell him something that he was missing? Danse, recall code, institute... if he took it at face value, there was only one conclusion; there was more than one Danse running around the Commonwealth. How could this happen? Someone with facial surgery? Another Synth? The real Danse?
Then there was the added complication or connection of the Institute being revived. Preston sat down hard in his chair. This day just kept getting worse. He pulled out paper and pencil and wrote out his own message. He called to Peterson in the adjacent room. "I need this taken to Zimonja. Get one of our runner's, Timothy needs to rest. After that, radio our man at Bunker Hill and tell him to hang out that lantern." "Yes sir Colonel." Peterson darted out the door.
The note held orders for the Minutemen at Zimonja to do a search of the area for the General. He just couldn't ignore the possibility that her message had been a call for help. Tanna hadn't said where she was, but said she'd attempt to get Danse to a settlement, hopefully it would be back to Zimonja.
The lantern was how they got in touch with Deacon. The Railroad still held onto it's secret locations and faces, only the General was privy to those. Preston could only hope Deacon would get the message sooner than later.
As it was he only had to wait a couple hours. Preston had dozed off in his chair when he woke to Peterson calling him. "Colonel sir!" Preston jerked awake and strode into the radio room. "It's a Private Connors Sir. Says, you called for him?" Preston was at a loss, but picked up the mic.
"This is Colonel Garvey." "This is Private Connors. Reporting in." "Deacon? Is that you?" "Er nooo. This is Private Connors talking to you over the air waves that anyone can listen to." Preston let out a groan. "Private Conners, I have word from the General that yesterday she was with the Red Demon near Zimonja." "Um, Not possible... Sir." "Yes, I know. However she mentions a recall code has been used and needing to see a certain doctor." "Location?" "You know what I know. If I learn more I'll call for Private Connors on Freedom radio." "But Diamond City Radio has such snappier tunes." "Dea...Connors!" "I'm on it! This is Private Connors, signing off, um, over and out, bye." "Garvey out." Preston shook his head all the way back to his desk.
It was going to be a long night and probably tomorrow would be no better. He had people going every which way and no idea what was happening with any of them at this point. I need a stiff drink.
Deacon was quite perplexed. Tanna wasn't one to loose her cool or have a fanciful imagination, nor lie, that was his expertise. For some reason she thought she was with Danse, yet he knew it was impossible. If it was someone with facial reconstruction he felt confident she could detect an imposter in a heartbeat.
He'd never known the institute to make a duplicate gen 3 Synth, so he chucked out the idea of two Synths running around. This left him with two possibilities; one, the real Danse had somehow showed up or Tanna had completely lost her mind. Okay, he would toss out that she had gone insane.
Damn! Now all I have to do is figure out which is which. I should head east. Preston's gotta have Zimonja area covered. I'll just head northeast, stop at the settlements and have to work my magic.
If anyone had noticed, which no one did, a lone man dressed as a caravan trader departed Bunker Hill in the middle of the night, without a caravan.
Nick entered Piper's newspaper office in Diamond City just as she finished the last lines of her newest story. She passed it to Nat who dashed for the antique printing press. "And we have to get those out asap Nat!" She called after her sister.
"Welcome back Nick. How did it go at Good Neighbor?" Nick took a seat and turned his bright yellow eyes on her. "We may have a lead. Hancock's men got wind of some new guy in town recruiting hired guns." Well lets go check it out Nick." Piper began to rise. "Hold it there super sleuth, you and I don't exactly look like the mercenary types, besides Hancock already sent one of his men to check it out."
"I'm all ears Nick." "Those hired were told to meet at Molden Center Station in two days where they'll meet the boss and get job details." "Molden? That town is completely deserted." Nick nodded. "Which makes it a perfect location if you want to be discreet about your business."
"How do we know its Kellogg?" "Hancock's man said his contact was hired a couple of days ago and saw the boss man that looked real bad ass with this nasty scar on his face." "So when do we leave?"
"You aren't going any where kiddo. It's too dangerous. Hancock and I can check this out." "Oh no! I'm not about to miss out on this story. Either you take me or I can go on my own." Nick let out a sigh as he stood up. "You would, wouldn't you?" "You betcha!" "Okay, we leave for Goodneighbor at dawn to pick up Hancock. Be ready." Nick strode out the door and headed for his office.
Scribe Haylen winced as Elder Maxson's voice boomed at her. "Missing! What do you mean missing? I knew her playing General for that ragged bunch of civilians calling themselves Minutemen would lead to no good."
He turned his back to her, taking up his usual rigid stance as he stared out over East Boston from the Prydwen. I do not like loosing even one of my Paladins, especially her. Damn it! If her loyalties weren't split, she'd probably be safe on the Prydwen right now. I cannot show favoritism and anything I say here would be overheard and passed throughout the ship within the hour.
After a couple minutes of deep thought, Elder Maxson turned back to Haylen. "You understand I cannot and will not assign an entire patrol to chase down one missing Paladin who could be just sleeping off a hangover somewhere." Haylen seethed inside. Elder Maxson knew damn well that was not the case with Tanna. He was just keeping face with his crew and she knew it.
"I will have the existing patrols keep watch for her as they carry out their assignments." "Yes Elder." Haylen said, disappointment coloring her voice. "However..." Haylen looked up. "You have two days of shore leave left, correct?" "Yes Sir." "They are canceled and you are assigned to spend the next two days searching for our missing Paladin Steel. You may have a vertibird at your disposal." Haylen brightened. "Yes Sir! Thank you Sir!" "You will also pick up Knight Rhys from Cambridge to accompany you. I'm not having a Scribe gallivanting alone across the Commonwealth."
Haylen hesitated, Crap. If Rhys saw Danse... Elder Maxson must have seen the hesitation on her face. "That's an order Scribe!" "Yes Elder Maxson. Understood Sir." Satisfied with his handling of the decision, Maxson returned to his perusal of the Boston airport below. "Dismissed." Heading for Proctor Teagan to get resupplied she decided she'd just have to play it by ear with Rhys and Danse.
Landing in Cambridge, Knight Rhys was waiting for her as she came down the stairs from the roof. "What's this crap we have to go searching for Paladin Steel? She's got herself into anther mess and I don't see why you and I have to brought into it if its not Brotherhood business." Rhys complained to her. "Cause she was part of our team once and is a friend, that's why. I have to make a call to Sanctuary on the ham radio." She brushed past him hoping it would end his tirade.
Preston explained to Haylen over the radio that Cait had come back and that Tanna had been taken east not west. He told her Cait had gone after the Red Demon and MacCready, but he hadn't heard from any of them since. Haylen let him know she'd be searching by air starting at daylight. Night was falling and Haylen knew searching in the dark from a vertibird would be futile, besides she was certain Tanna would be tucked in somewhere til morning.