The Fallout Of War
Chapter 18, It's Not Over
Thump. Thump. Thump. The stomps echoed through the silent streets of Malden.
They cleared the ruins of the Malden Middle School. Neither had said a word as they maneuvered through the halls of Vault 75 till they had exited the elevator above ground and escaped the school building's looming shadow.
My thoughts being focused solely on reaching Country Crossing I was somewhat surprised where Danse's own thoughts were directed when he spoke in a hushed tone filled with deadly intent.
"He is a dead man."
"Who?"
There was a pause, I got the impression Danse had not realized he had spoken aloud.
"Kellogg." he hissed.
My own loathing for the man could not be kept from my voice, "I couldn't agree more."
His stride began to slow, then he stopped.
"No. Do not stop Danse."
He ignored me and turned to look down at me through the glowing visor of his helmet.
"Did he touch you?"
I knew what he meant and my reply was immediate, "No." but never had I heard the chilling tone in which he spoke. "But he hurt you." It was a statement, not a question as he resumed his pace toward Country Crossing.
I was not sure I liked this new aspect of Danse I had not seen before. In battle he was certainly deadly in his zealous destruction of foes and I thought especially his obvious hatred when fighting Super Mutants due to Cutler. Neither though seemed to match this new glacial vengeance I sensed.
This however was not the time or place to be distracted. I just wanted to get him to Crossing and attempted to change the mood with teasing.
"There is time enough for dark thoughts later, besides you should be more concerned of my anger over keeping Merc a secret from me you big Brahmin."
"It was necessary. I'm sorry Tanna."
Again his strides slowed and he stopped staring down at me and I felt his hesitation, "Did... Merc hurt you?"
I thought of all the frustration, anger and hurts Merc had gone through at my expense and almost wanted to laugh, but didn't dare. "No Danse. Merc never hurt me." Not wanting this line of questioning to continue further I decided to be more assertive.
"Enough! We're trying to execute an escape here, remember. Get moving soldier!"
They had reached another intersection and turned right. Soon the ruined buildings would be blocking our view of the school, but I noticed Danse's steps starting to slow.
"Keep moving Danse!" I demanded.
"Tanna, you should go on a head." Danse's voice was becoming strained with a slight tremble in it.
"Not on your life! We're so close. Just keep moving." The end of Malden was within reach, only a couple more ruined houses and an old Waffles storefront ahead. Danse stopped dead.
No! The meds were wearing off. Not now, not yet!
"Move out Paladin!" I put my hands on the power suit as if to start pushing him forward in desperation and felt the suit itself trembling. Grabbing Danse's helmet I unlatched it and threw it to the ground. His brow and features were drenched in sweat. His gaze looked down at me as if pleading, his voice a shaky whisper, "Go."
"I'm not leaving you!" but his eye was already starting to loose focus. No! Damn it! I ran to the back of his suit and pulled the fusion core, yanked the exit latch and Danse fell out dead weight on top of me as a deep booming groan rolled from his chest. I fell beneath him in a vain attempt to ease his fall and hit the ground hard.
The wind knocked from me, I was gasping to refill my lungs that were compressed under Danse's weight when I noticed figures running toward us in the morning's last hour of shadows. An over whelming panic swept through me. I struggled to wiggle out from under Danse and reach the rifle I had dropped in my attempt to catch Danse, but it was to late and I realized we were already surrounded.
The conversation was hot and heavy on the second floor ruins of Slocum's Joe Corporate HQ in Malden. The subject was how to gain entry into Vault 75.
"There is no way we can ask for help from the Brotherhood. They will just want to annihilate the place the moment they know Synths are involved. We have to remember Tanna and Danse are in there." Piper was insisting.
"I agree. Maxson is not going to let the loss of one paladin, even if it's Tanna, persuade him from taking out any new Institute or Synth base threat and we all know what he thinks about Danse." Deacon conceded to Piper's argument.
"So what about the Railroad heavies Deacon?" Valentine's yellow eyes shone bright in the darkness that shrouded the group huddled together.
"I'm certain Desdemona would send them in, but that still doesn't guarantee Tanna and Danse won't be dead before any of our people reach them and Des is gonna want the place annihilated as much as Maxson."
"The Vault has one entrance and that small elevator is not going to permit any kind of large force to enter at once." Hancock pointed out.
"We don't even know if we need a large force. There's Kellogg with some Synths and Coursers, Danse and we have to assume Tanna. I think we could take them." Cait was confident in their success.
"The problem is we don't know what we're walking into down there. If there is Brotherhood armor sitting in Malden station, how do we know the Brotherhood isn't involved or behind this?" Deacon suggested.
The rest of the group rolled their eyes or shook their heads at Deacon's outlandish idea.
"We have to keep our eyes on the goal kiddos, that's getting Tanna and Danse back. We need someone who can sneak in there and find out exactly what we're up against."
Everyone's eye's turned toward Deacon.
"Oh great. Why not ask me to walk through a Deathclaw's nest?"
"We've got movement folks!" MacCready who had been standing watch over the school across the room at one of the windows announced diverting everyone's attention to him. He lifted his binoculars for a better look.
"I'll be dam... It's Tanna and someone in power armor. Take a look Deacon. Is it the same guy?"
Everyone was on their feet and moving quickly but quietly over toward the windows. MacCready handed his binoculars to Deacon.
"Looks like the same suit, but with the helmet on, can't tell. Tanna doesn't look cuffed or roped though this time."
"Well let's go and get them." Cait was already starting to turn and head for the stairs.
"Hold on there posse." Deacon halted everyone's movement. "We just can't go running up to them."
"Why not?" Piper said impatiently.
"Remember I already ran into them. I looked into Danse's eyes and he had no clue who I was, plus he wasn't letting anyone get close to Tanna. It was obvious he was damn protective of her. If Tanna hadn't acted when she did, I'd have a bullet in me right now."
"Well, we have to do something!"
MacCready had started moving again and paused at the top of the stairwell. "We'll just have to follow at a discreet distance. See where they're headed and wait for an opportunity."
They trailed the pair with MacCready taking point and signaling them forward from shadow to shadow, building to building.
"Let's go folks! Danse and Tanna just bit the dust!" MacCready called out no longer attempting to maintain any form of stealth. The group as one ran forward to encircle their fallen friends.
Deacon bent down next to Tanna who had managed to gain a sitting position, her legs still trapped under Danse. "Need some help there friend?"
Haylen had spent the day settlement hopping. After contacting Preston again via radio he had explained about Tanna's message. At each location she took the time to seek out the leaders to find out if Tanna or the Red Demon had been seen, then she'd speak to the settlers themselves and any traders that entered the gates while she was there.
Gossip and rumors were rampant in the settlements. Her own thoughts filled with worry and questions, was Tanna in trouble or simply helping Danse in some endeavor? Were there really two of Danse out there somewhere? Was a recall code actually used on Danse?
Haylen found herself fending off questions about the missing General and the Red Demon. The best stories she could come up with in response was the General was searching for the Red Demon and he might possibly have been injured, even have amnesia.
Mid-day came and after checking back in with Preston, she got the word that MacCready and Cait had reported in, so had headed east to pick up the Red Demon's power suit from Grey Garden. Rhys had a fit dropping into a settlement run by machines, but his attitude improved after he found out he was gonna get to climb into the power armor for it's retrieval, since the Brotherhood had still not replaced the suit he had lost.
Returning the suit to Sanctuary, they were back to settlement hopping again with no luck at gaining any information regarding Tanna and Danse. Haylen decided to return to Sanctuary when night fell instead of Cambridge as anxious as Preston was in hopes someone would report in with updates.
It was still dark out when she was awoken by Preston kneeling next to her bed and shaking her gently.
"Haylen, wake up. We found Tanna and Danse. They're at Country Crossing. Can you get a vertibird to pick them up?"
Haylen was wide awake at his words and already pulling on her boots.
"Absolutely! Are they okay?"
"I'm told Danse is in pretty bad shape, but Tanna is fine. We've got one of the best doctor's in the Commonwealth here. Tanna seemed pretty anxious about getting Danse to him stat."
"I'm on it Preston, don't worry."
"Should I wake Rhys?"
Haylen whirled at the door back toward him. "No! You know he can't see Danse."
Preston nodded as he followed her out of the house and into the street. Haylen tossed down the vertibird signal flare and impatiently awaited for it's arrival.
She was climbing into it when Preston called out to her.
"What do I tell Rhys if he wakes up?"
"Just tell him we went on a rescue pickup. When we return I'll make sure to keep him far away from Danse."
The vertibird lifted off and Preston watched it fade into the night sky. He could only be thankful this ordeal was over, that the General and Danse had been found and alive, soon to return to Sanctuary. His shoulders relaxed momentarily in relief till his gaze fell upon the house where Rhys was bunked for the night.
Just one more thing to worry about on top of everything else.
The everything else reminding him of the mystery of two Danses, a mole in Sanctuary and the possibility of the institute revived.
Why do I feel like it's not over yet?