*Updated 08-05-2018*
Chapter 38 - A Mother's Name
A hastily drawn plan lay sprawled on the hood of the truck.
"So from what you can remember, the guards are here, here and here." said Rosa, pointing to various spots on the map, "And Vaas and the pirates are around here."
"Yep. I reckon they'll have Vaas some place by himself." said the pirate that had first spoken to Rosa.
"Those cocksuckers always give him the best treatment, don't they?" Rosa said, sarcastically and the men scoffed.
"Let's fill up on ammo and shit and we'll head off. I want Vaas and the guys back here by at least sun down."
That objective looked unlikely, but Rosa was determined. She had forgotten about the specifics of their fight and the baby, and was more bothered about getting Vaas back, safely.
"Rosa." said the pirate, pulling her shoulder, "We might not make this."
"We will." Rosa insisted, "I promise."
As they approached the village, Rosa pulled the jeep into some bushes to conceal it.
"Now, you all know your stations, yeah? I'm gonna go on top of the water tower to get a better view first; I'll then give the signal for the search and then one for the fight."
"Sounds fine to me." a pirate said and the men nodded.
Rosa doubled checked that she was armed and loaded before creeping around the buildings and to the water tower. She had changed her shoes to converse for the climbing and so they would sound quieter than her going up in heels. She grabbed the ladder and started to climb, stopped a quarter of the way and looked at one of the pirates, who gave her the nod to keep going.
She arrived at the top of the tower, undetected, and crouched down. Rosa pulled out a camera and zoomed in on the men to get a better view. There were a few Rakyat stood facing away from her, down near the left side entrance. Perfect for looking for the pirates. Rosa scanned around closer and saw a pile of guns near a door of a large building as well as C4 planted on the road, so motioned for one of her pirates to go and look. Two went off and Rosa climbed down from the water tower.
"There's a group near the left entrance. They've got bombs on the floor. See if you can get some C4 planted or a mine, close to them." she instructed a pirate and he scuttled off to see what he could do.
Rosa turned to the lead pirate.
"Right, we're going to -" Rosa didn't finish her sentence.
"BANYU! LOOK OUT ... HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" a Rakyat shouted before a huge explosion went off, in the church of the village.
Amber flames licked the sky as the explosion threw Rosa and the pirates back.
"WE DON'T LIKE TO PLAY HIDE AND SEEK, ROSA! COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE!"
"Shit." Rosa whispered and she moved around the side of a building.
"Ready?" she asked the pirate.
"Ready." he replied.
"I don't even know your name."
"Phillipe."
"Well, Phillipe." Rosa said, "Today's the day we destroy the Rakyat."
Rosa yelled out and turned the corner, opening fire on the group of Rakyat that were stood there, some falling to the floor. She grabbed a small knife and threw it, it lodging itself into a warriors neck.
"ROSA! Your beloved Vaas and his pirates are dead! They were in the church! There's nothing more you can do." the head warrior taunted.
Rosa turned and snarled at the head warrior, himself backed up by two other warriors. The church was burning and a few of Rosa's guys were dead, as well as the Rakyat. It was a small fight in comparison to the last big one.
"Join us Rosa." the head warrior said, his voice oozing mystery.
"You're all fucking delusional." she spat, "I would never join you. Even your beloved Citra could never get me to join. Where is your leader now, where is that cunt? Rotting in the fucking ground." Rosa screamed and the head warrior laughed.
"Oh, Rosa. Citra was never a key piece of the puzzle; you are. You'll want to join us, Rosa. We're better than those pirates. Join us and rule the kingdom forever."
"I already do run this kingdom."
Rosa and the warriors were in a stand off position, neither party shooting or attacking. Rosa wanted to see what they have to say.
"Do you? Or does Hoyt? What's the one thing that you would love for Hoyt to tell you?" said the head warrior and he smirked.
Rosa didn't reply and kept a death stare on the head warrior.
"Don't act like you don't know, Rosa. You've known ever since you were little that he investigated everything about your birth mother. It kills you that you don't know her name."
After her dream, the fact that she didn't actually know her mother's name started to play on her mind. She knew that Hoyt would have investigated everything that he could when she arrived on the island; Rosa was pretty sure Hoyt knew who her mother was, but she never had the nerve to ask him.
She just wanted to know; not a massive ask. There was always a feeling inside her, stopping her, from plucking up the nerve.
"You don't know anything about me." Rosa growled and the warrior laughed.
"We know everything about you, Rosa. Remember Caddo? When he was in Hoyt's office, he raided it first, getting every last detail about your life. Including her name."
"LIES!" Rosa snarled, and she stepped forward, "Hoyt would never let Caddo get that far."
"Oh, but he did. We have all the information about your life we could want. I'm surprised you don't find the files sooner, a smart girl like yourself."
"You're lying!" she insisted.
"Why would we lie? We can tell you her name right now."
"You wouldn't dare." Rosa replied.
"We wouldn't?" said the leader, "I have her name on a slip of paper in my pocket. You know you want to reach in and -"
Rosa couldn't suppress the anger, they were getting a reaction from her. She knew she shouldn't let them, but she couldn't help it; they knew which buttons to press.
"YOU MOTHERFUCKERS! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL! YOU THINK YOU CAN KILL MY MEN, MY VAAS, AND BLACKMAIL ME? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" she screamed, going red in the face with pulsating anger.
"We are the warriors of Rook Island." the leader replied.
Rosa felt the pirates behind her grip their guns and shift a little. Rosa looked down and saw that they were stood where the mine had been planted by one of her men.
"You're fucking dead." she said, monotonous.
Rosa smirked, taking a few steps back. The Raykat looked confused. Rosa'a pirates were walking at a brisk pace as Rosa didn't lose eye contact with the leader. She pulled out of her gun and cocked it, pointing it at the mine.
"You don't get to tell me shit. Adios amigos." she said, aiming her gun.
The leader realised what was going on.
"Er -" the leader tried to shout out but he was silenced by Rosa, shooting her gun.
The mine exploded, instantly killing all of the Rakyat without giving the rest of them time to think. The blast didn't touch Rosa or the pirates, but the heat could be felt.
"CHECK EVERY BUILDING!" she yelled and the men dispersed out, their feet pounding against the dirt path.
Rosa walked over to the church, there still a few embers lit. The church was completely destroyed, burnt to ash and Rosa was encompassed with sadness.
Vaas couldn't be dead, not that easily? Did they just eliminate all of the Rakyat that easily too? It all seemed like a blur. Rosa felt a crunch under foot and she pulled away, a green gem glittering in the dirt. She bent down and pulled it out, Vaas' familiar necklace coming into view.
"No." she whispered, "He's not."
Her hand clenched around the necklace and she gently kissing it, before grimacing and putting it in her ammo pouch.
"ROSA! PHILIPPE HAS SPOTTED THE GUYS DOWN BY A WATERFALL! THEY'RE ALIVE!" one shouted before Rosa ran over to the truck as if her life depended on it.
"Drive!" she commanded and Phillippe put his foot down as the group sped off down a road.
As Phillippe turned a sharp corner, Rosa was thrown from the truck, tumbling down a small hill.
"SHIT, ROSA!"
Rosa stopped abruptly, the side of her body harshly hitting a large rock. The air left her lungs as she coughed and groaned. A pain radiated from her stomach.
"Rosa! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" called Philippe, who was running down the hill.
"I'm fine." she croaked, "Help me up?"
Philippe extended his hand and Rosa took it, a sharp twinge spreading through the front of her body. She staggered back to the truck and pulled herself in.
"Drive carefully this time, Phil." a pirate said, nudging Philippe's shoulder.
Rosa put her head on the rest behind it, holding around her middle. The vibrations of the truck were soothing, but not the rocks that Philippe kept running over.
It suddenly came to a stop as there was a loud cheer.
Rosa opened an eye and saw a sea of red. There were pirates sat on the ground near the bottom of a beautiful waterfall, clutching their bloodied wounds and ripping clothes to stem the bleeding. A tall figure stood up and limped forward.
Vaas.
Rosa got out of the truck and grabbed the side of it, the pain in her body increasing.
"Princesa?" Vaas said.
Rosa turned and managed to get her arms around his body, holding him close. He smelt of dirt, blood and smoke but Rosa didn't care. Everything was just washed away. Rosa could feel herself getting weak, not even having the energy to talk. Vaas kissed the top of her head repeatedly, his calloused hands rubbing her arms, as if he was confirming that she was real.
"Estás aquí." he muttered. You're here.
Rosa tried to let out a reply but she was cut short by the ripping pain in her lower abdomen. She gasped and gripped onto Vaas tighter.
"Rosa?" he said.
She went limp in his arms and he managed to catch her before she fell.
"ROSA?" he yelled and he lifted her up in his arms.
Blood ran down her legs and Vaas' arms and hands were covered.
"ROSA!"