Calli and Hawk headed out to Canterbury Commons. A trader had left a letter for her at Rivet City. Scott the Machinist had finally succeeded in getting two motorcycles functioning for her and Hawk. They were excited at the prospect of having motorized transportation.
Hawk walked around the big motorcycle, inspecting it thoroughly.
"Very nice", he said approvingly. "I'll just try it out. Have you modified any of the controls?"
"No, it should work the same as its original designers intended.", the Machinist said.
"Okay, here goes.", Hawk said, mounting the vehicle. He hit the starter and the engine purred to life. Purred?
"It's awfully quiet. They used to be extremely loud.", Hawk said, looking down at the strange looking motor.
"I take it you used to ride one of these?", Calli asked.
"Sure, I had one. The roar was part of it. It said 'power' in a big way." Scott laughed.
"Believe me, this thing should have plenty of power. I had to replace the fossil fuel engine with one that can run on fission batteries. It is a lot quieter but it's plenty powerful.", he said.
Calli grinned. "And a lot safer too, I bet. I was standing a little too close to one of these once when it blew. Whew! I wouldn't have wanted to be on it! I think this is great, Machinist."
She surveyed her smaller vehicle longingly.
"I want to try it.", she said. Hawk shook his head.
"Just let me try it out first. You can't just jump on one of these and take off; you have to learn to ride it. I'll be right back." He revved his engine and moved slowly down the path. Suddenly he took off and swept quickly away. Calli caught her breath. She really, really wanted to do that.
With her natural abilities and training Calli had little trouble learning to control the motorcycle. She appreciated that they were very quiet. The last thing you wanted to do in the wasteland was draw attention to yourself. She was happy to pay Scott the remainder of his 4000 caps and left another 2000 as down payment on the next ones. She had promised to pay for any he could construct or any other vehicle he could manage to put together. She collected the sum he owed for her share of his security and robot repair business and reinvested some to allow some upgrades.
After just a week of intensive practice they mounted their motorcycles and sped off toward home. Calli didn't wear her helmet as she loved the wind whipping through her hair and blasting past them. She thrilled to the challenge of learning to take hills and wrestling for control when they hit a sandy spot. It took only a fraction of the time to get home as it did when they trotted.
Calli and Hawk walked their bikes through the gate and up the walkway to their house. They maneuvered them in the door and left them in the large living room.
"We won't be able to use them much.", Calli said regretfully. "They wouldn't be any good in the mountains or inside the city when we're scavenging. If we leave them somewhere out of our sight they'll just get stolen or destroyed."
"I know, but they sure are fun, aren't they?", Hawk asked. Calli grinned.
"They sure are.", she agreed.
Calli went to visit the bar like she usually did when they were in town. She found it closed. She went in search of Lucas.
"Hey, sheriff", she called, spying him just leaving the diner.
"Calli, what was that you brought in?", he asked.
"Oh, the motorcycles. Aren't they great? Why don't you come by and check 'em out later? Say, why is the bar closed?", she wondered.
"Because Moriarity went too far and we had an altercation. I won. I had to bury his sorry ass. Gob was too hurt to help and Nova was taking care of him."
"What?!", Calli's eyes flamed. "That asshole beat Gob? It's a good thing for him you took care of it. I might not have been so gentle with him! Where's Gob now? I gotta see how he is!" Lucas nodded up toward the bar.
"They're upstairs I expect. Just let them know who's there and they'll let you in if they want to see you." He watched her hurry off. He had no doubt Moriarity had fared better at his hands. He wouldn't want to hurt one of her friends.
Calli knocked on the door to the bar calling to Nova . The door opened.
"Hey, Calli, come on up. I know he wants to see you. You wouldn't mind sitting with him so I can get some supplies, would you?", Nova asked.
"No, you go ahead.", Calli said, stopping in front of the bedroom door. "Gob?", she called softly, entering the room quietly.
It would be hard to tell Gob was a ghoul. At the moment he looked more like a mummy with his face, head and hands wrapped in bandages. His hands lay across his stomach. He turned his head to look at her. She sat down beside him, lightly touching his bare arm, looking into his soft dead white eyes.
"Moriarity hasn't touched you in years. What happened?", she asked. She didn't know if he knew Moriarity had been more careful since she promised him various unpleasant actions if he ever hit Gob again.
"He hurt Nova. She's pregnant, Calli, and he knocked her down and kicked her. I couldn't take it. It's bad enough she's forced to have sex with him but she told me to mind my own business. But this was too much! I tried to stop him. He grabbed a baseball bat and we went at it. Nova ran off to get Lucas but by the time he got here I had him by the neck. I think Lucas shot him so I wouldn't be the one that killed him. A lot of people here don't like ghouls you know.", he said, his voice hoarser than usual.
"What are you going to do now?", Calli asked. He lifted a bandaged hand and placed it over her small one, still on his arm.
"I was thinking I might go back to Underworld and see if Charon will have me. Oh, I know I'm no mercenary, but he probably needs someone to keep books and keep track of supplies, that kind of thing. I don't know. I'm afraid I'm going to be here for some time though."
"How bad are you hurt?", she asked solicitously.
"My hands are broken, some ribs, my cheek, some internal injuries. Don't worry, I'm ghoul, I'll heal, it'll just take a while." Calli gave him a small smile.
"If you want I'll go with you if you decide to go back to Underworld but you should consider staying on here. Who's going to give me a drink and listen to my sad tales of woe? Besides the bar's yours now. Are you just going to give it up?.", Calli asked.
"Do you think Lucas will agree with that?", he asked.
"I don't see why he'd have any objection. He knows Moriarity has been promising you part ownership for years now. I'll be sure to ask him for you.", Calli said with a smile. "And I'm sure Nova would stay on to help you out. She seems to like you and this is her home. She'll need help raising the baby."
"Yes, but he never signed any papers making me part owner.", Gob said. "What if he left a will? The bar could belong to someone else."
Calli raised a brow at him. "Who would he leave it to? He didn't have any relatives or friends either that I could tell. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I'll ask Lucas about it when I see him."
Gob would have smiled if he could. If she asked Lucas then he was sure the bar would be his. For the first time his eyes lit with hope for the future.
Nova returned with the supplies and Calli said her farewells and promised to return later to check on Gob. After seeing Nova safely into Gob's room she slipped into Moriarity's room and knelt in front of his safe. It was a cheap affair and easily cracked for someone of her experience. She searched through the papers, taking the will and several items of an incriminating nature for some of the residents of Megaton. It seemed he might have made part of his living practicing blackmail.
She quickly perused the will then folded it and put it in her pocket. Moriarity had requested the bar be sold to the highest bidder and the proceeds distributed to a list of names. Calli recognized all of them as the residents that disliked ghouls in general and Gob in particular, for being a ghoul. There was no way she was letting that mean bastard cheat Gob out of the bar even after his death. The will would be destroyed at her first opportunity.
Calli went in search of Lucas. "Hey, Lucas.", she greeted him. "Gob doesn't look so hot. I think it's going to be some time before he can open his bar up, don't you?" Lucas raised a brow at her.
"His bar?", he queried.
"Sure, you know Moriarity promised him part ownership for the last several years. He's earned it.", she said emphatically. Lucas considered her.
"It's true I overheard him tell Gob he'd get the bar one day, though I'm sure he didn't mean for anyone to hear him. Still, he might have left it to him in his will.", he said.
"Naw, he didn't leave any will.", she said confidently.
"Oh?", he started to ask but decided he probably didn't want to know. If Calli said there wasn't any will then he was sure there wasn't…now.
"I thought he wanted to go to Underworld and work for Charon.", he said.
"Well, if he makes it there on his own maybe that'll be recommendation enough, but I doubt it. He's no mercenary and Charon only takes the best. I've been to see him a few times. He has quite a setup in the other wing of the museum. I know he can command a good price for his services. Last I counted he had 18 mercenaries in his employ and any one of them would make me hesitate to take them on."
"They must be the best, then", the sheriff said, eyeing the small woman. "I've heard he's not prejudiced either.", he added. " He takes ghouls, humans, mutants, anyone who can pass his strict qualifications." Calli nodded.
"Yeah, but one of those qualifications is being honorable. He won't touch an ex-Talon no matter how good with a gun they are. Anyway I can't say I'm sorry about Moriarity. I figured someone would take him out someday. I'm glad it was you. Say, did you know there's a new Ranger over in Canterbury? I heard you formed an alliance with the Ranger in Arefu, that place sure has grown up since they formed a partnership with the vampires. Maybe you guys should talk to this new guy. You wanna come by and see my new bike? We can have a drink since the bar's closed for now." Sometimes people had trouble following Calli's conversations. It was pretty much settled Gob could keep the bar if he wanted it. If any of the ghoul haters opposed the take over Calli had the means to quell their objections in her pocket.
Calli was finishing up the books for the week. "Hawk", she called down to where he was working at the work bench. "I want to go back to that Enclave camp in the southern mountains." He glanced up.
"It's been months. Do you think it's going to be worth salvaging out now?", he asked.
She got up and went down the stairs. She was frowning thoughtfully. "I'm not really concerned about the salvage. I was in a pretty bad way when we took that camp, and it's kinda fuzzy, but I'm sure there was something in that computer I need to look at. There was a reference to something important they were looking for down there. I want to find out what it is. Besides", she grinned, "We can take the bikes to south cave and go from there." Her eyes sparkled at the prospect of riding the bikes.
"Only if you'll wear a helmet this time!", Hawk said sternly.
They didn't stay in the southern cave long. It was barely possible to slowly work the bikes up the trail into the cave where they would be safe. They were careful to keep the trail disguised as a Deathclaw trail, which wasn't that difficult since it was a Deathclaw trail. They had to avoid the Deathclaws when coming and going as they didn't want them killed. They were part of their protection. When they couldn't avoid one they would mez it with the mesmetron gun Calli had gotten years ago when they cleaned out a slaver stronghold. It would stun it long enough to get past.
They spent a night in the cave but they couldn't stay long. The Tradewind would be due in just over a week and Calli had a goal.
It took most of the next day to locate the Enclave camp high up in the mountains even though they had a good idea where it was. The bodies had been completely torn apart by predators and many of the tents were destroyed. As Hawk had predicted there wasn't much usable salvage other than some weapons and a med container that hadn't been broken into. It was in the wreckage of the largest tent where they found the computer.
It still functioned although it had been damaged. Calli was able to pull out some files. They indicated the Enclave had come to this mountain in search of a vault. It was supposed to contain vast riches. The exact coordinates had been lost, but they thought they were close. Calli shut down and locked the computer just in case anyone else should find it. She might try later to pull out more information. Right now they were heading out to search for the vault.
It was Hawk that caught the slight anomaly in the landscape. They had been searching for three days when he spied an indentation, an odd looking area in the mountain. It was the sort of thing they always checked out since it could be a hidden cabin tucked away. They approached it with some caution. Calli was delighted when they pushed aside the brush and discovered the signature wooden door with the glass and wire window. They had discovered an unknown vault.