"This is the plan." Calli had removed her battle gear and was sitting in the big chair dressed in a vault uniform. She kept a nice cache of supplies in her suite. Old man Charles's suite was accessible from her suite by way of the balcony high above the wasteland, and it was here they were holding their conference, waiting for dinner to be delivered.

Charles and Hawk had wandered onto the balcony to play a game of chess so Calli wasn't afraid of being overheard by the old man. Aileen was sitting on the divan watching the younger boys playing tiredly in the middle of the floor. Brent sat beside her, being included in the strategy planning. It had been a long journey.

Aileen's voice was quiet and controlled when she turned to Calli. "Why didn't we just take the Tradewind to Arhome bay? I didn't want to ask you with the guards around but I think I have a right to know what we're doing." Calli shook her head.

"Aileen, of course you do." She paused then said "The Enclave is watching us now. They have to know about Arhome. Why do you think they took Jack? They couldn't get it out of him, so they used him to get to me. Now they think we'll lead them there. They've been watching us this whole trip. Actually I believe they've been anticipating where we were going and moving just ahead of us to make sure the way was clear. Didn't you wonder why we didn't see a single Deathclaw, or Yoa Guai or even a scorpion? Not even a raider? They want us to get to where we're going so they can find Arhome. They would destroy it, you know, if they found it. We're out here because everyone in the wasteland thinks my hidden city is far to the west and I want them to continue to think that.

So this is the plan. Hawk is going to leave in the morning. He'll go out the front gate and draw most of the Enclave soldiers away. We'll show ourselves on the balcony sometime during the day, so they'll know we're still here. Toward evening I'll send down to the doctor for medical supplies, telling him one of the boys has a fever and pustules and I'm afraid it may be smallpox. I know it's making rounds in the north country and a lot of people are dying from it. He's not especially conscientious and he knows I've had medical training so he'll just take my word for it so he doesn't get exposed. He'll quarantine us then while he tries to figure out how to get rid of us. Hawk will lose the soldiers and come back to the suite using the tunnels under the hotel. He has the code to the door to get in. He'll make sure everything is ready for us. At 1:15 in the morning Charles will call the guard on duty at the desk and send him on an errand that should take him awhile, so the way should be clear for Hawk to get to the elevator and for us to get out. Don't worry" she held up a hand as Aileen started to object.

"He won't betray us. Not only is he amused by our little shenanigans, but he's pretty sure I'd kill him." She considered this for a moment. "He's probably right too. Anyway by the time he gets here the guard outside Charles door should be sound asleep from the drugged wine I'll leave for him. We'll slip out the same way with the kids. Don't bathe them tonight, and you don't bathe either. Hawk is going to stay here and consume the food that is meant for all of us. Since the guards don't want to be exposed they'll just leave the food outside the door like I tell them to, and pick up the dishes later. They should never see Hawk if he's careful, and Charles won't know we've left the suite. He'll be told that Hawk has to be in hiding for a while and no one can know he's here, so he'll think that's what we've been up to. Since he'll be told about us being sick he won't wonder why we don't leave our suite to visit him." She didn't add that he would also ensure Charles didn't betray them while they were gone.

Aileen frowned. "Why can't we bathe? We already reek!"

"Because we're gonna be traveling as slavers and slaves, and they aren't exactly known for their cleanliness. We won't have to take anything down with us because I have everything we need in the tunnels. No one goes there now that the ghouls have gone except sometimes a guard to check on my things. They wouldn't dare steal from Calli.", she said with a cold smile that made Aileen shudder.

Brent asked, "But how are you going to explain our absence? We can't stay here forever. They'll notice sooner or later." Calli nodded. It was a good question.

"After I take you to Arhome I'll return here.", she said. "It won't be a problem for me to slip in and Hawk to come out. Then I'll call the doctor and tell him you, your Mom, and the other kids are all dead from the smallpox. He won't want to be exposed so it will be up to me to remove the bundled bodies for disposal. I don't think it will be a problem since Hawk will have returned openly by then. They'll just be glad to be rid of us."

"Oh". Aileen absorbed this information. "Then we really aren't going to be able to return, are we?"

"Did you want to?" Calli asked, surprised.

"No, I don't have anything left out here" Aileen replied slowly. "Everything I have left is in Arhome and Baton Rouge. It seems like a good plan. I'll still be able to take the Tradewind from Arhome to Baton Rouge, won't I?"

"We'll figure out a way later. Right now I just want the wasteland to think you're all dead. I want you safe from my enemies."

Brent nodded. "I see your point, mother.", he said to Calli. His Dad could be in Arhome, but his mother had warned him against asking. A knock on the door caused them both to turn.

"Dinner's here" Aileen said. "I'll get it. Then I think we need to get some sleep. The boys are exhausted." She heaved herself to her feet and turned her back on Calli to answer the door.

Hawk left early the next morning, exchanging a few words with the desk guard. He got on rather well with him most of the time, even when he cleaned him out in a card game as he had the night before. It always surprised new people how intelligent and articulate the big mutant was but the guards here had accepted him long ago although they still seemed to have reservations about Calli.

Hawk didn't linger long as he had a job to do. He would lead some of the soldiers away on a quick trip through the wasteland to see what he was up to, then dispose of them in an out of the way spot. Then he would slip back into the tunnels and up to the suite. Some guards would remain behind, of course, and they would report they had seen Calli still in residence. She should be able to avoid the reduced contingent as she made her getaway and the Enclave would still think she was in the Hotel, now burdened with sick children.

Calli leaned on the balcony and scanned the wasteland. The evening sun was low on the horizon. She had made several trips out here since she had called the doctor the previous evening. That had gone pretty much as she had surmised and the suite was now quarantined. The guard delivering meals had left them outside the door. They had wanted to evacuate Charles but he had refused to leave his room. No one wanted to get exposed and it was likely he was already so they hadn't argued much with him. The doctor had sent up the meds she had requested, which they would take with them. She took the meds from the guard, who stepped back quickly, avoiding all contact with her. The guard could now vouch she was still there. She smiled grimly to herself as she went back inside to get a few hours' sleep. The night would be long.

Hawk opened the door to their suite, moving with a quietness that many would have found surprising in the big berserker.

"I saw the desk guard come up a minute ago. What happened to the guard at the door?",he asked.

"Change of plan" Calli replied softly. "Charles called them both to his room with instructions to tell no one he wanted them. I don't know how he plans to detain them. And before you ask, no I don't think he'll betray us. Not right now anyway. I told him if I saw either one of them I'd kill them and you would kill him. He seemed quite amused."

She picked up the larger of the sleeping boys. "Besides he believes we're sick and doesn't want anything else to do with us. Come on Aileen, we don't have much time". Aileen picked up her younger son and frowned.

"He's sleeping awfully deep Calli. Did you drug him?", she asked suspiciously.

Calli nodded. "Had to make sure they didn't make any noise.", she responded. Aileen glared at her back but didn't say anything.

"Let me Mom", Brent said, and took his brother. Calli ignored her as she carried the sleeping Jason to the elevator past the abandoned guard station.

Once in the tunnels they moved swiftly to the store room at the end where the supplies were. Calli handed Aileen a large size slaver outfit.

"You'll have to pad it, but it will hide your pregnancy. If anyone gets close enough to realize you're pregnant and not just large, we'll have to kill them. I want to avoid that. I'm going to try to pass you off as male, so keep this helmet on and don't talk. I'll do any talking. The kids won't wake up for a while so we're going to have to take the cart for the first part of the night. We'll leave it and the cow at a farm just south of here. I'll trade it for some produce so they don't get suspicious. We can't feed it anyway. Then the boys will have to walk. It's probably going to take at least 2 days to get to Arhome.", Calli said.

Aileen just nodded and struggled into the outfit. She was tired and hurt and angry, but right now she had to rely on Calli's strength and experience to stay alive. She believed the Enclave was after them.

The small party moved quietly through the cold desert night. Calli continually scanned the landscape with heightened senses for any sign of danger. If the Enclave was following them now she couldn't detect any sign of it. The wasteland itself seemed quiet and empty which made her nervous. She almost welcomed a quick encounter with a small radscorpion. At least it affirmed her observation the Enclave was no longer watching out for them. The morning light saw them within sight of the farm she was going toward. She roused Aileen from where she slept with the smaller boys in the cart. She was instantly awake. Brent joined them from where he had been leading the cow while Calli walked point.

"What's wrong?" Aileen whispered anxiously. Calli shook her head.

"We're fine, hon. We'll be at the farm soon. Remember, you don't talk, all right?", she addressed Aileen.

Aileen nodded irritably."I got it Calli. But what if Brad calls me Mom?"

"I don't think he will. I got him to promise not to talk to strangers.", she said absently.

"How did you do that?" Aileen was surprised as her normally garrulous son had no trouble talking to anyone.

"I told him that if he talked to anyone on this trip that I would take you away and you wouldn't be back. He would never see you again."

Aileen gasped, outraged. "Calli, how could you? How could you scar him like that? He keeps asking about his father, I don't know what to tell him, and you tell him I might leave to? Why would you do that?" Calli turned to look at Aileen, her voice cold, a deadness in it that frightened her.

"Would you rather have him scarred or dead?" she asked. "Come on, we have a long way to go." Aileen turned away. She couldn't read Calli's expression under her slaver disguise.

"Calli." Brent's voice was soft as he addressed his second mother. "Mom's just scared. I'm sure she understands you're just doing what you have to do."

The farmer watched the group approach. He kept his shotgun ready, cautious of the approaching slavers.

"Hey, farmer" Calli called

The farmer raised his rifle in greeting. "Ya, stranger?" he queried. "What you want?"

Calli stopped. "I want to trade this cow for some water.", she called. The farmer considered.

"You can approach, but he stays there.", he called, motioning at the tall figure of Aileen. Calli had Aileen take the boys from the cart, then approached the farmer. Soon she had completed the trade, getting water and some food for the trip. It was a fair deal as the cow was in good shape, though the cart had seen better days.

"Hold it slaver.", he said. "Rina, come here." The small girl slunk over to where they were, trying to hide behind the farmer. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around.

"How much for this?", he asked gruffly. Calli considered the girl. She was dirty, underfed, and frightened, no more than five or six. She hid her fury at this man behind a slaver's mask.

"She isn't much. I won't be able to get anything for her for years. I'll give you ten caps." The farmer frowned at the girl.

"She's been a pain since her Ma died, but still I'd bet she's gonna be a beauty like her Ma was. 15 caps." Calli fingered her shotgun, but just snorted.

"13 caps and not a bit more. She's going to take a lot of work." The farmer grinned.

"Deal.", he said thrusting the child at her. She took the caps from her money belt and counted them out, then took the girl by the hand and dragged her off.