The next year passed with its share of tribulations, triumphs, sorrows and joys. The town of Arhome continued to grow. Calli had noticed a slight increase in the birth rate of old humans as prosperity increased and clean water was available. She and Hawk had encouraged growth around the river on the bank opposite of Rivet City and the small town of River Port had eventually encompassed the library. Small craft passed back and forth between River Port and Rivet City and up and down stream. The Tradewind ll had made River Port a stop on its rounds, increasing trading there and saving the big ship from having to negotiate around the spit to Rivet City.

The Mirelurk Inn at River Port had become a favorite place for the partners and for other traders as well. It was a spot favored by the growing cult of the Disciples of the One when they went into the wasteland. No one was sure where they were based but gossip had it there was a hidden monastery somewhere in the western wasteland. Some people speculated that was where Jack had been taken care of until his death.

The Disciples sometimes seemed to just disappear into the western mountains or wasteland and reappear in towns and trading posts spreading the Word. A favorite among the people was Master Stew who was often accompanied by a young Initiate or Novitiate. The people especially loved Novitiate Marcella with her calm, quiet ways, gentle manner, and soft formal way of speaking. More and more people in the wasteland were beginning to follow the religion of the One.

The anniversary of Jack's death rolled around once again. Calli was sitting in Arhome, watching out her window at the children at play. There were many children now, most of them orphans brought from the wasteland, but some had been born here like Jack and Aileen's daughter, Angela. She had come into the world just two weeks after his death. Calli felt sad for his loss but the pain was much less now. As she thought of last year her mind went to that night in the wasteland as it often did. She wondered if she would ever see him again.

The next day Calli and Hawk went to Arhome Bay to meet the Tradewind ll. Aaron greeted them and gave Calli a letter that had been entrusted to him. She put it in her pocket. They had business to conduct. After that they caught up with each other's lives. Tyrone had taken James below to show him some treasure he had found, and Rose and Miranda were leaning over the rail, giggling as they watched a group of young men working the docks shirtless. Calli followed their gaze and smiled to herself. She remembered what it was like to be a teenage girl.

Calli left before noon and took the small upstream flat boat back into Arhome. Hawk was making lunch for them and she didn't want to be late. He could get grumpy if she was. The twins were staying on the ship for now. Rose and Melinda would be back on the last boat but James had indicated he would stay with Tyrone until the ship came back down the Potomac from her rounds. James had been making forays into the wasteland with her or the Tradewind II since he was 12 so she was comfortable with this.

Hawk finished placing lunch on the table while Calli perused the letter. She handed it to Hawk as he joined her. He read it, then handed it back to her and started in on his lunch. She carefully folded the letter and put it in a pocket before turning to her own meal. The Tradewind ll was going on up river for the next five days but when she returned to Arhome Calli and Hawk would be ready. They were going to Baton Rouge.

The trip to Baton Rouge hadn't taken any longer than usual even though it seemed so to Calli. She had asked Hawk to accompany her this time. It would only be the second time he had sailed the sea. It wasn't that he didn't like the water. He usually stayed behind to keep up their business. This time they had let Harkness and Hardin know they would be gone for three weeks until the Tradewind ll returned. If anyone tried anything the Rangers would be quick to know and take care of it.

James had elected to stay in Arhome to continue his studies but Rose wanted to go on the ship with her mother. She was fifteen now and quite a lovely young woman. She was also as headstrong as her mother ever was. Calli had almost stopped going south after Jack's death but Aileen took all the children in the fall after most of the farm work was done for the year. They enjoyed visiting with Jack's family. They always stayed in the house Jack had purchased for his family for the week they were in Baton Rouge.

Calli left Rose in Lisa's care. She was going into the wasteland. Jack's mother was still disapproving of the warrior but Calli didn't worry about it. She still had the house by the bay. It sat empty now most of the time but she couldn't bring herself to sell it. It was kept up by hired help and mostly used for visitors and the kid's yearly visits.

The path to Caleb's house was much better marked than Calli remembered. It seemed the now very old man had decided he wasn't so reclusive after all and people did make the trip to visit him periodically. Calli was bringing him gifts.

"Hey, Caleb", Calli greeted the old man. "Here, put that down. Let me get lunch for you."

Caleb grunted, easing his frame into a chair. "Sure nuff, I'd 'preciate that. It's gettin' hard to move around, ya know."

"You should let me get someone to come in and help you out.", Calli offered mildly.

"Well, maybe, I'll think about it. I have been kinda lonely these last few years since Pit died. He got old, ya know. Couldn't walk no more. He just gave out." He boldly looked Calli over with his rheumy old eyes. She had removed her helmet and put it on a shelf.

"You look the same as I remember girl. You sure you ain't no wraith?" he demanded.

Calli laughed softly. "Now, you know I told you I was a mutant, not a wraith. Like Hawk here."

"Naw, you don't look nuthin' like him. Say Hawk, how bout a game of chess while Calli fixes lunch?", he asked.

"Sure.", Hawk agreed. "I'll get the board."

Lunch was over and Calli had cleaned up.

"Now, why don't you tell me why you asked me to come? Your letter said it was urgent.", she said.

"Yeah, I thought I better tell you in person and not mention the vault in a letter. Ya see, someone is breaking into your vault.", he explained.

"My vault?", she queried. "What do you mean breaking into it?"

"I've heard 'em up there.", the old man said. " They're using explosives to clear out the boulders to get in the vault. I know you sealed it years ago and told me it was too valuable to open up. It looks like someone is opening it up. I figured you'd want to take care of it yourself."

"You're right.", she said thoughtfully. " I'm glad you sent for me. That vault is important. Listen, I owe you big time for this. When I get back to Baton Rouge I'm going to find someone to come stay with you unless you want to move into town. I have a house there you can use."

"Naw." He shook his head. "I've lived on this mountain all my life and I intend to die here. I think I could use some help though. Maybe they could bring a dog, too. I sure miss Pitt."

Calli and Hawk knelt behind the huge boulders and peered through their glasses at the group camping near the vault entrance. The boulders that had blocked the entrance had been reduced to rubble. The way in was now clear but they obviously had not entered the vault itself. That was probably because Calli had disabled the entrance lock years ago by rewiring it in such a manner that anyone trying to get in would cause a series of minor explosions. It seemed they had experienced some of her defenses.

She turned her glasses on the man that appeared to be the leader. He was just over average height, she guessed, and seemed fit enough if a little big in the gut. His face bore the scars of a hard life that he tried to hide behind a full beard. His brown hair and brown skin made him seem almost monotone.

She shifted her gaze to the man he was talking to. The dirty blonde hair was long enough to keep falling into his eyes, causing him to push it back irritably. He should just cut it, she though inconsequentially. He was small but appeared to be fairly muscular. The third man was the biggest but seemed less fit than the others. He was scowling at his boss. They appeared to her to be scavengers like herself just trying to make a living.

Calli put down her glasses. "Watch my back.", she said. "I'm going to talk to them." Hawk took out a sniper rifle and settled down to watch. Any threatening gesture toward Calli would be the last one any one of them made.

Calli approached openly. "Hey", she called as she came into view. The men turned toward her. The monotone man came forward.

"Hey", he greeted. "What are you doing up here? Does your mama know you're out?"

Calli had left her helmet at Caleb's and had on a set of leather armor she had picked up in the market. It was much more comfortable in the humid climate and she didn't think she'd need to hide herself from whoever was up here. She would look very young to these strangers.

Calli laughed. "I'm much older than I look. The name's Calli. What's your name?" Calli wasn't as well known in this area as in the wasteland so there was a good chance these men had never heard of her, especially as she suspected they had come from over the mountains to the west and weren't from Baton Rouge.

"My name's Kirk. This here is Martin", he said indicating the blonde, "and Grunt.", waving at the big man. "So, are you going to tell me what a little thing like you is doing wandering in these mountains alone?"

"Oh, well, you see, I'm not wandering and I'm not alone. You don't seem to be having much luck breaking into my vault.", she said conversationally.

Kirk stiffened. "Your vault? Vaults don't belong to anyone. If you can get in you can take what's there. What do you mean you're not alone? I don't see anyone else."

"You're not likely to unless something happens to me.", Calli said. "And I agree with you as it happens. So go ahead and take what you can but I'm willing to bet you can't get in. You see I'm the one who sealed it."

"Why would you do that?", Kirk asked reluctantly. He had already figured out someone had taken great care to make sure no one got in the vault.

"Because of what's in there.", she said seriously. "You seem like decent people to me so I'm going to make you a deal. You've saved me a lot of work by taking care of the boulders so it's only right I share with you. That vault has a lot of scavenge in it that could make you rich, but it has a lot of other items that I'm more interested in. It's got rooms of artwork and musical instruments and other cultural items. I'll open the vault if you help me get out the cultural items. You can have 80% of anything else for your efforts."

Kirk surveyed the little woman. "What makes you think I won't just force you to open the vault and take everything? Or wait until you open it and then kill you?"

Calli smiled. It wasn't a nice smile and for the first time the man felt a frisson of fear and the conviction this was no child. "Because you would be dead, and your friends too, if you tried it. If you knew who I was you wouldn't even consider it."

"Boss", Grunt said. Kirk looked at him irritably. "The bar was all excited last night about someone called Ka-lee coming into town. Said she has a super mutant with her and she's some kinda super warrior."

Kirk looked at her. "That right? A super mutant? He a pet or something?"

"Don't underestimate my partner.", she said coldly. "If you don't want to deal then I'll just leave."

"Just like that? Just leave? Why?", Kirk asked suspiciously.

"Because sooner or later you'll give up trying to get into my vault.", she said. " I don't have to do anything but wait for you to run out of supplies and leave. Believe me, you can't undo my seals. I only feel it's fair to warn you if you keep trying you could get hurt. I make each layer increasingly dangerous. Think about it and I'll be back tomorrow."

She turned and walked into the forest. No one made a move for a minute.

"Does she really have a super mutant for a partner?", Martin asked, awed.