A/N: Apologies for posting this so late in the day. I was in Texas for work. As an aside, if any of you are from Houston, y'all drive like some goddamn crazy people. Back on track though. It's the third anniversary. Kinda crazy I've been posting this story for three years. The last three years have encompassed two cross-country (for anyone who lives in Europe, "cross-country" in the US consists of THOUSANDS of miles) road trips, moving between states, twice, getting two different jobs, opening a business, getting into a long-term relationship, thousands of hours of video games, buy... (1, 2, 3, 4... oh my god) 5 cars... and countless other shenanigans. It's been a wild ride and a huge part of it has been this story. It's something I've said before, A Hero's Story has been somewhat of a refuge for me. The characters only exist in this writing, my head, and in the heads of those who read this. But I have relationships with each of them. I go through the things they go through with them, and they've helped me get through a lot of my own hardships. It's why I don't write things specifically to be cruel or shocking or whatever. Everything I write, I do so with respect for the people in this story. Treating them right, even if they aren't real, is important to me. Thank you, everyone who has been on this journey with me. I read and appreciate every review and message. We still have a long way to go here but I promise it will be fun. Aaaaaanyway, leave a review if you're so inclined and, as always, enjoy!
Chapter 78: Obstacles
Nate wasn't an old man. Despite everything, he was still pretty far south of 40.
It didn't matter when he tried telling that to the aches and pains that screamed through his head, neck, and chest. Granted, that probably came from the fight. And sleeping on the concrete floor, using his jacket as a pillow. At least they'd been nice enough to leave him that and his shirt.
Maybe it was his experience sleeping in damn near all conditions, including when he could hear bullets hitting the walls of whatever he was sleeping in, but he hadn't had too much trouble falling asleep. Everyone else was awake when he finally pulled his eyes open and sat up. And it looked like they had been for a while.
If circumstances had been different, Nate could see a world where one of them cracked a joke about his ability to sleep there.
But it wasn't. They were prisoners in the middle of a Raider stronghold. The Raider stronghold.
He needed to get Able on his own.
How? It isn't like we have private rooms. A potty break?
"Anything happen?" the ex-soldier asked. His voice was barely intelligible but, before he could clear it, Vincent shook his head.
"Nothing yet."
That wasn't a surprise. He might have been able to sleep, but Nate wasn't a heavy sleeper. The question was to get his head started more than anything else. They all need to be on their a-game.
Doing that without rest would be hard.
"Anyone else manage to catch some sleep?"
"Barely", one of the other Minutemen said; a woman with dark, close-cropped hair and a narrow, angular face who looked a little older than Nate. Melanie? "Kinda hard when we're stuck here."
"They'll grab one of us eventually", Able added. "I just gotta wonder why, if they want us as leverage against Damon."
Another Minuteman shifted, this one a younger man named… was it Terry? "These are Raiders. Don't gotta make sense. They said they just want you two, right?" He waved at Brenda, then Nate.
"I don't think it's that simple", Brenda replied. "Castle seems too smart."
"So you think what she told you guys is a bluff?" Alex asked. She and Julian were sitting beside one another, leaned up against the cell's concrete wall.
Brenda shrugged. "I don't know. I don't trust anything the lady says though. She bluffed her way to this point."
I don't know if what she did is a bluff.
"This seems like a whole lotta trouble to go through to get one guy", Terry said. "I've heard the stories about him but… is Damon really worth all this?"
Nate nodded. "If he was the kind of person Castle thinks he is, yeah, he'd be worth it."
"Yeah", Able continued. "I don't think Castle just wants Damon for what he can do, I think she might want him for what he represents. A lot of folks talk about him like the guy's some myth. That kind of thing can be powerful. It's why so many governments before the bombs dropped used war heroes and religion. You take that away from the Minutemen, you demoralize us. You give that to the Raiders and this", he motioned to the building around them, "is just the start."
That's something Nate hadn't thought about. It's easy for him to think of Damon as Damon. But for someone who hadn't spent the better part of the last four months around the SPARTAN, hearing what he's done would be a little… intimidating? Awe-inspiring? And that's to say nothing of whatever stories people have made up.
It was something to consider another time. They have their own issues to think about.
"We can worry about that when he gets here", Nate said. "Right now, we need to survive whatever the Raiders have planned for us. And we need to figure out how we're gonna deal with this."
At least, they needed to look like it until they could either verify there were no infiltrators or identify who it was.
"Gonna be pretty hard to get out of this place", Terry muttered. He looked at the cell bars around them. "We might wanna wait."
"Wait for…?" Vincent asked.
"I- I don't know." The younger man shrugged. "Just a thought."
Nate nodded. "We have to take this slow, but we can't do nothing. If…" the ex-soldier trailed off as footsteps drifted down the hall. A half dozen Raiders emerged, three of them pushing carts stacked high with food. Nate's stomach rumbled with a hunger he hadn't recognized until seeing them. It wasn't the first time he'd gone a day without eating.
That doesn't mean it gets any easier.
"Back against the wall", one of the Raiders commanded.
The team slowly roused themselves, eyes fixed on their captors. Half of the Minutemen prisoners looked about ready to drop. That wasn't good.
Maybe the food will help them sleep.
Sleeping while in captivity would be difficult for anyone not used to catching it while being shot at. Even so, the stress just made sleep all the more necessary.
Once they were all crowded against the back wall, the Raider who had spoken unlocked the cell door and pushed it open.
"We know everything that's on these carts", he said as his friends deposited their carts into the enclosure. "I see anything missing, I come back here and beat one of you to death." He stepped over to one of the settlers on the far side of the line. She had light brown hair that framed a well-built face and jaw, tied back into a tight bun. She couldn't have been any older than Brenda. "Don't make me show you what we'd do to something like you if we get too angry."
What was her name? Kim? She pressed herself into the cold concrete wall, lips pressing into a thin, rigid line.
Alex spat at the ground between her feet. "Real big guy. Threatening someone you're holding captive."
"We get to do whatever we want, dumbass", he said with a sneer. "We're the ones who captured you."
He began to move toward Alex but Nate stepped forward. He had no doubt Alex could handle herself. That didn't matter. What mattered is these were his people. They'd been under his command when they were captured. They're his responsibility. If this asshole is going to do anything to anyone, it's going to be Nate. And he'll make sure he gets his own in.
Every Raider had their weapon aimed at him.
"You wanna do this, why don't you put the gun down and we have it right now", the ex-soldier said quietly.
The Raider had a 10mm handgun aimed directly between Nate's eyes. It wasn't the first time he'd stared down the barrel of a gun. That doesn't make it easier. One wrong twitch from this tweaker and it was lights out. For good. Maybe life wasn't all that easy to live, but he had people relying on him. That was enough for now.
"Oh yeah, big man? Real easy to say that as long as Castle wants you alive." He lowered the pistol and smirked. "What happens when that stops?"
Nate held his arms out and motioned for the Raider to step up. "Come get it. Any time."
"Nah", the Raider said, smile broadening. "I like the idea of making you watch." Turning to his compatriots, he pointed toward the door. "I'm done with this clown. Let's get outta here."
With that, the six guards filed out of the cell and back down the hallway.
So he has some leeway. How far could he push? How far should he push?
"You good Kim?" Able asked as the sound of footsteps receded.
"Not really?" came the shaky reply. "I wanna kick that guy in the balls."
The Railroad operative laughed. "We'll see if we can work that into the escape plan."
That drew a chuckle out of a few Minutemen.
"Make sure they're well fed." They hadn't short-changed on that. The three carts were loaded with food. Enough for all of them to eat. He doubted the other prisoners would be getting this sort of treatment.
"Dig in", the ex-soldier said. "Just don't go overboard, and pace yourselves. We don't need anyone getting sick. If there's anything we can save, do it. No telling how long this generosity holds out."
None of them had eaten in almost 24 hours. It didn't take long for all of them, including Nate, to crowd around the carts.
The only noises in the cell for the next few minutes were drinking and chewing.
Other prisoners… Where are they holding the other prisoners? It was a good question. Keeping their prized possessions away from the others made sense in more than one way. First, it reduced the risk of something happening to one of them. Especially if they were getting, for Raiders, preferential treatment. Second, the Minutemen are a name. What happens if they start gaining support in the prisoner population? That could lead to problems.
On the other hand, if they did figure out how to galvanize the prisoners…
It would make the prospects of an escape a lot more reasonable. It was however many prisoners they could muster against the base instead of the 17 of them.
Nate really needed to figure out how to talk with Able in private. They had to try pinning down who, if anyone, was a mole.
"Well I can say one thing for these assholes", Alex said, finally breaking the spell of hunger-induced silence that had fallen over the cell. "Their food is better than their personalities."
"Is that a compliment?" Vincent asked.
She shook her head. "No. This food sucks."
Everyone was clearly getting to their limits as the eating slowed.
"I'm gonna try to get some sleep", Terry mumbled and shuffled back to the far wall. "Maybe fall into a food coma and wake back up in my bed."
Yeah. I wish.
Others started following suit and, soon, most of the team was looking about ready to pass out.
The ex-soldier managed to catch Able's eye as quiet settled over the cell again. Able nodded toward the front corner of the cell. It would put them closest to the guards but there was still enough room to whisper without being overheard.
Julian started following but Nate stopped him with a slight shake of his head. It took the young man a moment to catch on but, once he did, he followed his mom back to the spot they'd occupied earlier.
"You got something in particular?" Able whispered as he slid into a sitting position.
Nate nodded. "I'm worried about a plant."
"Yeah", the operative replied quietly, "I've been thinking about that. Hard for me to be suspicious of one of these guys." He glanced at Nate. "I helped train all of them."
"I figured. That's why you're the best person to figure out who it might be."
Able smiled. "Not because that's my specialization?"
Specialization? The question must have come across the ex-soldier's face because Able nodded. "Yeah. That's the first thing they asked me to do with the Minutemen. Find a Brotherhood spy in Sanctuary." He shrugged. "That guy made it easy. This'll be harder. A lot harder. Not much to work with and not a whole lot of time." He took a deep breath. "Once we figure it out, then what?"
"We need more people", Nate mused. "17 ain't enough to get out of here. Gotta figure out a way to get around the other prisoners. See if there's anyone who might be sympathetic to the Minutemen." He took a long, slow breath of his own. "We'll just have to buy time until then."
"Buy time by getting beat up."
The ex-soldier smiled. "Hope not." He nodded before slowly, painfully, climbing to his feet. "Alright. Get some sleep. You look worse than I feel."
"Don't lie to yourself", Able huffed.
At least a few of them were in good spirits, considering the circumstances. It was more than he could ask for.
"I'll do whatever I need to make myself feel better", he replied before finding his own spot along the wall and settling in.
That wasn't sarcasm. Not entirely, anyway. He could feel the stress and fear pulling at him. The ex-soldier's hands weren't shaking but his body was doing just about everything else. The pit in his stomach was joined by a tight throat and stiff muscles. Though, that might be more a result of the fight.
He put on a brave face. Fact is, he was just as scared as the rest of them. The difference was he had something to focus on. No doubt the rest of them were thinking about how to get out too. How could he get all of them thinking about it together? Without tipping off the guards? And without tipping off a potential plant?
Did it matter if the plant knew about it? Their guards would know they wouldn't sit around and wait. So would it be better to lean in? To let them know they were planning something?
What about Castle's 'offer'? Is there some way I can use that?
Gradually, the others started nodding off in the quiet.
It would be difficult to turn around and say something about it now given how… enthusiastic he and Brenda had been. Give it a few days and suggest something? Castle's clearly intelligent if she put all this together. She'd call any bluff that was too obvious.
What could the ex-soldier ask for that wouldn't raise any alarm bells? Something small? Like the strain was starting to get to him? Wouldn't be hard to fake that. They were stuck here. In the middle of the Raiders' stronghold. No weapons. No intel. No way out. Prisoners. These bastards could do whatever they wanted at any time. Torture them. Kill them. That threat the Raider made to Kim. It didn't matter if-
Nate's left hand started trembling.
Dammit. Stop. I can't do this. I have to focus. If I let myself fall into that… He didn't want to have another episode. Not here. Not now. He couldn't. What would that do to the rest of the team, seeing the guy who had almost two decades of experience lose it? What would that do for the Raiders?
It wouldn't be hard to fake the strain. Would Castle be willing to make small concessions if she felt she was winning?
Were there other avenues of attack?
We need to be ready for a fight if it comes down to that.
The prospects of an escape weren't great on their own. That being said, it was still a possibility. They wouldn't be able to sneak guns into their cells but what could they use to get guns?
His eyes drifted to the three carts. They had silverware on them. But the Raider said they'd check to make sure nothing was missing. It would be too obvious.
What about the fights? Nate had very little doubt there would be more of those. Would they be able to sneak something through there? If one of those glass bottles had broken, he might have been able to hide a shard he could make a shiv out of. He'd never done it before but… the ex-soldier watched enough crime dramas to know a good, thick piece of glass with cloth or something wrapped around one end makes a good impromptu weapon.
One Raider down at an opportune moment, they have a gun. Then they use that gun to get another one. Spread the wealth around as quickly as they can.
Not a great strategy but they might be able to make it work.
If they had more people, it could work better. Which brought him back to getting into the larger holding area.
Isolation can be a powerful thing, especially for POWs. Playing on that might work.
Or it could backfire. If Castle is keeping them in isolation because it's a good psychological tactic. He needed to figure that out before doing anything.
What had Nora called that? Not "soft skills". Something else, more specific. How to read someone without them knowing you're trying to read them.
Brenda was good at it. Better than him. She'd done a fantastic job in Diamond City even though it was her first time. Granted, it had been his first time too but-
Marching came from the hall leading to their cell.
How long had it been? It was hard to keep track of time. An hour? Two? Five?
No windows. No changing light to mark the passage of time.
The same group of six Raiders trudged up to the door. Its electronic lock clanked and their leader swung it open, the rusty hinges groaning.
Nate climbed to his feet as he watched their guards walk in. Three of them started checking the carts while the other three glared at the Minutemen. Each of them either had their guns in hand or very close by.
Not that attacking them here would be a good idea.
The others roused themselves and joined Nate, standing around the outside of the cell, staring at their captors.
"Ben", one of them said loudly. "Got a knife missing here."
'Ben', the leader, sneered at Nate.
"I told you what would happen if we found something gone. And you dumbasses thought you'd try on the first go around, huh?" He began marching toward Kim. "Alright then. We'll do it the fun way."
Kim pressed herself back against the wall even as Nate, Alex, and a half dozen others moved to get between her and Ben.
In an instant, the Raiders had their weapons out. Most of the movement stopped.
"Get back against the wall!" Ben shouted.
Alex stepped in front of Kim. "Fuck you, asshole." Her voice was poisonous enough that, if words could kill, every Raider in the cell would have been dead.
"I don't remember asking you to do it. You're too old for me, anyway." Ben motioned with his gun for her to step aside.
Nate stepped beside her. "You're crazy if you think we're going to make this easy for you."
"Castle's orders are only gonna get you so far, big man. She might have her plans but I'm responsible for security around here. I'll do whatever I have to to make sure you people stay in line." Ben stepped forward. "Now move. I got a lesson to teach you."
The ex-soldier shook his head. "Come any closer with that, I'll take it."
Ben smiled. "Oh, I'm real scared of some guy who got his ass handed to him by Jorge."
The other Raiders started laughing.
"When you fight someone who isn't high all the time and win, then I'll be impressed."
Who the hell had taken something? Why would they take something?
Everyone was coiled tight. When Nate glanced to his right, he saw Able and Brenda were ready for a fight. Maybe a few of the others were too. Most looked scared.
As silence fell over the cell, the air grew so still it felt as if Nate had to drink to breathe.
Even if they managed to take their guns. It was six guns. That might have been enough to start a fight that lasts all of 10 minutes before they're dead.
And doing this here, over a knife, was stupid. They needed time.
"Who took the knife?" the ex-soldier asked slowly. "Give it back."
No one moved. It seemed like no one breathed.
"Dammit, we're all just trying to survive. Whoever took the damn knife, give it back!"
Still no respo-
"Shit!"
Nate glanced to the far end of the cell to his left. Terry was digging through a pocket.
A moment later, he pulled the knife out, a dull butter knife at that, and tossed it toward the Raiders.
The crappy, tin cutlery cartwheeled across the floor. Its cascade of impacts was almost as loud as a gunshot in the concrete and steel box.
At least, that's what it felt like.
"Ah, so you're the guy who thought he was being slick", Ben said, his attention moving from Nate to the settler.
Alex caught Nate's eye and she jerked her head at Terry.
As Ben started marching toward him, the ex-soldier stayed close by. The Raider hadn't put his gun away.
"I think we might have a good punishment for you", the guard mused as he came to a stop in front of Terry. "But first…"
Ben holstered his handgun and launched a vicious uppercut into Terry's stomach. The settler doubled over and collapsed to the ground, coughing and wheezing.
The Raider stood over Terry, staring down at him. "Next time's a bullet, big guy. I don't care if whoever does it gives the knife back."
That had been, Nate guessed, to him and not Terry.
"For now", Ben looked at the ex-soldier and smiled, "you guys have another event. And this guy here just volunteered himself to be one of the participants."
Another- "No! You aren't taking him."
"And who's gonna stop me?" Ben's smile broadened. "Castle wants you", he nodded at Brenda, "and her. She doesn't care if I shoot a few of your buddies. This guy's got a better chance in the ring than he does against a bullet." The Raider nudged Terry with a boot. "Ain't that right, guy?"
"Eat me", he managed to wheeze.
"We aren't the Forged. I'll just feed you to my dogs." Ben looked at the settlers gathered along the wall. After a few seconds, his eyes settled on Julian. "You look young and energetic. How about it?"
Just before Nate could move between them, the teenager stepped forward. "Let's do it."
Ben's eyes narrowed. It didn't take a genius to figure out that wasn't the reaction he'd expected. Or wanted.
"You're gonna have to take me first", Alex growled as she stepped in front of her son.
The Raider looked to his friends. "Didn't I already tell this dumb bitch she's too old?"
They nodded and mumbled their agreement.
Julian whispered something in Alex's ear. She frowned and opened her mouth to say something. Whatever it was never found its way out. Instead, the woman grimaced and stepped back.
"At least someone knows when to fall in line", Ben said and beckoned Julian toward him. "Let's get a move on."
Alex looked about ready to pounce on the guy, but she stayed rooted in place. Another Raider marched over to Terry and dragged him to his feet.
"Alright, everyone. We'll be back. Hopefully, it's the same way we left. If I'm carrying a bucket… then you shoulda brought better people along."
With that, the Raiders marched Terry, Julian, and the carts from the cell.
They just… came in and took them. And Nate did nothing to stop them. None of them did.
"Bastard", Alex hissed through clenched teeth.
She looked like she'd been ready to fight all six of them. She still looked like it.
"What did Julian say?" Nate asked.
Alex turned her venomous glare from the hallway to him. "Better him than someone else."
The ex-soldier blinked. What did he mean? Nate would have much rather been the one to do it. Julian's a talented kid, there's no way Able would have wanted to bring him if he wasn't. This isn't a situation where talent is enough.
"We needed this", Brenda said from beside Nate.
Alex rounded on her. "What are you talking about?" she snapped.
"We have to consider who has the best chance of getting us out of here. The healthier we can keep them and the more time we can buy, the better." Brenda took Alex's hand. "I'm not saying he deserves to be doing whatever they have him doing more than anyone else. I'm saying he knows what he's doing. You've got a smart kid, Alex."
While he didn't know if Julian had put that much thought into his decision, it wasn't impossible. They needed to take advantage of whatever time this could buy them. Nate wanted to discuss their next move but, without knowing who their mole might be, any plans had to stay close to the chest.
So how could they use this time?
"Okay", Trent interjected, "so we need to use this time to gather as much information as we can. Data is-"
Marching from the hall. A lot more than last time.
That couldn't be good. So much for buying time.
Castle emerged from the passage wearing her customary snide smirk. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. We've got an action-packed event lined up. Your friends are starring in it so I thought I'd give you the chance to see how well they perform."
There were a dozen heavily armed Raiders around her.
Nate had to wonder if the leader purposely put on an air that made him want to punch her face in or if it came naturally.
"A chance, huh", Nate said, stepping up to the cell door. "It doesn't feel like that."
"Well, when I say "chance", I don't mean "choice". Those are two different words." The smile broadened as Castle unlocked the door and swung it open. "I thought a smart guy like you would know that."
Man… I wish I could get you on your own…
"What's the 'event'", Alex demanded.
"Nothing too bad. Just an obstacle course."
Action-packed. "That smells like bullshit", Nate replied.
Castle shook his head. "Oh no. It's an obstacle course. Our version of an obstacle course, anyway." She stepped aside and motioned toward the hallway with an exaggerated flourish. "After you. Just you and", she pointed at Alex, "her."
The ex-soldier glanced back at the rest of his team. He wasn't a fan of being the center of attention.
Better men than someone else.
If anything, it'll give him a better idea of what they're in for.
As he and Alex left the cell, the other Raiders formed up around them. He heard the door clang shut behind them a moment later.
They were led back out of the building and toward the center of the base. There weren't as many Raiders around as there had been the night before. The ones that were, like they did last night, shot them a mixture of 'fierce' glares or smug grins. Whether that was because they were out terrorizing people, or because they were going to watch the new prisoners do this "obstacle course", Nate didn't know.
We'll find out soon enough.
And they did. 10 minutes later, the infantryman found himself standing on the outskirts of the parade ground. Along with what must have been a few hundred Raiders. At least they weren't attacking settlements.
"Hey. Stop gawking", Castle barked from his right. The Raider boss led them around the churning, humming crowd of drug-addicted asshats and toward a lookout tower. That must be their 'box'.
Sure enough, when they reached the lookout tower, beyond the throng of Raiders was an obstacle course. It didn't look too dissimilar to what Nate was used to: both free and roped climbing obstacles, mantling obstacles, angle walls, a barbed-wire crawling segment, balance beams, and monkey bars. It was at least 100 yards long. That, alone, would be difficult, especially for someone who wasn't accustomed to doing them. There were… additions to the course, like spikes hanging below the balance beams and climbing walls so, if someone were to fall, they'd be impaled. Barbed wire wrapped around some of the handholds on the monkey bars and free-climb walls.
It looked more like a torture apparatus than the PT courses the ex-soldier suffered through.
It was sick. Using something like this as entertainment. Nate had to fight back the revulsion and bile that climbed his throat.
He wouldn't give Castle the satisfaction.
Alex was beside him, staring at the course her son was about to take on, eyes barely wider than slits.
Relax. Nate put a hand on her shoulder. She didn't budge.
Not that he could blame her. If someone did something like this to Shaun-
The ex-soldier took a deep breath.
Well, he didn't know what he'd do. But he did know he set off across a post-apocalyptic wasteland with an interdimensional supersoldier he knew nothing about in order to find him. 250 years after being turned into a popsicle. Regardless of what the end result of that was. Seeing his son have to do something like this? With a thousand Raiders watching, cheering, and hoping he'd fall, hurt himself, or die?
He, again, found himself hoping Damon hurried the hell up. It would be far easier to make these things pay with the SPARTAN there.
Figure it out. We can't rely on him here. We need to get things under control ourselves. As much as we can.
Sometimes, that means you have to be better than someone else. Or better than someone expects you to be. In this case, that would be Terry and Julian completing this obstacle course without being injured.
"They have five minutes to finish, by the way", Castle said cheerily, tearing Nate from his thoughts.
"Five?" That was an odd number.
The Raider nodded, still wearing that goddamn smile. "Or they get handicapped."
"Don't tease", the ex-soldier shot back. "You mean you're going to shoot them."
"Only one of them. Whichever's behind."
"Why five minutes?" Alex ground out.
"Because that's how long the last person took to finish it."
Nate turned back to the course. Five minutes. "They both have to finish?"
Castle nodded again. "That's right!" She bent down to pick up- it was a megafone. Where the hell had they found that?
"BRING THEM OUT!"
Cheering exploded from below.
Even though he wasn't the one down on the course, Nate's heart started pounding in his chest. Or maybe it was because he wasn't the one down there. It was Julian and Terry. He knew Julian well enough. He was a good kid. And he was Alex's kid. He'd only just met Terry before this mission but- he was still part of the ex-soldier's team. He was still a brother in arms. It might not have been the same as if Christian or Cook were down there but…
Dammit.
The two in question were shoved from the crowd toward the near side of the obstacle course.
Like Nate during the fight, neither had shirts on. But they did have something around their necks. It was bulky and glinted in the morning sun. Metal collars.
"What are those…?" he asked, barely audible over the din from the spectators.
"Oh, those are explosive collars", Castle said as if it were the most normal, obvious answer to that question. "Something we save as a little encouragement for our… most boisterous prisoners."
"What?" He wasn't supposed to give him the satisfaction but… "What the hell? Getting shot isn't good enough?"
"Nate, Nate, Nate." The Raider shook her head. "This is about spectacle. We've got thousands of people here. A lot of them came from pretty far away. Left whatever they had going on to join our organization. What kind of host would I be if I didn't give 'em a good show? The risk of someone getting their head blown up with a pound of C4. Morale's important, you know."
The ex-soldier blinked. Spectacle? Show? Morale?
"You're supposed to be using us to lure Damon in. How does blowing someone's head off help that? I thought you thought-"
"That's where you're fucking up", Castle interrupted, All fake friendliness was gone, replaced by a harsh, grating tone and expression. "You thought. I'm not stupid, Nate. I know your toy weapon won't just join us. He needs an incentive. He needs a push. Sometimes, that means we need to make sure everyone knows we aren't afraid to "blow someone's head off"."
"I think we all know what kinda shit you people do!" Alex shouted.
Castle grinned. This one, like the night before, was too wide and never came close to reaching her eyes. "Good. That means I'm doing my job well."
It took every ounce of Nate's self-control to keep his arms at his sides and his feet rooted in place. Whatever he did, he couldn't kill Castle before he got shot. Patience.
But how the hell was he supposed to be patient with two of his people down there, running a rigged obstacle course with bombs around their necks?
He glanced at Alex. She was coiled so tight, shoulders, neck, and jaw rigid, arms tight, hands balled into fists, she might hurt herself.
How she managed to keep from attacking Castle, Nate didn't know. She had more self-control than he did, apparently.
Control. They needed to find some way to gain some control of this situation. Castle had every advantage.
The sounds of cheering and jeering Raiders almost drowned his thoughts out.
Nate- Nate needed something.
"If you're about spectacle, how about a bet?" he said. "I'll go down there and take Julian's spot on the course. If I beat your time, you move us to your general population and we get put into whatever regular rotation you have them in for these. No more singling us out. If I can't, you can shoot me."
"HA!" Castle laughed. "Nate, I can shoot you whenever I want. And don't treat me like I'm dumb. Just because your friend gets the shine doesn't mean I don't know about you too. I know you aren't some normal settler. I know you've been helping plan for the Minutemen. You're in very good shape for a Commonwealther. And you're trained. But I do like the idea of a bet…" she hummed. "How about… Julian's the one you want to replace? The kid?" Castle looked at Alex. "How about, if he beats my time, we'll do what you want. If he doesn't… he dies and you go a week without food?!" Castle turned to one of his guards as Nate felt his stomach drop into a bottomless pit. "How's that sound, York?"
"Sounds good boss."
"Alright Nate, you've got yourself a bet!" He put the megaphone back up to his mouth. "START THE CLOCK! YOU TWO BETTER GET RUNNING!"
"You motherfucker!" Alex screamed. The ex-soldier turned just in time to catch her lunging for the Raider. "YOU MOTHERFUCKER! THAT'S MY SON!" Rage. Hatred. Desperation. Fear. All of it mixed together in that scream.
"I already guessed that", Castle replied, distracted. Her eyes were fixed on the obstacle course and its participants. Alex's physical threat didn't seem to bother him. "Thanks for the confirmation."
Probably because of her guards.
Alex continued fighting against Nate's grasp, trying to pull free and get at the Raider.
This, like a lot of things here, was on him. He'd tried to make a bet. With Castle. That was dumb.
"I'm sorry", Nate whispered just loud enough for her to hear over the roaring cheers. He wished he could say something like "we'll figure this out." He couldn't. What could they do?
Their only choice was to hope. Hope Julian and Terry can finish in time. That they'd avoid any serious injury.
That everyone would get out alive.
Hope isn't a strategy.
It was all the ex-soldier had.
Both Julian and Terry sprinted toward the first obstacle. It was an angled climbing wall with a balance beam at the top. Nate couldn't see if there were any additions to it.
Again, even though he wasn't the one down there, Nate's heart felt like it was trying to pound out of his chest.
They made it to the top and began shuffling their way across. There was a desperation, a wild almost uncontrolled haste to their movements that worried the ex-soldier. Performing the tasks ahead of them would already be difficult. Doing so with the pressure of being shot or having the bomb around their necks go off was a monumental ask.
Nate stole a glance at Castle. She was fixated on the "event" unfolding in front of them.
"Come on", Alex whispered. "Come on, Julian. Please."
Why couldn't it be me? Why couldn't I be down there?
"Better him than someone else." Brave kid but… was that true? Had he thought that because, the less other, more experienced people like Able and Nate had to do this, the better prepared they'd be?
Terry lost his balance for an instant, flailing to keep from falling off the beam. The infantryman's heart leaped into his chest as he watched his teammate's arms wave wildly, grasping for something that wasn't there.
But he didn't fall.
After a few painful heartbeats, he regained his balance and hurried to the end of the balance beam.
Across a set of barbed wire-covered monkey bars, and down another slope, they reached a free climbing wall.
"Not bad", Castle said. "They're making pretty good time. At this rate, I might not have to blow your kid's head off."
There was none of the customary sarcasm and condescension. She was intensely focused on what was going on below them.
"Bitch", Alex muttered under her breath. Even that she managed to load with enough venom to kill an elephant.
The other side of the climbing wall was partially obstructed so when they reached the top and scrambled over, Nate's heart jumped.
But, before his imagination was able to start feeding him all of the awful possibilities it could come up with, they emerged from the other side. Unharmed.
Terry was beginning to gain ground on Julian. He reached the next obstacle, a series of small, raised platforms over barbed wire, a few seconds ahead of the teenager. Nate knew that didn't necessarily mean anything, but it still felt bad.
He tore his eyes away from the ongoing event and stole a glance at Alex. She was staring, unblinking at the course. There wasn't a doubt in Nate's mind she was fixated on her son.
Seconds dragged by so slowly, it seemed like Nate could have fit a day's worth of energy into each one. His mind was racing, trying to count the time as it passed. But it was as if his internal clock had been smashed to pieces. Had it been a few minutes since they started the course? Or just a few seconds? Were they a quarter of the way done? Or only half? How much time was left? Would Castle keep them in suspense until the end? Would she let Julian finish the course either way and then-
As he was traversing another set of monkey bars, Terry jerked his right hand back. He lost his grip with his left and dropped to the ground. Nate leaned over the edge of the lookout tower, hands gripping the weather-worn wood so tight it hurt.
What the hell just happened?
The onlooking Raiders roared.
Had he hit something on the bar? Had he lost his grip? Was he hurt? There wasn't anything below these ones, thankfully, but-
Julian rushed to him.
What was Nate supposed to want here? The longer Julian spent helping Terry, the more likely he'd be to die but- but he didn't know that.
At the same time, Terry was a teammate. And not checking on him would be unconscionable for any reasonable person. The ex-soldier couldn't warn him. What did he do? What could he do?
Nate had been aware the clock was ticking down but now… now it felt like that clock was in his head.
"Go", he whispered. "Go!" He had to be pragmatic. If Terry didn't make it he'd get a bullet in the leg. That was bad.
But it also wasn't dead.
As if reading his mind, Terry waved toward the far end of the obstacle course. He said, or shouted, something at Julian. Nate couldn't hear it over the crowd below.
The teenager glanced down the course and turned back to Terry. Terry started slowly, painfully climbing to his feet. He had his right hand clutched to his chest.
So he had been injured. By what? Nate strained to see if there was something on the bars that might have hurt him. They looked like the same rungs he'd used during his countless PT sessions.
Another glance toward Castle. She was still watching the obstacle course, face neutral. Blank.
They restarted that obstacle and, after what felt like a minute and a half of struggling, Terry finished. He was well behind Julian now but at least he'd done it.
It continued, time stretching into eternity again. Julian lost his footing on one of the angled climbing walls and slammed to the wooden deck. Again, much to the entertainment of the Raiders looking on. Nate winced in sympathy. It was something he'd done before. Multiple times.
It had been his squadmates laughing and the DI screaming at him, though. Not a thousand Raiders jeering for his blood.
How they were still moving with the magnitude of pressure they must have been feeling was remarkable. Desperation is an incredible thing.
After what felt like both an instant and about 10 years, the two of them reached a 20-foot high rope climb that was about ¾ of the way down the course.
And Nate was even more worried all of a sudden.
Climbing a rope was possible without practice. Proper technique made it significantly easier. Especially after having gone through a hundred yards of other obstacles with the weight of the world crashing down on you.
Julian grabbed his rope and started shimmying up. He wasn't using his feet correctly, trying to pinch the rope between them instead of making loops. His hands were too far apart on the climb. The kid was clearly exhausted.
But he kept going.
Terry was getting further behind, just reaching the base of the rope by the time Julian was halfway up.
His injury was going to be an issue. Nate found himself clenching and unclenching his right hand. He'd had to climb a rope obstacle like that with a strained left wrist and forearm before. It was one of the most physically excruciating 20 seconds of his life. Every inch of rope felt like an insurmountable distance.
"What happens if you have to do this with people shooting at you?" He asked himself. "Are you gonna sit at the bottom and die? No. You'd get your ass up over whatever was in front of you."
Which is exactly what Terry did.
The Minuteman grabbed the rope and began struggling up after Julian.
Once he reached the top, Julian swung off onto a platform. He bent over to grab his knees and, even from this distance, Nate could see him heaving for breath.
No! You can't stop! Move goddammit. MOVE!
A few seconds later, he did, hopping down onto-
Terry, who was a little less than halfway up, slipped down the rope. The ex-soldier's heart leaped to the back of his mouth.
He managed to stop his fall after a few feet, but it felt like a mile to Nate.
And he started climbing again.
The crowd was quiet now. Nothing had happened since Julian fell on the wall. They almost seemed… disappointed. Castle hadn't budged, face still blank. Alex was still staring, eyes fixed on Julian.
As for the kid, he was hopping from platform to platform, making his way back to the ground. With one obstacle, another balance beam, between him and the finish.
Just one more.
That wasn't to say it would be easy. Nate knew those platforms were four or five feet apart and only a few feet wide. It was a common way to train coordination and dexterity. You have to be accurate or it would be easy to fall off. Under normal circumstances, that would be painful and humiliating. Here, it meant landing in a bed of small sharpened stakes. And, by this point, Julian's muscles were probably rubber.
Another two jumps, another two successful landings.
The balance beam presented a similar challenge. Tired muscles and a fatigued mind would make balancing on it difficult. And the stakes carried over onto that obstacle too.
But Julian reached the ground without incident. Terry was just starting his journey down.
Sure enough, as soon as Julian stepped onto the beam, his arms started flailing. Nate knew the feeling well. Legs that wouldn't respond, a fuzzy head, a world that felt like it was spinning.
That's without the Raiders who, with the teenager now struggling, were beginning to get loud again.
Block them out, kid. Don't let them distract you.
He started moving though. At the same time, Terry was trying to make up some ground, barely taking breaks between leaps. With that injury, the ex-soldier was sure he was worse off than Julian. Was he in better shape? Had he done this sort of thing before?
Julian stumbled on the beam and the crowd held its collective breath, waiting for him to fall.
The kid didn't. He regained his balance and continued forward.
At the same time, Terry made the last jump-
His foot missed the platform short.
He tried to catch himself, but he had too much forward momentum and the platform was too narrow. The Minuteman tumbled forward.
Everything slowed to a crawl as he fell. Nate could feel the crowd's anticipation. The stakes below almost seemed to extend up to greet his teammate. If he-
Terry landed. But there was no cheer. No blood. The man was still moving, getting his hands and knees under him.
How…?
He must have landed where they were supposed to. Without falling. Where Julian had just jumped down.
Nate let out the breath that felt like it was going to burst from his chest, and the world flooded back into focus.
That had caught his attention so much, he missed Julian making it to the end of the balance beam. He was running toward the posts at the far end that marked the finish line.
And he crossed it.
How long had it taken him?
The ex-soldier looked at Castle. Her eyes were still locked on the course. On Terry.
She was frowning now.
Was that good? Had Julian made it?
Terry climbed to his feet and handled the balance beam relatively well. He joined Julian between the posts.
Both of them were holding their knees, sucking at the air like they'd never breathed before.
Something else Nate could sympathize with.
As soon as he did, the crowd broke into cheers again. These ones were even louder than they had been before.
Nate and Alex exchanged a glance. What did that mean? Did they know how long it took them?
Someone to Nate's right said something but he didn't catch it. The ex-soldier broke his gaze away from Alex. One of the guards was talking to Castle.
She turned to Nate wearing that same, unnerving grin again.
"Looks like Julian here made it a little bit harder for the next person", she said. "About five seconds away from getting his head turned into soup."
He heard Alex take a deep, shuddering breath. He'd made it. He'd made it.
He'd made it!
But… wait…
There was something missing. Julian had made it. With five seconds to spare.
Terry.
Terry was much farther than five seconds behind.
"Looks like old Ter-bear's about to get a bullet in the leg", Castle continued. That smile was back. It managed to be both unsettling and infuriating. "You won our bet. You'll get put in the regular rotation. Don't think I don't know what you're playing at." She stepped closer to him, so close their chests were almost touching. Even though she was almost a head shorter, it somehow felt like she was looking down at him. "I get to make the rules here. I want you and your friend. I don't need you and your friend."
Nate couldn't keep letting her dictate how things went here, as odd as that sounds. And maybe… maybe he could find some way to keep Terry away from the wrong end of a gun.
"Your only chance of controlling Damon is through us. You kill us, you lose that. You lose that… his focus hasn't been on you. Not completely. I guarantee you've already pissed him off. What kind of hell do you think you'll bring down on yourself if you go further?"
Castle cocked an eyebrow. "You don't think I considered that when I started all this." She waved at the assembled Raiders. They were cheering again. When Nate looked, another group of people, these ones without the collars, were being pushed toward the obstacle course.
Even after seeing what Damon had done, to the Triggermen, to the Deathclaws, to the Brotherhood, to the Institute… seeing the magnitude of what he and the rest of the Minutemen would be fighting if they weren't careful was- it was hard to imagine them winning that. Especially given the advantage the Raiders had of not caring about maintaining any sort of society.
But Damon had said he's dealt with worse. He had to fight large forces with contemporary or near-contemporary technology. Nate was no stranger to soldiers who'd lie about their exploits to make themselves look good. He and Cook would usually sit back at whatever barbecue or community event they were at, watch, and try not to laugh. They were joined by other vets every time.
While Nate had trouble picturing Damon knocking back a beer while trading war stories, he didn't think the guy had any interest in lying about them.
What had he told them while putting together the Institute's war plan? Every operation has a weak point.
"I do. I also think you know you aren't the one making the rules. If you were, we wouldn't be standing here talking about it." His eyes narrowed. "I think you still haven't come up with a plan for how to deal with him in a fight. This is just the next best thing."
Castle's coy smile came back. "If you'd like to think that."
This was a game of poker and she knew how to bluff. It was easy to look the part when someone has a good hand, which Castle does. Question is, could Nate read it?
Cheering from below caught Nate's attention. Just beneath it was an excruciating scream. He turned to see one of the prisoners lying, trapped in the barbed wire that was under it. Their struggling only made things worse.
These mfers…
"See, sometimes it comes down to who's willing to go the farthest", Castle said. She didn't raise her voice, but Nate could hear it just fine over the excitement below. "I'm willing to do anything to win."
The ex-soldier met her gaze. He felt a sneer ripple across his face. Damon wasn't the only one who had a stubborn streak. Maybe the ex-soldier and the rest of the support team were only alive because of the SPARTAN. He'd take advantage of that as long as he could. He'd show this monster why, regardless of what she did, kill them in that neighborhood, kill them here, or let them live until she figured out Damon would burn this place to the ground before joining, she lost as soon as she sat at the table.
Because Nate might not be the nuclear bomb Damon was but he'd survived his share of shit. And sometimes a flamethrower was just as good as a nuke.
"When are we being moved?" he asked.
"Whenever you want. Just gotta do one thing first", she turned to one of her men and said something. Nate couldn't make out what.
Castle didn't look back at them. Instead, she resumed watching the new group attempting the obstacle course. Her face reset to the same, detached stare.
Even though he didn't want to, Nate couldn't help but watch the run. The people they had out there, looked gaunt. Weak. They looked like what he imagined his people would look if they had to spend a few weeks there.
The one that had fallen into the razor wire was still tangled in it, but they were limp. He couldn't tell what happened from where he was.
The first one was just reaching the climbing rope. He was looking-
"Ah", Castle's voice interrupted Nate's thoughts, "here we go." She shot him a smirk.
The watchtower began trembling and the sounds of climbing came from the side.
How could he stop this?
If I get involved… will Castle lose her patience? How far can I push it? Will something happen to me?
Him? What if something happened to him? Terry is about to be shot and- and-
And if Nate stepped in the way…
The ex-soldier swallowed. Hard. The lump in his throat had exploded in size. So much so, breathing was painful. He could feel his breathing begin to shallow.
Scared. He was scared. And he was on the verge of having another episode. He'd never taken what the doctors told him as seriously as he should have. Nate had seen plenty of people, some he knew, struggle with PTSD. How did they deal with it so well? Every time this happened, it felt as if the world was closing on him. The others in the watchtower were crowding around him. The cheering from the Raiders below was deafening. Everything was trying to crush him. Push him-
Slow down. Take a deep breath. I don't know what else to do but I need to start somewhere.
Nate closed his eyes and forced a long, slow, deep breath into his lungs, and held it. When he opened them, Julian's head had emerged over the edge of the watchtower. He was covered in sweat and grime. The right side of his face was red and the beginnings of a black eye were already starting to form.
Holding the breath felt as if he were drowning, but he kept it down as long as he could. By the time he let it go and sucked in another, Julian, Terry, and another Raider were in the tower with them.
"Well done", Castle said. She pulled a battered 10mm handgun from her hip. "Julian, at least. We had a bet and you won! Congrats on keeping your head, kiddo. But…" She turned to Terry.
"Ter-bear. You disappointed me."
What was he supposed to do? Should he step in? Would she do something else? Would she shoot Julian instead? Would she shoot him?
"What are you-" the Minuteman was staring, eyes wide, at the gun. He was still clutching his right hand. "I- I did what you said. What's this about?"
If he didn't do anything she would shoot Terry.
But how much leash did he have?
"This is about making sure everyone knows how serious I am." Castle began raising her sidearm.
As soon as Nate started to step forward, every other gun in the tower was pointed at him.
"You stay right there, Nate", the Raider boss said. "Don't test me. I can always go back on our bet."
That's right. It wasn't just the amount of leash he had. She'd start shooting others. How was he supposed to decide when to push back? How he'd push back? If he was going to-
BANG
The gunshot exploded into the relatively small space of the watchtower. It was deafening.
But its results almost seemed to take place in slow motion.
Since low-velocity rounds generally don't lead to a ballooning effect, the spectacular spray of blood from rifles didn't happen. Instead, Terry grabbed at his left thigh as he collapsed to the ground, screaming.
"You motherfucker!" It took Nate an instant to realize he was the one who had said that.
"You're damn right I am!" Castle snapped back and, suddenly, he was staring down the barrel of that 10mm. It smelled like burnt gunpowder, a wisp of smoke rising from the muzzle. "You and Damon need to understand this isn't a joke. I don't play by your rules. If you push me, people will start dying."
Terry was on the ground, still screaming. Blood was pouring off the backside of his thigh, drenching his already-tattered cargo pants.
Then, as if a switch was flipped, Castle holstered her handgun and grinned. It had too many teeth. "Glad we have an understanding." She turned to look at one of the men behind her. "Get him treated so he doesn't bleed all over my base, then move them to building three. And get someone to clean all this blood up!"
The Raider she was talking to nodded. "No problem."
And with that, it was over. For Castle, it was, anyway. She brushed past Nate without another look and climbed down from the observation tower.
It wasn't over for them. It wasn't over for him.
"Let's go", the Raider said.
Nate wanted to argue. He wanted to tell the guy to shove it. But what good would that do? He looked down at Terry, still holding his wounded leg.
Five more seconds and he'd be looking at Julian's headless body too. And Alex would have lost her son.
What was he supposed to do? What would Dez or Preston have done here? Would they have handled it differently?
He didn't know. But one of his people was injured and the other was a few heartbeats away from dead.
So the ex-soldier did as he was told. He followed the Raider down from the observation tower. Castle had already disappeared into the crowd.
A crowd that had, strangely, gone quiet.
No. That wasn't it. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he could still feel the din of activity and energy coursing through the assembled Raiders.
Julian, breathing hard, was next, followed by Alex. Two Raiders helped Terry down.
As they were led back to their cell, Nate couldn't help but ask himself a question he knew wasn't fair.
But that didn't change anything.
How would Damon have handled this?
No, he wasn't a conventional leader. He didn't have the experience Preston or Dez do. Hell, he isn't good with people in general.
Given all that, the SPARTAN was intelligent, clever, and, in most difficult situations, confident. That confidence was contagious. His competence helps. And then there's the part where he's an interdimensional supersoldier.
Which is why asking "what would Damon have done?" isn't fair. Because the scale of the threat he poses is a deterrent on its own.
That didn't stop Nate from asking it as he stepped back into their cell.
One of the two Raiders who had been helping Terry stayed with him. The other headed back down the hall, presumably to get something, or someone, to treat him.
No one spoke.
Every member of the support team was staring at Terry. He was lying just inside the cell door, eyes squeezed shut, face twisted in pain.
Yeah. What would anyone else have done in his position? Clarence, his platoon leader. That man was a hardass. But he would have stepped between a bullet and anyone in his platoon. Is that what Nate should have done here?
No. Who the hell knows what Castle would have done. She's smart and conniving… but she's missing a few cards. I have to figure this out. Pawning the responsibility off on someone else is the coward's way out. No one else is here. Preston, Dez, and Damon aren't here.
So figure out what I can do better next time.
The other Raider came back, a small, terrified-looking woman behind him. She wasn't dressed in their customary mix of iron and leather. The best way he could describe her clothes was "oversized rags". Another prisoner?
"Uh, this-" she started as she knelt beside Terry. Her voice was smaller than she was. "Let's start with alcohol, a tourniquet, gauze, bandages, and MedX."
"Right." The Raider pulled a backpack off and set it on the ground. Their 'nurse' rifled through it for a moment before pulling out the requisite items as well as a pair of nitrile gloves. Wherever she got those in this hellhole.
Once she'd cinched the tourniquet around his thigh, just below the hip, she used the hole in his pant leg to tear it off entirely.
After another two minutes, she'd sterilized the wound, and administered MedX to reduce pain, inflammation, and help stop the bleeding, before wrapping and bandaging his leg. It wasn't work anyone with a rudimentary understanding of first aid couldn't have done. In fact, it spoke volumes they had to get a prisoner to do it.
Or was there another reason for that?
"It doesn't look like his artery was hit", the small woman said once she was finished. "He'd have been bleeding a lot more than that. The bullet went all the way through too so that was lucky." She stood. "I'm done."
"Good", the Raider who escorted her in said, gathering the backpack. "Let's go."
She cast a hesitant glance back at Terry. It looked like she wanted to say or do something else. She didn't. The small woman followed her 'escort' as soon as he started walking.
"We're taking you to building three in half an hour", the second Raider said. He marched out after them and slammed the cell door shut.
It wasn't a moment after the Raider disappeared from view when Julian's legs began visibly trembling. He dropped to his hands and knees. The teenager started breathing so hard, it sounded like he was on the verge of hyperventilating.
While it definitely wasn't his most virtuous thought, Nate felt a modicum of relief he wasn't the only one…
Alex placed a hand on his back. "Breath, Jul, breath."
"Yeah", he gasped. "I- I'm trying."
Her eyes shot to Nate. They were burning. "What the hell was that?! My son's life isn't for you to gamble with."
"I was trying to get him off that damn obstacle course", the ex-soldier shot back. "I was trying to take his place."
No. No. Starting an argument over this won't help. What if that was Shaun out there?
"I made a mistake though," Nate admitted. "I thought I could get some control back if- well, if we were able to get that."
"You keep pushing our luck, you're gonna get someone killed. That bitch is crazy. Or did you not see that?"
Oh, I did. "She is, but she doesn't have as much command here as she's putting on." That was right, wasn't it? Castle's intelligent, but someone with her brand of… dysfunction doesn't come up with elaborate plans with multiple variables like this one. Did she have a boss? Was this force large enough to insulate its real leadership from a move like this? "And we still have a cushion. If-"
"They clearly don't think they need all of us to get Damon, Nate", Alex interrupted. "And they're already crazy or confident enough to go this far. Who's to say they won't go further?"
"I don't doubt they will but…" he trailed off. But what? Castle said she'd start killing people. Nate believed her.
But that doesn't mean we can stop pushing. If we're gonna gain any leverage, we need to find where that limit is. We need to play it smart. Gambling with lives… we'll have to. But we have to be smart about it.
"But we can't sit here and do nothing."
Julian started crawling over to Terry. He was still lying on the cold, concrete floor, eyes shut. The grimace on his face had faded, at least. Alex's attention shifted away from Nate to her son.
"Are… are you okay", the teenager asked quietly.
"Not really", Terry groaned. "Castle, that- she-" he fell silent. Everyone was quiet.
Was this worth it? Risking Julian's life, even if it was unintentional? Terry getting shot? Neither was directly related to Nate's attempt to get into the general population, but it's a result of both of those.
Hopefully, this will take some of the focus off of them.
He doubted it though.
"I can see things are a little tense", Able said, his voice breaking through the silence, "but what happened?"
That's right. The last time they saw the four of them, Julian didn't look like he'd lost a fight and Terry didn't have a hole in his leg.
"Castle made them run a timed obstacle course. I- I tried to get them out of it, offered myself as a bet to get us in general population. Castle didn't take it. She was going to kill Julian if he didn't make it in time. He did, Terry didn't. So that happened." He motioned at the wounded man. "But since Julian won, we're being moved and put in the regular rotation. Hopefully, that keeps us from being singled out."
Able was looking at Terry. His face was unreadable. It, for some reason, struck Nate as odd.
Why?
"I see", the Railroad operative replied. "We'll… have to gather more information. It seems like there are some things we still aren't sure about."
… What? The ex-soldier glanced at Able again. That hadn't sounded directed at him…
"We learned Castle isn't afraid to kill some of us", Alex said. "Proved that, didn't she?"
"No… she didn't." Trent was standing against the wall behind Nate. "Well, I mean, I don't think any of us thought she wouldn't kill someone, she's a Raider." He met Nate's gaze. It was narrowed, ever so slightly. "I think we should take some time to unpack this. We could learn a lot."
Nate nodded. He was right. They could. They needed to figure out as much as they could from every interaction. That's how they'd control their gambles. The more information they had, the more they could refine their assumptions and the more sure they'd be about them.
And that meant they would make sure they weren't taking unnecessary risks.
"Alright. We'll wait until after we move. We don't have enough time right now."
Trent offered a small smile and nodded.
That's how they'd control this. That's how Nate would do his job: one step at a time.
X
She didn't want to kill anyone?
"No…" Nate said quietly. "I think she'd put a bullet between my eyes without a second thought."
Trent shook his head from his spot on the other side of the small alcove they'd tucked themselves into. Building three turned out to be one of the large, concrete admin buildings they'd converted into a hybrid living quarters/prisoner holding area. There were only about a dozen other prisoners besides them with at least three times as many Raiders. No doubt to make sure they didn't get up to anything.
It wasn't general population, but it was better.
"I'm trying to figure out why she hasn't killed anyone yet. You said Castle doesn't think she needs anyone besides you and Brenda", the former Institute scientist crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, looking up at the cracked concrete ceiling. "I've got two theories. One,-" he held up a finger "-she isn't as confident about her leverage. Two, someone's over her head keeping her in check."
… Or. "Or she's waiting for the right time." Nate grunted. "If she thinks she can only kill so many of us before she loses any chance of cooperation, she'd be 'rationing' us."
Trent grimaced. "I don't like that word. Not here."
"It fits."
"Yeah, it does", the other man said, "still feels weird. Makes me think we're on the menu."
"Uh, well, these are Raiders."
"You aren't helping."
The ex-soldier huffed. "Hey, it's just… what do you call those? Thought experiments?"
"Oh boy. Trying this again…" Trent rolled his eyes. "That's when you go through a logical reasoning process from a starting premise to determine something."
The ex-soldier nodded. "Sounds like us potentially being-"
"Nate", Trent interrupted. "Focus or don't talk. I don't want to think about being eaten."
"Okay, Jessica."
"No, she'd be yelling by now."
Nate nodded again. "That's probably true."
"And we don't have a lot of time. I feel like they'll come calling soon."
Yeah… that's a good bet… "Because the obstacle course this morning wasn't enough."
Castle may have put them in the 'normal rotation' but it would be foolish to think that meant they wouldn't be… prioritized.
"We all know what kind of game they're playing." Trent snorted. "They don't want to torture us, yet, but this is a good way around that."
"Not if someone dies", Nate muttered.
"That's probably why they didn't choose you or Brenda for the obstacle course."
The ex-soldier glanced back toward the main portion of their 'cell'. "I don't think they know Damon would be just as mad if they killed Alex or Julian."
"You think so?" Trent asked.
"Yeah." He turned back to Trent. "Alex was the first person he met here. They like each other's company. And, apparently, Julian is the first person Damon gave shit to. Good-natured shit, anyway." Nate leaned his head back against the wall. "Something happens to one of them, I think these assholes are in for a world of hurt. From him. Us… well we've still got a plan to figure out."
"About that… are you still waiting on Able?"
Nate grunted. "He's the only one here who has counterintelligence training and experience. Bouncing ideas off someone else might help, but it might slow him down too. Hard to tell in these situations. Plus, if we go to him constantly, they're gonna get suspicious. We don't need a target on anyone's back right now."
"A bigger target, you mean."
"Yeah."
"Well, if that's a concern, I'll keep my thoughts to myself until we have something concrete, or we figure out who the spy is."
"Really?" The ex-soldier smiled. "You're worried they might think you're dangerous?"
Trent cocked an eyebrow. "I'm no Isaiah, but I like to think analysis is my strong suit."
"Test tube analysis is different, lab coat."
"It's still processing information, army guy."
Nate chuckled. "It's good to see you still have your sense of humor."
"Don't know if I have a choice." The former Institute scientist closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It's that or spend the entire time afraid."
"Tell me about it." The infantryman held out a hand. It wasn't shaking, something he was a little proud of, but it wasn't completely steady. "Don't know if I've been this stressed since-" He paused and shook his head. "I was going to say 'since the day Shaun was born' but… I'd say the last five months have been pretty stressful." He lowered his hand again.
Trent frowned. "Speaking of, how are you doing? Besides this, I mean."
"As well as can be expected, I think", Nate said with a deep sigh. "Still hard to get up in the mornings. Still trying to find something to keep me going beyond, you know, not dying. This has helped, as strange as that sounds. This is something to focus on. People to worry about. Plans to make. What happens after all this is done", he waved to the cell around them, "I guess I'll have the fight with the Brotherhood and Institute to worry about. After that? Man… I don't know." Nora's face flashed. Her smile. Her laugh. The oversize, baby blue shirt she always used to wear around the house on 'lazy days'.
The feeling of her arms around him when he finally came home.
"I don't want to sound patronizing", Trent said, "but you know we're all here for you right? Not just us out here, the rest of us still in the Institute. We can't make up for- for Nora and… Shaun. We're all in this thing together. We made that promise when we said we'd change the Institute."
Nate wasn't quite sure how to respond. He knew the man, his friend, wasn't saying that just to say it. If there was anything that could be said about the people Li assembled, it's that they're dedicated and loyal. They'd have to be, he supposed, to do what they're trying to do.
"Yeah", he replied, voice low, "I know. It's just- it's hard. I don't think I'll know what to do until I know, if that makes sense."
"It does." Trent nodded. "You lost-" the rest of the sentence caught in his throat, mouth open.
"My family?" Nate asked.
"... Yeah. Sorry. And your world. I don't think anyone would come out the other side of all that okay. I don't think I'd want to be their friend if they did."
That was the truth if Nate had ever heard one told. "I appreciate it."
"What else are friends for?"
Nate huffed. That sounded like a corny line Cook would say.
And, as usual, that big bastard would be completely right. Nate knew he'd have been there with him if he could. And Nate would have been there for Cook the same way.
Not being able to have either of those hurt almost as much as anything else.
But, whatever happened, Nate was sure of one thing: that wouldn't stop him from doing his best for these people. If he died without doing that, and there was an afterlife, Nora, Cook, and Miranda would be waiting to welcome him with the ass-whooping of an eternity.
"Getting each other out of Raider bases."
Trent smiled. "Getting each other out of Raider bases."
A/N: Scheming, scheming, and more scheming. Castle is an awful person, but a very interesting character for me to write. I won't say much here considering the lengthy author's note. Thank you all so much for your support. I'll see everyone next time!
Next Chapter: 10/13 (uh oh), The Gauntlet