Chapter 54: Dinero's Town: Part 5
The group had to take a moment to catch their breaths. The arrival of that monster had put their previous conflict on hold as they all bolted down into the depths of the caverns. With only the faint and occasional electric light to guide them, the group had waited until they could no longer hear anything behind them to take their respite.
Sophia was the first to break down, sobbing into her arm as Ferra reached over and patted her on the shoulder, consoling her. "D-De-Delilah, she's…"
"Gone," Hypatia announced as she shouldered her rifle. "There wasn't anything you two or the rest of us could have done."
Ferra immediately and furiously began signing in front of the newcomer. "…I don't…" Hypatia shook her head.
"No…no," Sophia shook her head as she wiped her nose on her sleeve. "She's right. Not in front of the captures."
Rosa and Kim immediately came to a halt in their attempt to sneak away. Rosa stole a glance at Kim as she rested her hand on her machete handle. Kim vehemently shook her head, to which Rosa reluctantly relented.
"This Delilah, she was your… commanding officer?" Falco asked.
"Ever since I entered Caesar's service," Sophia nodded. "She was an excellent leader, centurion. Write that down in your records after we kill that thing."
Falco nodded. "Aye, it shall be done. Lacked impulse control, but we all fall prey to that from time to time. You two," he motioned to Kim and Rosa. "You are both free to leave if you have faith in your chances in the dark. Otherwise, hands where we can see them."
"Son of a bitch," Dalton announced. "You stole my line."
The six turned to see the unmistakable glow of a plasma rifle pointed toward the group. Sophia let out a curse while Ferra hissed. Hypatia glanced at Falco before turning to the glow. "Optio Dalton, I presume?"
"My reputation proceeds me," Dalton chuckled. "Kim, Brat, on me."
"Aw, thanks for returning after you ran away like a little bitch," Rosa goaded him as she drew away from the light towards the plasma rifle.
"Shut up," Dalton mumbled. Kim was about to join when she turned back and realized that her new machinegun was still draped across the back of the cloaked woman. "…That belongs to me," she growled.
Ferra responded by flashing the old world traffic advisory finger, to which Kim responded by signing that if she didn't hand over the weapon, she would happily take it over her cold, broken body. Ferra shot a glance at Falco. "…Give her the damn thing," he exclaimed, exasperated. "Maybe it can draw that thing's attention and give us an out."
Ferra handed the weapon over to Kim, who kept her eyes on the mute as she snatched it away and backed away to join Dalton and Rosa. "Should have known you'd have loot stored away."
"Like I had any other reason to come back here," Dalton scoffed. "C'mon, you two. Kid, you take point."
"Loud and clear," Rosa replied.
"Wasn't talking to you, Brat," Dalton corrected. "I was talking to the Kid."
"Who are…" Rosa began, confused.
"…Hey Rosa," Larain nervously spoke up. "…Long time, no see."
Falco, Hypatia, and the Amazons could only look into the darkness as Rosa began screaming bloody murder. "…Should we get in there and help?" Sophia asked.
"…Why?" Hypatia replied. Sophia thought for a moment before nodding in concession. Ferra broke out a flare as she tapped on Hypatia's shoulder. "…Barabbas's blood," the older Amazon remembered. "You've seen her?" Ferra nodded. "…Lead the way," Hypatia allowed herself to smile a checkerboarded grin.
Sheol stood over the weary outlaws as Ariel took Nick to the side to chat. These men were gifted killers, but desperate. They still clung to hope, to life. Ailments that Sheol had learned long ago to dispose of. He had learned from a wise man that it was meaningless to fight for a purpose. The fight WAS the purpose. And right now, this fight needed weapons.
Ulric returned as Ralf stood watch over the tunnels. Sheol looked to his comrade as he began to rub his eyes. He glanced back at the outlaws to see if anyone caught it. Turning back, he waited for the rest of the signal. Ulric then scratched his cheek five times. Sheol began to cough as he pounded on his chest gently. Ulric rubbed his neck.
The message was clear. They were being watched by five guys, not affiliated with either the Ximenez Gang or the Legatum. They would assume they were hostile. Still, Sheol and his men knew these caves better than either. Once they got to weapons storage, there would be little either group could do to dislodge them. All they had to do was reach it and secure it. There was just the matter of getting away from both groups. Fortunately, all three members of the Legatum had the exact same idea.
Each man pulled out a plasma grenade. Activating them, all three chucked their devices down into a cavern. A few moments later, they heard a voice scream from inside the darkness. "MIERDA! GRENADA!" A quick series of dull green explosions popped off afterward. Sheol felt a gun press up against the back of his neck. "What the hell did you do?" Nick growled as Ariel's outlaws closed in on them.
Soon enough, some figures from inside the darkness opened fire on the outlaws, cutting down one as Ariel let out a vicious curse and ordered her men to return fire. Nick was distracted by the sudden outburst for a brief but critical moment. Sheol, having fantasized about this moment for days, knocked Nick's gun arm away from his head using his elbow, while using his other to draw his plasma pistol and sticking it right into Nick's ribs. A strangled and agonized howl filled the caves as Nick fell back, his entrails boiling from the sick, nauseous light that burned him. Sheol and his men broke away from the firefight right as Ariel watched her last and oldest friend die. Right before they could round the corner, Sheol felt something hard crack nearby him, turning just in time to see Ralf's hollowed-out skull collapse on the ground next to him. Nice shot, he quietly thought to himself as he and Ulric barely managed to escape, the enraged Ariel Ximenez hot on their trails.
Melody found herself clutching ever tighter to Joseph as he made his path deliberately through the darkness. With only the sounds of the cane tapping the ground and her own breath, Melody kept making furtive glances around her, expecting to see… something. Whatever it may be, she could not honestly say, but her imagination was on overdrive.
Amy held onto her arm as she braced herself for the inevitable. Something here was going to kill her. There was little purpose in arguing about fearing fate. All she could do was wait until her life came to an end, now that things had fallen so far out of her control.
Joseph stopped, listening to the faintest sounds that only he could hear. "…We must hurry," he said as he quickened his pace. "…There's a sanctuary ahead. You two can stay there until we all reunite." Melody and Amy glanced at one another. Sure enough, a light from within the caverns cut through the dark, emitting from a hideaway hole that had been dug out of the rock. A little girl wearing sunglasses ran from out of the carved-out hole and glared the three down, baring her teeth.
"…Hello again," Joseph said, nervously. This caught Melody's attention, immediately. Joseph was the most confident man she had ever met when it came to dealing with strangers. He was always optimistic and forthcoming with those he hadn't yet met. If he was cautious, something was wrong.
You have a lot of guts showing your face around here again. Who sent you? Mother? Barabbas?
None, child. My business here is my own. Our own. I regret that our previous meeting had to take place under such egregious circumstances.
You tried to murder my brother, preacher.
He was hurting a friend of mine.
…It's something he does a lot.
"…Ladies," Joseph finally spoke. "This little girl is named…"
If you use my name, I will melt your brain.
…What would you rather prefer?
"…Marcy," Joseph finally completed, to which the girl seemed nonplussed by. Melody slowly approached the girl while Amy hung back, never really being a fan of children. The girl named Marcy looked over Melody.
Is this one a doctor?
Correct! How very observant of you!
The white lab coat is a dead giveaway. The red cross on the arm means she's a Follower, right?
Well, aren't you such a knowledgeable little girl?
Father says he should have put them all to the sword when he tried to take New Vegas.
Your Father sounds… rather unpleasant.
It's OK, you can say he's a prick.
Joseph suddenly burst out laughing. Both Melody and Amy turned to stare at him while Marcy regarded him with a sense of suspicion. As Joseph then collected himself before turning to the women. "…The path ahead is dire, and one I must traverse alone. Stay here, with her, and she will keep you safe."
"You're going alone?" Amy asked, incredulous.
"Not alone. Never alone," Joseph smiled. "But I shall head out by myself. Melody, there's a man in the cave that you may see to. Amy, stay with Melody and under no circumstances depart until I return. For your benefit." Joseph then turned his attention to the girl awaiting him.
You wouldn't tolerate my presence here, anyway, would you?
You remind me of Mother. If we stay together for too long, things are going to get ugly.
…I'm so sorry, little one. Protect these and your own flock. I shall be needed elsewhere.
…Good luck, preacher. Be wary of the lizard, he's just snuffed another light. And the red-haired one's master has just entered the cave. He makes me nervous.
Me too. Hey, regarding your brother…
I felt him too. Do not call him. Marcy's lip curled as she growled at Joseph.
Are you afraid?
Of him or you? Barabbas doesn't know any better and… you understand why I'm not partial to you. But I did leave for a reason.
"I understand," Joseph said aloud. "Melody, watch after them all. I shall return as soon as I am able."
Dalton trekked down the tunnel, Larain following close behind, and bringing up the rear was Lt. Baxter, dragging a squirming and snarling Rosa with her. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy killing you, Dipshit!" she got out before Kim tucked her arm under her captive's throat once again.
"…You sure know how to pick'em, Kid," Dalton muttered under his breath to Larain as they rounded a corner.
"…Technically, she picked me," Larain muttered in response. "I should have just said no, but of course, I'd spent enough time away from camp that I just had to scratch that itch."
"Spare me the details," Dalton groaned. "I remember when you wore short pants, boy. And the last time I saw you, you could barely get through a training session without crying. So this whole… thing is a bit beyond me."
"I'm going to rip you open from balls to brains," Rosa hissed as Kim got fully behind her and hoisted her body off the ground.
"Now is not the time," Kim gritted as they heard weapons discharge further behind them down the tunnels.
"Let me go! He needs to pay!" Rosa begged as she struggled to escape Kim's grip, futilely.
"I can think of worthier things to kill someone over a one-night stand," Kim groaned as she dragged Rosa just outside of reach of Larain, who at this point was still doing his best to ignore the threats coming his way.
"He's the reason Carla got hurt," Rosa finally said.
That stopped Larain in his tracks. "…Is she doing OK?" he had to ask.
"WHAT DO YOU CARE?!" Rosa shrieked. "SHE ALMOST DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!"
"Rosa, shut the hell up!" Kim gritted as she tightened her grip around Rosa's neck. It was then that Larain snapped around and glared directly at Rosa. Dalton, too focused on the path ahead, didn't look back to realize that Larain had stormed directly up to the woman he had been trying to avoid ever since they reunited.
"…Yeah, you're right," Larain nodded his head. "It's my fault that Carla got hurt. But it's also Cade's fault. And yours."
"…You did not just blame me for what your friend did," Rosa hissed in anger.
"He's not my friend. And yes, I do blame you in part. When I left Carla, I pretty much burned that bridge. She had no reason to go after me. Shit, she was probably as delighted to see the last of me as you were. She didn't chase after me for my sake. She was chasing you. You're the reason she was there, Rosa," Larain finally got the words off his chest.
"…Kim, if you let me go, I am running this fucker through," Rosa growled.
"Well, good thing I have other plans," Kim replied as she dragged Rosa past Larain.
"Well, if all this lovely teenage angsty bullshit is passed," Dalton replied with an insincere smile. "Can we all please just FOCUS and get to the storehouse together?"
The sounds of gunfire and screaming began to draw closer. Whatever, and whoever, was fighting in the caves was on the move, and the longer they stood still the closer the fighting drew. "…It don't sound like my boys," Dalton offered. "Probably all died by now," he said as he picked the wax out of his ear.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I really wasn't in a rush to meet your old friends, anyway," Larain said.
"None taken," Dalton shrugged. "They died as they lived. Like angry idiots with nothing better to do."
"So, what does that make you?" Kim asked as she placed her hand over Rosa's mouth as the smaller woman tried to kick out Kim's legs.
"…No comment," Dalton replied, dryly. Larain and Kim both let out some quiet chuckles. Even Rosa stopped struggling quite as much. It was at this point that the gunfire began to grow quieter. Evidently, the belligerents found a run-off tunnel and continued their mobile fight deeper within the caves. At any rate, it saved them some time.
"…So, once we're secured, what are we going to do about rescuing Frost?" Kim asked as they rounded a corner.
"That's on you, miss," Dalton replied. "My only concern is making sure your little friend there makes it home in one piece."
"How very noble of you, sir," Kim replied, dryly.
"Noble ain't got nothing to do with it. I expect a fair amount of gratuity. Cash reward gratuity. For me and I guess the kid, too."
"Please don't drag me into this, Uncle," Larain groaned.
"What? We save the princess, and California is going to owe us," Dalton chuckled. "If you can't appreciate even a little bit of irony, I don't know what to tell you."
Before Kim could respond, an extremely sharp and precise elbow slammed into her ribs. Her prisoner escaped her grasp just enough to break free, close the gap between her and Larain, and draw her machete enough to graze the man's neck. In self-defense, Larain had instinctively drawn his pistol towards the woman, pressing it against her stomach as Rosa glared him down. As Kim recovered from the blow, Dalton merely stood by and watched with a sense of detached amusement, though no one was paying much attention to the hand hovering over his plasma pistol.
"…I would sooner die than accept help from someone like you," Rosa snarled as she sheathed her machete and stormed away from the three. "I'm finding my own way out of here!"
"ROSA! DON'T YOU DARE-" Kim screamed as the girl vanished into the darkness. Growling, she turned to Dalton and Larain. "You two, find that holdout and stay there. I'll get that idiot back."
"That's it. Easy does it. You're doing great," a female voice spoke as Dinero slowly came to. He could feel the dressing against his forehead numb the internal throbbing. Immediately, he braced himself to try and run or attack or something against these new strangers, whoever they were. A small hand took his, and he immediately began to relax. If Marcy was OK, so was he. At this point, that was all he really asked for.
Marcy stole a glance at Amy as she was looking over the opened contents of the medical bag as Dr. Young continued to examine the older man. Marcy curled her lip as Amy slowly drew her hand back from the bag. Amy glared at the younger child, not enamored with the kid's judging eyes behind those sunglasses.
Melody breathed a sigh of relief as Dinero forced himself awake. The wound was shallow, but without proper and immediate medical care, even the most innocuous injury could become fatal. At any rate, she was surprised by how hardy this old guy was. Most likely he was some elite wastelander survivalist. Why else could one expect to look after their granddaughter in a place like this?
Marcy looked up, her expression changing from concerned to anxious as she looked to the entryway. She pulled on Dinero and looked to Dr. Young, her expression pleading with them that they could not stay where they were.
"Is something wrong, miss?" Dr. Melody asked.
"…We have to hide," Dinero finally said as he pulled himself to his feet. "Marcy, we'll hide back in the closet, will that be OK?" Marcy vigorously nodded. "You… uh," Dinero turned to Dr. Young and Amy. "You two, there's some barracks in the back, just stay in there and don't draw attention to yourselves. And if the bastard coming here is carrying plasma weapons, leave him to me," he growled as he ushered Marcy with him to the supply closet. Marcy peeked from in front of him to motion for the two women to follow Dinero's orders. Melody and Amy shared a brief glance before abiding by it, however reluctantly.
Moments later, a heavily scarred man entered the storehouse, panting heavily as sweat rained from his brow. That had been close. Far too close. Ralf wasn't a surprising loss with all things considered, but what had happened to Ulric… He immediately dove for the plasma grenades.
Opening the crate, Sheol looked around him. He was the last one. A twenty-year campaign of terror and retribution and it had all come down to him. He suppressed the irrelevant emotions inside him as he fully attached the bandolier across his chest and began fastening the grenades onto them. If worst came to worst, he could always take a page out of the Ministerio's book.
As he stepped away to further arm himself, his foot fell upon something beneath him right as Melody realized she had forgotten something. Sheol bent down to examine the medical bag. It was fresh and clean, unlike that which the Legatum could regularly loot. Further, it was opened, and no one was in this cave. At least, no one was supposed to be in the cave.
Sheol immediately turned to the barracks and activated two plasma grenades. In quick succession, he flung them one after the other into the adjacent room. Two women stumbled out before they went off, the barracks behind them erupting in a noxious inferno. Then Sheol immediately drew his plasma pistol and pointed it at the intruders. "Hands where I can fucking see them!"
Melody complied, swallowing her dread as her arms rose above her head. Amy didn't comply, glaring at the terrorist with too familiar contempt. Sheol was about to repeat his threat when the recognition washed over him. "…Heh-heh-heh-heh, small world, ain't it?"
Amy bit her tongue as Sheol approached, his gun still trained on Melody as he glanced over the handiwork of his men. "…I see they took my suggestion seriously. Rather crude handiwork, but art doesn't come naturally for most. Any raider can mount a screaming bitch, it takes vision to mark her for the rest of her life," he chuckled.
The memories came flooding back to Amy. After Ximenez tried and failed to get any answers out of her, Sheol offered her to four of his men while he and the rest joined up with the rest of the gang. From there they used her as a toy, like a pack of dogs thrown bloody meat, did things that Cade would never have allowed them to do if he had been there. But he wasn't. She let him down.
"…Ain't no purpose marking someone who's already been kissed by plasma," Sheol taunted. "…This new girl, though. She looks fresh. Never could turn down a good canvas."
"If you're going to hurt her, at least do me the courtesy of killing me first!" Amy screamed.
Sheol looked her over. "…I take it you didn't bring the medical bag? So, the other one must be a doctor? Hm… she'd be worth a lot up north. Maybe I just sell her and keep you for myself. It's been a while since I've had a pet."
He looked over to Melody and caught her glance before she corrected herself. Turning around, he saw an old man with a rock in his hands. The old man let out a curse as he abandoned any pretense of subtlety and charged him. Sheol simply aimed his weapon at him and pulled the trigger. At least, he tried to.
For a brief moment, Sheol could assess rationally what was happening. His brain was telling him to use his weapon to protect himself from a threat. Years of instinct and training had told him that such a problem always came with a simple solution, one he had been well versed with over many years. Only now, a particular synapse was refusing to fire, to perform the action that he had done so many times. From the closet, Marcy held her grip onto his mind, bracing herself for what was about to come.
Dinero slammed the rock against Sheol's skull, dropping the younger man onto the ground. As the pistol fell from his fingers, Sheol then proceeded to try and fail to grab the knife in his boot. Dinero had immediately beset himself upon him and began to crack and pummel Sheol with everything he had.
"Sir, please, you don't have to kill him!" Melody screamed as their patient began to beat a man to death in front of her. Whatever he may have done, it was still the highest duty she held herself to try and stop him, to save the life in front of her, regardless of her personal feelings. "Think of your granddaughter!"
Amy grabbed Melody and took her aside. "…He needs this," Amy shuddered. "…Please understand… that I understand… he needs this." Melody looked into Amy's eyes and saw the sincerity within them. It was enough to break her. She had to look away, holding back tears as Amy tried to comfort her.
Unbeknownst to him, Marcy had enabled Dinero to sneak up on Sheol, and when that failed, entered the mind of the monster to prevent him from effectively defending himself. This came with some serious drawbacks. For starters, Marcy was now privy to Sheol's entire life and history. Every murder, every rape, every burning and torture and atrocity came rushing to her as she held onto her grip. It also meant that she shared Sheol's pain. Every blow dealt was one she felt, however muted. She was in pain, far more pain than she had felt any other time except for her birth. But she held. Because if she didn't, Sheol could manage to find himself once more and kill Markus Dinero. And she wouldn't let that happen.
The rock slipped from Dinero's fingers as he made his last impact. As it fell away, Dinero looked down at his handiwork. He remembered reading a safety manual that had been salvaged once upon a time when he first came into possession of this mine. As dry as the reading was, the illustrations and pictures were rather stark and brutal. He remembered he and some of his staff would make a game of showing it to new guards, to see how long they could go through the book until they were grossed out. This image before him looked like a reference to hard hat importance. After all, the skull, natures hard hat, could only endure so much. A lame joke, but Kekos had so few of them, it was all the more memorable for it.
Melody turned around to the grisly sight to see the old man on his knees as he got off the corpse, bawling into his bloody hands. This time, Amy was the first to go down to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "…You got him. You did great," Amy nodded. This only made Dinero break down harder. At long last, he had come home. He had returned and taken back his kingdom. All hail Markus Dinero, king of the dirt and lord of an empty town.
Marcy stumbled out of the closet, in agony and pain. She hadn't just watched a man die. She felt his life slip away from her. She felt hers nearly join him in eternity. All the fear, pain, suffering, hate, everything she felt before her had washed over, nearly drowning her very core. Even now, she felt weak. Falling to her knees, Marcy felt scared and alone. It was all she could do that she opened her mouth and let out a silent, desperate scream before passing out.
Barabbas perked his head up as he cracked the skulls of the marshals together. Tobey and Carla fell on top of each other, their battered armor and bruised bodies rendering them both barely clinging to life. Frost and Kyra had both been pleading for the rest of the riders to get involved and intervene on behalf of the now defenseless marshals, who themselves were too concerned about the missing Falco and Hypatia to interrupt. Noticing that the Legate has stopped his beating, the onlookers turned to watch as Barabbas seemed to be listening intently at something only he could hear over the wind, which by now had finally began to die out.
Suddenly, Barabbas charged through the town. "BARABBAS!" Kyra screamed as Frost immediately went to check on the twins. Drago ordered the men to tend to their wounds and bind the two, as they were in no position to survive an interrogation under his command. As Barabbas drew closer to the caves, he began to pick up speed that would rival that of Belua, speed that could evidently only come from that of a half-naked minotaur who finally found exactly what he was looking for.
"I told you that was a bad idea," Larain complained as they headed down the tunnel towards the storehouse.
"Well, I knew she was impulsive, but I didn't think she was that bad," Dalton shrugged.
"…Well, I should have," Larain sighed. "She hated my guts and made sure I knew she did."
"Isn't that just a woman thing?" Dalton asked, jokingly.
"…Maybe," Larain admitted with a quiet laugh. "And maybe she has every right to despise me?"
"I don't see how those two things contradict," Dalton replied. "Well, just three more turns and we'll be back… home…" Dalton paused to sniff the air. "…That idiot…" he growled.
"Uncle?" Larain asked.
"Fucking Dinero set off some plasma weapons! I can smell the fumes from here! I should have smoked that moron years ago!" Dalton spat as he stormed down the tunnels.
"Uncle, don't you… I mean, Dinero is stupid, sure, but I don't think he's that stupid," Larain admitted.
"Well, whatever it is, someone's getting skinned alive when I get back here. Do you have any idea how hard it is to ventilate a fucking cave, kid? We're killers, not miners, and I'm not going to spend my twilight years with a shovel and a-" he paused as he rounded a corner. "…What the…" he said as he raised his lantern in front of him. "…WHO'S THERE?" he called into the darkness.
Confused, Larain joined his uncle, straining his eyes to see in the dark before him. As they adjusted, he could see the faint outline of a body wearing a military-style coat much like his uncle wore. "…Sheol? Is that you?" Dalton asked. "…Ralf? Yezi? Bruhur?"
"Uncle," Larain whispered as he got a better look at what was in front of them, fear creeping upon him. "Look at the feet."
Dalton did, and his confusion compounded upon itself. The figure, however tall it was supposed to be, wasn't touching the ground. That was when Dalton realized another thing he had overlooked. He couldn't see the figure's head. It was then that two orange eyes peered in from the darkness, and a pair of jaws crunched down on the neck of the corpse, dropping it like a rag doll.
"NOT YOU!" Larian screamed in terror as he fell on his back, trying to scramble away. Dalton would normally wonder just what had spooked his nephew so damn much. But the warrior in him was a more decisive actor. Immediately, he readied his plasma rifle. "TAKE ANOTHER STEP CLOSER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS!"
The monster seemed to consider the threat before laughing and deliberately taking a solitary pace forward. Dalton fired, only for the beast to immediately respond by taking the headless corpse in front of it and using it to block the shot. The creature then regarded the burning corpse for an instant before chucking it towards the old man with the burning gun. Dalton braced himself, only to watch as the body soared well over himself. "NICE THROW, JACKASS!" Dalton taunted before hearing a sudden impact behind him as the air left Larain's lungs.
"Tank youz," Sawney replied.
The blow had knocked Larain on his face, the smoldering corpse weighing him down as he tried to get back to his feet. Looking back, he saw Dalton glancing at him, taking his eyes off the deathclaw. "UNCLE, NO!" Larain screamed as the monster lunged at Dalton, knocking him off his feet with a headbutt and sending the old man sprawling away. The beast maneuvered itself over Larain, its bloodstained spittle dribbling from its teeth as it leered over its quarry. "Eheh-heh, I'z been waiten a long time for dis," Sawney grinned as he pulled his arm from behind him, the tightness of the tunnel making it hard for him to pull himself through.
Larain was happy to keep him waiting. He drew his pistols and opened up on Sawney, pelting him in the face with bullets. Though unable to pierce the monster's hide, it was enough to force the lizard off and allow Larain to get on his feet to retreat. At least until the deathclaw freed its other claw, with the improvised bludgeoning weapon it carried. The dead body slammed into Larain, knocking him against the wall. Out of the corner of his eyes, Larain could recognize the one-armed corpse the deathclaw carried, but the thought died in his mind as Sawney immediately snapped his jaws towards him.
Dalton looked up from the ground and watched as the only child of his best friend was at the mercy of a literal monster. He reached for his plasma rifle, but the weapon had been flung even further down the tunnel than he. He did have his machete, though. A paltry instrument against such an enemy. And in this circumstance, more than enough.
Larain watched as the old man rushed past him, slicing at the mouth of the deathclaw before it could envelop his head. "GET OUT OF HERE, KID!" Dalton screamed as he slashed at the beast's hide, drawing blood and a scream. Larain turned and ran, putting as much distance between him and the fight as he could. If this thing got to Dinero and Marcy, things were going to get really ugly. "I'M OUT, UNCLE! BREAK OFF AND- UNCLE!"
Sawney had grabbed Dalton and slammed his body against the wall. Even in his younger years, such a beating would have easily taken the wind out of him, but now it was nothing more than an exercise in excess and sadism. The machete slipped from Dalton's grasp and fell onto the ground as the man himself spat up blood. Sawney stared the old man down as his jaws began to salivate.
"Youz too stringy, geeza. But I aints pickie. Sidez, I'z gotz plenti ov odda humiez to hunt foreva in hear, hahahahaha-HURK!" Sawney nearly choked as Larain saw Dalton stick his hand inside the monster's mouth. Dalton gritted in pain as he felt the fangs tear into and through his arm, but he only had one chance make sure this thing never threatened Larain again.
As Sawney felt the blood trickle into his throat, he felt something had been shoved right into the right hinge of his jaw, right between some teeth that made it nearly impossible for him to close his mouth. As he focused on it, a piercing sensation stabbed his claw, forcing him to release the old man. Dalton looked up to Larain as he began dragging Dalton away. "You idiot! I was trying to buy you some time!"
"And I'm trying to save your life!" Larain shot back as Sawney's tongue finally found the plasma grenade wedged into his jaw right before it exploded.
The blast shook the already weak foundations of that section of the mine. Neither Larain nor Dalton looked back to admire their handiwork, continuing to push forward. They began to double time as they heard the inhuman screaming behind them, a babbling cacophony of mangled threats and pained howls. The cloaked woman, having heard the noises and came to investigate, saw the two and what pursued them. Immediately, she began chucking her makeshift grenades behind the two as they crossed her threshold, the explosives destroying the weakened supports and dislodging the fragile minerals around the beast. As the cave began to rumble, Sawney glared at his prey with his working eye as the avalanche of soil sealed him away.
Larain finally dropped Dalton as he caught his breath. Dalton in turn looked at his mangled hand and wrapped what he could in what was left of his coat sleeve. Ferra looked at both, content they were safe as the screams inside the storage house grew louder. Hypatia ignored the protests of the doctor as she carried out the limp body of the little girl, with Falco and Sophia holding the two women back. Satisfied they found what they were looking for, Ferra went to join her sisters and complete their mission. A pair of sunglasses had been dropped from the girl, as Ferra would accidentally find out as she stepped on it, wiping the debris from her feet as she left with her companions.
As the four left, Dinero burst past Melody and Amy, having finally come to from his breakdown. "Who are… where are they taking her?" he asked the two.
"I'm sorry," Melody tearfully replied. "There wasn't anything we could do."
Dinero felt dread and fear creep up and down his spine. "No. No no no… they can't… I… she's all I have left!" he cried as he immediately chased after the retreating figures.
Rosa had made another right turn, this one had to be different from the other three she had taken. She wasn't lost, this was just a stupid cave. It was basically an elevator, the exit couldn't be more obvious. Eventually. Somehow.
Fine, she was lost. But not for long. She heard gunfire somewhere deep in the caves. If those guys, whoever they were, had found a way in, she would find a way out. Then a strong hand grabbed her by the arm and forced her against the wall. As she got a good look at her familiar assailant, Kim drove a knee directly into Rosa's stomach. Her previous good humor and patience, scant as it was, had finally run out.
"YOU PETULANT BITCH!" Kim roared. "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE DOING?!"
Rosa tried to wheeze out a response, but the most she could offer was a little spittle and drool pooling from her lips.
"People… depend on you," Kim growled. "People like my unit, like your friends, like the entire AEG and the Mojave and California, they depend on you not running off and getting yourself killed, you stupid little girl!"
"I… never asked anyone…" Rosa began to sputter out.
"It's called duty!" Kim countered. "If you die, everything the AEG has set out to achieve, everyone we have lost and will lose, will all be for nothing! I get no one asked you, and I get that it isn't fair, and I get that you never wanted to do any of this, but this is bigger than yourself, Rosa. It sure as hell is bigger than me!" Kim continued to scold.
Rosa couldn't say anything, just continuing to glare at Kim as she was held against the wall.
"…If you die, then everything your friends have sacrificed to try and find you will be for nothing. Is that how you want them to remember you? Throwing your life away for nothing? To stick it to someone who doesn't matter? Is that more important than what we're trying to accomplish? Answer me!"
"…no," Rosa mumbled.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Kim screamed.
"No," Rosa emphatically stated. "…I'm sorry."
"I don't want to hear it," Kim shot back as she dropped Rosa. "You want to make it up to me, to us, you fix it. Are we clear?"
"Yes," Rosa nodded, feeling humiliated. "I'll… drop the Larain issue. I swear."
"About time," Kim groaned. "You have any idea where we are?"
Rosa shook her head, embarrassed. "That's because you weren't counting your steps, kid. Next time you want to do something stupid, at least think like a soldier so you can mitigate how stupid it is," Kim snorted.
A crack of thunder echoed throughout the cave. Rosa looked around, confused by the sudden noise. "…Are we near an entrance?" she said as Kim fell to her knees, clutching her shoulder. "KIM!" Rosa screamed, realizing what had happened. Another round was then chambered into the rifle. Rosa looked up and saw the outline of that animal who really hurt Carla.
"Rosa… get out of here," Kim gritted. "Save yourself. Remember, it's all pointless if you die!"
"Kim, you can't…" Rosa tried to interrupt.
"I'll hold this guy off, now GO!" Kim screamed as she tried to lift her machinegun. Rosa watched her struggle but remembered her words. "…You make it back, Kim. I'm counting on you for that, you hear?" Rosa said as she darted into the dark.
Kim forced herself to get to her feet, right as Cade fired off another round. It stung her right in the shoulder, and Kim could feel burning as she fell back onto her knees. Trying to force the pain out of her mind, Kim tried one last time to hoist up her gun and fire off enough rounds to melt the barrel. By now Cade had closed in and responded to her attempt with a rifle stock in her shoulder wound.
"Rock salt stings, doesn't it?" Cade goaded her as Kim got to her feet and swung at him with her unwounded arm. Cade danced around the wild and uneven blows as he kept glancing into the dark. Every good trap needed the right bait, and he had something wonderful on his line.
He cracked his rifle stock across Kim's jaw, just enough to throw off her body and allow Cade to sneak behind her. From there, he grabbed her arm and twisted, the wound in her shoulder kicking up so much Kim was immobilized by the pain, letting out some pained hisses as her face slammed against the ground.
"Oh, come now, it can't be that bad," Cade taunted. "It's not like I did this," he said as he stuck two of his fingers deep into Kim's shoulder wound, the soldier letting out a scream of suffering as Cade kept pressuring the rest of her arm.
Content by his work, Cade drew his hand out of the wound and reached for his belt, pulling out a bowie knife as he held it to Kim's throat as she panted and wheezed. "…Go ahead and kill me," Kim stated as Cade pressed the knife deeper into her neck.
"I will. On my time," Cade replied. "Just as soon as your friend's conscience finally kicks in and… there we are," Cade smiled as he heard the footsteps draw closer. Right as Rosa entered the light, Cade forced up Kim to use her as a human shield from the machete-wielding maniac. Rosa, having anticipated that, immediately rolled her body around Kim without breaking her stride, twisting her body to close the distance faster than Cade could anticipate. Forced to defend himself, Cade dropped Kim as he blocked the machete with his knife. "Long time, no see," Cade greeted.
"FUCK YOU!" Rosa screamed as her skull collided with Cade's chin. Kim could only watch and try to recover as she watched Rosa drive off Cade with her wild instincts and surprisingly intelligent strikes. Cade, clearly an expert knife fighter himself, was continuously kept on the back foot as he tried to open the distance between the two, an opportunity Rosa continuously kept denying him. My idiot in shining armor, Kim thought to herself as a smile crept on her lips. Wincing, he made to reach for her machine gun. At this point, any help she could offer Rosa would benefit the both of them. A new pair of boots suddenly appeared to block her path, a sharp kick aimed straight at her wound further stalling Kim's attempt to recover. The newcomer then drew both of her pistols as she let out a shrill whistle.
Rosa and Cade both ignored this as they continued their fight. It only came to a stop when a series of shots rang out through the cave, forcing the attention of both the duelists. Ariel Ximenez stood alone, weapons pointed before her. "…You, with me. Now," she said in a tone that conceded no argument.
"…Why?" Rosa asked. "For the money?"
"For her sake," Ariel replied as she took one pistol and pointed it at Kim's head. "I have spent too much and lost too many to lose you to the likes of him."
"… If you want me to come with you, you'll let Kim go," Rosa replied. "And you'll make sure this asswipe doesn't pull anything fast."
Ariel glared at her daughter before finally pulling her pistol away from Kim. "…Dunk, I really hoped you'd be dead by now."
"Join the club," Cade taunted.
"That redhead of yours wasn't doing so hot last time I saw her," Ariel replied.
"Is that supposed to get a rise out of me?" Cade almost laughed. "Ariel, you disappoint me. You know I don't care about dead assets."
"Oh, I think she's alive," Ariel continued. "And belongs to someone else. Of course, what good they'd see in a broken whore isn't something I'd think about," Ariel taunted.
"…You know that your kid was labeled DOA by Levi, right?" Cade replied.
"Dead or alive, that's correct," Ariel nodded as she kept her eyes trained on Cade.
"…Really?" Cade asked, confused. "That's what it stands for? I always thought it meant-" he lunged at Rosa and put his knife to her throat. "Dead on arrival!"
"Careful, Dunk," Ariel bristled in anger and excitement. "All I need to kill you is an excuse!"
"Oh, right, because I killed your flunky," Cade taunted as Rosa tried to break free. "The brother, right? Who was who, again?"
"If you think I can't make this shot, you've really forgotten all about me," Ariel retorted, curling her lip.
"…Mom," Rosa called out, for the first time today worried about dying, having never expected the woman who gave birth to her to pull a gun on her and gamble with her life. It hit differently. Kim tried valiantly to reach for her weapon, the standoff forcing her to prioritize who was the bigger threat and how likely she could intervene. Elsewhere, the shooter readied the gun.
"…You can't kill me," Cade smiled. "I'd feel something if you could."
"You won't feel anything when I'm done with you," Ariel snarled as she angled her weapon. She needed the money to start over, maybe buy up a new crew that wouldn't be cut down in the wasteland. Or perhaps she could just finally retire, go east and find her own Vegas, run it her own way. All that stood between her and a better future was the one guy on the RMX's payroll she couldn't negotiate with and a kid she had no idea what to do with.
The shot rang out.
Kim looked to Ariel, the only one holding any guns. Neither was smoking, as Ariel looked to Cade, wondering if he had an extra pistol on him. Cade had kept his eyes on both Ariel and the big woman, and he knew for a fact that neither had fired a shot. Rosa fell from his grasp, her lifeless eyes staring into nothingness.
Shock was the first thing Ariel felt, followed by a wave of unrelenting anger as she opened fire on a swiftly retreating Cade. Slinging his rifle from his shoulders, Cade fired back as he slowly realized what had happened. Sly bastard, he thought to himself as he and Ariel disappeared into the caves.
Kim dragged her body towards Rosa's, her wound all but forgotten as she immediately began to check Rosa's pulse. "Please no, please no, please no, please no," Kim shook her head as she tried and failed to fight the panic in her voice. "This can't be happening, this can't be real, this can't be… this can't…"
She immediately grabbed Rosa's machete and held it before her. "WHO ARE YOU?!" she screamed out.
"…A friend," Joseph replied as he holstered his gun.