Author's Note: I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. Enjoy the chapter, and reviews, as always, are welcome.
(The next day)
"Why are we not going that way?" asked Amata. "What did you say?" Mark asked in reply. "Well, this sign says that Vegas is this way," she said, pointing to the left. "That's where they were headed, right? This way seems quicker." Mark and Amata were a mile outside Goodsprings, standing in front of a sign. They had decided to use the day before to get ready to leave. In reality, Amata let Mark gather all the supplies that they would need, since he had more experience in this type of situation. While Amata went on patrol with Sunny, Mark had purchased any supplies they would need. That included medical supplies from Doc Mitchell, water from Trudy, and ammo and other miscellaneous supplies from Chet. They had told everyone in town that they were going on vacation.
They left at 9 am, and it was approaching 9:30 as they stopped at the sign. Mark was outfitted in his green combat armor, his assault rifle if his hands and his 10 mm pistol on his right hip. He also had a duffel bag swung over his left shoulder. Amata was wearing her leather armor, and had a hunting rifle in her hands, with a similar 10 mm pistol on her hip and duffel bag similar to Mark's. The sign they were standing in front of was a green pre-war road sign. It read, from top to bottom, "Jean," with an arrow pointing ahead, "Primm," with an arrow pointing to the right, and "Las Vegas," with an arrow pointing to the left.
"Amata, what did I tell you not twenty minutes ago? We're not going that way," Mark said, pointing left, "because there is a nest of deathclaws in that direction. Sure, I killed a few in DC, but they were all one-on-one situations. To take out that many, we would need a lot heavier ordinance than we're carrying. Also, I try to avoid getting ripped to shreds if I can help it. So we're going this way," he said pointing to the right. "I've been this way before. It is a bit longer, but it also a hell of a lot safer." "Sorry. I forgot. You don't have to be a jerk about it."
They started to walk towards Primm. "Amata, I'm not trying to be a jerk. I'm just trying to keep us both safe. Oh, and another thing, if we come across a dicey situation, and I tell you to run and hide, I need you to do it, no questions asked." Amata seemed to get annoyed. "Why? Is it because I'm pregnant? Look, Mark, I'm not some damsel in distress that can't fight and needs to be rescued." "Look, I'm not saying that you have no ability to fight. In fact, I'm very pleased with the progress you've made since we've come out here. All I'm saying is that the worst thing you killed was a couple Powder Gangers, and as far as I'm concerned, they are just raiders wearing better clothes, and just as stupid. If they were smart, they would've realized they were walking into a kill zone." "Whatever," she said, turning her back to him and walking towards Primm.
They continued on their way to Primm in silence, seeing a few small geckos that paid them no mind. Mark led the way, since he knew the way. Amata wasn't paying attention when she bumped into Mark, who had stopped for some reason. Amata stumbled a bit, but regained her balance. "Hey, why'd we stop?" she asked. He turned to her and put his finger to his mouth. "Why are you mmph-" She didn't get to finish because Mark had covered her mouth with his hand and dragged her behind a nearby group of rocks. "What the hell?" "First of all," Mark said in a whisper, "quiet. Secondly, look over there." Mark pointed over the rocks and Amata peeked over to see what was going on.
It looked like a couple of Powder Gangers had made camp near an old RV about thirty yards away from them. She came back down before they noticed her. "Ok," she said, "what do we do? Kill them? Like the ones in Goodsprings?" "No," said Mark. "We only killed them because they were threatening the town. These rocks should give us enough cover so that we can sneak past them. I don't do random murder just for the hell of it, even if they are criminals. Let's go." They crouched low and started walking. They made it about twenty feet before Amata sneezed loudly. Mark turned around and gave her a death glare. "Sorry," she said with a sheepish grin. They looked over the rocks. The Powder Gangers had gotten up and were heading in their direction.
Options went through Mark's head, when he settled on one, which could also serve as a teachable moment for Amata. "Ok, here's the plan." he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a fragmentation grenade. "They're walking close together. I'm gonna toss this grenade between them. They'll likely dive in opposite directions. When they do, you take the one on the left, and I'll take the one on the right. Got it?" She nodded as she readied her rifle. "Fire in the hole." He threw the grenade over the rocks, and just as he predicted, they scattered in opposite directions. Mark put three in the chest of the one he was aiming for. Amata's first shot missed, but her second shot went through the neck of the powder ganger she was aiming for. He started clutching at his throat, but he died shortly thereafter. When they believed that it was safe, they came out from behind the rocks. Once they were sure they were dead, Mark turned to Amata.
"See? What did I tell you? Stupid as hell." "What?" "First of all, they kept their guns by their sides. They should have kept them at the ready. Also, they should have fanned out. Walking so close together just made them an easier target. Come on. We've wasted enough time with these idiots. Check their pockets and their campsite. Grab any supplies, and let's get going." She raised an eyebrow at him. "What? They're not gonna need any of it." Once they searched the camp for any usable supplies, they continued on to Primm.
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Until next time.