Chapter 38 “Never heard of Rangers.”

They stopped in the first quiet spot along the east road for the woman to change out of her slave rags and into her clothes. She changed right in front of them before the men turned their backs. She’d been beaten recently.

Mitch appeared under a burning lamp ahead and took them to their campsite for the night. The ruined footprint of an office building, the last remaining corner already serving as a sniper's nest.

Billy and Hawkins went over the hand drawn map, comparing it to their own. Mitch set to cooking and JoJo sauntered over to John. He’d been staring at the woman he’d bought after telling her to sit by the fire, not knowing where to start.

“Now you see why we don’t go in there.” Joanne sat next to him. “Go slow and be calm, I’ll look her over when you’re through.”

“How do I…” John stopped himself, if he hoped to truly free a thousand people he had better start with one.

John took the bottle of Robco’s whiskey, poured a little into a cup then put some cold meat and bread on a plate. “Here, try this.”

“Thank you Master John.” She took the food without looking up.

“It’s just John ok, John Blake, what’s your name?”

“Whatever you want it to be Mas...John.” She still didn’t touch the food.

“See this?” John showed her the remote detonator made from scrap, she froze, then started to apologise, getting hysterical. “No, it’s ok, look.” John unscrewed the bottom and let the battery drop out. Next he undid the padlock and pulled the collar away.

“No Master please, they cut off a slave’s hand if they take the collar off.” She only looked more terrified, the red skin around her neck looked painful.

“I’m not a master and you’re not a slave. Not any more and never again.” John made her look at him as he spoke. A spark of hope flickered behind frightened eyes. “What's your name?”

“Carol.” She sounded surprised by her own name.

“It’s nice to meet you Carol.” John smiled, and slid the food closer to her.

John sat by the fire, dismantling the slave collar so Carol wouldn’t have to see it. He kept the quarter pound of putty like explosives and detonator then buried the rest. Carol returned from being checked over by Joanne, bandages applied, hair brushed back like JoJo wore theirs.

They ate the food Mitch cooked, sausage stew with corn boiled first then charred over the fire. Billy regaled the others with what he called John’s mad minute. Then chastised him for showing Sal the watch, leaving Billy no choice but to give it to him. John thought about what he’d done, it'd been rash and foolish, but sitting here now he didn’t regret it. Watching Carol lift her eyes and not look back down made the risk worth it.

“I’ll take the first watch.” John stood, motioning to one of JoJo’s matching assault rifles, customised with longer barrels and scopes. He took it and headed up to the last corner of the building still standing. John preferred his own assault rifle over the longer ones with a box magazine, but these were well maintained and clean.

A few hours later Billy climbed rope to relieve John. “This girl of yours, she wouldn’t happen to have red hair would she?” Billy smiled.

“Yeah she does. I know it wasn’t the smartest move.” John stopped short of apologising.

“No it wasn’t. Still, not the dumbest thing I’ve seen you do, or the bravest.” Billy shook his head and lit a cigarette, leaning back on the old plastic chair. “She up at the Rest with you now?”

“No. I went back and she’d already gone. I don’t know where she is.” John tried not to sound hopeless, knowing Rosie had the company of a sworn knight.

“Shit kid, no wonder you’re all spun up.” Billy held the look of worry from his face. “I’m sure she’s fine. When we get back I’ll put the word out.”

“Thanks.” John thought it easier to just go along for now.

“Get some rest, busy day tomorrow.” Billy looked more tired than he did.

The smell of smoke and warm coffee woke John, the campfire crackled and popped as Carol kept it fed. She already looked brighter, her head up and shoulders back. “Morning John.”

“Good morning Carol, how did you sleep?” John asked as she handed him coffee. “You know you don’t have to do things for us.”

“I know, I want to.” Carol smiled and started ladling out boiled oats. John saw how being useful made her smile, he remembered feeling like a spare part himself a few months and a lifetime ago.

“I know it’s a lot, but you know that you can go anywhere you want right?” John made it clear that could walk away right now if she wanted to.

“Please don’t make me leave on my own, I’ll do anything to stay.” Her eyes became fearful again, undoing the progress made.

“No, you won’t. If you want to stay that’s fine, but we’re heading out into the wastes. It’s hard going and it’s dangerous.” John tried to be as clear and calm as possible. “When we finish we’re going back to Shadowtown. I know a woman in Farmborough that can put you up, help get you back on your feet.” John saw she couldn’t think that far ahead.

“Can I stay with you? I won’t be no trouble.” Carol finally seemed to have hope in her eyes, John couldn’t do anything that would snuff it out.

“As long as you understand, it's dangerous.” John thought she probably understood that better than he did.

“She’s not getting a cut.” Hawkins sneered as he pushed past John.

“We’ll get her a few caps, see her looked after.” Billy overruled his right hand man, he’d taken a liking to Carol, and the story attached. “Come on Carol, you can keep me company.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

They made good time along the east road. Not as open as the way south, clusters of ruins here, husks of vehicles there, but mostly forests to either side. JoJo took point, one leading the group, the other ahead and signalling back.

He noticed that JoJo were definitely trained. Not Brotherhood, their hand signals were different and they took routes that John thought overly cautious and a waste of time. Still, the thought of properly trained snipers out here made him feel better.

“Jo’s found water, we’ll take an hour now before hitting the marshes.” Jolene informed the rest of the group, leading them off road for over a mile to a steady river flowing from a dried lakebed.

“What’s that?” John asked, handing back the binoculars and pointing to a single building off in the distance.

“It’s a lighthouse, like a warning sign for ships.” Jolene said from behind her binoculars. The way she explained made John think she knew about his upbringing, which meant Joanne knew too.

“Where did you two train?” John asked, changing the subject.

“Back west, we were Rangers.” Jolene stood a little taller while mentioning her old unit.

“No such thing as an ex-Ranger.” Joanne corrected her partner as she brought them full water canteens. John smiled at the shared saying and belief.

“Never heard of Rangers.” John tried to sound respectful, but it came out wrong.

“That's because we don’t fly around in whirlybirds with buckets on our heads.” JoJo laughed and bumped fists.

“If you see a Ranger it’s because they let you or they’re dead.”

“They’re called Vertibirds.” John found himself unable to think of a better comeback.

“Did we hurt the tin man’s feelings?” Joanne linked his arm as they walked back to the others. “Relax John, you’d make a fine Ranger. You can shoot and you hate slavers. That’d get into training at least.”

“What’s it like out west?” John asked, Sara didn’t talk about it much, it made her homesick.

“Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter.” They both laughed, John didn’t get it. “It’s like here, good and bad. More stars than you’ve ever seen, a lake so big you can’t see one side from the other.” Joanne made it seem nice.

“Yeah but you’ve also got lizards the size of dogs that breath fire and blue mutants that can turn invisible.” Jolene made it seem less nice. John stopped dead.

“Invisible?” John thought the greenskin brutes were bad enough.

“Ignore her, that was never confirmed.” Joanne tried to ease his mind. John thought it sounded far fetched.

“What about the fire breathing lizards?” John asked, picturing a creature from a comic he’d read.

“Oh they’re definitely real. And not bad tasting either.” JoJo laughed and walked ahead, leaving John wondering if the Rangers were having fun at his expense. He didn’t mind, the thought of giant lakes under stars made him smile.

Fetid, stagnant water and the smell of rot surrounded the way through the marshes. Clumps of tall grass kept patches of earth intact and formed a spongy, squelching path. Where the grass hadn’t grown the water had turned the ground into thick, sticky mud. It had to be avoided at the risk of breaking an ankle or worse, then the mud gave way to water. Not the running, clean, life giving water that flowed to the north. Dark and still, blanketed with a shifting haze of noxious gas.

Everyone stayed quiet and close, torn cloth over faces and anti radiation tablets taken. John gave his to Carol because Hawkins didn’t even offer her one.

A patch thick of mud tried to claim John’s boot, the glue like grip holding him back a moment. As he quickened his pace to catch up, John saw a raised fist from Joanne on point. That signal worked for Rangers and Brotherhood alike, bringing them to a stop.

John scanned his sector for danger, as he’d been trained to do. He watched and listened for a moment, although he found it hard to imagine anything lived out here.

Still water gurgled and sloshed, John thought something moved but saw only rocks worn smooth. Then the rock moved. As did another, and another.

“Lurks!” Screamed JoJo in unison, a fraction of a second before snapping off tight bursts of shots. John watched his sector as the three moving rocks levered up, revealing them to be the shells of hideous creatures. Three foot high, scuttling on four hinged legs, and clacking at the air with pincers that looked more than capable of snipping off a limb.

John fired a quick burst at the nearest one, rounds pinging off the thick shell. He fired again, as he felt a tactically placed hand pulling him back, this time rupturing the leg joints and toppling the shelled creature to one side.

“The face! Hit the face!” Joanne screamed over the gunshots as she fired twice at the next creature, stopping it in its tracks. John looked at the red stalked eyes bracketing a sideways snapping mouth that screeched and drooled, and fired. The rounds caved the face inward, the thick shell now working against the creature as it kept the bullets in.

A flurry of reloading gave way to silence. “Everyone ok?” Billy shouted. John kept his assault rifle levelled as they replied. “John? You Good?” John hadn’t answered, his stomach churning and skin crawling at the sight of the dead creatures. “John!” Billy yelled out. It caught him off guard and John answered as he’d been trained to do.

“Ronin stood ready.” John regretted it as soon as he heard the Rangers laugh. “I mean yeah I’m fine. Carol you ok?” She'd been pushed to the wet ground and surrounded by people, yet she hadn’t frozen in fear, instead handed out magazines from the pack. She nodded and smiled as Billy helped her up.

“Is that your super secret hero name?” Joanne shoved him as she passed to inspect a dead creature.

“Yeah, it is actually.” John answered, not really all that insulted by the comparison to a comic book. “What the fuck are those things?” He asked with contempt.

“Mirelurks.” Joanne kicked one back and hit the ground with a wet thud. “We’re gonna eat tonight!” John watched in disgust as Joanne and Mitch hacked the brownish green pincers off with a machete.

“You’re kidding right?” John hoped this might be some sort of joke, but couldn’t think why they would go this far.

“What’s a matter Ronin, big bad knight gonna lose his lunch?” Joanne approached with a severed claw, clacking it with her hand. The smell hit John then he turned and vomited. He waited for the mocking, but it didn’t come, only Joanne holding out water for him and Mitch taking the claws away. “Sorry. I forget this is new to you.” Joanne knew she’d gone too far.

“It’s fine.” John rinsed his mouth and tried not to look at the puss like, blue green slime oozing from the dead mirelurks.

“Least you didn’t have your helmet on.” Jolene punched him in the arm and chastised her partner with a glance. John smiled, enjoying the similar sense of humour.

“You’re not really going to eat those are you?” John asked, hoping he’d misunderstood something.

“Fresh soft shell lurk meat, damn right we are.” Joanne's answer nearly made him throw up again.

They made camp for the night on the firm ground under the trees that edged the marshes.

“Hang your clothes up overnight, the mud will dry and break off.” Carol had asked John for a length of cord and tied it between a few trees. He thanked her and silently thanked Louisa for the spare clothes, kept clean and dry in a plastic bag.

JoJo gave Carol a spare set of canvas trousers, Billy gave her a shirt he took from Hawkins while Mitch built a tall fire. Bigger than they needed but a welcome blast of heat and light in the darkening forest.

“I’m going to make a sweep.” John told them as he saw Mitch start to flatten out the hot charcoal from the fire and then lay the brownish green lurk claws in them.

“I’ll come with you.” Billy stood and brought the map with him.

“We should make it before noon.” John checked the hand drawn map against the map screen once they’d got far enough from camp.

“Any sign of the door?” John knew what Billy meant, he wanted to know if it could be an actual Vault.

“No, but if it’s in the basement the pulse might not pick it up.” A thought occurred to John that he wished would have come sooner. “What are you going to do if there really is a Vault down there and it’s full of people?” Like me, John thought, before pushing the image of him as a Vault dweller out of his mind.

“I’m going to set myself up as their sole trader.” John laughed thinking that Billy made a joke. He didn’t.

After a walk through the dark and lifeless forest, the scent of food drew him back to camp. The foot long claws had become pale pink as they roasted on the coals. Mitch tapped the now pink claws with his combat knife, listening to the sound they made. “They’re ready.” Mitch announced to everyone's delight, all except John.

He sat staring at the foot long claw on a tin plate, listening to snapping and cracking around the fire. The faces seemed to enjoy the off white meat. So John took a deep breath, pulled the claws apart with a sharp crack, and pinched free the smallest piece he could.

It tasted delicious, warm and firm, then flavourful as he chewed the soft texture. He heard JoJo laugh and saw their faces smeared with grease and shells on their matching coats.

“Try this, I make it out of lemonade.” Mitch tossed him a pouch of crumbly lumps, like wet sugar with a yellow tinge. John sprinkled it on the meat he pulled free and sweet citrus cut the strong flavour of the meat.

“See!” Joanne exclaimed. “Never judge a book by its cover. They might look ugly as hell but damn if they ain’t delicious.”

“Doesn't the cover of a book usually tell you what it’s about?” John asked once he’d finished chewing, getting a laugh from round the fire.

“No, I, well yes, but it means don’t make assumptions based on appearances.” Joanne explained without condescension. “Take you for example, I pegged you as the standard bucket head brute, but you’re actually more the sensitive sort ain’t you.” JoJo laughed as John tried to think of a good insult, remembering how Styx would prod Acheron.

“Yeah, could be worse though. I could be some lazy Ranger, working on my sun tan because the wind changed and now I can’t hit shit.” John wondered if he judged that right. The shells playfully flicked at him said that he did.