Chapter 60 "You can’t go back.”

John drew in a deep breath of real air. Half a dozen Vertibirds closing in above. He made his way down, finding the children gathered in a ruined house. “Get a fire going.” John took off his coat and gave it to Rosie. Not because of the cold, but to cover the Shadow suit.

Matt and Grimm went to get wood. John strode out to the front. Armoured knights dropped to either side. He guided the lead bird down, not that Valkyrie needed his help. Sara hopped out, John saw her face fall as she took in his bruised and blood splattered appearance. “You ok?” She asked quietly.

“Yeah.” John lied.

“There’s thirty eight kids, and another hundred or so adults. I’m going to take the kids, can you take the adults?” He couldn’t bring himself to help those who thought themselves his betters.

“We can do that.” Sara looked him in the eye. “I need a headcount John.” He turned to Rosie.

“Nine hundred and seventy three.” Rosie took the data from the Vault servers.

No one spoke.

Sara ducked back into the cabin. Lugging out a crate and huge bag of boiled sweets. “For the kids.” She forced a smile. John carried the crate round to the children. They sat round a fire Matt fed. They gave out the sweets and pre war pouches. The new tastes bring a bit of chatter to the group. John beckoned Dutch over.

“Paladin Maxwell, this is Francis Holland. He’s the reason those kids are alive.” John introduced Dutch. He didn’t know what to make of Sara.

“I hid in a vent.” Dutch played it down.

“You kept them quiet and calm. You saved their lives. If you were under my command I’d be pinning a medal on your chest right now.” Sara shook his hand.

“I’m going to fly you all home, figure out the rest tomorrow.” John didn’t want them out here in the dark. “Rosie, how fast can we get to Farmborough and back?”

“Hour and half, less with a good wind.” Rosie nodded to Janey. Her neck rotated and angled up, the light blinking in her eye.

“Will they be alright for that long?” John asked Dutch.

“Sure.” Dutch looked drained, exhausted by the front he held up under unimaginable pressure.

John followed Rosie to the Velo. Sara pulled his arm as Rosie started the engines. “You know If I thought you’d accept it, I’d pin a medal on you too.” Sara knew him better than that. The thought of it made his stomach churn. “When today sinks in, call me.”

“I will.” John couldn’t think about anything other than the task ahead.

“We’re going to purge them all, John. I promise you that.” Sara’s hate fuelled his.

The acceleration of the Velo pushed all other thoughts from his head. He threw up as soon as they landed.

He wanted to stop. To sit in the fields and watch the sunset with Rosie. His legs kept moving.

John knocked and Frank answered. His face and the smell told the veteran knight enough. “Easy, Brother.” He guided him to a chair at the head of the table and put a drink in his hand.

“I need to tell them. All of them.” John waited until all the evacuees came in. Dolores sitting on his right. “There’s no easy way to say this. There was an attack on the Vault. Thirty eight children survived, we have their names.” John held out a piece of paper, finding small comfort in how fast it got snatched from his hand.

“What about the rest?” Someone asked, confused.

“Thirty eight children survived.” John couldn’t bring himself to say anything else.

“Where’s Rick? He was ready to leave, where is he?” Dolores asked, desperate.

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“I’m sorry, Rick didn’t make it.” John watched his words break her.

“I want to go back. Take me back home, right now!” She’d left with Rick to start a new life, now that life had gone before it even started.

“There’s no one left there. No one to keep the water and air flowing. You can’t go back.” John delivered the final crushing blow. Not only shattering her new life, but preventing her from returning to the old one.

John made a swift exit, leaving Beverly to pick up the pieces. He walked back through fields, until his legs gave out. “It’s my fault.” John couldn’t keep it in any longer. “I led them there, landed right on top of it.” His mind flashed to an image of torn blue suits on the floor.

“It’s not your fault, John.” Rosie sat next to him in the dirt. “For the first time in their lives, someone did right by those people. Put them and their future first. You saved hundreds John. This doesn’t take away the good you’ve done.” Rosie helped him see. He clung to the idea, hoping the good outweighed the bad.

John managed to regain a sense of calm as they landed back at the Vault. He walked over to Sara and Jen, sending in a scribe team. “The only thing they’re taking is notes, you have my word.” Sara reassured him. “Got four Recon teams in the woods. Two teams of knights at Bakersfield, no contact.”

“I’m going to take the first group of kids home.” John thought of nothing else.

“Take my bird, keep them together.” Sara signalled Val parked down the street.

John walked round the back and pulled Dutch aside. “We’re ready, need them in two groups.” John saw his friend’s nerves vanish behind a smile.

“Children, eyes and ears.” They all looked to Dutch. “Mr Grimm, if you please.”

“Alright kids, like we practised. Sound off.” Grimm had made a game of the safety procedure.

“One ok.” The first child shouted. Followed by increasing numbers from the others.

“Odd numbers with me, evens with Mr Grimm. Time to fly!” Dutch made it an adventure for them.

Rosie flew them back to the Rest, Valkyrie on her wing. Straight and level the whole way. John radioed Robco, asking him to be at the Pass. He couldn’t begin to explain.

Val touched down and dusted off while they hovered. Tipping the wings as she left. John climbed out last, surrounded by children. “Bring them up the to Rest, we’ll find them beds.” Robco didn’t hesitate.

Ten minutes later, the children sat in Robco’s house. Squeezed in and sat on the floor, but together. Charlie arrived and started checking the kids over with Rosie, one at a time. Wallace found every single toy and comic book in the Rest, handing them out gladly. Everyone else rallied round, bringing cooked food, clothes, anything they had that might help.

John stood at the back door, staring. He watched some read, others push toy cars. Some had blank expressions and wide eyes. All of them listened to the radio. New and yet familiar at the same time. He stepped out and made a call. Smart enough to know he could do little else.

A moment later he went back in and turned up the radio.

“I’m told we have some new children with us tonight. And that these brave children are living through troubled times. I’m sorry for your troubles, I truly am. Know that the sun will rise my children, and until then, I’m right here with you. Like a bridge over troubled water.” Lady Luck’s gift for words and music brought a sense of peace to the room.

John slipped out as the children began to fall asleep. He stripped off outside, not wanting to bring the smell in. He showered till the water ran cold but still didn’t feel clean. Even the fresh shirt and jeans didn’t help.

He found Charlie waiting at the kitchen table. “Sit.” She pushed a chair with her foot, med kit laid out.

“You’re going to have some impressive bruising, but you’re basically fine.” Charlie sat next to him. “Anybody else would be dead six different ways, but you are who you are.” She poured them both a drink, sitting in silence.

Rosie and Dutch broke the silence as they came in. “So this is where you live, it’s nice.” Dutch seemed impressed.

“You can stay as long as you like.” Rosie offered. He looked to John.

“Of course. I know you wanted to stay, but…” John couldn’t find the words. The horror of this world blinding him.

“I didn’t want to stay, not really.” Dutch sat by the fire. “I didn’t want to leave the kids without a teacher.” Something about that broke through and he started to cry.

“Those things. They were the residents, weren’t they.” Dutch sounded unsure if he wanted an answer.

“Yes.” John answered bluntly. “But you don’t have to worry. We’re going to wipe them out.” John half considered suiting up and heading out there and then.

“Enough shop talk.” Charlie took the bottle and dragged John to the couch. “You grew up with these two, right?” Charlie asked, pouring everyone but John a drink. “I want to know what they were like.”

John woke at six as usual, pain down his side and worry in his gut. Rosie and Dutch looked like they’d been up all night. Handwritten notes all over the table. “Beverly put the word out. We got aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters. Even strangers that want to help.” Rosie seemed boosted by her work. “We’ve already have twice as many places as kids. We’re vetting them now, Jen’s helping.” Rosie put out her arm, the comm open.

“Morning Jen, having fun?” John knew her fascination with Vaults.

“This place is awesome.” Jen heard herself. “I mean awful...but from an engineering point of view. I’m sorry, I’ll shut up.” She did, but only for a moment. “There’s movies on here.” She gasped. “Awful place, terrible. Checking the names now.”