Aim to Please

16 | The Sun is Dead

A tip on someone who looked like Clive sent them to the small encampment, Lynn Woods. They approached cautiously, but they couldn't hear any voices or sounds—however, the stink of rotting flesh and death hung in the air. Aurora and MacCready each got behind a tree and looked around to see what they were up against.

Several bodies and body parts littered the ground. Many of the forms wore tattered and ragged pieces of clothing while others wore the combat armor of Gunners. The Feral Ghouls had overrun the Gunners and, by the looks of things, had won.

They went in with caution and watching the Ferals, in case any just slept. Some woke and Aurora and MacCready killed them easily—the few survivors weren't even close to overwhelming the snipers. Keeping their guns ready for any more surprise ambushes, they walked through the dead, checking for Clive.

Six Ferals bunched up around another form near a shack above them drew her eye; she headed for it to find them surrounding a dead Gunner. He had black hair, was handsome with a strong face of hard planes, and had been tall with a robust physique under that combat armor. But the Ferals had been too much for him: he had deep scratches in his face and neck from fingernails, his right leg looked broken from falling from the shack, and his left arm had been completely torn off his body—it lay to the side, teeth marks from the Ferals eating on it. On the back of the bloody hand was a dark sun tattoo. They had finally found Clive.

Aurora kicked one of the dead creatures. "Damn Ferals stole my kill." Yes, she was irritated that she didn't get justice for taking his life, but at least he couldn't hurt anyone else. "Well, at least he's dead now."

"So, now what?" MacCready asked.

She thought about it. Usually, when she eliminated one target, she had another one lined up. But she had the thought that Clive would be her last kill... but just because she stopped, didn't mean the mercenary groups would. "I'm not really sure..."

"Well, there are always groups of Raiders and Gunners out there that need killing." He fell quiet for a while. "Mind the help?"

That was his way of not wanting to leave her—she didn't want him to leave either. Aurora looked back at him with a smirk. "I don't have to pay you again, do I?"

MacCready chuckled. "No." His eyes found hers as he walked up. "At least, not in caps." He seized her face to kiss her.

She was willing to pay this price.