Just a piece of paper

Raining bullets in Washington

Cate could feel her nervousness built up as they approached the sniping point she had picked out. The raiders where not just packed in the metro station, but had a few guards patrolling outside. This was a place of business for them after all. She climbed up the cliff at the east side of the metro, the sun had already set and night gave them an advantage. She rose her palm to make Charon stop.

''I will snipe the guards around here one by one. When we get in I need you to cover me and shoot every person I cannot sneak up on.'', she told him and she was met with his cold indifferent gaze.

''Do you have night vision installed?'', he asked, even though Cate was certain he knew she did not. She sighed and tried to position her body better on the rocks. They were both laying on top of the highest point of the cliff, sharp rocks digging in her through the leather armor and jumpsuit. ''How are you supposed to snipe them?'', he added and it was the first time he opposed her suggestion. His face showed he could care less though. The woman scoffed and placed the silencer at the end of the barrel. She brought the scope near her eye, suddenly eager to feel the satisfaction of getting a clean head shot.

A smirk crept on her face when she located a female raider. The light of the cigarette between her lips made her visible in the darkness that engulfed the area she patrolled. Most of the outside was lit by the entrance lights of the metro, but the guards walked around and she would not be able to see all of them. She had to get rid of the three guards she could not see well first. She held her breath and focused. As the woman parted her lips to let the smoke escape her lungs a hole opened between her eyes. She fell on the ground, dead and Cate tried to locate the other one positioned in the darkness before they start moving around and notice the first corpse.

''Bingo.'', she muttered when she located the shadow of the second raider. She held her breath and shot just above his ear, as she was facing his side. The third one would be on the other side, but was sure he would come to check on the others. She therefore focused on the four raiders positioned around the entrance. They were lucky they had no customers at this hour. Sweat built up on her forehead as she had to take quick shots now. Hold breath. Shoot. One. Hold breath. Shoot. Two. Hold breath. Shoot. Three. Hold breath. Shoot. Four. Then the other one hurried to the location, upon hearing bodies fall. He begun cursing and just as he was about to run in and get help, he landed on the ground with a bullet to the head, just like the rest.

Cate withdrew her face from the scope and nodded to herself proudly. When she turned to face Charon, the ghoul's expression was even sterner than before. She wished she could read minds at that point. They run down the hill and past the dead bodies. As they approached the metal doors that led to the inside of the station, Cate glanced back at him, positioning her rifle on her back and taking out her combat knife.

''Remember that you must cover me. Follow me.'', she commented and the ghoul curled his lips.

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Charon was left dumbfounded, as he run behind the smooth-skin in the tunnels of the metro that were fashioned like a prison by the raiders. The only thing that crossed his mind was that the woman was utterly mad. She sneaked behind any target she could at first, but eventually the sirens screamed through the place and raiders armed to the bone came after them. He kept shooting and looting for more than an hour, going deeper and deeper in this disgusting place they had created. Cate could no longer sneak , yet she avoided bullets like she was made of air, her face a mask of restrained fear as she did so. Yet she never backed down. She was not that good at shooting mid-range and she only used her combat knife to slit throats or cut on limbs, making the targets easier for Charon to hit. She also shot with her pistol at point blank range, spilling guts and brain matter with the force of the close shots.

When the blood bath was over the ghoul felt nothing but excitement course allover his body. He hadn't felt that alive in years. What a magnificent battle it was for him. Yet he never lost his stern mask or indifference towards the woman as they looted the bodies looking not only for ammo and stimpaks, but also for keys to release the slaves that were cooped up in there.

The final part of the mission was a boring one as they had to take the slaves back to the trading center they slept the night before. Charon couldn't help but focus on the way the smooth-skin treated these people. Her kindness and smile on her face did not match the blood stains all over her skin and armor. She seemed even tenser on their way back, even if she tried to act relaxed for the sake of the fifteen people she carried on her back at that point. Upon reaching the trading center she led the slaves in a hospital like establishment and proceeded to lead them both back to the bar. Charon counted the gratitude this woman got from the people. The word thank you was said fifty four times.

As they walked in the bar he nearly reached for his shotgun, as he was taken by surprise by all the cheers, yells and whistles of praise she got from the bar patrons as well as the two people handling the bar, the woman named Nova and the ghoul named Gob. Charon felt something claw on his gut when the woman took a theatrical bow in the middle of the bar, face still ridden with blood. She turned to look at him with a smirk.

''Let's get you back to your boss...'', she told him with an indifferent expression.