The Minutemen: United We Stand

Chapter 6

They stood staring at the grotesque display in the center of the intersection that led to Diamond City. Body parts arranged on the asphalt to spell out a warning. Gunner Territory. Freelance Mercs Beware.

"This is meant for me," MacCready uttered, white as a sheet. "Fu..." he stopped himself, clenching his teeth and growling as it took all his willpower to keep his tongue under control. His hands clutched his hat on his head and his arms wrapped around his face as he doubled over, his breaths trembling.

"Those guys who came to visit you in Goodneighbor?" Nora asked, distracting him.

"Yeah," he sighed, taking his hat off and wringing it in his hands. "Winlock and Barnes."

Nora observed horror, disgust, and guilt ripple across his face in waves as he stood. He tried to maintain control, unable to mask his true feelings as his hands twisted his hat.

"So, where can we find these guys?" Nora asked, holstering her pistol and setting about gathering the remains.

"What are you doing?" MacCready asked, utter horror in his voice as his hands froze. He stared at her while she picked up limbs and matched them to their bodies.

"I'm not about to leave this here. These people deserve graves, at least," Nora explained, having a hard time keeping the bile down as she scooped up some entrails and placed them back with their bodies.

"Hardly anyone gets graves anymore..." he muttered, hesitant to help.

Nora straightened up, blood dripping from her fingertips as she held her arms away from her body. "Are you going to help or not?"

He rolled up his sleeves and pulled off his fingerless gloves with a groan. MacCready tucked them into his belt and pulled his hat back on before picking up a calf and foot. "Oh, fu... this is just..." he gagged as he dropped it near what looked to be the right body.

They reassembled the people as best they could, then constructed cairns out of the rubble.

"You never answered my question," Nora stated as they placed the last few bricks. Four cairns lined the shoulder of the intersection, a sombre memorial to people that were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I helped!" MacCready argued, wiping his hands off with water and rags before unrolling his sleeves and pulling his gloves back on.

"Where do we find the bastards that did this?" she asked again. She nodded to the cairns as she washed her hands.

He eyed her. "Why..?"

"Well, to deal with them, kinda have to know where they are." Her sarcastic response caused MacCready to shake his head, adjusting his hat.

"I don't want to owe you-"

"Owe me? What are you talking about?"

"You hired me, remember? Killing gunners who want me dead is something I would hire you for."

Nora walked straight up to him, being as clear as possible. "I'm the General of the Minutemen, and there's a group of lunatics slaughtering innocents to use their remains to write death threats on the streets. It's my duty to ensure safety for the Commonwealth, including the people we just buried." Nora saw his eyes narrow, then turned around to pick up her duffel bag and throw it over her shoulder. "Helping a friend is just a bonus."

"What about Diamond City?" MacCready asked, pointing down one side of the intersection.

"It's not going anywhere."

He wrestled with himself and let out an exaggerated groan and rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. "Mass Pike Interchange."

Nora stared down each of the streets, reorienting herself while trying to remember where that was. She pointed to the west and began walking down the road.