Fallout 3 - Beautiful Stranger

Chapter 16 Part 2

She took another look at her companions before deciding. Vincent, stoic and resolute, ready whenever she was. Valrie, calm and loyal, but older and not built for this. Gia, eager and excitable, far too unpredictable for her own good. Patience chewed her lip, glanced at the Super Mutant patrolling above on the bridge and then looked at the course they would have to take across the open area.

"Alright. Stealth, then." She grabbed Gia and Valrie's hands. "Listen, neither of you have to do this. You can go back to your own lives. I won't think any less of you. But, I can't stress this enough, if you do this, you have to do exactly what Vincent and I say. Exactly! Go where you're told to go. Stop when you're told to stop. This isn't just about keeping quiet. You have to become invisible. Do you understand?"

"I'm sticking with you. If almost being eaten by fucking ghouls didn't stop me, you think this will?" Valrie patted Patience's hand then set her face in an expression of grim determination, adjusting her scratched football helmet. It looked comical.

"I'm good." Gia's wide-eyed, grinning face didn't foster any confidence in Patience, but she couldn't fault the girl's enthusiasm.

"You should send them back. They're liabilities." Vincent didn't bother looking over his shoulder and he missed the vicious scowl Valrie bored into his back.

"Fuck you, Brother Vacant. If you think I'm leaving my girl alone with you, then you're sorely fucking mistaken!" Giving Vincent the finger to his back, Valrie furrowed her brow, determined even more, and nodded to Patience.

She knew it wasn't a good idea, but she had no right to tell anyone where they could or couldn't go. She had given them the option. They weren't stupid, not even Gia. They knew this was going to be dangerous. It was their choice. But, in the back of her mind, Patience still wanted to order them to go back. To return to their lives or, in Gia's case, start a new, better one. She didn't want to be responsible for them and she didn't want to be responsible for their deaths, that was certain.

Tapping Vincent on the shoulder, she made her decision. Whatever happened, happened. Vincent, quiet as a breath, slipped out into the open area, heading towards the first piece of cover.

-+-

Vincent reached his second stop point, taking his time to relax himself before popping his head above the rubble to view a full circle. With the Super Mutant above walking the other way, Vincent signalled the way clear. It was time for Valrie to move towards the first stop, a thicket of dead bushes at the edge of the open area.

Satisfied that Valrie had hidden well enough, he scanned the way ahead again. The next piece of cover, an overturned car, its underside brown with rust, was another ten feet ahead. After that, the next place to hide would be another thirty feet away. The traffic barriers and security booth would be able to hold all of them, lessening the stretching of the party, but a long distance for Valrie and Gia to sneak towards.

As Vincent moved, Valrie waited and then moved to fill his place. Then it came to Gia's turn and then Patience bringing up the rear. All four of them separated, now, and the Super Mutant on the walkway bridge above had turned to saunter back their way.

At this point, the rubble Gia hid behind offered the least amount of cover. Patience could see, even from a distance, that Gia breathed too hard after expending little effort so far. The girl, as brash and forward as she was, appeared to be on the verge of panic. Patience wished she could run across to the young woman, to comfort her and ease her worry, but the Super Mutant took that moment to glance over the wall of the walkway, through the broken chainlink fencing, down at the wide open square.

Patience raised her rifle. If the creature saw Gia, she would loose every bullet in her magazine at the brute and hope and pray that no others came running at the noise. Long, painful seconds passed before the Super Mutant ducked its head back from the wall and continued its patrol. Patience looked over at Gia, pressing herself against the mound of rubble, eyes closed, her face flat against the broken concrete.

Then Gia's eyes flashed open, looking everywhere. She gripped the concrete slab she hid behind and looked as if she were about to run. That would be a disaster, for Gia if no-one else. By now, Valrie had joined Vincent within the security booth at the traffic barriers. Gia should be moving on to the upturned car. That didn't look likely to happen. Patience had to do something and she had to do it soon, before Gia exposed herself to any more danger.

Patience took the chance, now, while the Super Mutant almost reached the point where it would turn around again. She dashed from the brittle, dead bushes, keeping low. She needed to be quick. Gia was about to move, her eyes locked upon the Pulowski shelter Patience had pointed to earlier. Gia would never make it. It was too far with nowhere to hide along the way.

She grabbed the young ex-raider in time, pulling her back down behind the rubble, her hand over Gia's mouth as the girl struggled against Patience's strong grip.

"It's okay! It's okay. I'm here." She whispered in Gia's ear and Gia gripped Patience's arm. Gently, Patience turned Gia's head to look into her eyes, locking on to them with her own. "I'm going to take my hand away from your mouth. Don't make a noise, okay?"

Slow and careful, she took her hand from the girl's mouth. Gia's fingernails still dug deep into Patience's arm, but she remained silent, her eyes never leaving Patience's. Patience looked up towards the walkway. The rubble couldn't cover both of them, Patience only hoped the creature didn't look down at that moment. She raised a hushing finger to her mouth and Gia nodded, breathing short, quick breaths.

Patience glanced towards the security booth to see Vincent desperate to catch her attention. He made hand signs, giving her a message. Two more Super Mutants sighted, ground level, to her right, hold position. Patience squeezed Gia's hand, waiting as Vincent looked through Valrie's broken binoculars, away to her left. Then he passed them back to Valrie and signalled another message. Building to her left, use the window, meet other side. She gave him the thumbs up and looked towards the building.

"Gia, Sweetie, change of plan. Okay?" She glanced, again, up to the Super Mutant on the walkway bridge. They'd been lucky so far, but it wouldn't miss them forever. She pointed to the building and the frameless window. "We need to go into that building. Do you think you can do that?"

"I'm not scared." The tremble in Gia's whispered voice said otherwise. "I'm not."

"I know. I know you're not, Sweetie. And I need you to keep being brave, okay?" Patience rubbed Gia's shoulders and squeezed them, then gripped Gia's hand ready to pull her towards the building. "Ready?"

Gia, wide-eyed, never looked away from Patience, her breaths still too fast and short. Patience counted down with her fingers. Three. Two. One. Then she moved, keeping a tight grip on Gia's hand. It seemed to take an age to get to the building. As soon as the wall came within her reach, she spun around, flopped her back against the wall and stirruped her fingers. Gia didn't even pause, she thrust her boot into Patience's hand and launched herself through the hole in the wall that once held a window.

The hole was too high for a standing jump. Patience had to back up a couple of steps before taking a running jump, catching the edge where the frame once sat. The concrete crumbled beneath her gripping fingers, but held as she hauled herself upwards and slid through the hole. Where her hand once was, the concrete broke and tumbled to the ground outside.

Patience dropped beneath the hole, her back against the wall, holding out her hand for Gia's and making the hushing sign again. Gia, her back bent almost double, came and sat beside Patience, holding onto her arm with both of hers. After a few seconds, Patience chanced a look over the edge of the hole. The Super Mutant still pointed its weapon down towards the ground, its eyes making a sweep of the area. Seeing nothing, it scratched its head and continued its patrol.