"If that's the last, why don't we leave? If they have reinforcements coming wouldn't it be best to get some more distance?" Erin questioned.

Erin looked out the window to make sure he was the last. She noticed Enfield making his way back to the building.

That guy is dangerous, I'm glad I'm on his side, she thought.

"Nice shot, eh?" Travis said to the others with a subtle laugh. "Hey, Mel, if we're getting anywhere, how the hell are we going to transport me? The stimpack Erin gave me won't have any effect for at least two hours." Travis flipped 'safety' on his pistol, before placing it nicely inside its holster.

"Were gonna need time to move Travis" Mel said "So we need to buy some. I have a plan to get everyone in here out, but it is really risky. As in, so risky, I might not com back alive." Mel was working up a plan in his head to buy the others some time. It was a desprate plan, but if it worked, than everyone else could get out OK. "If that raider called in some reinforcements, then they're gonna be here soon. But if I can get myself captured by them they'll have to go back to the HQ with me, giving you time to escape."

Travis frowned. "That's too risky, you can't escape out of there! Even if you make it out the slave pens, the Raiders will be pulling your intestines from your mouth. Couldn't someone help me walk? It's only one leg injured. We can't risk getting you caught, you're the leader of this group."

"Listen, Travis. I'm not gonna lose a team of good people...like back with Talon. If they find us, they would take me first anyways. Talon put a bounty on my head when I escaped. Im worth.... 1,000,000 caps to Talon.... Besides. This plan is the only chance we got to get you out of here. No offense, but with your leg, the raiders would catch up to us quickly." Mel said the Travis. He knew that this plan would probobly be the best chance.


___________________

The second group of raiders, now a group of 15, were starting to leave Evergreen Mills. Armed with loads of grenades and ammo, they were ready to kill an entire town.

Well he is the captain, and it is his choice, Erin thought, but began to protest, "Mel, its not safe, I think it would be best to have everyone get out of here. All of us can switch off carrying Travis."

Erin kicked a rusted can against a wall. It ricocheted off the wall and then hit what was left of the couch. She kicked another and it flew through the window. She slung her FN FAL over her shoulder and prepared for what decision may come.

Travis sighed and nodded. "I guess you're right. Good luck, then."

"I have to go. It your guy's only chance. At least I have my switchblade." Mel said. He looked at the people in the room. He knew he wouldnt be able to see them for a long while. He took his Modified Sniper off of his back. "Travis, take this. I've had it since I was with Talon, and I dont wan tthe raiders getting it." He tossed Travis his Sniper. "Well, I hope I'll sse you all again" Mel said as he started out the door.

"Thanks." Travis called to Mel. Travis put it on his back with his assault rifle, and began using his hands to help him move to the main room. There wsa a couch in the center of the main room. Travis crawled his way there, and climbed on it. It was a bit painful to get up it, but it was better than laying on the floor. He reached down his pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He opened it and looked inside. "Last one.. Dammit." He took the last one and lit it up, while tossing the empty pack into the corner of the room.

The Raiders were moving quickly, trying to intercept the people that attacked their friends.They didnt know who the were going up agaisnt, so they kept their guns on te ready. Suddenly. from nearby, they spotted a figure. They crept up on him, and jumped.


___________________

Mel instantly reached for his SMG as the foul-smelling raiders jumped him. He ws, of course, planning to miss them, but he had to put up a good show. He was soon overpowered and his hand were binded.

"Well well, if it isnt the guy from Talon Company! Were gonna get rich off of you!" The lead raider said to Mel. They began dragging him back to camp.

Erin looked at the rest of the group, "Who's in charge now?"

She watched Mel leave, thinking it could be the last time they see him. She began buttoning her coat for when they left, then pulled out her sunglasses.

Travis laid on the couch smoking his cigarette. A few things passed his mind. "So, uhh, who's gonna be the big hero to go loot the corpses?"

John looked out the window, just being able to see the event through the sandstorm. "Help him up," John said, "We are leaving." John pushed his at his sunglasses again, the order was clear, "Just gather yourself, only take the essentirals, we have no time for looting."

"Right..." Erin said sighing.

It had been a long day, and it was only getting longer. She wasn't a fan of the idea of carrying a ghoul on her back either. On a brighter side the sandstorm was letting up a little.

Erin pulled her FN FAL to her front side, so the sling was to her back, then approached Travis, "Climb on my back. We're getting out of here."

"My God, what a fight. I haven't seen anything like that since those muties ambushed me..." Sitting on the roof of a tall building with his rusty old sniper rifle, he took aim and fired. He laughed when he saw the pieces of the raider's brain splattre all over the wall. Just then a deep, gutteral scream emerged from behind him, "TIME TO DIE!!!". He quickly dropped his sniper and took the tranch knife from his pocket, sliding it through the mutant's eye into it's brain. Just as he was admiring the loot another scream, this time no words, simply, "AAARRRGHHGGHGH!" It may have been anger, sadness of the loss of his companion, or just insanity, but it was likely all three. He barely had time to pick up his rifle by the time the barrel wedged into the mutie's chest. The impact forced his hand onto the trigger, creating a fist sized hole in its lower chest. The mutant wasnt going to die yet, he screamed once more and coughed violently, before Mikhail put a .308 caliber bullet through it's head. "So, where are we headed?", he said in a shocked and slightly quivering voice, as chills ran up his spine.

(OOC: Can someone comment on that flashback, I think it was pretty good.)

The raiders had knocked Mel unconsious while they dragged him off. In his mind he was remembering the first mission with Talon

A group of 5 men were walking down a road, all wearing combat armor with the Talon symbol on it. They were laughing, jokeing, and having a good tiem, when 4 men dressed in dusters jumped out. They shot 2 of the men, Hit the third n the head. The other two ran, but one of them was hit in the back of the head. The last one hid, in a bush with his sniper rifle. Waiting.

Mel awoke when he was thrown into the slave pens. THey had carried him here in a hustle. He still had all his gear. Except his SMG. He took a look around at his fellow slaves. There was an old man, a younger one, a female ghoul, and.... two children.

Two children.

Mel ran over to the two kids and asked "What are your names?"

"We're headed to the garage, our mission hasn't changed because Mel was taken," Erin said as she walked out the door into the sandstorm.

It wasn't as fierce as it was earlier, but the sand still beat across Erin's face. Travis' weight didn't make it anymore enjoyable. Each step Erin had to pull her feet out from the sand, just for it to sink again. They had to keep moving though, otherwise Mel's sacrifice would be in vain.

"Enfield lead the way," Erin said.

Travis coughed. The sand was getting all over him. If he hadn't worn a helmet, his eyes would be burning from sand and dust. "Hey, Erin, at least if one of those Raiders pop up, I got your back." he said. He was still able to shoot, but it would be harder to hold up an assault rifle with one hand.

"Here, Travis. If you've only got one hand for weapons, this may suit your needs better." Mikhail hands him the 10mm pistol and a box of 50 10mm cartridges.

"I'm Violet Jameson, and this is my friend Dimitri Dongradin." One of the kids said. Mel couldnt belive his eyes. He had found the two kids while trying to help the others find them.

"Do you know were the ghoul that kidnapped you is?" Mel asked them. "Yah, in a Vault, somewere nearby." Dimitri said. Mel was relived that his friends were going on the right track at least.

Travis took the 10mm Mikhail gave him. He strapped the assault rifle to his back. He slipped a clip into the pistol and cocked it. "Thanks, Mikhail. It sure doesn't have as much kick, but it'll do the job." he said.

"If I let you borrow my 10mm, can I borrow your Assault Rifle. I can never find enough Microfusion Cells for my Laser Rifle."

"'Righty then." Travis said with a sigh. He unstrapped the assault rifle from his back and tossed it to Mikhail. "I'm trusting you with my stuff, so bring it back in the condition I gave it to you in, alright? I don't wanna go pay a load of caps to get it repaired."

"Well, if I have to use it, I'll spot the caps to get it repaired. By the way, does anyone know what's in this garage? Is it a weapons stash, some old friends of Mel's, maybe jsut a shack with supplies?"

River calmly stood up and walked down the steps to the main room everyone else had been congregating in, he had done what any sane person encountering a slaver party would and have left the fighting for people whom had the means and the bravado for it. casting an idle look to the table he had been using for solitaire earlier River found that most of the pack had been left unscathed the single card damaged was the jack of hearts no matter, I have doubles River thought idly before placing his cards back into the deck and replacing the damaged one. left where it had been the edges of the jack smoldered.
River saw that the group had left, turning to a ruined curtain he removed his shaving razor and started cutting strips of cloth weaving a mask to shield his face from the blowing sand before heading out into the dust, hopefully he could catch up, after all if he was alone there would be no one to absorb the bullets for him.