Deuces Are Wild

13

They were both jolted awake by a sound like distant thunder. Or at least that what MacCready thought he heard in his half asleep state. The metal of the hatch creaked and groaned, torquing from without. Something blocked the slit of light.

"You still alive?"

MacCready squinted at the artificial light and sputtered before asking incredulously "Gifford?"

"Just wait right there, we'll get you out."

Kallie let out a happy cry and hugged MacCready. He frowned. "We're both injured."

"MacCready cracked a few bones and a ghoul scratched me up and bit me." Kallie clarified.

Gifford ordered"Get as far back as you can and cover your ears."

Kallie complied, and not caring much about his own ears he placed his hands on hers when she clapped them to her head. The saw cut neatly into the metal as easily as a knife through a can of cram. At Kallie's insistence MacCready went first. It turned out his arm was fractured and a few of his ribs were bruised. When the elevator fell he landed on his side. Gifford clutched his arms as Kallie pushed him up and began gathering their things to pass up to them.
"How did you find us?" Kallie asked.

Thrusting his thumbs under his suspenders Gifford puffed up with pride. "Well I said to Daisy I haven't seen you in a while and she said 'well maybe he and his friend went and tried their luck at Med Tek' and so I asked her what that was all about."

Gifford paused looking up into the darkness ahead and touched the severed cable. "Look here." He indicated the cable turning it for them to see. "Clean cut. This didn't snap from age, somebody cut the power and sliced it. "

"Who would do such a thing?" Kallie pondered aloud.

MacCready gingerly tested his wounded arm and foot."You said talking about the Gunners gave you an idea. What was it?"

"Well," Kallie started "I thought maybe they got tangled up in this somehow. Call it a hunch. I was going to figure out how close they were operating near Boston Airport. Their tech guy, girl, whatever, calling themselves Shadow? Has to be a Raider."

"Most Raiders can't read, let alone write code. "Gifford pointed out. "Apart from the odd Rust Devil. Maybe this Shadow is a free agent. Anyway, here's not a place for idle speculation. What say we head back to Goodneighbor, knock back a few drinks."

MacCready's jaw clenched. Gunners would know to cut the cable. Ransack the old facility for medical supplies, cut the cable and leave him and Kallie to die of thirst. Tie up some loose ends. How did they find them, anyway?

He had no more time to ponder as outside Med Tek they were surrounded by Raiders. He and Kallie were in no shape to fight. They both exchanged the same tired defeated look.

"Hands up where we can see 'em." Said the leader. Immediately Kallie gasped.

"Davenport!" She took one step toward him but he shook his head.

"Uh-uh. You utter one more syllable and I blow your goddamn head off."

So that was the infamous Davenport, the asshole who had started all this nonsense. He wasn't really what MacCready was expecting. He expected- well, the soldier type, crew cut with scruff and scars but Davenport had greasy long hair, was slim as a reed and were it not for stubble he was borderline pretty. Davenport paused to light a bent cigarette. "You're a pain in the ass to find."

Gifford marched right up and pointed a thumb at himself. "I found 'em, ya jerk. Where's my caps?"

Scoffing, Davenport smoked idly for a few seconds letting the ghoul seethe a bit, then with his free hand made a gesture. "Somebody get the zombie his money."