"You sure you know where were going?!" Dornan shouted to Kali.
"That's the fifth time you've asked me in the last hour!" Kali shouted back. "Stop worrying! I'm a tribal; I could find my way in the dark on a cloudy night!"
"Sarge!" Quinn shouted, slowing the truck to a stop.
Just outside the perimeter of the lights was a large pack of death claws. If they'd run over any of them, they'd have had a big problem. Thank god Quinn had the eyes of a hawk.
"Four adults and six or seven little ones," Quinn whispered to him.
"Back up slowly," Hunter whispered.
"Don't back up, Quinn!" One of the grunts whispered desperately. "Two big one's behind us."
Kali reached beneath her seat and pulled out a large box, flipped open the lid, and pulled out an upgraded plasma rifle. She handed it to Hunter who stood up on his seat and took a bead on one of the death claws. She handed the other rifle to Dornan who moved to the back and took aim at one of the death claws that was pacing at the back of the truck.
Kali reached for her own plasma pistols and the three grunts that came with them had theirs out as well.
"A direct hit with your rifle will kill one," she whispered to Dornan and Hunter."
"What about ours?" one of the grunts asked not looking away from the outside of the truck.
"Yours won't. So you better make the shot count."
"Quinn, when I tell you to I want you to start driving forward slowly." She made her way over to Quinn and covered him.
"Let's hope they realize that we're bigger than they are," Kali heard Dornan mutter.
"Now, Quinn. Start slow and then speed up."
Quinn started the truck rolling forward and some of the death claws got out of the way. It didn't quite deter them though; they obviously knew lunch was inside the big rolling thing. They paced alongside the vehicle and one of the Death Claws in the back became agitated and charged the truck. Dornan took a well aimed shot at it, hitting the thing square in the chest. The Death Claw gave a terrifying shriek and lit up like a million volts of electricity was being passed through him. Then he disintegrated before Dornan's very eyes.
"Damn!" Dornan said, whistling his appreciation.
Instead of frightening off the other Death Claws it simply enraged them and they attacked en mass. Everyone started firing their weapons at anything that moved outside the truck.
"Floor it, Quinn!" Dornan shouted taking another shot.
"Plow through them Quinn! The Truck will make it!" Kali shouted as she kicked a small Death Claw off the hood of the truck.
Quinn hit the gas and plowed head on into the Death Claws too stupid to get out of the way. There were some screeches and some bumps but the truck didn't stall or quit. Hunter and Kali ran to the back of the truck and helped Dornan pick any off that were still after the vehicle.
Quinn slowed the vehicle to a stop after they made it another ten miles or so. He and Kali pulled out a couple flash lights and started inspecting the vehicle for damage.
"You boys did well," Kali heard Dornan saying to the grunts. "I couldn't have asked for better soldiers on this trip."
Kali knew that when Dornan gave a compliment to a person, he truly meant it. She had a feeling that when she got back into the truck, the grunts would all be sitting a little bit taller than they had been.
Dornan joined Kali and Quinn at the front of the truck. They were staring at the blood and gore that coved the grill and bumper of the vehicle. Most of those Death Claws had been picking themselves up off the ground after they'd been run down by the truck.
"Tough sons of bitches," Dornan said to them. "You see the size of their claws. Like damn daggers."
"Death Claw is an apt name for such a creature." said Hunter joining them. "Our tribe was farther north so Tracker and I never saw one until we really started traveling."
"It's the same with me." Kali said taking out her pistols and reloading them. "When I was seventeen I traveled with a caravan from NCR to San Francisco, before I joined the Enclave, and we met up with one. It killed two others before we killed it."
"Dornan, the grunts, and I were all Enclave raised," Quinn said looking at Dornan.
"Yeah." Dornan shook his head. "This isn't our first encounter, mind you, but they've been few and far between."
"We should get going," Hunter said looking out into the dark. "Death Claws bounce back fast and travel even faster."
"You okay?" Dornan asked Kali after they had all piled into the truck and started back on their journey.
"My father once told me that a person will never get used to being attacked by wild animals. Watchful and wary, but never used to it."
"Wise man." He smiled. "We had little mole rats that ran around Alpha Base. A lot of the others would use them for target practice but not me. Their antics of popping in and out of their holes never stopped amusing me."
"They actually taste pretty good too."
Dornan looked over at her then looked at his gun.
"When you're surviving out in the waste you learn what taste good and what doesn't." She smiled when he still didn't speak to her.
"Those critters are cute" said one of the grunts." Edward Deeds. "I would find something else to eat."
"She's right though, they are tasty," said another of the grunts, Taka Valens.
"Since when have you eaten a mole rat?" Asked the third one, Jesse Jones.
"My dad and I used to catch them when he was on leave and we'd go camping out in the wastes." He shrugged his shoulders as if it were nothing.
"Your dad took you camping out in the wastes?" Jesse asked horrified.
"Yeah." Taka shrugged again. "My gramps was a tribal before he joined the Enclave. He taught my dad the ways and my dad taught me."
"If I remember right Caleb Valens was one of the best scouts around," Dornan said. "Now I know why."
"Yeah, my old man was great." Taka said with pride.
"What about you?" Dornan asked. "He taught you to scout?"
"Yes, Sergeant, he did."
"It's good you came along then," Dornan said. "Kali and I are going to be busy with the vault and Hunter will need a bit of help scouting the area."
"I'll do my best, Sergeant." Taka said puffing out his chest just a bit.
