(Untitled)

[acts_of_gord]

They should start receiving reports from the other Resistance cells soon, from what Alyx's told him. Gordon's taking her word for it. What he knows about the communication protocols and safety measures around here could fill a thimble. Right now he's occupying himself with weapon maintenance. It's necessary, and given how many weapons he's got, it

Comments

[smelltheashes]

"Nothin' but niggers and kikes everywhere you look," Russel Butler mutters bitterly as he and his brother stalk down the hallway. "So what're we s'posed to do now?"

"Minor setback, Russ, minor setback," replies Jared. "We just gotta find somebody who'll be more sympathetic to our cause."

"How about whatsisname--Calhoun? You think he's up for it?"

"Nah, Vance has got him wrapped around her little finger. Prob'ly sleepin' with him, too, the slut. Nah, there's gotta be somebody else..."

[remindmeof_me]

"-shelter hat
From an entrenching tool..."

Corporal Shephard's been pretty busy the past twenty-four hours or so, since the helicopter maintenance is done and that bear hide Ms. Vance got from that weird post-nuclear kid needed some extra preparation before tanning could start in earnest. Thankfully, he brought chemicals and equipment from the Bar to speed the tanning process on its way without him having to be in the same janitorial closet as the stink.

"But he's going to be a big success-
he heads his class at OCS..."

Which is why he's in one of the neglected areas in his fatigues, surrounded by books, papers, and the occasional map, and singing to himself under his breath as he does his best to cram the whole sorry lot into his skull against the day when it'll be needed.

"... makes a fellow proud to be a soldier..."

He probably wouldn't mind a distraction. Go on, poke him.

[smelltheashes]

Jared's eyes light up when he catches sight of the singer. Now they're getting somewhere.

"Excuse me?"

[remindmeof_me]

"Whoop." Shephard cuts himself off and glances up. "Sorry 'bout that, didn't see y'all comin'. Lookin' for someone?"

[smelltheashes]

"Found someone, I'm hopin'," says Jared with a friendly smile. "Corporal Shephard, right? Fella with the headcrab bite?"

[remindmeof_me]

"The one and only." Shep reaches up to run his thumb over the line of the scar. "Don't think I know you two fellas, though. Ain't got everyone's names memorized yet."

[smelltheashes]

"Jared Butler. This here's my brother Russel. We're outta the Coeur d'Alene area originally, up in north Idaho?" says Jared. "We were wonderin' if we could have a few minutes of your time..."

[remindmeof_me]

"Don't see why not," Shephard says. "Sure could use a break about now, anyways. Here, or walk 'n talk kind of thing? Either or."

[smelltheashes]

"Here is fine, Corporal. I wanted to talk to you about--"

"Did you know that Vance an' Freeman are an item?" Russel blurts out.

[remindmeof_me]

"Yeeeeah, don't git me started on that," says Shephard. While he's getting better about the man in general, the less Shephard hears about Freeman's love life, the happier a human being he's going to be.

[smelltheashes]

"Believe me, Russ and I were less than thrilled to find out about it ourselves," says Jared. "Two of the most influential people in the Resistance... who knows what else they're conspiring on?"

[remindmeof_me]

"Conspirin', now?" says Shephard, eyebrows going up. "Shit. There somethin' else I ought to know?"

[smelltheashes]

"You're one of us, Corporal," says Jared seriously. "A good God-fearing American. And it's up to us, and people like us, to make sure that the America we love doesn't go away. And that's gotta start with people who represent American values bein' in charge, you got me?"

[remindmeof_me]

Shephard, unlike Freeman, is an outdoorsman and a hunter. He's laid lots of snares in his time and walked his traplines until he's found the one with the rabbit caught in it. He's squatted in his tree stand for hours until the big buck got careless enough to wander past and present a quartering away shot for a second or two. Hell, he's stalked his prey on foot, muscles screaming with the restraint of moving as slowly and quietly as necessary to avoid spooking his prey.

This? This is not hunting. This is opening your front door and finding a big ol' black bear that got its meal from the bar's dumpster and can't so much as see straight wandering around the yard. It's practically cheating to take the shot.

"Reckon I do, at that," he says. "You, uh... you mention this to anyone else so far?"

[smelltheashes]

"Just Freeman. But that was before we found out he's with Vance. And a damn Jew, on top o' that," spits Russel.

[remindmeof_me]

"Huh. Could've fooled me," says Shephard. "Shit. Sure do sound like there's a whole lot goin' on 'round here needs a little more proper attention... say, could one of you fellers do me a favor'n close that door there? Don't reckon we want this interrupted or nothin', least not without warnin'."