Fallout: Our never-ending war

Chapter 2 - Scrapyard shotgun

"How you doin" Jay said standing over the woman as she started to collect her self seeing that Jay wasn't going to try and kill her. After a few more seconds of recollection she looked like she was finally able to think coherently and seeing this jay continued to speak. "Your lucky I got here when I did any later and I wouldn't have been able to save you".

That was a complete lie; Jay had watched the whole thing and only stepped in late because people tended to be more grateful the closer to death they are when they're saved. In any situation he was going to save the woman, jay just decided to do it at the most profitable moment.

He turned his attention away from the woman to see if the bandit had any goodies, while he was crouched and looting the dead man the woman finally composed herself and spoke "T-Thank you, I-I thought for a moment there we were going to d-die. M-my name is willow by the way, you are?"

Glancing up to the woman called Willow jay said "Jay Wh-... The names Jay"

'Alright time to lay the bait and catch this score' Jay thought as he stood up and patted dust of his trousers.

As Jay reached out a hand to help Willow up he began to speak "Well Willow I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed but I'm willing to guess your running from the gunfight"

As Jay said this Willow once again tensed, she then grabbed the clothing on Jay's shoulder and pleaded to him, "please Mister Jay can you help my husband, he and a few others are trying to fight them off" she then held her face into his shoulder and cried again, "Please I don't want to lose him".

'Truly a sad sob story, but I'm sorry darling this is the wasteland not the world of before the war' Jay thought. He was right the wasteland was a very unforgiving place it took the life of the good and bad in equal measure. Jay had seen and even at times caused people to fall to the misfortune of the wastes, the reason he hadn't fallen, at least what he believed, was a combination of luck, a good gun, instinct, and knowing when to pick a fight.

Adjusting his hat he looked sympathetically towards willow and her children and said "I'm sorry ma'am but I'm just about getting by as it is, I feel sorry for you I do, but at the moment I just can't risk it".

After saying this Jay could see hope diminish from Willow's eyes, she stuttered as her hand went down towards her waist and felt a small pouch. She contemplated as her eyes looked between the directions of gunfire, her son and daughter, and finally on Jay as she steeled herself.

"H-how about this then" she stuttered as she held out a pouch of caps that her husband had given her to get by once she was in Pendleton. "There is about 50 caps in here it's yours if you help him".

Glancing between the woman and the gunfight, he acted like he was thinking. Jay knew he was going to accept the job, he just knew that being greedy didn't raise any opinions of him.

Taking a Jet capsule out of his satchel and placing it in his chest pocket, Jay nodded to Willow, "alright I'll go help, but even if I can't save him by the time I'm there, I'll be taking those caps". Willow shuddered now realizing that even with an extra pair of hands her husband's survival may not be guaranteed, even so, she held out the pouch only to be met by Jay's hand, "not until it's done, and here just in case any more cretins come". Jay said as he handed what was formerly the bandits gun to Willow.

Without giving her time to speak Jay spun on his heel and began to make his way back towards the scrapyard through the channel, 'probably best not to show too much greed'

It only took a minute or so for jay to arrive near the yard, where the occasional gunfire could still be heard. Before he went and charged in he took the time to go back up the hill a way so he could see the situation.