If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
The first pieces of the corruption network had just been uncovered, and this interrogation was only the beginning.
The overhead light in the interrogation room buzzed faintly.
It was the only sound for several seconds after the smuggler's answer.
"…north warehouse."
The words seemed to hang in the stale air of the concrete room.
Behind the prisoners, one of the guards shifted his weight slightly. The metal plates of his armor made a soft clink.
Across the table, Sico leaned back slowly in his chair.
His fingers tapped once against the metal surface of the table.
Not impatiently.
Just thoughtfully.
Beside him, Magnolia watched the prisoners with narrowed eyes, her calm expression hiding the anger she felt about the stolen supplies.
Behind Sico, Robert continued writing notes in a small leather-bound pad.
Across the room, leaning near the wall with his rifle slung loosely over his shoulder, Preston Garvey exhaled slowly through his nose.
Raiders.
Of course it was raiders.
The wasteland had always been full of people willing to profit from suffering.
But hearing it confirmed still made his jaw tighten slightly.
Near the doorway, Robert MacCready remained leaning against the frame, arms folded across his chest, watching the smugglers like a hawk watching nervous prey.
No one spoke for a moment.
The smugglers sat stiffly in their chairs, their restrained hands resting on the metal tabletop.
Some stared down.
Others avoided looking directly at Sico.
The man who had spoken are the one who had revealed the warehouse looked particularly pale.
He knew he had crossed a line.
In the Commonwealth, betraying your partners rarely ended well.
But refusing to talk in this room didn't seem like a better option either.
Finally Sico leaned forward again.
His voice was calm.
Measured.
"Good," he said quietly.
Robert finished writing the note.
"North warehouse stash confirmed."
Sico nodded slightly.
"That answers one question."
He folded his hands again on the table.
But his eyes did not leave the prisoner who had spoken.
The man shifted nervously in his chair.
Sico spoke again.
"Now we move on."
The smugglers stiffened slightly.
They knew there was more coming.
And Sico did not disappoint.
He tilted his head slightly and asked the next question.
"Where are the people backing you hiding right now?"
The room became very still.
That question had weight.
A lot of weight.
The prisoners exchanged quick glances again.
The man who had already spoken looked immediately uncomfortable.
His lips pressed together tightly.
He looked down at the table again.
Sico watched him carefully.
"Someone financed this operation."
He tapped the ledger documents Robert had placed on the table earlier.
"These records show supply purchases."
"Transport payments."
"Protection fees."
His eyes returned to the prisoner.
"That means you weren't working alone."
Silence.
The man swallowed.
But he didn't answer.
Sico's voice remained steady.
"So I'll ask again."
"Where are the people backing you hiding right now?"
Still nothing.
The smuggler slowly shook his head.
"I… don't know."
MacCready chuckled softly from the doorway.
It wasn't a pleasant sound.
More like the quiet laugh of someone who had heard too many lies in his life.
Preston glanced briefly toward him.
Magnolia's eyes flicked in the same direction.
MacCready pushed himself off the wall.
His boots made slow, deliberate steps across the concrete floor.
The smugglers noticed immediately.
Their shoulders tightened.
MacCready stopped behind the prisoner who had been speaking.
He leaned forward slightly, resting one hand casually on the back of the chair.
"Funny thing," MacCready said conversationally.
"When people say they don't know something…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"…they usually know exactly what they're hiding."
The smuggler said nothing.
His jaw tightened.
Sico didn't interrupt.
He simply watched.
MacCready moved around the chair slowly until he was standing beside the man.
"Let me ask you something."
The prisoner kept staring at the table.
MacCready crouched slightly so his face was level with the man's.
"You've been running stolen tax shipments."
"You've been dealing with raiders."
"You've been sitting on a pile of stolen caps."
He tapped the metal table lightly.
"And you expect us to believe you don't know who you're working for?"
The smuggler remained silent.
MacCready sighed.
"Well."
He straightened up.
"I tried the polite way."
What followed wasn't dramatic.
There were no wild outbursts.
No shouting.
Just the quiet, controlled escalation of pressure that MacCready had learned during years surviving the wasteland.
He grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him slightly forward.
The chair legs scraped loudly against the concrete floor.
The other prisoners flinched.
Magnolia watched without speaking.
Preston shifted slightly but didn't intervene.
Sico remained perfectly still.
MacCready leaned close to the man's ear.
"You're going to answer the President's question."
The smuggler tried to pull away slightly.
"I told you I—"
MacCready's fist slammed down onto the metal table beside the man's restrained hands.
The loud clang echoed across the interrogation room.
The prisoners jumped.
The man froze.
MacCready spoke quietly.
"Try again."
The prisoner shook his head.
"I don't—"
MacCready grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it sharply against the metal cuff.
The smuggler gasped in pain.
Not enough to break anything.
But enough to make his entire body tense.
The other prisoners watched with wide eyes.
MacCready's voice remained calm.
"You know what I've noticed about smugglers?"
He applied just a little more pressure.
"They're tough when they think they're winning."
The prisoner clenched his teeth.
"But when things go bad…" MacCready continued.
"…they start remembering things."
Another twist of the wrist.
The man groaned.
Sico finally spoke again.
Still calm.
"Where are the people backing you hiding?"
The prisoner shook his head desperately.
"I can't—"
MacCready pushed the man forward onto the table.
His face hit the cold metal surface with a dull thud.
The other smugglers recoiled slightly.
MacCready leaned closer again.
"You can."
The man's breathing had become quick and uneven.
Sweat was forming on his forehead.
MacCready's voice dropped lower.
"And you will."
For several seconds nothing happened.
Then the prisoner's resistance began to crack.
His shoulders sagged slightly.
His voice came out strained.
"…stop…"
MacCready loosened his grip slightly.
"Answer the question."
The prisoner squeezed his eyes shut.
Then finally.
"…Diamond City."
The room went silent again.
MacCready released the man's arm.
The smuggler collapsed back into the chair, breathing heavily.
Robert immediately wrote down the information.
Preston pushed himself off the wall.
"Diamond City?"
Magnolia sat straighter in her chair.
"Inside the city?"
Sico's eyes narrowed slightly.
He leaned forward again.
"Who exactly?"
The smuggler wiped sweat from his forehead with his cuffed hands.
"Carver… and his partners."
Robert wrote quickly.
Sico continued.
"Where in Diamond City?"
The man hesitated again.
MacCready's shadow moved slightly beside him.
The prisoner spoke quickly.
"Warehouse district… near the old stadium wall."
Preston exchanged a glance with Magnolia.
That part of Diamond City was full of traders, caravans, and storage buildings.
The perfect place to hide illegal operations.
Sico leaned back again.
His expression remained calm.
But the information had clearly changed the situation.
A criminal network hiding inside the second largest settlement in the Commonwealth was not something to ignore.
Robert finished writing the last note.
"Primary suspects located in Diamond City warehouse district."
Magnolia folded her arms.
"So that's where the money flows."
Preston nodded slowly.
"That's a dangerous place to run a raid."
MacCready stepped away from the prisoner.
"Well."
He glanced toward Sico.
"Now we know where to go."
The prisoners sat silently.
Their resistance had been broken.
Sico stood slowly from his chair.
The metal legs scraped softly against the floor.
He looked down at the smugglers one last time.
"You've been very helpful tonight."
None of them responded.
Sico turned toward the door.
Robert closed the notebook.
Preston and Magnolia followed.
Behind them, MacCready remained for a moment longer.
He gave the prisoners one last look.
"Get some sleep," he said casually.
"You're going to need it."
Then he turned and left the room.
Outside the interrogation room, the prison corridor felt cooler.
Quieter.
But the tension had shifted.
They now had a location.
A target.
The prison corridor outside the interrogation room felt colder than the room they had just left.
Maybe it was the concrete walls.
Maybe it was the late hour.
Or maybe it was simply the weight of what they had just learned.
The footsteps of Sico, Preston Garvey, Robert, Magnolia, and MacCready echoed down the narrow hallway as they moved away from the interrogation chamber.
Behind them, the heavy metal door shut with a dull metallic thud.
Inside that room, eight smugglers now sat with the quiet realization that their operation had collapsed in a single night.
But outside that room, the real work was just beginning.
For a moment the group walked in silence.
The prison guards standing along the corridor straightened slightly as Sico passed them, offering respectful nods.
The Freemasons President acknowledged them with a brief glance.
His mind was already moving ahead several steps.
Information had been obtained.
Now action had to follow.
They reached the main entrance of the prison block where the floodlights outside cast long pale beams across the gravel yard.
The night air felt cool and fresh compared to the stale interrogation room.
Somewhere beyond the settlement walls a distant creature cried out across the wasteland.
The Commonwealth never truly rested.
Sico stopped walking.
The others slowed as well.
He turned slightly toward MacCready first.
MacCready noticed immediately and folded his arms loosely.
"Something tells me you're about to give me another job," he said.
Sico's expression was calm.
But there was a small hint of approval in his eyes.
"You handled the interrogation well."
MacCready shrugged.
"Years of experience dealing with stubborn people."
Sico nodded once.
"Then I need that experience again."
MacCready raised an eyebrow slightly.
Sico continued.
"The stash they mentioned."
"…the one hidden at the north warehouse."
MacCready nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
Sico stepped a little closer.
"I want it secured immediately."
MacCready's expression sharpened slightly.
Sico continued.
"Take your Commandos team."
"Move quietly."
"Recover every cap and every piece of evidence you find."
MacCready gave a small grin.
"A midnight scavenger hunt."
Sico's voice remained steady.
"And bring it back here."
MacCready pushed himself away from the railing beside the prison steps.
His posture straightened slightly.
"Understood."
He paused a moment.
Then asked the obvious question.
"Expect trouble?"
Sico thought for a moment.
"Possibly."
"Smuggling operations rarely leave their stash unguarded."
MacCready nodded.
"Fair enough."
He glanced toward Robert.
"Guess we're heading out again."
Robert gave a small nod.
"I'll have the trucks ready."
MacCready looked back toward Sico.
"We'll leave in ten minutes."
Sico nodded.
"Good."
MacCready didn't waste any more time.
He turned and started walking across the prison yard toward the barracks where the Commandos were stationed.
His boots crunched across the gravel as he disappeared into the light and shadow between buildings.
For a few seconds the others watched him go.
Then Sico turned toward Magnolia.
"Magnolia."
She looked at him immediately.
"Yes?"
Sico gestured toward the main settlement district.
"The taxes Robert and MacCready recovered from the smugglers' bunker."
Magnolia nodded slowly.
"The crates they brought earlier?"
"Yes."
Sico continued.
"I want an exact count."
Magnolia folded her arms slightly.
"You think something's missing."
It wasn't really a question.
Sico gave a small nod.
"If those smugglers were running operations for months…"
"…we need to know how much damage they did."
Magnolia's expression grew more serious.
"I'll start tonight."
She glanced toward Robert.
"Where did you store the crates?"
Robert answered immediately.
"Warehouse storage room near the treasury office."
Magnolia nodded.
"Perfect."
She turned slightly toward the main path leading back into Sanctuary.
"Give me a few hours."
Sico spoke again before she left.
"Take a guard detail."
Magnolia smiled faintly.
"You're getting cautious."
Sico replied simply.
"That operation had partners."
Magnolia's smile faded into a thoughtful nod.
"Fair point."
She started walking down the illuminated path back toward the central district.
Her boots echoed softly across the wooden planks of the settlement road.
Preston watched her go.
"That woman works harder than half the people I've ever known."
Robert nodded.
"She's good with numbers."
Sico turned slightly toward the headquarters building visible across the settlement square.
Lights still glowed in several of the windows.
The night staff was still working.
But now another decision needed to be made.
He looked at Preston.
"Come with me."
Preston straightened slightly.
"Of course."
Sico then looked toward Robert.
"You too."
Robert closed the notebook he had been writing in and slipped it into his coat.
The three men began walking back toward the headquarters building together.
The path across Sanctuary Hills was quiet at this hour.
Lanterns hung along the wooden walkways.
Generator-powered lamps cast soft pools of yellow light across the settlement square.
A patrol of Freemasons soldiers passed by and saluted briefly.
Sico returned the gesture.
Preston walked beside him, hands resting on his belt.
"You're thinking about Diamond City."
Sico answered simply.
"Yes."
Robert added quietly.
"That warehouse district is crowded."
"Caravans."
"Traders."
"Mercenaries."
Preston nodded.
"And civilians."
They reached the steps of the headquarters building.
Sico stopped before entering.
He turned to face them.
"The ringleader is there."
"Carver."
Robert nodded.
"According to the smugglers."
Sico continued.
"Which means tomorrow we move."
Preston crossed his arms slightly.
"Carefully."
Sico nodded once.
"Exactly."
They stepped inside the building.
The headquarters interior was still alive with quiet activity.
Radio operators worked at their stations.
A pair of officers were reviewing supply logs near the map wall.
Everyone looked up briefly as Sico entered.
He walked directly toward the communication desk.
Preston followed.
Robert moved toward the large map table and began reviewing the markers representing Diamond City.
The stadium settlement sat like a bright beacon on the Commonwealth map.
Sico turned toward Preston.
"Contact the mayor."
Preston raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You want to warn him."
Sico nodded.
"Yes."
Preston stepped toward the radio station and sat down in the chair.
The operator immediately moved aside.
"Channel?"
Preston asked.
Sico answered.
"Diamond City civic frequency."
The operator adjusted several knobs on the radio console.
Static crackled softly through the speakers.
Preston leaned forward slightly.
He pressed the transmit button.
"This is Preston Garvey of the Freemasons Republic requesting communication with the office of Mayor Danny Sullivan in Diamond City."
Static.
A few seconds passed.
Then a voice answered through the radio.
"Diamond City security office responding. Please stand by."
Preston glanced toward Sico.
Sico gave a small nod.
Moments later another voice came through the speaker.
Calm.
Slightly tired.
But alert.
"Mayor Sullivan speaking."
Preston straightened slightly.
"Mayor, this is Preston Garvey."
There was a brief pause.
Then the mayor responded.
"Garvey? Haven't heard from you in a while."
Preston smiled faintly.
"Been busy."
He glanced briefly toward Sico before continuing.
"We need to inform you about something happening tomorrow."
Another pause.
The mayor's tone grew more serious.
"…go on."
Preston spoke clearly.
"Tonight we uncovered a tax smuggling operation running through Commonwealth caravan routes."
Robert looked up from the map table as he listened.
Preston continued.
"The people responsible are hiding in Diamond City."
The radio crackled softly.
Then the mayor responded slowly.
"…that's a serious accusation."
Sico stepped closer to the radio desk.
Preston continued.
"We interrogated the smugglers involved."
"They confirmed the ringleader is operating in your warehouse district."
Silence filled the room for several seconds.
Finally the mayor spoke again.
"…name?"
Preston answered immediately.
"Carver."
Robert saw Sico watching the radio carefully.
The mayor's voice returned after another pause.
"…I've heard the name."
"That trader runs a few supply contracts near the stadium wall."
Sico stepped closer to the microphone.
"Mayor Sullivan."
The mayor responded immediately.
"Who is this?"
Sico spoke calmly.
"Sico."
There was another pause.
Then recognition.
"…President Sico."
Sico nodded slightly even though the mayor couldn't see it.
"Yes."
He continued.
"Tomorrow morning we will enter Diamond City."
"We intend to capture Carver and shut down the corruption network operating inside your settlement."
The radio remained silent for a moment.
Then the mayor spoke again.
"…you're planning an arrest operation inside Diamond City."
"Yes."
Sico's voice remained steady.
"We're informing you out of respect for your authority."
Another pause.
Finally the mayor replied.
"…I appreciate that."
Sico continued.
"We will avoid civilian areas."
"Our target is the warehouse district."
Robert watched Preston listening carefully.
The mayor spoke again.
"…Diamond City security will cooperate."
Preston nodded slightly.
"Good."
Sico added one final sentence.
"Tomorrow we end this operation."
The radio crackled softly again.
Then the mayor answered.
"…understood."
The connection faded.
The radio returned to quiet static.
Preston leaned back slightly in the chair.
"Well."
Robert closed the map notebook slowly.
"That's official."
Sico looked toward the map of Diamond City again.
His eyes focused on the warehouse district marker.
"Tomorrow," he said quietly.
"Carver answers for everything."
Dawn arrived slowly over Sanctuary Hills.
At first it was only a faint gray light creeping across the rooftops of the old pre-war houses. The night fog still clung to the streets and gardens, drifting lazily between fences and lamp posts.
Then the first rays of sunlight broke across the horizon.
The golden light reflected off the river and spilled across the settlement like a quiet promise of another long day.
But Sanctuary had already been awake for hours.
The settlement was moving with the focused rhythm of preparation.
Soldiers were gathering near the main gate.
Mechanics checked engines.
Drivers inspected supply crates.
Radio operators confirmed communication frequencies.
And in the center of it all, near the large open yard that had slowly become Sanctuary's main staging area, three armored Humvees and three military transport trucks were lined up in a neat formation.
Their engines idled softly.
The low mechanical rumble echoed across the early morning air.
Fifty soldiers stood nearby in organized groups.
Most wore the dark tactical armor used by the Freemasons Republic military forces.
Rifles were slung across their backs.
Some checked their ammunition.
Others adjusted straps on their gear.
They spoke quietly among themselves.
Not nervous.
But focused.
Everyone there understood the mission.
Today they were going to Diamond City.
And they were going there to arrest a man whose corruption had been quietly stealing from settlements across the Commonwealth for months.
Near the front of the convoy stood Preston Garvey.
He was leaning over the hood of the lead Humvee with a map spread across the metal surface.
Several squad leaders stood around him listening carefully.
Preston traced a finger along the route they would take.
"We'll follow the southern highway until we reach the Cambridge ruins," he explained.
"From there we move east toward the city wall."
One of the squad leaders nodded.
"Expected travel time?"
"About two hours if the roads stay clear."
Another soldier asked quietly.
"And if they don't?"
Preston gave a faint smile.
"Then we clear them."
The soldiers chuckled softly.
But everyone understood the reality.
The Commonwealth was never predictable.
Raiders.
Mutants.
Rogue mercenaries.
Anything could appear on the road between Sanctuary and Diamond City.
Preston rolled the map up slowly.
"This operation needs to stay controlled."
He looked each of the squad leaders in the eye.
"Our target is Carver."
"Not civilians."
"Not traders."
"Not random bystanders."
Everyone nodded.
They knew how delicate the situation would be.
Diamond City was the largest trading hub in the Commonwealth.
If a firefight broke out in the wrong place, the consequences could ripple across every settlement that depended on its markets.
One of the soldiers asked quietly.
"And if Carver runs?"
Preston didn't hesitate.
"Then we run faster."
That earned a few small grins.
Across the yard, the door of the Freemasons headquarters building opened.
Sico stepped outside.
He paused at the top of the wooden steps for a moment, taking in the sight of the assembled convoy.
The morning sunlight caught the metal edges of the vehicles.
The soldiers standing in formation.
The flags hanging from the gate towers.
Sanctuary had come a long way from the fragile settlement it had once been.
Now it looked like the capital of something real.
Something strong.
Behind Sico, Robert stepped outside as well.
He carried a small folder under one arm.
"Magnolia finished the count," Robert said quietly.
Sico glanced toward him.
"And?"
Robert opened the folder.
"Recovered taxes from the bunker totaled 8,420 caps."
Sico nodded slowly.
"And the stash?"
"MacCready returned around three in the morning."
Robert flipped to the next page.
"The north warehouse contained 17,000 additional caps."
Sico's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That confirms the scale."
Robert nodded.
"It was bigger than we thought."
Sico looked back toward the convoy.
"And the evidence?"
"Ledgers, trade contracts, payment records."
Robert closed the folder.
"Enough to bury Carver if we get him alive."
Sico nodded once.
"That's the plan."
They walked down the steps together toward the yard.
As soon as Preston noticed them approaching, he stepped away from the vehicles and walked over.
"Morning."
Sico nodded.
"Morning."
Preston gestured toward the convoy.
"We're ready to move."
Sico looked over the vehicles again.
Three Humvees positioned at the front, middle, and rear of the formation.
Three trucks carrying the main body of soldiers.
Fifty troops in total.
More than enough to handle an arrest operation.
But not so many that they would look like an invading army.
"You'll approach the city through the main gate," Sico said.
Preston nodded.
"The mayor informed the gate guards last night."
Robert added quietly.
"Diamond City security will cooperate."
Preston leaned against the side of the lead Humvee.
"I still expect Carver's people to try something."
Sico agreed.
"Most likely."
He looked Preston directly in the eye.
"But your priority remains the same."
"Capture him."
"Alive."
Preston nodded firmly.
"Understood."
One of the drivers climbed into the front Humvee and started the engine fully.
The machine growled louder now.
The convoy was almost ready to depart.
A few settlers had begun gathering along the nearby fences.
They watched quietly as the soldiers prepared to leave.
Word had spread overnight.
People understood what this mission meant.
Someone had been stealing from them.
Today the Republic was going to bring that person to justice.
Preston climbed into the passenger seat of the lead Humvee.
But before the door closed, he looked back toward Sico one more time.
"You sure you don't want to come with us?"
Sico shook his head.
"Someone needs to run the Republic."
Preston smiled faintly.
"Fair point."
He closed the door.
The convoy commander standing nearby raised a hand.
"Mount up!"
Soldiers began climbing into the transport trucks.
Boots clanged against metal steps.
Rifles were secured.
Doors slammed shut.
Within minutes all fifty soldiers were inside the vehicles.
The convoy engines roared to life one by one.
Dust began rising from the gravel yard as the trucks shifted into position behind the lead Humvee.
Sico stood quietly with Robert beside him as the formation rolled slowly toward the main gate of Sanctuary.
The guards at the gate opened the large steel barriers.
The convoy moved forward.
First the lead Humvee.
Then the first truck.
Then the second.
Then the third.
The middle Humvee followed behind them.
And finally the rear truck and escort vehicle closed the formation.
The rumble of six engines echoed across the settlement.
As the convoy passed through the gate, the soldiers inside raised their hands briefly in salute toward the watching settlers.
Some of the settlers nodded back.
Others simply watched in silence.
The convoy turned onto the main road leaving Sanctuary.
Dust rose behind the tires as the vehicles picked up speed.
Preston sat in the front seat of the lead Humvee, watching the road ahead carefully.
The Commonwealth stretched out before them.
Ruined highways.
Collapsed buildings.
Patches of forest and broken farmland.
Somewhere far ahead, beyond miles of wasteland roads, waited the green walls of Diamond City.
And inside those walls, a man named Carver who had no idea the Republic was coming for him.
Back at the gate, Sico watched until the last truck disappeared down the road.
The rumble of the engines slowly faded into the distance.
Robert stood beside him.
"Fifty soldiers," Robert said quietly.
"That should be enough."
Sico nodded.
"Yes."
But his eyes remained on the empty road long after the convoy had vanished.
Because he knew something Robert didn't say.
Arrest operations rarely went exactly as planned.
And Diamond City was not just another settlement.
It was the heart of Commonwealth trade.
If something went wrong there, the consequences would echo everywhere.
Finally Sico turned away from the gate.
"Let's get back to work."
Robert followed him as they walked back toward the headquarters building.
Behind them, the gates of Sanctuary slowly closed again.
And far out on the dusty road leading south, Preston's convoy continued moving steadily toward Diamond City.
______________________________________________
• Name: Sico
• Stats :
S: 8,44
P: 7,44
E: 8,44
C: 8,44
I: 9,44
A: 7,45
L: 7
• Skills: advance Mechanic, Science, and Shooting skills, intermediate Medical, Hand to Hand Combat, Lockpicking, Hacking, Persuasion, and Drawing Skills
• Inventory: 53.280 caps, 10mm Pistol, 1500 10mm rounds, 22 mole rats meat, 17 mole rats teeth, 1 fragmentation grenade, 6 stimpak, 1 rad x, 6 fusion core, computer blueprint, modern TV blueprint, camera recorder blueprint, 1 set of combat armor, Automatic Assault Rifle, 1.500 5.56mm rounds, power armor T51 blueprint, Electric Motorcycle blueprint, T-45 power armor, Minigun, 1.000 5mm rounds, Cryolator, 200 cryo cell, Machine Gun Turret Mk1 blueprint, electric car blueprint, Kellogg gun, Righteous Authority, Ashmaker, Furious Power Fist, Full set combat armor blueprint, M240 7.62mm machine guns blueprint, Automatic Assault Rifle blueprint, and Humvee blueprint.
• Active Quest:-