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!)
...
And the investigation into Kasumi Nakano's disappearance officially began.
The Humvee's engine rumbled steadily as the convoy rolled out of Sanctuary's gate.
Dust rose from the cracked asphalt road as the vehicles picked up speed.
In the lead Humvee, Sico kept his eyes forward while Nick leaned one arm against the window frame, fedora tilted low over his glowing yellow eyes.
Behind them, the other two Humvees followed in tight formation, their mounted machine guns pointed toward the sky like silent sentinels.
Further back, the transport truck carried the rest of the thirty Freemason soldiers assigned to the escort.
The convoy moved with the kind of organized discipline that only came from long experience in dangerous territory.
Sanctuary's walls slowly disappeared behind them.
The green farmland surrounding the settlement faded into rougher terrain as the road stretched deeper into the Commonwealth.
For a while, neither man spoke.
The engine hummed beneath them.
Wind rushed past the vehicle as the Humvee climbed a slight ridge overlooking a wide stretch of broken landscape.
Nick finally broke the silence.
"You always travel like this?"
Sico didn't take his eyes off the road.
"Like what?"
Nick gestured loosely behind them.
"Half a platoon of soldiers."
Sico gave a faint smile.
"The Commonwealth isn't exactly known for peaceful sightseeing trips."
Nick chuckled softly.
"Fair enough."
The convoy passed the ruins of an old gas station.
Its roof had collapsed years ago, leaving twisted beams poking into the sky like broken ribs.
Two rusted cars sat half-buried in weeds nearby.
Nick watched them pass.
"You know," he said casually, "in the old world people used to stop at places like that for snacks."
Sico glanced sideways.
"Snacks?"
Nick nodded.
"Little bags of fried potatoes. Candy bars. Sugary drinks."
Sico raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds like luxury."
Nick grinned.
"Believe me, it was."
The road curved eastward.
The terrain slowly began to change.
Trees grew thicker along the roadside, their leaves whispering softly in the wind.
In the distance the faint scent of salt carried through the air.
Nick noticed it first.
"Smell that?"
Sico nodded.
"The ocean."
Nick leaned his head back against the seat.
"That means we're getting close."
They drove for another hour.
The convoy passed through small abandoned settlements where empty houses leaned at odd angles against time and weather.
A few settlers waved cautiously as the vehicles passed.
Others simply watched from doorways.
The presence of thirty armed Freemason soldiers was enough to draw attention anywhere in the Commonwealth.
Eventually the paved road gave way to a narrow dirt path cutting through dense coastal brush.
The Humvee slowed as the terrain grew rougher.
Tall grass brushed against the sides of the vehicles.
Seagulls circled overhead, their distant cries carried by the wind.
Nick looked ahead through the windshield.
"There."
Sico followed his gaze.
At the end of the narrow path stood a small coastal homestead.
The house sat on a low bluff overlooking the gray waters of the Atlantic.
Weathered wooden walls creaked slightly in the ocean breeze.
Beside the house stood a small workshop building made from scrap metal and reinforced timber.
Further down the slope a narrow dock extended into the water.
A fishing boat bobbed gently against the pier.
The convoy slowed to a stop several yards from the house.
Engines idled quietly.
For a moment the only sound was the distant crash of waves against the rocks below.
Soldiers began climbing out of the vehicles, spreading out cautiously to secure the area.
Preston stepped down from the second Humvee and began directing the men with calm hand signals.
Sico opened the door of the lead vehicle and stepped onto the gravel.
The sea wind immediately tugged at his coat.
Nick climbed out beside him, adjusting his fedora against the breeze.
He looked around slowly.
"Well," he said.
"Looks like we found the place."
Sico nodded.
"Stay sharp."
Nick smirked.
"I'm a detective, not a tourist."
Sico gestured toward the house.
"Let's go meet the parents."
The two men walked up the narrow path leading to the front door.
Behind them, Freemason soldiers quietly spread out across the perimeter, keeping watch over the surrounding cliffs and brush.
The wooden porch creaked under their boots as they stepped up to the door.
Nick glanced briefly at the windows.
Curtains moved slightly inside.
Someone was definitely home.
Sico raised his hand and knocked firmly against the door.
The sound echoed inside the house.
For several seconds nothing happened.
Then footsteps approached from within.
The door slowly opened.
A middle-aged man stood in the doorway.
His hair was dark but streaked with gray, and his face carried the tired lines of someone who had spent most of his life battling harsh weather and harder work.
Behind him stood a woman of similar age, her eyes anxious and red from lack of sleep.
They both froze slightly at the sight of the two strangers on their porch.
And especially at the convoy of armed soldiers parked nearby.
The man's expression immediately shifted toward guarded suspicion.
"Who are you?" he asked cautiously.
Nick stepped forward slightly and removed his hat in a polite gesture.
Up close, the pale synthetic skin and mechanical framework of his face became clearly visible.
The man blinked in surprise.
Nick spoke calmly.
"Name's Nick Valentine."
He gestured lightly toward Sico beside him.
"And this is Sico."
The man's eyes moved between them.
"I'm Kenji Nakano."
He placed a protective arm slightly in front of the woman behind him.
"My wife, Rei."
Rei Nakano nodded nervously.
Her eyes briefly drifted toward the soldiers standing near the vehicles.
Nick noticed the concern and quickly spoke in a reassuring tone.
"Don't worry about the soldiers."
Kenji frowned slightly.
"That's hard to ignore."
Nick chuckled softly.
"Fair point."
Then his expression became more serious.
"I received a case file from your visit to the police office."
Kenji's eyes widened slightly.
"You… did?"
Nick nodded.
"You asked for help finding your daughter."
For a moment the tension in Kenji's shoulders seemed to collapse under the weight of exhaustion.
"Yes," he said quietly.
"Kasumi."
Rei's hand moved to cover her mouth slightly.
Nick nodded gently.
"That's why we're here."
Kenji stepped back slowly and opened the door wider.
"Please… come inside."
Sico and Nick stepped into the house.
The interior was simple but well kept.
Fishing nets hung neatly along one wall.
Shelves held tools, spare boat parts, and carefully organized supplies.
A wooden table stood near the center of the room.
Kenji closed the door behind them.
Rei moved quietly to the table and gestured for them to sit.
Nick placed his hat down and pulled out a chair.
Sico remained standing for a moment, studying the room before finally sitting beside him.
For a few seconds nobody spoke.
The sound of waves drifting through the windows filled the silence.
Kenji finally sat across from them.
His hands rested heavily on the table.
"You said you came about Kasumi," he said.
Nick nodded.
"That's right."
Kenji looked down at the table for a moment before speaking again.
"She's been gone for three days."
Rei's voice trembled slightly.
"She didn't tell us where she was going."
Nick leaned forward slightly.
"Start from the beginning."
Kenji nodded slowly.
"Kasumi had been acting… strange for a while."
Nick and Sico exchanged a brief glance.
They had heard this part already from Ellie.
But hearing it from the parents themselves was different.
"Strange how?" Nick asked.
Kenji rubbed his hands together nervously.
"She stayed in the workshop at the boathouse almost every day."
He pointed toward the metal building visible through the window.
"She spent hours working on something in there."
Rei added quietly,
"She barely slept."
Kenji nodded.
"She kept asking questions about synths."
Nick spoke gently.
"Did she say why?"
Kenji shook his head.
"She said she thought something was wrong with her."
Rei looked down.
"She said her memories didn't feel real."
Nick glanced at Sico briefly.
Then he looked back at Kenji.
"And the day she disappeared?"
Kenji sighed deeply.
"That morning seemed normal."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Kasumi woke up early."
Rei continued the story.
"She ate breakfast with us."
Her eyes watered slightly.
"She smiled… like everything was fine."
Kenji's jaw tightened.
"Later that afternoon I went down to the dock to check the nets."
Nick listened carefully.
"When I came back," Kenji continued quietly, "she was gone."
Nick asked calmly.
"And the boat?"
Kenji nodded.
"One of the fishing boats was missing."
Rei spoke softly.
"She took it."
Nick leaned back slightly.
"She left by sea."
Kenji nodded again.
"We searched the shoreline."
Rei added.
"We waited all night."
Kenji's voice grew heavier.
"But she never came back."
The room fell silent again.
Nick placed his hat back on the table.
"Did she leave anything behind?"
Kenji nodded slowly.
"A note."
Nick and Sico exchanged another glance.
Kenji reached into a drawer beside the table and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
He placed it carefully in front of Nick.
Nick recognized the handwriting immediately.
It was the same note Ellie had shown him.
Kenji's voice trembled slightly.
"She said she thought she might be a synth."
Rei wiped tears from her eyes.
"We don't understand."
Kenji looked up at them with desperate hope.
"Do you know where she might have gone?"
Nick didn't answer immediately.
Instead he looked toward the window where the gray ocean stretched endlessly toward the horizon.
Somewhere out there, Kasumi Nakano had sailed away.
But oceans were wide.
And a fishing boat could only travel so far.
Nick finally turned back toward the table.
Kenji and Rei were watching him with that fragile mix of fear and hope that parents carried when their child vanished into the unknown.
Nick had seen that look before.
Too many times.
He reached slowly for his fedora and turned it in his hands.
"Well," he said gently, "first thing we're going to do is take a look around."
Kenji blinked.
"Around?"
Nick nodded.
"A brief investigation here at the house."
Rei leaned forward slightly.
"You think there might be something she left behind?"
Nick gave a small shrug.
"Kids don't usually vanish without leaving clues. Sometimes they don't even realize they're leaving them."
Sico folded his arms calmly.
"If Kasumi planned her departure, there's a good chance she prepared something here first."
Kenji looked uncertain.
"You mean… search the house?"
Nick raised a hand reassuringly.
"Nothing invasive. We're just looking for anything that might tell us where she was going."
Rei glanced toward the hallway.
"Her room is upstairs."
Nick nodded.
"Mind if we start there?"
Kenji shook his head quickly.
"No… no, of course not."
He stood slowly from the table.
"I'll show you."
The group moved quietly through the small house.
The wooden floor creaked softly beneath their steps.
The hallway carried the faint smell of salt and machine oil.
Nick noticed small details as they passed.
Fishing boots by the door.
A neatly hung raincoat.
A framed photograph of a younger Kasumi standing proudly beside a freshly caught fish while Kenji grinned behind her.
He paused briefly at the photo.
"Looks like she spent a lot of time out on the water."
Kenji glanced at the picture.
"She loved the ocean."
His voice carried both pride and pain.
Rei added softly,
"She used to say the waves helped her think."
They reached the staircase.
Kenji led them up the narrow wooden steps.
At the end of the hallway he stopped at a closed door.
"This was her room."
He hesitated for a moment before opening it.
The door creaked quietly.
Inside, the room was small but organized.
A narrow bed stood against one wall.
A desk sat beneath the window, covered in small mechanical parts, wires, and scraps of circuitry.
Books and holotapes were stacked carefully along a shelf.
Nick stepped inside slowly.
He removed his hat again, almost instinctively.
There was something about entering a missing person's room that always made him feel like he was stepping into someone's private thoughts.
Sico walked to the desk first.
He examined the scattered tools.
"She definitely liked working with electronics."
Nick nodded.
"Ellie mentioned that."
Rei stood quietly near the doorway.
"She taught herself."
Kenji added,
"Anything that washed ashore… broken radios, old signal transmitters… she would take them apart and try to fix them."
Nick crouched near the desk.
"Smart kid."
He opened a small drawer.
Inside were coils of wire, screws, and several carefully labeled circuit boards.
Sico moved toward the shelf.
His eyes scanned the row of holotapes stacked there.
"Looks like she kept recordings."
Nick stood.
"How many?"
Sico counted them quickly.
"One… two… three… four… five… six…"
He paused.
"And seven."
Nick walked over.
"Mind if we take a look?"
Kenji shook his head.
"Go ahead."
Sico picked up the holotapes and placed them gently on the desk.
Nick examined their labels.
Most of them were simple.
"Workshop Log."
"Repair Notes."
"Signal Tests."
But one tape had no label at all.
Nick raised an eyebrow.
"That's interesting."
He set it aside.
"Let's check the room first."
They continued searching carefully.
Nick looked through the desk drawers.
Sico checked the closet.
Kenji and Rei stood silently nearby, watching every movement.
After several minutes Nick crouched beside the bed.
He lifted the edge of the mattress slightly.
Something caught his eye.
"Hold on."
He reached under the bed frame.
His fingers brushed against plastic.
Nick pulled out a holotape.
Dust clung lightly to its surface.
Sico stepped closer.
"That one wasn't on the shelf."
Nick nodded.
"Exactly."
He wiped the dust away.
The tape still had no label.
Nick looked at Sico.
"Let's hear it."
Sico reached down to his wrist and activated his Pip-Boy.
The small screen flickered to life with a faint green glow.
Nick inserted the tape.
A moment later the faint crackle of recorded audio filled the quiet room.
Kasumi's voice emerged.
Soft.
Nervous.
Thoughtful.
"…I had the dream again last night."
Rei covered her mouth as she heard her daughter's voice.
Kasumi continued.
"I keep seeing the same thing every time."
There was a pause in the recording.
Nick glanced briefly toward Kenji and Rei.
Then back to the device.
Kasumi's voice resumed.
"It feels like… like a jolt of electricity going through my body."
Her breathing was audible in the recording.
"Not painful. Just… sudden."
Another pause.
"I wake up every time right after it happens."
Nick leaned against the desk.
Kasumi continued.
"And when I wake up… everything feels strange."
The room remained silent except for her voice.
"Like my thoughts aren't really mine."
Sico's expression hardened slightly.
Kasumi continued slowly.
"I can't explain it."
Her voice sounded tired.
"But the dreams keep coming back."
Nick folded his arms.
Kasumi continued.
"It's always the same moment."
Another long pause.
"Like something is turning on."
The tape ended with a soft click.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Rei wiped tears from her face.
"She never told us about that…"
Kenji looked shaken.
Nick removed the tape slowly.
"Sounds like she was scared."
Sico nodded.
"And searching for answers."
Nick placed the tape carefully on the desk beside the others.
He looked around the room again.
"Let's check the workshop."
Kenji nodded quickly.
"Yes… the boathouse."
They left the bedroom and descended the stairs.
The ocean wind greeted them again as they stepped outside.
Freemason soldiers still stood guard around the property.
Preston watched from near the Humvees but did not interfere.
Sico and Nick followed Kenji down the path toward the dock.
The workshop building stood beside the boathouse.
Rusty metal panels rattled softly in the breeze.
Kenji opened the door.
Inside, the smell of machine oil and saltwater filled the air.
Workbenches lined the walls.
Old radios and electronic equipment sat in partially disassembled piles.
Nick whistled softly.
"She had quite the lab down here."
Sico examined the tools.
"Very organized."
Kenji nodded.
"She spent most nights here."
Nick walked slowly through the room.
His eyes scanned every surface.
Then something caught Sico's attention.
Against the far wall sat a heavy metal safe.
Its door was closed.
Nick followed his gaze.
"Well… that looks promising."
Kenji frowned.
"I didn't even know she had that."
Sico stepped closer.
The safe had a small mechanical lock.
Old but sturdy.
Nick smirked slightly.
"Think she left the combination lying around?"
Sico shook his head.
"Unlikely."
He knelt beside the safe.
Nick crossed his arms.
"Good thing you came prepared."
Sico pulled a small pick tool from his pocket.
Kenji blinked in surprise.
"You know how to open that?"
Sico gave a faint smile.
"I've had practice."
Nick chuckled quietly.
"Understatement of the year."
The room fell silent as Sico worked the lock.
The small metal clicks echoed softly in the workshop.
Kenji watched nervously.
Rei stood beside him, gripping his arm.
After a few tense seconds.
Click.
The lock released.
Sico turned the handle.
The safe door creaked open.
Inside were only two items.
A small stack of notes.
And another holotape.
Nick leaned forward.
"Jackpot."
Sico picked up the tape and inserted it into his Pip-Boy.
The device hummed softly as the recording began.
Kasumi's voice filled the room once more.
This time it sounded more determined.
"If anyone is hearing this… it probably means I've already left."
Kenji inhaled sharply.
Kasumi continued.
"I'm sorry Mom. Dad."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"But I had to know the truth."
Nick watched Kenji carefully.
Kasumi continued.
"For weeks I've been trying to figure out what's wrong with me."
A faint rustle of movement echoed in the recording.
"I know it sounds crazy…"
She took a breath.
"But I think I might be a synth."
Rei began quietly crying.
Kasumi's voice continued steadily.
"I've been reading everything I can find about synths."
Another pause.
"And there's only one place I can think of that might have answers."
Nick's eyes narrowed slightly.
Kasumi spoke the name slowly.
"Arcadia."
Sico exchanged a quick glance with Nick.
Kasumi continued.
"It's supposed to be a safe place for synths."
Her voice grew more confident.
"A place where people like me can understand what we really are."
Nick whispered quietly,
"There it is."
Kasumi continued.
"I found a map reference pointing north… beyond the Commonwealth."
A faint shuffle of paper could be heard in the recording.
"A place called Far Harbor."
Kenji looked confused.
"Far Harbor…?"
Kasumi finished her message.
"If I really am a synth… maybe they can help me understand."
Her voice softened.
"I love you both."
The recording ended.
The workshop fell silent.
Only the wind outside and the distant waves could be heard.
Kenji leaned heavily against the workbench.
"She thought she was a synth…"
Rei wiped her eyes again.
"She was so scared…"
Nick removed the tape from the Pip-Boy.
He placed it gently beside the notes inside the safe.
Sico closed the safe door slowly.
Then he turned toward Kenji and Rei.
"We know where she went."
Kenji looked up quickly.
"You do?"
Nick nodded.
"Arcadia."
Kenji frowned.
"I've never heard of it."
Sico explained calmly.
"It's located far north."
He gestured toward the ocean.
"Past the Commonwealth."
Nick added,
"On an island called Far Harbor."
Rei's voice trembled.
"You mean… she sailed all the way there?"
Nick shrugged slightly.
"Maybe not directly. She could have reached the mainland first."
Kenji straightened slowly.
"But you know where to look now."
Sico nodded.
"Yes."
Nick placed his hat back on his head.
"We finally have a destination."
Kenji stepped forward urgently.
"Will you go after her?"
Nick met his eyes.
"That's the plan."
Sico nodded calmly.
"We'll find Kasumi."
Rei clasped her hands tightly.
"Please… bring our daughter home."
The words hung in the workshop like a fragile thread stretched between hope and fear.
For a moment nobody spoke.
The wind outside rattled the thin metal walls of the boathouse, and the distant surf rolled against the rocks with its steady, ancient rhythm.
Sico looked at Rei gently.
He had seen many frightened people across the Commonwealth since the Freemasons began expanding their protection network.
Settlers worried about raiders.
Families worried about super mutants.
Parents worried about children wandering into the wasteland.
But there was something uniquely painful about a parent whose child had simply… disappeared.
Not dead.
Not confirmed alive.
Just gone.
Sico stepped a little closer to her.
His voice softened.
"Of course, ma'am."
Rei looked up.
Sico gave a reassuring nod.
"Don't worry."
Kenji watched him carefully, searching for any sign that this promise might be empty.
But Sico's calm expression never wavered.
"We'll bring her back," he said quietly.
Nick leaned against the workbench nearby, arms folded across his trench coat.
He gave a small approving nod.
Sico then lifted his wrist and activated the small communication unit attached to the Freemason field radio network.
The device emitted a faint burst of static.
Outside, Preston's soldiers continued their patrol around the property, but the sound inside the workshop was quiet enough for the radio signal to come through clearly.
Sico pressed the transmit switch.
"Naval Command, this is Sico. Do you copy?"
Static crackled for a moment.
Then a familiar voice answered.
"Reading you loud and clear, Director."
It was Albert.
At that moment he was stationed at the Freemasons' growing naval headquarters along the coast of the Commonwealth, a fortified harbor where the organization had begun rebuilding maritime capabilities.
These days he commanded what remained of the Freemasons' small but growing fleet.
Nick smirked slightly.
"Good guy to have on the water."
Sico nodded faintly before speaking again into the radio.
"Albert, I need immediate naval support."
The voice on the other end didn't hesitate.
"What kind of support?"
Sico stepped closer to the open workshop door so the signal would carry more clearly.
"I want four Defender-class patrol boats deployed to my location."
There was a brief pause.
Albert's voice came back sounding slightly surprised.
"Four boats?"
"Correct."
Kenji glanced at Nick uncertainly.
Nick just shrugged casually.
Albert continued.
"That's a serious escort package, sir."
Sico looked out toward the gray ocean stretching across the horizon.
"We're heading north."
Albert waited.
Sico continued.
"Destination: Far Harbor."
The radio went quiet for a few seconds.
Even Nick raised an eyebrow slightly.
Then Albert's voice returned.
"Well… that's a long sail."
Sico nodded slightly, though Albert couldn't see it.
"I'm aware."
Albert asked,
"What's the mission objective?"
Sico glanced briefly toward Kenji and Rei.
Then answered.
"We're searching for a missing girl."
Kenji's eyes widened slightly.
Nick leaned against the doorway.
Albert spoke again after a moment.
"Understood."
Sico continued.
"She left from this dock in one of the Nakano fishing boats. We'll be following her route."
Albert whistled softly through the radio.
"Sir… that boat isn't exactly built for long-range coastal travel."
Nick chuckled quietly.
"That kid's got guts."
Sico continued calmly.
"We're going to use the same vessel."
Kenji blinked.
"You mean… Kasumi's boat?"
Sico nodded slightly.
"It's the most accurate trail we have."
Albert spoke again.
"Four Defender-class boats will meet you there."
Sico gave the coordinates.
"Northeastern Commonwealth coastline. Nakano residence dock."
Albert responded immediately.
"Copy that."
Then he added,
"Estimated arrival… about forty minutes."
Nick raised his eyebrows.
"Fast response."
Sico smiled faintly.
Albert wasn't finished.
"You planning to leave right away once we arrive?"
"Yes."
Albert's voice became slightly more serious.
"You know Far Harbor waters can get rough."
Sico replied calmly.
"That's why I want the escorts."
Albert chuckled.
"Fair enough."
Then his tone returned to professional focus.
"I'll assemble the patrol crews now."
Sico nodded.
"Good."
Albert added one final comment.
"And sir…"
"Yes?"
"If that girl made the trip alone… she's either very brave…"
Nick muttered under his breath.
"…or very stubborn."
Albert finished the thought.
"…or both."
The radio connection clicked off.
Sico lowered his wrist.
The workshop grew quiet again.
Kenji looked at him with astonishment.
"You're sending four patrol boats?"
Nick gave a casual shrug.
"The Freemasons don't exactly do things halfway."
Rei spoke softly.
"You're really going after her…"
Sico nodded.
"Yes."
Kenji slowly sat down on a wooden crate.
For days he had felt completely powerless.
The ocean had swallowed his daughter without explanation.
Now, for the first time, there was a plan.
Nick walked over to the open workshop door and looked down toward the dock.
The small Nakano fishing boat bobbed gently against the pier.
It was a sturdy vessel.
Weathered wood.
Reinforced hull.
Built for coastal fishing runs.
But not exactly designed for long expeditions across the northern Atlantic.
Nick tilted his head slightly.
"That boat actually make the trip?"
Kenji stood and joined him at the doorway.
"She maintained it herself."
Nick looked surprised.
"She?"
Kenji nodded.
"She rebuilt half the engine last winter."
Nick whistled softly.
"Kid's got mechanical talent."
Sico stepped beside them.
"The Defender patrol boats will make the journey safe."
Rei spoke from behind them.
"Will the soldiers come too?"
Nick turned.
"Some of them."
Sico nodded.
"Preston will deploy a small security team."
Outside, Preston Garvey was already walking toward the workshop with two soldiers.
He had clearly noticed the radio transmission.
The Minuteman officer stepped inside.
"You called naval support?"
Sico nodded.
"We're heading north by sea."
Preston looked briefly toward Kenji and Rei.
"Kasumi's trail?"
Nick answered.
"Arcadia. Far Harbor."
Preston let out a quiet breath.
"I've heard stories about that place."
Nick smirked.
"Most people have."
Preston folded his arms.
"You planning to take the whole convoy north?"
Sico shook his head.
"No."
He gestured toward the dock.
"We'll sail."
Preston looked out toward the fishing boat.
"Escort?"
"Four Defender-class boats."
Preston raised an eyebrow.
"That'll do it."
Nick chuckled.
"Albert doesn't mess around."
Preston nodded slowly.
"I'll assign ten soldiers for the trip."
Sico considered it briefly.
"Make it twelve."
Preston didn't argue.
"Understood."
He turned to the two soldiers beside him.
"Start preparing sea gear."
They nodded and hurried off toward the Humvees.
Kenji watched them go.
"You're mobilizing a whole fleet for my daughter…"
Nick smiled gently.
"Don't get used to it."
Then he added quietly.
"But sometimes the Commonwealth needs reminding that people still matter."
The next forty minutes passed in a blur of preparation.
Freemason soldiers moved with disciplined efficiency across the property.
Crates of supplies were unloaded from the transport truck.
Medical kits.
Fuel canisters.
Emergency rations.
Navigation equipment.
Meanwhile Nick and Sico walked down to the dock with Kenji.
The Nakano fishing boat rocked gently beneath their feet.
Nick stepped aboard first.
He inspected the deck.
"Well maintained."
Kenji climbed aboard behind him.
"Kasumi insisted on keeping everything in working order."
Sico examined the small control console.
The engine controls were clean and recently serviced.
He nodded slightly.
"She prepared this boat carefully."
Nick crouched near the engine housing.
"Fuel tank?"
Kenji answered.
"Full."
Nick stood again.
"Looks like she planned a long ride."
Kenji looked out at the ocean.
"She must have been terrified."
Sico said quietly,
"Or determined."
Rei soon joined them at the dock.
She stood beside Kenji silently, watching the boat.
Nick removed his hat briefly in respect.
"You raised a brave kid."
Rei smiled weakly.
"She always wanted to understand the world."
Nick placed his hat back on.
"Well… looks like she went looking."
Then, in the distance, a faint sound began to rise above the wind.
A low mechanical hum.
Sico looked toward the northern horizon.
Nick followed his gaze.
"There they are."
Four sleek silhouettes appeared against the gray water.
Freemason Defender-class patrol boats cut through the waves at high speed.
Their reinforced hulls sliced across the ocean like steel knives.
Mounted machine guns gleamed on their decks.
Each vessel flew the Freemason insignia from its antenna mast.
Kenji stared in disbelief.
"They came fast."
Nick chuckled.
"Albert runs a tight harbor."
Within minutes the patrol boats slowed as they approached the Nakano dock.
Their engines dropped to a steady idle.
Soldiers aboard the vessels began preparing docking lines.
One of the patrol boats pulled closest to the pier.
A man in naval gear stepped onto the dock.
Albert himself.
He removed his gloves as he approached.
"Well… that's quite the place you've got here."
Nick grinned.
"Nice to see you too, sailor."
Albert nodded to him.
Then turned to Sico.
"Four Defender-class boats ready to escort you north."
Sico gestured toward the fishing boat.
"We'll be traveling in that."
Albert looked at the small vessel.
Then raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
Nick shrugged.
"Trail of breadcrumbs."
Albert scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Well… if that girl crossed open water in that thing…"
He looked impressed.
"…she's tougher than she looks."
Kenji spoke quietly.
"She's my daughter."
Albert gave him a respectful nod.
"Well then."
He turned back to Sico.
"Fleet is ready."
Preston approached with twelve armed Freemason soldiers carrying sea gear.
"They'll accompany you."
Sico nodded.
"Good."
Nick stepped aboard the fishing boat again.
He looked out at the four escort vessels floating nearby like silent guardians.
"Quite the convoy."
Albert grinned.
"You asked for it."
Sico looked once more at Kenji and Rei.
"We'll find her."
Rei nodded slowly.
Kenji placed a hand on the boat railing.
"Bring our daughter home."
Sico stepped aboard the fishing vessel.
Nick followed.
Behind them, Freemason soldiers began boarding as well.
The small boat's engine coughed once… then roared to life.
Around them, the four Defender-class patrol boats began maneuvering into escort formation.
The ocean stretched endlessly toward the north, and the search for Kasumi Nakano was only just beginning.
______________________________________________
• 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:-