Rico Jortez. Cast back from the waste

[Heckity]

Rico Jortez was once somebody. A brother, a soldier, a leader, in the old Mojave as a young sharecropper he went east in search of glory and found it among the NCR and its Heavy and Shock divisions of the old days. He fought countless enemies with countess weapons and saw many men join and leave the military. At some point the Mojave grew empty. Too many battles had been fought or maybe those in charge of the world didn't  care to help the world prosper. So maybe left and retired. I went back west to my home town. My parents had died years ago but I inherited a little land and had savings. I met a woman and got married had 3 boys and farmed for awhile learned to relax and enjoy family life and hard work. I woke up worked, prayed, and slept. That was until the bandits came. I had taught my boys to shoot firearms but at 7 10 and 6 they weren't proficient. I woke up to flames. They had burned the barn and started burning the kitchen. I grabbed my shotgun and shot 2 threw the window before shots rang out. My wife ran to the boys room and hid with the 2 younger as the eldest came with me. Outside 10 more bandits stood with rifles, grenades, and dogs. I told my son to watch them as I went to grab gasoline to hide our escape with fire. I went to the basement and grabbed the canister before the burning kitchen collapsed on top of the gate. I tried to go out threw the basement window but was too high to climb or jump. I heard screaming as the younger kids and my wife started getting hotter with the fire moving through the house trapping them in the boys room. shots rang out loudly in front of the house as my eldest yelled by name before i heard a flury of gun shots and a thump. The smoke burned my lungs. it travled through the basement destroying my lungs and eyes as I listened in horror to the destruction of my life.

I passed out for several hours. Awoke in pain my lungs and mouth dry and burning endlessly. I crawled and stood up seeing a hatch on the eastern side with a turning hatch. it was behind a dressed knocked over. It opened to under the burnt chicken coop. pushing ashes and the foul smell of killed and burnt animals i stood up. My house and family were burnt. Gone in minutes, turned into campfire ash. 

I mourned for a week at the house before venturing out no idea where or where to just with a bag of water and food and my bible I left. I found the deserts and I kept walking, the heat and sweat pooling over my body constantly as I walked. I prayed to the lord for guidance and when I believed  had no longer left of thirst or hunger I would be provided. After the 3rd week I prayed lord let me go and live a new life after 40 days and nights in the desert and you have. I kept walking. Hours turned to days. Days to weeks. Weeks to months. Time was odd it didn't seem to make sense. His body aged in the wellspring oasis' he saw a grey vissage in his reflection. a long scragly beard replaced his trimmed looks, Gaunt hollow eyes poked out of his head. He had traveled the desert for 40 months before he found civilization.

He wandered into a farm, and saw 2 young boys and a man about 30s tending to tatos and mutfruit. I called out to them and they waved "Hell mister where u come from closest place u was walking in from was 40 miles from Nopah mountains. He offered me food and said he was an NCR share cropper. I asked him hadn't the NCR and other factions pulled out of the Mojave to focus on other resources? He said the president and generals changed their minds again reestablished strong connections and volunteers in the Mojave sector. Apparently the NCRs enemies and allies resurfaced loudly causing new found activity in the Vegas region. Even the brotherhood crawled out of that hole and finally took over Helios since before.

I came back and traveled to my former base seeing the young recruits and fresh faces of immigrants and workers from out west. The Mojave was back and with it opportunity. Perhaps even redemption.  I reenlisted. My records had been long gone but I was glad to have a fresh start and meet recruits and issues on the ground floor. I was ready to serve and become someone again