Captain Strom Reynolds (Duster)

Weight: 175

Apparent Age: 70

Archetype: Mercenary Adept: Circle Unknown

Preferred Weapon: DAOD Assault Pistol

Runner Song: 

 

 Bio: Well now begins another tale of a man who’s conscious, mind and body have been so damaged by the events of the Korean War here in the Homeland that he has become jaded and damaged almost beyond repair. Duster once was a family man, a man with dreams and ambitions now all he aspires to is keeping up the masquerade living a life of make believe and pretend. Duster served with Kirby as his second and was directly in command of a platoon of men that have become known as the Minutemen. He was a true leatherneck and was part of the field infantry division, this meant that he saw his fair share of killing and had to bury many of his good men. For Duster he never quite got over having to leave his fallen brothers behind and the tragic events after there harrowing escape from Korea has stayed with him till today. For Duster the tragic events that occurred once he returned state side and having to stay one step ahead of the government and military police, being spit on by fellow citizens and having his name and his men’s honour being dragged through the mud and being completely disgraced should have been his final straw. Though for Duster the final piece of the puzzle came when he got word that his wife had committed suicide but not before she murdered his children. He was told this happened because she couldn’t handle the stress of being disgraced and the wife of a traitor and terrorist. Once poor Duster herd the news he snapped and his emotion, his compassion and his empathy all but vanished, he was nothing but a shell of the man he was once before.

          For Duster joining the Sons of Liberty (Freedom Patriots) was simple, he had nothing left to live for besides his fellow brothers and he could care less about taking another life, for him human life was no more valuable then a pack of cigarettes. There was many occasion Duster would be known to go to extremes and bring down entire small camps and villages of natives for nothing more than their tobacco products. He would kill man, women and child it didn’t matter to him any more, if he was thought as a villain they he would gladly oblige there beliefs. Duster’s actions didn’t sit well with many of his brothers and even within the Sons of Liberty (Freedom Patriots) he was receiving flack for his direct disregard for the articles of war. Though nothing seemed to stay Dusters path of self destruction and he was growing more and more callous as the years went by. Nothing seemed to be working, he was lost within a pit of despair and wasn’t hearing what his friends and commanders where saying, for Duster just didn’t care. There was one operation back in March of 2029 where Duster had just gone to far, he had captured a small enemy camp that also had the families of the enemy soldiers within it as well. After ordering the execution of the captured soldiers to be done in front of there kin, he one by one executed the children and then had the women and elderly locked in multiple truck trailers, locked the doors with chains and set them ablaze. The screams of the people inside could be heard for miles and sent shivers through many of those that where there. Once word had gotten back to the the Sons of Liberty (Freedom Patriots) of what Duster had done, needless to say they where not all to thrilled. Duster was reprimanded hard and there was even talk about executing him for crimes against the articles of war, though his friend Happy stuck his neck out for his fellow comrade. This was enough to spare Duster, but he was stripped of command and had to remain back at the base camps. Happy spent many weeks working with the damaged Duster till he finally broke through and began to make sense to Duster, Happy had broken down the iron walls that he had built and for the first time in many years Duster felt a strange emotion, that being of remorse. Duster overtaken by the guilt of what he had done, what he had become couldn’t handle the conflict any more, he feared the beast inside him returning and fully consuming him. Duster parted ways with the Sons of Liberty (Freedom Patriots) in the spring of 2030 and just drove off into the cold dark night not to be seen again for another forty-two years, though this is where Dusters story becomes even more tragic, this is where Duster past and his demons come back and this is where he lucky to even be a free man and among the living, though for what’s become of Duster I couldn’t say is truly living for this man has been shattered and might this time be beyond repair.

          Once Duster left the Sons of Liberty (Freedom Patriots) he wanted to get as far away from everything a he could and knowing he would never be able to leave the continent of North America he headed for a small rural town inside Tennessee where he hoped that he could just disappear and become just another local that nobody took a second glance at. Though this was a slight problem for Duster though, he has a deep commanding voice, very authoritative presence and he is extremely charismatic even when he is not trying. the other issue for this poor man, being in a rural town was a nice place to hide, but when he donned clothing to blend in he looked like a fish out of water. He was only comfortable in his uniforms and business professional attire. This fully set him apart from a vast majority of the locals, and for Duster he looked more like the town Mayor, then the Mayor did, he purchased a small home within the town and went to work for a local accounting firm and for Duster this is all he hoped it would be till the good lord took his mortal soul. Well things have a strange way of not going the way one planed it once karma is involved.

          He had put on a new mask and was pretending to be a regular man, he sought simple hook ups at the bars and attended service on Sundays, even though his faith was long since lost. He was just going through the motions, and trying his best to blend in and not make waves, the news of the native massacre had spread like wildfire and the actions of the Patriots and Confederates where big news in this country town. He knew eventually one day he might have to pack up and leave. Though for Duster, his life was about to become much more complicated when one of the women he had hooked up with at the bar, a young 18 year old women who looked much older. He had gotten pregnant and for Duster was about to meet a very angry father and uncle, true to small country town mentality they came knocking on his door with shotguns in hand and the father demanding he marry his daughter. Well for a man suffering from post traumatic stress disorder this didn’t end well needless to say, when the smoke cleared the two men lay broken and beaten on the ground, Duster suffering from a shotgun wound to his leg and groin and Duster had the barrel of the shotgun shoved in the uncles mouth and just mere seconds before Duster was about to pull the trigger. He was tackled to the ground by the a local sheriff’s officer catching Duster of guard but not before leaving the uncle a very painful message as the shotgun blew out the right side of the man’s cheek, jaw and teeth. Duster was arrested and taken to a hospital for medical treatment.

         He was charged with assault and battery, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and excessive use of force. He spent many a night handcuffed to the hospital bed being pumped full of pain medication and nothing but time to think. This was bad for a few reasons, one Duster then and still is not a stable man, two he is a master escape artist and three they ran his prints and all he figured was he was taking a one way trip to the government gallows or firing squad. (Little did Duster know that poor old caffeine addicted, coffee freak Snoopy would be again sitting at a terminal with toothpicks in my eyes to keep them open as I went through countless hours of microfiche, I noticed the red flag warning for Duster and was able to react quickly and alter his records and SIN. saving his neck literately.) Duster was able to free himself of the handcuffs, but he was in to much pain and way too high on the medication to e able to move and get out of the hospital. Though he tried and found himself face down on the hospital floor, and ripping his stitches open, and slowly bleeding out on the cold floor. A sheriffs officer and nurse heard the commotion and entered the room, they put him back in bed and the officer re-cuffed him, Duster just laughed and in a semi bad English accent said “You really think that is going to keep me kid, I am the Great Houdini!” Where the accent came from is anyone’s guess and what it has to do with Houdini well I am still baffled, but he still has that damn accent today. Meanwhile the nurse called for assistance and they managed to restitch and dress the wound and then it was time for sleepy time for Duster as he was given a heavy sedative and it was lights out.

       When he awoke he was greeted by the town sheriff, Duster quickly freed his right hand from the cuffs and extended his hand to shack the good sheriff. He introduced himself as the Great Houdini, the Sheriff introduced himself as Sheriff Franklin Dewitt he had a look of amazement on his face and was in disbelief about how easily Duster was able to escape the bonds. Once they shook hands even in Dusters weekend state his grip was firm and he turned the man’s hand showing dominance over the sheriff. This concerned Franklin a little but he didn’t show it, Franklin pulled a chair up beside Duster and said “Well you seem to be in a bit of a predicament Sir, you are looking at over 25 years of hard time.” Duster breathed a sigh of relief, knowing his true identity hadn’t been found out. He replied “Well it was self defence, they came at me with shotguns.” Franklin replying “Well thats not what the evidence says, and it’s your word versus theirs and my deputies.” He continued “That’s what brings me to this, they are willing to drop this if you make their daughter an honest women and marry her, this family has allot of sway in this town and they can make your life hell even behind bars.” What came out of Dusters mouth next, he blames the medication, all he said was “Well she was one hell of a lay, sure.” He also asked Franklin if he wanted his cuffs back, as Franklin was reaching for the keys Duster just handed him the cuffs. Again this left Franklin very disturbed that someone so easily freed themselves from restraints. As the Sheriff left the room all he said to Duster was welcome to the family, you dirty old bastard.

       Dusters second wedding was a very simple service, and also done very quickly he was married within weeks of being released from police custody. He went back to work for the accounting firm and basically avoided his good old boy in-laws, and not long later his son was born. Duster now had a wife more then half his age, a newborn son and in-laws that he couldn’t stand and wished physical harm to come to daily. This seems like a normal reaction for every husband out there, though not every husband is the damaged machine known as Duster. Duster just went on about business as normal and only about a year later his wife was pregnant again and Duster was becoming well known in the town do to his presence, and his wardrobe. As the days turned into weeks and soon years had passed and everything was going fine for Duster, for this jaded old man it was going all to well and he was waiting for the Sword of Damocles to come crashing down upon him.

       For Duster he was unable to breath easy during these times living with a fear of being found out, throughout the coming months many mercenaries rolled through town from various camps, though mostly Patriots and Confederates and this left a knot in his stomach as these soldiers began regaling tales the local bars and seemed to be basically ignored by the townsfolk. Though like normal after the mercenaries would leave the UCAS federal and military forces would roll into town and start asking questions and investigating. This is why Duster hated when the mercenaries would come through town to resupply and unwind. Then in the summer of 2035 the small town was rocked with tragedy, the beloved mayor was found murdered in his home and the current deputy mayor was being arrested and charged with the slaying. This left a void in the towns leadership, for Duster he could careless and was going about as business as normal, he was raising his children, trying to maintain a low profile and working extra hard at his office to keep his troubled mind busy. When his phone rang, he answered the incoming call and on the other side was Sheriff Franklin informing Duster that he was going to be running for Mayor in the emergency election and be prepared to give a victory speech. Before he could interject the sheriff hung up, Duster just sat at his desk dumbfounded and also trying to wrap his mind around everything and who the hell he got himself involved with. He also didn’t want to be the mayor, he had been desperately trying to avoid the lime light and not throw himself straight into the fire. Duster was also not very political and very blunt, he knew that if he became mayor it would only be a matter of time before he was found out and he would hang for sure. He also received the news of his wife was pregnant again with their third child, this puzzled him for he thought he was rendered sterile after the struggle with his in-laws years prior.

     Though for Duster he just took it in stride and kept wearing the fake mask of happiness even though he was becoming more and more bitter and resentful, his old demons where returning do to his shaken nerves and constant arrival of UCAS officials in the town. The emergency election campaign had begun and sadly for Duster none of his opponents stood a chance against the sheer stature of him. Dusters voice, presence and charisma just overshadowed anyone who stood against him. The people had fallen for the commanding old man and debate after debate his lead in the polls grew and for Duster this was a nightmare coming true. His in-laws where thrilled, his wife was over joyed but for Duster he was terrified and by election day the man was a ball of nerves as the ballots where being counted. This is when he started drinking, Duster found liquid courage and combined with the medication he was taking for the shotgun injury the man was feeling no pain and his nerves settled as the last ballot was counted and he was decreed the victor in a landslide election. The crowd of people at his campaign headquarters cheered, confetti and balloons fell from the ceiling as Sheriff Franklin announced his victory and called him the stage to give his victory speech. Now in normal situations Duster would have just jumbled over his words and offended everyone with his blunt words. Though do to the amount of alcohol coursing through his veins he gave one of the best oratories ever heard by the people of this town, Duster had just shot himself in the foot and sealed his fate for many more years to come. By just after the new year on January 3rd 2036 he was being sworn in as Mayor and moving himself and his family into the mayors estate. Though for Duster the nightmares and sleepless nights had returned and this old man just couldn’t handle the stress of suddenly becoming Mayor against his will and having to fear the gallows. This man kept his drinking quite from anyone, except at functions where he could get away with being seen drinking. He was as well becoming heavily addicted to prescription medication, not to mention tranquillizers and marijuana. His fears of hanging where paramounted daily do being able to see the towns gallows from his office window as a constant reminder to always tread carefully.

     Well fast forward to the year of 2055, Duster had become a beloved mayor he actually had found his calling and was making the town a better place and did a decent job of dodging the mercenaries as they rolled into town. His children all grown up and moved out of the home, either to get married or off to college and the big city. His father-in-law had passed away a few years prior from a massive stroke and most of the other in-laws either died or ended up behind bars for various charges. His wife getting older but he was becoming more and more passionate for her as the years passed and his love went from nothing but a façade to actual true love and he couldn’t imagine life without her. His addictions where racking havoc on his mind and body but his mystical nature was keeping him from being fully overtaken by the toxins. Though the gallows stood as a constant reminder for him, he would see the structure each and everyday though during his time in office he never had to sign a death warrant and witness a hanging till the tragic day of December 24th 2055. The local sheriffs office had captured a domestic terrorist, and murderer of the group known as the Minutemen many months earlier this arrest rocked the town, do to the townsfolk and law men normally overlooked the mercenaries and Haven Tennessee had become a sanctuary for these men and women to get some well earned rest and relaxation. Well with the sudden death of Sheriff Franklin and the election if a replacement Sheriff a younger man from New York, Haven was no longer a sanctuary for the mercenaries and for Duster he was living in total panic. Well the arrest was big news throughout the town and his trial was a media circus, the small sleepy town of Haven had become a tourist destination for people to witness the trial, and eventually hear the verdict live. Well as expected Private Winters was found guilty and sentenced to a quick hanging, his appeals where denied and even Dusters pardon was vetoed by the states Governor and his execution date was set and Duster was forced to sign the paperwork condemning this man to death.

          This by itself was very troubling for Duster as he knew the man who was to be executed on Christmas Eve in the court house yard, he served with Private Winters. Private Winters survived the hell that was Korea and even managed to live a long and beneficial life after returning home. He never was a mercenary for the Patriots and left the service to have a regular life and raise a family. This man was arrested while he travelled to Nashville to surprise his children and grandchildren by being there for a birthday celebration. Now he awaits the hangman’s noose and Duster must pull the lever condemning a fellow marine to death for a crime he never committed. Duster tried everything in his power to protect this man, he tried pardoning him, refusing to sign the death warrant, he tried reducing the sentence to life. Everything Duster tried was over ridden by those in higher authority, he even flat out told them to move the execution from his sleepy little town to another location but nothing he’s plea and his mercy fell on deaf ears.

          So on the morning of December 24th 2055 the mayor sat in his office staring blindly at the only paperwork on his desk, he had delayed as long as he could putting pen to paper. He even tried loosing the document but this only delayed the inevitable, the stage was set as the media gathered in his office, the towns politicians and sheriff stood behind the troubled man as he nervously picked up the pen and under duress signed the document. This event was captured live on television and the hanging of Private Winters was now official and this would be his last day on earth. After the document was signed Duster ordered everyone out of his office and just sat there staring out the window at the gallows, he watched as a small crowd of ticket holders where beginning to arrive and take their seats, he watched as the reporters for multiple national networks began their unrelenting coverage of the event. He stood there in lost in his thoughts and he could feel his heart breaking with each passing minute, Duster had just sent a man, a friend and a comrade to his death for nothing more than surviving hell. He had condemned and stained the honour of a good man, a father, grandfather and loving husband as he stood there looking out his window snow started to lightly fall from heaven as a single tear rolled down his war torn check.

        Duster walked away from the window and picked up the note cards that contained the speech that he was to give prior to the execution as the condemned stood there with the noose around his neck. Dusters speech was prepared for him by his assistant and he glanced through the cards, just hoping that someone, anyone would make attempt to rescue this poor soul. As he read the speech, he poured himself a tumbler of scotch and lit up a cigar taking in the first drag he pulled out his pills and popped them into his mouth and chased them with the aged scotch. Duster was unsure of how he was going to make it through the days events, and even thought about confessing to try to spare the man’s neck. As he put his speech into his inside pocket of his navy suit jacket, he figured all his confession would do was give the hangman another set of boots.

        The mayor grabbed his top coat and hat, turned the lights out in his office and made his way outside for the festivities where about to begin. As he slowly walked down the hallways from his office he could hear the soft holiday music playing over the speakers, and as he passed his staff they would wish him a “Merry Christmas Your Honour.” Duster didn’t even acknowledge them as melancholy washed over him. Duster had tried everything in his power and within his authority to save the man’s life and he failed. For the first time in many years, Duster felt like a complete failure and nothing more than a puppet to a corrupt system. He left the town hall and decided to walk the three blocks to the courthouse steps, as he walked the air was crisp, he could hear the church bells ring five times the street lights cast a shadow over his once peaceful town. The snow slowly fell and laid a blanket on the ground and the holiday lights glistened in the evening light. Once he entered the courthouse steps he could see the gallows, the small crowd of witnesses and local elite and politicians, the media instantly began hounding him for a statement and for his feelings. This execution was known to be something the mayor disapproved of and tried to stop. All Duster could get out was, ‘This is a travesty of justice and out of respect to the family and to our Lord and Saviour, I will not add to this media circus with adding fuel to the fire.” and he walked away towards the small stage set up next the gallows. The medication pupped through his veins leaving a calming sensation as the alcohol warmed his cold body as he sat down on the stage waiting for everything to start, Duster said a silent prayer and picked up the bible to hide his flask, as he took another swig to calm his nerves.

          Not long after Duster sat down and said his prayer, he could hear the sounds of the prison chains clanking against the ground as they brought Private Winters out of the courthouse and the chief of the guards bellowed “Dead Man Walking!” again being lost in his thoughts he didn’t even notice as the stage had filled with the various important people. The deputy mayor, the warden, the sheriff, the head prosecutor, and the sentencing judge all took there seats. Duster looked out into the crowd as the condemned was marched past them. He could see a small group of people, who looked as troubled as he did, this group began to break down emotionally as the old man was brought out past them wearing a black and white striped prison jumpsuit, his hands shackled in front of him, and to the leg and ankle restraints that slowed his movement. Private Winters bowed his head in shame and the look of a defeated man. The crowd of onlookers roared and began swearing at the supposed traitor and terrorist, as the media just swallowed the scene up and the reporters all looking for best story spoke to the cameras. That small grouping of witnesses all cold be scene with tears in their eyes, an older women was broken and was being consoled by a younger man that looked much like Winters as a younger man. Duster felt that stirring again and had to choke back the memories and tears as he took another swig from his flask.

          Private Winters was marched up the stairs of the gallows, and was placed before the noose, from his vantage point he was able to see his own coffin awaiting him and the grave already dug. They removed the arm shackles and forced his hands behind his back and using leather restraints bound his arms and repeated the process for his ankles. They placed a black hood over his head and then followed with putting the noose around his neck and pulled the rope tight. The towns elder priest dressed in funeral vestments gave the man his last rights, and then turned to the stage and nodded his head. This was when all the attention was passed to Duster and he rose to his feet, straitened his tie and stepped towards the podium. He pulled the prepared speech out of his jacket and looked straight ahead towards the hungry eyes of the camera. Duster spoke the words that where prepared for him, as he spoke he could feel a piece of him die and he kept having to chock back the emotion that was swelling up within him. His speech was very basic and never stood the test of time, though the last words he said before heading up the stairs to the gallows where straight from Duster and where not part of his pre-written speech, those words were; “And now we stand here about to condemn a man for being a traitor against the United Canadian American States, We stand here on the eve of our Lords Birthday, and are about to send a man to meet the savour for a crime that he is innocent of. This man is only guilty of hearing a call to duty and risking his life for liberty, he left a hero only to return a villain of a government that failed him, a country that spit on him. This people is a shinning example of the false flag, and this people is where liberty dies.”  He then turned and made his way up the steps to the gallows and took his place before the leaver that would end Private Winters life.

          For a moment the crowd was left in silence, there was a silence that fell before the crowd, the media and it could truly be called a silent night. Duster then turned to the condemned and asked “Do you have any last words?” Winters replied with “Sally I am so sorry, I love you with all my heart. never forget me and have a Merry Christmas.” At this point Duster pulled the pocket watch out his waistcoat pocket and placed his hand on the lever. He watched as the second hand slowly ticked by till the last minute ended and Duster with his hand trembling on the lever said “May God have mercy on your soul, (and in a hushed tone) and may he have mercy on mine, I am sorry my friend.” and he pulled the lever. There was loud bang as the trap doors opened and Private Winters fell through and came to a sudden stop. His body twitched for a few minutes, then he hung there still. Duster just walked off the gallows and back onto the stage. His heart shattered, he felt the last of his humanity and honour fade away as he looked over his shoulder to see his friend and comrade hanging underneath the gallows.

         The Mayor was bombarded with flying questions about hi speech and about what he meant by those closing remarks. He just ignored the media and slowly made his way out of the crowd and entered the awaiting car. Duster was a destroyed man, and this event had just felt the fatal blow to whatever he had left in his soul. He asked the driver to take him home, As he rode through the streets of his once sleepy little town, he knew that nothing would ever be the same, the town had changed forever and Haven would never recover from this tragic event. The driver eventually pulled into is driveway, and opened the door as Duster exited he gazed upon his home decorated for the holidays, the candles flickering in the window and a simple wreath hanging on the front door painted red. He entered his home and was greeted by his wife, who took his coat and hat giving him a big hug. She knew better then to even ask how his day was and she left him alone, Duster made his way into his study and took a seat in the large leather chair, pulled the bottle of scotch out from his desk. He just started to drink, and the more he consumed the more this broken man began to break down and he eventually lowered his head into his arms and began to breakdown as the memories consumed him.

       Duster just sat in his office through the night, he refused to even attend midnight Mass with his wife claiming he didn’t deserve to go and worship, for he was a sinner and sent an innocent man to his early grave. He eventually passed out in his study and when he awoke in the morning he could hear the sounds of his family in the house, he could smell the wonderful food his wife had prepared but for him the motivation to even face his family was gone. How could he celebrate the holiday, when Winters family has to grieve and leave Haven without there Father and Husband, His body will be forever buried in a numbered grave, and forgotten as just another causality of this unjust war. Duster just left his study, went to his room disrobe’d took a shower and went to bed, claiming he didn’t feel well and wished to be left alone.

      This is basically how his life went for many months, he was on auto pilot and just went about business. Duster had been fully broken and was falling and spiralling out of control, his drinking increased and his family no longer gave him any joy. His work was all he had and even that was bothering to Duster, each day he was reminded about the hanging and his town had changed like he figured, and not for the better. The increase in popularity from the trial and execution had brought more business into town and this also increased the population. His small sleepy town was growing and this also meant more issues, bigger problems and eventually more executions. Normally these would have been handled by the warden of the prison but do to some town bi-law signed over a century ago, this was the job of the Mayor. He tried many times to get the law reversed but the town council kept shooting it down. Duster just went on day by day and hanging after hanging as if nothing had happened, he kept getting re-elected and living in his own personal hell. They months went by and the seasons turned as time moved on but Duster just felt trapped in perpetual state of stasis.

       Everything for Duster just seemed to move around him and he had lost control over his life, he suffered trough the tragic death of his grandson in an automotive accident in the fall of 2065 and then the suicide of his daughter in the same year. He again was forced to bury his two grandsons and his daughter in-law after his eldest son snapped in a drunken rage murdered them and then failed to take his own life on New Years Eve 2070 and after a long and lengthy trial and appeals he had to sign his own son’s death warrant and pull the lever hanging his one son two years later on Christmas Day. For Duster was only just a shell of a human any more, his faith long gone, his spirit crushed and the only family he had left was his wife and his love for her was fleeting, he once was madly in love with her and know with tragedy after tragedy befalling him it took everything he had left to even get out of bed in the morning. Then the unthinkable happened for Duster, it was June of 2073 and he had just announced that he would not be running again for mayor and retiring that year on December 10th feeling the town had changed for the worse and he felt that they needed a younger more in touch mayor to run the government and he could no longer be apart of a system that was becoming so corrupt. The people were crushed about his retirement, but eventually it was old news and Duster finally felt that he could once again try to feel again.

        He returned home to let his wife know about his decision, and begin the process of finding a new home after the new year. He walked in the door expecting her to be there to take his coat and hat, but nothing he called for her and he got no response. He glanced around the house to see things in disarray and he knew something was wrong. He reached into his coat for his cell phone only to realise he left it on his desk at City Hall, he threw his coat and hat onto the chair in the sitting room and opened the drawer to the end table and removed a loaded .38 special and began searching the house for his wife, he went room to room looking for her and he couldn’t find her. As he made his way back to the sitting room to head upstairs, he hit the panic button and made his way as stealthy as he could in dress shoes up the wooden stairs. As he reached the top of the steps he heard a gunshot coming from the bedroom. Duster ready the weapon and kicked the door open staying low, he saw a young man standing over his wife’s body she was tied to the bed and her clothing had been torn, She had a gunshot would to the head her blood pooling into the bed, the gunmen spun as the door flew open. The two men made eye contact, Duster looked as if he was looking at a ghost. He saw before him a slightly younger Private Winters, his hair greying and the circles around his eyes told the tale of a broken man. He was wearing black fatigues and his fly was open, the two men both raised their guns and with a load bang echoing through the room young gunman fell to the floor dead from a gunshot wound straight to his head, though Duster felt a sharp burning pain in his chest followed by the cold sensation of his blood leaving his body. He just looked at his wife’s murdered body locking eyes he mouthed “I Love You.” as his hand went limp and the pistol slid out and fell to the ground, he put his hand over his wound and fell to his knees and then face down into a pool of his own blood and gave into the cold embrace and accepted death.

       Well for Duster his life was not to end on this day, he awoke in the hospital many months later, unaware of how much time had passed but sadly do some of the cyber and bio he had his memory of the incident remained. He just broke down again, for he know had lost everything, his family for the second time, his job and his home. The doctors and nurses where amazed that he had no brain damage from being in the coma for so long and he was fully able to move around, though he would spend further months in the hospital recovering and going through rehabilitation. By December of the same year he was ready to leave the hospital and he laid in the bed eating his breakfast on December 11th, the television news was on and he was hearing about the fighting that had occurred in Seattle, he heard the words of Snoopy announcing the victory and he heard the words of Waldo who sacrificed his life in defence of the city in the Battle of Fort Lewis in defiance of the False Flag. Whether it be from guilt, anger or just a deep call of duty Duster ripped the IV’s out of his arm and exited the bed. He got dressed, and walked out of the hospital, he hailed a taxi and headed for home before it was lost, he crossed the police tape and entered the place where he almost lost his life, everything was the same as it was on that day. He went into the basement and gathered his gear, loading two duffel’s and packing a suitcase he loaded his gear into the car. He left the house where he lived for many years, the house where he raised and lost his family, he could feel his ghosts following him as he got in the car and pulled out of the driveway the last time and headed for Seattle to join the fight against the false flag. He wan’t sure what he would find there or what he would be capable of doing, but for Duster this was a way for him to rest his troubled soul. As he neared the city he saw a gathering of old men and he recognised Kirby and soon the others being the last of the Minutemen. He pulled up to them and exited the vehicle, tired and weary from his log travels, he just stood before Kirby and saluted the man he respected so, followed by “Captain Strom Reynolds reporting for duty Sir.” Kirby replied with “Welcome back Duster, we have allot to go over.” as slowly the remaining Minutemen filled in from parts unknown.

           For these old soldiers the words of Waldo reignited a fire that burns deep within all old marines, this fire is called patriotism and a sense of duty and honour. For Duster he felt his flame extinguish so many years prior, but for some men, it takes hitting rock bottom before they can rise up again. For Duster he has has crawled out of the abyss of despair and those words penetrated is hollow soul and healed this troubled man, a man on the verge of giving up, those words gave Duster purpose again and for this broken man they were all he needed to hear.

           Duster might have had a troubled past and the demons that lay under his bed are all to real, but he is a man who is dedicated and driven. He is driven to redeem himself in the eyes of the saviour and the eyes of his fellow men. The execution of Winters still haunts him, he is more then determined to lay that ghost to rest and restore the honour of a good man. The Patriots have forgiven Duster for his prior actions, the Minutemen have forgiven him for his deeds, and for the city of Seattle will benefit from this man’s dedication. Duster has fully accepted and come to grips with his torment, he is willing to lay his life down one more time in defence of Liberty and Old Glory, he knows this might be his swansong but till the day the cold embrace of death comes crawling, Duster will give everything he has left to defend the people from the tyranny and corruption of the UCAS.

                                                                                                                                                                                            Page Written By: Snoopy