The Great Train Robbery (Part 2 of 2)

Outside, the terrain began to change with more hills, ditches, and other uneven land features throwing off the raiders’ aim.  The massive shock absorbers and tires on the buggies let them keep up with the train but it seemed as if the guards had finally whittled down their numbers enough to be manageable.  With nearly all of the vehicles in the raider’s arsenal destroyed or disabled, the three guards on the roof thought their odds were improving.  Even with the volume of fire Decaf absorbed alone, the team had no trouble dishing out some pain of their own.  That was, until they heard an explosion rock the train.

“What the hell was that!?” Merc shouted as he took cover behind the metal barrier lining the car roof.

Decaf’s boots held him in place as he scavenged an ammunition belt from an abandoned CHEW.  “They ain’t gonna derail us, are they?!”

Teaspoon crouched beside Merc to check her grenade launcher.  She swore under her breath when she discovered only one explosive left.  “No, not even they’d be crazy enough to do something like that!” Tea shouted back. “They rely on these raids to snatch the shit they can’t get anywhere else!  It’d be like killing the Golden Goose for ‘em!”

Bullets plinked and ricocheted off the low wall as the team hurried their speculations.  “Then why didn’t they take the other cargo?” Decaf asked as he finished reloading.

“I don’t know!” Tea replied. “But let’s figure out what caused that blast before we regret it!”

The guards didn’t have to wait long before they discovered the source of the explosion as Mathew soon reported in from the head security car.  “Be advised!  I just lost all video feeds from the aft security car.  All rear defenses are down!  The only remote sentries left are the ones up here!”  The guards peeked out of cover to see what was responsible.

With a coating of armor thicker than any they’d encountered yet, the raider’s heavy attack vehicle shrugged off every one of Decaf’s bullets with ease.  The truck may have once been one of the US Army’s experimental assault vehicles but the behemoth the team faced was obviously altered.  A few narrow slits in the metal shields over the windows provided the occupants their only viewports although they appeared to manage just fine.  Whoever built the machine finished it off with a solid forest green paint job and a stylized decal of a wolf’s mouth near the front wheels.   A human in camouflaged fatigues with goggles and earmuffs stood within a rotating weapons ring with a frighteningly large armament.  The man swiveled an 84mm recoilless rifle until it was aimed at Decaf and was probably the only thing that could bring fear to Decaf’s eyes.

“Sonovabitch!” Decaf gasped as the weapon went off.  The anti-armor projectile soared over the VIDAR and off into the countryside, the gunner’s aim thrown off by a bump in the road.  Decaf forgot all about the four werewolves breaking into the boxcar and turned his attention to the assault vehicle.  The driver pulled away from the train to give the gunner time to reload away from the Coffey Grinder’s punishing volleys.  “Yeah, you better run!” Decaf said, letting the suit speakers carry his voice.

Suddenly, Decaf felt a sharp impact on his back.  He activated his helmet’s rear camera only to see a harpoon-like dart attached to a cable.  He followed the lightweight cable back to another vehicle on the right side of the train, a buggy that went unseen while he was so preoccupied with the heavy truck.  The buggy sported a sort of spear gun turret with a spool of cable that slowly began to rewind.

“Decaf!” Merc shouted as he rushed to help.  Decaf repositioned himself to take out the buggy only to find his suit suddenly lock up.  His HUD flashed a warning before it disappeared and the powered skeleton attached to his body refused to move.  “What the hell did you do to me!?” he growled with his machine gun aimed right at the buggy although he was unable to fire.

Teaspoon rushed up to the edge and fired her rifle at the driver and harpoon operator.  The driver went limp but the buggy maintained its course.  The gunner fared no better.  He collapsed to the floor of the cargo bed and removed his hand from the winch control.  The electric shocks effecting Decaf stopped but the damage was already done.  Tea and Merc tried desperately to remove the harpoon but it was buried in the VIDAR too deep.  “The damn suit repaired itself around the arrowhead!” Tea exclaimed.

“Then cut the cable or something!” Decaf said with a mixture of frustration and anger creeping into his voice muffled by his helmet.  Merc took his faithful knife and went to work on the cable.

Tea kept her head on a swivel scanning for any more boarding wolves but what she saw was far worse.  Approaching in the distance where the land began to flatten again was a steep drop leading to a shallow creek.  Any of the surviving raider vehicles could easily make the jump with enough speed and a skilled driver.  The harpoon buggy had neither.  “Merc, you may wanna try harder!  We got a helluva ditch coming up!”

“It’s not cutting!” Merc shouted.  He sawed and chopped and tried everything he could to break the cable but it was too strong.  The train rolled on and the ditch drew closer and closer.  “Come on!  Cut!” Merc shouted.  The train engine rolled onto the bridge spanning the creek.

“It’s okay Merc,” Decaf said as the other buggies sped up to fly over the ditch. “This ain’t gonna kill me.”

“No, we’re gonna get you out of there!” Merc shot back.

“The locks are fried shut!” Teaspoon said after trying to free Decaf.

“I said it’s okay,” Decaf insisted.  “Look after Sheriff and I’ll see you around.”  The harpoon buggy sailed into the ditch and crunched upon landing.  Without the electromagnets in his boots to hold him, the cable went taught and Decaf was violently jerked from the roof before his friends could say a word.

“Decaf, report!” Mr. Nottingham ordered.

“Damn it!” Merc swore as he slammed a fist into the train car roof.

“They fried his coms, Sheriff,” Tea said into her throat mic. “He’s gone.”

Mr. Nottingham paused and looked back at the car full of security officers.  The ones he managed to save lay resting among the bodies and blood of those he couldn’t.  The metallic stench of blood mingled with the acrid scent of gunpowder, bringing an angry snarl to Mr. Nottingham’s face.  “Understood,” he said through clenched teeth.  “Where’d the wolves go?”

In the commotion, the four wolves left on the train made their way to the boxcar containing several weapon crates.  Working together, they clawed open the sliding door and swung inside.

“They must be somewhere on the last two cargo cars,” Tea said.  As she prepared her rifle with a full magazine the heavy assault vehicle returned and fired a single warhead into the rear locomotive’s crew cabin.  The engine burst into flames while the HAV positioned itself near where the destroyed security car was coupled to the last boxcar.  Another shot destroyed the couplings and disconnected the rear segment from the rest of the train.  “We just lost our tail!” Tea reported upon seeing the last two parts of the train lag behind them on the track.

Merc found one of the abandoned CHEWs on the safety wall and freed it from its mount.  “We gotta stop these bastards before they carve this train into bits,” he said with the machine gun in hand.  “For Decaf…”  He charged ahead before Tea could stop him, slinging inaccurate bursts of fire at the HAV as he jumped onto the weapon boxcar.

Mr. Nottingham opened the doors between the security car and the boxcar and stepped through at the same time Merc landed on the roof above.  He found the wolves tossing crates of small arms and explosives to the flatbed buggies keeping pace with the train.  The wolves stared at the security officer for a moment before they drew their weapons and fired at him.  Mr. Nottingham crouched into safety behind a stack of hard, military shipping boxes as the wolves’ bullets peppered his position.  “Merc, I’m pinned down at the front of the car!  The whiskies are-”

“I know where they are Sheriff,” Merc said, aiming at the roof. “Just don’t move.”  Merc fired a few extended bursts through the boxcar roof, instantly cutting down two of the four wolves.

“Hold your fire!” Mr. Nottingham said as he peeked out of cover.  He raised his rifle and finished off the third wolf while the last retreated to the end of the car.  The security officer and the raider’s eyes met but the moment didn’t last as the wolf disappeared through the rear door. “Nice shooting,” Mr. Nottingham said.  Wary of the bodies, he went to the loading door in an effort to close it.  He was met with small arms fire and rolled behind more crates after seeing what he was up against.

“Keep ya head down sir, this one’s mine,” Merc said.  The HAV returned and Merc let it have everything he had.  Brass casings sprinkled all over the train while silvalt bullets dented the raider’s armor plating.  Hitting the tires was equally ineffective but Merc didn’t care as he burned through his ammunition belt with a deafening chatter.  When he ran dry the HAV gunner poked his head up and sighted the recoilless rifle.  The terrain was flat and there wasn’t anything to throw off his aim this time as the weapon discharged and Merc was gone.

“Merc!” Tea screamed in shock.  Her teammate was nowhere to be found but there was no time for mourning, only vengeance.  She raised her grenade launcher for the last time and put the HAV’s engine in her sights.  The weapon kicked and lobbed the explosive exactly where she wanted it but to her horror, the vehicle merely shook without even slowing dramatically.  “Impossible…” she whispered.

“Tea, what’s going on up there?  What’s Merc’s condition?” Mr. Nottingham asked.

The wind howled passed Teaspoon as she released the launcher from its sling.  The HAV gunner frantically worked to load another round and Tea knew she didn’t have much time. “Merc’s gone and I’m out of anything that’ll kill this thing,” Tea said.

Mr. Nottingham searched around the weapon car for any crates with explosive labels.  He checked the wolves for any grenades but he couldn’t find any.  “Sit tight, there’s gotta be something down here we can use.”

“There’s no time Sheriff,” Tea said. “You’re a fish in a barrel down there and I can’t let him get you too.”

“Tea, talk to me girl,” Mr. Nottingham said as he tried to open another crate. “Don’t do what I think you’re gonna do.”

“You gotta make it home to your daughter, sir,” Tea said.  She backed away from the edge and made sure her rifle was secure on its sling.

“Tea, hold on!”

“I’m sorry Sheriff,” Tea said.  She ran to the edge of the train car and pounced.  The officer sailed through the air as ungracefully as one would expect but there was something almost animalistic in her landing.  Reflexes sharpened by the serum within her, Tea grabbed ahold of the HAV roof with one hand and punched the gunner with the other.  Mr. Nottingham could only watch helplessly as Tea pulled the man from the vehicle and threw him off.  The officer disappeared inside the vehicle itself but Mr. Nottingham could tell what was happening as it swerved unpredictably.  Before long the passenger side door was kicked open and a human raider tumbled out painfully.  Mr. Nottingham saw him roll and bounce in the earth alone until he was joined by the HAV driver.

“It’s okay Sheriff, I’m in control now,” Tea said over the radio.  Mr. Nottingham breathed a sigh of relief.

“We can talk about it later,” Mr. Nottingham said. “But for right now just stay with the train and we’ll get you outta there.”

Tea maintained the HAV’s speed but her antics didn’t go unnoticed by the other buggy drivers.  “I’ll try sir but I think my grenade wasn’t as useless as I thought.” A raider tried to run Tea into the train but the HAV’s size thwarted his attempt. “The steering’s a little screwy and I don’t think I’ll make it all the way.”

“Just sit tight and keep your foot on that pedal!  You can make it,” Mr. Nottingham said as more raiders began to swarm around Tea.  A grey wolf clung to the side of a buggy but before he could leap to the HAV, Tea turned her wheel as far as it would go and sandwiched the raider between her and his ride.

“They’re not too happy with me in their wheels,” she said while she struggled to control the HAV. “I can buy you some time Sheriff but I don’t want you to worry about me.  I can take care of myself.”

The raiders made it clear that Tea wasn’t going to be in control for long as they jockeyed around her in an attempt to run her down.  “I won’t leave you behind!  I’m not losing anyone else today Tea!  What would I tell your family?”

“You know as well as I do they don’t give a shit about me anymore,” she said, letting her anger transfer into each vehicular strike. “You, Merc, and Decaf are my family now.  You have been since the beginning and I’d do anything for you guys,” Tea said. “This is it.”  The HAV slammed into another buggy but not enough to disable it.  Gradually, Tea was moving further from the tracks and the raiders knew it.  A wolf succeeded in boarding the HAV but Tea had a pistol ready for her.  “I don’t have much time left and neither do you sir.  Find that last damned fur ball and get the train to the other side.”

“We’re gonna come back for you Tea,” Mr. Nottingham said, watching his teammate drift away.

“Like I said Sheriff, don’t worry about me,” Tea said. “I’ll find my way home, one way or another…”

The HAV was completely surrounded and the raiders did everything they could to nudge Tea in the direction of the woods several hundred yards to the left of the railroad.  A low hill obscured Mr. Nottingham’s view and soon Teaspoon was gone.

Mr. Nottingham sighed but he knew there was still one last wolf to take care of. “Mathew, if you can hear me, the others are no longer with us.  We have wounded all over and one hostile still on board.”

The newest member of the security team replied in Mr. Nottingham’s earpiece. “I-I-I understand sir,” he stammered. “I’m showing a door breach in the last car. Be careful.”

“Understood,” the senior guard replied although he had no intention of treating the wolf with any care.  CBARUS tucked into his shoulder, Mr. Nottingham left the weapon transport car for the last car in the line.  The covering between the cars was still intact but the door was forced open. “So much for wolf-proofing…” he said to himself as he crept inside.

The rumble of the train seemed to fade away as Mr. Nottingham entered the car as if the walls were insulated to keep sounds out.  Or in. the officer thought.  There was a slight chill in the air and with the noise of the train dampened Mr. Nottingham detected a faint electrical hum.  He couldn’t tell if it was from the lighting strips overhead or from the strange objects arranged on racks on the walls.  As he searched the limited space for his enemy, he wondered why only he and the other security leaders had access to this car.  It appeared as if they were just transporting a shipment of dark grey caskets.  The caskets were about as long as he was tall and each wall held three rows of seven.  Kind of strange, but I don’t see what’s so… his mind trailed off.  When he was halfway into the car he discovered it was the caskets that were humming.

A blast of buckshot suddenly splattered into Mr. Nottingham’s rear vest armor, shoving him forward.  It failed to penetrate but succeeded in getting his attention.  The guard whirled around to find the last wolf hiding atop the uppermost casket row with his sawed-off shotgun.  A second blast was stopped by Mr. Nottingham’s vest yet again so the wolf descended to combat Mr. Nottingham on a more personal level.

The wolf saw Mr. Nottingham reeling from the shot and capitalized on the moment.  By the time the officer brought his rifle to bear, the wolf was too close.  A skilled paw deflected the barrel away from his body while a swift claw swipe severed the weapon’s sling.  With the wolf practically in his face, Mr. Nottingham recognized him as the first wolf he saw on the external cameras jumping from the airplanes.  Two black lines of war paint ran along his right cheek and a black werewolf paw print covered his heart.

The CBARUS clattered to the floor and slid underneath the caskets.  Mr. Nottingham drew his pistol with his left hand only to have the wolf wrestle him for control again.  A bite to his forearm forced the weapon free but his right hand was ready with an unsheathed knife.  The wolf let go before the blade could slice him and with a few aggressive jabs Mr. Nottingham pushed his enemy back.  Despite having very little room to maneuver, both warriors made full use of their skills.  Each was lucky to even land a cutting strike as their duel played out.  They grappled and clawed at each other, slamming into the caskets as they did.  With the werewolf’s stamina and Mr. Nottingham’s serum-fueled energy, neither party seemed likely to tire for a while.

Mr. Nottingham’s silvalt blade was lined with a taste of the werewolf’s blood.  Flecks of silver glittered faintly against the black metal of the knife and all Mr. Nottingham could imagine was sinking it deep into the wolf’s heart.  The wolf snarled at him and lashed out with his leg.  His hind claws tore into Mr. Nottingham’s unarmored thigh painfully.  In the rapid series of vicious strikes that followed, Mr. Nottingham suffered damage to each of his limbs as the wolf targeted any place unshielded by his vest.  Fortunately for Mr. Nottingham, he distanced himself enough to save his throat before the wolf’s claws sliced.  The microphone resting snuggly on the surface was not so lucky.

The sleeves of Mr. Nottingham’s multicam uniform were as tattered and cut as his arms and legs except the fabric didn’t repair itself after a few seconds.  The wolf’s golden eyes stared angrily at the damage he caused only to have it vanish.  “You better take a big damn bite outta my neck,” Mr. Nottingham coughed. “Cause it’s gonna take a whole lot more than what you got to kill me…”  He reversed his grip on the knife and rushed at the wolf again.  A paw caught his hand but momentum carried the combatants backwards.  A casket lid on the middle row came loose as they crashed into it but neither noticed.  Instead, the wolf repelled his attacker and with another claw swipe he ripped the Cascadia logo patch from his shoulder.  The pain stunned Mr. Nottingham just enough for the wolf to grab him by the vest and hurl him to the rear of the car.  The officer collided with the metal wall with a terrible crack and slumped to the floor.

In all likelihood there were a few broken bones somewhere in Mr. Nottingham’s body and he spat up a breath of blood agonizingly.  His opponent skulked down the single aisle and brought his muzzle near the officer’s neck.  Lupine eyes looked up and down the dazed man but after a moment the wolf whispered, “No,” and refused to deliver the final blow.  His ears twitched and swiveled when he heard something behind him.  It sounded like a voice, tired and weak but still audible, was coming from the opened casket.  The wolf left Mr. Nottingham and investigated.  “Oh my God…” he said, his growly voice barely louder than a whisper itself.

Inside the casket lay another werewolf, albeit a few dozen years younger, whose facial fur coloration matched the raider.  “It’s okay now, I’m here,” the raider whispered.  The wolf in the casket struggled to open her eyes but the chemicals flowing into her were potent.  With steady paws, the wolf carefully removed the intravenous needles delivering the tranquilizing drugs. “I’m going to get everyone to safety, don’t worry,” he said.  The wolf left the casket and ventured to the front of the car in search of a way to release the couplers.  To his dismay he discovered that they were electronically locked and could only be detached by someone with the proper authorization.  With the couplers too sturdy to force and the train approaching the other side of the Unprotected Zone soon, the wolf didn’t know what to do.  He began to return to the casket when he heard something that made his fur stand on end.

“Not another goddamn step,” Mr. Nottingham said, aiming the barrel of his M1911 at the wolf in the casket. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned after years of fightin’ you guys, it’s to always have at least a Plan C,” he said, shaking the pistol.

“Please…” the wolf began.

“Please what?” Mr. Nottingham barked. “After everything you did?  Do you know how many friends I’ve lost today?  Those were good people, with families who cared about them.”

“Then that makes you no different from me,” the wolf said.

“What?” Mr. Nottingham said with disbelief. “I don’t look a thing like you, I’m not a monster.”

“Says the man aiming a gun at a little girl.” Mr. Nottingham flicked the pistol toward the raider reflexively.

The wolf in the casket strained herself to speak with as much volume as she could.  She could only whisper a single word. “Dad…” Mr. Nottingham’s eyes shot to her then back to his gun.

“It’s going to be okay Rebecca,” the raider said, making Mr. Nottingham’s eyes go wide.

“What did you say?!” Mr. Nottingham said tensely.

“Who else would dare to try what we’ve done?” the werewolf asked as he took a tentative step forward. “Who would leap onto a speeding train bristling with guns? Who else but a madman?  A monster?” he said, taking another step. “A father?”

“No, you’re nothing but a thief and a rebel,” Mr. Nottingham replied. “You’re only in it for the loot and scraps you can rip off of us like those weapons you jacked.”

“Do you really think we’d go through all this trouble for a few crates of rifles?  We have plenty of weapons; those were just prizes of opportunity.  No, we came to get our families back.”  Mr. Nottingham was stunned and found it difficult to understand what the wolf meant. “Who else would amass an army and challenge the guns of Cascadia?  Fathers, mothers, friends.  They knew the risks and they were ready to sacrifice everything in this rescue,” the wolf said. “That’s what you do for family.”

As insane as it sounded to him, the wolf’s words sank into Mr. Nottingham deeper than any fangs ever could.  Years of the company’s doctrine clashed in his mind with what the wolf said.  He imagined himself and his own Rebecca standing where the wolves stood if their places were reversed.  He saw himself staring down the barrel of his pistol as his daughter lay drugged and helpless.  Slowly, he began to realize what the wolf meant and he saw everything he had done for his family in the past.  The good and the bad.  He saw the lives he saved and those he ended, all for the ones he loved.

“There are things in this world we would kill for and things we live for,” the wolf said, drawing closer to Mr. Nottingham until he could see every detail on the gun aimed at his chest. “Then there are those we’d die for…” Mr. Nottingham’s finger begged to squeeze the trigger but he restrained himself. “I recognize a soldier when I see one and I know you don’t really want to shoot me.”

“Are you sure about that?” Mr. Nottingham asked.

“Not completely, no,” the wolf replied, holding his position. “But I am sure there was a time when you fought for something you truly believed in.  Before the company, when there was a flag on your shoulder, you knew what was really important.” Mr. Nottingham glanced at his shoulder where the Cascadia waterfall logo used to be.  All he saw were horizontal stripes of red before the cuts healed as well.  Mr. Nottingham let out a deep sigh and lowered his side arm.

“Thank you…” the wolf said with his paws at his sides in a sign of good faith.

Mr. Nottingham was silent as he retrieved his weapons from where they were scattered around the car.  He walked up to the coupling release control panel and typed in his code. “The cost of today was high and as much as I don’t want to say this, I forgive you.” The wolf cocked his head. “I’m not sure if either of us deserves it, but that’s just the nature of this war I suppose.”

The control panel beeped and a young voice reported in over the intercom speaker above it. “Mr. Nottingham?  Sir?  Someone’s trying to disconnect the last car!”

“Yes, Mr. Rockwell, it’s me,” the officer responded. “We have a bit of a situation back here and my coms got a little torn up.  I need you to authorize the coupling release or we’re gonna deliver a real nasty surprise to Fort New Springs.”

“Say again, sir.  You want me to do what?”

“Listen kid, I’ve got one crazy son of a bitch back here with a bomb the size of a watermelon and dead-wolf’s trigger.  You unhook this car or we’re gonna all kinds of dead when we hit the Fort’s Wall.”

Within a moment the panel lit up and confirmed the separation sequence followed by Mathew’s voice.  “It’s done!  You can get out of there now sir!”

Oh I intend to.  Mr. Nottingham thought.  He stood near the doorway with enough firepower to go back on his word but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “The company won’t like what I did, if they ever find out,” Mr. Nottingham said. “No cameras or coms in here may save me but don’t think this won’t cost you.”

“You mean any more than it already has?” the wolf asked dryly.

“That’s not what I meant but you gotta understand this ain’t risk-free for me.  Forgiveness isn’t really company policy.  I need you to do something for me.”

“What is it?”

“We left a few good people in the field out there and all I’m asking is that you keep your friends off them,” Mr. Nottingham said as he opened the car door. “They’re my family too and I’m gonna bring them home one way or another.”

“I’ll do what I can but I can’t guarantee anything…” the wolf said.  The train car groaned as it showed signs of slowing.

“Believe me, it’s in your best interest to try,” Mr. Nottingham added.

The wolf chuckled. “Then I guess this is goodbye,” he said as Mr. Nottingham tried to shake how surreal the words sounded coming from a werewolf. “Maybe I’ll see you around?”

“If you don’t keep up your end of the deal, you will.”  With that, Mr. Nottingham left the car and hopped aboard the weapon boxcar.  The metal coverings between the cars retracted and the two warriors departed, certainly not as friends but not quite as enemies.

Mr. Nottingham returned to the middle security car to tend to the wounded again as the turret spires at the end of the Protected Zone came into view.  In another few minutes the train passed the Wall of Fort New Springs and pulled into the train station.  Mr. Nottingham guided the emergency medical technicians to the wounded and helped them carry the more stable guards from the train.  As the midday sun shone down on the station in the walled town, Mr. Nottingham walked back to the lead security car.  The train bore many battle scars from claw marks to bullet holes and each step reminded Mr. Nottingham of those he lost.  When he reached the security car and spoke to Mathew, he told him to request an immediate rescue mission.

“Mr. Nottingham, sir,” Mathew said. “We couldn’t even get air support to come assist us, how do you plan on convincing CitiWatch to fly for us now?”

The senior security officer looked over his damaged uniform and felt the effects of the serum beginning to fade.  He thought about how the day started and how he felt he was done with this job.  His family was waiting for him in Denver and he promised he’d be there as soon as the workday was over.  But his workday wasn’t over just yet. “Tell them we’re going out to retrieve company assets.”

“But I thought you said we’re looking for survivors?”

“We are,” Mr. Nottingham said. “But someone higher up in the chain of command will know what was on that car and that’s all I need to get a few helos.”

“I’ll contact them right away then,” Mathew said.  He ran off towards the train station’s security office, leaving Mr. Nottingham alone.

Although it pained him to admit it, he and the werewolf were alike and he wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or terrified.  Regardless, the way he saw it, Tea and Decaf could still be alive and there was an army of wolves out there looking for them.  Even though his questions about his employer and career multiplied by the minute, they would have to wait.  At the moment, he needed them to finish one last mission.  If the werewolves could pull off a daring raid to save the ones they loved, why couldn’t he?  Even though they fought for two different sides, there was one thing he and werewolf could agree on.  There was nothing they wouldn’t do for family.

“Just hold on,” Mr. Nottingham said softly. “We’re gonna bring you home.”