New Vegas: Blood Ties

"Well, my pistol is pathetic. If I ever left vegas, I'd be dead in about two minutes. As for the job....nevermind. I'm wasting your time. 75 caps is good." He walked back over by tom and david. "Well, I blew it." He sighed, finished his scotch, and put his head down.
 
Yasmin frowned. Brad looked like he was older than her, but really seemed to have no experience talking to women. She couldn’t help but compare him to Red Lucy. The difference between the strong, confident woman to the nervous man was huge. Though the gender made no difference to her. In post-apocalyptia, you couldn’t be too picky about who you got pleasure from. As long as they had non-radiated parts and a powerful attitude, if she was in the mood to lose herself for a while, she’d take it.
She watched as he went and sat back down with the other two looking defeated. Maybe after this mission, depending on how it went, he’d get some strut to his step. There was nothing worse than a man with a gun and nothing behind it to make him pull the trigger.
 
"Listen, Mark," Carib began, "I know its a huge leap of faith and I know you don't know anyone here from the Chosen One, but come along." He paused, he was going to give his best salesman pitch yet.

"Think about it. What do you have to go back to? You said so yourself, you got nothing out here. You wanted to go see your family but your not even sure, and its not like we're questing for Vault 13. And your not bound by any contract that would be a conflict of interest with your job as an Officer in the NCR. I mean even if you say didn't want to stay in the service of the Great Kimball, I think you cash in what you got, retire. Go back west, marry a beautiful daughter of some senator and have a mess of kids. Live on a Ranch and raise big horners or brahmin."

And Mark gave him an expression and Carib sighed and leaned in closer, "I don't trust her either. But this isn't about trusting her. It's business. If it turns out legit, we all walk away winners, maybe even become friends with the lot. Who knows? And if it turns bad, well that's what you got me for. You watch my back, I watch yours. Besides... Do you really want to waste away on the Strip? The Lucky 38 isn't opening anytime soon. And I am sure Torini at the Tops will get some new and exotic talents for his acts. But why wait?

So what do you say, Mark. You got my back?" Carib didn't want to call in favors, he wanted Mark to come because he wanted to. They were friends and friends never stacked points or kept score.
 
Mark sighs, then thinks for a while, looks down and shakes his head. "God damn you Carib, I hate you, you know that?"

Mark makes a pause and the continues. "Right. But if we are going to do this, we have to do it right, I don't want to end up as bleaching bones in the wasteland just because of some amateur half wits that send themselves in a mission without even be properly equipped. We have to prepare logistics, at least for the both of us, we are going to need rations, water, even if it's just a few days you never know, also some better weapons, this old service rifle is going to be like spit balls if we run into a minigun wielding supermutant or a pack of deathclaws, and ammo, plenty of it.

"I can get us the supplies from the NCR, I know some people, maybe we can bribe someone or cut him in on the deal somehow... and I can't take so much as a butter knife with me here on the strip, so I will have to meet you guys outside with the stuff."

Mark pauses for a second. "Right. I am going to make a list of what we need so... before I go, need anything from the shop?"
 
Carib smiled as he shook his friends hand, "See that wasn't so hard." After Mark gave a quick nervous laugh, Carib decided it was time to get to brass-tacks. "Well meds are essential. Stims, Med-X. Water, of course. Anti-Rad medicine. Ammo. I suppose get a sense of what people here use and get them at least a few. I don't honestly care if you get me surplus ammo for my Carbine, but a few boxes wouldn't hurt, AP would be nice, in case we run across death claws. See what Yas need's too. She'd better know what and where we're going.

I know it maybe a stretch. Some C-4 bricks and a detonator. Never know when you got to blow something up. Thats what i can think of." Carib had a feeling he'd be blowing something or someone up before this was all over. It was insurance policy. Just in the event whatever was in that facility proved to be too dangerous to let circulate. The Pre-War scientist were devils and they had been toying with things that later turned out to be a scourge upon the dwellers of the wastes. So insurance would help.

He studied the other would be team mates intently. The man called David was a rough looking dude, had a look of experience in his eyes. No malice, just caution. Carib couldn't place his clothing but somehow it seemed familiar, like he'd seen it in either books or on a bolo list. He shrugged. It hardly mattered, he was a NCR soldier anymore. He was his own man, with his own loyalties and priorities.

Carib had tried for Arizona once. Too dangerous. The Legion controlled that far east. And perhaps if the Legion was broken, he'd journey to the fabled Pitt or perhaps Point Look Out. Carib had a post card of it. He wanted to see the Old World and perhaps kill the monsters that lay in it. There was much to do.
 
Mark turned to Yasmin, who by now had finished talking to Brad.

"Right, listen... oh I'm Gonzalez by the way, Lieutenant Gonzalez, nice to meet you and all... this is the deal, if you want any of us two in, we are going to need to cut someone else in the earnings of what we find to get our equipment, I don't know what you and the rest of the guys know about the wasteland, but in my years I have seen enough to know that if you go out there unprepared you end up dead. So, we are going to need a bunch of things, but since you know where we are going or at least have an idea, I need you to tell me if there is anything in particular we are going to need and if you agree to the terms."

Mark may have sounded like a bit like an ass in that patronizing tone, but he meant well, after all what he had in mind were the lives of all on the team, Yasmin included.
 
"Wow, I must have made it sound like I couldn't do anything back there. Should I have told her I was good with electronics? The khans never appreciated my skills, but I'm among more civilized people now. Would she appreciate my skills, or would she just insult me for it?" Brad thought.

"With my luck, it'll the second. Barkeep! 'Nother scotch."
 
Tom cleared his throat while waiting for a reply from David, and lifted his head as to look at Brad, "Damn it boy, don't be so nervous with her, she looks like the person that won't give a shit" Tom paused while looking down the neck of his whisky bottle as to make sure there was some drops in the bottom, he took the conversation off topic, "I might have a go in that Thorn, I feel like showing off, if your allowed to use weapons in there I might see how many caps I can get for taking on three deathclaws".

Tom necked the rest of his whisky and slammed the bottle against the bench, creating a loud booming noise, he was surprised not that many people looked at him when he done it. "It's getting late, I might try to find a room somehwere in town to stay, maybe rent a room in the Tops, any of you's know how much a room in this joint costs?".
 
Getting up from his table, Carib was ready to head out, but before he did, he had to take a Nuka-Cola for the road. Man was he thirsty. Whiskey and cigarettes dried you out, and so did Nuka-Cola, but it was a different kind of thirst. The kind that a soft drink wouldn't quench. He knew what he had to do. But why now?

He needed to purge the demon quick. It needed violence, it needed blood. The blood of the wicked would suffice.

Carib took a deep breath and got to the bar. He stood next to Brad and David White, both who gave him a nod of acknowledgment, "One Nuka-Cola." Accepting the cool bottle from the bar keeper, he turned to David and Brad and he noticed Tom as well, though he seemed enjoying his liquor.

"Carib. Ex-Ranger. So aside from my good friend Mark over there, I am not a card carrying NCR soldier. Not anymore. Since we'll all be working together, I guess the passing of names was enough of a start." He was feeling the itch. It wanted him to go into Freeside and chance being attacked by Freeside Thugs. The thugs attack, Carib could rip them to bits without anyone shedding a tear. He took a swig of the cool Nuka-Cola and felt refreshed, felt his darker half go silent.
 
David said to Tom,"I haven't heard much. I've noticed a few guys on the way here. two people, Daisy Whitman and Orion. I can tell their enclave. I didn't say anything, they want to be left alone. I spotted an eyebot in primm, but that wasn't much help. There was a outpost in chicago, but they moved on a long time ago. The brotherhood of steel had too much presence and influence, even with its small size compared to us.... I mean them. My only other lead is a group in...."
Just then Carib came over to them. David nodded as he introduced himself. He knew that the worst he could do now was react to him, so he smiled and said,"I'm David. I'm a merc from the east coast. Nice place, if you can survive the trench warfare going between the Brotherhood of Steel, and the Super Mutants."
He then drank some more of his whiskey.
 
"Yeah, I noticed the Eyebot over in Primm as well, that don't look like any eyebot i've ever seen before, tell me what you were going to later", Tom looked up at Carib, and looked him up and down before finally looking at his face, Tom thought this guy must've been through some heavy shit, he saw it in his eyes, "Hello there, my name is Tom, I came here from the east coast, but by the accent you probably know that's not where I originate from, my occupation, let's just say I like to wander".

"So by ex-ranger, how did that happen to you, i'm guessing some bad shit happened, but your just going to tell me you decided to retire aren't you?" Tom knew his way round these sort of fellows, the sergeant of his platoon back with Talon Company in the east was like this, his sergeant was from the NCR as well.
 
A khan walked up to Brad, wearing a dapper gambling suit to blend in. "Hey, if you're going to take a vegas vacation, at least leave a note." Brad couldn't believe his eyes. It was Derick, one of the khans he actually didn't mind being around. He was a little more appreciative of Brad's tech skills, but if you pissed him off, he'd turn as furious as any other khan.
"How'd ya find me?"
"Well, where else is there to go around here?"
"How could you have possibly gotten in?"
"I threatened to snap some shopkeepers neck unless he made me a passport. Anyway, papa gave you a week. It's time to come home."
"I'm not going back."
"That's not exactly an option. We're going after an old military base. There's a lot of computers and robots and stuff. We need you to disable the security and shut down some electronic locks so we can get better guns."
"Sorry, already got me a new job. Check out who the leader is."
Brad raises his scotch in the direction of Yas.
 
While Tom was talking to Carib he had noticed a man who walked into the Gamorrah and started talking to Brad, this was interesting. Tom started brushing his hand through his stubble on his cheeks and neck as he observed the situation. If anything went wrong Tom would help, but if it was some stiff who belonged to a gang Tom would probably keep out of the way.

If this man was going to mess around with Brad, Tom would leap in as soon as he could, after all Tom had managed to smuggle in a combat knife, and Tom knew his way round a melee. Tom found the newcomer suspicious, he didn't look like the average gambler, to be fair neither did Tom, David, Brad, Carib, Mark and Yasmin, and for all Tom knew the guards held them in suspicion.
 
"Know what? I think of you as a friend. So I'll tell papa I couldn't find you. I'll even hang around this brimstone place for a few days to, um, make it look like I'm looking in every place close to red rock. But you should expect to see some groups of khans looking for you in about a week. Whatever you want to do, do it now."
Derick got up, exchanged some ncr money for chips, and sat down at a slot machine.
Brad turned to tom.
"Well now, look who else is listening on on people's conversations. You think we can get this done in a week? I'm gonna need some of that gear. I'm not going back to the khans without a fight."
 
Yasmin smiled, pleased to see she had another experienced fighter on her side. “Lieutenant? Well nice to have you on.” A slight panic crept into her mind, but she kept it from her voice and face. “I grew up on the wastes, I’m not about to let anyone go out unprepared. You’re all going to be with me on this, so the least I can do is make us all prepared. I was intending to get supplies for the group tonight after I earned some caps. Or would you prefer to get your own? Also, how much do you want to get paid upfront? And as for the location, once we are settled here I can go get it and the caps to pay you all with.”

She looked around at the rest of the group to see they were all relaxed and chatting away drinking. She hoped that the business part was over and they'd stay out here for the next few hours or go to bed so she could earn their caps without them having to see her doing it. Then once that was done with, supplies and getting the fuck out of there was the next priority. The longer they stayed the darker the clouds of dread grew in her mind.
 
He sat on the fluorescent steps of the Lucky 38. Watching the doors of the Gammorah as vigilantly as ever. He had seen the one in Ranger armor go in, but had noticed the distinct lack of decals on it. It made no difference to him though, they were all the same. He shifted himself to get a little more comfortable, the large, dark revolvers hanging from his bandolier exposing themselves. He noticed and hid them again, too many times had people questioned their origins, too many people had been silenced due to their nosiness.

He removed his hat and wiped his forhead with the cloth he kept around his neck, all while pondering the reputation he had earned in the West. The Stranger they called him, due to his nomadic nature, but also due to the mystery surrounding his person. He preferred it like that, figuring if anyone caught wind of his past, every bounty hunter from Novac to Klamath would be out for his hide. He wasn't a bad man, not in his opinion anyway, it was just the way the world was now.

He sighed, and got up, heading for the Gammorah...
 
"Well aren't you sharp." Carib smiled and sipped some more Nuka-Cola, "as for retirement, I chased in early. But I did retire because of some bad shit. So for now, you can chose to accept retirement or not. I doubt you'd meet many NCR Rangers who go through the pains of removing any marks or numbers of their chosen Veteran Armor."

"So you and David hail from back east. Tell me, as sometime I wish to travel there when time permits and when the Legion is either broken or scattered; have you ever seen or heard of a place called Point Look-Out or the Pitt?" Carib removed a small post card from his pocket and showed it to David and Tom. It showed the massive Ferris wheel on the docks.
 
"Yeah, I'm sure you're going to be prepared with all your healing powders and yuca fruit, but my standards are a bit higher than most when it comes to equipment. As for the initial payment I am not even worried about it, I'm not your regular gun for hire, 100 or 200 caps now are not going to make any difference, what interests me the most is how much does the stuff that we'll find is worth, and how sure you are we will find it. And I want equal share of whatever is there, nothing less."
 
The Stranger entered the Gamorrah, he took in the sights as he had done numerous times before. He walked up to the Omerta doorman and with a whisper into the faux-gangster's ear, was able to continue on uninterupted. He seated himself at a table in view of the bar. He sat, passively watching the ranger and his companions.
He would have liked to know what they were discussing, if only to put his troubled mind at ease. But he was content with watching. With waiting for the right moment to make his move.
 
Yasmin couldn’t stop the scoff. “Healing powders? If I’m in a rush, I don’t have time for that shit to work. I only carry meds. And the share’s will be equal. Whatever we find there, and given that this has only just been discovered and it is still sealed up tight, there will be stuff to find, will be split up even. If, we can get in. Everyone who stays on gets a slice of what’s in there. If we can’t get it all, then it’s what you can carry. I don’t expect anyone to carry my haul for me, so I wouldn’t force that on anyone else. But it’ll be as even as possible. Fair?” She held out her hand for him to shake if he agreed.
 
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