New Vegas: Blood Ties

Tom got out of the bed and realised he was covered with a cold sweat. He walked towards the en-suite bathroom, and tapped the edge of the sink, as he rolled his hand across the warm tap handle. He lifted both his hands and placed them underneath the tap until they were completely drenched. He started rubbing the sweat off of his face and he looked up intot he mirror, all he saw was a tired, empty man staring back at him.

Tom walked out onto the corridor, the only good thing so far was that the 'lovers' had stopped. He closed and locked the door behind him, so that all he was wearing now was just his rag-tag navy fleece sort of under-jacket, and his worn out denim trousers.

His medium length hair was messy and his eyes were clearly quite tired and exhausted. He made his way down the stairs that he stumbled up earlier that evening, not realising that he probably looked out of place in the casino. He walked over to the Brimstone lobby and sat down on the stool at the barside, just rubbing his face with his hands.
 
Brad stopped and thought about what David had said.
"Maybe he's right about Yasmine. I can't imagine anybody actually wanting to do that. I should go back there and- *yaaaaaaaawwnnnn*. Eh, maybe tomorrow."
He walked back into the strip.
"Heh, did I actually say I was going back to red rock? Wow, I reeeeeally overeacted."
He walked into vault 21, bought a room, and went to sleep.
 
David walked around the casino, looking at the games of blackjack. They were rigged slightly in favour of the house, and people were pouring their caps into this. David smiled and then walked over to Brimstone, to see if anybody had come back. He saw Tom and sat down beside him. He decided to keep his voice down in case somebody reported him.
"So, sleep well? I wanted to talk with you about that other enclave remnant. They're in Florida. How do I know, a former squadmate was attached to it just before the battle for project purity back east. Once this is over and I prepare, I'm heading over there to finish things. I know you want to retire, but if you could, come with me on this last mission."
 
Tom looked over towards David, and smiled at what he had said to him, "I know I want to retire, but you don't have to bribe me or anything, i'll come with you through thick and thin if you shout for me, but Florida, we're pretty much going back to where we were then, give or take a several hundred miles".

Tom continued, "I'd probably end up going back to here though, I like the look of Goodsprings, i'm thinking of buying the gas station there, and ranching it up, like buying, brahmin, bighorners, and i'll buy some yuca plants and other vegetables, and if I ever need money, i'll just walk into town and sell my produce, and i'll enevr ever have to work again". Tom looked off into the distance as if he was dreaming of the exact ranch with the exact animals, and the exact situation.
 
David smiled. He hated to ruin it, so the other news he had for Tom could be saved until the end of this. What did he plan on doing after this and going to Forida? David had thought about continuing to be a merc, thats what he had told Tom. He had also thought of retiring as well, maybe settle down witha nice girl. If his father could see him now, settling with somebody from the wasteland, he would be furious. Another, more grim option he had considere was comitting suicide. David was 25, but he didn't feel it. He felt older and tired. Or maybe he should turn himself into the NCR. He had to admit to his sins some time.

~I'll leave it until later. Until after Florida~

He then turned to Tom, and whispered,"I'll give you time to settle down, and I need to make plans too. I certainly don't plan on walking there, thats for sure, but I will get back to you on that. Expect it to be a few years before I finally ask you to come along. Wait here, I need to get some kit from vault 21."
David then got up, and left. There wasn't much in the kit, not anything important, but he had to clear some thoughts from now from his head. It had been 4 years and he had only started to think about it now. Why? Why now? Why not when he had been with Tom and Mark in the Capital Wasteland, where he had done those atrocious things? Why not when he had time to think, when he had been travelling here. Why now? A young woman smiled at him as he walked past, and he smiled back. He found this strange, having never really taken an interest in woman. Come to think of it, why had he taken such an interest in Brad, usually he would've told him to grow the fuck up and go talk to her, rather than being so nice. Then it hit him. He was alone. Save for Tom, and his old squadmates, he was alone. He had cut himself off from people, rarely taking an interest in peoples problems unless it involved money. But now he felt kinder.

Suddenly, he felt a more sure about himself., He was worried about what happened with him and about going soft. He had never worried about going on soft on the job, so why worry now. If he felt more kinder towards people, it had no connection to what happened in the field. He smiled and entered Vault 21. He picked up his stuff and headed back to Gomorrah. When he got back, he smiled as he sat back down next to Tom.
 
Tom looked over to David who had just arrived back from the Strip, "When you do finally settle down, you fancy moving on into my ranch, because the gas station in Goodsprings is kanny big, and if you can't live in the main building, I will personally help you make a building on the ranch".

This was the first time Tom had actually thought as a person from America as a 'friend' rather than colleague, acquintance or associate, but Tom and David had some things in common as well. They both really had no home, they prefer to keep out of the way of things that are not profitable for them, Tom couldn't think of anymore, and really in the light of things the latter was incorrect, Tom was going to follow David to Florida, just so he could find the lead that took him there.
 
Yasmin ripped the leather and chains off the way someone would remove a bit of clothing that was on fire. She winced as she looked at the red marks around her chest where it had dug in. These drugged up dancers didn’t have quite as much meat on them as her, this stuff just wasn’t designed to fit right.
Being grateful for the secure snugness of her leather armour pants and the softness of her worn out old white shirt, she only added shoes to that and walked back out the discreet corner entrance with her jacket and sunglasses in her bag, avoiding stepping on the stage again all together. She growled quietly as a few of the men who had been staring at her on stage tried to talk to her, but they were very drunk and wobbly, so she sped up, knocking her shoulder into one of them and sending him tumbling onto the floor.
She walked up into the suites and knocked on number 13, Nevra’s door. Her cousin answered looking ready for bed.
“Hey Nev, you got it?”
Sleepily Nevra pointed over to her desk and the sack of caps.
Yasmin walked over and picked it up, forcing herself to believe that the quiet clinking and the wait was worth putting herself on display like that. “What about coordination’s?” she walked over to her cousin who was writing on a slip of paper.
“I don’t think you have any idea how hard it was to get this.” She looked up from the paper to Yasmin with a scowl. “Seriously. Almost im-fucking-possible, and you owe me so very, very big. But here is where they were going. Best chance that that is the location to find him.” She handed Yasmin the paper.
She took it and put it into her pipboy. After a few seconds the little marker appeared where the spot was and where she was and the little dotted line connecting them. Yasmin put her arm around her cousin and pulled her in, hugging her tightly and leaning her head down on hers. She smiled a bit. “You’re getting short.”
Nerva laughed and groaned, playfully pushing her off and sitting down on her bed. “I’m not wearing shoes, you have great bloody boots on. Plus you were always taller than me, so leave me alone.” She lay down and pulled the covers up.” You gonna sleep here?”
Yasmin thought of the offer the dancer had made to share her tent, but she was too tired and felt dirty enough without the need to add sex with a drugged up stripper to it. “Yeah, why not?” She dropped her bag, kicked off her boots and crawled in next to her cousin. As she closed her eyes and let sleep take a hold, with the familiar smell of her cousin next to her, Yasmin could swear she heard children laughing off in the distance.
 
Carib smiled jaggedly, "Well this Ranger is retired and is... pursuing a retirement plan which includes collect a retirement stipend which I collect every month; and the occasional odd job. And now, currently contracting my services to the woman with the blue eyes." Carib took a gulp of his Nuka-Cola and turned towards the gunslinger, taking a measure of him.

The man had revolvers inside a Casino. Carib was impressed. He didn't know the man, but as long as he wasn't Legion or Fiend, he had no issues with him. Was he a Regulator? Or a Bounty Hunter? Or perhaps just another man with quick hands who pissed off some Brahmin Baron? Who cared. Carib hated the brahmin barons. Still the man was talented.

"Well," Carib eyed him, "I see we both have the ability to bring in things that aren't allowed." And Carib gave a grin that basically said, we'll keep it between us pros. "I am sure Yasmin, she of the Blue Eyes, will be more than happy to take in another hardcase. By the way," he held out his hand.

"My name is Carib. What's your handle?"
 
The Stranger smiled, a grin of relief more than of happiness.
"I've been given alot of names back east... but you can call me Alex. And I think that's more than enough for an introduction."
He raised the empty whiskey bottle in Carib's direction.
"I myself am just looking for a buck, and a reason to keep on the move... and to keep breathing at all."
He smiled again, this time grimly all the while staring into space. He looked at Carib,
"So when do I get to meet 'She of the blue eyes'?"
 
"In the morning," Carib said easily, getting up from his stool and giving the three finger gesture to the barman. Three more Nuka-Colas for the road. He was already booked in this seedy Casino/hotel for a night, he might as well enjoy it.

"From what I understand its the usual, 'lets get to the tech first before NCR, BOS or Caesar does,' type of deal. I am in it for the spaces. And if there are deadly things to be had, all the better for my retirement." Carib held a post card of Point Look Out. "Every merc has got to have a dream, right?"

He wasn't sure if Alex quite understood, but it hardly mattered. Everyone here had an agenda.

"I will see you in the morn'."


*****

Heading to his apartment, Carib was rather impressed. Clean sheets, or at least as far as he could tell. A closet, a writing desk and a TV that probably hadn't worked in two centuries.

Perfect.

Looking at the table, he saw a note written by the last residence. Taking a quick scan of it, he realized it was some gambler telling a tale of woe, of how they had lost all their money on the strip because they thought the game was going good.

Gamblers. Well if Carib hadn't the ugly luck of a sickly albatross, he'd staked his claim here. But no. He saved every coin he got. Spent when he had to, and stashed the rest away. He'd leave plenty for his family and the rest he'd carry as far as he could for his eventual trek east towards the fabled Point Look Out.

He didn't know why he was being called there. He just knew he'd have to go. There and DC and eventually the Commonwealth.

But one thing at a time. He'd first complete his contract with Yasmin. Fair was fair.

Laying on the bed, placing his 10mm under the pillow, he stared up at the ceiling and thought about the first Battle of Hoover Dam. He thought about the woman he loved and how Oliver's poor judgment had betrayed her unit to the enemy. He thought hard and closed his eyes.
 
David woke up the next morning, his head resting on the bar. Luckily he hadn't drunken enough to have a hangover. He looked around. There weren't any hookers, and nobody was really here. He got up, and walked over to the gomorrah lobby. He sat down on a chair near the door, and waited for the others. He then realised it was still very early in the morning. He closed his eyes, knowing he could wait here. He soon fell asleep.
 
Brad got up early. Odd, he usually slept late. He went over to the terminal in his room and ordered a box of sugar bombs. He ate it and walked over to the lobby. He saw David sleeping in a chair near the door. He let out a yawn and decided to take a nap in a chair next to his.
 
Tom was still sitting at the bar he was at previously in the night, having not moved since David had earlier slumped up to his room. Tom looked across the bar to the sleeping David. Once Tom had awoken earlier, he never went back to bed, he had about 3 whiskies by now, but he wasn't tipsy in the least, alcohol very rarely affected him. It was still quite early by now, Tom couldn't really predetemine the time, but as he looked out of the window he could tell that dawn was encroaching.

Tom really wanted this mission to get over and down with, just so he could get enough caps to set up his ranch, then he could do one last job with David. Tom was really looking forward to going to Florida with David, he wanted to learn as much as he could about Davids leaders and contacts.
 
When he got up, he felt refreshed. He washed his face, brushed his teeth. He always made sure to keep some toothpase and a tooth brush. A lot of things you could find. Opening the fridge, he plucked a bottle of purified water and began to sip it. Checking his gear, he made sure he packed away his hold-out weapons. It didn't really take much to hide, but he didn't want to be that guy who got caught because he wasn't careful.

Getting into character, Carib proceeded downstairs. The Omerta men seemed to be following with their eyes. It happened. When you wear Veteran Ranger armor, you tended to get a lot of stares. But people usually stayed away from him. It was good practice. With that mask on and helmet, no one knew what lay beneath. For all you knew you could have been staring death right in the face.

He was sure the upper link of NCR command frowned upon him walking around in his armor. It was his and he could keep it. Sans all the NCR markings, it was armor; functional and intimidating.

He reached the lounge and saw the others who had gathered waiting. He nodded to them. They did so in kind. They were all waiting on the Boss Lady and after that they'd be leaving the safety and security of the Strip and head off into the unknown in search of treasure.
 
David woke up again to find Brad sleeping next to him. He saw Carib nod at him and he nodded back. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He saw it was early in the morning. He sait and waited for yasmine.
 
Tom looked down the bar and realised it wasn't only David who had joined him at the bar, Brad and Carib had also. When he saw Carib in his ranger armour he remembered that his knife, spork and combat armour pieces were still in his room. Tom pulled himself off of his bench and stumbled back up the stairs to his apartment, he slowly unlocked the door and left it open as he walked into the room. He picked up his pauldron and chest guard, and strapped them to his jacket, he then proceeded to put his combat knife into his pocket, and the spork in the other pocket.

Once Tom got back to the bar, he tapped David on the shoulder, "Oi, David, I have a proposition for you, I reckon you'll like it, let's walk".
 
David nods and stands up. He says as he walks with Tom,"What do you have in mind?"

(Keep it in the lounge, just away from everybody else. And soon I'll going to bed, so if you all move just pretend I'm walking with you)
 
Brad woke up and looked at the pocket in his leather armor where he kept his caps. He was running low. He decided to play a few hands of blackjack while waiting for Yasmine. He realized it was best to never bring up what he saw last night ever again. He swapped some caps for chips and sat down at a blackjack table and started playing. After winning a few times, Brad ordered a nuka cola to wake him up fully.
Now that he has no longer half asleep, he realised Derick was nowhere to be found. He remembered that Derick always got up early in the morning. And then it hit him.
"Shit, Derick must have went back to red rock to tell the khans I was coming."
Since Derick thought he was coming back there was no "sticking around, pretending I'm looking for you." Derick went home while he was sleeping. By now, it must have been a while since he got there. With the time he spent napping in the chair, they must have come to the conclusion that he said that while he was drinking scotch. They must be on their way here. Or maybe he was just overeacting. But he can't take that chance.
He got up, cashed in his winnings, and walked over to Carib.
"We need to get moving, some people might be after me."
 
He opened his eyes slowly, and took a moment to recall exactly where he had decided to lay down for the night. A dusty room somewhere in the Gomorrah. He was sitting in a chair that was facing the door to his room, wearing only his grey undershirt, jeans and of course, his guns.

He got dressed and made his way down to the lounge where he expected to see the rest of this "expedition". He was right, they were all there, waiting on the one person who was missing, their leader. "She of the blue eyes" as the Ranger... Carib, had so poetically put it.

He saw Carib, and grabbed a seat next to him. The irony that it was a Ranger, retired or not that was the only person The Stranger felt comfortable with forced a small smirk on his face.

"Mornin'... so this is the rest of the group? They look a little green if you don't mind me saying"

He motioned his head towards the kid in leather armor.

"And how long are we supposed to wait for the boss lady in charge of this job? I'm a little anxious to get moving"
 
As the two made their way away from the bar, Tom looked at David, he made his voice lower than normal, so the people at the and in the immediate area couldn't hear them, "Hey, after this is all done, not just this, but Florida, once that is done, and i've got my ranch, you fancy settling down on my lands, i'm thinking of buying the gas station in Goodsprings and land around it, i'd live in the station, and if you want i'll make a building for you to live on site, so what do you say, it should be easy running?".
 
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