New Vegas: Blood Ties

"You think I know? I'm not exactly one for waiting, myself. Especially when I need To get out of here as fast as possible."
 
Yasmin was awake a lot longer than she had planned, but staying asleep was torture. She gotten what she could by the way of supplies from there at Gamorrah and when she came back from her shower the rest was sitting on Nevra’s bed with a little note with a heart drawn on it as well as a large amount of ammo, some for guns she didn’t have. Yasmin grinned. No wonder she had been so persistent wanting to know the things she’d needed to get.
She got dressed and put her still soaking hair up in a bun. Pulling on her gloves and picking up her duffle bag she shoved the bag of caps in her jacket pocket and walked out.
She entered the bar and looked at all the men spread out. She was impressed, it was well before the scheduled meeting time. She raised her eyebrows at them with a smile and walked past all of them out to the lobby. As she did, the man who was guarding the door tonight came over.
“I’ll need to take them if you go back in, but here are your weapons, plus your cousin wanted me to give you this.” He handed her all her gear plus a magnum.
Yasmin’s eyes lit up as she took it. “Tell her I said thanks.”
She lent on the wall and waited to get started.
 
The Stranger watched the woman take note of the men in the bar. He also watched her walk past and head into the lobby. He followed, and caught up to her leaning against the wall.
"I hear you're planning a little 'trip' to go find some pre-war tech."
He feigned his most sincere smile.
"I might be interested in signing on if you'll have me, I consider myself a fairly good shot with a conventional firearm... even tried my hand at some of those pre-war weapons a few times. I can also negotiate something fierce if the need arises. All I need is details on the job... and details on the pay"
He looked her up and down, analyzing the slender woman who's organizing a merc job. She looked weathered.... not unlike himself. He wondered in the back of his mind, a passing thought: If she had seen the same things he had.
 
Yasmin looked at this new comer with a frown. ''This would have been more welcomed if it was last night when I was actually putting my team together.'' She looked closer at this man. He didn't exactly scream 'trust', but given the circumstances.....She took out the bit of paper with the details of the mission written on it in her clear scrawl. ''Here. The others are getting paid up front, but let's call this a 'late fee' and you can get paid at the end with a share of the spoils.'' She put her hand out and raised her eyebrows at him almost challenging him to argue with her terms.
 
Gonzalez spent the night at the camp in one of the tents, had NCR tax payed breakfast and then he headed towards the armory, checked all he needed was accounted for and then put everything on a duffle bag. The trick was going to get all that stuff trough the front gate without raising any suspicion. It shouldn't be too hard but bad things happen when you least expect them.

On his way out of the terminal he stumbled upon Colonel Hsu. "Sir." Hsu passes him by not really noticing anything was wrong... then "Gonzalez?" Mark stops on his tracks and slowly turns to face the Colonel. "Where are you going? I thought you were on leave." "Oh, I am sir, I'm just heading towards Novac to spend my leave there, you know me sir, the Strip isn't my kind of place." Better not elaborate much when lying the less details you give the less inconsistencies that'll give you away, hopefully Hsu wouldn't notice he had a marksman carbine instead of his service rifle on his back and think what was on that heavy duffle bag were Mark's personal effects. "Oh... ok, enjoy your leave Lieutenant." Colonel Hsu turns around and continues walking... Mark does the same.

Later that morning Mark stands near the King's front door with a body guard right next to him, hoping that Carib didn't forget to tell Yasmin he was waiting for them there. The King's guards don't look too happy to see him, but they'll keep any thugs away.
 
Brad walked over to Yasmine.
"Hey. I Should've mentioned something yesterday. I'm really good with computers and that kind of stuff. If there's any pre war security there, I should be able to take care of it. Oh, and you should know something. The great khans are kind of looking for me. Turns out they need my skills for some heist."

He then thought to lighten up the conversation and steer it towards her.

"But hey, someone who looks as good as you should know what it's like to have a lot of guys after you."
 
The Stranger leaves The Strip for the Gun Runners kiosk outside Freeside. He figured he would stock up on ammo before they set out. As he walks down the street from the Strip's north gate to the gates of Freeside, he notices the NCR trooper standing near the entry to the King's main building. He walks up to him.
"Alex"
He holds out his hand.
"So you signed on Yasmin's expedition? Figure if we might die together, we might as well get aquainted"
 
"Yeah? Well I don't plan on dying any time soon. And I didn't signed up on any suicide mission, know anything I don't? ... Besides, I haven't seen you before, so why should I tell you anything about this "expedition" you are talking about anyway?"

Mark could read posters, and the ones that decorated the NCR bases red: "What I know I keep to myself. Careless talk cost lives."
 
Yasmin laughed a bit at Brad's joke. ''Oh there's been men after me alright.'' ~Just not in the way you think.~ She thought with a grin. ''And computer skills is something we'll be needing. But what about the Khans? How long till they need you?''
 
The Stranger smiled,
"I just signed on, I was just trying to be friendly... in my own way. If you wanna be left alone just say the word."
The smile had faded. He was looking the trooper in the eyes.
 
"And why do you trust me? I could be anyone. And how do you know I am on any "expedition"? I don't like being rude, but I've been around long enough to know that usually when a smiling stranger ambidextrous gunslinger offers you his hand he may shoot you with the other, so yeah, it would be better if you leave. Come back with Yasmin or some of the others and we can talk."

Mark already had his carbine in a prepared position expecting random thugs, Freeside wasn't the most comfortable place to have a friendly chat, especially with a duffle bag full of supplies many would want to steal. So no, while he meant no disrespect, taking his hand away from the safety didn't sound like a good idea. Mark furtively eyed his body guard and then looked back at the stranger, expecting anything.
 
"Think they might be here sometime today. Hopefully, I'm wrong."
He looked down at Yasmin's arm. He was surprised he hadn't noticed it before.
"Is that a pip boy?!? Where did you find one?"
 
She raised an eyebrow and smirked. ''Dead vault dweller. Got a mechanic to get it working and show me how it use it. Why?''
 
The Stranger turned, it was like looking in a mirror, he'd have probably had the same reaction. He headed out the door and continued out of Freeside. The reaction of the trooper actually put him at ease, contrary to most people. He was smart, and brains kept you alive.

He approached the Gun Runners' Vendortron and it greeted him in it's vague, robotic voice,

"Welcome sir or madam, would you like to browse our inventory?"

He pulled a brahmin-skin bag out of the pocket of his duster, and put it on the tray to be slid into the kiosk.

"100 rounds of .45-70 gov't."

He thought for a moment...

"And 50 rounds of .45-70 hollow point"

"Thank you sir or madam, that will be 700 caps"

The Stranger pushed the tray into the robot's compartment. It emptied the bag and seperated the caps with efficiency that only a robot could pull off.

"Here is your change, have a nice day."

"One thing down," the Stranger thought to himself, he would head over the Mick and Ralph's to purchase the rest of his supplies, then he would head back to Gomorrah.
 
"It's just that I've never really seen one before. I've only read about them in pre war books."
 
She pulled up her jacket sleeve and held her arm out. ''It is pretty useful. Took a lot of getting used too and was fucking annoying to start with. Kept weighing my arm down. But it's the most helpful thing I have.''
 
"I'll bet it is, if what I read is true. Can it really pick up radio broadcasts? I'll bet music would make walking through the desert less boring."
 
Carib kept his mask on, he liked watching the world behind the amber lenses, which could change to smoke grey if he needed it to. He watched Alex and Mark converse, Mark of course being guarded and he was sure Alex would understand that. We live in such evil times, it's the faces that smile you should be fearful of, his first great teacher, his instructor Kevin Deschane at Ranger Course had spoken those words. Carib did wonder what happened to the old battle axe. Was he with the Vets at Baja still. Perhaps he'd find out when time permitted.

Carib smiled when he saw Mark, "Good to see you made it Mark." Both men shook hands, "I suppose your ready to go get your feet wet?"
 
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