"So I'm running my ass off trying to find Boone, and of course they're all swarming on him. I turn the corner and there they all are. So right as one gets a hold of him, I give 'em a taste of Brutus." Layla patted her new chainsaw fondly. "Assholes didn't see me coming."

"I'm still finding most of this hard to believe" said Veronica, eyeing the heavy piece of machinery as the two walked down the road. The thing was a bit of a mystery, as it was big and unwieldy, and Layla had trouble opening a can of Cram without assistance. But she was damn-near graceful when she wielded the chainsaw she had pulled from a dead Legionary's hand. Raul had said that sometimes weapons found their masters, and Brutus seemed to be fond of The Courier.

"Well, you know how it is, waltz in, kill Caesar, waltz out," The Courier said, the lightest touch of smugness coloring her words. Veronica stopped, putting her hands on her hips as she looked at the shorter woman.

"Oh yeah, 'cause you really planned the whole thing out. Your dumb ass is lucky Raul knows how stupid you get and Boone knows how to blow a guy's head off from a mile away. Never mind you nearly got yourself killed for Benny. Benny!" The girl gave her a suspicious look. "Is Cass right? Did you two do it?"

"NO!" Layla nearly shouted. She caught Veronica's look and groaned. "Okay, fine. Do you want the real story?" Veronica nodded, grinning. "Well… On the way up to the room, I thought about it… I think I nearly convinced myself to do it… but I couldn't."

"What changed your mind?"

"I don't know, somewhere between thinking it was a bad idea and feeling dirty. I'm not a 'hit it and quit it' kinda girl."

"Uh-huh, I'm sure it had nothing to do with saving yourself for any dark, brooding snipers."

"What? No! Nothing! Shut up!" Layla turned red, then made a face at the other girl. "What do you mean 'saving myself?' I've dated before, you know."

"Oh, I'm sure you've given Valentine's notes and giggled while holding hands without a chaperone."

"What? Screw you, I've had plenty of sex."

"Sure,"

"Just because I never got my girlfriend to rewire my powerfist to-"

"Hey! I told you that in confidence! You -" the scribe stopped as the radio on Layla's Pip-Boy cut off. The Courier looked at her arm, confused.

"The hell?" Veronica peeked over her arm. "What happened?"

"Looks like it picked up a new signal." She adjusted the knob, and the broadcast came in clearer.

"Has your life taken a turn? Do troubles beset you? Has fortune left you behind? If so, the Sierra Madre casino, in all its glory, is inviting you to begin again." Both women listened as the broadcast announced the opening of the Sierra Madre. The woman's voice seductively touted the casino's charms and inviting the listener to explore them. The message began to repeat, and The Courier snapped it off.

"Sierra Madre? Isn't that an old wives' tale?" Layla said. Veronica shrugged and the other girl fiddled with her Pip-Boy. "It's a new signal. Do you think we can find it's origin?"

"Hm." Veronica looked at the machine, then grabbed the other girls arm, dragging it to her. "Let me see."

"Ow! Arms don't twist that way!" Layla cried, twisting herself around to straighten her arm.

"Hush, give me a seconds." The scribe started working the dials of the machine as The Courier watched.

"There's a data packet worked into the radio signal. If we can get into it, it should embed a location on the map for… there!"

Examining the map, Layla smiled. "It's not far from Forlorn Hope. Wanna go check it out?"

"Why not? I'm sure there's no raiders at the end of the signal, waiting for anyone stupid enough to fall for their trap. And I'm sure they don't plan to rob and kill us because anyone that stupid deserves it."

"You're such a pessimist," Layla said as they followed the signal.

*.*.*

The bunker smelled like 'dank' as Veronica put it. 'Gone to the Sierra Madre' was scrawled in graffiti on the wall and garbage strewn about the floor. Even in the dim light, it didn't take long for the two women to discover a corpse. It didn't bother either girl so much; they had lived in the wasteland long enough to be used to the sight of a headless body. Layla had determined the head was missing via explosion, but nothing else.

A huge metal door greeted them at the bottom of a staircase, and Layla thumbed the release mechanism. It slid open, revealing a hallway.

"Hey! Look, an old-timey radio," Layla commented as she spotted the device placed at the end of the corridor. "A really nice one at that." She started down the hall toward the ornate machine. Veronica moved to follow her, but spotted a banner on the wall the other girl had missed.

"What in the…" The scribe said as she recognized the Brotherhood of Steel symbol spray-painted on the wall. "This must have been an Brotherhood bunker." She turned to see Layla's reaction, but The Courier hadn't been paying attention.

"Hey look: yes to the old radio, no to the raiders. I told you you were a pessimist," Layla said, moving closer to examine the radio. As she took her next step, a pressure plate depressed under her foot.

"Oh shi-" She was drowned out by the hissing of vents above her head. Gas poured into the room, and before either girl could react, they both clattered to the floor, unconscious.

*.*.*

Red haze, all Layla could see was red haze. She closed her eyes, rubbing them slowly. When she opened them again, the haze was still there. She could dimly hear a voice talking as her eyes focused.

"Are you listening?" a harsh voice grated at her, and she looked up. The holographic face of an old man glared down at her, shining brightly in the haze.

"Good. Play stupid, play clever, say no and that collar around your neck'll go off and take your head with it." The face didn't move as it spoke, apparently just a still image to accompany the voice.

"Collar?" Layla brought her hands to her neck as she realized there was something encircling it. She started as her hands found leather and metal.

"It's just like your Pip-Boy, a piece of the Old World, but this one is full of explosives."

Growing horror started to grip Layla as she touched what was probably a detonating mechanism. He wasn't kidding. She suddenly whipped her head around, looking for Veronica, the girl was no where to be found.

"What have you done with my companion!"

"You were brought here alone. And Until I let you go, there's no escape."