Erich Hartmann slowly gained consciousness, "You got what you were after, so pay up." He heard one voice demand. His glasses had fallen off and were broken, but he had bigger problems at the moment, "I don't want to hang around him any longer than I have to, guy's almost as big as a super mutant."

"You're cryin in the rain pally." another voice retorted.

He sighed, looking at the ropes around his wrists, he had drawn the short straw twice, once in the fact that he had the actual delivery and once again in the fact that someone got the jump on him while he was on his way.

"Hey, look who's waking up." A third voice said.

"Would you get it over with?" first voice.

"Maybe Khans kill people without looking them in the face, but I ain't a fink, dig?" Second voice.

Erich knew who he was by his suit and diction, he was a chairman. Erich growled, "A fucking chairman hires a couple Great Khans to take down a single courier?" He laughed, "Not a fink? Not a fink? You're a rich guy throwing his dick around and pissing on the little guy. Last I checked, that snugly fits the definition of fink." Erich taunted.

Benny pulled Maria out of his jacket and hit Erich in the face with it.

Erich laughed, "You already dug the hole. You intend to kill me. I will survive, and I will kill you." Erich spat blood at Benny, missing entirely.

"Well, this game was rigged from the start." Benny said softly, pointing Maria at Erich's head and firing. The bullet hit him square in the forehead, lodging itself in the bone. Erich fell over, fighting to keep conscious.

"Ha!" Erich shouted in defiance. Benny fired again.


Erich woke up in Doctor Mitchell's office, clutching his forehead. He winced, "Did you dig me up Doc?"

"No, that was Victor." He replied slowly, "But I patched you up, here, have a look, tell me how I did." He handed Erich a reflectron, there was an area on his forehead that was mottled, but other wise his white skin on his face was undisturbed. He still had his long nose, and short red hair. He had grown a scruffy beard while he had been in a coma.

"Thanks Doc," Erich sat up, "Where's my stuff?"

"Well, I have to make sure you have back all your faculties." Mitchell said, concerned for his patient.

Erich stood slowly, towering three whole foot over the doctor, "A man shot me in the head and took my delivery, this has been my job for years and I have never even so much as delivered a single package late. I have two reasons for revenge, my reputation and getting fucking shot." He breathed in slowly, "Where is my stuff?"

"Now calm down there. It's by the door, I'm giving you my old pipboy as well, useful for helping a body survive out there. It does diagnostics, has a geiger counter, the works." Doc Mitchell said quietly, pointing to the shelving unit they were stored on.

Erich dressed in his duster made of bighorner skins, picked up his home-made antimateriel rifle and his ammo boxes, storing them in his pockets. He growled at his missing hand forged pistol, "The help must have taken it for themselves..." He breathed out slowly and put his new pipboy on his arm, "Thanks for patching me up Doc, I'm Erich, and after I am done with dealing with the trash that got the jump on me, I will be back to repay my debt to you in any way I can. Thank you."

Erich left Doc Mitchell's house and went to find Victor.

"Robot, you see where the men who got me went?"

"They went South, to Primm." He said.

"Thank you, Victor, I will be getting them, sorry I seem to be wasting my life which you took part in saving." Erich breathed in slowly then began sprinting down the road south to Primm. Maybe Boss Nash saw them... He thought to himself as he sprinted south.

He approached the town and was stopped by an NCR trooper, warning him of danger in Primm, "Well, if Boss Nash is in trouble... What happened to Sheriff Mcbain?"

"I don't know about the local law, but a bunch of our convicts are loose in the town." He said.

"Fuck..." Erich went around the fence surrounding Primm and put himself up on a hill on the Northwest side. He looked down the scope, seeing things clearly for the first time he had been shot, he groaned at the reminder he didn't have his glasses anymore.

He loaded his weapon and looked down the scope again. He shot the first convict. He looked around for more, seeing two others, he took them out. He saw mines out on the bridge and destroyed them. He put his gun away and went back down to Primm.

He entered the Vikki and Vance Casino, seeing his boss, "Mr. Nash, what happened with McBain?"

"No idea, but the criminals have captured Beagle." Nash sighed.

"We can't have that, we need someone who can fire a gun without pissing himself... I know it's not ideal... But I think we should get the NCR to take over the town, after all, they're responsible for this mess." Erich sighed, "On another note, have you seen a man in a checkered suit pass through here?"

"Well, yeah, I didn't hear where they were going but Beagle was real interested in them, why?" Johnson asked.

"He's the one who stole my package." Erich rolled his eyes, "I guess I have to save the coward now, don't I..." Erich slumped his shoulders. He picked up guns off of the dead convicts, sighing at the small bullets, it might take a couple shots to take them down.

Erich opened the Bison Steve door and peeked in. The criminals were looking away. He aimed his antimaterial rifle at him and shot the first one. Rather than aim and fire a new shot he dropped his gun and dove for the cover. He lifted his gun over the cover and fired off a few shots to ensure that the Powder Ganger would stay behind cover. He jumped out from his own cover and ran around the corner, firing a few shots before going back behind the wall. There were two more Powder Gangers in the hall. He cursed at his terrible aim, wishing he had glasses, he would have to see Usanagi for a new pair. Erich closed his eyes, breathing slowly.

"He fucking shot me in the leg!" He heard one of the convicts shout.

"Come out you son of a bitch!" The other one shouted.

He pulled out the second gun he picked off a convict and complied. It was several shots before the two dropped.

Erich breathed a sigh of relief, dropping the two guns. He remembered that someone said they stored a gun in a safe in the Bison Steve gift shop.

Erich went to get his Antimaterial Rifle, aiming it at the locking mechanism in the floor. He fired two shots, which were bound to get attention, but the safe was open. He pulled off the door and pulled out Lucky. He loaded it and pointed it at the door, waiting for someone to come to it. A single convict showed up. He shot him three times. The convict fell to the floor.

Erich reloaded the gun, peeking out into the hall. No one else had come yet. He dual wielded his guns, striding down the hall.

He leaned into the cafeteria, seeing two men outside of the kitchen. One with a flamer. He concentrated his fire on that one until he went down. Lucky was out of bullets, but the other one had run up with him, it was simple to shoot him in the head point blank with the other gun. He dropped the gun and pulled the third one out of his jacket as the final Convict came out of the kitchen.

He swung his tire iron and Erich put three shots in his chest. Erich holstered the gun and walked to the kitchen, finding Beagle on the floor, "Ok Beagle, you can stop pissing yourself, the cavalry is here, we're gonna get you out of here, you're gonna tell me about the man in the checkered suit and then the NCR will take care of the rest."

"Well then... I guess we should get me out of here so I can tell you about those men." Beagle said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah." Erich untied him and made him stand, "If we run into any trouble, use your gun, I know you have a problem with battle, but if you don't help, I am much bigger than you, I will use you as a shield."

"First you tell me that we're gonna be under martial law, then you threaten my physical being. You're shaping up to be a good friend already. I don't know why we never talked before." Beagle said sardonically.

"Yeah, yeah." Erich and Beagle walked out of the Hotel, "Now, I need you to tell me, where those men went."

"Well, now that I am safe, I can remember clearly, they said they were going to Primm through Nipton."

Erich nodded before walking to the NCR encampment.

"You're responsible for the mess of convicts here at Primm, your convicts, you need to clean out the remaining criminals and keep the town safe." Erich sniffed.

"Well, we don't exactly have the resources for that kind of deal, we're barely holding on as it is. We'd need to get more resources from the Mojave Outpost. Talk to the Major Knight there, you'll need to convince him to give us more support." Lieutenant Hayes explained, stroking his temples.

Erich nodded, "Well, I will be heading there then." Erich left the tent and once again began sprinting south. He made it to the Mojave outpost nearly without event. He had to climb on top of the Nipton Reststop and take down a few radscorpions. He climbed down and went up the road to the Outpost.

He entered and encountered Major Knight, putting on his best friendly smile as Erich walked up to him, "Caravan, citizen or pilgrim?" he asked, his eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"Citizen." Erich smiled broadly.

"Thanks, just need something for the logbook."

"You didn't tell me your name."

"Oh – Knight." he frowned, "You must not be from around here. If so... it doesn't do to get too friendly." He said shyly, looking down at his desk.

"Well, we should hang out when you have some off time." Erich smiled, clearing his throat, "Well, I need to talk to you about Primm, they could use some support. If you were to say, send in enough troops to take over the town, it would get a foothold for the trade route, so, what do you say?"

Knight folded his hands on the desk, "Well then, I see the wisdom in that, I'll radio for a unit to head to Primm and provide additional support."

"Hey, you got a bar here?" Erich asked.

"Yeah, next building over." Major Knight replied.

Erich nodded, going over to the building. He saw Sharon, "Oh, hey Sharon, something wrong?"

"My caravans were burnt to ash... I got nothing left!" She griped.

"Well then, wanna come with me, we can get revenge on whoever burned your caravans, while I get revenge on the guy who stole a delivery I was making." Erich smiled.

"Well, sure then, it would be good to get the help of an old friend." She smiled, blushing from the whiskey, "But... I can't get here because I'm still a caravan and the Ranger isn't letting us out until the critters on the road north of here are cleared out."

"Well, I see a single, very attractive woman. Come on, we'll talk to the Ranger." Erich smirked.

"All right." She stood.

"Wait a moment, one sunset sarsaparilla, please." He smiled.

The bartender nodded and handed him his drink. He searched his pockets, pulling out a five, he winced.

Cass covered the rest of the cost, placing a few caps on the counter, "Come on, let's go." Erich nodded and twisted open the bottle and placing the cap in her hand.

"Never liked caps as currency, even if the exchange rate is shit." Erich said softly.

He drank as they walked to Major Knight, "Erich Hartmann and Sharon Cassidy will be leaving."

"I don't see a Sharon Cassidy on the list. Cassidy Caravans?" Major Knight asked.

"Cassidy is all that's left of it, therefore she is an individual at this moment and doesn't need to be restricted here by the caravan rules, besides, we can take care of a few pests." He winked at Major Knight.

"All right, two individuals leaving the Outpost, have a nice day." he said sheepishly.

Erich nodded and escorted her out. They walked back north to Primm, "After I get my boss' town safe, we can head out towards Nipton and Novac." He looked to Nipton, seeing the smoke. He breathed in and out slowly. He would have to take care of that when he got to it. They arrived at the NCR encampment, and entered Hayes' tent, "Ok, Hayes, they're sending reinforcements, clean up the town." Erich left it at that, immediately turning and heading out.