Chapter 2

Cole hurried out of the building and across the street towards the Atomic Wrangler. He rushed past the wrangler advertisement girl before bursting through the doors into the seedy casino. He strode across the room past the bar into the mens bathroom. He entered a cubicle, shutting the door behind him with shaking hands. The conversation with the King has shaken him. He didn't like thinking about the killing of Delaney's wife, the brutality of it sickened him. He needed to take the edge off. He opened the lunchbox Pacer had given to him. Insider were 3 Jet inhalers. Cole sighed to himself, he hated how dependant on the drug he had become. But coping with the stress of private investigation had driven him to it. It helped him to concentrate, to focus and get the job done. The cubicle was disgusting, graffiti lined the walls. "Fuck NCR" "Francine Garret is a whore" All kinds of profanity laden writing. Cole ignored his surroundings and took a deep drag of the Jet inhaler. He was immediately overcome with the euphoria and sense of calm he had come to expect. He slouched back onto the cubicle wall, smiling to himself. He had needed that. Now he could focus on the job at hand. Shit, who was his contact? Radscorpion? Radroach? Radroach Mickey! Cole stumbled to his feet, the Jet making him clumsy and unresponsive. Shit why did he do this? He tried to focus and quickly stuffed the remaining two jet inhalers into his pockets. He stumbled out of the cubicle and rinsed his hands in the filthy radiation laden water of the tap. He splashed it in his face and leaned on the sink, trying to get his bearings. He looked at himself in the mirror. He was mid thirties, short black hair and a stubble. He was considered a handsome man. At least, hed never had any problem with the ladies. Although he could see that the Jet addiction was beginning to take its toll. His cheeks were beginning to sink in, his pupils dilated. He was beginning to feel his age and it scared him. Cole brushed aside the thoughts of his own mortality. He'd rather get something done. He splashed some more water in his face before leaving the bathroom and stepping back into the wranglers main room.

The lonesome drifter played his guitar on the stage to the entertainment of the crowd. The wrangler was fairly busy tonight, the drifter often drew a good audience. Cole walked over and leaned against the bar. The bar girl was cleaning a glass with her back to him. Cole cleared his throat to announce himself and she turned around with a sheepish grin, unaware hed been waiting. As soon as she turned Cole was struck by her beauty. She was young, mid twenties. She had short blonde hair and face like the women on the billboards from pre-war films. Cole was take aback by her beauty so much that he didn't hear her ask "What'll it be mister?" Cole continued staring, mouth open, mind blank. She smiled and laughed before snapping her fingers in front of him, snapping him out of his stupor. "What can I get ya?" She asked again. "Erm just a Nuka Cola" Cole replied. "I aint seen you around here" The girl said as she opened the cap of Coles Nuka Cola " You a traveller, you got the look of a merc to ya"

Cole took a deep swig of the Nuka Cola, feeling the slightly irradiated drink energise him. "I aint no merc" He replied with a smile. "Im a private investigator, and no im not from here im from back East." With that the girl perked up a bit. "Ooh a private eye eh? How cool. So you here workin a case then?" She asked, with a genuine spark of interest in her emerald eyes. "Yeah I am actually" Cole said, trying not to sound like a dick. "Well what's the case?" The girl asked, leaning over the counter slightly. Cole smiled, he liked this girl." Fraid I cant say, it is private after all. But you can help me. Im looking for Radroach Mickey, I heard he might be here" The girl frowned slightly at Coles rebuff. "Yeah he's here, practically lives at the card tables, you'll find him out back" She pointed towards the back room, full off card tables and drunken gamblers. Cole smiled at the girl appreciatively and took another swig of his Nuka Cola before walking into the gambling room.

He took a second to take in the room, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. Coles private eye instincts began to kick in and he became completely business minded. He noticed a fat, unpleasant looking man in a grimy business suit seated at the card table furthest from the door. He was flanked by two burly body guards in merc cruiser outfits. Cole guessed that this guy was Radroach Mickey. And from the look of the guy, he understood the nickname fully.

Cole strode confidently over to the table, knowing full well that dealing with these kind of people meant he had to play the tough guy, which suited him just fine. "Radroach Mickey, I presume" Cole said, staring the short fat man in the eye. "Who wants to know?" The man replied, arrogance oozing from his chubby features. "Im a private investigator, im here on behalf of Frank Delaney, im looking for a man named Freddy the bat and I've been told that you know where he is" Radroach Mickey smirked "Sorry I cant help ya buddy, I don't know what your talking about. Now beat it, im busy" Mickey and his goons chuckled to themselves and carried on with the card game. Cole smirked to himself, he was playin hard ball. "I don't think you understand me Mickey" Cole said, an air of menace in his voice. "I know you know where Freddy is, and your gonna tell me. You wouldn't wanna piss off Mr. Delaney" Mickey laughed again. "Delaney? Delaney's a fuckin has been. He's an old man who's name used to mean somthin, but not anymore. He's got no power out here." Mickey turned back to his card game, staring at the three cards he had clutched in his sweaty hands. Cole gritted his teeth, already beginning to lose his patience. He snatched the cards from Mickey's hands and flung them across the room, leaning on the table, his face close the Mickey's. Mickey's goon immediately move towards Cole but Mickey waves them off, staring at Cole with amazement. "Do you know who I fuckin am pretty boy? Do you know what I can do to you?" Coles eyes never waver, he was in the zone. "Listen Mickey, you can tell me right now where Freddy is or we can make this ugly. Ruin your little card game here." Mickey looked down at the table for a seconds, shuffling in his seat uncomfortably. Clearly Cole had gotten to him. "I don't know where he is but I do know where he was. He went over to the Strip, had business with Swank." Cole smiled and stood back up straight. "Thanks Mickey, that wasn't so hard was it?" With that Cole turned and walked back out of the room towards the bard. Mickey shouted something but he didn't hear it.

Cole walked back up to the bar and took another swig of his Nuka Cola the girl had left out. Upon seeing him return the girl beamed a smile at him. "ahh if it isn't Mr. Private Eye. You find out what you wanted to know?" Cole laughed at the girls perky attitude. "Yes thank you, I did. I was just tryi-" "HEY!" Cole turned back to the girl "You might wanna go out back sweetheart, things are about to get ugly. The girls eyes wondered with a mix of fear and confusion as Cole turned to see Mickey walking towards him, his plump features red with anger. "You think you can talk to me like that and just walk away you fukin rat?" Mickey asked indignantly. "Boys break this guys fuckin legs!" With that, one of Mickey's lumbering goons sent a meaty fist straight into Coles face. His head hit the counter with a thud, spilling his Nuka Cola across the bar. The thug grabbed Cole and slammed his head against the counter a second time, sending him spring boarding onto his back. Coles head swam and his vision blurred as he saw a size 13 boot come towards his head. He rolled out of the way quickly as the boot stomped the ground where his head had just been. Acting on instinct, Cole grabbed the goons leg and pulled, sending him crashing to the ground. Cole stumbled to his feet just in time to see the fist of the second thug come swinging towards him. With better footing, Cole managed to avoid the punch and sent one of his own, connecting with the goons chin and sending him sprawling onto the floor. The first thug regained his footing and sent another punch towards Cole. It connected with Coles face, sending him reeling. Cole used that momentum to spin around and send a punch of his own into the goons nose, sending blood flying from his face. He followed up with a second punch to the gut and then slammed the thugs bald head into the counter, his forehead breaking Coles now empty Nuka Cola bottle, smashing it and sending shards of glass into the thugs flesh. The man screamed in agony and collapsed on the floor, clutching his shredded face. Cole felt a sharp pain in his side as the second thug sent his boot into Coles ribs, Cole stumbled to the side in time to see the thug send a second kick towards his face. Dodging this, Cole sent a fist towards the thug, who narrowly avoided this, allowing the momentum of the punch to send Cole crashing into the thug. Cole took his opportunity and smashed his forehead into the bridge of the goons nose as hard as he could. Crimson sprayed from the mans face as Cole followed up with a flurry of punches to the mans ribs. He finished by throwing the man into a nearby table, smashing through the weak wood and sending drinks flying and causing startled customers to jump out of their seats.

Just as Cole thought the fight was over he saw Mickey reach for the 9mm pistol at his side. With a speed and accuracy he had developed over his many gunfights, Cole drew Lucky from the holster at his belt and sent a single bullet into Mickey's shoulder. Mickey screamed in agony and dropped his gun. "AAAAAHHHHHHH you fukin psycho! You shot me in the fukin arm!"

Cole placed lucky back into his holster and heard the familiar click of a loaded gun behind him. He turned to stare down the barrel of an assault rifle. The leather armour clad wrangler security guard behind the gun gritted his teeth as he and Cole exchanged glances. "Wait Jim its ok. It was self defence" The girl behind the counter said. Cole smiled thankfully at her and the guard reluctantly lowered his rifle. "well either way he's gotta go" The guard said begrudgingly. Cole nodded to the guard as he gave one last glance at the bar girl. "Hey thanks for that, I appreciate it" The girl grinned at him. "No problem detective" Cole smiled and made his way back out into the streets of Freeside.