"Would you have stopped me if I tried to shoot her?" I asked as we walked away from the scrapyard. My mood, which had started to turn foul once the hangover hit, worsened once the old lady tried to swindle us out of a lot of caps.
"Eh, probably not, to be honest."
"I don't know where she got off trying to charge us that."
"Well, at least we managed to talk her down. Scaring her about a deluge of ghouls was a nice trick."
"Well, it was either that or shooting her. Just scaring her seemed the more humane thing to do. But like fuck was I handing over nearly all our caps just for a couple of bits of metal."
We walked along in silence for a couple of minutes before I heard her chuckle. I had to stop and stare at her. "Hangover's that bad?" she asked, sarcasm oozing in her tone.
"Remind me never to go drink for drink with you again, Cass." That made her laugh, which made me smile, and life didn't seem so bad after all. "So, do you have any idea where Clark Field is?"
She pointed in a vague direction south. "Somewhere over there. It's not too far."
We ended up on the highway we would have taken without the shortcut, the sun beating down on us and the road surface. It was hot underfoot, and the heat rising from the ground made it feel even hotter. Glancing up to see yet another cloudless sky, I was left wondering if it ever rained in the Mojave. I guess it would have to, as I had seen the occasional field of crops around, but maybe that was due to irrigation. I was generally left perplexed at times by the world I lived in, wondering how humanity survived in such harsh conditions.
After walking along for at least an hour or two, neither of us watching the time, Cass gestured towards a structure off to our left. "Clark Field," she said. "We should keep to the roads. Going off the beaten path is bound to get us into trouble."
Following a road off the highway, we ended up at an entrance towards the facility. I had no idea what it might have been. Asking Cass, she had no idea either. All she knew is that the area was a radioactive hotspot, so we'd best be careful. Add to that, there may be radioactive animals around, so it was best we find the body of the person who'd take the isotope and depart as quickly as possible.
For once, we were lucky, barely walking more than five minutes before coming across a dead body. Both of us crouching down, the body was covered in what I believed was a radiation suit. I obviously couldn't remember seeing one before, but I just had an inkling that's what it was. Looking through the clear panel, it was obvious the person inside had died of severe radiation poisoning. What was left of him was worse than a ghoul. Glancing at Cass, she was struggling to keep down breakfast, before she actually took a few steps away and threw up.
"Thought you had a stronger stomach than that, Cass," I stated with humour. She just gave me the finger without turning around.
I left the body alone and picked up the pack he carried. Taking out a pistol, which I dumped, ammo and caps, which I kept, I also found what looked like a journal and finally, what we were looking for. I checked the case for any cracks or leaks, and I was relieved that it appeared solid.
Popping the holodisk into my Pip-Boy, I could only think that the man in the radiation suit was a complete, bloody idiot. The name he christened himself was ridiculous in itself, but how he didn't realise he'd suffered radiation poisoning, and that the last thing he should have been doing was heading to Clark Field, was beyond me.
"Anything interesting?" Cass asked, taking a sip of water from her canteen, probably to eliminate the taste of anything else.
"Just this fool's journal."
"What makes you say that?" I passed her the holodisk and she read the contents. "What a fucking idiot!" she exclaimed a little later.
"My thoughts exactly."
"Right, that's everything. Should we head back?"
"Sooner we do this, the sooner we can talk to Manny and get the information I need."
We headed straight back to REPCONN, the walk a little longer due to be so far away from Novac. Using the hidden entrance, we found Chris in the same place we'd left him the day before. "Where the hell have you two been?"
"You do realise it was night-time when we left?" I asked.
"Oh…I had no idea."
"Are you saying you haven't slept?"
"I don't need sleep. There's too much work to do. It's taken me months to get these rockets prepared for launch."
"So why are you not down there now?"
"Jason has only ever wanted me to supervise the repairs, not carry them out myself."
I glanced at Cass. No doubt our thoughts were the same. Jason has been using his expertise, knowing he is human, and looking out there at all those barrels, Chris would probably die in seconds from all the radioactive waste. My thoughts were proven partially correct when a ghoul came and collected the parts Cass and I had collected, with Chris then spending a couple of hours instructing the others what to do through the intercom. But they must have been more prepared than I realised, as he announced once the thrusters were in place, and the fuel had been poured, that the rockets were ready for launch.
"That quickly?"
"I told you that we were nearly ready to go."
Chris declared the rockets were ready to go, watching as Jason and the ghouls disappeared for a few minutes, before they all returned wearing some sort of suit and helmet. Space… suits? It makes sense, I guess. But why? Are they worried about radiation?
The three of us then listened in as Jason gave a speech, for the ears of his fellow ghouls, but also for the three of us. And it was during the speech that Chris finally realised the ugly truth about himself. He was as human as Cass and I. Whether you could say he'd been used by the ghouls is up to opinion. I thought, at the time, that Chris was just mentally unstable, though clearly highly intelligent. I think Jason had probably tried to convince Chris he was human and he simply wouldn't listen to reason. So he made the best of a bad situation.
That's not to say Chris wasn't incredibly pissed off by the end of Jason's speech. "That bastard! He knew all along."
"Sounds like you wouldn't listen, Chris."
He turned on me, fury in his eyes. "Two years of my fucking life I've wasted here. Oh, how they must have laughed at me!"
"No, I think they appreciated all the help you've given them."
"Appreciate my help? Who…" He trailed off and sighed. "Oh, what does it matter? Can I blame them really? I remember he tried to tell me when I arrived… 'Chris, you're human. You're just bald. You're not a ghoul and you're not turning into one'. But I just wouldn't listen…"
"What on earth made you think you were actually a ghoul?" Cass wondered, "Have you not looked in a mirror?"
Chris shook his head. "No. I didn't want to see myself. As for what made me think that I was, well, I'm from Vault 34. And the reactor there suffered a leak. I started losing my hair, and I just thought that was the first symptom. Thinking I was going to become a ghoul, as we'd heard of them even in the vault, I just thought I should leave before I did change and the other vault dwellers decided what to do with me."
"Look, why don't we go launch the rockets then we can get out of here?"
"I've just spent two years of my life working with these people. I honestly thought I'd be going with them. I was prepared to leave Earth behind. What will I do now?"
I shared a glance with Cass. She just shrugged, so I guess it was my decision alone. "Well, you can come with me if you want?"
"You? Why would I want to do that?"
"Well, unless you want to stay here, or make a life for yourself in Novac, I think your life choices are rather limited at the moment. But I'm heading places."
"Where?"
"Not entirely sure yet. But I have a feeling I'll end up in New Vegas eventually."
A crack of a grin appeared. "I've only ever been there once before, stopping there after leaving the vault. I thought I'd enjoy a couple of days of fun before turning completely."
We headed upstairs to the mission control room. There was a control panel that Chris moved to, and I'll admit I was a little concerned when he starting keying a series of buttons, concerned enough that I had to ask what he was doing. He stopped and glanced back at me. "It's okay. I'm helping. I could make the rockets crash into each other if I wanted to. But even though I'm angry about it, I'm not that much of a bastard." He sighed again. "I actually wish them good luck. They've worked just as hard as I have to get to this point." He pointed at a smaller control panel. "Pull the lever then click the red button. That will start the launch sequence."
Music started to play as the dome across the other side of the valley slowly started to open, revealing the three rockets that Jason and his followers were now inside of. I'll admit the whole affair was a little exciting. I wonder how long it's been since a rocket left Earth? Has man ever made it to the moon? A countdown seemed to echo across the entire facility. At the count of three, the engine of each rocket started, flames spitting from the rear of each one. At the count of zero, two of the rockets took off perfectly, shooting into the sky and disappearing from view immediately. The third rocket veered off at a completely different trajectory, and I looked at Chris.
"No concern necessary. The rocket will correct itself once it's out of the atmosphere and in orbit above Earth. It's all done by computers."
The music continued to play as the dome started to close. "Well, that was all rather exciting!" Cass stated.
"I have a feeling those will be the last rockets to leave the planet for a very long time," I added, "Come on, lets head back to Novac. I wouldn't mind relaxing a little before we decide what to do next."
Before leaving, Chris suggested we help ourselves to the remaining supplies, considering Jason and his followers were unlikely to return. There were some medical supplies we found that would come in handy, plus some ammo we found in a locker. Once we'd gathered everything we thought we'd need for the next part of journey, we departed.
Chris kept quiet during the hour or so long walk back to Novac. Cass and I left him to his thoughts, figuring he was feeling a little turmoil, that his whole life had been a lie ever since leaving Vault 34. I felt sympathy for him, particularly in regards to him feeling used, though I could also understand why Jason had done so. It was only thanks to his help that they had managed to leave on their 'Grand Journey'.
It had been another long day criss-crossing the countryside surrounding Novac, so by the time we arrived back at the motel, I was just ready to go back to my room with a bottle booze and sit back. But before doing that, I had to speak to Manny. He had information that I was now rather desperate to hear.
Cass said she would take Chris to her room for the time being as I walked up the stairs into the dinosaur. Walking out into the mouth, Manny was sitting on a chair, rather relaxed though his eyes were only for the horizon, not even turning as I knew he would have heard my approach. "You have information for me," I stated, hopefully in a tone that suggested I was tired of doing favours.
"The ghoul problem is taken care of?"
"In a manner of speaking, but yeah, you shouldn't have any more problems with them."
"Great. You have my thanks. Meet me at my bungalow once I've finished my shift at 21:00. I'll tell you everything you need to know."
"Fair enough."
I could have argued for him to tell me then and there, but it wasn't like I was going to just pack my things and head out onto the open road. Night time was only an hour or so away, so it would be least another night in Novac. Letting Cass and Chris know what was going on, I was just going to head back to my room and have a quick nap. I'd barely laid my head to down to rest, or so I thought, when there was a knock at the door. Figuring it was just Cass or Chris, I just said the door was open, so was left surprised when a man I didn't know entered.
Standing up quickly, I immediately grabbed the pistol I kept on the table next to my bed. The man immediately raised both his hands. "I mean no trouble. You just called me in, that's all."
"Who are you?"
"Name's Boone. I understand you're a man who can help with problems."
"I helped Manny because he has information that can help me. Why should I help you?"
Boone took a seat at the table as I sat on the edge of the bed, resting the pistol beside me. I didn't think I was in any danger, though I was left with the feeling this man was a soldier, or an ex-soldier, and had definitely seen some action. And that feeling was confirmed when he removed his sunglasses and our eyes met. This is a man who has seen some shit. "I'll level with you, stranger."
"Name's Uhtred," I said, holding my hand out. He grasped it, his grip firm. He didn't crush my hand, but it was the handshake of a man respecting his fellow man. On instinct, I just knew a handshake could tell you a lot about a man.
"Okay, Uhtred, I'll level with you. I'm ex-NCR. I served for many years before retiring to this little town with my wife. I know you've spoken with Manny and helped solve that ghoul problem. He served alongside me in the NCR. We were snipers."
"You worked together?"
"He was my spotter. Trusted that man more than anyone. Or, I did anyway."
"So what's the problem?"
"My wife. She's disappeared. Well, she's not disappeared. She was taken. I'm sure of it."
"What makes you so sure?"
"I know she wasn't happy here all the time. But we were in love, I know that much for sure. I gave up the service to be with her. And she wouldn't just leave me, not without saying something. If she did leave because it was my fault, it would have ended with an argument and the slamming of doors, telling me to go fuck myself or something. And if it did end like that, she would have at least left a note, explaining why, and probably even told me where she was going, just so I knew."
"Any suspects?"
"Honestly, everyone is. I know my wife could be hard work. Because she wasn't always happy here, she could be… Well, I know she wasn't exactly popular with everyone. But for someone to be behind her disappearance…"
"I could try and find her. I've got a couple of companions who could help out."
He shook his head. "She's been taken. And I know she's no longer alive."
"What makes you so sure she'd dead?"
"A husband just knows… Know what I mean?" I didn't, but I nodded my agreement. "As I said, everyone's a suspect. Even Manny. Even that Ranger who lives in one of the bungalows. Someone here is behind her disappearance. I want to know who, and then I want justice." I didn't even bother asking what sort of justice he meant. I'd learned enough since waking in Goodsprings that the only justice that took place in this harsh land was the barrel of a gun.
"And once that's done?"
"I leave Novac for good. There's nothing for me here now. Might go fight the Legion on my own terms. That would be a good death in the end, though I'll make sure I take a lot of them with me before I go down." I was ready to offer him another way out of Novac, but I wasn't sure he would accept the offer then and there. So I thought about the task he was offering. He's keeping most of his emotions bottled up. Looks at his hands, the flexing, the slight shake he thinks no-one would notice. He's angry. More than angry. There's a fury bubbling underneath that needs to explode. I've already helped others and done plenty of favours. At least this job might not take us too far away from Novac. "So, what do you say, Uhtred?"
I nodded. "I'll help you. I'll talk to my companions. We'll start talking to some locals, see what we learn. I know you suspect everyone, but who is your main suspect?"
"Honestly? Manny is." I know my eyes widened in surprise. He noticed. "He was my best friend. And he did not get on well with my wife at all. They constantly butted heads. Enough to be behind her disappearance? I don't know. I'm not sure about much anymore."
"Leave it with me. I'll see what I can do."
"You know the justice I want?" I nodded again. He removed his cap and handed it to me. "When you find out whoever was responsible, escort them to the bridge leading out of Novac. Wear that hat, and I'll know you've found the person responsible. I'll take care of the rest."
"Just be sure not to shoot me," I stated with at least a little humour.
He smirked, at least. "I never miss."
After Boone left, I waited around for another couple of hours, enjoying that nap I had wanted to take, before heading downstairs to speak to Manny. We enjoyed a rather long conversation as Manny went into rather a lot of detail about his life. It was rather interesting, but I couldn't tell him anything about mine. I made one or two assumptions, and he believed I definitely had some sort of military training, though he couldn't tell me if I'd ever served with the NCR or not. But by the end of it, I finally had a name, a general description of who I was after, and the next destination.
I was hunting a man named Benny.
And my next stop was Boulder City.
Cass and I met up in her room two days later. So much for getting out of Novac quickly. But at least I know where I'm going next. And I still have a name. I'll ask every single person in New Vegas if I have to. I had thought about involving Chris in our little task, but his head still wasn't right, verging on tears at one moment, and outright hostility and anger the next. So we got him a room and let him stew alone, though our doors were always open if he wanted to talk. He did pop in occasionally for a chat, but the topic of Jason and his followers, and anything to do with REPCONN, was avoided.
"So, what have you found out?" I asked Cass.
"Well, everyone is suspect, just as Boone said. Everyone seems to have some sort of motive, no matter how minor their problem was with his wife."
"I think Boone is wrong about Manny. I don't think he did it." Cass appeared surprised by that admission. "Look at it this way. If he had something to hide, I don't think he would be honest about his opinion. But he was honest, in fact brutally honest, when I asked him about Boone's wife. He admitted they didn't get along at all. Could barely hold a conversation with her before it descended into an argument. Add to that, Manny told Boone himself that he didn't like his wife. So I don't think he's going to tell his best friend that he hates his wife, then be involved in her disappearance. Add to that, I just don't see him as that sort of guy. If he really wanted to, he'd have killed her himself."
"So you're convinced he's innocent?" I nodded. "Well, I don't have a fucking clue then. I had a chat with the Ranger. He certainly isn't involved. Barely said two words to her, and considering he's crippled and generally confined to his bungalow, I just don't see him being involved. Cliff didn't think much of her personality, but he liked having her around for other obvious reasons. I was left with the feeling he had a soft spot for her, despite the obvious flaws."
"I had a chat with one or two of the farmers. Most barely knew who she was. They saw her around town, but if they said hello to each other, that was the extent of their conversation. I tried having a chat with that crazy bastard who wanders around town, but trying to understand what the fuck he's trying to say is a waste of time."
"So who does that leave?"
"Have you talked to the motel receptionist?"
Cass appeared surprised by the suggestion. "Do you think she's a suspect?"
I shrugged. "Boone thinks everyone is a suspect. Thing is, everyone I've talked to actually believes him, or at least believes that she was abducted. None of them believe she would have just taken off by herself. She didn't like Novac, but wouldn't have just left him without a word. Despite the fact she was unhappy, everyone believes they still loved each other and were at least trying to make a go of it here."
"Okay," Cass stated, nodding to herself, "I'll have a chat with her and see what she knows. She's certainly been friendly and full of information, so I'm sure she'll have plenty to say."
She returned to my room half an hour in silence. I was lying back on my bed and watched her shut the door so it barely made a sound before she sat down, removed her hat and immediately grabbed the bottle of whiskey. She didn't even attempt to put it in one of the glasses we had. She drank straight from the bottle, only stopping when she was on the verge of being sick. I really didn't want to ask why.
After slamming the bottle down and belching, she looked in my direction. "The bitch did it. I have no proof at all. But I know she's responsible. Absolutely, one hundred percent."
"What did she say?"
"I know when someone is lying to me, Uhtred. It comes with the business I'm in. People lie to me all the time. Everyone has a tell. She has plenty. Add to that, what did you say before? Everyone believes Boone about his wife being kidnapped. No-one believes she would have just up and left him."
"And I take it she…"
"She's adamant that she wasn't kidnapped. Thinks Boone is just grieving for his marriage falling apart. She's honest about not liking her, at least. Called her a floozy and pretty much called her a whore. But unlike Manny and the others, there was something else lying underneath the words. My gut was telling me it was her."
"So what do you think she did?"
"I don't know. But we have to find out. Search her home. Search her office. I don't know, just something to prove she's behind it. I got fucking chills up my spine when talking to her, Uhtred! She was so calm and collected when telling me flagrant lies to my face. I wanted to choke the bitch then and there."
"We'll wait until nightfall, then we'll do a little breaking and entering."
"Are you sure?"
"I trust you, Cass. If you think she's the one, then we'll check if she is or not." Telling her I trusted her made her smile. Then she groaned before running to the bathroom, closing the door behind her, though that didn't stop certain noises coming through.
I hadn't spoken to Boone since the day he'd entered my room and asked for my help. That was more his suggestion, thinking we shouldn't be seen talking too often, just in case whoever was involved started to put two and two together. But I really wanted to ask him about the motel receptionist and his opinion about whether he thought she was capable of being involved in his wife's kidnapping.
We waited until sundown before heading back outside. Walking across to the abandoned fuel station on the opposite side of the road, we stood around chatting until the receptionist walked out of the motel, locking the door behind her, before she headed to her house. We watched her walk by, keeping our eyes on her until she disappeared into a house in the middle of town. We waited another few minutes, making sure she wasn't going to make a surprise return, before we moved quickly but silently towards the reception.
I was ready to just kick the door in when Cass suggested we just try and pick the lock. I scoffed at the idea, simply grabbing the handle and using my shoulder. It took a couple of goes, but the door and lock were old, and it didn't take much pressure to bust the door open. Cass gave me a look as we entered, closing the door behind us.
There was just enough light to see, Cass and I splitting up as we started to search for evidence. To be honest, I had no idea what I was looking for, and after only ten minutes, I was scratching my bald head, wondering what the hell we would even find that would link her to the kidnapping. Cass was behind the desk and made a loud exclamation soon enough. "What?" I asked.
"There's a safe here." She looked my way. "Good thing you can't just break the lock through force. This will take some delicate hands."
"You can pick locks?"
"I haven't always been a trader. And some of the best things I've ever sold were not exactly sourced through legal means."
"I won't ask."
But I did watch her remove the hat covering her hair, taking a bobby pin that held it in place, watching it fall down past her shoulders. She then removed a screwdriver from her small pack and got to work. It took a few minutes of delicate handwork, but there was soon a tell-tale click, looking up at me with a broad grin. "Jackpot!" she exclaimed quietly.
I crouched down beside her as we rifled through the contents. The first thing I noted was the large bag, retrieving and opening it to reveal caps. A lot of caps. More than a motel receptionist should have to hand. Then there was the holodisk, Cass handing that to me. Inserting it into my Pip-Boy, the content was… heart-breaking.
"She was pregnant." Cass looked at me, upset in one moment, beyond angry in the next. "And I don't think she's dead. She was sold into slavery."
"How much?" she asked quietly.
"Fifteen hundred caps. Thousand for her, five hundred for the child."
"What the fuck are we going to tell Boone?"
"We'll handle the receptionist first. Then we talk to Boone. I'll make sure I grab her before she gets here in the morning. If she sees the busted up door and ransacked safe, she'll know we're onto her. I just want this resolved and then get the fuck out of this town."
"You and me both," Cass muttered.
I don't think either of us slept much that night, Cass joining me in my room this time. Nothing untoward happened, we didn't have that sort of relationship, both of us subconsciously laying boundaries, but we still enjoyed the company of the other. I think I'd had a couple of hours when my Pip-Boy woke me up, dressing quickly, ensuring I put on the hat Boone had given me, walking towards Jeanie May's house once I'd left Cass behind at the motel. It was perfect timing, as she was walking towards the motel. I plastered a fake smile on my face and waved in her direction.
"Morning, Jeanie May."
"Good morning, Uhtred. It's a fine morning, isn't it?"
"All the better for seeing you."
"Well, aren't you something?"
I felt sick to the gut but I had to go with it. "You won't believe what's happened overnight. Come to the bridge to look."
"What is it? Did someone try and attack the town?"
"You'll have to see it to believe it."
I even grabbed her hand, ignoring the feeling of my skin crawling at her touch as we strolled towards the bridge. Once we were halfway across, I brought us to a stop. "So, what am I looking at?"
I turned us around and I pointed. "Look at that!"
She must have known as she turned towards me. "You son of a…"
Those were the last words she ever said as I watched half her head disappear in an instant, my face covered in blood and brain, needing to close my eyes and mouth to stop the blood. I heard her body drop to the ground as I wiped my eyes and mouth, glancing down to see her limbs splayed at different angles, blood flowing from the wound on her head, the blood pooling on the ground.
Glancing back at the dinosaur head, I simply raised a thumb in the direction of Boone before I walked back towards the motel.
It was time to get the fuck out of Novac for good.
