Burning Vegas Lights
{Chapter Ten: No Plan B}
The Vegas lights burned brightly, and reflected off the wet pavement and painting pedestrians in beautiful, venereal colors that once glowed with an equally beautiful skyline that had long since disappeared. The western sun dipped below to just where it was above the skyline, holding position until it soon fell asleep and rose upon the other side of the earth. Rene stared up, still amazed by the technology that was still very potent despite its age, and captivated her attention. Music crackled over the loudspeakers set up around the strip, playing Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra... the classics of the 40's that belonged to a rather younger age. Letting her mind wander, Boone watched her amazement and cracked a rare smile, though it was small.
All throughout their trip of Freeside, she had given him a sense of peace, yet brought back the topic of Carla, of which was to be usually avoided. He never once stated it was his wife... but Rene knew that she had some connection to Boone, maybe a sister, or a friend. The woman was beautiful, and she had the prettiest hair ever and her eyes were absolutely blue. Only Boone would know how much she actually meant... how much the little girl would have meant. And for that, Boone's smile dropped.
He needed to quickly plan how to get the goddamn Legion out of the picture- and fast. He could almost taste the war approaching, the war that had been building up since the first battle for Hoover Dam, and he could tell Rene wanted to get in on the action. But first things first; he had to get Caesar out of the picture and then all of his top lieutenants. He would have to kill every able-bodied soldier in the encampment at Fortification Hill; and he had just the plan to take undertake something as this.
The sniper rifle on his back was still as old as ever but he would put it to great use. Rene, though, he couldn't just dump her out in New Vegas during a war. Boone closed his eyes as Rene dragged him along trying to get her out of his mind. He didn't need extra luggage trying to weigh him down. Boone sure as hell didn't need Rene to help him.
Boone's mood automatically turned to a sordid one and he gently took Rene's hand from his arm.
"…Rene, we need to catch a place to sleep. It's late, I'm tired, and sleep is a rare and precious commodity", Boone told her, his acid tone slipping into his words some. He noticed how demanding he seemed and quickly went quiet again as Rene raised an eyebrow to him, but took his advice, wondering why he seemed so edgy as of late- but it could've been the whiskey getting to him. Careful what you say is all he could tell himself at this point, as he led her to the Ultra-Luxe. Even Rene noticed that he was acting like a gun was to his head or he was going to be pushed down a flight of stairs.
At the door, they were required to relinquish their weapons to which Boone simply handed his rifle over- reluctantly. He hated all the rich bastards here, but after Rene making a murder scene at The Tops and Gomorrah just wasn't his place, and Rene didn't belong there either. Vault 21 was also a viable option- but enclosed spaces like that just made Rene nervous.
For the inflated price of 300 caps a night, it was going to be a short, one-night stay and they'd have to check out in the morning time. He'd be gone... But Rene, she'd be safe here, she'd find someone to travel with, or maybe she could join up with the NCR; the possibilities with her were nearly endless- but he forbade her from shaking her ass in a sleazy bar or selling herself on the streets. She was one of the most intelligent people he had met.
But he couldn't let her go.