(Zack)

So they pull me away from Jasper, send her off with Dizzy, and get me in Cain's office with the door locked. The door ain't never been locked before, and I haven't seen Charon or Dez or my dad in a year and a half. Yet here I am, with Cain, Charon, and Dez, in a room. We hugged we chatted, and then it was business. All business. Did I miss something extreme? What the hell flew over my head? Has Jasper really been that distracting where I've missed this information?

"The Legion and the NCR are watching Gomorrah carefully. This, I know. Zack, I didn't share it with you in the beginning because I felt like I could handle it. It's gotten too big now, and we have to leave, and soon."

I stare at Cain, smoke a cigarette, and try to figure out just how much shit we've gotten into this past year.

"Alright so on a scale of one to ten, how deep in are we?"

"About twenty."

Shit. Do I even want to know what the hell caused this? I don't have much of a choice, he informs all of us anyways.

"When we took control and power, we shifted New Vegas. It showed the people there is a possibility for advancement."

"House didn't like that, huh?"

Dez chimes in, angrily smoking a cigarette near Charon. Jesus fuck he looks scary. I don't think I ever remember him having such an angry look in his eyes.

"No. But not just house. The NCR and the Legion both didn't like it, either. The Omerta family was a huge sponsor to both of them. It stayed that way, but they don't trust us. They don't like us. What we did when we got here was foolish, stupid, and naive. Then again, we didn't know better. But now they're watching us like a hungry Yao Guai watches a crippled Molerat. We're not walking out of here unscathed. We need a plan."

Well shit. If I had known this place was close to being raided, I would have high-tailed it out of here months ago. With or without Dizzy and Cain. But definitely with Jasper. Knowing this now though makes me worry about her. She's with Dizzy, so she's safe, but she's never shot a gun in her life. Jasper never had to. She never left the strip. And from what I can tell, Cain didn't bother to tell Dizzy about this shit, either. Atom fuck me. Just fuck me and smite me now where I sit. I swear this group has an uncanny ability for finding trouble, even in the middle of nowhere.

"So why am I here? I'm not as skilled as you three are in combat."

It's true, I'm not. They all look at me though, and those looks all say that I'm a very vital part of this plan.

"We need you to steal an NCR truck with Charon, and meet us in the Mojave for pickup. Nobody else can start a truck with no keys. You can."

I stand up and slam my hand on Cain's desk.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Really Cain? I oughtta knock you off your feet right here and now for this shit! You can't just go somewhere without causing all this trouble, can you? What? Does it run in your genes or something? Were you so fuckin' concerned with Dizzy and her happiness that you simply forgot that she wasn't the only one in this? Shit! I didn't come along for this! I came here for the adventure and the booze! This? This is insane! Shit I know I was young, but I remember the Outcasts, and I remember not to fuck with people of military organizations unless you have a death wish."

I turn my head towards Charon and Dez, and Charon stares at me, cold and silent.

"You two! You two passed on this behavior. Sure, I thought it was damn cool as a kid, thinking you were super heroes, but now all I see is that you're fucking mad! The hell were you thinking? Picking fights with the Enclave, Brotherhood and Outcasts? And fuck knows how many more! Now we've got the NCR and Legion on our ass? What, does every member in this family have to pick a fight with some military group? Who are you going to fight when there's no one left? Yourselves?"

Everyone is quiet after I finish my ranting. They stare at me, letting me light another cigarette, as I wait for them to answer.

"Your mother died by the Brotherhood, Zack."

I look at Charon, angrier than ever.

"My mother was killed by a few rogue maniacs! Not the entire Brotherhood!"

Charon comes over to me, standing taller, looking angrier and angrier. Then again, it could just be me seeing him this way. I'm not sure.

"I am just as upset as you are, Zack. But this is not only about Cain and Dizzy's stupid and rookie mistake. It is about you as well, and that woman you care for. They will not let you simply walk out of here. They have been watching you just the same as they have been watching Cain and Dizzy. And this is just as much your fault, as it is theirs."

I can't say a damned thing, because he's right. And frankly, his tone is really kinda a lot angry so pissing him off more isn't in my book of things to do at this very moment. He's right. He's fucking right. Guess just you forget how much time has passed since Charon's adventures, and think it's been one giant war. When really it's been a huge time of peace and quiet because of what Charon and Dez did. I'll apologize to them later.

"Alright. Fine. When do we do this?"

"Tonight."

Cain says it so fast I'm not sure what to think. But the look I get from all of them tells me, I ain't got no choice in the matter. Sighing, I ash my cigarette in the ashtray and just deal with it.

"Fine. Where in the Mojave do I meet you?"

Cain goes into it all the way. How I'm going to do it, how I'm busting the truck out, and all this other bullshit. Really it's the truck that'll cause them to notice us leaving more than anything. But Cain argues it saying that they'd notice us leaving anyways, and it's better to have a faster getaway. I don't bother in telling him that we can just as easily sneak out in the dark of night. There's no way in hell this trouble is severe enough to not leave. Unless there's shit he isn't saying.

"Cain, exactly how bad is this trouble?"

I guess it's the question of the damned day because everyone looks at him. Cain sighs and runs his fingers through his hair like he always does when he doesn't know how to answer something. I roll my eyes. All this shit for some booze and a few strippers. Ain't worth it, if you ask me.

"It's bad, like I said before. Bad enough to where one of the Omerta guards overheard an undercover NCR talking about raiding the club. I don't know how many Omertas are in on it, I don't know when this raid is. I just know, I have to prepare for the worst. And back home, we're all safest. Even Jasper."

I glare at Cain, pissed once again.

"What in the hell does she have to do with your mess?"

"Zack, it's known now that Jasper and you are together. She's an easy target, no offence. She's never left the strip, and never had to protect herself. Back home, in the Capital Wasteland, we can teach her this. Even if she doesn't learn as well as we did, she's still safe. The NCR and Legion wouldn't dare follow us all the way to D.C."

Fucker has another point. I didn't think of that. I've never been a target of anything before, so it makes perfect sense.

"When Charon and I first began causing trouble, our enemies would go to your father, Zack. They would go to our friends, before they came to us. Because our friends were easier targets."

I look at Dez, and shake my head. I know this. Dad's told me a million times. I'm not stupid, I just…I just didn't think. And as much as I want to be mad at Cain and Dizzy for this, I've got myself to blame as well. I went along with it, and even had fun sometimes doing it. And you know, my life hasn't been filled with fighting or bloodshed. Dad kept me out of that. He kept the both of us out of it. And so didn't Charon and Dez. They kept me safe from all that nonsense, to give me a life without it. I didn't fuckin' mean to snap at them all like I did, I just…I don't know, got a bit scared. Like I said, I've never been faced with this before. I don't know how to deal with it. So I guess my best option is to listen to Cain on this one, and trust that he knows best.

"What about the girls? Dizzy and Jasper, do they know?"

I ask, and Cain shakes his head.

"I want to keep them out of it. If Dizzy finds out…she'll want to run in there, guns blazing."

Charon looked at Dez when Cain said that. I don't know why, maybe it was something Dez would do.

"And I don't want to worry Jasper, either. She's excited to go home with you. Let her live in that."

I agree with him. Cain finishes telling us the plan, and by all accounts it would work. Charon would disarm, not kill the guard, if there is one, and quietly I can start the truck and steal it. Of course once they hear it started we'll have a small window to step on it, break through the fence, and go. The meeting point is a few miles out, where Charon and I will pick the rest of them up, luggage included.

"What song is this?"

Dezbe yells, making us jump. I don't think anyone realized that she went to play with the radio.

"It's uh, 'Heartaches by the Number', I think…"

I tell her, and she beams at Charon. Needless to say he doesn't beam back.

"The music out here is awesome now! We need holotapes!"

"Uh, Dez, I don't think that's important."

Cain speaks the truth, and I back him up.

"We only have a few hours till night."

"We're not leaving right when it gets dark. We're leaving around like one or two in the morning. So, I need holotapes of these songs. Please and thank you."

We all mentally face palm ourselves. Sometimes the relation between Dez and Dizzy is undeniable.