Chapter 9: Boulder City Showdown
Six woke with a start, as usual, bolting upright in bed. Boone glanced up from the copy of Guns and Bullets he'd found on the table. She was rubbing her face while shaking her head and muttering. Then she stopped and glanced up, seeming to remember she had company. She stared at him for a moment. He stared back. The light pouring through the boarded up windows lit up her eyes. It was the first time he had seen her without sunglasses. He'd never seen eyes that colour before. Carla's eyes had been blue. The Courier's eyes were almost gold. The only place he'd ever seen eyes like that were on predatory animals in the wastelands. After several more moments of staring he saw the Courier blush and quickly grab her sunglasses from the teddy bear.
"Why hide them?" He asked.
"Because everyone reacts like you did." She looked at her Pip –Boy; 7:23am. "Well if Manny is sticking to the routine, he'll be off duty for a while still. I can pass the word onto someone and we can head out." She could have sworn some emotion flashed across Boone's face at the mention of Manny, but she couldn't identify it. So she hopped out of bed and got ready. After dressing in her leathers and eating some breakfast, they headed out to the courtyard just after 8:00am. Then they headed to the dinosaur.
"Well look who's back!" Cliff greeted when she opened the door.
"Yeah, but not for long and with bad news." She gave Cliff a quick rundown of the situation.
"Damn." Was Cliff's reply accompanied with a shake of his head.
"Yeah, we thought Novac should know."
"Well, I don't know if you heard, but Jeannie May disappeared the day you left. You were up in the dino that night; did you see anything?"
"There were some radscorpions." Six shrugged, remembering what the radscorpions were doing.
"Maybe the Legion sniffing around has something to do with poor Jeannie May's disappearance, though I pray I'm wrong."
"Will you pass on word to Manny and Ranger Andy about this?" Six asked.
"Of course I will."
"Thanks, Cliff." They finished up their trading and left Novac, while staying out of the line of sight of the dinosaur for as long as they could.
They walked north, listening to Radio New Vegas, the Courier occasionally humming along. She was staring at a tower of some sort in the distance. Finally her curiosity got the better of her. "What's that?" She said, pointing at the tower.
Boone could guess what she was pointing at. "HELIOS One. Pre-war solar power plant held by the NCR. From what I've heard though, it hasn't worked since the NCR kicked the Brotherhood out a few years ago."
"The Brotherhood." She scrunched her nose and thought. Boone must have noticed.
"The Brotherhood of Steel is…" He hesitated and she waited. "They're an enemy of the NCR. A ruthless organization seeking to control old-world tech, by any means necessary."
"Oh. Thank you." Six smiled inwardly at the fact that he'd explained before she had to ask. They ended up walking close enough to HELIOS One for the Courier to get a better look at the mirror array.
Further north, they cleared the ants that had wondered too close to the highway with their rifles. As she shouldered her rifle she heard it. At first she thought it was her Pip-Boy. But she had shut it off before they took on the ants. She jumped up on the road's median to get a better look around. She spotted someone up ahead in front of an old billboard. He had something in his hands that looked very unweaponlike. She cocked her head and heard it again; a melodious hum. She giggled and jumped off the median and jogged toward the drifter. Boone followed close behind.
The music got louder as she got closer until she caught the drifter's gaze. "Howdy, little lady."
"Do it again." Six insisted. The drifter looked puzzled. "The music!" The drifter laughed and started strumming. Six leaned her head back and closed her eyes, grinning from ear to ear. Six didn't know if she'd ever heard live music before. It sounded different than it did when it came through her Pip-Boy.
The drifter laughed at her rapt attention. "I like you, little lady. Not many people make me feel so good about playing my music."
"It's beautiful!" The courier assured him. Boone watched as the courier fawned over the drifter. She looked absolutely delighted by the music. The Courier eventually sat down across from the man and asked him to play a few different songs, which he willingly did. She swayed along to the music clapping happily when he finished each song. Boone just watched and listened, they were wasting daylight, but he couldn't bring himself to interrupt.
After about a half an hour, the courier stood up and dusted herself off. She put a finger on her chin and looked into the sky, a tell-tale sign she was thinking, or trying to remember. Something must have come to her because she dropped her pack and started rummaging through it. She pulled out a handful of caps and offered them to the drifter with a smile. The drifter tipped off his hat and reached it out so the Courier could drop the caps in.
"That's mighty gracious of you, little lady."
"Your talent's worth that and more." She said with a beaming smile. She reset her gear and looked again at the drifter. "You be careful out here. I wanna hear you play again someday."
The drifter looked back at her and offered a wave. "Well, I look forward to playing for you again someday." The Courier waved goodbye and she started north again. Boone followed.
"Sorry about the delay but how often do you get to hear real live music!"
"The strip-" Boone started.
Six whirled around to face him. "They have live music on the strip?!"
Boone nodded. "Most nights, yeah."
Six's eyes were sparkling behind her sunglasses. "Oh I so need to visit the strip someday!" She exclaimed as she started walking again.
They walked north, Six still humming the drifter's songs, until early evening when Boone interrupted. "Boulder City is just around the corner."
"Oh?!" Six said excitedly. "Oh." She said again, realizing the gravity of the situation. She took a deep breath, steeled her nerves and headed around the bend. The town was much as Boone described it. There were a few standing building but mostly it was rubble. She saw the memorial in the middle of town and approached to read it. She then looked around for another living soul. She caught sight of a NCR soldier off in the distance and headed that way.
When she got close, the soldier (Lieutenant? She thought.) addressed her first. "Hold up. We've got a situation with some Great Khans right now. The brass at McCarran has ordered me to lock down the ruins until it's been resolved."
"What's going on with the Great Khans?" Six asked.
"One of my patrols was on its way back from Novac when it came under fire from the Great Khans. They radioed for reinforcements, but instead of waiting for us, they chased the Khans into the ruins where they were caught in a crossfire. No deaths, but not all of the squad got out. The Khans have Private Ackerman and Private Gilbert as hostages."
Six sighed. "These Great Khans might have something of mine - a Platinum Chip. I mean to get it back."
"Once the Great Khans have been killed or captured, you're welcome to retrieve any property they've taken from you."
"I may be able to negotiate a deal with the Great Khans."
"Normally, I'd turn you down since I have no idea who you are, but considering that the hostages are as good as dead when we attack... All right, I'm going to give you a chance to talk to the Great Khans. Their leader is a man named Jessup. If we hear shooting, we'll be coming in, but it'll probably be late for you."
"Fair enough." Six placed her guns and her pack on the table, and then turned to Boone. "You'd better wait here."
Boone glared at her. "This is a risk you don't need to take."
Six thought about it. "I have no better ideas on how to solve this without people getting killed. Do you?" Boone said nothing. "I'll try and get my answers and the soldiers out alive, but if it comes down to it, I'll get the soldiers out." She gave him a bright, reassuring smile. Then turned and walked toward the barricade.
Lieutenant Monroe approached Boone. "Brave girl."
"You have no idea." Boone replied as he headed over to the NCR firing line. If something started, he'd be ready.
Six entered the shop the Great Khans had set up as their base. She didn't really know what to say, luckily, Jessup started the conversation. "What the hell? You're that courier Benny wasted back in Goodsprings. You're supposed to be dead."
"I got better." Six smirked.
"And here I thought us Great Khans were tough to kill. So, what happens now?"
"Where's the Platinum Chip?"
"Don't have it. Benny stole it, right before he stabbed us in the back. He's probably back at the Strip by now, laughing at me."
"What can you tell me about Benny?"
"He's one of the Chairmen, big shots who run The Tops casino in New Vegas. A friend from the city contacted me with info on a big job. I should've known that the caps were too good to be true, but there was still no way I could pass up the chance."
Six rubbed the scar over her temple absently, thinking. That's what I needed taken care of. "Alright, let's talk about settling things between you and the NCR."
"What's to negotiate? The NCR backs off, we walk out of here, nobody gets hurt."
Six thought about it. These Great Khans seem to have a lot against the NCR; even more than the Powder Gangers. "Sounds good. Free the hostages now; and then walk out. You'll even have the NCR escort you out of their territory."
"I can't believe I'm doing this, but all right, the hostages can go. The NCR had better keep their end of the deal, though. Here - a souvenir for you. It's Benny's lighter. Shove it up his ass when you catch up with him." Jessup tossed the lighter to Six.
Six caught the lighter. "I'll be back when it's settled."
Six headed out of the store and around the corner where she found the two soldiers. She nodded to the Great Khan guard who nodded back and walked away. "How ya holdin' up, you two?" Six asked as she started to cut their binding.
"Better now." Said one of the privates when her hands were free. When both were free, Six continued. "Things are settling down but they're still volatile. Stay close to me as we walk out. No sudden moves." The group slowly walked back to the NCR firing line. Six picked out a flash of red on the second floor of a mostly collapsed building. Once they joined the rest of the NCR soldiers, Six approached Monroe who was staring down at the radio.
"Mission accomplished!"
"I'm glad you were able to get my people freed, but there's a new problem. I just got orders to take out the Great Khans, hostages or not." Monroe said as he lifted his eyes to the Courier.
"What?! I thought you were the good guys! The Great Khans upheld their end of the bargain! Now it's your turn!" Six said, stomping her feet.
"My hands are tied. I can't go against orders... can I?" Monroe was obviously conflicted and it showed.
Boone joined Six then, she glanced at him and then she looked into the sky and scratched her head. "In the heat of the moment, things might be different. But here? Now? Take a moment to think about it." Six straightened her posture and looked back at the Lieutenant. "You have to decide if this order to commit murder is an order you can follow because at the end of the day? It's you who has to live with what you've done. You who knew the situation and you who will get those soldiers killed for no reason." Six put both hands behind her head and turned back toward the Great Khans. "Besides, you wouldn't want it to get around that the Great Khans have more integrity than the NCR; more integrity than you. Would you?" Six looked back at the slightly indignant officer over her shoulder. "Can I tell the Khans they're free to go?"
Monroe seemed to consider everything and then, with a sigh, he answered. "Alright. The Great Khans can go."
Six jumped up and pumped a fist into the air. "Yes!" She shouted and ran past the firing line back to the Khans.
"Who exactly is this woman?" Monroe asked Boone. Boone just stared after the Courier.