Chapter 26: Movin' Out

I didn't want to say woman always take a long time to get ready, but Ahyoka wasn't really helping her case here. I mean, yes, I know she's probably packing a shit ton of military, 1st Recon stuff on her bag, but this is ridiculous. Daniel and I have been sitting out here for an hour!

Samantha offered to help and Yoka welcomed her to, and with that, me and my ghoulish friend were left to wait for the girls on the porch. For the first few minutes, I cleared a few doubts he still had about the whole House thing, along with the Yes Man story. After that, we shared a story or two we had about our travels. I told him about a time in my early carrier as a Courier when I was hired to trade cards between a man and a woman in Shady Sands. At first, the contents of the letters were very romantic, and the cheesy kind of romance too, making it obvious that they were lovers. But as the days went along, they became colder and colder, evidencing that their love was growing stale. Things really took a turn when the girl found out the man cheated on her, and from that point on, the letter's straight up turned into death treats. The letters kept going from end to the other for about a week, until they suddenly stopped. A couple of days later I heard cheater was murdered by the chick, who had pretty much gone insane.

"Jesus Christ!" He cried out. "What fucked up kind of story was that?"

"One that is unfortunately true." I replied. "I'm sure I'll never forget it."

"And now neither will I." Dan let out a long sigh, like he's been holding his breath throughout the whole thing, and relaxed back on the bench we were sitting on. He took a long look at the sky, as we both waited in silence for some minutes.

I rested my eyes on the man beside me, analyzing him up and down. He's usually very stiff and upright, even when he's sitting or lying down. But now, he looked a lot more loose, like he had finally dropped a large weight from his back. I think I know what that weight is.

"This is it, huh?" I asked him, and he looked at me confused. I guess I should elaborate. "Nipton. This is a chance to avenge them."

He turned back towards the sky and let out another long breath. "I guess so…" We remained in silence for a couple of minutes more, contemplating what came and what was to come. We had both travelled far, seen plenty, faced a lot. It was good to have someone with life-style similar to yours, because it's someone you can relate to. Sure, we had our many differences, but at the core, I see a lot of me in Daniel and vice-versa. I wonder if he thinks the same way.

"I never apologized to you, did I?" He suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Apologized? For what?"

"The breakdowns." He simply answered. "Nipton, the REPCONN basement, Bolder City. You said it yourself Court, there's a pattern to it." He stopped, with no intent on continuing.

"And you don't want to talk about it." I concluded.

"No, I don't." He affirmed my suspicions. "I want to forget, and talking just make me remember."

His body wasn't the only thing was scarred. I know what that feels like, and I too know what it's like to want to forget. I was hoping time could clean it all away, that I'd get over it, that I'd learn from my mistakes and move on; but if Daniel, a man who has lived and suffered for far longer than I have still pains over past traumas, than what hope do I have?

Before I could lose myself in melancholy and self-pity (again), Samantha jumped from the door and into the porch. "Aaaannnd we're done!" In her back was a large camping backpack that almost reached the top of the doorway.

Yoka followed right behind her with another backpack, but this one considerably smaller. "Time to move out?"

"I think so, but before we go…" I wasn't too sure how to ask this. "Yoka, are sure you want to leave-"

"My father again?" She completed my question. I hate how people keep doing that. "When I left all those years ago, I abandoned my home to fight the enemy on his. But now, things are the other way around. I've talked to my pa already, and we're in agreement."

"For as long as you're feeling alright about this." I concluded, satisfied with myself and my new team. "Alright people, time to meet your employer."

"What do you mean they can't go to the Penthouse?" I shouted at Victor, who was covering his sides as if he was blocking ears he didn't have.

"Sorry pardner," He apologized. "But Mr. House was clear on them rules: Only the Courier gets to meet the big man. I'm really sorry, but ya'll are clear to got up to the Presidential Suit and the Sky-bar.

There are two kinds of people in this world, the ones who would shout "Let's go to the Suite!" and the ones would shout "Let's go to the Sky-Bar!". Dan and I are the latter.

"Come on!" Sam complained. "We've got these two giant bags to unpack!"

"But... It's a bar... in the sky!" I argued, convinced that what I said was more than enough, I mean.. it's called a sky-bar, it's gotta be great, no?

"You two seriously wanna get shitfaced now?" Yoka complained. "We've just arrived and it's not even past midday."

"Alright, you win." Daniel gave in, not too happy about it. "But we don't leave until we check that place out."

The Presidential Suite was two floors below House's Penthouse. Thankfully, the Lucky 38's elevator was quite spacious, enough to fit the four of us plus the baggage. With a ding, the doors opened up into short but wide corridor, which ended into two very fancy wooden doors.

"Oh… Wow…" The fort of us said as we walked into the suite, although mansion would have been a better description of the place. We were up on a balcony that overlooked a large lobby with mutiple sofas, tables and fancy decorations, all of them as clean as the stuff in House's penthouse. The lobby could be accessed by two staircases, each curving around so their bottoms faced each other on the lower level. Up on this balcony were four doors, half on each side, while down below were two large double doors opposed to each other, along with a door on the center of the back wall. Spread in a some corners were a couple of intercoms, each with a number pads a button labeled "Reception".

Did I say back wall? Because I actually meant window. Like House's Penthouse, the multiple panes of glass went from floor to ceiling, giving way to a fantastic view of the Strip below. Outside that window was another balcony, this one with a couple of sets of tables and chairs, a few ….., two hammocks amd most notably, a small kitchen, complete with a sink, fridge, stove and grill.

By the way, did I mention the pool?

I'm sure we were all eager to explore all the rooms, but we just couldn't take our eyes from the huge square of water sitting right in the middle of the lobby, with two marble pillars in the middle constantly pouring that clear, glistening liquid from the top a letting it slide down.

"Oh… my… God!" Samantha screamed with ecstasy, running down the stairs and stopping just before the water. She looked at us with face of disbelief, than at the pool, then at us again, then the pool, and she kept on with that pattern a couple of times as she tried to formulate something to say. "Th-Th-There's…. There's so much water!"

"That's an understatement." Yoka grinned as she went down to join her friend.

"So this is what a pool looks like…" I thought out loud. "Never thought I'd see one." I mean, I have seen some before, but all of them empty of course. People just don't have the water to waste on leisure. Except for House that is.

"Can-can we get in it?" Sam sparked "I-I mean, is there something we have to do before, like- like, I don't know?!" She was completely overwhelmed and mesmerized by the water colossus ahead of us, and she wasn't alone.

I didn't want to admit it, but had no idea what to do either. Can we just walk in, like when you mean to take a bath in a lake or river? And how do we get in? In the very occasion that I find a suitable place to bathe myself I go skinny dipping, granted that I'm alone, and I was always alone. I guess there's some specific clothing for bathing, like I once saw in an Old-World poster for a clothing store, but I doubt anyone has any.

Thankfully, Daniel and his endless knowledge of the world that once was came to the rescue. "Don't you people think about getting in there before taking a shower!" He warned us. "The water circles around the pool for a long time before it gets treated again, so if we just walk in with this dirt and grime on us, it won't be long before we're swimming in brown sludge.

Dan was right, we were all very filthy, but it's not like we didn't know that. You tell me you haven't bathed in a week and I'll be jealous of your hygiene. If you count the days I was knocked out cold, I haven't in bathed around in about month. But when you're too busy killing, almost dying and surviving, you and no one else cares about how you smell. As a matter of fact, I think everyone just got used to it.

"If there's a pool, there's definitely some showers 'round here." Yoka pointed out.

It took a little effort, but after promising we'd take a bath later, we convinced Sam to let go and come explore the rest of the place with us. We began with the lower level. On the northern side, past one of the double doors was a recreation room and bar combo. A square of sofas that surrounded a low table were in front of a L shaped bar counter, with all kinds of drinks placed along the wall behind it, with two fridges below. Between the bar and the sofas was pool table, with the cue and balls found on a stand by the wall. There were also two vending machines by the wall, one for Nuka-Cola and one for Sunset Sarsaparilla (The two of which were full of ice-cold beverages.). And just like the lobby, one the curved walls that separated us from the outside where made of glass panes, a pattern that continued for the whole suite.

The southern room was obviously the dinner room, with long rectangular table that could seat a total of eight people. Behind the table was the kitchen, with two stoves, two sinks, three fridges and a crap ton of cabinets, all filled with plates, silver and cooking ware, bowls, pans, basically everything for your all your cooking and eating needs. Most impressive though was the fact that one of the fridges was filled with Old-World foods and snacks, like Fancy-Lads Snack Cakes, Salsburgy Steak, Sugar Bombs and many others. While you might expect them to be rotted and way past their validation date, every item looked as new as the furniture. There was some ice stuck to some of the boxes, indicating that they were frozen just a while ago. Maybe House had his bots move the food in here earlier today.

Now back upstairs, we first checked the doors by the southern side, above the dinner room. We quickly found out both doors lead to short corridors, each with three more doors, and past them were bedrooms. They all looked the same: well decorated, with a double bed in the center of the back wall, with red carpets and sheets, wooden wardrobes, mirrors, a personal desk and chair and a bathroom (all of which had warm showers). We all picked a room at random and dropped our luggage off.

Lastly, we crossed towards the northern side, which also had two doors. One lead to some sort or armory, the strangest room so far. It looked very out of place, as the rest of the suite has a red, white and blue pallet, giving off a very luxurious and homely vibe. As for this room, it was mostly yellow and grey, with metal panels, cabinets and stands for placing guns and weapons, along with many different ammo boxes neatly organized and labeled for each ammo type. And I can't forget to mention those six mannequins lined up along the wall, supposedly there to showcase clothing and/or armor. It goes without saying that they were making me very uncomfortable, taking me back to those dreams, so after a quick view, I paced out of the room.

And finally we visited the last room, occupied by a large circular table right in the middle, which was in turn surrounded by many chairs. On the middle of said table was projector pointing towards as retractable white screen. By the walls were a couple of filing cabinets, which upon inspection contained a bunch of different camera rolls, supposedly for the projector. Most of them were maps, prints, historical photo sets and general information about RobCo., New and Las Vegas, the casinos of the Strip and the United States as a whole. The last cabinet though was full of old movies, and although I didn't give them much mind at first, Dan definitely seemed to show interest.

Done with our tour, we were all sitting on a chair around the large table from the last room (which we decided to call the meeting room). Sam was playing around with the projector, switching between a bunch of maps depicting New Vegas, or rather, Las Vegas. Each map came in a different style or format, showing everything from notable spots, streets, the local topography (whatever that was), the sewer systems and much more.

"There are so many maps in here!" Sam gleamed enthusiastically as she pointed at building halfway through the Strip. "Did you guys know there was a casino called Caesar's Palace before the bombs?"

"What happened to it?" I asked her while trying to make sense of the agglomeration of lines and words on that projection.

"We passed by it on the way here, but it's an empty spot now." She explained. "Maybe house had it demolished."

"Probably." Dan commented. "I mean, I can see why he'd do it."

"Speakin' of Caesar." Ahyoka said as she crossed her legs on top of the table, giving as a good look at the sole of her combat boots. "We better figure out how we're doin' this."

All eyes fell on me, as they seemed to expect me to have a plan. "I'm open to suggestions." I simply told them, I had an idea in mind, but I wanted to hold that as a last resort.

"I don't how we're doing it," Daniel was first to speak. "But I do know how we're not."

"Right." Yoka agreed. "It's obvious that a direct approach is out of the question, and I don't think we'll have much luck tryin' to sneak in."

"What about disguises?" I offered, remembering one time I got into a… show for adult audiences by dressing myself as one of the staff. "We steal some Legion armor and just walk up in there."

"That could work," Yoka replied. "But that'd still leave us with one problem: getting to the Fort in the first place."

"Oh yeah!" Sam sparked. "We gotta find a way to cross the Colorado, don't we?"

"That's right." Daniel confirmed, getting up from his chair and reaching for a file cabinet. "I know where we can find some boats, but another problem comes to surface."

He grabbed a film roll and passed it to Sam, who replaced it with the one on the projector. Now, and entire map of the Mojave was on the screen. The ghoul crossed the room and rested his finger on a stop far south of the Dam, on the western shores of the Colorado River.

"Cottonwood Cove." I thought out loud (an annoying habit of mine) before Dan could say it himself. I bad quite the chill going up my spine just by remembering the meeting I had earlier.

"You know it?" He asked, a little surprised.

"Not really… but someone mentioned it to once." My eyes slowly drifted around the room, until they landed on Yoka's. The lights may have been off, but her pupils seemed to shine through the darkness like a flashlight through the fog. She knew there was something I wasn't telling them, so I better spill the beans before her suspicions get worse.

"There's… something I haven't told you guys yet, and with good reason." I explained to them carefully. "And I think it might help us."

I showed them the Mark of Caesar and carefully went over my encounter with Vulpes, almost describing things word by word, not to miss a single detail.. Daniel was clearly disturbed by the story, probably because he wished he was there to bash Vulpes's skull with his bare hands. The girls on the other hand paid close attention to what I had to say, mainly Yoka.

"That sure puts a new perspective on things." She said, overthinking new possibilities.

"No shit." Daniel followed with certain distress. "Not to stir more conflict, but I kinda wish you had told us this sooner Court."

"Like I said, I had a good reason." I shot back at him. "I was hoping we'd find some other way so I could just forget it even happened."

"I know, but that's not what worries me the most." He continued, sitting back down. "If what you told us is true, it means that Caesar and that Vulpes will have man watching over us. We'll have to watch our steps from now on."

"So what are we going to?" Sam asked, with a look of concern. "I don't see how that Mark of Caesar could help us. Even if Court agrees to go with them, I doubt they'll show us the same courtesy."

A ghoul and two woman, one of which is NCR. Sam's right, there's no way we can let the Legion do as much as even set their eyes on them. Daniel would be executed and the girls made into slaves, things that made me shiver just by imagining.

"I think I have a plan." Yoka said, granting attentive looks from all of us, eager to hear what she had come up with. "First, we'll need a new set of clothes."

Yoka's plan had a set up so complicated it almost wasn't worth it. But then again, it was the best we had come up with.

I'm sure everyone was thinking the same thing, wherever they were right now. Me, I was inside my bathroom, removing layer after layer of clothing and accessories from my body. I threw all my clothes to the ground and carefully placed my necklace over the sink. I also removed the leather pads I gained from Chet, all the way back in Goodsprings. I carefully slid my finger over a ripped piece on the shoulder-pad, where I had almost been hit by a Powder Ganger. God, that feels like ages ago, but it had barely been a week. My guns, belts and pouches were outside, all laid on the incredibly comfy king-sized bed I now had for myself. I was still somewhat sore from last night's rough and short sleep, and as much as wished to do nothing but collapse in that soft mattress and sleep my life away, we had things to do.

But not before we all take a nice shower though.

Once naked, I eagerly stepped under the shower head. Two handles were before me, one with a red tip, and the other blue. I didn't take a genius to figure it all out, but it still felt like discovering something brand new. I don't actually remember the last time I had access to an actual shower, much less one with hot water. Like I mentioned before, I usually shower in rivers or lake, and since I usually stay at the cheapest inns and motels, baths aren't in the package.

After a few light burns and freezes, I managed to get the water in a comfortable temperature, not too hot to hurt but just enough to steam up the bathroom in a few minutes. I took deep breath and stepped under the stream.

And oh my God, it felt like I was in heaven. A sudden relaxation washed over my body, loosening the muscles I didn't realize were stiff. Like noodles on boiling water, my legs became wobbly and weak, almost dropping me to the floor. I grabbed onto the soap holder (Which was occupied by a pink bar, also kindly provided by House along with other body products) and regained my balance. I looked at the floor to let the water run down my hair, and as I stared at my feet I watched a months worth of dirt and grime slide down my body.

I don't mean to overdramatize this rather banal situation, but it almost felt like something religious, like I was being cleansed by a godly liquid. I looked up to the ceiling and let out a short prayer, thanking God for this moment.

I don't know how much time has passed because I was too busy in a trance to count, but I must have been in there for a long time, because I soon heard a knock on my door.

"Court?" It was Daniel. "Don't tell me you died in there."

"I'm good." I shouted back, but I was so dosed of by the warm water that I must have sounded the opposite of good.

"Don't take too long, we're all waiting for you." And with that I heard him walk away.

It took some strength, but I mustered enough to regain my posture and finish this bath. I rubbed the soap all over myself until the foam it created stopped being brown and my skin began to smell like roses (I don't actually know what roses smell like, that's just what it said on the soap package). After that, I poured the creamy content from two bottles I found along with the soap. One was called shampoo, and the other was a conditioner. I've seen bottle of these things littered around the floor before, but had no idea they were used on your hair. Following the instructions on the back, I scrubbed my head until I felt it was clean enough, then washed the substance away.

After I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, I began to smell the result of my work, and I liked what it smelled like. It was sweet and somewhat flowery, and although artificial, it gave me some weird peace of mind. Who knew being so clean felt so good?

To appreciate myself some more, I walked into my room and stood ahead of the tall mirror on the wall. I scanned my now hygienic, lean but somewhat muscular body. Seems like I lost a little bit of tan, perhaps because I've been travelling a lot less than before. Dad might have given me some of his light skin, but I couldn't beat mom's genes, who'd make me as brown as she was when I got just enough sunshine. She'd say the sun would wake up that Latin spirit we had inside of us.

Damn, that bath really must have softened me, I'm thinking about my parents. I quickly shook those thoughts away and walked to the bathroom to take my clothes, but froze as I realized there was a new set on my bed. A light brown vest, a light grey cotton t-shirt and dark jeans were laid next to my hat, but most interesting was the wide brown poncho with white lines creating some sort of geometrical tribal patterns that was resting under them. Was I supposed to wear these?

With the jeans on, I walked into the corridor with the rest of the clothes in my hand. Daniel's room was open, but as a respect for his privacy, I stopped just before the doorway.

"Hey Dan," I called out. "You there?"

"Hold on." He replied, soon walking out into the corridor. Instead of the leather armor he wore ever since I met him, the ghoul was now in green army jacket over a white sleeveless shirt, cargo pants and combat boots. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Oh wow" I muttered, appreciating the new look. It fit him well, giving a sort of casual but serious vibe to him. "You look good."

"Uh… Thanks?" He said awkwardly. "Is that everything?"

"Eh, no." I continued, raising the clothes in front of him. "Did you leave these in my room earlier?"

"Yep, those are for you. Yoka told me to bring them to you" He explained. "She wanted everyone in new vestments before we left."

"What?" I questioned, giving the outfit another look. "Why?"

"Two reasons." A woman spoke from behind my back, and I didn't need to recognize the voice to know that whenever a girl snuck up on me, it was most definitely Yoka. "First, your old clothes are as filthy as a forgotten Brahmin pen, and differently than the rest of us, you don't have spares." She took the shirt from my hands and pressed it against my chest, measuring it's size against mine. She was in her Ranger getup, just without the helmet. Around her neck was that colorful stone necklace and her hair was tied into a ponytail. "Second, we need to stay inconspicuous, at least until we find a way to get the Legion spies of our asses. A change of looks should help with that a little." Satisfied with the size, she threw the shirt over my shoulder. "Besides, I think these are gonna look good on you."

"Where did you even get these clothes in the first place?" I asked, trying to untangle the poncho, which was turned inside out.

"They belong to my little brother, but since he won't be using them for a while, you can have 'em." She explained and gave a pat before turning and leaving into the suite's lobby.

Dan gave me a slick smile and shrugged before returning to his room. Seems like I didn't have much of a choice here. I too went back to my room and tried on the new outfit. It looked just as good as my own clothes, which I appreciated. As a plus, the poncho would do good against the sun, and it all fit well with my belts and holsters. Mighty kind of her to take her time to pack some extra clothes for me.

I met the rest of the guys down in the lobby, on the sofas by the pool. Samantha looked pretty much the same, she was still wearing her green shirt, but this time she had a pink jacket was over it and light blue jeans. With her tool belt, Sam was like the world's most well dressed engineer. Everyone looked on par, like we were just about to take part in a fashion festival, except it would be quite a violent festival, since everyone had guns, belts and holster all over said clothes.

"Alright Yoka, you played your game of dress up." I complained as I walked down the stairs to join them. "How's that gonna help with our problems?"

"I had a talk with your robot pardner through the intercom," she mocked the word "parner", which was made extra funny by how she has the same accent as Victor. "And he told me the 38 has a couple of hidden exists spread around the buildin'. Now I'm sure they left at least one spy watching the main entrance to the 38, so I say we take these alternate exists and blend in with the crows of tourists."

"Good plan." Daniel commented. "But what then. I'm sure the Legion has more spies around, which will just make it a matter of time before they find us."

"That's why we have to find them first." Yoka continued. "Now here's the rest of the plan. Court and Daniel will head on outside of Freeside and wait for Sam and I as we ready the horses."

"Oh!" Sam jumped on her seat. "Do I get my own mount now?"

"Uhh… How a about we call it a rental." Yoka said to Sam's dismay.

"Seems like a lot of secrecy for no outcome." I told her, taking a seat across from Samantha.

"Actually, this is a very good plan." Daniel argued. "If we leave without grabbing their attention we'll just continue with our plan with nothing to worry about."

"But if they do find and follow us," Yoka picked up. "It will much easier to find them on the empty road."

I see. Now that I had all the info it did seem like a good idea, I just wish it wasn't necessary. For our first task as group, we'll need to get the Legion off our ass since we cannot have them learning what we're planning. It wouldn't be easy, but it was sure gonna hurt those crimson fucks if we pull it off.

"We'll, if you two think things will work out, then I trust it will." I told the two as I got up. "Now let's get moving. I want to reach Forlorn Hope before nightfall."

Sadly, the Sky-Bar would have to wait some more. We had more pressing matters ahead of us.

After these two long days in Vegas, it was time to leave this wonderful city for a while. We had each packed our necessities, from things like weapons and ammo to food and water before leaving the Lucky 38. As planned, we took different side exits in ten minute gaps, blending into the crowd as soon as we could. I was the third person to leave, after Yoka and Sam and before Daniel. With caution, I surfed along the waves of tourists, jumping from group to group with my head down, enough to hide my face and allow me to see what's ahead at the same time.

It wasn't long before I left the Strip, and soon after, Freeside. I rested against the scrap wall just next to the gate and took a good look around. No one seemed suspicious, and I didn't think I was followed, so maybe there was some hope for us. The only people around me were a group of three Kings and pair of mercs. A caravan walked into Freeside at one point, but I don't think they noticed me as they passed. I also took special attention to the ruined buildings surrounding me, where anyone could get a good vantage point over my location. I didn't really see anything, but it didn't stop me from being nervous.

"Hey." Greeted Dan, making me jump in surprise since I was focused on the surroundings.

"Oh, hey, you startled me." I told him as I took a step to the side, giving him some wall to rest on. "Everything ok with you?"

He settled on my right and began looking around just like I was doing. "Yeah, I think we're in the clear. Now we just have to wait for the girls."

"Dan, are you sure this the best thing to do?" I questioned my friend, worried. "I mean, there have to be better ways to get our hands on some Legion armor."

He seemed a little anxious too. "I wish there was Court, but the Legion is smart. They attack any storages containing their equipment just to counteract any attempts of infiltration, so unless you know a professional tailor-slash-armorer, the only way we're getting that armor is from taking it fresh. Besides, I doubt you'll find them without bullet holes all over the platting."

"Yeah, I get all that, but walking into a warzone…"I said, not too convinced. "Fuck it. I get to kill Legion, I don't even know why I'm complaining."

Dan smiled at me and gave me a pat on the shoulder. "That's the spirit." He then looked over my shoulder and laid his dead eyes on something. "Sam's here… and Waya too, but I don't see Yoka with them."

Sam rode from the gate to us on a strong and tall light-brown stallion, while pulling Nina with one hand while guiding her horse with the other. Waya was on a beautiful white horse, pulling Cadillac along.

"There they are!" Sam shouted and pointed towards us before galloping her way to our side. "Hey guys! Did you two wait long?"

"Not really," I answered as Yoka's father joined Samantha's side and jumped off his horse. "Waya, thank you for bringing Nina." He handed me her reins and I brought her close to give her a quick hug. "Hey girl! Have you missed me? Cause I sure missed you!"

She answered me with a nice and loud neigh and a push with her muzzle.

Waya laughed and gave Nina two pats on the side. "No problem friend. She's been a good girl these last two days. I also made sure she's happy, well fed and ready for the road. Same thing for the other horses."

Daniel grabbed the man's hand and gave it a nice shake. "Thanks Waya, I don't think we can thank you enough for this. As for Yoka…"

"I've already had that talk Daniel." He interrupted, a little melancholic. "Now I ain't gonna say I'm alright with everythin' but… she's told me what's at stake here, and as much as I hate see her leave again… I'm just happy to see she ain't going too far, and most important, she ain't going alone."

I felt a little guilty, because in a way, it was me who put her on this path in the first place, even if in the end it was her decision to come along. I just made sure to promise myself I'd not drag them into too much trouble, even if our situation was dire. I know what we had planned was the opposite of safe, but at least I knew I wasn't working with any amateurs.

"Don't worry Waya," I assured him. "We'll keep your daughter safe."

"Now don't you go making any shitty promises." He mocked me, laughing loudly as he often does. But then his expression suddenly turned serious and cold, almost like Yoka's. "What you're gonna do for me is you're gonna make sure your shooting's straight so you can kill as many of those red sons-of-bitches as you can, do you hear me?"

I recoiled and stiffened my body. His tone was so commanding I felt the urge to salute him. "Will do, sir."

"Good! now you three better get going." He continued as he climbed back up on his white stallion. "The ride to Forlorn Hope is not too short, and Yoka won't like it if you guys lag behind."

"She isn't coming with us huh?" Daniel asked no one in particular. "Why am I not surprised. Any idea where she's gone?"

Sam leaned in closer from atop her horse. "After talking to Waya and prepping some stuff, she told me to tell you guys that we're supposed to go on without her, and that she'd find us on the way."

"I know my girl," Waya added. "and I'm sure she's got somethin' in mind. I suggest you just do what she told ya'll."

I'm not a fan of being left in the dark, something people seem to love doing to me, but it's no use standing around wondering what that woman has cooked up in that crazy head of hers. I climbed up Nina's saddle and made myself comfortable before riding next to Waya.

"I guess this is farewell." I told him, offering a handshake.

"Let's not make it a long one, huh?" He answered with a tight grip.

Sam and Daniel said their farewells before Waya entered Freeside once again. We stormed off along the scrap walls, heading south towards the outskirts of the town where we'd pour into the desert, travelling under the hot burning sun without a shade for miles to come.

"So, what his name?" I asked Samantha as we passed the last few buildings of the Vegas ruins. Camp Forlorn Hope was located east of the road that connected the 188 to Novac, so we were pretty much backtracking through the way we came a few days ago. You might think it's boring to pass the same scenery for a second time, but to me there's nothing like a familiar road to calm my nerves. It's almost like returning to an old home.

"Ha, I thought you'd never ask!" she answered proudly. "Waya told me this one was called Dust, I'm guessing it's because of his color. Not what I would have picked, but if that's his name, that's his name." Recognizing that we were talking about him, Dust let out a short buff and whipped his crest around.

It was windy afternoon, warm but not infernally so. When the wind picked up speed, sand would lift from the ground and hit everything with soft but sharp strength, which would be quite an annoyance if we weren't high up on our horses and covered with protective clothing. Sam was now wearing a short straw hat while Daniel's bald head was out under the Sun like always. He claims the heat doesn't really bother him that much, probably because his nerves were permanently damaged or something.

Everything worked in favor for this to be a very relaxing trip, which was quite the luxury in my book. Unfortunately, a shadow of fear slowly gloomed over us the more we traveled. Not only was I on edge due to the possibility of being followed, but I couldn't stop myself from thinking what would a fight with the Legion would look like. As far as weaponry goes, they are far from dangerous. Most Legionnaires have access to no more than a sword or a spear, with a few pistols or rifles amongst higher ranking officers. But one thing Caesar's army has is numbers. Overwhelming numbers, enough to match the NCR's superior technology and equipment. I'm not a fan of fighting many people at once, I guess my weaponry of choice is to blame. Give me six men to shoot and I'll take care of them no problem, start going over that number and I'll have to get creative.

At least I won't be going at it alone. I have some friends to back me up, and if Yoka's relationship with the NCR is of any relevance, we might get them to lend us a hand too.

*bang* *bang*

Two soft gunshot echoed through emptiness, coming from right behind us.

"Did you guys hear that?" I asked my friends, who had clearly heard it too.

"Yeah." Dan answered, turning his horse around. "It might have nothing to do with us, but it's worth checking out"

With the ghoul on the lead, we rode till we reached almost reached the top of a short hill, leaving our horses and sneaking our way forward until we could see over said hill. In the far distance, two saddled horses sprinted madly on the opposite direction, and just in front of them, a figure loaded two seemingly unconscious individuals onto the back of a third horse.

"Court," Dan whispered. "There's a pair of binoculars on the middle zipper of my backpack. Grab them and take a look at what's happening over there."

And so I did as he asked. With both eyes on the lens, I scanned the scenery until I found my target. The figure was indeed loading two unmoving bodies onto the back of his horse. It was only after he was done with that and got on top of his animal that I was capable of taking a look at the long duster and red visor of the NCR Ranger armor he, or better yet, she was wearing.

"Oh God, there she goes again." I mumbled, removing the binoculars from my face.

"Court?" Sam called out. "What's going on?"

I threw her the binoculars and stood up. "See for yourself."

Her face quickly grew a smile seconds after looking through. Daniel was smirking too, not needing to see to know what was going on.

"Come on," said the ghoul. "Let's see what our Ranger has got for us."