Chapter 13
Troubled Roads
The moment the town of Nipton came into sight, Sandra and Niner traded frowns.
No people were in sight, and a few of the buildings were releasing billowing clouds of smoke, some of the debris still smoldering in flames. The entrance of the town was decorated in two red flags, depicting the image of a bull—the mark of Caesar's Legion.
Sandra slowly led Niner and ED-E toward the town, grimacing deeply, a peculiar sense of Deva-vu creeping up on her. Her head began to ache, and she shook the sensation away as they strolled into the broken town.
"Christ in a can… what happened here?" Niner grumped. "I got told this place was a dump, but this can't be right. C'mon, Six. Off to town hall. We're after the mayor."
Sandra thought of replying with a snarky retort—thinking that the mayor was still alive was idealistic on Niner's part. But she remained silent, moving through the town and examining everything in sight—the small flames, the crucified victims strung up and down the main road, and lastly, the red-clad warriors marching out of the town hall opposite her.
The tribal Legionaries stepped down the stairs, all of them clearing a path for their leader—someone who looked to be half their age, possibly Sandra's age, a coyote headdress covering his head, a pair of worn-out goggles tenting his eyes.
At the sight of the dog-headed warrior, Sandra felt another head rush—this one much more painful. She winced, grasping her skull and staring down the road at the stranger.
"Six," Niner uttered, spotting the pained look on her face. "What's a'matter?"
Sandra couldn't answer. Truthfully, she had no idea; recently, she'd been getting flashes of her mysterious past, but this was different. She knew she'd come to the west from somewhere else, and she knew she'd seen eyebots like ED-E in the past—but she never remembered encountering the Legion before. Strange, how the dog-headed warrior seemed to have such an effect on her.
Vulpes Inculta glided down the stairs with a sense of authority, his walk calm, yet powerful. His pensive blue eyes fixated on Sandra and Niner, watching intently as the two of them began to approach.
"Don't worry… I won't have you lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates," Vulpes spoke in a smooth, eerie voice, nodding at Sandra and Niner. "It's useful that you two happened by."
"Ah… I reckon this is a stupid question, but I gotta ask," Niner replied. "What happened to the mayor here?"
Vulpes revealed a small, icy smile, gently motioning to the pile of tires beside the staircase. The tires were still slowly melting from the flames, and on top was a large mass of charred meat and fat, a few bones visible protruding from the mayor's once-jolly torso.
Niner's face seemed to go pale.
"Not especially talkative now," Vulpes sneered with a soft, wicked laugh. "But… make what you will with him."
"No, ah… no thanks," Niner muttered, shaking his head and glancing away.
Vulpes then turned to Sandra, only just noticing the investigative expression she wore. Her eyes were locked onto him, reading every inch of him as if trying to decode his each and every atom.
"Never seen us before… I imagine," Vulpes figured.
"No, actually… I think… quite the contrary," Sandra mumbled thoughtfully.
"Stare all you like," Vulpes said. "I want you to witness every detail… and when you move on, I want you to tell everyone you meet what lessons Caesar's Legion taught here."
"What lessons?" Niner asked before Sandra could voice her own question.
"Where to begin? That they are weak, and we are strong? This much was known already," Vulpes replied ominously. "But the depths of their moral sickness… their dissolution… they served all comers, so long as they paid. NCR, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion, such as myself… the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores."
"Whores are my kinda—" Niner started, and Sandra quickly slapped her hand over his mouth.
"Each stood by, despite having us outnumbered… and each did nothing, even when 'loved ones' were dragged away," Vulpes rumbled, his tone darkening. "Contract killers, smut-peddlers, sexual deviants and mercenaries without a single rhyme or reason… they deserved retribution. And the Legion exists for such purpose."
"Sounds like they got what was coming to them," Sandra mumbled distractedly, still eyeing Vulpes as though she'd never seen another human being before.
"Yes… they did," Vulpes agreed with a slow nod. "As will all of you… in time."
Vulpes and his men moved to walk away.
"I just…" Sandra blurted, reaching out and preparing to grab at Vulpes. Many of the Legionaries shot her deadly glares, and she quickly withdrew her hand.
Vulpes slowly turned, facing her again and glaring at her expectantly, perking one of his arched black brows.
Sandra took in a heavy breath, somewhat nervous—as the Legionaries were glaring daggers at her now—but nevertheless, she forced the words out.
"Sorry, but… have we met before?"
There was a tense silence following the question, another sharp pain pulsating through Sandra's head. Niner gave her an odd look from behind, and Vulpes stared at her blankly, his eyes hidden and the rest of his visage unreadable.
Vulpes glanced down briefly, eyeing the pipboy on her arm, then leveling his eyes with her again. Sandra and Niner didn't notice—as his eyes were hidden behind goggles—but Vulpes was surveying Sandra's hair rather intently now.
"Indeed we have," Vulpes breathed in a soft, strange voice. "You're impressive, despite your gender… a killer as ruthless as I."
Vulpes marched away with his Legion followers without another word.
Sandra and Niner traded odd glances.
"Wha' in the ruddy hell was that about?" Niner barked.
Sandra sighed, sinking onto the stairs and sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs. "Okay… if we're gonna be traveling together, then… I need to tell you something."
"'Kay," Niner agreed. "All ears."
Sandra frowned, reflecting on her recent past—the only part of her past that came clearly to her, her time working as a courier and traveling through Nevada. Memories farther back remained a cluster of disorganized fragments lost amidst a deep haze, like scattered and damaged puzzle pieces tossed carelessly into a thick fog.
"I've had amnesia for about four years now," Sandra conceded. "Sometimes, I remember random little things for no reason… even though I can't remember when they happened, or what they mean. Well, this is… this is one of those times. I know I've met that dog-headed Legion guy before. I just don't know when, or how, or why."
"Oh… shit," Niner muttered, sitting on the cold concrete beside her. "Damn. Tha's heavy."
"Yeah, well… I don't care all that much, to be honest," Sandra told him. "I mean… not until recently, anyway…"
"Why recently?"
"Well… ever since that checkered-suited guy planted a few rounds in my head… more memories have been coming back."
"Aaah. I getcha."
"So… why did you wanna see the Nipton mayor, anyway?"
Niner hesitated, glancing over at the pile of tires, where the mayor's still-smoldering corpse gave off a distinct scent of BBQed flesh, something he and Sandra rarely encountered, even in the roughest parts of the wasteland.
"I was ah… makin' a delivery," Niner replied slowly.
Sandra squinted at him. "Drugs?"
"Maybe," Niner mumbled.
"So… you're a drug-runner," Sandra figured.
"No… I'm a courier," Niner told her. "Just a delivery boy. Sometimes I deliver packages, or mail… but today, yes, granted, I'm delivering drugs."
"So you're running drugs."
"Nooo, man, I ain't runnin' drugs. I mean it… it was a light jog most of the way here, if anything…"
"You sarcastic f—"
"Listen, Six. Them grunts in the NCR got a lotta chems for when their patrols hit smugglers. Except—this is the clever bit—not all of it gets cleared. Some of it gets redistributed. Y'know? Ain't exactly orders from the brass, but it's ah… it's supply and demand, ya' know."
"That ain't right."
"C'mon, it's just some underpaid NCR grunts tryinna make a little on the side. You know how much them guys don't get paid?"
"Okay, fair enough… what're you gonna do now?"
"Guess I'll just take the drugs back to the meet instead of the money. Not like I coulda done anything else, is it? My package recipient is dead on a pile'a tires."
"Fair point. Where's the meet?"
"Motel room in Novac."
"Good, that's right on the way. But I have one more question for you, Niner—why do you sound British?"
"Because I am British."
"Where're you actually from?"
"California."
"Then how the hell—"
"Six, we gonna hit the road or what?"
"Ugh… fine. We have to double-back to the outpost real quick, but we should be able to reach Novac by sundown."
Sandra and Niner straightened up and marched away from the stairs, ignoring the smoldering fires and the smell of burnt flesh. They spent some time rummaging the old houses and gathering supplies before moving leaving, retracing their steps to the Mojave Outpost and informing Ghost of what they'd witnessed. Afterward, they both headed for the north road briskly, hoping to reach Novac before sunset.
And as they did, Vulpes Inculta sat at his campsite with his Legion followers, a hidden camp on the mountainside between Nipton and Novac, scoping out the nearest NCR camp and keeping a vigilant eye on the roads. Vulpes lay on his stomach over the dirt, he and his first apprentice—a young blonde man named Lupus—both lying low and eyeing the NCR camp through binoculars.
The rest of their scouting squad was making themselves comfortable in the camp, some cooking dinner over the fire while others tended to their recently captured slaves collected from Nipton, all of them former Powder Gangers who were hogtied and left side-by-side in one of the tents. The other Legionaries were out of earshot, and Lupis—noticing this—lowered his binoculars, giving his mentor a curious squint.
"Might I speak freely, Inperator Vulpes?" Lupis inquired.
Vulpes's goggles were hanging loosely around his neck now, his eyes narrowed into slits as he kept a vigilant eye on the NCR camp—and the road in front of it.
"You're supposed to be learning right now, Lupis," Vulpes mumbled. "I spoke highly of you to Lucius and Lord Caesar. Don't make me regret it now."
"I know… and I appreciate that greatly," Lupis told him. "It's just a… minor… curiosity."
"Speak," Vulpes said half-interestedly.
"That red-haired girl," Lupis uttered. "You said you knew her."
Vulpes glared down the mountain, spotting a hint of movement on the broken road leading north.
"How did you know her?" Lupis wondered. "If she's not a laborer for the Legion, or an officer's wife… then how…?"
"I've crossed paths with her once before," Vulpes mumbled distantly, his eyes locked on the road down below, watching as Sandra and Niner waltzed toward Novac. "Only once… though it… didn't go as I…"
He trailed off, observing as Sandra and Niner headed up the road. Vulpes didn't lower his binoculars until they were both out of sight.
"Ah well," Vulpes mumbled. "Take watch, Lupis. Sanctus and his party will arrive on the morrow in order to ambush the NCR camp—and we need to ensure they remain unprepared until then. So, keep watch. Don't disappoint me."
Lupis nodded and held up his binoculars again, Vulpes giving a final glance to the road before marching off to the camp without another word.
"And the award for the biggest dump town in the wastes goes to—!"
Sandra slapped Niner hard on the arm. He grasped his arm and shot her a look, then stared up at the gigantic dinosaur statue.
"Wha's with the stupid dino-thingy?" Niner griped. "I fought bigger lizards with a switchblade."
Sandra shot him a sarcastic stare.
Niner blinked. "Wha's with the look, Six? It happened, okay?"
"Suuure. I'm sure it totally wasn't a drug-induced hallucination."
"No, it was not a drug-infused hallucinogen."
"Wow."
"C'mon, Six. You get the room, I'll get the booze."
Sandra laughed and shook her head, sauntering into the office of the Dino Motel while Niner wandered off to trade some goods at the Dino-De-Lite shop. The woman behind the counter, Jeannie, made small talk with Sandra before handing her a room key, and Niner returned in time to follow her up to the corner room of the second floor.
"I got the impression these are more like apartments than motels," Sandra remarked, unlocking the door. "She said we could stay as long as we wanted, until the busy season…"
They both marched inside, Sandra spotting the large bed and staring longingly at it, only just realizing how tired she was. The sun was setting outside, and Niner kicked the door shut, smirking and waltzing across the room. He plopped down in the chair, leaned on the table, and began digging through his satchel bag.
"So, uh… the meet?" Sandra inquired, gesturing to the door. "It's late. I bet your meetup guys are here already."
"Ahh… fuck that, man. I ain't doin' shit today," Niner replied, eager to relax. "We'll deal with it tomorrow. I'm off to a new dimension."
"Whatcha mean?"
"Denver Triple-Dog," Niner said with a sly smirk. "Jet to take you up, steady to bring you down… and psycho for the hell of it. You game?"
Sandra stared at the table, where Niner had unraveled a wide variety of chems from a rolled-up shirt—a jet inhaler, steady injector, and a syringe full of psycho.
"Okay… lemme ask you," Sandra muttered skeptically. "Have you done this before?"
Niner nodded.
"And you surived?"
"'Course I did. I'm here, ain't I?"
"Okay—what're the odds of a non-junkie dying from this cocktail?"
"Ahh, slim to none. Probably. Denver Triple-Dog was my first trip, so I'd say it's safe. Mostly. Ish."
Sandra felt a rising sense of excitement as she stared down at the chems, feeling oddly impulsive. She'd had so much fun since she met Niner—and it was such a nice change of pace. Might as well cling to the fun times. You only live once, after all.
"Fuck it. What the hell," Sandra grinned, rolling up her sleeve. "Hit me. Let's party."
"He-he-hell yeah," Niner beamed. "Inhaler first. Y'want the jet to hit you first. You gotta do it in order, or… your heart might… explode a little bit. But don't worry. This ain't my first rodeo, cowboy."
As Niner prepared the chems, ED-E twittered anxiously at them, though neither of them paid the eyebot any mind. Sandra took a deep inhalation of jet before allowing Niner to inject the other two. Then, they both sat on either side of the table, their eyes drifting shut as the radio played from the corner of the room, their bodies tingling, feeling a soft wave of adrenaline before a strangely calming static spreading throughout their bodies like a cold fire.
Ordinarily, Sandra wouldn't allow herself to be lulled into such a situation—but not so long ago, she felt herself suffocating in a dark mound of dirt packed in from every side, darkness overtaking her world as she knew for certain she would die. Perhaps there was no need to be so careful. Despite her cautious ways, she still ended up getting shot and buried alive. It was time to let go of all the hangups—to just enjoy the ride of life until the ride came to an end, whenever that might be.
The room began to soften in Sandra's sight, her body slouching back in the chair as a wonderful, blissful serenity took over her mind, every color brighter, every thought pleasant. Niner walked across the room at once point, switching the radio to 94.3, Nevada X, the only rock station in the Mojave. An old Alice Cooper song echoed loudly from the speakers, and Sandra's mind soon began a wild journey along with the rhythm of the song.
Niner pulled a cold beer from the fridge, Sandra lighting a cigarette as the two of them sang along to the song, grinning and laughing stupidly as the room became submerged in a strangely psychedelic musical.
"We go dancing, in the attic… while the moon, is rising, in the sky. If I'm too rough, tell me, I'm so scared… your little head will come off, in my hands… billion, dollar babies…"
Sandra and Niner danced ridiculously, yanking one another's arms around before Niner decided to set up his rapidly-emptying beer bottles on the balcony outside for target practice. Sandra and Niner spent a while shooting at the bottles, making glass explode into colorful shards that fascinated both of them in their bizarre state of mind. It wasn't long before the neighbors began flooding out of the nearby rooms, shouting vulgarities at the two of them.
When the night came to an end, Sandra ended up lying sprawled crookedly on her back atop the bed, gazing dazedly up at the ceiling as her thought ventured away from her control. The radio now played a Barns Courtney song called Sinners, and Sandra's mind traveled with the music—back in time, it seemed, to a time far gone from her life now.
"Yeeeah, I must be good for somethin'… yeeeah, yeah… oh, sinners, come down… come gather ro-o-ound… oh, sinners, come down, ye-e-eah. Dancin' on cold feet, marchin' on cobble streets… yeah, sinners, come down… ye-e-e-eah. Oh, sinners, come down… come gather ro-o-ound… have a little fun before they put us in the ground… ye-e-eah…"
The colors in the room began to distort into something else entirely—a place void of color, a place of gray and darkness, rubble buildings as far as the eye could see. Sandra found herself lost to a rage, ducking and shooting, killing every Enclave soldier in sight before she came to—right in front of the Citadel, Charon staring worriedly into her, angrily shaking her and yelling for her to snap out of it.
Then, Charon's reddish face malformed into something new—a dog-shaped head, piercing blue eyes that rivaled her own, a new man standing before her, his expression warped with urgency, shaking her just as Charon was. A wicked explosion rattled the atmosphere just when Sandra ended up on that fateful back road—the Great Khans hitting her over the head—waking up in the graveyard, the checkered suit, the gunshots, dirt piling on top of her, darkness, world fading black… game was rigged from the start…
Yet somehow—despite the horrid trauma on her mind—Sandra found herself unraveling a wide, peaceful smile, staring upward in a daze as Charon revisited her mind clear as day.
Sandra fell into a deep, peaceful sleep—until the sunlight bled into the room the next day.
Blinking herself awake, Sandra slowly sat upright, feeling a strange mixture of things—both rested and nauseated. She patted her hair down, glimpsing around and seeing that Niner had fallen asleep lopsidedly on the side of the bed, hanging halfway onto the floor.
Sandra stared aimlessly into him for a long while, trying to remember everything she'd experienced the previous night. She was certain she remembered something about the strange ghoulish face from her past last night, but now, she simply couldn't recall…
ED-E chirped at her, and she gave him a smile, patting his metal shell before turning her attention to Niner again. Sighing, she leaned forward and gave him a shake.
"Niner—wake up."
"Ah… assa… ah…?" Niner moaned, drool pooling on the blanket under his face. "No sir, I didn't take the… no, not the dogs…!"
"Niner!" Sandra hollered.
Niner jumped and fell awkwardly to the floor with a loud THUMP. Sandra barked out a laugh.
"Ah—I'm awake, I'm awake," Niner sputtered, quickly reaching his feet. "Jesus, you tryinna give me a heart attack?"
"Can we just take care of this?" Sandra yawned and straightened up.
Niner squinted at her. "Take care'a what?"
"You know what."
"What the hell're you talkin—shit, the deal!" Niner gasped, snatching up his bag. "Yeah, they should be here by now—c'mon. Let's go."
They both marched out of the room, Sandra shielding her eyes from the harsh sunlight. Niner led her down the balcony and the stairs, stopping at the far corner room on the first floor. He grabbed the doorknob and turned to her.
"Just stay here," he advised. "As, ah… backup."
Sandra stared at him. "Backup…? I thought these were friends of yours?"
Niner made a face and a sideways nod. "Eeeh… kinda. They're expectin' to get paid, and they're not gonna get that, so… they're gonna be mad. Just stay here."
He opened the door and walked into the darkened room without waiting for a response. As the door swung shut, Sandra sighed and leaned on the wall, crossing her arms and waiting patiently for Niner to finish his business.
Time passed, and Sandra found herself pondering on the near future once more, on the checkered-suited stranger. A festering anger grew in the pit of her gut, picturing the man and wondering exactly how she'd react whenever she eventually tracked him down. Quite honestly, she was looking forward to just getting back to her courier job and putting the matter behind her—but it wouldn't feel right to walk away without finding the checkered-suited man and demanding some answers beforehand. The bastard tried to kill her, after all. Sandra deserved an explanation at the very least. Perhaps even a little retribution.
Just then, a banging noise snapped her out of her thoughts. Sandra blinked and shot the door an odd look—it sounded as if a lamp had shattered inside the room.
"Y'want me to collect from a dead guy?" Niner's muffled voice spoke from inside—then another banging noise occurred, followed by a pained grunt.
Sandra's heart began to pound. "Oh, hell… he's getting his ass kicked…"
After a split second of hesitation, Sandra pulled her shotgun from her back, gave ED-E a look, and kicked the door open.
Niner's back was against the wall, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. He sank into a sitting position, three grunts standing over him, one holding a baseball bat, the room around them messy and destroyed. The three grunts whipped around in alarm, shooting Sandra a variety of wild looks.
"Chill the fuck out," Sandra snarled, cocking her shotgun. "You're not getting paid today—suck it up and go. Now."
The three strangers gave Niner a few nasty scowls before reluctantly meandering out of the room. They walked past Sandra, one of them meeting her eyes and mouthing fuck you. Sandra replied with a snarky smirk and a middle finger.
After the three goons were gone, Sandra sighed and let the gun hang by her side, marching into the room and yanking Niner to his feet.
"Jesus Christ, you're bad news," Sandra griped. "Y'okay?"
"Ah… yeah… looks worse than it feels," Niner groaned, wiping his mouth. "It's hard being an honest workin' man, I tell ya…"
Sandra narrowed her eyes. "Is that what you call it?"
Niner laughed and winced. "Ah, yeah… ye'ap… my liver's broke…"
"Why'd they get so mad? You gave them the chems back."
"Yeah, but… well, I…"
"You what? What did you do?"
Niner shrugged, nodding sideways and making an iffy sort of expression.
Sandra glared at him. "Oh… don't tell me. The chems we took last night—"
"Yeah," Niner affirmed. "Sorry…"
"Holy fuck… you're gonna get us killed someday."
"Naaah, not with you watchin' my back… and me watchin' yours. Everybody else is stupid except for us."
"You got that right."
"Well'p… I guess I can't deal with them no more…"
"Good. You don't need to deal with people like that anymore."
"Ah… yeah… guess not. I just needed some gamblin' money."
"We'll find some work in Vegas. C'mon. Let's go."
Sandra and Niner regrouped with ED-E, and after purchasing some supplies for the road, the two of them headed north from Novac as the day passed by.
Mr. Burke sat at the old picnic table for a while, feeling as if he was sweltering inside his gray pinstriped suit, as this heat was something he wasn't accustomed to. For a long while now, Sarah Lyons had been chatting with a robed stranger near the concrete ledge of the 188 Outpost, and Bryan was at the front counter of the Grup N' Gulp, grinning happily as he feasted on his first meal since their landing in the Mojave. The vertibird was parked a mile down the road, and this was the first place they'd stumbled upon. It was lucky that they landed so close to civilization, though Mr. Burke was growing impatient, repeatedly glancing over at Sarah in the distance.
Sarah was now wearing her normal clothes, no hint of Brotherhood allegiance on her appearance. She was beaming away, talking a mile a minute with the stranger in the hooded wool robe. Then, finally, Sarah met eyes with Mr. Burke and approached him at last.
"You are not gonna believe this," Sarah smiled, leaning on the table across from him. "That girl over there—Veronica—she's with the western Brotherhood!"
Mr. Burke said nothing, merely perking his brow at her. He glimpsed past her briefly, seeing that Bryan was wandering away from the counter now, heading down the hill to talk to the Forecaster child again. Seconds later, Mr. Burke sighed, straightened up, and gave Sarah a doubtful look.
"And… what does that entail for us?" Mr. Burke asked tonelessly. "Or, should I say… for you and Bryan. I'm not a member, so…"
"Oh… come on," Sarah scoffed caustically. "You know we're gonna look after you. Veronica said she'd take us to her elder so we can join her chapter. Her elder is apparently paranoid about outsiders, but seeing as how we're Brotherhood—"
"You'll be welcomed in like guests," Mr. Burke figured. "That's all well and good, but that leaves little hope for me."
Sarah stared at him. "I told you we'd look after you—"
"And I appreciate that, but please, let's be realistic," Mr. Burke insisted. "If this man is paranoid about outsiders, then your chances of working with this Brotherhood will plummet if I join you there."
Sarah gaped at him for a moment.
Mr. Burke sighed heavily. "Look, I'll… I'll sleep in the vertibird, and I'll find some odd jobs nearby. You two can come back to me once you've figured out your place in this Brotherhood, and then, we can plan from there. Fair?"
Sarah hesitated. "But I wanted you to come…"
"Yes, I know… but you and the boy need a safe destination, and my being there will compromise that," Mr. Burke disclosed. "Just go. I really don't mind."
Sarah gave him a conflicted look. The two of them stared tensely at one another for a moment.
"The guy at the counter said Boulder City's bar is looking for work," Sarah mumbled. "So, if you wanted… it's just down the road…"
"Good. Fine place to start," Mr. Burke said with a nod. "That settles it for me. You two need to go and write your own future now."
Bryan returned to them just in time for Sarah to yank Mr. Burke from his seat, trapping him in a sudden hug. Mr. Burke blinked, giving her an odd glimpse before returning the embrace. Bryan said his goodbyes to Mr. Burke as well, and then, he watched as Sarah and Bryan grouped with Veronica, the three Brotherhood members marching down the hill and slowly vanishing from sight.
After they were gone, Mr. Burke let out a deep sigh, sitting at the picnic table again and leaning over its splintery surface. He folded his arms, eyeing the nearby signs and seeing the one that pointed toward Boulder City, which was only about half a mile away. Wouldn't be a long walk.
Eventually, Mr. Burke stood again, marching past the Grub N' Gulp and heading for the road leading east. As he passed by the counter, he heard the laughter of the nearest customers at the counter, a guy with short black hair and a red bandana, and a girl with deep crimson hair combed over to one side.
Mr. Burke marched to the edge of the 188, slowing to a stop at the fork in the road, his visage morphing into one of confusion. Easefully, he turned and peered over his shoulder, staring back at the Grub N' Gulp and eyeing the two customers in the distance—Sandra and Niner leaning over the counter, play-fighting over their caps as they prepared to pay for their lunch.
Mr. Burke narrowed his eyes intently at the crimson-haired girl, slowly shaking his head and turning away.
"No… couldn't be…"
He marched far down the east road toward Boulder City, and about an hour later, Sandra and Niner took the road north, the tower of the Lucky 38 now directly ahead of them, shimmering welcomingly on the sunset of the Nevada horizon at last.