Chapter 2: NCR Involvement

Mateo Pulcini was pacing the width of his office, furiously trying to solve his newest problem concerning the drug trade. Somehow, the NCR found a leak, allowing them to see the Psycho deal. The buyers and his men were swiftly taken down and arrested before they even had a chance to defend themselves. The worst part is that the buyers were long-time clients, known for having security get beefed up during deals as a sign of insurance for both parties. There had to have been a reason why there weren't as many of the client's men there as usual, but he didn't have any solid evidence to figure out what caused it. He could speculate that a spy in his client's charge decided to overrule the agreement and stage the event as such, or his client had dirt dug up on him, so he had to cave to NCR demands.

Mr. Pulcini kicked a guest chair across his office, smashing it through the drywall and into a side room. He cursed loudly and stomped out of his office, flinging the doors around like they were children's playthings. Mr. Pulcini eyed his guards, who had been stricken with fear, standing still as stone when Mr. Pulcini walked by. As he got to an intersection and turned into another hall, one guard poked his head in his office and observed the damage, then used a nearby wall radio transmitter to relay the damage to the engineers and custodial staff. Either way, he was severely pissed off and out of a large cache of caps and supplies.

Mr. Pulcini arrived at the office of his second in command, and cousin, Maria J. Pulcini. He quickly wrapped his knuckles on the door and waited for her to get done with a business call.

"Come in." She said with a professional and calm voice. As he stepped in, his nose wrinkled from the perfume she used, smelling like old flowers left to dry in the sun for too long. "Hello cousin, what can I do for you this afternoon?" She asked with a smile, her overly formal way of speaking making just about any visitor feel like they were talking to Securitron. She had pushed her black frame glasses up her olive-skinned slender nose, resting on its high bridge. Her black hair seemingly glistened in the bun she had behind her head, accenting her deep green eyes piercing anything in their gaze.

"You already know what happened," He dismissed the question, "We need to get those fucks for what they've done to our company. Tagging our men and slapping cuffs on them is outrageous, even to our client. There is no way they could have known our deal was happening in hell." He huffed, his speech having increased in speed in his anger. Then he sat down and glared intensely into Maria's eyes.

"Yes, cousin. Their intelligence officers and workforce should not have been able to track nor take down our deal with our client from Vegas. What would you have me do?" She asked, her tone unchanging and ever so formal. He sighed and looked at her like she was stupid.

"Uncover their NCR infiltrators, kill those who fucked up our operation, and get payback for our client and company." He ordered, his voice entering and exiting between formal and informal speech.

"Of course, my dear cousin, I will accomplish this task in haste." She stated, "I must say, cousin, it does not bode well for you to act so immaturely while your employees are around. You stirred up the rumor with such acts as you did with Barry." The smile left her face, a slight and barely seen scowl cold as the frozen wastes of the Washington Wasteland. His cousin's intensity and threatening gaze were not lost on Mateo, as he has seen the wrath his cousin can bring. That's why he had her as his second in command.

One day in their younger years, a wealthy trader had tried to run her out of The Hub because she had been 'stealing his customers.' The next few months were a living hell for him. Thugs rob the man nearly daily, and his family left him after finding 'evidence' of cheating on his wife and having another family. Vandals burned his stores to the ground, the local bank took his home from him, and the house turned into a brothel. No one knew what happened to him after that, but she'd chuckle whenever Mateo asked Maria about it.

"Do not worry about such insignificant people, dear cousin. They are beneath the boots we walk with." Sometimes he'd take what she said literally, thinking she'd had the man buried beneath the streets.

"I don't intend to do that to Barry again. He's a good man, a hard worker, and loyal to the bone. It's a shame he didn't pick up on the basics of backroom deals." He sighed, shrinking under her gaze. It took a minute before she responded, with a slight smile on her face.

"I am happy to hear that you regard Barry Lane so highly. His skills have proven most useful, as well as his contacts. I will hold you to that intention, cousin." She said, her smile becoming more happy and warm by then. She shuffled her papers and set them aside, waiting for further information or for Mateo to leave. Mateo stood back up from the chair he sat in, setting it back where it was previously.

"Get those guys, Maria. They've done our family wrong." Mateo ordered, receiving a nod from his cousin as he left her office.


Barry had been sitting in his room for the better half of the day, observing his disassembled pistol on his desk to figure out which parts he needed to replace or keep. The barrel length seemed to be just a tad too short, the silvery surface of the metal still shining in the dim light. Barry glanced from his desk, a note to remind him about dropping by the local Gun Runners for parts, then to the rest of the room, a standard-sized full bed with a nightstand on one side while the other had a small wardrobe. The furniture shined compared to most in the wastes. Some of the wood polish was still shining from the bed frame.

With a small sigh, Barry stood up and walked to his wardrobe. He opened it and retrieved a lever-action shotgun from the left side, then closed the closet as he examined the gun. The weapon uses 20 gauge shells, the barrel had no visible rust, and the lever-action had a near-perfect function. The wood was replaced sometime after the war with one of the darker woods, making the stock able to shoulder instead of being a short grip. He strapped the shotgun to hang on his back for ease of use, then swept up his pistol in a small bundle and placed it in an inner pocket of his jacket.

After stepping out of his room, he took a key from his pocket and locked the door. Before pocketing it again, he looked at the small braid hooked into the keyring. The braid is green and red, woven by hand. It is a souvenir from his days as a young teen. He had gotten it from a carnival in the countryside, at a small stand where a woman had made them. He smiled and felt nostalgic, remembering when he could be so happy and carefree. Barry pocketed the keyring and walked down the hall and two floors.

As Barry walked into the meeting room, he observed fewer people than usual for the job today. The small group of people meant he'd have to help more than he was supposed to. Oh well. He decided to rest against the back wall, hands in his pockets as he watched the others make small conversation or idly wait for one of the bosses to get here. He almost nodded against the wall when he heard the distinct sound of thumping high heels approaching the room, jolting him wide awake because he knew who it was.

Maria J. Pulcini walked into the room, wearing a clean grey pinstriped suit and black glasses. Her eyes seemed to gaze through anyone she had eye contact with until she found Barry, where they softened a bit. Her sight had lingered on Barry for a moment, and then Maria turned to the guards. She nodded to them so they could close it as she made her way to the podium and blackboard, a decently filled folder in her hands.

"Gentlemen, we have an important mission to accomplish sometime in the next few days," Maria stated, "We had a few men end up imprisoned in the local jail due to the NCR's interference in our most recent batch of psycho shipment exchange. We plan to have a team of you assault the jail, temporarily distracting the guards as a small team will infiltrate and rescue our captured assets inside. If you somehow obtain the shipment of Psycho and our men, you will have a bonus pay of 200 caps to each of your accounts for the week." A murmur spread across the crowd, some in worry and some in anticipation.

Barry looked around and saw that a few people seemed put off against assaulting an NCR building directly. Some people stood up and left through room either quietly or murmuring about how it was a bad idea to attack and disrupt the NCR's forces when they controlled the town government. He noticed that Maria had made the same conclusion as Barry and sighed, knowing that the teams would now be smaller than before.

"If you have any grievances, you may either leave or make it known to myself or Mr. Pulcini." She said. After a few moments, when it seems no one else wants to leave, Maria starts laying out plans and draws them on the blackboard. She gives out route plans and who needs to partner up. Entrance locations are covered, equipment is in the discussion, dividing ammunition between the groups, and disguises are managed not to allow anyone to track the teams. Talks continued for some time as Barry had observed it all as a blur in time. The only information he needed or had stuck in his mind was the knowledge that revolved around what he needed to do and where to go.


Maria was sitting in her desk chair when she heard a knock at the door. She didn't expect anyone at 8:30 pm, but she put her papers in a folder at the side of her desk as she prepared herself with a corporate smile.

"Come in." She called and watched the door as it opened, revealing Barry. Her smile grew, and she became genuine at seeing her old ally, companion, and co-worker. "Mr. Lane, it's so good to see you. Are you well? Do you need anything?" Maria asked, a clear and endearing tone to her voice. Barry smiled at her and then sat in the guest chair in her office.

"Please call me Barry, not Mr. Lane. That's my father's title," He said softly, "And no, I don't need anything urgently. I just came to check up on you, Maria, since it has been quite some time since we've talked in private." He looked at his hands, fumbling his thumbs around each other. "To answer your first question, I don't think I am fine. I am, however, doing better than most would in my situation." Barry stated, looking back up into those deep green eyes that belonged to Maria.

"I see," Maria stated, "Well, Barry, I want you to know that I worry about you from time to time. It has become quite the handful of worries. Sometimes I feel I should handcuff you to me so I don't lose you again." Her voice started to crack near the end, remembering the time that the Fiends had captured Barry for a single night before being rescued by Maria's power armored troops. She had cried all night, practically making her throat hoarse like strep throat.

Barry shifted in his seat, feeling the aches of ghost pains from that night, but mostly from his heart. He remembered that when he came back, Maria hadn't been able to sleep for a week because of it. She had spent every waking hour trying to ensure Barry was fine, but she didn't even bat an eye about taking care of herself. Barry didn't know what drove her so protective of him, but he's glad he was under her care. Perhaps she liked him in more than a way a co-worker is pleased to deal with an acquaintance they know. He didn't know what she viewed him as, but he thought he would at least be a friend or long-time companion.

"Maria, don't worry yourself. Since then, I've gotten a better hold of things, especially because I'm a much better gunslinger. Not even some of the guards on the first floor can beat my skills." Barry claimed, making a fake gun in his hand as he fanned the hammer. Maria chuckled slightly and straightened her posture, observing Barry for a moment before smiling.

"You have gotten better at maintaining your guns, but what of your martial skills? Have you received better training in hand-to-hand combat?" She asked, already knowing the answer as her smile grew slightly devious. "I remember when we sparred, and you were not very graceful as I helped you make a swan-dive to the floor." She chuckled again, her formal speech almost wholly gone. Barry put on a playful scowl and huffed, making a cartoonish pose as he crossed his arms.

"I'll have you know that I tripped because the maintenance crew hadn't replaced the floorboards since my last dental visit, which was practically the main reason we both ended up on our asses." He stated, then chuckled and relaxed into the chair. "This is probably the most I've laughed this month, Maria. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Maria replied, "It's always a pleasure to see you happy." She stood up and gathered a few personal items from her office, stuffing them into her purse. "Barry, would you mind walking me to my room?" She asked, buttoning her bag shut and slinging it over her shoulder. Barry nodded and stood up, opening the door as she approached. The scent of Maria's peach-smelling perfume invaded his scorched nose as she passed by. He closed the door and escorted Maria through the halls and up to two flights of stairs.

When they reached Maria's room, she fumbled with her keys as she unlocked the door, then turned to Barry with a different expression than he had seen before. It seemed a mix between sadness, regret, and hope mixed in with a bit of happiness.

"Would you like to join me tonight? I can make some food for us." She proposed, surprising Barry a little.

"...why?" He asked in a soft and confused tone, unsure how to react.

"Because, Barry, I would like to spend more time with you." She stated, keeping a warm smile to invite him in.

"Eh, sure, why not." Barry gave up, then followed Maria inside. She closed and locked the door behind them.