Chapter 7: Ex Granis Fit Acervus (A heap is made from grains)
"Oh, Boone." Felix said maliciously as he looked over Nipton through his scope. "Today is your lucky day."
"What? Why?" Boone asked from his position beside his partner. Both lay prone on a hill overlooking the town.
"That man down there in the dog hood?" Felix began. "I think I recognize him. I think that's Vulpes Inculta."
"Vulpes Inculta?! Leader of the Legion frumentarii?" Boone asked skeptically.
"But that's not all. I never told you how I convinced Jeannie May to follow a stranger to the edge of town in the middle of the night, did I?" Felix grinned to himself. "I played the Legion card. I wanted a confession straight from the bitch's mouth."
"And?"
"Oh, I got it alright. She also let slip the name of the legionary she made the deal with. A man going by the name Mr. Fox."
"Mr. Fox?"
"Ah, your Latin's a bit rusty; fox translates to Vulpes."
"Vulpes? Vulpes Inculta?!"
"I can't be certain, but that man standing in the center of Nipton may well be the man who bought your wife." Felix continued quickly. "I know you might want to make him suffer, but don't. Just kill the bastard. He's cunning and devious. Even injured I wouldn't want to get within twenty feet of him. Shoot to kill and don't miss." Felix didn't even have a chance to get his eye back to his scope before the shot rang out. He was left scrambling for a target and wasn't as useful as he'd hoped he'd be. Eventually Boone stopped shooting.
"Flush them out." Boone demanded.
"Alright." Felix said with a shrug and shouldered his hunting rifle before heading into the town. A few minutes later Felix stood looking up at one of the crucified Powder Gangers. Boone finally came jogging into town a short while later.
"What took you so long?" Felix asked not taking his eyes off the Powder Ganger.
Boone wouldn't admit it but the reason it had taken him so long to get to the town after he finished killing everyone in red was because he couldn't pull his scope off the last legionary standing in town. The carnage around him reinforced the fact that Felix was a monster. He had done things like this massacre before. He'd nearly pulled the trigger before he caught himself. It was for the greater good, he convinced himself. He could kill far more legionaries with Felix's help than alone.
"They're still alive?" Boone asked as he approached his companion.
"No. They're dead." Felix assured. "Between the savage beatings and the crucifixion, moving them will kill them."
"I guess you'd know." Boone seethed.
Felix pulled out his knife and reached it up toward the Powder Ganger. Deftly, he slipped the knife between the convict's ribs under his armpit and into his heart.
Once Felix had dealt with the Powder Gangers he approached the corpse of the man who had been wearing the dog head.
"How did you know it was Vulpes Inculta?" Boone asked gruffly.
"I worked with him once. He's not a man you forget." Felix poked the headless body with a toe. "We should check the town. There may be traps."
They thoroughly looting the town and city hall but found no survivors. They left town the next morning after spending the night in one of the houses.
Felix debated his words as they walked. He finally settled on what he hoped wouldn't get him killed. "Boone, about your wife…" He began haltingly. Before he could continue Boone had turned to face him and grabbed a handful of Felix's shirt collar.
"You better be real careful about what you say next." Boone growled threatening.
"Did you kill her?" Boone was silent as he glared at Felix. "The only way you could have been certain it was Legion was if you saw them. And if you saw them, you could've taken a shot." Felix considered aloud, working it out as he went. "But they had a head start. Would've been moving fast, carrying her so as not to risk the child. Even at your fastest, you couldn't have caught them until they stopped. Probably in Cottonwood Cove?" He finally asked. Felix saw Boone's face twitch when he mentioned Cottonwood Cove. They'd steered clear of Cottonwood Cove so far; there were too many legionaries for their fledgling partnership to take on. Instead they'd been slaughtering any patrol that left there. "Camps too big to even take on together. You alone would've never gotten close. So I'm guessing you had the opportunity. My question stands, did you kill her?"
"Why the hell do you even care?" Boone growled.
"You did, didn't you?" Felix accused. "Not many men could do that. It was a mercy, to everyone involved." He saw Boone go for the machete on his belt and let him. He even let him raise it to his throat.
"What do you know about mercy?" Boone seethed.
"Not much, you're right. But I do know what awaited both of them if they had lived. I don't need to share the details, but what you do need to know is they didn't suffer because of you. And as little comfort as it may be to you, at least you know what happened."
Boone sighed and relaxed the knife against Felix's throat. "What they do to women... that's worse than death. There was no choice in what I did. All this was only ever going to play out one way. It still is. I don't have any say. All I can do is wait for it to be done with me."
Felix was confused by what Boone said. He wasn't sure if he missed something or if Boone was being vague on purpose. "Wait for it to be done with you? What do you mean?"
"It was gonna be something. If I'd never met Carla, it would've been something else. I should've never gotten close to her. I've got bad things coming to me."
"Whys that?"
"Because fair is fair." Boone sighed grimly looking at the dirt.
"You're not gonna tell me, are you?"
Boone raised his eyes back to Felix's. "No." He said succinctly.
"Then you mind moving that machete?"
Boone grumbled but lowered the machete then stomped off. Felix followed, a few paces behind to let him cool off.
"I think it's time we part way, Boone." Felix said as he kicked dirt on the previous night's fire.
"Why?"
"I've got business on the Strip that I've let linger far too long."
"You think I'd let you go wander the Strip alone?" Boone growled.
"You can come if you want, but I plan on coming back once I've dealt my package thief."
"Package thief?"
"I was robbed in Goodsprings before I got to Novac. I plan on getting my package back and killing the bastard who put me in the ground."
"What are you talking about?"
"He robbed me, shot me twice in the head and buried me in a shallow grave." Felix pointed to the month old scars on the left side of his head. "A damn good doctor saved my life."
"I thought those looked like bullet wounds."
The trip to the Strip was uneventful. Felix looked up at the sign above the heavy metal door. "Free… side?"
"The slum around the Strip." Boone provided as he put a shoulder against the door and pushed. Felix followed him in.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The greaser in the leather jacket greeted them as they entered the town. He was flanked by two cronies in whitish t-shirts. "Anyone wearing NCR colours needs to pay a toll to get into town." He said as he eyed Boone's beret.
Boone sighed. "How much?"
"A hundred caps should do it." He laughed.
Boone just wanted this over with. He knew the NCR wasn't welcome in Freeside. He moved to get the caps from his pack but Felix moved first. Felix lashed out at the leather jacket wearing thug and had the other two on the ground before Boone could draw his rifle. Felix grabbed leather jacket guy by the throat with one hand and shoved him up against the gate, lifting his feet off the ground easily. Boone finally had his rifle out and aimed it at Felix's head.
"Let him go!" Boone shouted. Felix turned his head toward Boone. Boone saw a wild blood lust in his eyes he hadn't seen before. Felix blinked and it was gone.
"Why?" Felix asked, still holding the thug by the throat. The thug was struggling to no avail. "They're raiders, aren't they?"
"They just thugs." Boone said quickly. "Let. Him. Go." He added menacingly, tucking his rifle against his shoulder and moving his finger to the trigger.
Felix looked between the leather jacket guy and Boone a few times before sighing in defeat and dropping the guy. The guy landed on his feet but immediately fell to the ground, coughing for breath.
"I don't understand, Boone." Felix said as the two other thugs grabbed their friend and ran off. "They tried to threaten us. If someone out in the wasteland did that you'd let me kill them."
"This isn't the wasteland. This is a town." Boone growled. "Those kids couldn't have won a fight against even one of us. You need to respond with proper force to a minor threat. You can't just kill everyone who crosses you!"
Felix looked at Boone contemplatively, crossing his arms over his chest. "So minor threat, minor response?"
"Right." Boone said as he eased his finger off the trigger.
Felix walked beside Boone shaking his head. "This is a bad idea, Boone."
"We need caps to get onto the Strip. McCarran has honest work."
"But it's McCarran!"
"So you better be on your best behavior."
"You do realize what you're asking me to do right? Not only walk into the enemy stronghold but do so with you by my side. One word from you and I'm dead."
"Then I guess the question is how much do you trust me?"
Felix groaned loudly. "You know, my life would be a lot easier if I just killed you in your sleep."
"Then why don't you?" Boone said, readying his grip on his rifle.
"Cause we're not enemies." Felix stated obviously. "We may not be friends but we are allies. The enemy of my enemy, right?"
Boone sighed, easing up his grip. "I have no intention of ratting you out. A little goodwill from the NCR will go a long way in helping us in the field."
"Fine. But can we make this quick?"
It wasn't long after that they came upon the entrance to Camp McCarren. Felix was obviously tense, following a step behind Boone.
As they approached the guard station, the guard shouted to them. "Hey hey! First Recon! What's up?"
"Looking for work. Heard the brass is looking for mercs." Boone answered with a nod.
"Yeah." The guard nodded. "Shit's piled up a mile high around here. Dhatri's got the bounties. You know where to go?"
"Yeah."
The guard nodded back and rolled open the gate for them.
Felix followed Boone into the camp. His eyes fell on the rows and rows of tents and he couldn't stop himself. "Wow." He said quietly as they walked.
"Pretty impressive." Boone agreed.
"No, actually." Felix corrected.
"What?" Boone glared over at Felix.
Felix leaned in so only Boone could hear him. "You want impressive, you should have seen the camp at the Fort before the First Battle of Hoover Dam. Compared to that, this is nothing."
"You were in the battle?" Boone glared at Felix.
"No. Scout, remember? I was working with a smaller unit that crossed the river to the south." Felix stood back upright as they approached the lines of tents. He followed Boone through the twists and turns of the camp until they came upon a jovial looking, dark skinned, bearded man.
"Major." Boone said, coming to a stop and saluting. Felix watched the exchange with genuine curiosity.
The major turned abruptly and saluted back. "Well, I'll be damned! I'd heard whispers that the NCR's best sniper was back in the field." He offered a hand to Boone which Boone took. "Good to see you well, sergeant."
"Thank you, sir."
"What are you doing in McCarran? You're not here to reenlist, are you?" The major asked eagerly. "Cause we need every hand in the coming fight."
"No, sir."
"Too bad. Well, what can I help you with then?"
"Heard you had some bounties."
"You heard right. I've got three Fiends I want dead, and I don't give a goddamn how it gets done. That sound like something that interests you?"
"Yes, sir."
"First one calls herself Violet. God knows why - the name is the prettiest thing about her. Spends most of her time with a pack of vicious dogs. Then there's Driver Nephi. He's fast and he's brutal. Killed about a dozen of my men with a goddamn driver iron. Hence his name. And finally... Cook-cook. Rapist. Pyromaniac. And damn good chef, if you believe the Fiends we've captured. Probably the craziest of the lot. I'm not going to feed you any bullshit. These aren't your common Vegas trash. They've all killed good NCR men, and plenty of mercs, too. You go after them - any of them - you're in for a hell of a fight. So... which one is it going to be?"
"All three, sir."
The major laughed loudly. "That's what I like to hear! Anyone else and I'd think they were crazy but you just might manage it! Alright, you'll need info on you marks. Well, with Violet, watch out for the dogs. Nephi is one tough son of a bitch. You let him get close, and he'll take your head off. Alpha Team wants a crack at the bastard, so talk to Gorobets. And Cook-Cook. The piece of shit is pure animal. He raped one of my snipers, and that makes this personal. Also... he's got a flamethrower, and he's damn good with it."
"Raped?"
"Corporal Betsy."
Boone's shoulders started to shake at that and he clenched his fists. "Understood, sir."
"One more thing, Boone. No headshots. If you want the full reward, you need to bring me a recognizable head. My superiors need proof they're gone."
"Understood, sir."
"Good hunting, sergeant."
Felix followed as Boone turned and left. "If Alpha team wants a crack at this Nephi bastard we'll give it to them." Boone ground out as he walked. Boone led them to another tent. Felix's back stiffened when he saw the red berets in the tent.
"Well if it isn't the hero of Nelson!" A woman greeted when Boone steeped into the tent.
"Betsy." Boone replied. Felix stepped into the tent behind him. There were two young men in red berets, one woman who was relaxing on a couch and a man with some sort of rank. The last person, an older man in a Ranger hat with a customized rifle over his shoulder, confused Felix. Ranger, sniper or both? He wondered.
"What brings you to McCarren, Boone?" The older man in the ranger hat asked.
"Bounties."
"Alpha Team has some debts to settle with those Fiends." The man with rank said as he shook his head. "We've seen too many of our people hurt by those bastards. Nephi especially. He's strong as a Brahmin bull, and he's fast. Seems like he usually runs with a gang of Fiends. Uses them for cover. We haven't been able to get a clean shot at him."
Boone stepped back a step and put an arm around Felix's shoulders. Felix nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden gesture. "I brought bait." Boone said with a wicked grin.
"Ba…?" Felix asked as it clicked. He sighed loudly. "Fine."