The intense heat of the Mojave, trapped in the black asphalt of the road, burned through Colt's boots and dispersed to the rest of his body. Beads of sweat, caused by the heat and the feeling of anxiety, dripped down Colt's face. Despite all of the heat, Colt felt better knowing that he had a friend traveling with him. An unexpected friend, but a friend nonetheless. They neared the town of Nipton. A small deserted settlement devoid of human life completely. It was the only way Colt could get to New Vegas without having to take on the Powder Gangers and Deathclaws head on. But, Colt still had a very ominous feeling about it… as if there was something waiting for the two companions.
They entered the town. The buildings were covered in soot; the remnants of past fires that burned here. Some of the building's doors and windows were boarded up. Colt guessed they did it for protection from Caesar's Legion, although, it didn't keep them out completely. The roads were covered with dried, black blood; blood of innocent people murdered to prove a point and to intimidate an enemy. Crosses made of old lamp posts and electrical poles dotted the roads. On the crosses were seared, decaying skeletons of the former inhabitants of Nipton. They were burned as they hung on them. They suffered a horrible death at the hands of a group lower than a bunch of tribals. They died in vain and as a threat to a nation they didn't care for and that didn't care for them. Colt felt sorrow for them; the same sorrow he felt for his family.
"We have to be careful here," Cass whispered. She brought Colt back to the world. He wiped away a tear that was beginning to form.
"Why?" Colt asked in a hushed tone.
"Legion raiders came through here and killed everyone."
"I heard someone already wiped 'em out. So, why do we have to be careful?"
"Because, Caesar's Legion are like cockroaches; you step on one and ten more fucking pop up."
Colt nodded. The two put their backs to the southern wall of the Nipton Trading Post. They slowly made their way to the eastern edge. Colt peeked around the corner of the building. The main road was dotted with more deserted buildings and crosses bearing skeletons. At the end of the main road was the town hall. The broken, cracked road was clear of any life. Colt made a motion for Cass to follow and they slowly made their way down the road. Their footsteps and the small pebbles and pieces of rubble they kicked up echoed in the empty town.
The two managed to get half way up the road when Colt noticed something strange. At first, the echo of the two sets of footsteps was quiet and subtle. But, as they walked farther down the road, the footsteps became louder and more pronounced; as if there were more than just two people walking. Colt stopped and motioned for Cass to stop as well.
"What is it?" Cass asked.
"Shhhh…"
Four sets of footsteps echoed out while the two stayed still. Colt and Cass tightened their grips on their weapons. Four men turned onto the main road from the right. They each carried a .44 magnum revolver and were dressed in black, leather jackets and blue denim jeans. Two of them wore black bandanas, a third wore a black cap, and the last, who seemed to be the leader, wore a pair of sunglasses. On their jacket's right breast was a small emblem of a rearing stallion; the emblem of The Stallions, the gang that Colt had been hunting for the past few years of his life. A quick movement on the town hall roof caught Colt's eye. Another man in a leather jacket was wielding a sniper rifle and taking up a sniping position.
Colt turned to Cass, "This probably isn't going to end well. Just let me handle the talking and when the bullets start flying, do as I say and we won't get killed. Understand?"
"Don't you worry about me," Cass said with a smirk, "I can handle myself."
The gang members walked down the main road and stopped a few yards away from the two travelers. The man with sunglasses looked at Cass and then Colt.
"You've come a long way Colt. You even managed to pick up a… girlfriend along the way," the leader said, looking at Cass.
"What do you want?" Colt asked before Cass could let out a smart remark that would surely get them both killed. Although, it was obvious what the gang member's wanted.
"The boss heard you were coming to kill him," a devilish grin came across the leader's face, "he just wanted us to finish the job we started a couple years ago."
"So, what, you're going to kill us?" Cass asked.
"Oh, no, darlin'. We're going to just kill Colt here. You, on the other hand," the leader's grin grew wider, "I'm sure the boys would love to have a girl around the camp."
"Well, you're going to have a hard time getting me there."
The leader laughed, "That's what they all say." He drew his pistol and shot a bullet at Colt.
Colt foresaw the move and just barely managed to dodge the bullet. He felt the force built up around the bullet as it traveled inches past his head. Colt backed into cover behind a building to the left as the leader of the small raiding party started shooting off rounds at Colt. Cass backed into cover behind a building to the right. The rest of the gang members drew their revolvers and followed their leader by shooting random shots.
"They aren't the best shooters in the world, are they?" Cass yelled over the dischargement of firearms. She peeked around the corner and fired a buckshot round at one of the Stallions. The man with the cap took it full in the chest and he flew back a couple of feet before coming to rest in a pool of blood.
"Nope." Colt answered Cass as he peeked around the corner and fired a three round burst at one of the thugs. The three 5.56mm bullets landed with pin point accuracy on their target. Blood splashed out of the wounds and stained the gang member's jacket and the road. He grabbed his chest where the bullets landed and he slumped to the ground. He laid still for the rest of the fight.
The last two remaining members, the leader and one of the grunts, retreated backed to two piles of tires. There, they reloaded their weapons and continued to waste their ammo by firing off shots without any direction or target.
"We were pretty good shots when we shot them in the head, Colt! You remember, don't you? It wasn't that long ago!" The leader shot more rounds at Colt. Cass turned to Colt. What did this man mean? Her train of thought was interrupted by a bullet that chipped the edge of the building near her.
"You fucking bitch! Why don't you say that to my face?" Colt leaned around the corner of the building and fired four more rounds at the leader. All the rounds craved for blood but got rubber as they hit the pile of tires protecting the leader. Colt managed to get back into cover when a bullet from the sniper hit just above his head.
"I will… when you're on the ground covered in blood and we have that bitch of yours over there in ropes! We gonna have fun with her!" The leader fired off another volley of bullets, hitting everything except Colt.
"Oh, we're gonna have fun… when this buckshot meets your fucking chest and my boot meets your fucking face, you psychopath!" Cass held her shotgun out in the open and blindly fired another buckshot round. The round hit the tires the Stallions were using for cover and none of the metal beads hit their intended target.
Colt noticed that they would just be wasting ammo shooting at the tires. He signaled for Cass with a cutthroat motion and mouthed, "Its no use. Don't waste ammo." Cass nodded and held in cover.
"Oh, what's wrong? You've given up? Fucking pansies!" The leader yelled, shooting another six bullets.
"I'm sick of this guy," Colt said to himself as he dug into his bag and pulled out a spherical, metal object colored green; a hand grenade he found on a dead NCR Trooper. He was saving it for a rainy day… but how often does it rain in the desert? Colt threw the grenade up in the air and caught it, a grin wider than the Grand Canyon plastered on his face. He whistled for Cass and showed her the high explosive. She almost bust out into a riotous laugh, but managed to keep her composure and keep her cover.
Colt peeked around the corner to get a proper aim on his target but a bullet from the sniper forced him to retreat back. He whistled for Cass. She looked at him, waiting for her orders. Colt pointed up towards the roof of the town hall. Cass peeked around the corner and nodded. She stepped out and fired another buckshot round towards the sniper and went back into cover. Some of the thousands of metal beads inside the round struck the edge of the building. He stumbled back out fear and astonishment; giving Colt a chance to give the gang members a present.
"Hey, I got a present for you guys!" Colt yelled as he pulled the pin of the grenade, but held the primer down, preventing the grenade from exploding.
"Is it that cowgirl bitch of yours? I promise I'll treat her rough, just how they like it!" The gang leader called out, laughing a sadistic laugh.
"Nope. But, you're gonna get a real bang out of it!" Colt peeked around the corner and threw the live grenade towards the leader. The grenade landed just a few inches away from the man.
"What the fuck?" The leader called out as he fell back, flabbergasted at the grenade. He stumbled and stuttered, not knowing what to do. Then, he picked up the grenade, intending to throw it back. But he had waited too long to throw the explosive and only managed to lunge the grenade a few feet away before it exploded, sending a hail of shrapnel into his chest. The leader fell backwards, clutching his torso as dark red blood seeped out of his wounds, through his jacket, and onto his hands.
"Are you okay, boss?" The leftover thug asked his injured commander as he foolishly stood and left himself open.
"No, he's not," Cass said as she stepped out of cover and shot another buckshot round. The round hit the thug. Some of the shot hit his torso, but sixty percent of the beads struck his head, blowing a portion of his skull and jawbone apart. The thug fell to the ground limp, cold, and dead with blood pouring out of his open skull like a crimson Colorado River.
The sniper on the roof had regained his composure and was beginning to take aim on Cass, but, Colt stepped out of his cover and intervened with fate. He shot a three round burst at the sniper. Two of the bullets met their mark with deadly accuracy. The sniper hovered for a second as he clutched the impact area; his stomach and breast. Then, he fell from his perch and hit the ground below with a sick, bone shattering crunch.
The bullets stopped flying. The fighting had stopped. The town of Nipton was quiet once more; four new people added to the death that has taken place here. But, these four new people, who suffered untimely ends, deserved to die.
Colt gave Cass a motion to follow and the two moved into the town center, slowly, with their weapons at the ready for anymore surprises. They passed the four bodies of the dead Stallion thugs and stood looming over the, still alive, leader of the group like vultures flying over an injured coyote. The leader, lying in his own pool of deep red blood, grunted with pain and looked from Cass' eyes to Colt's. There was fear in his eyes; fear for his life. The same fear Colt's family and friends felt before...
"Well, it looks like you're the one lying in the pool of blood," Colt said to the injured man as he shouldered his assault rifle.
The leader desperately tried to reach for his revolver, but Cass laid her boot on the man's hand, stopping him, "No, you don't."
The former leader of the group yelped as Cass put pressure on his hand. The ear-deafening crack of bones breaking echoed out. The man screamed as his hand began to break underneath the pressure of Cass' foot. It was as if she was stepping on a twig.
"Alright, alright," Colt pulled Cass back a bit, "We need him alive, not dead. That much pain is going to kill him."
"Fine," Cass scoffed as she took her foot off the gang member's hand. The leader of the raiding group yelped as he retracted his hand and put it against his chest, as if it was going to help ease his pain.
"Now," Colt squatted next to the man. As Colt got closer, he saw tears in the man's eyes. Was this from pain or fear? Colt didn't know… but he was glad there tears in the man's eyes. "Who are you?"
"W-Why do you want to know who I am?" The Stallions gang member shuddered. Colt imagined he was in intense pain and that's why he was shuddering so violently.
"Because, it's easier to… deal with someone when you know their name. So, tell me, what's your name?"
"M-My n-name is I-Ivan." Ivan's shudder became worse and he started to turn pale.
"Right, we're going to have to make this quick," Colt said, sensing the change in Ivan's health.
"Why?" Cass asked as she bent down on the other side of Ivan.
"Because, he's losing a lot of blood and he's turning pale. He's getting ready to go into Hypovolemia, a type of shock, from the severe blood loss... and I can hardly understand what the fuck he's saying because he's shuddering from the pain caused by the chest full of shrapnel and you breaking his hand… nice work by the way," Colt let out a small smile.
Cass smiled back, "A girl can try."
"Y-You can t-try? Y-You c-can try t-to s-suck-" Colt sent Ivan into a screaming fit as he applied pressure to Ivan's near broken hand with his index finger.
"Now, now," Colt said with a soft chuckle, "we don't need that kind of language around a lady." Colt looked out of the corner of his eye; Cass' cheeks were a rosey red.
"O-O-Okay! O-O-Okay! J-Just stop!"
Colt lifted his finger off of Ivan's hand. Ivan started gasping harshly and hyperventilating.
"Alright, Ivan, tell me where the gang is headquartered."
"N-N-Now w-why would I-I d-do that?"
"You know," Cass put her finger to her chin, "I think this shithead is just stalling us until he goes into shock."
Ivan let out a shuttering laugh. "Y-You r-r-read m-me l-like an o-open b-book."
"Look," Colt pulled out his .357 magnum, the eagle engraving dug into his skin as he gripped it tightly, "Either you tell me where your boss is and we let you go free, and hopefully go into shock and die," he shoved the revolver's barrel into Ivan's mouth, "or I kill you right here and right now." Ivan's eyes grew wider.
"O-O-Okay, o-o-okay! I'll t-t-tell y-you." Ivan's answered, his voice muffled by the revolver's barrel. Colt removed the barrel. "A-Alright," Ivan took in sharp gasps and continued, "o-o-our b-base c-c-camp is in t-t-the E-Eldorado D-D-Dry L-Lake j-just n-n-north of N-N-Novac a-and H-H-Helios O-One."
"Good. Thanks for the information. You just saved us from having to take a really long trip." Colt stood and motioned with a jerk of his head for Cass to follow.
The two walked away from the broken man. Colt made it only a few feet away before he stopped, revolver still in hand. He turned back around to Ivan, who was struggling to stand up on his feet like an infant trying to walk. Cass realized Colt wasn't following and turned to see what the problem was; Colt was standing with his revolver pointed at Ivan.
Cass grabbed his arm, "Come on, you said you would let him live."
Colt looked back at Cass with a cold, heartless face, "No, this man is with that gang. They all need to die. None of them deserve to live for what they did," Colt turned back to Ivan who was looking at Colt with fear still in his eyes.
Colt cocked back the hammer of the revolver, ready to shoot. The fear in Ivan's eyes soaked into him. Was that the look his family members had in their eyes? A tear came to Colt's eye and he lowered the gun.
"Get out of here," Colt yelled. Ivan just stood and looked at the man who was ready to kill him. Colt wiped another tear from his eye. "Go, get! Before I change my mind and shoot you like the dog you are!"
Ivan stumbled forward. He regained his balance and jogged, limply away from the two. Colt watched the man as he jogged away, a trail of blood following him. Colt holstered his revolver and turned back to Cass. Cass had a hard look on her face; she was bewildered at why Colt was trying so hard to get rid of this gang.
Colt pointed a finger at her, "I'm telling you; if we find the leader of the Stallions, he's not going to be left alive. I will kill him." Cass solemnly nodded. "Come on," Colt said, motioning for Cass to follow, "let's get going."
The two set off; their next stop, Novac. As they walked to Novac, Colt thought about why he spared that Stallion bastard. Was it out of pity? Out of sorrow? Out of… love? If Cass hadn't have said something, Colt, more than likely, would've killed Ivan without a second thought. Does he have feelings for Cass? She has been the only one he could truly connect with. She's felt his pain. She knows what its like to lose everything and she knows what its like to wander aimlessly without any thought or doubt. Colt guessed that he might've finally found someone that understands him.