CHAPTER 10 Freeside Blues

It was 11 o'clock as Ashley and Hunter and everyone else made it to the Gates of Freeside. They'd all smelt it before they saw it.

"What the hell is that smell?" Hunter asked with his nose plugged by his left hand. "It smells like Fermented Mirelurk Dipped in Super mutant piss." This earned him disgusted looks from everyone.

"Ah, you know what; I'm not even going to ask." Boone said pushing on the gate with Jericho and Charon, While Ashley and Cass Threw up their Breakfast. The gate opened with a groan and revealed Freeside. Empty cans and jet inhalers littered the street. Two kids ran into one of the ruined buildings, the boy had a weird looking toy gun pretending to shoot the girl. They continued to walk down the street, and passed a little store.

"Hey, we never stopped at Gun Runners." Hunter said. Ashley nodded. She made a sharp whistle to grab everyone's attention.

"All right now, it costs 2000 caps to enter the strip each now. If we split up and do a bunch of work for Freeside, we'll have an ally and money so, everyone, we'll bunk at The Old Mormon Fort. Ok go and make caps!" Ashley told them. Boone and Jericho when to the Atomic Wrangler with an unwanted follower (Cass), Charon made for the Followers Fort, and Veronica left to scavenge the ruined buildings.

"Ok, where do you buy guns here?" Hunter asked Ashley. She jerked her head over to a building that had double doors.

"Mick and Ralphs, I can get you outfitted with some new firepower from them, they owe me." Ashley replied. They walked to the store, when a man can up to them.

"Hey man! Lookin' for a fix? Jet? Psycho? I've got it all." He said. But the two ignored him. Hunter opened the door to the gun store. The inside was dark, but light enough to not run into anything. A man sat at a desk at the front of the store with Black medium length hair. Ashley walked to him.

"Hey Ralphy! Did ya miss me?" She said in a playful tone.

"Uh, in a word, No." He said. The newly redheaded woman rolled her eyes.

"Is Mick here? I can for my favor from him." She Asked. Ralph pointed with his thumb

"Yea, in back now go." He said. Ashley gestured Hunter to follow, and walked to the back. Another man that had sandy colored hair that was shorter than Ralph's, but longer that Hunter's hair.

"Oh god, not you again, you can for your favor didn't you." Mick asked Ashley when he noticed her.

"Yeah, hook up my friend here with any thing he wants." She replied. Mick sighed and pushed a button. The wall moved in and revealed an armory that could equip a small army.

"Time to look at some goodies." Hunter said with a Shit-Faced grin on his face.

MEANWHILE

"God Damn it Cass!" Jericho said, as Cass downed her 6th shot of Whiskey at The Atomic Wrangler. It wouldn't be so bad but the Shot Glass was the size of a MF cell that Laser rifles used. "We're tryin to make money not owe it!" He said.

"Come On!" Cass scoffed, as she poured and downed her 7th Shot. "I need a lot more that this to be hammered." She said. Boone just grunted and took a swig from his beer. Jericho sighed.

Hell, at this rate, we'll be begging for ammo. He thought. A tap on his shoulder jerked him from his thoughts, a slender, medium height woman in a black business suit with matching hair tied in a bun.

"I heard you're looking for some caps, I've got some work, if you're interested." She told him. Jericho raised an eyebrow.

"What's da jobs?" he asked.

"Collect owed caps, bout 600 in all, here's a list of the people that owe," she explaned, handing him a list. Jericho slipped it into his cigarette slot of his armor. "80-20 is the deal." She concluded.

"Come on, split it down the middle," He bartered, remembering the lessons he learned from the "Tales of a Jerktown Jerky Vendor" that Hunter gave him to read on breaks from the wastes. "It takes time and hard effort to do this kind of jobs." Jericho said with a hand out to shake on the deal. She thought for a minute and then shook it.

"Fine but it better be all there." She warned.

"Don't worry about anything, I've got it covered." Jericho stood and walked away from the bar and into Freeside.

A/N: Ok I'm back better than ever. With help from RatedRSuperStar87 I've come out of my writer block. Thanks and also, since I've first started this, 2,240 hits on this story. Damn! Never thought this would happen, oh and read and review. You guys rock. Sorry for the wait.