Chapter 6

The Road to the Outpost

As I began to walk away from Primm, I checked my varmint rifle. It was still in the same condition it was in when I left it. It was showing some wear on the bolt and the barrel. I would need to find means to make repairs soon, but it would be fine to use it for now. I began to head southwest towards the statues. As I got closer to the main road, it became dark. I decided to camp out between two large bushes where it appeared to be one bush. Lying down wasn't comfortable but I was concealed from any who walked by in the darkness. I checked the time on my Pip-Boy, it was just after 7pm. Quietly I took out my last container of Cram and my last bottle of water. I downed both in about ten minutes.

As I lay the containers on the ground I noticed movement to my left. Without making too much noise or giving away my hiding spot, I pulled my silenced .22 from my backpack. I could just make out the shape of two men walking cautiously toward the group of buildings about a quarter mile away. One was carrying a pistol from the looks of it while the other was carrying a sub-machine gun. As they got closer to the buildings, I could see them stopping every few feet checking for signs of life. Just as they reached the door, two other beings jumped out from behind a car on the far side of the building and shot both men in the head.

I realized that the two people had been there waiting all along. I had no clue of their intentions so I laid in the bush and wait to see their reaction to the dead bodies. I soon got my answer. One of the shooters, appeared to be female, shouted at the male and he approached the two dead men and began to strip them of their gear. As I lay there and watched them, I noticed that the shooters were not interested in the gear of the corpses, but the corpses themselves. I had heard of cannibalism out here in the wastes, but had been fortunate enough to never see it firsthand. The most common group of cannibals in the Mojave were the Jackal gang members, although there was a rumor on the Strip that one of the families had been cannibalistic at one point in time.

I watched the raiders as they began to cut up the bodies with knives and started a fire to cook the flesh, I knew that I had to stop them before more travellers succomb to the same fate. I quickly and quietly made my way out of the bush, grabbed my gear, and checked my backpack for what I could use. Taking one down quietly would have been easy but I always had to have a plan in case the other saw me before I could take them out, but of course there was the possibility that there may inside the building. I had one land mine left from the bridge at Primm and several sticks of dynamite. I also had my lighter for the dynamite and ammunition for my weapons.

I decided to go in quietly at first and if things got too hectic. As I edged closer I could hear one of them speaking.

"...should hurry and get these done before more arrive or the others inside start bitching again."

The man didn't say anything he just continued to strip the gear off the second victim while the first built a fire. I remained squatted down and managed to make my way around the back side of the building. There was a ramp on the backside of the building leading to the roof. I had my vantage point. I found a lead pipe on the roof and picked it up. I threw the pipe at the ruined car on the far side of the building. The Jackals both stood up with fear and excitement wondering what had caused the noise.

"...I don't know go check it out and I'll stay with the food." ,said the woman.

The man began to head to the car. I pulled up my varmint rifle aimed for the woman's head and fired. The bullet struck her and she hit the ground. As she fell next to the slowly building fire, the other Jackal was walking up the ramp. I quickly worked the bolt on my rifle and shot him in the head as well. After he went down, I checked his supplies. He was carrying a 10mm pistol with about 7 rounds remaining. The gun was in decent shape so I placed it in my backpack and took his ammo. I went down by the fire and checked the female for any supplies. She carried a 10mm sub-machine gun but it was in poor condition. She did have about 10 rounds remaining for the weapon. I took the ammunition and had a clever idea to take out the remaining gang members.

I opened my back and took out my frag mine and all four sticks of dynamite. I began to tie all of the fuses from the dynamite together making sure to leave a hole large enough in the middle to place the frag mine. I placed the four tied together dynamite down on the ground about ten feet away from the campfire, and I dragged both jackals over to the explosives. I placed each corpse next to a stick of dynamite. To finish the trap I placed the mine in the middle of the dynamite which was between the dead bodies. I armed the mine and got away quickly. As I started to head back to my vantage point on the roof of the building, I banged on the door as hard as I could. As I ran away I could hear mumbled voices approaching the door.

The door swung open and three more Jackals walked outside. Each Jackal had the same surprise sound as they saw their fellow gang members laying on the ground. All three ran over to check on their fallen comrades. I began to smirk as they got closer, and I readied my rifle. Before they knew it, they heard a beeping noise from the mine. Once they realized it, it was too late.

"...OOOH SHI…"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!

Bodies flew in pieces in the air, some of those that were already dead, others of the Jackals that came out to check on the noise. When they hit the ground, all there was to be seen was charred pieces of limbs and ash. The door burst open again after the explosion and two more Jackals ran out screaming. They saw the carnage that had become their gang members and began looking around for the cause. One was standing by the site of the explosion, the other was directly underneath me. I quickly unsheathed my knife and jumped down stabbing the hopeless Jackal under me in the back of the neck. As he went down, I pulled my 9mm out and shot the other Jackal in the chest. As he grasped the bullet hole, his eyes grew wide at the realization as to what just occurred. He fell to the ground gasping as the blood poured from his chest. Eventually he lay still. I took my knife from the man on the ground next to me, and wiped the blood on his vest. I sheathed the knife and placed my 9mm back in the hip holster. Grabbing my varmint rifle, I crouched down and walked inside the building to ensure that it was clear.

The room was dark except for a few makeshift lights generating power from old batteries that were laying around. I crept around the main room. I found a sign that had been painted on the wall that appeared to say "Nevada Highway Patrol". There wasn't much in the way of supplies in the room. There was another door in the building that went down a hallway with jail cells. Other than a couple of mantis' there was a lone dead body in a jail cell.

I decided that I had cleared what I had now realized was the Nevada Highway Patrol Station, I left the building and began to head back toward the ranger statues to the Mojave Outpost. The walk was still about 4 miles away but with no food or water left in my backpack, I decided to keep going. I was too awake from the adrenaline rush I had from the battle with the Jackals. The remainder of the trip remained quiet. I passed by an old abandoned gas station that was riddled with radscorpions. I avoided them, with only a few stimpacks and no other medical supplies, I had no means to treat a scorpion sting let alone many scorpion stings. As I reached the bottom of the hill in which the Outpost lay at the top, I felt a wave of relief and exhaustion roll over me. I wanted to pass out right then and there but I needed to keep going in case someone or something were to find me passed out in the middle of the road.

The final hill was filled with old cars and military supply trucks. I climbed into one of the supply trucks looking for anything that I could use. I managed to find a can of pork n' beans that I busted open and ate immediately. Though they weren't the greatest, I was feeling better, but I was still thirsty. I needed to complete my journey up the hill before dehydration and exhaustion set in. The climb was harsh. Each step began to feel like a mile walk.

As I arrived at the Mojave Outpost it was just after 1am. I made my way to the barracks and asked the guard if I could crash on one of the bunks.

He took a look at me and said, "You look like hell sir but unfortunately the bunks are full right now with a unit that is passing through. But you can stay on a bench here in the bar area. Just don't mind Cass, the drunk at the bar, she eventually will pass out anywhere."

"Thanks."

I walked into the bar area. There were stools around the bar as well as a few tables spread out throughout the room. I found the bench area the guard described to me. There were two benches against the wall and one was occupied by a woman with red hair and a cowboy hat. She was beautiful but wreaked of whiskey. This must be Cass I thought. I crawled onto the other bench and passed out immediately.