Chapter 7

One Pardon for One Sheriff

I awoke the next day with a sore back from sleeping on the bench all night. I checked my Pip-Boy clock and realized that it was 9am. After sitting up I realized that I felt like a strip of dried brahmin. My muscles ached with dehydration. I needed to get water soon. As I stood to my feet, I walked over to the bar where I could see the bartender waiting for me.

"Jeez mister you look like hell. What can I get for you?", asked the bartender

With a raspy voice and a dry throat I said, "Water and keep them coming."

She gave me a bottle of water and I guzzled it down. I paid her a few caps and ordered a couple of squirrel bits and ate them slowly. As I finished a few bites, I looked at the other end of the bar and saw the woman named Cass. She was drinking whiskey from a glass with an almost empty bottle next to her and another full bottle next to that bottle. I got up from my seat and slid over next to her.

She gave me one look and said, "I'm not in the mood to talk or anything else, just let me drown in my sorrows."

"What happened to you?", I asked

"Lost my whole caravan in an attack. Now I'm all that's left of it. Spending what I have left trying to drown out the memories."

"If you lost your caravan in an attack, how are you still alive?"

"I wasn't there, a ranger received a report that the whole caravan guard and the merchants were turned to ash."

"I'm Levi Mathis, a courier with the Mojave Express, anyway that I can help?"

"Mathis, I'm Rose of Sharon Cassidy, most call me Cass. I told you I'm not in the mood for talkin' only drowning what I have left. You see I have had a string of bad luck over the years and I just can't take it anymore. Just leave me be."

"Okay, for now."

I got up from the bar stool, walked out of the barracks, and over to the Outpost HQ. As I entered the room, a soldier behind the desk looked at me and asked, "Hello, caravan, citizen, pilgrim, or…?"

I looked at him and said, "I'm sorry what are you talking about?"

"I just need something for the books with you passing through here."

"Courier, I need to speak to whoever is in charge of this outpost or an officer capable of handling requests."

"That would be me. I'm Major Knight. I'm not in charge but I can handle requests for Ranger Jackson or on behalf of the NCR."

"Primm is in need of a new sheriff, there is a man that can handle the job as he has had previous experience but he requires a pardon."

"Who is this man?"

"His name is Meyers, he was placed in prison for a crime he committed in his town back west. Is there anything I can do to clear his name?"

"Meyers, let me see his file hold on just a moment please." He logged into a computer and pulled up a record in his system.

"According to the system, Meyers was arrested and incarcerated for taking the law into his own hands. He killed three men without any cause that we could find."

"He is the only viable option to take over Primm after the previous sheriff was killed by Powder Gangers and other escaped convicts. What would it take to clear his name?"

"How about 300 caps?"

I looked in my backpack, I knew that I only had 400 caps and didn't want to spend almost everything I have to bribe this guy. I stood up looked Major Knight in the eye and said, "How about you fill out that pardon paperwork for 50 caps or I go let Ranger Jackson know that you're taking bribes."

"Alright, alright, quiet down fifty caps and you have a deal."

He turned around to the filing cabinet and pulled out a form. Knight began to fill out information for Meyers on the pardon sheet. After he finished the job, he began to input the information into the computer so that it could be sent around to the other outposts.

"Here take this request to the Lieutenant at the Primm camp. He will be able to state Meyers as the town sheriff."

I took the form, folded it up and placed it inside of my right hip pocket. As I walked out of the door, the major called back to me, "Oh and courier, keep that taking bribes thing down or Meyers will find his name on the most wanted list as will you."

I walked outside and saw a travelling merchant. I stopped him and restocked on my food and water supply. I now had four bottles of water, three containers of cram, and a container of pork n beans. As I began to walk down the hill towards the statues and back to Primm, I heard someone call my attention. I couldn't track them down at first until I realized that it was a woman on top of the barracks roof. She was holding a cowboy repeater, which is a lever action rifle that fires both .357 and .38 bullets. I ran over to the barracks and up a couple of ramps that led to the rooftop.

"You have a way of keeping your presence quiet. I like that. Name's Ghost, Ranger Ghost. It may be what I need to check on something if you would be willing to do that for me."

"Levi Mathis, what is it that you need from me?" I had heard of Ranger Ghost before she was an older sniper in the NCR but a damn good shot. Even at long range, she rarely used a scope and could hit a raider's head at 300 yards with open sights.

"Mathis look to the east, you see that smoke stack coming up from that town? That's Nipton and its gotten quiet, too quiet actually. I need someone to see what is going on. It may be trouble. Don't go heroic or anything like that. If you see trouble just quietly back away and report back to me, got it?"

"Understand. I need to return to Primm for a short time but I will investigate as soon as I finish there."

"Good luck. Make it back and I will give you some caps for your trouble."

"Thanks."

With that I began my journey back down the hill and made my way back to Primm. Without the Jackal gang members bothering me it was a quick trip. The journey back took about two hours. I checked my Pip-Boy, the current time was 2 pm. I made my way to the NCR camp and found Lieutenant Hayes. I gave him the pardon slip for Meyers. He agreed to let Meyers have the town and that his squad would be pulling out in a few days. Upon returning to the town I found Meyers held up in Beagle's shack discussing his plan for the town.

"Meyers you're a free man.", I said, "NCR has your pardon and will be leaving in a few days. Congratulations, Sheriff Meyers."

"Beagle I told you this was the man for the job. Thank you Mathis. I owe you. Now its time to get to running things around here. Beagle said you were looking for Johnson Nash, he's over at the Mojave convinced the people it was safe to come out of the Casino after we showed them the bodies of a few convicts. According to Beagle I have you to thank for that."

"Good luck you two." I said while leaving Beagle's shack.

I walked over to the Mojave Express. Johnson Nash was outside talking to a woman. When he saw me he came over and talked to me.

"Mr. Mathis, sorry I don't have any work right now but if you check back later I may have something for you."

"I'm not here for work, I'm here to report a stolen package. I was ambushed outside Goodsprings by three men, one was wearing a checkered suit."

"The package was stolen and you were shot? Seems like every other courier I had on that run either wound up dead or never heard from them again. As you saw courier four made it back here before being shot. Strange thing about that package and even your assignment. We had another man lined up as the sixth courier, but when he saw your name on the list as next in line, he walked out and said give him the assignment. Strange fellow that one was. But those men you are talking about came through here a few days ago. Talked about how bad the game was here and we needed to shut this shindig down. As they were leaving the man in the checkered suit said something about Novac. That's a small town east of here. Easiest way to get there is to go south along the road through Nipton, then follow the road on from there."

"The other courier saw my name and quit the assignment? Who was he?"

"Don't recall his name but he seemed to have beef with you. Said he was returning to the Divide. He also said you knew where to find him."

I knew where the Divide was but not this man he was speaking of, I made a note in my Pip-Boy to make a trip out there after my assignment was finished.

"The road from Nipton takes me to Novac? Alright thanks Johnson. I need to head to Nipton anyway apparently something strange is happening there as well."

"Good luck and be safe out there Mathis. Oh and thanks for everything."

I walked toward the edge of town, Beagle was waiting for me.

"Mathis, the sheriff asked me to give you this." He handed me a hunting rifle in great condition. "I've kept it well oiled and the parts in good shape. Should help you take down anyone that crosses your path. Meyers also asked if we could have your varmint rifle with the suppressor. He said he could make use of it. I have plenty of ammo for the hunting rifle and your ammo for the varmint rifle could also be used for our service rifles."

"Normally I like to keep my silenced weapons, but in this case I can't turn down a rifle like that."

I handed Beagle my varmint rifle and traded it for his hunting rifle. I emptied my bag of the 5.56mm cartridges and Beagle gave me fifty .308 rounds for my new hunting rifle. I tested holding the rifle and worked the bolt. Seemed to be in the great condition Beagle proclaimed it to be in. I placed five rifle cartridges inside the magazine and worked the bolt to ready a bullet.

"Also take these, they may come in handy until you can find a scope for that rifle.", said Beagle while handing me a pair of binoculars.

"Thanks Beagle, both of these items will definitely come in handy."

"Good luck out there Mathis, we appreciate what you've done."