Chapter 88: Money Game

Levi poured himself another shot as he sat in his office. Things had closed for the night and the brokers and staff had returned home for the night. The last week had been a disaster for the Market. Between the stalling of the Wild Khans and the absolute failure to absorb New Vegas as planned, this was the longest Levi had ever gone without a win. If he was lucky, Abacus would be distracted by other matters to the north and the east. If he wasn't, then Abacus had already selected his successor and all he could do was wait until their arrival and he would be forcibly disappeared.

As the reflection in his brandy stared back at him, he pushed away the drink as his face nearly slammed into his desk. All his years of climbing, all his years out in the wasteland. All the endless bartering, dealing, swindling, cheating, and every now and then a fair deal and signed contract, it was all going to culminate in his obsolescence. The fate that had befallen so many to accommodate his own rise was about to befall him any day now. Perhaps any hour.

He pondered whether or not he should go out the way many of his previous executives did when their number was up. The preferred method was an all-night party with jet, hookers, and enough live ammo to deal with any uninvited guests. That method resulted in two vacancies that Levi filled in the last five years, thanks to some spiked jet the first time and a smuggled knife on one of the girls the other. Sometimes subtlety was its own virtue.

As he pulled open his drawer to see that the magnum he hid within it was still loaded, he pondered who or what Abacus would send to dispose of him. Most of his assets were in the wind or on the lam. Brodie was apparently coming back with his tail between his legs, and he'd lost contact with Ariel and Vulpes. Things were looking pretty bleak, and right now only a miracle could brighten his day.

His phone on his desk began to go off. Levi glanced at the ID on the monitor next to it, recognizing the serial number of the robot that was calling him. It was Ariels! He scrambled for his phone and brought it to his ear. "THIS HAD BETTER BE SOME FUCKING AMAZING NEWS, ARI!" he snarled.

"Ariel's out of the picture. You'll have to talk to me," the voice on the other end answered.

Levi blinked. "…Duncan?"

"Wrong name."

Levi began to sigh in relief. "Of course, Cade. My favorite malcontent. You're not a social one, how'd you get this number?"

"Ariel didn't need her eyebot anymore, so I relieved it from her,"

"Cade, did you kill her?" Levi asked.

"I may as well have," came the reply.

"And what's the status of her organization?" Levi responded.

"Permanently out of commission. And no, that wasn't my fault."

Levi stayed on the line, silently. "…Mostly," came the confession.

A small smile crept onto Levi's face. Cade was the hardest agent to get in contact with, but success in doing so usually came with the best results. Despite himself, he couldn't help but give Cade a little more respect than he did for the rest of the other contractors. Probably because of how far back the two went.

A bit over two decades ago, Levi Glasser was just a humble merchant who braved the wasteland with nothing but his instincts for business, his can do attitude, a small loan of several tens of thousands of caps, and a caravan train of brahmin along with a platoon of hired security. Well, perhaps merchant lord was a more apt descriptor, but giving himself such a title at that point in time with the RMX amounted to little more than putting an even bigger target on his back.

He arrived in that shitty little desert community with those religious nutters sometime after the rainy season. He had set up a stall in their market and showed off his wares to the yokels, ranging from energy cells to preserved fruits the likes of which none of these people had likely ever seen before. Despite some drama earlier, things were going well that evening until several of the community guards approached him, clearly a bunch of hotshot rookies looking for a chance to make their mark with the rest of their companions. In this case, the issue being that Levi hadn't paid a "lot tithe" to reserve his spot in the market. Levi was well aware of the rule before he had entered the community, but between him having intimidated the other "competitors" off the lot and having a small army for security, the cocky young merchant didn't see why he needed to spare some of his own hard-earned money to appease a cult.

As his guards began approaching and looming over the local militia, one by one they lost their nerves and pulled away from the confrontation, not wanting to incite an incident with the powerful vendor. All of them, that was, except one. The kid just kept glowering at him even as Levi continued to ignore the militia's demands to abide by their quaint and paltry rules. He kept ignoring him until the kid, quick as lightning, drew his rifle well before the rest of the guards realized what had happened. Levi remembered putting down his adding machine as he looked down the barrel of the weapon, and the born killer holding it.

"You realize you're surrounded, boy? Do you honestly believe you can outshoot everyone I brought with me?"

"I only have to shoot you," came the reply.

"…You're really willing to murder me over some fee?" Levi asked.

"All merchants are supposed to pay the tithe, no exceptions," came the reply.

"Kid, I've been selling nothing but wares all day, with all the commerce I've brought to this little shantytown, I think I've more than…"

"No. Exceptions," the kid replied, his rifle still trained on him.

Levi remembered smiling wide. "…You don't give a damn, do you?"

"There's a box outside the church where your tithe will be accepted," the kid explained.

"…Lead the way," Levi remembered replying, waving off his guards as he followed the kids lead, not taking his eyes off him. He remembered keeping eye contact with the kid as he opened the box outside the church, reached to his belt, and dumped an excessive amount of Legion coins into the box. "Keep the change," he added, patronizingly. The boy was satisfied with the outcome, shouldering his rifle as he turned to approach his superiors who looked at him with shock and barely concealed fury. The boy surrendered his rifle and marched straight to the jailhouse.

Before he left that town, Levi paid a visit to the jailhouse, wishing to say a few parting words to the ethical guardsman. Levi then gave the kid a business card before he left, saying that if he ever got sick of "charity work," Levi could give him a real job more suited for his abilities. Sure enough, a few years later the boy would take him up on that offer. The only condition was that the subject of New Canaan was buried forever.

"So, got any good news for me, kid?" Levi asked as he leaned back in his recliner.

"That depends. The bounty on Barabbas is still active, right?"

Levi leaned forward as the sentence registered to him. After a few seconds of silence, a slow smile crept onto his face. "…You didn't…"

"Not completely. The big man is dealing with a near-terminal case of gutshot right now," Cade explained.

"CADE, I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT "NEAR-TERMINAL!" THERE ISN'T A SINGLE THING ABOUT "NEAR-TERMINAL" THAT'S WORTH A GODDAMN CAP!" Levi shrieked.

"Did I mention the army bearing down on him that has him outflanked and outnumbered? And is being led by a ruthless warlord you've already dealt with and another of your favorite agents? By morning he'll be dead or fled, which for a guy like that is the same damn thing," Cade continued. "So feel free to open my account and reserve that bounty."

There were things Levi could expect from Cade after working with him for years. False promises were not among them. Cade never accepted a bounty for a target he couldn't verify, like that mysterious asshole in the space suit that Cade claimed had vanished after his termination. Visitors born from the stars aside, Cade possessed attributes that Levi couldn't buy with money (and not for lack of trying). Things like trust and integrity. And should the word get back, that Levi could officially say that the Dallas issue had been resolved satisfactorily, he could do a lot more than stay the hand of his executioner. This had Central Market Chief Officer written all over it.

"…Cade, my boy, I do believe you have done me the greatest favor ever," Levi grinned.

"Damn straight. I need an extraction team near my position ASAP," Cade demanded.

"What, not interested in the fireworks?" Levi goaded the killer.

"No one's paying me to fight a war. I'm already packed, so give me my coordinates and get me to a safe house."

"Finally getting that Ozark property with that fine red-headed piece of ass, eh?" Levi chuckled.

"Coordinates!" Cade spat.

"Ok, ok, fine, not much for small talk, I get it," Levi surrendered as he began typing up the last known coordinates for his agents. "…Ok, looks like we have a Slaver's Union patrol about thirty miles north of your position in about four days. They'll take you to the mountains. And I'll be expecting you in Aspen by the end of the month. I doubt I'm the only one getting a promotion. How's Chief Enforcer sound?"

Cade cocked an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"Yeah, my previous Chief Enforcer is currently on his way back from an unsuccessful Vegas trip with his tail between his legs and what's left of his paramilitaries. Normally I'd order Emma to take care of him, but for some reason, it's a bitch to get in contact with him. Plus I'm thinking of doing the honors personally," Levi said as he pulled out his magnum. "Unless you're interested?"

"I'll pass," Cade replied. "I've never had a personal issue with Brodie. Sounds like it's your issue, not mine."

"Are you actually buying his whole family values "I'm doing this all for my kids" bullshit?" Levi laughed. "I thought you signed on to get away from that tripe?"

Cade's hand clenched into a fist before relaxing. "Thin ice, Levi."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, I've got a safe house with your name on it ready to go. It'll take a few days to reach it, but that never bothers you, eh? Now, about the matter of your pay… what's that fucking racket?"

Cade had been trying to ignore the cheers of jubilation going on outside his tent. At most, the best he could do was tolerate the Legion, and even the very word "party" sent a chill up his introverted spine. Hesitantly, he excused himself from the call as he went out to investigate.

Levi kept the line open as his nerves gradually began to calm. He would get out of this yet. With Scorpio, one of his best customers, in charge of the whole of Texas, Levi's grip on that developing market was as good as secure. With that safe and set, he could return his gaze to the NCR and Vegas. He'd have to pry Urangal to continue his warpath against the West Coast, looking to avenge the family that was secretly and safely in Levi's custody. Then he'd take on Vegas directly. As much as the RMX wasn't cut out for all-out battle, there was a reason Levi had a few accounts that he labeled "war funds." If necessary, he'd assemble the largest mercenary army the wasteland had ever seen. Hell, maybe even offer up some deals to Scorpio and Jefferson for their assistance. In the end, though, Vegas would be his. To barter, to sell, to own, perhaps even to rule. Levi took a sip of his brandy, this time enjoying the drink rather than using it to numb himself. Why would he need to numb himself now?

His pleasantly mundane euphoria was interrupted by a knock on the door. Grimacing as he was brought back to the world, Levi grumbled as he looked at the time. "OFFICE HOURS START IN THE GODDAMN MORNING, SO THIS HAD BETTER BE-"

As Cade pushed his way through the crowd, he approached the main path of the camp and noticed a small procession approaching him up the hill. Looking down he saw a small unit of those Midwest Marauders heading up the hill, keeping the rest of the legionaries from interfering as he saw the figures within. One was an old man wearing some Old-World military attire, grumbling and shooting glances all around him. He was dragging someone with him.

Rosa dug her feet into the ground as she tried to wrench herself free of the old man. As the jeers and taunts flooded around her, she kept her eyes to the ground, trying to hide her anxiousness. With her mouth gagged and her hands literally tied, she could do nothing but stay within her escort and hold onto whatever fleeting hopes she could cling to.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rosa saw a figure who wasn't wearing football pads or priestly garb. Her eyes quickly darted to the figure standing behind the row of ridiculing legionaries to her right. As she looked back down, the recognition dawned on her. Looking back, she locked eyes with Cade. And for the briefest of moments, she forgot why she was here.

Immediately slipping out of Dalton's grip, she rushed through the power-armored escorts and darted between the pair of legionaries between her and Cade. Unable to scream and with her arms bound too tightly to throw a punch, Rosa immediately settled on what she would do. Lifting herself off the ground, she brought her feet towards Cade with the precision and violence of a missile. With everyone too stunned by the sudden and spontaneous escape attempt, no one saw fit to act until Cade was crumpled onto the ground, clutching his gut as he wheezed while Rosa fought to pick herself up.

Immediately, an arm was wrapped around her neck as Dalton dragged her away from the object of her wrath. "YOU LITTLE IDIOT!" the old man growled as he brought Rosa back within their armored escort before the legionaries could take their own liberties with her. Cade got back to his feet as he fought to keep his lungs inside his throat, remembering why he hated parties and anything like them.

As he looked over the now retreating figures up the path, he noticed a familiar orange eye looming over the legionaries on the other side of the path. Sawney kept his vision trained on the figures as they made their way up the hill, only this time not in his usual slobbering idiocy. It seemed like Sawney was keeping his eye on one particular individual with a sense of hateful recognition. Honestly, Cade was just happy that he was someone else's problem, and paid no mind.

Cade returned to his tent without ceremony, waving off the concerns of any nearby legionaries as he returned and closed the flap behind him. This tent was fit for a squad of eight, one of the rare surplus stock Scorpio had brought with him. The gunner didn't really need a place to sleep, but privacy was a different matter, so when he realized that planting a bullet in the Great Bull gave him leverage, he didn't hesitate to exploit it. Seeing his undisturbed eyebot waiting for him, Cade returned to the phone that hung from its wire and picked it back up.

"Nothing important, Levi. Just the Legion doing its usual twisted Legion shit."

"I can only imagine."

Cade's blood ran cold. That wasn't Levi's voice. But he did recognize it.

"…Ariel?"

"Dunk, it hasn't been damn long enough. You must have been busy."

"Where's Levi?" Cade growled.

"He's a little busy cleaning some red stains off his carpet. I hear vinegar is good for that. No idea what to do about grey matter, though."

"What are you doing?" Cade growled.

"That's a good question, Dunk. Right now, I'm disabling some security so some of my new friends can access a nearby villa and take some women and children back home. I'm sure Urangal will feel mighty embarrassed that he was suckered into picking a fight with the NCR to avenge his still-living family, but we all have to swallow some bitter pills every now and then."

"I'm sure we do," Cade snarled. "Working with the NCR, that's pathetic coming from you."

"Well, I've had to do some maturing these past few weeks. Recently I came to the conclusion that there are some things worse than California. Like having a former recruit gunner kill one of the last few people I still cared for."

"Never did think much of teamwork," Cade snorted.

"Of course, you were always the "Lone Wolf" type. Anything to avoid using your social skills, Dunk," Ariel taunted.

"And look where yours got you," Cade sneered. "Your whole gang is taking the Long Dirtnap. It pays to stay independent."

"…Does it?"

Cade could feel the smile in Ariel's voice. "…What are you doing?"

"…Wow, so that's where all your money goes?"

"That's mine!"

"Relax, I won't take a single red cap. Most of this is Market credit anyway, and some real estate out in the… Ozarks? You actually thought you were going to retire?" Ariel chuckled.

"Close the account NOW!" Cade snarled.

"Just about… that's a lot of zeroes," Ariel whistled. "Now, normally this is as far as I could go by my lonesome, but thankfully our dear Glasser accessed this terminal using his admin privileges, so I don't have to waste time guessing his password. Now then, where is… oh-ho-ho, there it is."

"What are you doing?!" Cade fought back the panic in his voice as he heard typing over the line. As the seconds dragged onto an agonizing minute, Cade began praying that he could somehow invent a way to send a bullet through the radio.

"…Just wait for a second, I need to set out the APB, you should be getting it in 3…2…"

The telescreen on Cade's stolen eyebot activated and the automated voice began to recite the following. "…Attention, all liquidator teams Tier 4 and above. Active bounty is now posted on former liquidator "Cade." Wanted for their involvement in the murder of Leviticus Glasser and the theft of critical company assets. Known to travel alone and is considered extremely dangerous. Also known to go by the following aliases: Keith Fletcher, Guy Chapman, Tom Doyle, Jackie Glanton, Duncan Schmitt, Bartholomew Harris, and Larry Perrault. Current Bounty: 3,736,921 caps." The image of Cade's employment photo staring back at him from the screen taunted the gunner as his emotions bubbled to the surface.

"THAT'S MY MONEY!" Cade shrieked.

"And now it'll be used to kill you. I mean, you could go to the Central Market to get the bounty revoked, but between all the liquidators you'll have to kill to get there, you'd just be digging yourself deeper, wouldn't you?" Ariel purred as she kicked her feet on top of the desk.

"YOU FUCKING GREASER BITCH!" Cade snarled. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"Come and get me, Schmitt," Ariel replied as she leveled her revolver toward the phone and pulled the trigger.

"YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE SO FUCKING DEAD! YOU FUCKING BITCH! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Cade screamed into the receiver. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU LIKE THE REST OF YOUR DUMBASS GANG! YOU'RE GOING TO WISH YOU NEVER LEFT FUCKING VEGAS! AND YOUR DAUGHTER, OH YOUR LITTLE GIRL?! SHE'S ABOUT TO ENTER HELL ON EARTH, YOU VAPID SLUT! YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME KILL HER, YOU BITCH! YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME KILL HER! I SHOULD HAVE PLANTED A BULLET IN YOUR DAMN HEAD YOU FUCKING… Fucking… greaser…" Cade felt his energy leave as he listened to the busy signal droning repetitively into his ear. He stood as the weight of what happened finally hit him.

Ariel had used all the money in his RMX account to fund a bounty against him. Word would get around to every member of the RMX with liquidation privileges, including those who were supposed to be on his extraction team. Going up north was essentially a death sentence for him, and he had effectively pissed off the NCR, Mojave Nation, and the Liberty Clans, and now that he was broke and without allies, he was effectively stranded in an army of death-worshiping priests, pretentious desert bandits, a third rate off-shoot of an organization that long overstayed its welcome, and a giant lizard that had never sounded stupider.

Cade grabbed his rifle and began slamming it against the chassis of the eyebot. As he lashed out and flailed against the machine that essentially damned him, he thought of everything he had done since this whole mess against Nevada began. All those he crippled, those he killed, those he severed his ties with and brutalized and left for dead. All for what? All Cade ever sought was his freedom from being tied down by groups and people who couldn't even protect themselves when everything depended on it. Now he was stuck in a sick, twisted parody of the very wasteland he'd spent his years contesting and defeating. Cade hated the New California Republic, hated its guarantees of civilization and hollow promises of prosperity, but people like Scorpio and Nemesio? He DETESTED people like them, so enslaved by their own wants and instincts that they were little more than the very same animal that idiot Sawney was! And Vulpes, once he learned of the bounty, would waste little time claiming his head. And yet, here he was. Trapped by a situation he could no longer control or escape. His very own Hell.

As the rifle slipped from his numbed fingers, Cade fell to his knees and broke down. The last time he'd felt this low was when he watched New Canaan burn. That was the first time ever he had felt like he had found a place worth calling home. For all he chaffed against its teachings and practices, he really did give that town his all, and what happened? A lesson from God; don't get attached to things or people, because I'll take them away while leaving you behind because I love you more than the poor suckers who died. Thanks, you asshole. Lesson well learned.

The phone began to ring again. Cade picked up his rifle and prepared to assault the damn machine once again. He paused, however, as he remembered hearing a gunshot on the other line. Ariel destroyed the phone on her end, but if the call wasn't coming from the office of Levi Glasser…

As he put his rifle to his side, he used his free hand to pick up the receiver. "…What?!" he immediately barked. "…How did you get this number? Yes, I know who you are…" Cade began to pace as he held the phone to his ear. "...I saw her not too long ago. She was being taken to Scorpio's tent. …She didn't seem hurt, but I've seen what Scorpio does to women. You know as well as I… Huh?" Cade couldn't help but fight back a smirk. "Are you serious? You want me to… for what? Money?" Cade laughed. "Money is the least of my problems right now, and I know you aren't carrying much of it on you, anyway! Just because I play the mercenary, doesn't mean…" Cade's smile fell the moment the other line stated something that he had never heard offered to him. "…What…what do I want?"

Throughout his life, Cade had been offered many things. Food, shelter, community, power, respect, fear, reputation, money, and service were all things that were provided, and some of which he requested. But this was the first time someone asked him what HE wanted. What was there that Cade wanted that he couldn't get himself, but he could be given? Deep in his heart, he knew that answer, and told the one on the line as such.

"…You have a deal."

Cade immediately slammed the phone back onto the receiver and gathered up his things. There was no more time for introspection and grieving what he lost. This was too important. He had to get to work.