I passed by the Suites to pick up ED-E and Veronica and be hugged by Lily and then made my way to Nellis. I felt good, knowing that I'd be coming back after what I did for them. On our way there Veronica joked on how she missed being shot at by angry tribals with howitzers.
When I arrived I got almost like a hero's welcome - or at least that's what a hero's welcome must feel like. Everyone was happy to see me, even Raquel, that grumpy, grumpy woman. Loyal gave me a handshake and a smile, which is much to ask from the man, so I was happy for it. Mother Pearl and Little Pete both hugged me. It was good knowing that these people were happy and I was the cause of that.
Finally I asked Mother Pearl to speak to her on a more serious note. She took me to her house and asked me to sit with her. And so I told her that there was going to be a battle for the Hoover Dam soon and that I needed their help. Asked if she could be of assistance. She was so nice. Told me she'd love to help me after all that I have done for them. Even laughed about how the young ones would like to test their skills in battle, after all the virtual reality training! And so I said good bye, once again, to the Boomers. They wanted me to stay more, but I have much to do.
I went back to the Lucky 38 and reported to Mr. House. He was very pleased that I had the Boomers' loyalty secured. He told right away that my next assigment concerned the Omertas, one of the Three Families, at the Gomorrah Casino. Mr. House knew they were up to something because they had been silent for long. No complaints and everything. Apparently, they were the noisy ones of the Families. He told me that information would be hard to get from anyone of the Omertas themselves, but the receptionist should have looser lips.
I went in the Gomorrah and told the receptionist I was there on behalf of... "greater power" and that she had to tell me what she knew. She told me she didn't know nothing about the Family business, but she knew that Cachino, one of the Omerta's lieutenants, was on some business that the Family wouldn't like, so I had to start there.
I didn't find Cachino, Cachino found me. The receptionist must've tipped him. He came out a little hostile and I didn't like it. I told him I knew about his business and he evaded the question, acting like he didn't know what was I talking about and trying to leave. So I waited for him to turn his back and then went up to him, put my hand inside his jacket and got some kind of journal. It was a big risk, but I had noticed something like that in his jacket, so I hoped it had notes on his operations. He tried to attack me but I grabbed his arm and subdued him. Guards started to look so I told him to call them back or I'd show them the journal. And I was right, the journal did have notes on his operations, because he called off the guards and agreed to help. I made him pay for the ledger and tell me about and help me break off the Omertas' plans. He told me about two new guys the bosses had hired for their operation: Troike, a drugged horny fuck up, who helps the Family smuggle huge shipments of weapons into the Strip; and Clanden who Cachino knew nothing about except for him being freaky nice. Cachino also told me he'd tell the guards to grant me access to the restricted areas of the casino so that I could investigate better.
My next step was to talk to either one of those new guys Cachino told me about. I chose to start with Troike. He seemed careless, not worried about anything and all, hardly harmful. So why did Cachino told me that the Omertas had to cover up a murder he commited? He told me Troike killed a prostiute while on the psycho effect. He told me he blacked out - which he never does - and then woke up with a knife in his hand and covered in the prostitute's blood. I asked him what did he took to get high and he told me he took buffout, jet and whiskey. I may not be a doctor, but I knew that wasn't enough for him to black out like that. I asked him how did the Omertas find out about the murder and Troike told me he screamed for help and they came straight in. I smelled blackmail. They were saying they covered for his "murder" as long as Troike gave them the guns. I just had to prove it.
I asked around for the boss, Big Sal, to ask him about Troike. Eventually I found him and told him that Troike had the idea to go around the Wasteland looking for more contacts to smuggle guns. That should free Troike from the Omertas. That being done, Troike was very happy when he knew he was free to go and agreed to help me put an end to Big Sal's plan. Told me about the guns, how he got a contact in the NCR who put guns in containers that were supposed to bring supplies and, from there, he'd get them to the Omertas. He told me where the guns were and how I could destroy them. He said he was working on "thermite" which, apparently, "burns as hot as the devil's asshole" and should melt the guns. I asked him to give it to me and I'd melt those bitches. We said good bye and he ran as fast as he could to the exit.
I went in the basement and I saw what the Omertas had stored. Shit... Tons of weapon crates in the place. I spreaded that magical red fairy powder on all the crates I could find and hit the switch that Troike prepared, to create a spark and ignite the thermite. And no more guns for baddies Omertas.
Next up was Clanden. Even though I had their plan figured out, I needed to know if there was more to it. When I got to his room he was asleep, so I explored the floor a little bit. It led me to a room that was not nice. Not nice at all. It had blood splatters on the walls and puddles on the floor. Oh!, and a dead prostitute on the table. I examined her and figured she was tortured and only then dead. And all that happened not long ago from then, at least less than 24 hours. I asked the guards who used that room and they said it was Clanden.
I waited for him to wake up. You know, for that dramatic effect? When he woke up he'd have a guy in a trenchcoat and sunglasses sitting and looking at him, making him shit himself? Well, it didn't work. The guy was... freaky nice. So, out of frustation because my plan to surprise him didn't work and because he was a murderous psychopath, I punched him so hard I killed him. No, it's not the first time I did this.
So I went back to Cachino to tell them about Clanden, the guns and ask what to do next. He told me that the bosses had to die, to prevent further plans to come to life. He said he himself would be in charge after they were gone. He said that the bosses had asked him to bring whoever was responsible for the guns and Clanden to them and Cachino told me this was the best chance we'd have of having them both in the same room. So I asked him to take me there, as his prisioner.
Both the bosses, Big Sal and Nero were in the room. And they were both heavily armed. Fortunatly I was able to slip Maria, Benny's pistol, past the front guard, so once they started talking I shot them both in the head. That ought to shut them up, HA!
And so my business there was done, I went back to the Lucky 38 to talk to Mr. House. As usual, in not much words he showed me how he was pleased with my work. But the words he said next broke my heart... He wanted me to destroy the Brotherhood of Steel. I... I... God.
You know I don't like them. I despise them, actually. But still I had to ask if there was a chance for a diplomatic solution. Mr. House, as always, was right in saying that the Brotherhood of Steel would greatly oppose his regime, since Mr. House would use the Pre-War technology they so favor and want for themselves. I could see that Mr. House also despised the Brotherhood, so I asked him why. He told me they were riddiculous, they wander around pretending they are knights in shining (power) armor, promoting their fascism, while in fact their regime makes them so few that they are their own weakness.
As I said, Mr. House is right. And to add to what he said, the Brotherhood is a bunch of assholes, who are litteraly waiting for the world to die off so they can come out of their fucking bunkers and conquer the even-more-wasted-Wasteland. So yes, they are fucking ridiculous. But God dammit, did they not accept as one of their own? And Veronica... I will never tell her. And hope to God she won't find out. I have to do this alone.
Love you,
Bill.
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