Fistful of Caps (Oregon Trails) [FULL/FAST]

"There's a problem. The Lieutenant would be expecting me back with the Devils. The second I go in without them, I'd be killed. I say we go back to the bunker and give them a crash course in energy weapons, and we charge in to do our best. If this is to end in fire, then we will all burn together." Daniel said. Catherine didn't believe he'd be shot on sight as he described, but didn't bother to argue about it. And again with tha Enclave 'quipment, she thought.


"Mister, ah think yah need tah get off tha laser gun and robo armor tit." Catherine replied. "You're ancesters clung tah that shit, and yah see where it got them, don't yah?" she said while keeping the gun trained on his head. The woman shifted her weight to her left leg, becoming impatient.


"If you die, consider it a mercy that you were allowed to die fighting the enemy, rather than with a noose around your neck like I'd wish for you." Earl replied to Daniel's objections to returning topside. Cat chuckled at her companions perfect pronunciation of his threats. She couldn't blame him for his feelings, either. Earl was growing on her by the hour, and Catherine no longer felt as if she had to look over her shoulder with the rebel. However, the man was a little to emotional and scattered for Cat to say she trusted him entirely.


Suddenly, Earl spoke again. "I got it. We used to keep supplies in the saloon for when we needed to resupply quickly while on the move through town. There's a ditch behind the saloon, most people use it for pissing in. If one was to go into the ditch however, one would find nothing out of the ordinary....until they tested the backboard that is. You see, behind that board is a decent sized cache of ammunition that we stole from the NCR. There's no way into this room from above..the entrance has been caved in for years. But. The saloons supports are in there..."


Cat glanced to Earl, then to Bullseye as he leaned against the wall. The woman unbuttoned the duster, having forgotten about it when torturing the last Enclave man in the chair. The cool air of the underground station was a welcome relief to her torso as she allowed the coat to hang open. The woman made a mental note to find the first bath house in the first town they came across if they survived Tull. If there wasn't one, she'd find the nearest lake. Bullseye then began to speak.


"So, we blow up the saloon, and kill the Enclave while they're scatterin'. I dunno about you two, but I think I'd still rather put a bullet in Daniel then 'ave 'im at my back," Bullseye said, speaking about the traitor as if he wasn't there. "I'm up for this plan. We can set up around the saloon and gun 'em down. But I don't want to hear anymore excuses. I say Daniel blows the supports. Keep 'im out of our hair, and proves his loyalty."


The gunslinger smiled at the thought of Daniel wading through piss and possibly shit to get under the bar, then gave Bullseye a nod of approval. "Blow up tha Dixie Pig, catch tha rest of tha town on fire in tha process, and gun down the fleeing, confused Enclave soldiers. That, boys, sounds like a plan. Most of tha residents of Tull are dead, no offense and much condolences Earl, ...so we don't have much tah worry 'bout s'far as innocent casualties. Reckon we'll need a meetin' point if we get separated during the fight. The chapel is close by. Only real problem ah'm seein' is Daniel. What if he turns on us and doesn't blow tha supports? We'd have ah shitty situation if he decides tah tip them off instead." she said to Daniel and Earl. Using her freehand to produce a cigarette, the placed it in her lips and struck a match. The cigarette's tip went up in flames, then quickly transformed into a small, glowing cherry of orange light.

Earl just shook his head at Daniels protests regarding it. "Your arguments make sense Daniel. Too much sense." He replied, and a slight chuckle came from his mouth. "We put you at the front of the lines, you'll be able to whip around with that cannon of yours and you'll whip around, kill a few of us, and then book it for the Enclave. No. I'm not ready to trust you that much already."

"Lemme tell you what yer going to do if you want to leave this room alive- also, quit with the Devils dying shit, no idiot would build a building that you can only -enter-. There'd be no reason fer the security shit yer mentioning to leave, no reason for it is there? Anyways, what yer goin' to do is you're going to take my dynamite, yer goin' to go up to the Dixie Pig, yer goin' t' stick tha' dynamite next to the heaviest rounds of ammunition, or grenades, or other sticks of dynamite, you can find. Yer goin' to use one of my matches to light it. Yer goin' to get back out the way you came in, and the way you like yourself ah assume. Crawling in shit and piss of better men than you. And after that, you're going to keep your pretty little shit head down in cover, and let us do our work."

He glanced at his other two companions, "D'ya think I covered all the bases? Or is there anything else I missed? Or are we all in agreement over his role in this?" His eyes were narrowed slits, and he had regained control of his emotions at least somewhat for this job. But his eyes never lost that intensity when they looked at Daniel. He removed the stick of dynamite, and waved it a bit. "This beauty will do the job if he gets close enough to the ammo and doesn't sell us out. If he does sell us out, ah recommend we be far away from this bunker when he does his shit. We get into the hills, find one of the Devils' caches up there, and we should find at least one pair of binoculars taken from a scout."

Earl murmured, not glancing at Daniel. It was clear this was the 'meant to hear' plan, to perhaps throw Daniel off. "Now, beggin' yer pardons. But ah think we should speak in private away from the already turned once man."

..."Too bad we ain't got one o' them slaver collars. Bit o' ex-splosive 'round his neck'd be good reason for 'im not to turn on us," Bullseye said absentmindedly, giving Daniel a hostile smile.

Although the idea of outfitting Daniel with a slave collar was pretty comical, the woman felt as if the mercenary had not been joking. Not that Catherine cared much either way, so long as Daniel was out of their way and did not pose a threat to the group. The man's story didn't really add up, nor did his motivations. Despite this, Catherine decided to hold her final judgement on Daniel until he had a chance to prove himself. And the Dixie Pig was just such a chance. His actions over the next few hours would tell her just where his allegiance was.

"D'ya think I covered all the bases? Or is there anything else I missed? Or are we all in agreement over his role in this?" Earl asked to Catherine and Bullseye.

"S'fine with me. Or at least as much as I'm willin' to say in front'o Daniel." He put his revolver away and grabbed his rifle off the wall, checking it's ammo while Earl pulled out the dynamite

Cat watched Bullseye retrieve his rifle and check it over. She smirked, somehow amused by his preparation. The way the man handled the gun, she suspected that the mercenary at a deal of experience with many weapons. Rifles, Revolvers, and Throwing Knives were perhaps only the tip of the iceberg.

"'Reckon that will work jus' fine." Catherine responded to Earl's question. She nodded to her companions, rolling the plan around in her head like a loose marble. "Daniel, beggars can't be choosers. Yer ah intelluhgent man, you know we don't trust yah. But.. Yah wanna prove you ain't with tha fucks in tha saloon? Yah wanna show everyone yer not just ah cold-blooded, yella-belly'd, Enclave dog hidin' behind powur armor? Then help us send 'em back to hell." she said in a serious tone before finally dropping the barrel of the hand cannon. Spinning the heirloom weapon dexterously around her trigger finger and dropping it swiftly into the holster, Cat watched Earl produce a single stick of dynamite. She did not mention that she also possessed a stick of TNT in her small, leather pack. It may come in useful later on.

"This beauty will do the job if he gets close enough to the ammo and doesn't sell us out. If he does sell us out, ah recommend we be far away from this bunker when he does his shit. We get into the hills, find one of the Devils' caches up there, and we should find at least one pair of binoculars taken from a scout." Earl murmured, not glancing at Daniel. It was clear this was the 'meant to hear' plan, to perhaps throw Daniel off. "Now, beggin' yer pardons. But ah think we should speak in private away from the already turned once man."

Catherine nodded sagely to Earl, then glanced over at Bullseye. She took one last look at Daniel, sitting quietly in his power armor, before she led the boys into the other room.

Earl gave Daniel one last hateful, angered look. It was meant to instill shame, and perhaps a tad bit of fear in the man he now considered worse than filth. Then, he followed Cat into the separate room, holding the door open just long enough for Bullseye to enter before shutting it close. The rebel stood at the door for a few moments, and then plopped down on the floor against the wall, lacing his scabbed fingers together. "I hate him. But he'll be useful, fer now at least."

His eyes weren't even visible under the brim of his hat, and the man had removed the bandanna around his neck, twisting the cloth in his hands. His entire world had been thrown upside down, and he was possibly sending his best friend into death. "But, I want t' make sure we're all on the same page 'ere. We're partners, at least for now. Probably not the best met, probably not the best period- but we're all there is ain't we? Least 'till Cats ranger buddies come swarmin' in.." He stopped gripping at the fabric, and sighed.

"So. Does anyone got any better ideas than sending a man who will possibly betray us t' the enemy at the first chance he gets to blow up their asses?" He tilted his head up at them, his eyes revealing a determination and steadiness. He wouldn't break. Not yet at least. "And if nobody has a problem with him doin' that...we should talk about how we're goin' t' mop 'em up. There's multiple locations around the saloon that we can set up at to gun 'em down when they go flyin' out. We won't even need the Devils. Three of us combined have at least five six shooters I'd say- we could kill anyone who goes runnin' out easy enough. Problem is, gettin' past the guards without spoilin' the game..."

Earl stood up from the wall, pacing back and forth. His hands went back to gripping the bandanna in a white knuckled grip, his boots making a steady clap on the stone floor of the old pre-war building, except where the occasional piece of history interrupted it with a slight sound of crushed paper.

Catherine entered the room, followed by Bullseye and Earl. When the rebel had secured the door behind them, he said his part. Catherine stood with her thumbs in the belt loop of her jeans, listening to th man while studying his voice. She wanted to be sure he wasn't about to break again. Catherine decided the man once again had a firm grip on his emotions, and she listened quietly as he spoke.


"...We're partners, at least for now. Probably not the best met, probably not the best period- but we're all there is ain't we? Least 'till Cats ranger buddies come swarmin' in.." Earl said quietly. Cat suspected the man clung to his blind hatred of the NCR. She made a mental note of it. Earl went on to voice concerns about Daniel and the approach to the Dixie Pig.


Bullseye responded, attempting to dispel Earl's uncertainty towards their approach. He seemed to think it was going to go off without a hitch. Catherine knew better. The Enclave, as foul as their hearts may be, did not gain their reputation by being pussies. If this group was legitimately Enclave, the woman suspected they would put up a fight no matter how the group approached. Still, Bullseye's idea to surround the bar and execute any troopers silently in the shadows of Tull was the best route. Catherine listened as the mercenary continued.


“Problem is, I ain't followin' Daniel to no Enclave bunker without 'im prov'n he's on our side first. Need'ta get what's left o'ya rebels if more Enclave do come. If we can't trust 'im – and them were some shit excuses ya ask me – then there ain't no tellin' he's walkin' us into some trap. He helps us kill all the Enclave here. . . he does 'is part. Then maybe we can trust 'im. I don't think we got much of a choice.”


He leaned back, having said his part, letting Cat give her two caps. He was more interested in looking at her anyway, and held the rifle over his shoulders with his hands while he smiled in her direction.


Catherine met Bullseye's gaze for a moment, her own emerald pools seeming to glow from the shadow cast by her hat. She raised an eyebrow as the mercenary smiled, shifting her weight to the other hip while suppressing her amusement. Bullseye could feel it. She had felt it since her arrival in Tull. Drown somewhere under his anger and sorrow, Catherine suspected Earl could feel it too. It was a feeling of overwhelming significance, a pull by some unknown force towards destiny. This was where they needed to be. She removed her hat and lowered herself to the floor, the leather of her boots protesting quietly as she squat to her haunches.


"Reckon we're all in ahgreement. Daniel's motives are as shady as his actions, but right now we don't have any better options than tah have 'im set the uxplosives. So we hope he does tha right thing and blows tha Pig. And iff'n he don't, we 'jus add 'im to our list ah people tah shoot tonight." She replied, removing the heirloom weapon from her holster and holding the gun before her. Catherine's eyes survey the old gun as she absent-mindedly ran her fingers through her dirty hair and pulled it out of her face.


"As fer tha Devils and tha bunker, ah agree with Bullseye. We could use their help, assumin' Daniel hasn't turned 'em on yah yet. We should try tah make contact with them after we mop up tha Enclave. It's too risky tah be fuckin' around with the Enclave bunker right now... we need tah hit tha Pig as soon as possible." she said, still holding the revolver in the dim light. Cat ran her fingers across the intricate patterns adorning the gun's barrel, attempting to sort through her own thoughts.


What Catherine did not mention was the added urgency of her own fatigue. The gunslinger's desperately needed rest had been interrupted when she had met Bullseye, and on top of that she had slept very little while trans versing the Oregon Trails. Dark circles had formed around her eye sockets. Fortunately, the shadow of her hat and the brightness of her eyes had made the rings unnoticeable until the last hour or so. Even now, Cat could feel the exhaustion creeping through her body, and it threatened to slow her reflexes as well as her mind. She leaned her head to one side and popped her neck before continuing.


"Reckon we need tah keep our guns holstered durin' this first part. The first .357 or .44 round is goin' tah let everyone within a square mile or more know Ssomeone besides the Enclave is shootin'." She paused for a moment, studying her companions with a calm expression. "An' ah 'nother thang... stick together. We don't have tah be holdin' hands, but we can't get separated. The three of us are ah force to be reckoned with, but alone the Enclave will flank us and pick us off. An' that brings me tah another point. Keep to one side of the saloon as much as possible, and move with each other. These .44 rounds are hot enough that some of 'em will penetrate the walls of the bar. You won't want to be on the opposite side when it happens..."


And the woman was serious, of course. The standard .44 magnum round can pierce most conventional walls and doors with ease. Cat's custom loads exited the heirloom weapon with enough force that the bullet would pierce steel plate. ( And also seriously injure the wrist of an inexperienced shooter. ) The benefit for the gunslinger was that it guaranteed penetration no matter her target's armor. On the downside, too much penetration was a very bad thing. Cat's custom .44 loads had already seriously injured a few "innocent" people and caused significant collateral damage in the past because of the round's ridiculous speed and force. Her hollow point .44 rounds solved this problem by mushrooming upon impact and leaving baseball-sized holes in her targets. Alternatively though, this round lacked the same accuracy, distance, and penetration.

Catherine stood up with a quiet grunt and rotated her right arm. Replacing the gun in it's holster, Catherine produced a single, red-tipped bullet from the pocket of her jeans. Holding it between her eyes and the light, Cat examined the special bullet before replacing it into her pocket. That one was for someone "special". Someone she had been tracking for years.


Turning to Bullseye and Earl, Cat's expression transformed from cold indifference to a warm honesty. "The important thing to remember here, boys, is loyalty. Now Earl, you know Bullseye and myself are your best shot at getting revenge and stopping these fucks from takin' Oregon right out from under yer feet. So as long as you don't plan on sending anymore TNT our way, I can trust yah. And Bullseye, you know I can help you. I can get you out of the mess your in and clean up your standing with the NCR." The woman replaced her hat and adjusted it's brim to meet her usual look. "And you both know I need you. Now ah don't mean tah sound like ah broken record, but I jus' reckon that so long as we're fighting as a tet, we can take back Tull, no matter which way tha snakes decides tah slither." Catherine had never seen a snake, but her father used to say the phrase often.


She allowed a moment for the two men to consider her words. She once again studied her two companions as a devilish grin crept across the woman's face. "So..." Catherine began while removing a shining blade from her belt. "...ah reckon we're all in ahgreement now. Tha next question is... when do we start?"

"The important thing to remember here, boys, is loyalty. Now Earl, you know Bullseye and myself are your best shot at getting revenge and stopping these fucks from takin' Oregon right out from under yer feet. So as long as you don't plan on sending anymore TNT our way, I can trust yah. And Bullseye, you know I can help you. I can get you out of the mess your in and clean up your standing with the NCR." The woman replaced her hat and adjusted it's brim to meet her usual look. "And you both know I need you. Now ah don't mean tah sound like ah broken record, but I jus' reckon that so long as we're fighting as a tet, we can take back Tull, no matter which way tha snakes decides tah slither."


"Yer right. We need to work together if we want t' do this, and ah know it as well as you do. Don't worry about me. Only dynamite that's going to be being thrown or walked at anyone is going to be towards the Enclave. Ye have mah word, whatever you think of it." He grunted in reply, tipping his hat with his left hand at the woman. "Ah trust you. Too late to save my town, but not too late to not get payback on the slimey fucks who did it. The Devils...ah don't reckon ah know what they'll do anymore. Some of those boys hated the NCR more than ah did. And if we don't manage to convince them that it wasn't the NCR, they'll just get angrier."

"Honestly? We need to decide if we want to do this with it during pitch black darkness, or wait for them to be waking up and groggy in the early morning. Either way could work ah suppose." He shrugged his shoulders, "We've got a couple options, so, whatever you two would prefer t' be honest. Ah don't know how you prefer to fight."

He coughed, having inhaled some of the dust in the old radio tower. "Damn old world buildings. We stay far away from them around these parts."

Then, he removed his revolver and began inspecting it. He fell silent for a bit, mind still trying to come to grips with how quickly the world had changed around him in a single day. "Helluva thing..you know, if we pull this off the Enclave is going to be staying the hell away for a while." The thought seemed to please him. "Think about it. The Enclave seems to be under manned as it is...what with them barely having a platoon of soldiers here. What do you think it'll do to them to have this entire group murdered?" He chuckled, an eager grin spreading across his face as he reloaded the revolver, sliding bullets into the cylinder one at a time, rolling the cylinder with his thumb.