章 382: A head for problems

Boone glowers down at the chef, "You will answer all my questions, or I will punish you... Do you understand?" The chef quickly nods and Boone continues, "Who are you, and what group do you belong to?"

"P-Philippe... My name is Philippe and I belong to the W-White Glove Society."

"Huh, so that's what they're called..." Christine mutters, "People were awfully cagey about actually speaking their name..."

Boone nods, "There's good reason for that... Apparently they engaged in cannibalism." he turns to Phillippe, "You wouldn't happen to know anything like that, would you?"

The man pales, "I-I D-D-Don't know what you're talkin-"

Boone interrupts him by turning on the gas hob of the grill and dragging the man to his feet, despite his protestations he's unable to stop Boone as Philippe's face is pressed against the fire, severely burning his cheek.

Christine has fortunately shut the door, otherwise, the man's screams of agony might've been heard throughout the Ultra-Lux...

Boone tosses the man to the ground again and kneels next to him, "Do I have to remind you? You are in no position to lie to me... I can tell when you're lying, Philippe, so unless you want to find yourself castrated and hung on a hook along with the Brahmin carcasses, you will speak, Truthfully... Do you understand?"

"Y-yes! Sir!" Philippe yelps, completely terrified at this point.

Boone nods, thanking his past self for observing Afton's interrogations up until this point. "I will ask again. And you will answer, correctly, this time. Did the White Glove Society engage in cannibalism?"

...

"Yes..."

Boone's look soured at this, and he was sure Johanna and Christine weren't looking so great under their masks either. "Have they practised cannibalism recently?"

Philippes eye's flitter to the side for a moment as he answers, "N-No..."

Boone scowls and sends a glance to Johanna, he kicks the man in the face and pulls his arm taut, resting it on the counter. Johanna wastes no time and slams the cleaver down, severing four fingers in one fell swoop.

Yet again, Philippe screams. But by this point it'd become background noise for them, somehow less annoying than what tinnitus was supposed to be. "I will ask again, and you will answer again, differently, unless you like having stumps for hands." Boone growls out, "Has the White Glove Society recently engaged in cannibalism?"

"Y-yes..."

"Who? Was it everyone, or just a single person?"

"M-Mortimer..."

"And?" Boone asks, knowing that there were probably more.

"I-I... A chef needs to taste his food to-"

*SMACK!*

Johanna kicks the man in the ribs, "You sick bastard. Eating PEOPLE?! You're monstrous!" she exclaims.

Boone himself feels slightly green at this, but shakes his head and recomposes himself, "Who have you eaten?" he asks, wanting to know who the victims are.

"O-Only one person... Mortimer wants to bring back cannibalism to the rest of the Society, but he and I are..."

"Who did you kill?"

"I-I don't know... He... Bits of him are still in the fridge... He was quite a large man, too large for us to eat entirely..."

Christine has apparently heard enough, leaning over the sink and raising her mask slightly as she vomits the contents of her stomach.

"Show me." Boone asks, though you could audibly hear how sickened he was in his voice alone.

Philippe slowly gets up while holding is bloody hand and walks into the fridge, gesturing out a plastic box hiding in the corner which contained many plastic sealed pieces of flesh. If Boone didn't know any better, he'd say it was Brahmin or something similar, not human flesh... He'd never been more thankful to have eaten elsewhere at this moment.

Behind the plastic box was a jar with brine... Inside... Was a human head. Once Boone actually recognised...

"Major Lowell Thompson Jr... You killed, and ate, an NCR Major..." Boone mutters in disbelief, it just didn't make sense, if they were going to cannibalise people, why do it to one of the most conspicuous people in the Mojave?

"W-WHO?!?" Philippe yelps, clearly not having realised how much they'd fucked up.

"One of the most well-regar-" Boone stops himself at that, Lowell wasn't 'regarded' well perse... His tactics and methods worked, at the cost of his own men's lives. "Well-known people in the Mojave, and you butchered and ate him..."

"Oh god, oh god, oh god, OH GOD!" Philippe begins muttering while holding his head, not minding his bleeding hand.

Boone looks over to Johanna and Christine, "That leaves us with what to do... Should we kill Mortimer and leave, or bring Lowell's head to the NCR embassy?"

Both girls look thoughtful at this... Both would most likely lead to Mortimer's death, but the former option would make it so much more personal.

Of course, there was always a third option.

The two women nod at one another and explain their choice to 'Squinty', all the while, Philippe appeared to be having a mental breakdown.

Once the group decide what they're going to do, Johanna raises the cleaver and cuts down at Philippe's neck, killing the man instantly. No one had any sympathy for a cannibal, even if he seemed 'slightly' reluctant.

With the chef dead, all that was left was to deal with Mortimer. Boone picks up the jar containing Lowell's and covers it with a cloth. Once done, they make their way back up through the hallways and into the main Ultra-Lux venue.

After that, it isn't hard to find where Mortimer is... The man had very pale, white skin with a gaudy moustache and a huge top hat. He was currently sitting behind a desk, serving people who needed assistance.

The group walk up and Boone takes his mask off while addressing the man, "Mortimer, you are under arrest for the murder, and cannibalism of Major Lowell Thompson Jr, refusal to comply will result in your immediate execution."

At his words, the entire room goes silent and looks on curiously at what Mortimer might have to say.

Mortimer's eyes widen at this, "W-what? What evidence do you have? I don't think you are even who you purport to be!"