บท 32: Ch. 32 Clearing the Prison

Colton walks up to the NCRCF doors and sees Dawes again.

Dawes is leaning his back against the door and talking with two other Powder Gangers. He stops talking and sees Colton approaching. "How's it going Dog Whisperer? Lose your dogs?"

Colton glares at him. His steps don't falter and he doesn't respond until he gets up to Dawes. He suddenly grabs his collar and forces Dawes to look up at him. His voice sounding threatening as he practices his new perk. "No shit! Huh?! You think I hadn't noticed my fucking dogs died?! The hell do you think you dimwit?!"

Dawes' eyes go wide and he tries to get Colton's hands off of himself. "H-hey man. I didn't know they-"

Colton leans in Dawes' face. "Yeah! You didn't know! So why you gotta joke like that you fuck?!" Colton glares into Dawes' eyes.

The people next to Dawes back away.

Colton throws Dawes back against the wall. "Just let me the fuck in. I've gotta report to Eddie already and I'm not in the mood to mess around"

Dawes hits his back against the wall and nearly starts shaking. "J-just go in. I-"

"You what? Just forget you ever saw me walk in here. Then we can call it even" Colton walks through the doors and enters the Visitor Center.

Inside is the usual mess with some Gangers screwing around. Nobody seemed to pay attention to Colton.

He walks out of the Visitor Center and across the prison yard. Instead of going towards the Administration building Colton goes towards the East fence behind the Cell blocks. He doesn't see anyone back there and casually drops the C4 behind some rubble as he keeps walking.

Colton goes around the Cell blocks and gets to the side and is greeted by an inmate.

"Who the hell are you? And what are you doing back here?" The guy asks as he reaches behind his back for something but doesn't draw whatever it is.

"I was just looking for the water pump. But all I've found is the swampy ass water back here" Colton points towards the big puddle of gross and irradiated water behind him that is behind the Cell blocks. "Somebody's form of a cruel joke"

The man narrows his eyes at Colton but in the end brings his hands back to his sides and leaves whatever was behind him there. "If you are looking for the water pump it's next to the Administration building. You must be blind as a morherfucker to have missed it. And gullible as fuck if you thought it was back here"

"Haha" Colton helplessly chuckles. "Man, I should really watch who I listen to"

"You should. Now do you want me to bring you to it or do you think you can get to it on your own?" The man sarcastically asks.

"Nah, I should have it from here. Thanks" Colton then walks past the man and goes over towards the water pump directly next to the Administration office.

'Should I go up to one of the guard posts? Nah. I don't feel like taking the risk of having an NCR sniper shoot me. I better find a better place to hide' Colton inner-monologues to himself. He then looks back at the Cell blocks. 'Might as well help clear the place out while I'm in here'

Colton makes his way back towards the Cell blocks. There is an A block and a B block. He decides to go for the B since the A block is a bit close to the C4 he planted.

As he enters the cell he notices that there are a few people inside. But they're minding their own business and counting the caps in their hands.

He makes his way into the building and notices the first two cells are locked. He walks further in and looks into the next cell. Colton sees a dirty looking man walk away with some mentats in his hands. After the dirty man leaves Colton sees a man in the usual Powder Ganger attire. His hair is patted down and he's got a spotty goatee on his face.

"Ah, finally! A new face around here. Was wondering when I'd get some new costumers. So what'll it be?" The man charismatically greets Colton.

"Depends what you've got. And are you just selling or are you buying too?" Colton asks.

"Names Carter. And I'll buy if you've got something interesting. If I don't have anything you like, well…. tough. I don't do special orders" The man, now known as Carter, says a bit rudely.

"Before we start, how did you end up in this place?" Colton asks as he puts his pack down and to the side along with Purifier.

"I worked In a casino in New Reno, and one of the pit bosses decided he didn't like me. Framed me over some caps, and I ended up in here" Carter says with some slight venom as he recounts how he was sent to the prison.

"Damn" Colton steps closer and whispers. "Did you actually do it?"

Carter glares at Colton. "Look, buddy. I don't even know your name. And it doesn't matter if I did it or not, I'm in here aren't I? NCR doesn't care if I did it or not. What part of framed is hard to understand anyway"

Colton holds his hands up. "Fair enough, and the names Carter. And if you really were framed then why are you still here? Can't you leave?"

Carter motions around the room towards the various goods. "Don't have any other place to go. I'd just end up in another prison if I left here, or dead out in the wasteland. Plus I've gotten myself set up pretty nicely here. Eddie tasks me with keeping the inventory of the miscellaneous things found on any raided-…. sorrry, commandeered, items. So I decided I might as well stay here, make a few caps, and enjoy what little there is to enjoy in this place. A shame there aren't any bitches though. Fuckers leave them outside with the caravans until they clean them up"

Colton clenches and opens his hands. "How unfortunate" He says in a low tone.

"It really is. Haven't gotten my dock wet since I've been sentenced here" Carter folds his arms. "Now how about we get down to business Colton?"

"Right" Colton puts his hands on his hips. "What do you ha-"

*KA-BOOM* *KA-Boom*

Two explosions go off and cause the ground to shake. The building rumbles and dust falls from the ceiling and causes some boxes and other things to fall.

Carter falls back onto the mattress in the room.

Colton stumbles back and leans on the wall next to the cell door.

"W-what? Wait! We're under attack!" Carter shouts. He shakily stands up and runs to the door next to Colton and grabs the bars that are a part of the wall and not the door. "Get out there and defend the place you dolts! Of this place goes down then your drugs also go down!"

That seemed to have gotten the reluctant Powder Gangers to get in gear. A few of them even popped a few of their drugs before they left.

Granted some of them were already exiting, like the Ganger guards already left without having to be convinced by Carter.

Colton puts his hand on Lucky. "Why did you send all the guards out? What if the people attacking get in here?"

Carter's legs shake like a chihuahua. "If the enemies get in here then it's already too late!" He stares at the door hoping for the men to come back in and report that an idiot blew himself up with dynamite and it wasn't a raid by the NCR or something.

"Couldn't have said it better myself" Colton draws Lucky.

"Wha-" Carter turns towards Colton.

*Bang!*

Colton lowers Lucky as Carter's lifeless body drops to the ground with a bullet hole in his right eye.

Now alone, Colton makes his way to the door and reloads the one bullet he shot. "I wish they could have given me a little something to tell the other soldiers I'm on their side. Because my red goggles are probably not going to help much"

The sounds of guns firing can be heard. Fully automatics and semis as well. And of course there are a few explosions, Powder Gangers still have tons of dynamite after all.

Colton puts his goggles on and pokes his head outside the door. He can see the hole in the fence and sees a few NCR soldiers running towards it.

*BANG* *Thump*

A body falls from the guard tower next to Colton. The guys limbs are broken and a bone sticks out of his thigh. He landed on a picnic table and didn't break the table somehow. But Colton figured the guy didn't feel it because his head was already cracked open and a bullet hole was on his forehead above his left eye.

Powder Gangers were running around and they were panicking and firing blindly through the fences. But they were being picked off.

Colton finds a stick of dynamite just out on the table next to the door to the Cell block. He grabs it, lights it, let's the fuse burn a bit, and then chucks it at the fence.

*BOOM!*

About 6 Powder Gangers get killed by the explosion and the entrance is clear for the NCR to come in now.

*Brrrzzzz* *Brrrzzzz* *Brrrzzzz* *Brrrzzzz*

The NCRCFs alarm system starts going off and it rings through the mountains.

Colton exits the Cell blocks and starts shooting the Powder Gangers.

They don't even know who shot them as they die.

Colton moves behind some picnic tables that are turned on their side and that don't have a body pancake on them.

*Bang* *Bang* *Bang* *Bang*

After killing 4 more Piwder Gangers Colton reloads and then goes into Cell block A.

This building looks like this is where the prisoners originally escaped from. Mainly because the main wall that separates the prison cells to the entrance is completely blown up. The debris from the old wall is even left on the ground and the door is still on the ground rusting. And the desk in the front right corner next to the doorway Colton is standing in is on its side with the terminal broken.

There are a few Powder Gangers and they point their pistols at Colton.

*Bzap!*

A laser pistol gets shot at Colton. Luckily it misses and hits the concrete wall next to him.

Colton goes back outside and puts his back to the building.

"You idiot! You missed!" A man inside shouts.

"I didn't hear anyone else try and shoot that scary bastard! And lets see you shoot this damned thing! I barely know where to put the energy cells!" An older and rougher voice says.

"The energy cells go in the magazine" Colton says as he takes a breath and activates VATS and looks inside.

He shoots 5 bullets under a few seconds.

"But there isn't a maga-" The idiot with the laser pistol hears the gunshots and then sees his buddies around him drop.

Colton stands in the doorway again. "It was a trick answer"

"Bang!"

Colton carefully makes his way inside and sweeps the cells. Nobody else is inside so Colton heads back out. He can loot the place afterwards.

Now the NCR soldiers are inside and heading towards the administration building. There are bodies of Powder Gangers littering the ground almost anywhere you look in the prison yard. Luckily the soldiers don't fire at Colton and just secure the area.

He sees Cass and the dogs inside towards the Visitor Center. So he makes his way over to them and even sees ED-E firing lasers down at a Powder Gangers corpse.

"Enjoying this so far Cass?" Colton asks as he walks up but keeps looking around. His radar only showing the people alive are the ones the dogs are currently mauling and shredding.

Cass takes her caravan shotgun off her back and lets the service rifle sling over her shoulder. "I don't know about enjoying this…."

*BANG*

"But this might be therapeutic" She finishes after blowing a man's brains out over the ground.

"That's…."

*BANG*

"….healthy" Colton finishes as Cass ends another man and reloads her shotgun.

Colton points towards the Administration building. "Cmon. The boss is in there. We can't let the NCR have the final kill"

Cass finishes reloading and flicks the shotgun closed. "After you" She says after her gun clicks.

"Stop playing with them" Colton says to Raksha and the other dogs as he walks past them. The dogs let go of the few men's limbs and go for their necks.

Their screams get quieter until a few seconds later they disappear entirely.

Colton gets to the Administration building with Cass behind him a few steps. Gun shots and shouting can be heard from inside.

Inside the building Colton just sees a wall of NCR troopers unloading their service rifles into the Powder Gangers and turning them into Swiss cheese.

First it was 2 body guards and then it was the doc. Then Hannigan gets lit up worse than a radioactive Christmas tree.

Cass throws her caravan shotgun over her shoulder and lets it sling onto her back, grabs her service rifle, and joins the fight as the soldiers move further into the building.

Some go left towards the stairs while some go to the right where it just leads to a break room and the bathroom.

Cass follows behind the soldiers going left and that's when more shooting happens.

The Powder Gangers shoot down the stairs while the NCR troopers shoot up the stairs.

Unfortunately for the Gangers, the NCR soldiers are too well equipped for this. That, and the Powder Gangers don't want to light dynamite in the building.

The soldiers clear the way while Cass and Colton shoot from behind them.

Over the shoulders of the soldiers Colton can see Scramble get his own brain scrambled by the 5.56mm bullets.

As they get to the top of the stairs they carefully look into the second floor. There doesn't seem to be anyone so Lee is about to have them move in but Colton puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait" Colton says as Lee turns towards him.

"What is it? It better be good if you're pausing this operation right now" Lee whispers threateningly.

"I know Eddie. Plus I want to be the one to kill him" Colton whispers back. "Plus it'll be less risky for your men. How about it?"

Lee looks at Colton and then at Cass. "Fine. Go. Just know that you have 2 minutes until we go in and clear that room of any Powder Gangers still alive"

Colton nods. "Great" He motions up the stairs for Cass to follow him.

*Bang* *Bang* *Bang* *Bang*

Colton fires into the wall. "Eddie! I'm coming in! Don't shoot me!"

Cass puts her left shoulder to the wall as she waits just outside the door.

"Colton?! Bloody hell! This shit couldn't get any worse!" Eddie shouts once he sees Colton back into the room with Lucky in his hand.

"Oh, I think it could" Colton says, feigning exhaustion. He reloads Lucky back to its max 6 bullets.

"How! And how did you get in here? I thought the NCR were outside. Did you find out how many there are?" Eddie asks frantically as he holds his plasma pistol towards the door where Colton is standing next to.

There are 4 other Powder Gangers inside the room. They're Eddie's personal bodyguards and they're holding various guns from a 9mm submachine gun to a .44 pistol. They stand next to Eddie who has flipped his desk onto its side for cover.

Colton spins Lucky's receiver. "Right now? There's one" He kicks the wall to hopefully have Cass open fire into the room.

*Bang* *Bang* *Bang* *Bang* *BANG*

"Fuck!" Colton feels the impact of a bullet hit him in the chest. He falls back against the wall and slides down it.

Eddie's eyes go wide and he moves the plasma pistol towards Colton.

*bang*

Eddie collapses over the desk and the plasma pistol slides across the floor until it hits Colton's boot.

"Colton!" Cass drops the service rifle and kneels next to Colton who is trying to raise his cloak to check the damage.

It hurts to breathe but he doesn't know if he is actually shot due to the adrenaline. He lifts it and sees that the scrunched up bullet falls to his lap.

Cass looks at the scuff mark on Colton's chest piece. "Holy shit Colton. I don't know if your really stupid or really lucky"

Colton feels like the force of the bullet directly hit his ribs. "I… certainly…. Am" He gets out through the pain.

He grabs the partially flattened bullet and inspects it. It's a .44 magnum round. And he was shot within 20 feet. His armor is much better than he had initially thought.

Cass runs her thumb over the scuff mark. "What kind of armor even is this?"

"I don't even know l…. myself" Colton puts his cloak back down. "Wanna help me up? I don't really want to be on this places floor"

"You absolute….." Cass sighs and shakes her head. "Glad you aren't dead" She grabs his hand and helps him stand up.

"Argh" Colton grunts and holds his ribs with his right arm. "Think I bruised some ribs"

"No shit. I'm glad that's all that happened to your ribs" Cass remarks.

"Thanks Cass. And good shot. I'd definitely be dead if you hadn't taken Eddie out with that shot" Colton gets his breathing calmed down. But he can feel the adrenaline still numbing some pain. And his hands get a bit shaky.

"That was Eddie?" Cass looks at the slumped over body of the Powder Ganger leader.

"Yeah. He got off a bit easy, but I'm not gonna complain when you and I are both alive" Colton leans his back against the wall.

Saergant Lee walks in. "We can take it from here. We might have some cleaning up to

do, but Eddie's a deadie. Gangs with no leadership don't last long. I'll radio Hayes to let him know the prison's ours. But you should swing by to see him the next time you're near Primm"

Colton holsters Lucky. "Will do. And about a reward…"

[ Complete: [I Fought the Law] ]