Chapter 26 - Timber!

"I really hope you are right Vito, I really do. Well, then ex-deputy, since my friend thinks that you might be a good addition to our group, I can only say welcome to the party."

"Thank you, to both of you for giving me a chance. I swear I will prove to you that I'm trying to leave behind my cowardice."

With Beagle joining their party, the trio alongside the eyebot walked out of the town heading towards the NCR camp. Thanks to Vito and Dante's efforts in clearing the town, the NCR didn't have too much work do to other than clearing the area of any mines that might have been left behind by the convicts. Besides that, Lieutenant Hayes, ordered his men to start fixing the bridge and the fence around the town since he was sure that his superior officers would love to get their hands on the tax money this town might provide.

As soon as the trio and their robotic companion were near the entrance of the camp, the guards saluted them before making way so that they could pass through the checkpoint. The trio was greeted by Lieutenant Hayes almost as soon as they passed the checkpoint. Surprisingly enough, the lieutenant was helping some soldiers that were loading some wooden beams onto a cart.

"And here I thought you left Primm? Have you tw…three came to help us?"

"Sadly, we aren't here for that. We just came to see if you guys need something to be taken to the outpost."

"Ah, you guys are leaving? And you are taking the deputy with you?"

"Well, sir now that the convicts have been taken out, there's not exactly any reason for us to waste any more time lazing around Primm any longer. Besides, we need to get our reward for taking out the ants near the Mojave Outpost. What about you guys, did the guys up top decided what to do with Primm?"

"Officially the town would become part of the NCR, but despite that, there aren't exactly any sheriffs that are waiting to become the law enforcer of this town, so until we find one, one of the sergeants from Hope would act as the sheriff, as well as the one in command of the garrison that we would leave here. After we repair as much as we could, we would turn our attention toward the prison. Those convicts were left to do what they want for far too long and whether I like it or not, tens of my men would die to clear the whole place."

Even though he didn't say it, it was clear as the day that Hayes was hinting to us about a possible job opportunity that would help the NCR in a way that none of the normal citizens could even think. Not to mention that that would free more than a hundred soldiers from keeping convicts from the NCR Correctional Facility from taking over the surrounding area. We talked for a few minutes before the lieutenant had to leave, leaving us to ours. Since there was nothing for us to do in Primm, we left after stocking up on ammo and some food for a few caps.

Thankfully, the road toward the outpost was almost entirely a straight one making every ambush kind of pointless if your target can see you from distance. As for how one would know if they are heading towards the outpost, well the huge statue was your best indicator. As the group was walking on the road, Dante got curious about the huge statue, especially since it show two completely different men.

"Hey, Vito, Beagle, what's that scrap statue about? I mean it does have a signification right?"

"Sorry kiddo, I don't exactly know NCR's history since I'm not exactly one of their citizens."

"Let me enlighten you two then, I think it's about the Unification of the Desert Rangers and the NCR as well as to show that together the NCR and any other tribe would only get stronger if they are together."

Dante would lie if he would say that this thing was impressive considering how corrupt the upper echelon of the NCR was as well as how much the eggheads love experimenting on people.

<Angry Beeping>

"Sorry ED-E, you are right that's just a waste of good metal."

Vito and Beagle looked at Dante as if he was crazy, but the boy chooses to ignore the two of them. Almost an entire hour later they reached a gas station when their new member saw something hiding on top of the station. Before however was up there could stop them, Beagle dragged the duo and the eyebot away from the road. Despite not understanding for the moment why Beagle would drag them away, Vito who was probably older than all three of them combined realized that something must be amiss for a coward like Beagle to act in such a way.

"What is it?"

<Annoyed Beeping >

"Don't push me you metal freak. There is a Viper on top of the station. Thank whatever deity is up there that whoever is on the station is as blind as a mole rat. Anyhow, if there's a sniper that means there are more inside."

Even though they found Beagle's explanation plausible, Dante and Vito still peaked over the small mound of dirt. Truthful to his words, Beagle told the truth, as a group of poorly dressed raiders just existed at the station carrying some of the furniture outside, most likely preparing the area for an ambush. Maybe having a professional coward with them wasn't such a bad thing after all.

We waited another minute or two. When none of the raiders seemed to have noticed them, Dante turned towards Vito, since he had more experience in combat and if Dante was, to be honest, he would rather trust whatever plan his friend makes over what someone as inexperienced as him might create.

"What do you say, Vito? Do you think we can get past them without a fight?"

"There's no way for us to do that alive. We would have to fight them. Beagle how good is your aim?"

"M-my aim? Decent?"

"Are you asking me?"

"No, no, it's decent. I reckon I can shoot someone that's a hundred meters away, but nothing farther than that."

"Good enough for me. Here use this rifle and try not to get us to kill. Kiddo you and I are going to rush to a closer position, from where our rifles could do some work."

Hearing Vito's words, Dante took a deep breath before he alongside Vito and ED-E charged forward. It took a few seconds for the Vipers to realize that someone was coming in their direction before they engaged the duo and their robot companion. Fortunately, they were moving fast, ducking and dodging, so that when the raiders opened up their aim was off. All they got were rocks, sand, and dirt that rained all over the area.

On the other hand, Beagle as well as the trio fared more accurately with their return fire. Even though he was a coward, his brother-in-law trained the ex-deputy and his rifle scored two of them who in their eagerness to bring the trio down had left the protection of the station and jumped into the open. While Beagle was covering them, Vito's own assault rifle took out a third raider. For some reason, ED-E fired a laser round in the heads of all of the three dead raiders.

As soon as they reached the next mound of sand and dirt, the charge turned into a standoff. The remaining four Vipers proved smarter or at least weren't on drugs like their friends that charge in the open. They kept low behind any cover they could find, popping up like a game of whack-a-mole to rip off at the trio. Vito and Dante shoot back from time to time alas to no result. Even ED-E was forced to take cover since the poor robot had to fly higher to shoot making him the sole target for the raiders.

Continuous gunfire raged from either side as well as forward and behind. For Dante, everything seemed to disintegrate into a clusterfuck. Sadly for them, in this kind of environment, you were forced to deal with any challenge yourself and because of that Dante, with the help of ED-E surveyed the area briefly until he found a path. As soon as he was behind the cover, Dante nudged Vito and pointed to one of the pre-war cars that were left broken and barely recognizable eight or ten meters on their right, creating the perfect position to outflank the raiders. Despite being a long shot, if they could reach it alive, then they could fire at the raiders and even take them out almost instantly.

"There's no way we could do it, but if I, Flybot here, and Beagle cover you then you might have a chance so I say go for it."

<Curse in Beeping>

"ED-E curse you."

"Even I understood that. Anyhow, what do you say?"

Dante nodded after a second. Vito turned and signaled Beagle before its assault rifle rattled on full auto, the spray of bullets zapping the air above the heads of those raiders, forcing them to hide behind cover. As soon as the Vipers were ducked behind cover, Dante dashed towards the car, lying as low to the ground as he could just in case one of the vipers had a death wish. Out of nowhere, the wooden ceiling broke when one of ED-E's lasers rounds it one of the pillars crashed down on all four raiders, trapping them under it.

"We have timber!" When he saw what happened, Vito cheered as the heavy wood crashed down on the raiders. ED-E on the other hand let out a series of happy beeping.

Thanks to this lucky event, Dante made it behind the car before he sprayed the trapped raiders putting them out of their misery. For someone that hadn't seen such horrors before, watching the raiders struggle even after getting shot was horrifying.

"Kiddo, you did well. You put them out of their misery, Anyhow, I bet we're the only ones to ever waste raiders by dropping a ceiling on them."

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