[color=f7941d][u][b]Ambassador Benjamin “ Benny” Watts - Sloan - Evening, October 15th [/b][/u][/color]

Benny was surprised with Leonid’s honesty. A lifetime of gambling and politicking had made him suspicious of others. The naked passion with which the private had asked for help and offered up information was jarring to Benny and he had to remind himself the boy gained nothing personally from these actions. Rather he put himself and those he cared about in critical danger by coming forward. Benny would happily provide this information to the president and take credit for its collection as well but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he should honor his word. It had been a long time since he felt a duty to be honest. 

“Look Leonid, I’ll do my best to watch out for you and Andrew and his mother.” he motioned back to the notebook “and everyone else who had a hand in compiling this. But I want to be clear that I cannot be openly seen providing security to any of you. It’ll raise suspicion about why I’m going outside the parameters of my assignment. The less I interact with any of you, the better. All eyes will be on me when I step foot on the Strip and when that happens you and those you care about need to be far away from the spotlight.” 

Benny rubbed his face and took a long drag on his cigarette before extinguishing it on the table top. He knew this assignment would be difficult but he had hoped to spend the majority of his time gambling, trafficking and racketeering. The past three ambassadors had worked this position hard to increase their own wealth and he had hoped to follow in their footsteps. At least until he had enough to pay off the Bishops himself and get out from under the thumb of Brianna Van-Graff and her whole fucking family. Now he had to deal with Denver Abernathy, a man who never shrank from his duty, a man who never took half measures. If the colonel so much as thought that Benny was a threat to him and his soldiers, well Benny had read enough about Bitter Springs and the Freeside riots to guess what would happen.    

“I don’t want your apology Leonid. What I want is for you to go back to your unit and keep your mouth shut. Don’t tell anyone, not even your boyfriend. If word gets around about what we discussed in here, then I cannot protect you. Hell, I won't even be able to protect myself. Understood?” 

There was a knock at the door and in stepped Peter, head of the ambassador’s security detail and three other CSF agents. The man wore a perpetual scowl but his brow was even more furrowed than usual. “Ah Peter, this is Leonid Tannhauser. We were discussing his interest in politics. I would like you to escort him back to his unit and-” Benny was cut off as Peter scoffed.

“Fuck that. Let the little twerp find his way back himself. One of our sentries spotted Khans on the outskirts of the Quarry. Less than a dozen but we figure they’ve been tailing us since Primm. You needa cut this big brother shit out right now. My aunt didn’t send you here to play with the fucking troops. Now where is your gun?” Benny sheepishly pointed to his bag that lay unpacked on the bed. Peter rolled his eyes “Fucking pick it up and keep it close. You’re not leaving this cottage till sun up.” Peter looked at Leonid “Well? What the fuck are you waiting for? Get the fuck out!” He grabbed Leonid by the collar, dragged him to the door and threw him out of the cottage. 

Benny grabbed his pistol and chambered a round. He pulled another cigarette and lit it. Peter was moving with the other agents. Shuttering the windows and pulling furniture near them to use as cover. “You know Peter, that boy’s father works with Brianna.” 

“Whooptiy fucking do Benny.”

“You should have shown him a little more respect. Hell you should’ve shown me a little more respect. You think he’s gonna keep quiet about how the ambassador’s men treat him?” Peter stomped towards Benny and punched him hard in the gut. The air was knocked from Benny’s lungs and he collapsed onto the floor of the cottage. 

“How’s that for treatment? You’re lucky I don’t start stomping on that pretty face of yours. You think just because you got my aunt fooled that you can flout about and act however you want?” Peter stooped low and grabbed Benny by the neck “We fucking own you Benny and the second, the second I am convinced that you are no longer acting in our favor I will sell you back to the Bishops so fast you’ll be dizzy. Now get the fuck up.” 

Benny complied and kept his mouth shut no matter how much it pained him. He had never liked Peter and had heard enough about the man to support those feelings but this was the first time the man had been so violent with him. If he hadn’t been the president’s nephew Benny figured Peter wouldn't have risen so high in the ranks of his family’s company. They utilized his savagery like one might use a wild dog, to enforce discipline and fear in those they distrusted. 

Morning came without incident and Benny dressed himself, put on his felt hat and stepped out of the cottage. Most of the CSF agents had already gathered with SSG Keyes and the NCR troops escorting him. Benny nodded to the sergeant and mounted his horse, doing his best to avoid eye contact with Leonid. The party moved out as a group, Peter had informed the sergeants about the Khans and so the whole of them remained vigilant on their way north to Vegas. As they passed Black Mountain Benny was afforded his first glimpse of the Green. Growing upon the sides of the mountain like a malignant tumor the vegetation was dense but low in stature. There were no hardwood trees, only tall weeds, grasses and towering saguaro cacti. Benny smoked nervously as he couldn’t help but shake the feeling of eyes upon them as they skirted the base of the mountain. There had been stories of mutants living there but the NCR had reported their disappearance upon the arrival of the Green. Still rumors persisted of humanoid forms moving quickly on the mountaintop under the cover of darkness. 

The ambassador’s party stopped for lunch and a break at the new Headquarters for the Mojave branch of the Van-Graff Company, centered at the old Repconn Headquarters. The CSF agents aside from Peter were relieved and swapped out for those who had been working under Gloria Van-Graff the last few years. Peter spent an hour speaking privately with his cousin and Benny ate alone, keeping his distance from the NCR troops and the CSF agents alike. In the distance he saw dark clouds gathered over the shadow of the Green that stretched from Vegas to Mt. Charleston and beyond. Benny had never seen that much vegetation in one area before, not even when he had gone north to Cascadia. Despite being miles from the dense growth he could see pockets of weeds and grasses creeping their way out into the Mojave. 

They arrived at the gates of Freeside just before sunset. The dim lights of the Strip barely visible through the haze of smoke and shade of ruined buildings. Beggars and orphans lined the street. SSG Keyes orderd his soldiers to keep a tight formation and stay on their guard. Several wretched looking individuals hurled insults and bottles at the party before scampering into darkened hovels made from rubble and scrap wood. Benny’s horse paused as it came upon a corpse, stripped naked and lying in the middle of the road. Signs of decay and teeth marks upon it revealed it has been there for at least a few days. Benny had seen more than a few dead bodies before and during the Hunger had seen some truly awful sights in the NCR core region. But he still felt some pity for this poor individual who lay naked and unburied, seemingly unseen by those around. Several mercenaries sporting makeshift armor but wielding fearsome looking weapons stepped towards them from a gatehouse. The CSF agents formed upon Benny’s flanks and Peter put down the visor on his combat helmet and tightened the grip on his rifle. The mercenaries spat on the ground and grinned.  

“Welcome to New Vegas Mr. Ambassador.” said the lead one, the man was missing most of his teeth and his forearms were covered in track marks. “We’ve been expecting you.” 

“I am glad to hear that my arrival is anticipated in this…fine city.” The lead mercenary laughed at Benny’s last words.

“Finest city in the Mojave Mr. Ambassador. We’ll take you to the Strip.”

“I believe I have enough of an escort as is. Thank you though.” 

“I wasn’t asking.” The man’s smile dropped from his face. Peter kicked his horse forward until he stood over the man, the mercenary seemed unimpressed. 

“Seems you have more teeth in your mouth than sense in your skull.” The mercenaries tightened their posture at Peter’s words and Benny began to sweat heavily. Several more armed individuals began to gather near the gate. He wanted to move his hand towards his holster but couldn’t do it subtly. Behind him Benny could sense tension in the squad of NCR troopers. 

“I had hoped to enter New Vegas peacefully.” Benny managed to utter but neither the mercenary nor Peter paid him any mind. SSG Keyes moved forward, his finger above the trigger of his carbine.    

“Peace? With those dogs?” The lead mercenary laughed again as he directed his attention to the soldiers behind the CSF agents. “Tell them to run back to their kennels. We don’t need Denver’s lapdogs stinking this place up.” 

“Seems to reek already,” said Peter. “Now why don’t you listen to the ambassador and clear the way for your betters.” 

“My betters? I don’t know who the fuck you think you are to talk to me-” The lead mercenary’s head exploded into sickening plume of gore and plasma as Peter leveled his rifle and fired a shot point blank into the man’s face. The other mercenaries were startled and Benny turned his eyes away from the violent mess. Behind him Keyes shouted at his squad to hold their fire. 

“Enough!” Yelled SSG Keyes “By the order of President Van-Graff and Colonel Abernathy of the NCR step aside!” The remaining mercenaries shared a stupefied look with each other before slinking away into the guard house and the streets around them. Only one remained, a skinny old man with one eye and a scraggly beard. He spit on the corpse of the dead mercenary. 

“Never liked him anyway.” said the old man and Peter laughed coldly.

“Get a move on then unless you’d like to join him.” The old man nodded nervously, stepped forward to grab the dead man’s weapon and then skipped off down the street. Peter turned to Benny. “Shall we continue [i]Mr. Ambassador[/i].” 

“That wasn’t necessary.” said Benny when he rode close to Peter. “I’d rather my arrival not be besmirched by wanton bloodshed.”

“They’re lucky I didn’t kill them all.” 

Benny rolled his eyes and shakily took out another cigarette as they maneuvered the streets of Freeside heading towards the glow of the Strip. “Aren’t we all.” he said under his breath.