[color=9e0039][i][b]Freeside, The Atomic Wrangler - [b]Now Youse Can’t Leave[/b][/b][/i][/color]

	“Another round for me and my boys James, keep the drinks coming.”

	James Garrett eyed his three regulars suspiciously. They consisted of Tommy ‘Quickfinger’ Morales and his two cronies, Jack and Paul. The three of them had been at it practically all night, gambling big at the tables, drinking it up, and rotating between various hookers. They must have blown close to 4,000 caps by now. Tommy was notoriously lazy, so it was hard to believe they’d made those caps doing anything resembling honest labor. Not that it really mattered either way. 

	“You still good for it?” James asked as he placed three empty glasses on the counter.

	“Eyyy who are you talking to here?” Tommy replied with mocking derision as he slammed a small pile of caps on the bar, “.....I’m always good for it.”

	“Not always,” James muttered and poured the three their choice drinks, “Just where did you get all those caps anyhow? Didn’t steal it, did you?”

	“Steal it? Fuck no. I won this fair and square on the Strip,” Tommy protested, he then gave a sly grin, “A lucky smoother-talker…that’s all I am.”

	“Yeah whatever Tommy,” James sighed, “As long as you keep paying…I don’t care.”

	Tommy shrugged as James walked away to serve other customers, and he then turned back to his cronies, “Drink up boys we earned it.”

	Suddenly Tommy's attention was directed towards the front entrance of the Atomic wrangler where a pair of women entered the casino. Tommy was immediately intrigued, they didn’t look like tourists, in fact, they looked more like wasteland raiders with their punk hair and  numerous tattoos. All that only made them stand out more to him though. Of course, the skimpy clothing they wore certainly added to their appeal. 

	Tommy’s eyes followed them across the Wrangler’s floor until they seemed to turn to look at him. He took a short sip on his whiskey as the pair appeared to chat between themselves, then they sauntered up to the bar and pulled up a couple chairs directly across from him. By this point, Jack and Paul were both looking at the two women as well, and immediately had their full attention. As always though, Tommy took to the lead.

	“Ladies,” He said, trying to sound as smooth as he could through slurred speech, “Care for a drink.”

	The pair let out a giggle, and nodded eagerly,

	“James!” Tommy yelled out, “Two Atomic cocktails for these fine young ladies here.”

	“Quit shouting Tommy,” James growled as he returned to fix the drinks. Once he sat the made cocktails on the bar and collected the caps, he was gone again.

	“Plenty more where that came from,” Tommy grinned as he scooted close to the two women, “Now what are your names?”

	[hr]

	Tommy, Paul, and Jack spent the better part of two hours chatting up the girls, each one trying to one-up the other in the tales of their exploits. Before long, Tommy had his arm around one of them, who he’d learned was named Lacy, and was acting like she was already his girl. That just left Jake and Paul to fight over the other girl, who’s name was Marissa.

	Their good times were interrupted suddenly when a pair of men with the same sort of raider-look approached the group. 

	“Stealing our girls? Get the fuck away from them!” One of the men demanded angrily as he strode up to Tommy.

	“WHOA WHOA back off asshole,” Tommy snapped back as he shoved the man aside.

	Pretty soon Jack and Paul were also on their feet, ready to fight, and certainly it looked like one was about to break out between the five men. 

	“OUT! ALL OF YOU!” The shrill voice of Francine Garret rang out over the wrangler, “I’ve had enough. Get out or I’ll have you all thrown out.” The Garret twins hired goons immediately began making their way over, eager to do just that.. 

	“Let’s go somewhere else,” Lacy suggested as she pulled at Tommy’s suit-coat.

	“Yeah….no problem toots,” Tommy replied, “Jack…Paul…let’s blow this joint. We’ll just take out caps elsewhere.”

	“Good riddance!” Francine called out after them as they left the Wrangler. 

	They stepped out onto the streets of Freeside, and the trio began following where the two women led. The men who’d confronted them appeared to just disappear into the crowd, and didn’t seem to be after them. Tommy breathed a sigh of relief, he talked a big talk, but when it came to actually fighting he was a complete coward. 

	“Where are we going?” Tommy finally asked Lacy, who was still hanging on his arm. 

	“This great place down the road, called [i]The Rad Rat[/i]. Ever been there?”

	“Huh, can’t say that I have,” Tommy said with a surprised look. He knew practically every place in town, so he was shocked he actually hadn’t. “Is it new?”


	“Just opened,” Lacy replied with a suggestive look, “You’ll love it.”

[hr]

	The girls led them down several winding, twisting streets and back alley-ways until they came to a part of Freeside that Tommy had never been before. The place they stopped at was an unmarked pre-war joint, that looked like an old hole-in-the-wall bar. 

	“Classy,” Tommy quipped as they strode inside. There was no-one else in the bar, save for an odd looking bartender with a pencil-thin mustache, who was diligently cleaning a few glasses. 

	“Welcome,” the bar-keep said as they entered, “What can I get you?”

	“Whatever drink is the most expensive,” Tommy said as he sat at the bar, “One for each of the boys, and two for the ladies,” he said with a smirk.

	“Hmmm coming right-up."

	“So baby,” Tommy cooed as he turned away from the bartender and pulled Lacy in closer, “What are your plans for tonight. Wanna shack-up at my place?”

	“You’re Tommy Quickfinger ain’t ya?” The bartender suddenly asked, interrupting him as he continued making the drinks. 

	Tommy gave the nosy-bar keep the side-eye and growed, “Yeah, what’s it to you?”

	“I hear you got a really good hustle going on the strip.” 

	Tommy looked back and forth between Jack and Paul, and then turned back to the bartender, “Who told you that old man?”

	“Oh…just a friend of mine,” the bar-keep shrugged, “But you have been conning customers at Gomorrah, am I right?”

	“Shut up and serve the drinks,” Tommy snapped back, “The fuck you think you are asking me questions like that?” He then turned back to Lacy with a smile, “And what if I did? Not like those assholes don’t deserve it. I gotta better things to spend that money on…like this fine dame here.”

	“You ain’t afraid of the Omertas?” Lacy asked, batting her eye-lids, “How brave...”

	“Eh, I ain’t afraid of them. But why would they care? Not like I’m robbing them of anything,” Tommy boasted. In his half-drunken stupor, he couldn’t help but keep talking, “Just robbing NCR goons anyway.” 

	[i]There it was. Big Mistake.[/i]

	Lacy and Marissa immediately stood up and walked over to a side door. Tommy held out his hands incredulously, “Ohhh hey, where are you girls goin’?” 

	Lacy just gave him a playful wave in response. The bartender sat down the half-made drink he was working on, and rounded the corner of the bar. Then made his way over to the entrance of the building. 

	“The fuck you doin?” Tommy demanded angrily. 

	The bartender pulled out a key, and……locked the door.

	Tommy’s heart dropped down right into his stomach. In that moment, he knew he’d fucked up. 

	Rockwood turned back to the three conmen, a look of pure hatred etched across his face. “Don’t bother trying to bluff your way out,’ The Enforcer said plainly, “We know you aren’t armed.”

	Tommy could only look on in horror as Omerta thugs began rushing out the side door, bats and knives in hand. 


	—-----------------------------

	Hours later, three badly maimed bodies had been piled up next to the Strip’s wall in Freeside. A hastily scrawled message had been spray-painted behind them,

	[color=ed1c24][i]DON’T FUCK WITH THE FAMILY[/i][/color]