I ducked down just in time as another barage of buckshot came back our way, fewer in number now but equally as deadly, Kenny managing to kill another Raider with a shot to the middle of a foxes forehead, spraying yet more gore and blood across the bar.

“We got to get out of here, we'll take your exit” Kenny said sliding over to me as he unloaded the magazine and checked out how many rounds he had left before snapping it back in “I'm low, so got to make these shots count, you still doing ok?” he asked as a thin streak of blood from his cheek and shoulder.

I quickly unloaded the magazine and checked seeing I was nearly out myself and shook my head to him with an unsure look on my face “Nope, I'm nearly out and my magazines are still in my bag the other side of the table” I said with a sigh as I slid my magazine back into my pistol.

“Well, we better make the most of what we do have then. Make them count. I you make it through this then I think you have a fighting chance to survive out here, at least your gun work is a strength” he said with a slight chuckle a moment and patted me on the shoulder “On the count of three we make for your exit” I nodded in understanding, as the Khans were now playing it smart and hiding behind cover, now waiting for us to make the first moves as not to end up like their friends.

The next three seconds seemed like a lift time and almost went into slow motion as soon as he said 'go'. We made our rush to the exit, trying to cover ground to the back as fast as we could but not before I scooped up my bag. The two Khans still at the back turned in to take shots, but we were just a little quicker on the trigger as their eyes went for a moment wide, firing off the rest of the shots sending them both sprawling and dead against the back wall, riddled with both 10mm rounds as both our guns snapped back empty. We nearly made it, at least I did as shots from the other side of the bar flew our way, I could hear McMurphy cry out angrily as he unloaded with his 9mm pistol in a quick burst and felt Kenny push against me hard into safety before hitting the deck, crying out in pain.

I looked down at him, seeing he caught a few in his back as he looked up at me and mouthed for me to get out of there, I felt pain and guilt flow through me, I nodded to him knowing that if I helped him I would end up the same and made for the exit. I turned away reluctantly and crashed through the back exit door and maybe got a few steps before someone in a checkered suit stepped around the corner and pistol whipped me around the face before I could react, then there was darkness. I had blacked out and there was silence, but not before I heard one shot behind me that wasn't meant for me.


************************************************** *************

Slowly my ears twitched to the sound of talking, it sounded angry almost arguing that made me stir back to the real world. My eyes still closed as pain and confusion flowed through my head where the pistol had cracked me sometime ago, still I had no idea how long I was knocked out for. I tried to bring a hand around to rub at my temples but quickly I came to realize they were tied up behind me, after a few moments of trying to move them I accepted that it was useless as a pained groan escaped my mouth, it tasted like copper and I could tell I was missing two teeth as my tongue made a quick assessment of the damage in my mouth.

"Hey, looks like our little courier is finally awake" a voice sounded close by almost mockingly and with the sound of joy in the voice. I only managed to open one eye, the other swelled shut from being cracked hard but I noticed it was still night but now we weren't in the town and in fact we were up at the cemetery on top of the hill on the outskirts. The many crooked wooden crosses and weathered, nameless grave stones surrounded me as I looked about slowly, my eye finally looked and focused firstly on the lifeless body of Kenny whose dead, lifeless eyes looked at me before I noticed the small crowd before me. The checkered suited bobcat who I had for a brief second outside the bar earlier took a step forward, dropping a cigarette before grinding it out into the dirt with his heel.

"Looks like it's time to cash out boys" he said reaching slowly into his pocket and picked the silver poker chip I had been carrying between his finger and thumb "Our work here is done, just need to tie up this one loose end"

"Benny, would you hurry up and be done with it already" Jessup replied behind him, sounding both angry and fed up, the coyote with arms crossed, his jaw and cheek already bruised, red angry eyes glowing slightly in the light of the bright gas lantern on the ground nearby "I don't fancy we'll be alone for too much longer after that gun fight, rangers and NCR will no doubt come to investigate sooner or later. Sure they heard it all the way in Camp McCarran" I could see the injured form of McMurphy sitting down, bandages thick and bloody around his leg as he injected a stimpack into his thigh with a painful grunt through clenched teeth.

"Maybe Khans kill people without looking them in the eye, but I ain't a fink, dig?" replied the checkered suited bobcat I now finally knew by name, a smirk I noticed on his face as he looked back to me, flashing the silver chip to me and rolling it between his fingers before placing it back into a pocket on the inside of his jacket before replacing it with an ivory handled 9mm pistol and aimed it in my direction. One of the khans behind me dragged me up and forced me onto my knees before pulling my head up by my hair, another groan of pain escaping me as my focus was now all on Benny.

"Sorry you got twisted up in this scene kid, but you've made your last delivery" he said, a smile disappearing and actually for a moment looked saddened, before a sick smirk came back to his lips. Still the bastards words were bitterly ironic seeing as this was probably the worst first day on the job in history.

He cocked the pistol putting a round into the chamber and looked at me a moment longer, my body was shuddering with both cold and nerves realizing I was dead. How pathetic I must of looked in his eyes I could only imagine, I felt warmth at my crotch that spread to my legs, almost glad in this light they could not see as I shamefully pissed myself. The khan at my back moved away as I kept focus on Benny for myself, shuddering and scared, my heart nearly exploding out of my chest with the way it was beating.

"From where you're kneeling it must seem like an 18-carat run of bad luck. But, truth is...the game was rigged for all 6 of you couriers" he stepped closer and stopped two foot away, holding the gun out to my head, my one good eye widened but only for a moment, heart continuing to race.

I never heard the bang of the gun but I felt my head snap back hard before my body slumped with dead weight into the shallow grave behind me, suddenly all there was once more was darkness and silence.

Footnote: Level up.
New Perk: Swift Learner: You gain an additional 10% whenever experience points are earned