Chapter Six: Daring Plans

Arcade was a little unnerved when Jack's eyes suddenly lit up with determination. It didn't help that he ignored The King's advice of, "You're going to get yourself killed Jack. Don't do it!" He followed him out the door, carrying the extra armor slung over his back.

"So, uh, Jack? What are we doing now?"

"I'm going to kill Benny. He runs the Tops Casino, what do you know about him.?"

"Nothing, really. He doesn't usually come to Freeside so I've never seen him. Rumors are that he's pretty vicious."

He stopped, having been walking fairly fast before, and took a breath. "Well, I'm going to need a plan to do this. That means rushing is not getting me anywhere. What can we do?"

Throwing ideas around, Arcade said, "Let's just go back and see if Julie has anything off of ED-E yet."

"It's been less than an hour, there is no way they're done. I guess we should drop this stuff off. I'm not sure why I decided to bring it in the first place," he said. They headed back to the Old Mormon Fort and stopped just long enough to set the armor, Jack's pack and all the larger weapons next to ED-E. Like expected Julie said there was nothing new yet. Jack abruptly said, "I haven't eaten anything since before I got into town. How is the food here?"

"Barely edible, and there isn't much" Arcade admitted. "We only get so much and we try to spread it equally around Freeside, but that means there is less for the scientists here. We keep enough so we don't starve, but none of it is very good."

"Okay, want to go out to eat? I'll buy."

Arcade was surprised at such brazenness from the man who had answered with, "I don't remember," when asked about his preferences. Not exactly sure what to do he said, "Um, sure. The Atomic Wrangler is the place where you have the least chance of accidentally eating something that will grow inside you and then chew its way out of your stomach, but that is the best praise I can give for it though. There aren't any real restaurants in Freeside."

"Are there any on the Strip? Does the Tops have one?"

"Uh, yes, but the Tops probably isn't the best place for you to be right now. Anyway, you either need a shitload of money or a passport. Given the circumstances, the King probably won't give you a passport. Anything to keep you away from the Tops will be a good thing in his eyes."

"Okay, shitload of money it is." Jack got up, heading out of the Fort towards the elaborate and heavily guarded Strip Gate. A securitron stopped them, but after Jack flashed a large sack of caps they were allowed through.

Arcade ignored the flashing lights, neon signs and 'greeters' that lined the road, keeping an eye on Jack as he made a beeline for the second casino on the right. Cautiously he put his hand on Jack's shoulder and said, "Look, if you're going to shoot up the place, tell me so I can get out of here."

"I'm not going to shoot up the place, I'm going to grab a bite to eat and be observant while I do. There is a chance that a gunfight will break out, but I'm not going to start it. Your help would be appreciated, but if your uncomfortable with risks you might want to leave."

Arcade paused, then said, "Alright, I'll follow. Just, stay under control."

Jack snorted in derision, then said, "Sure, as long as you can play along without blowing my cover."

They entered the casino and were greeted by a man in a suit who asked for their weapons in a heavy 50's accent. He unholstered his Plasma Defender and surrendered it, but he noticed Jack's 9mm seemed to have disappeared. Things became a little more tense, especially when the greeter said, "Hey, one more thing. If you happen to 'stumble across' any weapons while here, just don't wear them openly, dig? We don't want to be scaring the other customers," before letting them pass.

Nervous that the man was on to them, Arcade tried to move on quickly. Jack stayed, however, and put on a slight accent similar to the man's to ask, "This joint has a restaurant, right? Could ya help a guy out and point me in the right direction?"

"Yeah, just over there," he said, pointing to the end of a gambling hall lined with roulette and blackjack tables. "Up the stairs and straight ahead. Just so happens to be the only worthwhile entertainment on the whole Strip as well. A show should be startin' soon, ya lucky dog."

They started away, but then Jack turned back and said, excitedly, "Hey, we're not from around here, but The Tops is a pretty well known, do you think we'll get to see Benny? I mean, like, the Benny? He's made such a name for this place, will we actually see him?"

Arcade tried not to react, but that was so insanely transparent that it made him very uneasy. Was Jack trying to get caught? The man didn't show any sign of suspicion, however, and said, "Maybe. He usually makes his rounds soon, so you might." His voice turned a little more serious, which caused it to lose a bit of the accent, "But don't try an' talk to him. He ain't a fink to be swooned over, Dig? If you see him, consider yourself lucky for that."

Jack's voice became somber, but in keeping the charade he held the fake accent better then even the greeter. "Yes, sir. I'll keep that in mind. Thank You."

Then set out down the spacious hall, past the many tables and slot machines.

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