Part 21: Two Types of People

Update 21: Two Types of People



Louis Salvatore was the only one out of the four crime bosses in New Reno with a big enough ego to name his hideout after himself. Then again, with the technology advantage he had over everyone else I don't think he was worried about people finding him.



Something about Boss Salvatore's doorman just irritated me.

"Look dipshit… do you still want to have your job tomorrow? I have some info about one of the other families in Reno that Mr. Salvatore's going to want to hear. So let me speak to him NOW."

"Kid, I don't think the fact that you nailed Bishop's wife and daughter counts as important info."

"You probably be the third person today to tell him that."

"Yeah, and I don't think he'll care that Lil' Jesus Mordino said you were too much of a wimp to work for them."

"Mr. Salvatore says you may come in, Luke."

"Well, at least one of those things must have interested him."



"Geeze, what are you? His bodyguard or his babysitter?"

"I ain't DONE yet. You show him RESPECT. You call him "Mr. Salvatore" at all times, and when he talks, you shut up and listen. Understand?"

"Y'know, I've heard there's this church in a little place called Modoc that'll marry the two of you if you love him so much."



To my surprise, Salvatore didn't want to talk about the other families at all. I actually had to talk him into giving me a shot to prove that I could be useful to him. The relationships I was building with these crime bosses seemed awfully one sided.



Of all the things he could have asked me for, he asked me to hunt down a card shark and take back his winnings. I had to get the details from Mason.

"Bout time you showed, boy. This bum that stole from Mr. Salvatore, his name's Lloyd. Mr. Salvatore wants him dead and that money he stole back. When you done the job, report back to ME, understand? Think you can handle that?"

"I don't think it'll be a problem. Any idea where this Lloyd's at?"



"Okay… let's start simpler. What's he look like?"

"Lloyd? Hell… he's 'bout average height, white, brown hair. Last I saw him, he had a tan shirt, and dark brown scarf. He probably ain't changed his clothes since I saw him last."

"Okay, that's only about half the population of New Reno. This shouldn't be hard at all."



"So how much money are we talking about? Had to be a lot…"

"About a thousand chips. Now look, that ain't nothin' to Mr. Salvatore, but he's got this policy with regards to people who take ANYTHING from him. If I were you, I'd remember that Mr. Salvatore's gonna want EVERY chip back."



I found him in the basement of the Desperado, hiding out in a tiny room with a soiled mattress.

"You Lloyd? Pretty Boy Lloyd?"

"Damn, I've heard or ironic nicknames but this takes the cake."

"Maybe? Who are you? I don't believe I've had the pleasure…"

"Dispense with the bullshit, Lloyd. I'm here for the money you stole from Mr. Salvatore."

"All right… all right now… It's on the Golgotha plains south of Reno, buried in one of the graves. Only I know where it is, though."

"Show me."



"I'm right behind you. Just keep that in mind."

"You're really getting into this a bit too much."



"Dig it up, Lloyd."

"Uh…"

"There's two types of people in this world, Lloyd. Those with loaded guns and those that dig."

"Three types. I not digging and I got a hammer, not a gun."

"Somehow I don't think that's making him feel any better."



"Nice one, Lloyd. Keep digging. Let's see what else is under there."



"Old… fallout... shelter…"

"Open the manhole, Lloyd."

"See, nothing wrong with it."

"You go first, Lloyd. Good. Now…"



"CATCH!"

"Okay, didn't see that one coming."



Lloyd was scattered around the inside of the fallout shelter, along with his shotgun and other personal effects. I was honestly surprised that the landline went off. He must have hit the pressure sensor fumbling the catch. There was also exactly a thousand dollars in a strongbox against the wall.



After that we still had to pick our way out of Golgotha. The place was full of dead bodies up on stakes, and unlike the ghoul farm these weren't fakes. I wasn't dealing with the nicest people here, and it was starting to rub off of me.



Salvatore was waiting for me. I didn't dare tell him a lie, since I was sure that he'd had me watched every step of the way.



It's very kind of the game to remind us of what the correct amount is in this case. It won't continue.



Evidently I'd proved myself smart enough to be trusted with more work, because he had another job for me.. the details, as always, provided by Mason. I was really starting to dislike that guy.



"All right… anything else?"

"Don't let gramps give you any bullshit… if he does, tell him you work for Mr. Salvatore. That should clear up any misunderstandings. You got that?"

"That's all I need to know. This hurts, but… thanks, Mason."



"I've come to collect Mr. Salvatore's tribute."

"Then you wasted a trip. I paid Mr. Salvatore his tribute two weeks ago, as per the schedule. I don't know who you are, or what you think you're doing, but you aren't getting one red chip from me. Get."

This wasn't in the script I'd been given. I only had one line, so I kept to it.

"I am Mr. Salvatore's representative. You will give me the tribute I have asked for, and you will do so now."

"Hmmmph. Don't matter, I can't pay. The last collection nearly wiped me out."

"That is not my concern. You will get me the money now. Mr. Salvatore does not want to hear your excuses, and neither do I."



"I already have. I will pay your share for this period. In exchange, you will give me a discount at your store…say… those two first aid books."

"Those books? They aren't worth anything like a thousand bucks!"

"Yeah, funny how that works out, isn't it?"



Salvatore gave me a 25% cut of my own money, so I was only out $750. Renesco owed me big time, though, and I wasn't going to let him forget it. For some reason they wanted him out of the picture, and they figured that forcing him out of business or having me shooting him for being a prick were equally good.



The next job sounded like it would back me into a corner I couldn't get out of, so I decided to hold off on talking to Mason about it. I didn't think they'd take me refusing to work for them after that job very well.



We've gotten enough experience from our various odd jobs for yet another level. Points go to Small Guns and Energy Weapons, with a few going into Science.



The next stop was the Wright family station. One of the Wright sons, Chris, referred me to another one. Despite what Jules said about the Wright family being a real family, they were bound to have jobs that they wanted to distance themselves from… or just didn't want to risk their own hides doing.



The second Wright I talked to got me in to see the old man, who was older than dirt and probably just too stubborn to die.



"The name's Luke. I'm interested in a job."

"No shit? Well, pleased to meet you, 'Luke.' Glad you stopped by, damn neighborly of you. Looking for work in family Wright, huh?"

"Yes, I…"

"So happens my family is family Wright. Blood thocker than water and all. What makes you think I'd want tribal trash like you in my family? I got all the hitmen I need."

"Give me a test, then. Let me prove myself."



"Not to my knowledge, and I'd have known back in the tribe."

"One of my sons… my boy, Richard, passed away recently. Chem overdose. Jet."

"Uh… how can I help with that?"



"Wait, forced him to take it?"

"My boys know better than to take that shit, so someone musta held him down and forced him to take it until he died. You find that son of a bitch who killed my boy, don't you touch 'im… you just back and tell me the dead man's name."

"I see… any leads?"



It was time to go play detective. Something that I had absolutely no idea how to do, but I figured it couldn't be that hard, could it?