Nevada: High Roller (Fallout New Vegas)

Chapter 16: All-In

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"Goddamn..." Benny commented, giving the empty casino hall a scrutinizing, snobbish look-over from my side as the doors to the Lucky 38 drew to a close behind us. "Could this place be anymore bleak?"

Taking in a breath upon entering the abandoned casino hall, the stale, stagnant air of the place was filled with a deafening silence only broken by our footsteps, the mechanical whirring of the three Securitrons guarding the red-carpeted floor leading towards the brass-colored metal elevator doors in the center of the room, illuminated from above by the white neon of the 'Lucky 38' sign stretching above the central supports.

Even having been in the room for only a few moments, the familiarly uncomfortable tickle of dust in the air, present in visible, silver grains beneath the dim, red glow of the dangling ball-lights, managed to find its way into my lungs. I cleared my throat and yanked my bandanna back up over my nose.

"All that time schemin' 'bout how you'd get in here, 'n the first thing 'ya do is complain?" 

I cocked an eyebrow sardonically in Benny's direction, earning a momentary scrunch-eyed glare from the fella. 

"Be thankful that you're useful enough for me to bring in here."

Perhaps I was being hypocritical: I, too, had complained the very moment that I walked into the Lucky 38's interior earlier in the night. Wasn't like I had been the one dreaming about getting a glimpse inside the place like Benny had, though. 

               You'd think he'd be amazed at the sight of the place after god-knows how long of building it up in his head, but you'd be thinking wrong.

"You ain't told me what we're doing in here, by the way." Benny said, strolling along by my side, while Boone and Yes Man trod behind us on our way across the carpet towards the elevator. "Not properly, anyway." 

He turned his head fleetingly across his shoulder towards Boone. 

"What about you, big guy?" Benny asked, an edge to his tone. "She given you a clue about what's going on?"

"I don't have a clue." Boone admitted coolly. "But I trust that Nevada knows what she's doing."

Boone seemed unfazed at going up into a building that, since before my entry a few hours prior, had not received guests for over two hundred years, or so folks said. He trudged along behind us, to the left of Yes Man and following directly behind me. 

         

When we reached the elevator, I could hear the movement behind me as he removed his rifle and held it in his arms at the ready, keeping a careful eye on Benny, while I was momentarily preoccupied with pressing the elevator button, opening the doors with a metallic hiss of air.

Benny and I moved to one side, allowing entry into the elevator to Boone and Yes Man, who took up post at the very back of the elevator. Then, once they were inside, I nudged Benny forwards with that pretty, golden pistol of his pressed up against his lower back, waited for him to saunter inside, before I, too, entered and pressed the button on the elevator panel marking the penthouse floor.