<b>Enter the Turncoat</b><br/><br/><a class="externalLink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meCGGetQu0w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">&lt;Scene Music - Non Pip based, just for atmosphere: Countdown - Jesper Kyd&gt;</a><br/><br/>Off in the far distance of the canyon floor, there was a soft and imperceptible, at least to the three that now held each other's attention, rumbling. Too far yet to be heard by them, the rumbling had significantly kicked up the dust on the valley floor. That dust was created by the pounding of the hooves of mutated   horses, their shape and form twisted and altered, making their gallop rough and ragged... their riders, five of them, were even more so, wrapped in bits and pieces of rags, covering that protected their skin from the elements and who knew what else, the rode fast and hard up the valley, on the run. Their  sixth was just taken down by a sniper and he was on the top of the ridge, following them now on foot, just trying to keep up. The were known as Ridgers and were now part of Caesar's Legion. But today, they were just moving targets. On the back of one of the deformed, drooling horses was a body wrapped up in protective cloth, obviously bound and gagged,  being jostled around violently, barely staying on the back of the horse at time.<br/><br/>That's who<span style="color: red">Darion</span>wanted. Not only did that<span style="color: blue">"Turncoat"</span>represent a significant bounty alive but the bitch had information on the NCR officer who sent in that party against the raiders on that fateful day and gave them permission to have their way with the slaves. Who shot the girl. He wanted her...<i> alive.</i><br/><br/><span style="color: purple">Loretta</span>called out to him, "<span style="color: purple">Come on! Get in already!</span>" Darion's concentration broke and he hopped back in the Deathcar, the eletric motor humming away as they sped off together to get a better position to snipe a few more from on top of the ridge. It was extreme long range to begin with. Their only hope was good position enough times to whittle them down to make a direct approach more safe and then to find a quick way down.<br/><br/>Darion had run into Loretta during this assignment. Apparently, they were after the same "prize". The Turncoat had evaded many of the local raiders and even the NCR for quite some time, of course, the Powder Gangers were the ones who originated the bounty for betraying them.  But now, at least for Darion, she was much more valuable than just the bounty that the Powder Gangers were offering. Seeing how Loretta only knew of the bounty, he had to find another wrinkle to this to garner her cooperation. Of course, when the Ridgers finally did catch up with the "Turncoat", finally, the bounty became less important for Loretta, and it was at that point that Loretta and Darion found common ground. Take out the Ridgers, grab the Turncoat for the bounty. Loretta agreed to let him interrogate her for whatever he needed as long as they could work together against the Ridgers. It was safer that way.<br/><br/>Darion held up his rifle on his shoulder watching the Ridgers ride up the canyon floor as Loretta gripped the steering wheel, trying to keep the Deathcar from earning it's namesake.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>