Chapter Text
"Bobbi, you can't be fucking serious. Stealing from Hancock? There's no way anyone in their right mind would do the job. Why the hell are you trying to start shit with Hancock?" I hissed at her. I knew Bobbi had never held any affection for the Mayor. It was safe to say she hated him. Bobbi had always craved power, and Hancock liked to squash anyone who gained it. After working with Bobbi for so long I'd started to share her sentiments towards Hancock. It was hard not to. Although perhaps to a much lesser degree.
"Why not? It's about time someone showed that clown in a tricorn hat he isn't as untouchable as he thinks he is."
I snorted. Bobbi had a point. Everyone was either shit scared of the guy or worshipped the ground he walked on. Though a little fear of the guy felt healthy.
"Besides," Bobbi continued. "No one else on this job needs to know. All they need to know is we're breaking into the Diamond City strongroom. Hancock would never know it was us." She rolled her eyes and retrieved a cigarette packet from her pocket.
"Until he realises he's been robbed and follows the tunnel right back to your house. Plus you've already said he's getting suspicious of you hiring up."
"And we'll be long gone with the money by the time he does realise what we've done." She smirked as she pulled a cigarette out of the pack, placed it between her lips and lit up.
"That's assuming you can get this tunnel dug."
Bobbi had been working on the tunnel for months. Though I had no idea what exactly she was doing at the time. Every time I asked I was met with "mind your business, Eva". That was until an hour ago when she almost knocked down my door in Hotel Rexford.
She took a long drag of her cigarette. "Well, that's where you come in."
"When I said I'm happy to do dirty work, I didn't mean literally."
"No, you're going to spring Mel from jail. Then you're gonna provide the muscle for this job. I'm sure there's plenty more mirelurks down there."
Fucking mirelurks. I hated the bastards. We'd dealt with the ones in Bobbi's tunnel relatively okay after she'd screeched at me to help. And Mel? I'd been avoiding him since my embarrassing outburst so I could lick my self inflicted wounds. Though considering how often we'd end up on jobs together with Bobbi it was hardly like I could avoid him forever.
"Like I said. No one in their right mind would take this job."
"Mel doesn't have to know, and luckily for me, you're not in the right mind."
I sighed. "This better pay well. More than well. I want double my usual rate."
"A 50% cut?" She gave me an incredulous look.
"Well, the way I see it. It's hardly likely you'll have a queue of people wanting to do this job, and unlike anyone else on this job - I know the risk, so I want to be fairly compensated for pissing Hancock off. He's got some reach and influence here in the commonwealth. I'll have to pay for protection." I needed every cap I could get. But it sure as shit wasn't going on protection. I only needed myself for protection.
Bobbi grimaced. "40?" She hedged.
I chewed over the offer. I wasn't sure exactly what 40% would be, considering we were going in blind. But it's Hancock - the guy had to have money. Just how much was the question, and was it worth pissing him off. I was desperate for any money at this point. Too desperate. But I wouldn't let it show to Bobbi or anyone else for that matter. As soon as I can get the money for my sister's passage across the Atlantic, we can go as far west as we can go. Well beyond the reaches of everyone I pissed off to get there. I'd already been here for three years without her. I didn't plan on us being apart for much longer.
"Well Eva?" She asked.
"40% it is, and I want 200 caps of that upfront."
Bobbi narrowed her eyes.
"Hey, I got rent to pay and food to buy." I shrugged.
"Fine." She sighed. "We got a deal."
It was still early enough that I could get to Diamond City and back before it got too late. I pulled my leather coat tightly around myself as I left Bobbi's and was met with the frosty November air.
"Where are you going?" Finn said as I passed him on the way to the gate.
I paused and turned back to him while slipping my hand into my coat pocket and gripped my combat knife. "Some of us have real jobs Finn. We don't all have the luxury of being able to stand around all day trying to scam people." Pretty rich coming from me.
"How about you share some of that real job money then. Throw in some extra because you're an Irish bitch."
"How about you go fuck yourself." I said while moving closer to him.
"You keep running that mouth Eva, and eventually bad things are gonna start happening." A smug grin spread across his face.
Before he could even react my knife was out of my pocket and against his throat. "You keep running that mouth Finn, and I'm going to do bad things to you."
"Whoa, whoa. Time out." Said a raspy voice.
The familiar red frock coat form of Hancock was approaching us. Good fucking God. The last thing I needed while trying to fuck over the Mayor of this town, was attracting the attention of said Mayor. Bobbi was gonna kill me for drawing attention to myself.
Behind him his bodyguard Fahrenheit was leaning against the wall of Kill or Be Killed. She watched us with a mildly bored expression.
"We're just having a friendly dispute." I smiled.
"I heard." He gave me a penetrating stare for far too long that made my heart flutter a little in fear. His gaze flitted over to Finn who was still glaring at me. "I hope you remember our conversation about this."
I pulled my knife away and pocketed it again.
Finn turned his glare to Hancock. "What d'you care? She's foreign. She ain't one of us. You're soft Hancock. You keep letting outsiders walk all over us, and one day there'll be a new mayor."
"C'mon man. This is me we're talking about." Hancock said while moving closer to Finn. "Let me tell you something." He placed his hand on Finn's shoulder then roughly pulled him forward as Hancock's other hand left his pocket. The knife he gripped slammed into Finn's chest not just once but twice.
Finn's eyes widened in surprise and he collapsed to the ground. Blood leaked from his mouth while he struggled to breathe.
"Now why'd you have to go say that huh? You're breaking my heart over here." Hancock said while watching Finn's last few rattling breaths leave his body.
A flicker of fear ran through me again. I was going to willingly piss this guy off? Bobbi was right, I really wasn't in the right mind, because I was still set on doing it.
Hancock tore his attention away from Finn's dead body back to me. "You okay there sister?"
"I could have handled him myself you know." I arched a brow.
He shrugged. "Sometimes a Mayor needs to make a point y'know."
"Well," I hesitated. I wasn't exactly sure what to say. Part of me felt irritated at the thought of him feeling the need to interfere like a white knight. But this was his turf we were scrapping on. So I bit back the sarcastic comment I wanted to make. "Thanks I guess."
He gave me a long scrutinising stare. "Heh. You're welcome... I guess." He smirked. "You're one of Bobbi's crew aren't you?"
"I do the occasional bit of work for her."
I met his speculative look with a bland bored one.
"I'll see you around." He said and turned to leave.
I stood there frozen until his retreating form disappeared inside of the Old State House. "See you never." I muttered and left Goodneighbor.