Good Night, Vegas Lights

Chapter 25

  Vincent took little time to reach his former house. The desert air was unforgiving. A gust of hot arid wind threw sand into the air attempting to claw at Vincent's eyes and pull every ounce of moisture out of his body. Now it seemed bringing a canteen would've been wise. He kicked a small pile of dirt and watched it turn to dust as it floated in the air. Vince finally took a moment to think about his family. Something he hadn't down in a very, very long time. To his dismay, however, he realized he couldn't quite remember their faces. Part of him wished he had stopped those slavers from burning the photo he had, or that he hadn't left the files behind at Gomorrah. Vincent's thoughts wandered to Elizabeth, to her smile. He at least remembered how Elizabeth never stopped smiling. Noah would pay for taking that smile away from him, for taking his family, for the suffering that he caused.
  "You really should plan better," Noah suddenly said from behind him,
  "The desert doesn't suit you, Vincent."
Vince turned slowly, with his hand sliding to his holster.
  "I'm going to enjoy killing you, you bastard!"
Vince spat the words with as much venom as possible.
  "Everyone is a bastard out here. Its how the world works."
There was something Vincent had to ask.
  "Why did you do this? Why did you kill them?"
Noah's expression turned smug.
  "You probably have no idea who I am."
  "I know your damn well not who you say you are"
  "So you're right about one thing. Lets see, what was it? Oh, fifteen years ago? I was maybe... 16 at the time? Do you happen to remember on one occasion, a young man coming to your door?"
Vincent thought hard about it, but no such memory to him existed.
  "...No"
  "Ah, that's right! Because you weren't home... You never were during the day."
  "How do you know that?!"
  "Because, one must observe their prey before hunting it."
Vincent wanted to put a bullet between Noah's eyes, but at the same time he felt hesitance. He wanted a real reason for his why. So he let his arm relax, and no longer had his gun at the ready.
  "Keep talking..."
  "Well it was a day like any other. The sun was high in the sky. I knocked on the door on this little family home home just on the outskirts of Vegas, and a woman opened the door."
  "Elizabeth would never open the door to a stranger"
  "Your right, she wouldn't. So I made myself a family friend. I went to your house maybe three times a week, your children loved me."
  "If that was true, why wouldn't she have told me?"
  "Because she knew you wouldn't approve of giving 'a homeless, and orphaned young man money, even though you were living comfortably"
Vincent knew immediately what Noah was talking about. Sarah Weintrub had said Elizabeth was looking for money. She did want to help without Vincent's knowing.
  "None of this has told me why you killed my family"
  "There is something that I crave... Something far better than money, power, or control..."
  "And whats that?"
Noah looked up towards the sky before he spoke again. The sun was nearly set, causing it to burn several shades of red and orange.
  "Blood"
With that, Noah charged at Vincent. Before there was even time for a reaction, Noah had tackled him and had Vince on the ground. He got in a handful of punches, before Noah's fist eventually connected with his temple, knocking him into a blur. Noah took advantage of Vincent's daze and wrapped his hands around his throat, squeezing. Vince could feel his lungs screaming for oxygen. He struggled to reach his revolver, kicking at Noah at the same time. Finally his fingers touched the cool metal of his gun. He couldn't maneuver enough to pull it out of its holster, but he could just barely reach the trigger. So he did what came to mind. Vincent squeezed his eyes shut and pulled, allowing his own bullet to graze his leg. Noah reeled back in surprise. Vincent used his split second of confusion to push back against him, knocking the hands from his throat. Noah jumped backwards kicking the sparkling revolver away, but momentarily freeing Vincent. He pulled himself into a sitting position, and examined his leg; the bullet had grazed his thigh, but nothing serious. Vince attempted to stand, but all of a sudden Noah's foot connected with his ribs, causing a sick cracking noise sounding unnaturally loud in the desert's silence. He was nearly blown back by the force, but he wasn't going to let Noah take advantage of him again, so he quickly rolled to the side. There was a sharp pain beneath his chest. Something had definitely been broken. Vincent scrambled to his feet trying to locate the revolver, only to see that Noah had already recovered from his fall and had retrieved the revolver for himself. Now Vincent only had a knife to defend himself with. Noah's smug expression returned, despite the blood that now seeped from a cut above his eye.
  "Well, well, well Vincent. It seems the unthinkable has happened. I've won."
  "You haven't done anything 'till my body lies cold."
Vince meant what he said. He was beginning to devise a plan.
  "Do you really think killing me will solve anything? It won't bring your wife, your children, Tick, Sam, or anyone back. Don't you think enough killing has been done?"
Vincent knew that the chamber that was currently in place on his revolver was the faulty one. Meaning that when Noah fired, Vincent would have the perfect, and more than likely his last, chance to extinguish the evil that was now pointing a gun at him. Though he also knew Noah was unpredictable. He was on many levels completely psychotic. He killed for... Fun? It didn't seem right, but Vincent didn't care anymore. His anger made him only want to end Noah's life.
  "How can you even say that! If it wasn't for you, none of this would've happened."
Noah pulled the pin back.
  "On the contrary. I may be a bit younger than you Vincent, but I've seen some things. Things that prove no matter what happens, man will always revert back to their basic instincts. Instincts that tell them to kill. And you? You are far from being an exception."
  "Then go ahead. Finish this. Kill me."
Vincent was ready for what was fixing to happen. Noah pulled the trigger, and just as planned, nothing came from the barrel. In one swift movement, Vince pulled the knife from its hiding place and leapt towards him. Noah had been unprepared for such an attack, and therefore Vincent easily took him down. He brought the knife down heavily, and happily allowed it to slice into the flesh of Noah's throat. Blood sprayed in the air, almost like mist. A sense of relief found itself in Vincent's mind. But it was futile. With Noah's apparent last breath, he made it a point to fire the last of the rounds into Vincent's stomach, and even one into his chest. Surprised from the sudden blasts, Vince reeled back. Somewhat in horror. He fell to the ground, feeling the sizzling sand beneath him. Blood was already beginning to pool around him. He coughed, allowing the crimson liquid to sputter from his mouth. The pain was there, but distant like he was experiencing it from afar. The air smelled unusually sweet, just like it used to. Vincent rolled to his side, avoiding pain, and allowing himself a breathtaking look of the warm-colored landscape. His eyes traveled to the distant New Vegas. He'd not once taken the time to really look at it. The glow was more beautiful than he thought possible. Elizabeth was always right, beauty was everywhere. He'd tried to kill himself so many times, wished death upon himself more than he could count, but now when it was actually happening... He felt scared. Though as the pain started to disperse, and he felt the strange sensation of sleep coming, his fear turned into relaxation. Serenity even. Now it was as if he was only waiting. Waiting to kiss his beautiful wife. To hold his infant son in his arms. To grasp the porcelain hands of his daughter. To be together at last. With his ending breath and tears in his eyes, Vincent whispered
  "Good night, Vegas lights."