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Background

You'll receive this quest from Francine Garret in the Atomic Wrangler in Freeside (#1).


Walkthrough

Francine will tell you that before they instituted the "cash up front" rule at the casino, they allowed their customers to run tabs -- and of course a few people ran out without paying. She'll then ask you to track down three of these people and collect what they owe, and she'll offer you 25% of the amount as your reward. If you pass a Speech 35 or Barter 35 check, then she'll double the amount.

Here's where you can find the three people who owe money:

• Grecks (138 caps). You'll find him behind the Old Mormon Fort (#2), and he'll immediately pay you what he owes. If you pass a Speech 40 check, then he'll add in 41 more caps, and if you pass a Speech 60 check, then he'll even give you the clothes off his back (but you'll lose karma). You can also pickpocket or kill Grecks to gain a Bag of Bottle Caps, which is worth 153 caps.
  
  Note: Unlike Lady Jane and Santiago, if you kill Grecks then you'll lose karma and gain Freeside infamy.
  
  
• Lady Jane (250 caps). You'll find her near the gate to the New Vegas Strip (#3). She'll tell you that she doesn't have enough caps on her to cover the debt, but she'll add that her caravan was lost in the Broc Flower Cave to the south (roughly centered between Novac and Camp Searchlight), and that you're welcome to whatever you find on it. If you go to the cave and loot the pack brahmin there, then you'll receive 276 caps. If you pass a Speech 40 or Barter 40 check, then Jane will give you 156 caps, three Sensor Modules, and two Cartons of Cigarettes (which combined are worth roughly 250 caps). If you pass a Perception 7 check, or if you have the Lady Killer perk, then Jane will give you 250 caps. You can also pickpocket or kill Jane to gain a Bag of Bottle Caps (plus the Sensor Modules and Cartons of Cigarettes), which is worth 256 caps.
  
  Note: The pack brahmin won't appear in the Broc Flower Cave if you visited the cave before accepting the quest.
  
  
• Santiago (212 caps). You'll find him behind the large ruined building across the street from Mick & Ralph's (#4). He'll claim that he's a Freeside VIP and doesn't owe anybody anything -- and to prove it, he'll try to sell you the password to get a discount at Mick & Ralph's (#5), which you'll be forced to purchase in order to continue the conversation. Santiago will ask you for 50 caps for the information (which will turn out to be a lie), or only 25 caps if you can pass a Barter 40 or Speech 40 check.
  
  To get Santiago to pay what he owes, you'll need to be persuasive. If you punch him in the face or threaten violence, then he'll pay you 212 caps. If you pass a Speech 40 check, then he'll pay you 256 caps. You can also pickpocket or kill Santiago to gain a Bag of Bottle Caps, which is worth 256 caps. There isn't any way to demand a refund for the money you spent on the password, but if you kill Santiago then you'll find what you paid on his corpse.
  
  Note: If you're also working on the quest Wang Dang Atomic Tango, and if you recruit Santiago to be one of the escorts, then his debt will be forgiven, but you'll still get your cut of the amount.

When you return to Francine (#1), she'll pay you what she owes (150 or 300 caps), and she'll ask you to hunt down and kill the former bounty hunter of the casino, a man named Caleb McCaffery, who managed to steal "a ton of caps" while you were out collecting debts.

You'll find McCaffery in the New Vegas Strip standing just outside the Gomorrah Casino. If you haven't been to the Strip yet, then to enter it, you'll need to have 2000 caps, a Counterfeit Passport (from #5), or a Science skill of 80, or you'll need to kill the securitrons guarding the gate (Exit A). When you finally talk to McCaffery, you'll be given two options for how to deal with him:

• You can kill McCaffery. You'll find a Bounty Hunter Duster, a Caravan Shotgun, Caleb McCaffery's Hat, and 165 caps on his corpse. Nobody in the Strip will notice the fight, and you won't gain any infamy with anybody.
  
  
• You can convince McCaffery to disappear. You'll need to pass a Speech 40 check for this, but if you're successful then McCaffery will give you Caleb McCaffery's Hat and 57 caps before leaving.

When you return to Francine (#1) this time, she'll take Caleb McCaffery's Hat from you, and she'll reward you with 150 caps, 500 xp, and some Freeside fame. She'll also give you the Atomic Wrangler Room Key and tell you that you're free to use the corner room on the second floor. However, that room (which used to be McCaffery's) was never locked, and all of the containers in it will remain "red," so it isn't much of a prize.


1 - Atomic Wrangler


2 - Grecks


3 - Lady Jane


4 - Santiago


5 - Mick & Ralph's


Exits:

1. Gate to the New Vegas Strip.