Kevin Dallas's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Kevin Dallas adjusted his Trade Post cap and studied the warehouse from across the muddy street. His whiskers twitched. The rival syndicate met here every third night, and tonight he'd slip inside as a delivery driver. One paw rested on the fake work order in his jacket pocket. He'd spent weeks building this cover identity. The real work started at the Crazy Eight Pub and Boardinghouse, a two-story ranch with light red brick and grey wood siding. That's where the syndicate's inner circle lived and planned their operations. Kevin needed to get inside those walls, earn their trust, and learn their secrets. First, he had to establish his presence in Ivanpath Village. He walked to the blue metal mailbox marked "Ivanpath Post" and dropped in three letters addressed to fake contacts. Anyone watching would see just another delivery worker checking his route. At the Vault-Tec pay phone station down the block, he pretended to make a call while scanning faces in the street. A heavyset badger emerged from the Crazy Eight's front door. Kevin memorized the face and turned away. Small steps would get him through that door eventually. Tonight was about being seen, being normal, being forgettable. The real infiltration would come later, once he'd woven himself into the fabric of this village.