Mercenaries' cave

"Khans of New California"

The mercenaries' cave is a very small cave system halfway between Broken Hills and Vault City, which forms the base of operations for a group of raiders led by Angel-Eyes and currently hired out by the Bishop family.

The cave is located north-northwest of Broken Hills, at a range of 3.75 grid squares. From Vault City, the cave is on a heading south-southwest, 7 grids south, one grid west.

Background
The raiders here are a bit different from the usual lot typically found out in the wastes. Their tenacity and success-rate has found them hired on by the Bishop family to harass Vault City's trade routes in order to force them into becoming annexed by the NCR.

Layout
One with a sufficiently high Outdoorsman and Perception, stats can locate at least one of the two entrances to the cave without the benefit of a map.

The cave is broken into two principal sections, each with its own entrance.

The main, natural entrance to the cave leads into an uninhabited section. This winding maze-like section of cave does not serve as home to any of the raiders, but multiple sinkholes can drop an unwary explorer into a level below - home to a small horde of small radscorpions.

However, it is the deeper reaches of the cave that are of interest to an explorer with a talent for combat. Accessible either from the entrance cave or from a manhole disguised by a small ruined building on the surface, the rear section of the cave is the base of operations for three raiders: Blondie, Tuco and Angel-Eyes.

Contents
Used to store sensitive documents, the raiders' safe is both difficult to pick and booby-trapped with explosives. Only those with relatively high Traps and Lockpick skills - as well as the appropriate tools - should attempt to open the safe. The safe can also be cracked if one has a high Luck skill. Inside is evidence of the Bishop family's involvement with the raiders and their attacks on Vault City.

Each of the three raider captains has a locker that contains their respective dog tags. Having all three creates a new option in the dialogue box for the safe that allows it to be opened without picking the lock.

Notable loot

 * First Aid Book - in a locker inside their base.
 * Guns and Bullets - in the safe.
 * Angel-Eyes' dog tags, Tuco's dog tags and Blondie's dog tags - in the mercenary captain's lockers.

Appearances
The mercenaries' cave appears only in Fallout 2.

Behind the scenes
Boilerplate left in the Tibbets design document reveals the lower area infested with radscorpions was originally to have had a boss, Spud, as a tribute to the Fallout team's mascot who died shortly after Fallout was completed.

Bugs
It is possible if the Highwayman is brought to the ladder entrance location, that the front half of the car will disappear. This will render it useless, only leaving access to the car's trunk.