488. Gathering Evidence on Corruption

If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead, be sure to check out my Patreon!!!

Go to https://www.patreon.com/Tang12

___________________________

As the crowd continued buzzing with excitement, one thing was clear—Danny Sullivan wasn't just a candidate anymore. And Diamond City was ready to fight for its future.

Sico stepped down from the platform, the roar of the crowd still buzzing in his ears. The people of Diamond City had spoken—or at least, they were starting to. He knew this wasn't the end of it, not by a long shot, but it was the kind of momentum they needed.

As he moved through the crowd, shaking hands, exchanging quick words of encouragement, he spotted two familiar figures approaching—the tall, broad-shouldered form of Danny Sullivan and the more refined, businesslike posture of Geneva, the former secretary of Mayor McDonough.

Danny looked like he was still trying to process everything that had just happened. His usual easygoing demeanor was still there, but there was something else in his eyes—something closer to determination. Geneva, on the other hand, wore her usual unreadable expression, though there was something cautious in the way she scanned the crowd.

"Sico," Danny started, shaking his head in disbelief. "I—uh, I don't even know what to say. This? All of this?" He gestured to the people still murmuring, discussing, chanting his name in some corners. "You did this."

Sico smirked, crossing his arms. "Don't give me too much credit. The people of Diamond City were just waiting for someone they could believe in."

Danny exhaled, running a hand through his short brown hair. "Still, this means a lot. You didn't have to do any of this."

Sico shrugged. "Sure I did. We need someone we can trust running this city, and you're the best shot we've got."

Geneva cleared her throat, stepping forward. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you two about."

Danny turned to her, frowning. "Something wrong?"

She hesitated, then glanced around before lowering her voice. "The council met last night."

Sico exchanged a look with Danny, both of them caught off guard.

"The council?" Danny repeated. "Since when does Diamond City have a council?"

Geneva sighed. "It's not exactly official, but let's just say the city's wealthiest and most influential residents have always had a say in what happens here. Even McDonough had to answer to them."

Sico's expression hardened. "And let me guess—they don't want Danny in office."

Geneva's jaw tightened. "That's putting it lightly. They want to keep control, and Danny… well, let's just say they don't see him as 'one of them.'"

Danny scoffed. "Of course they don't."

"What exactly did they decide?" Sico asked, cutting to the chase.

Geneva took a deep breath, her gaze flickering between them. "They've put me in charge of overseeing the election."

Danny blinked. "You?"

She nodded. "Because I was McDonough's secretary, they think I'm someone they can control. They want me to rig the vote."

Danny took a step back, visibly stunned. "They—what?"

Sico narrowed his eyes. "You mean to tell me they're so scared of Danny winning that they're willing to straight-up cheat?"

Geneva gave him a look. "Sico, these people own Diamond City. They've controlled everything behind the scenes for years. They expect to get their way."

Danny clenched his fists, shaking his head. "This whole thing is a joke. They don't care about the city, just their power."

Sico exhaled sharply. "Alright. So, what's your plan?"

Geneva hesitated. "I… don't have one yet."

Danny crossed his arms. "You're telling me this now because—?"

Geneva's expression hardened. "Because I don't want to rig the vote."

Both men looked at her in surprise.

"I worked for McDonough, yeah," she admitted. "But I never liked what he did to this city. I just—" she sighed, shaking her head. "I kept my head down. I did my job. But this? Stealing an election? That's where I draw the line."

Sico studied her carefully. "You're sure about this?"

Geneva met his gaze. "If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here."

Danny let out a slow breath, rubbing his temples. "So what do we do?"

Sico was already thinking. "First things first, we have to make sure the people know what's happening."

Danny frowned. "You think that's a good idea? If we come right out and say the vote's rigged, we could cause a riot."

"That's the last thing we need," Geneva agreed. "If the people lose faith in the system completely, it won't matter who wins—they'll tear the city apart."

Sico nodded. "Then we play it smart. We watch them. We make it clear that people are paying attention. If they know they're being watched, they'll have a much harder time pulling anything shady."

Danny sighed. "And if they try anyway?"

Sico smirked. "Then we make sure they fail."

Sico crossed his arms, his mind already racing through the possibilities. He had dealt with shady people before—raiders, slavers, and corrupt traders—but this was different. This wasn't some back-alley deal or a desperate gang looking for a quick score. This was power, the kind that controlled a city, the kind that didn't need guns because it had money, influence, and secrets.

He exhaled, turning to Geneva. "Alright. If they're playing dirty, we play smarter. You said they put you in charge of the election. That means you have access to their plans, right?"

Geneva nodded. "To a degree, yes. I'm supposed to coordinate the logistics—where the voting stations are, who's counting the ballots, how the results are reported."

Sico smirked. "Perfect. I need you to start gathering evidence—anything that can be used against them. Meeting notes, messages, hell, even a suspiciously expensive bottle of wine sent to a voting official. Anything that proves they're rigging this."

Geneva hesitated. "Sico, you have to understand, these people aren't stupid. They don't leave trails."

Sico shrugged. "Then find the crumbs. No one's perfect, not even them. And while you're doing that, I'm sending Piper to dig from the outside."

Danny's eyebrows shot up. "You're getting Piper involved in this?"

Sico smirked. "She's already involved. She's been calling out corruption in this city for years. This is just another day at the office for her."

Geneva sighed. "You do realize if she gets caught, they won't just try to silence her—they'll make an example out of her."

Sico's expression hardened. "Then we make sure she doesn't get caught."

Danny rubbed his face, clearly overwhelmed. "I can't believe this is what it's come to. I thought winning an election meant convincing people you were the right choice, not… blackmailing the people trying to cheat."

Sico clapped him on the shoulder. "Welcome to politics, Danny."

Danny gave him a tired smile. "Hell of an introduction."

Geneva looked at both of them, her usual composed expression faltering for just a moment. "If we do this… we have to be careful. These people are powerful. They won't hesitate to make problems disappear."

Sico's smirk didn't fade. "Good thing I don't scare easy."

Later that night, Sico found Piper in the Publick Occurrences office, typing furiously at her typewriter. The small room smelled of ink and old paper, the walls covered with past headlines.

Piper looked up as he walked in, her eyes narrowing. "You've got that look."

Sico grinned. "What look?"

"The 'I'm about to drag you into something dangerous' look."

He chuckled, grabbing a chair and sitting across from her. "Fine. Yeah. I need you for something."

Piper leaned back, crossing her arms. "Oh, this should be good."

Sico exhaled. "The election's rigged."

Piper didn't even look surprised. "Of course it is. McDonough was a fraud; no way the people keeping him in power were gonna let an actual fair election happen."

Sico nodded. "Exactly. And we're gonna stop it."

Piper sat forward, intrigued. "I'm listening."

"I need you to spy on the council. Geneva's working on the inside, getting whatever evidence she can. But there's gonna be things she can't access—conversations behind closed doors, deals made outside the official meetings. That's where you come in."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me to sneak around the city's most powerful people and dig up dirt on them?"

Sico smirked. "That's what you do, isn't it?"

Piper let out a slow breath, rubbing her chin. "Alright. I'll do it. But I'm not just looking for corruption—I'm printing whatever I find. The people deserve to know the truth."

Sico nodded. "Deal."

Piper grinned. "Guess I'd better start poking around."

As the discussion between Sico and Piper wrapped up, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside the office. A moment later, the door swung open, revealing Geneva and Danny. Both looked tense, their eyes darting between Sico and Piper.

Piper groaned, leaning back in her chair. "Let me guess—you're here to tell me I shouldn't do this?"

Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's not that we don't trust you, Piper. We just—" He hesitated, glancing at Geneva.

Geneva, ever composed, stepped forward. "We're worried about you."

Piper scoffed. "I appreciate the concern, really, but this isn't my first time exposing corruption in Diamond City." She gestured to the walls covered in old newspapers. "I've been doing this since before McDonough fell."

"That's exactly why we're worried," Geneva shot back. "The people we're dealing with now aren't just corrupt politicians—they're the ones who allowed McDonough to stay in power. They don't make mistakes, Piper. If they think you're a threat, they will come after you."

Danny crossed his arms. "Geneva's right. This isn't like when you were just writing about McDonough. He had the protection of the Institute, but he still had to pretend to be a good leader. These people don't have that problem. If they want to get rid of you, they will find a way."

Sico leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose. "You think I don't know that?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. "You think I'd send Piper into this without a plan?"

Geneva's jaw tightened. "Then tell us the plan, Sico. Tell us how you're going to keep her safe."

Sico stood up, his gaze sharp. "You both seem to forget something. We're the ones in control here, not them. The Minutemen didn't fight and die to take back this city just so a bunch of rich bastards could keep pulling the strings. We took down McDonough. We fought the Institute. And Piper?" He looked at her. "She's one of us. You really think they'd dare lay a finger on her while I'm still standing?"

Danny frowned. "Sico—"

Sico raised a hand, cutting him off. "No. Listen to me. They don't just fear the truth Piper can expose—they fear us. They know who I am. They know I'm the General of the Minutemen. They know I have an army that won't hesitate to stand up for the people of Diamond City. If they try to silence Piper, they'll be making a very, very big mistake."

Silence filled the room.

Geneva studied Sico for a long moment, then let out a slow breath. "You really think that'll stop them?"

Sico's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, I know it will."

Piper chuckled, shaking her head. "You really do have a way of making people rethink their choices, don't you?"

Danny, though still tense, exhaled deeply. "Alright. Fine. But I don't like it."

"You don't have to," Sico replied. "You just have to trust me."

Danny gave him a long look, then nodded. "I do."

Geneva hesitated a beat longer, then sighed. "Then we'd better make sure this plan actually works."

Sico grinned. "That's the spirit."

He turned back to Piper. "Alright, you're on. Gather as much as you can, but don't take unnecessary risks. The moment something feels off, you get out. No story is worth your life."

Piper rolled her eyes. "You're starting to sound like Nat."

Sico smirked. "Well, she's smart. Maybe you should listen to her more."

With the plan set, the group dispersed, each with their own role to play in the fight to save Diamond City's future. The battle wasn't over—not by a long shot—but Sico knew one thing for certain.

The council had been running things from the shadows for too long. And now? It was time to drag them into the light.

________________________________________________

• Name: Sico

• Stats :

S: 8,44

P: 7,44

E: 8,44

C: 8,44

I: 9,44

A: 7,45

L: 7

• Skills: advance Mechanic, Science, and Shooting skills, intermediate Medical, Hand to Hand Combat, Lockpicking, Hacking, Persuasion, and Drawing Skills

• Inventory: 53.280 caps, 10mm Pistol, 1500 10mm rounds, 22 mole rats meat, 17 mole rats teeth, 1 fragmentation grenade, 6 stimpak, 1 rad x, 6 fusion core, computer blueprint, modern TV blueprint, camera recorder blueprint, 1 set of combat armor, Automatic Assault Rifle, 1.500 5.56mm rounds, power armor T51 blueprint, Electric Motorcycle blueprint, T-45 power armor, Minigun, 1.000 5mm rounds, Cryolator, 200 cryo cell, Machine Gun Turret Mk1 blueprint, electric car blueprint, Kellogg gun, Righteous Authority, Ashmaker, Furious Power Fist, Full set combat armor blueprint, M240 7.62mm machine guns blueprint, Automatic Assault Rifle blueprint, and Humvee blueprint.

• Active Quest:-