The Screams of Brahmin (quest)

The Screams of Brahmin is an unmarked quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Synopsis
Dusty McBride and Alice McBride are struggling against a mysterious attacker who slaughters their brahmin in the dead of night. Weeks of attacks have culled half their herd and if they continue, it will destroy their livelihood.

Walkthrough

 * This unmarked quest is received from Dusty McBride, who will describe the situation and mention that the attacks always seem to come from the west, beyond the tracks. Nobody else in Novac can offer much help, so the player has to investigate themselves. Dusty will recommend waiting at the pen at midnight to see who's responsible for the attacks.
 * At midnight, a nightkin will approach the ranch, scream, then open fire with a minigun, killing a single brahmin then retreating behind the rocks. The nightkin is actually standing there constantly, hidden beneath a Stealth Boy cloaking field and can be eliminated at any point.
 * Killing the brahmin allows the player to report to Dusty in return for 75 caps, brahmin steaks from the freezer, and Novac fame that instantly puts them at accepted status. Note that if the player deliberately waits several days for the nightkin to kill all of the brahmin, Dusty will only pay 50 caps.

Behind the scenes

 * The recovered holotape that gives the quest its name are a likely reference to Silence of the Lambs, whose protagonist, Clarice Starling, suffers from flashbacks and sleep interruptions linked to a childhood incident where she was traumatized by the slaughter of spring lambs.

Bugs

 * The nightkin may respawn behind the rocks.