Death Wish (Merle Briggs)
Find Merle in John's territory, in the Silver Lake Trailer Park.
He and some other prisoners are being held captive by half a dozen hostiles or fewer, but all the enemies are clustered in that one spot- you won't have to clear the trailer park the way you would an outpost.
One tactic here is to snipe the first person who wanders down the road, then snipe the next person who come to investigate. This particular batch of cultists is pretty easy-going, and will tend to investigate just one at a time.
When all the hostiles have been pacified, free Merle and the other prisoners. Sometimes a bug here means you will have fast travel away and re-enter the area before Merle can be freed.
Speak to Merle after to start his personal mission – Death Wish.
To continue this mission, you've have to liberate the U.S. Auto outpost, also in John's territory.
The outpost is guarded by about nine hostiles- the only special one is the sniper on the roof of the main building. As usual, a good way to start a stealth run is to pick off outliers by sniping from the woods out back.
When you've taken out at least half, and the survivors reach the spread-out-and-look stage of the siege, use the main building to quickly ambush the remaining cultists. There are enough doors and rooms here that you can split them up easily, then take them unseen. If their own wandering doesn't put them in your sights, use thrown rocks to lure them into position.
Take out the last to complete the outpost.
Note that the garage lounge contains both a map (on the couch), and an arcade machine.
Talk to Merle to find that his beloved Death Wish has been stolen, but can't be far.
Follow your marker to Golden Valley Gas down the road (east).
Move aggressively to reclaim the Death Wish- wait too long and theylll drive off with it.
If they do escape, the Death Wish will simple drive in a large circle. Rather than chasing it down, you might find it easier to just pick a point on the path and wait in ambush. You can use captured/commandeered cars to crate a roadblock, but you'll end up capturing various kill teams as well.
Once you've made the Death Wish your own, drive back to US Auto and pick up Merle.
He'll claim the turret. Chauffeur him over to the Reservoir Construction Yard to the northeast.
When you draw near, nine markers will appear. Smash through the green & red crates at every marker.
When that's done, mop up any survivors. Merle's a pretty terrible shot, so don't be shy with the vehicular manslaughter.
When the last one is dead, the Death Wish will be unlocked in shops, and the mission completes.
Note that there is a Clutch Nixon challenge here, an auto shop, and an arcade poster.