BASIC MEET

By bellyred

Harris Bernard pushed through the glass doors of the Baby A’s chain restaurant and bar. He looked at the greeter moved past her and nodded towards the bar. He sat down at end of the island placed bar. After a few moments the bartender brought him his Captain and Coke and he began to sip on it. His eyes moved around the restaurant not falling on any one particular person for any length of time. As his eyes roamed they met dark blue orbs sitting at a table to his left. Those eyes belonged to a blonde with model like features; she smiled nicely and turned away to talk to the other woman who sat with her. Harris smiled to himself and continued to sip at the drink.

"Villain he’s by himself or with the two biffs to your right as you enter," Toraino sub-vocalized.

Toraino sat at a booth to Harris’ right, he was a human of African-American descent wearing normal winter street wear-black sweater with armored vest underneath, loose khaki’s and tan colored Tim boots. He sat across from a lovely female that smiled at Toraino and picked at the food in front of her.

He was part of a group of runners trying to move from the little leagues to the pros. They had been running for four years now and had very few member changes. The core of the group consisted of three men, a lion shaman, a human, who claimed that he was from west Africa by the name of Jamul, an ex-company man, ex-bodyguard named Toraino and the leader was a mixed Korean and black Orc by the name of Villain.

"Jamul, thanks for lending us Charlene," Toraino sub-vocalized as he looked upon the joy-girl with a hint of desire. "Hope she won’t break you," Toraino sub-vocalized.

"There are several more taking care of business for me, big dog," Jamul responded.

"Cool, Jamul what have you got?" Villain said over the com-link.

"The auras are all different and do not seem to match the feeling of our mark, this should be gravy," Jamul said.

"Thanks, anything else inside, Toraino?" Villain asked.

"Like my man said, nothing and I’ll take mashed potatoes…with that gravy," Toraino said.

Jamul sat in the black Americar outside and smiled to himself thinking that Toraino’s jokes were so simple, he had to smile. He again started to astrally project into Baby A’s to watch Villain’s back without having to physically be there.

Villain pushed through the door and moved to the greeter, they exchanged words and she pointed towards the ball at no one in particular. Villain moved to the bar saw the biffs to his right and felt that they had nothing to do with his mark. He glanced to his left and saw Toraino caressing Charlene’s hands, "Wonder who she’s rubbed off with those, brother," Villain sub-vocalized.

Toraino removed his hands abruptly and smiled at Charlene, "Thanks Villain, thanks a lot for the reminder," he said in a sarcastic way.

At this point Harris took the last sip of his drink looked up and recognized his contact. He looked upon a 2.5m tall orc, with dark skin. He wore leather pants and a worn leather jacket that was zipped up. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail that lay on his left shoulder. The end of the ponytail had several silver colored beads braided into it.

Villain sat close to Harris and ordered a drink, Captain and Coke. Harris took this to be the catch phrase and moved to Villains left side, "Are you the Villain."

Villain turned to the man cocked his head to the right with a look of amazement, "Villain, just one word." He motioned to the empty seat next to him, "Have a seat Johnson."

Harris nearly smiled when he heard Villain say that name, he would have never in a million years thought he would ever be called a ‘Johnson.’ Harris kept his composure and sat down, he ordered another drink and waited for it before he spoke.

"Desmond said you all were the best that my money could buy, I hope that’s true," Harris began. "What I need is a package from a RedEx Ground terminal on Neville Island."

"Neville fragging Island, you do know about Neville Island, right?" Villain responded.

"Yes, the hard part is getting in the rest should be easy."

"Break it down, Johnson how are we going to do this?"

"You’ll get your basic advance and any haz pay and the final payment upon delivery of my package."

"Good, 15K now 15K later and we’ll let you know what the haz pay will be when we get back," Villain said as he sipped.

In a hushed voice Harris leaned closer to Villain, "15k I thought it was 10k? Where did this mark up come from?"

Villain quickly turned his head to face Harris, "How soon you need this package?"

"Tomorrow."

"Exactly, 15k now or the deal is done…what do you say?"

"Okay, frag…one more thing, there’s another team trying to get that package so you better hurry," Harris said.

"Do you know who it is?"

"My contacts tell me it’s a team that calls themselves ‘Traceless’"

"Those heartless fraggers, give me the cred and I’ll be on my way, meet me back here in 48 hours," Villain whispered harshly.

The radio buzz started instantly when the opposing team name was announced, "Yeah, too bad this Johnson doesn’t know we’d do this job for free just to get those drek eating, no ball having, so-called runners back," Toraino sub-vocalized.

"How the frag do you know there’s another team involved?" Villain blurted out as if he forgot how to talk.

"Desmond, told me to tell y’all that, this package is very important, and the residents of that island have no idea how important it is. This is what it’ll look like," Harris said as he reached into an interior pocket and pulled out a hardcopy photo and a credstick.

Villain took the stick and photo, unzipped his coat and pulled out his pocket computer. He inserted the stick and checked the credit level, 15k exactly. Villain looked at the Johnson and frowned, "Why the frag did you give me drek about more money when you’ve got what I want on this stick!"

"Desmond sort of warned me, he’s a friend of a friend kind of thing," Harris countered.

"48 hours, till than stay ice," Villain said as he finished his drink pushed away from the bar and moved towards the exit. Toraino and Charlene moved towards the exit several minutes after Villain’s exit and left Baby A’s to join up with the crew.