Prologue
JC felt the bullets smash into his body and even before they penetrated his armor, he had a split second to hear his mind tell him These are too heavy and are going to hurt. White-hot pain shot up his chest as he collapsed and his blood stained the ground of the warehouse. His last thought before death took him was Brinks is on his own. Gods protect him.
Meanwhile….
"Hoi Marbles. Sappin?"
Marbles paused and scanned the bouncers face. Joe, though its hard to tell with the pulsing lights and lasers shooting everywhere. Damned novae strip clubs. Always trying to outdo one another at the expense of his ears and eyes. Luckily he got those replaced a long time ago. His cyber switched to low light and Joe’s face popped up like he is standing in sunshine. He then filtered out the background bump and grind music with the accompanying shouts and offers to hear the ork.
"Hey Joe. Nada mucho amigo. Just here on biz."
Joe scans around. He knew what biz Marbles was in usually so he tensed like he was ready for trouble.
"Marbles, please tell me it ain’t gonna be like the Pulse two months ago. I heard that was a bloodbath."
----
Marbles cringes. Still word on the street I guess. Man, was that damaging to my rep. The mark was alive…sorta…and his assassins were now piles of ash someplace. But still, hell of a way to go. Marbles himself pumped four clips into that mob and nearly got his ticket punched anyways. Could he help it if the mark thought himself macho and idiot enough to stand up to the corp security?
"Nah Joe. It’s a simple guardian job. Your current big dancer."
"Ohhh. You mean Carmen. Straight up from Rio she’s from. Didja know that?"
Hell, everyone had heard of Carmen. She was crowned "Ms Boom Boom" at the hotly touted and extremely popular "Best Hoop of Brazil" contest. Word spread like wildfire she was coming to The Big Sin like someone had found the Lost Mines in the desert or something.
"Yea yea. Miss Boom Boom and all that jive. Personally, I could give a flying drek about all this buzz."
"You seen her yet?" Joe shook his hand like he had a cramp. "All I can say is ‘FFFffffffrrrraaagggg!’ Would I like a piece of-"
This was getting old and she would be up next.
"Hey Joe…I think they are waving you to the door."
He turned and squinted. He could not see a thing as far as Marbles could tell.
"Oh! Ok.. See ya Marbles! Watch where you stick it in!"
Marbles raised a hand and continued on with his drink. God I hate my life. And this drink. And the stinking rich fraggers crowded up next to me. And most of all, I hate this place. Lost Wages-Las Vegas to the un-locals.
His palm phone buzzed through the lining of his coat. He popped it on the second buzz.
It’s Brinks.
"Talk to me."
Brinks clears his throat and speaks that voice that sounds like someone trying to yell through a mouth full of cotton.
"Your boy is a naughty one he is. Released on a whim and a typo in his proceedings from New Haven Institute for the Criminally Whacked. Before that, caught slicing up nice fems in Oklahoma City. Real fragging meatball he is. Brilliant but a nutcase."
"Go on."
"He did a quick fade for a while. Seems he took a shine for your girl when she won that butt contest down in the Azzies. Started sending little love notes on the Matrix saying he was gonna start blading again with her. Nice descriptions too. Yeech. Burning messages to mask where had been. Still he went up against the best."
He could almost hear the little idiot smile through the phone.
"Traced that last one you caught. He was around Toady’s little drekhole earlier this week. Toady said he checked out a week ago though I ran his little system and found he was there about a day ago."
FRAG! I just missed him and now with Carmen onstage, the danger was here and now.
"Ok Brinks. So what do you think? He is gonna show up here right?"
"Say 95% chumley. She’s on the turf he is sliming around on. She’s here for one night. Her next show is in New York but that is a while down after her little trid show fun."
"Right. Ok Brinks. Your nuyen is in the drop. Access code is the name of the computer company that used the load code Load "*", 8,1." He smiled as Brings uttered a string of curses.
"Dammit Marbles. You need to get a life! You know that? Stupid ass trivia drek. It took me forever to find the last one. I hope you.."
He hung up on him.
---
Marbles jostled past others to get a better spot on one of the risers overlooking the stage. The current act, while startling in its education on how many places you may hide large sharp objects was interesting; he is in more need of the spot to scan the audience. Your typical low life scum drekheads occupy the first row but now rub shoulder to bony shoulder with a few sarimen of the local middle management. He even noticed a few higher ups he worked for in the past years trying to look inconspicuous as they curbed their drool with linen handkerchiefs. Heh. No matter what class he is in, a perv is still a perv. But, fraggit no sign of my perv. He had his mug scanned and riveted in his memory so no matter what his disguise, he could spot the perp.
The lights began to dim as the blonde on the floor ends her routine with a nice crack of a whip planted in nether regions to a roaring round of applause. The floor separated enough to have a burly bouncerboys move between the stage and the slobs. Most do not notice as their hostess, an Asian biff comes out to begin her spiel about Carmen. Marbles craned his neck to watch the crowd as they begin to press against the wall orbiting the stage. A huge champagne glass rose from a hidden panel underneath the stage. It’s filled with some kind of syrupy liquid, oily and clear. And it is also filled with something that brings about a huge roar of approval. Carmen.
I can see why they like her. Sleek, dark brown skin caressing a body that could make a dragon sit up and take notice. Her exotic features dance in the pulsing lights as she begins to writhe in the oils, slicking herself up. Marbles tore himself from the naughtiness long enough to scan the crowd. They are in full heat, some screaming, others panting. All making asses of themselves. He could see a guy in the corner who looked vaguely like him and stood. Nope, shadows on his face, much too old. He sat back down and relaxed. The sec guys in between the stage will stop him if I do not. I saw three..
Marbles leapt to his feet switching his eyes to ultra low light. I see two, one slumped in the corner. There is another struggling. He is struggling with the third. Marbles peered harder. The third turned and he caught a perfect side view of his profile. No disguise. It’s him. He bolted upright and pushed down the stairs.
"MOVE!" His voice was drowned out by the samba beat as Carmen bounces her prize for which she was giving her title with each pulse in the syrupy liquid. The crowd is frenzied, so enthralled they do not see the two sec guys lying dead below their tables. Marbles finally was able to reach leaping distance after punting a suit and tie guy in the hoop. The man hardly noticed. He vaulted the final 4 steps and landed in a mob.
Everybody’s shaking, dancing, going nuts. Where is the security? I cannot see jack with all the idiots around me. People slammed him off his feet and he flopped on top of a table, spilling drinks on a woman. She acted as if she is tripping on chips. He pushed himself up onto said table and looked over the crowd.
The perp was climbing up onto the stage now. The spotlight was illuminating Carmen but Marbles could see him in normal vision. No one reacts? What the frag? Where are the bouncers? Where is Joe? She has not seen him yet. He stands at full height. A man, big man with a scar down a cheek. His face is lunacy. Marbles dropped into a firing stance looking for a target but she is directly in front of him. She is turning slow and will see him in seconds. Only one way to go now. He jacked his wires and felt his reflexes go boom.
He leapt and landed on another table. Leapt again. Closer Closer. Glasses crash to the floor and he nearly lost his balance. Everyone around him is in a haze. She sees him. He grins malevolently.
She tries to escape. He stabs at her overhand but she dodges, getting a small cut on her thigh. She scuttled over the edge of the glass and landed with a wet plop. He succeeds in breaking the champagne class prop and spilling the contents all over the stage. No one blocking you now fragger. Clear shot.
Marbles pulled the trigger as a man below him jostled the table he was standing on. The gun thunders and a big hole appeared in the brass flagpole bar next to killers’ head. He ducked and jumped into the crowd.
"FRAGGING DREK!"
He could see him making his way to an exit parallel to the stage. Now the crowd has gotten lively. The gun has sent them rocketing towards the doors. The table he is perched on nearly rocks out from underneath him.
Marbles looks for better footing. Stage but with all that drek on it. No way I can stand. He is nearly to the fire door. He dove forward as the table tumbled due to the chaos around it.
*SPLAT*
He skidded along the stage now on his side, the goo sending him along like he is on a conveyer. Fragging gross. His gun is out, centered between his two hands. The targeting reticule came up in his eyes. You got off once, not this time. The jerk is painted florescent green in his cyber. The crowd rolls around him. Biff. Fragger. Biff. Biff. Fragger. Fragger. Biff. Target! The Guardian thunders again.
BOOM!
His head goes from semi round to canyon shaped in a second. Blood splatters everywhere with a good mixture of bone and brains in it. He falls against a biff that is screaming bloody murder. Marbles breathed out slowly again as his momentum finally brings him to a stop. Man, this is never coming out of these clothes.
----
Shrugging off my soggy duster, I put my head underneath a showerhead running near me. The stripper busy using it yells as well as the two pervs enjoying her soapy adventures but I pay them no mind. My melon feels like lead. I pull out and shake my hair out of my eyes. I plod along and walk into the first door on the left. The girls are talking here in their backstage dressing room of the goings on outside. LoneStar arrived soon after and took the reports and was busy cleaning up the meat. Carmen had disappeared for some note-taking. I could care less. I grab a towel and dry my hair and wipe off most of the globs of clear whatever off my jeans and sneakers. A girl hands me a cup of something and I take it.
"Thanks. I needed something."
She shrugs.
"A comb and a shave maybe?"
"Har de har."
"Nice shot by the way."
I sip the hot liquid. Soykaf or a near about copy of it. It could be bactine right now and I would not care. Blowing away a perp like that wires me out naturally. Guess its paranoia. Could be just a mental high. Whatever it is, I am jazzed to the gills. The kaf brings me to some manageable level. Funny, this stuff supposed to do the opposite. The girl nods and leaves to go over by her friends. I slump in a seat and catch a look at myself in the mirror
Ugh
I am 29 going on a hundred. My facial features are rough due to the 3 days growth of stubble on my face. Bags are under my eyes, and I know that a bed sounds about like heaven to me right now. As soon as I get paid that is. Carmen comes stalking in, a robe wrapped around her body.
She gives me a generous dose of stinkeye as she struts over to the shower to rinse the drek off her body. Her manager snakes in and fans the girls out of the little room. Oh great. I do not need him right now.
"Marbles. Congratulations on your success."
I grunt.
"Um yes well. Here is your payment. We deducted some amount since Carmen was attacked."
I fly out of my chair.
"WHAT?"
A voice comes from the shower.
"I got knifed so you do not get all your nuyen."
Carmen exits the shower with a towel wrapped around her. She hikes on some jeans and pulls a shirt.
"The man who has been stalking me got close enough to kill me and where were you?"
"TRYING TO GET TO YOU YA LOUSY SLITCH."
"There is no need to yell Marbles. You just did not do your job completely."
I am raging but I calm down enough to counter her. No one jakes me outta cred.
"Fine. You want to try to mince words. Fine. You instructed me to stay away from the stage. You also instructed me not to make it apparent you were being looked over. You never told me you were going to be at the head of the stage. Never told me about the stage separation. And above all, you never told anyone you are a mage."
Carmen’s eyes bug out for a bit then go to slits. "I am no mage"
"Bulldrek. You may not think that but I have been up against some of them in my time. Charmers are very subtle. And boy you poured it on thick and fast. I saw your cred tip monitor next to you soar as soon as you came out."
Carmen turns her nose up and I look at the Snake, her manager. He knows I am right and is having a real hard time about masking it. I walk toward her.
"But maybe you can only do it in a field surrounding you. So maybe you need a little help. Say.."
I reach down the front of her shirt and pull up the star pendent nestled between her breasts. "A focus perhaps?"
She yanks away from me and snarls. "You got no proof dirtball."
"Oh but maybe I do. You see, I got a few friends out there on the Star who could id that little trinket and tell me what it focuses. Then I can go to them and say ‘Hey remember that little law that states you cannot use magical means to entice customers into paying more? Yea section 1424. Well I got a cute little vixen who is making a special appearance here and violating that said law.’ And before you can say ‘You cannot do this to me!" You are being strip searched without your cred tip monitor and introduced to the Sister Sinisters in the holding cell. I am sure they will be able to appreciate your fine attributes a lot more personally. Oh yes, and do you think the panel of judges who bestowed your little Best Hoop title is gonna appreciate you manipulating them magically?" I gambled on the last sentence, but I could tell by her reaction that she did it there too.
Carmen blanched. She could see the jig was up. She snapped her fingers and watched as Snake put the tab to my desired amount.
"Oh and add another 2000 to it. For pissing me off. Label it ‘minor expense due to Carmen’s tastes’ in your books." I smiled at Carmen sweetly.
Snake did it without looking and handed me the credstick, which I pocketed.
Carmen stared at me with daggers coming from her mentally. "So why weren’t you charmed, fragger?"
I let my low light cybereyes slip, turning them red.
"Cybered here and here." I tap my ear. "You may be cute Carmen but you are pretty stupid in not doing a background check on me for that."
"Get out."
I gather up my things daintily, pausing long enough to give my longcoat a generous shake, splattering the slitch and her manager. I begin to request jokingly about a dry cleaning bill and get the door slammed in my face as response. Funny though. Lone Star would not give me the time of day to do a focus check. And the most she could have got for section 1424 was a 500 nuyen fine. Should I go back and tell her?
I smile and walk out the entrance.
Nah.
I welcome the oncoming drowsiness as I hail a taxi for home.
----
Marbles slapped the message button and shrugged out of his clothes. Ugh. I feel like I was rode hard and put up wet as the ancient saying goes. First message was from KidKinetic, his ear to the ground on some new biz. Kinetic mumbled something about a few leads and to dial him up later. Marbles fell down in the sheets. Second message was some wrong number. Drunk ass actually sounds like he heaved it and got it recorded for all posterity. Forward that one on to Snake and Carmen’s telecom. Third one was Brinks but Marbles was already half asleep to notice any details other than his com’s dogbrain taking over and downloading something he sent. Later. Bliss, sweet bliss carried him far away.
----
____
The afternoon twilight is barely creasing the mountains as I awake. I yawn and stagger over to relieve myself at the drekker. Jeez, we practically can do anything with cybernetics and magics yet some hoophead out there still has not found a way to make tile not be so drekking cold to the touch. I shiver involuntarily and begin to dress. Grabbing a little oj substitute from the bar fridge (now a regular fridge for me) I smack the message button again and scan through (after briefly setting the dogbrain to push Mr. Wrong Number and his colorful display to Carmen’s drop) to Brink’s face. Something is up. He looks nervous and though the picture is fuzzy I can tell he has been sweating it. He’s at a public telecom too which sends off the old signals. Deckers are notorious homebodies and Brinks fits the mold to a T. A gangly youth, he practically existed in his drek-strewn hovel of a place, only going out for sustenance or to exchange talks with me. Even then, he was out of place.
"Marbles. We need to download. Got into a bit of jam. Here take this chip and meet me at the place where you got your deal on me in the 20 hundred hour."
I see him slot the chip and the image blinks. The chip showed it had received the info but something is buggy. I know where he is talking about but what’s on the chip? I slot it on my datacom and a porno pops on. Nothing you cannot get on standard trid. A biff is going at it. She pops a big O and does a neat little vocal range. It shuts off. I pop the chip, pocket it and am out the door. Never thought ol Brinks knew about the opposite sex. Go figure.
He could feel the ground pulsing as he neared what Brinks termed "the only real decker hangout in Vegas today" when he had wanted to meet here 3 months ago. It was, of course, Matsuko’s Nightmare. This club had become a haven of sorts for an ever-expanding group of deckers who liked to fringe themselves in the gothic arts. Personally, it looks like a big ghoul camp to me. Marbles had even given the doorman his nickname much to his dislike. Ghoulie placed a hand to his chest as he started to walk through the door.
"Out Marbles. We are enforcing the decker only clause tonight."
"Since when?"
"Since you showed up."
That’s Ghoulie, always busting my rump. He had it in for him because he had supposedly stolen a girlfriend (he says) of his a while back. She just told Marbles she was tired of the little scuz. Ghoulie was a cadaverous leather boy who liked the death warmed over look. His pearl white features made him even more ugly. Marbles noticed Gort and Moe, the two enforcers of the club standing by the line of people to get in. They both nodded to him, which he returned. Ghoulie pointed a bone thin finger into Marble’s chest to emphasize his point, whatever that was.
"So what you gonna do about it, Marbles?"
"Look Ghoulie. I am sorry about the Katy thing. How long you gonna hold this on me?"
Ghoulie snickered but without any mirth in it, making him sound like he was wheezing.
"Katy has nothing to do with it, joyboy. Now are you going to leave or shall I get tough?"
Ghoulie’s idea of getting tough was to get Gort and Moe to back up his wind.
"Ghoulie, come on. I got biz."
"Not here you don’t."
He could see this was not going to end easy. Ghoulie turned his head and looked at Gort, who immediately shook his head yes. Ghoulie then turned back to him smiling. Marbles continued to stand watching Gort. He rolled his eyes and shook his head no now that Ghoulie was not looking at him. Moe found something interesting on his boot and stooped to examine it, completely ignoring the doorman and the shadowrunner. Good, both of them are still on my side. Sorry Ghoulie.
"So what’s it gonna be fragger?"
Marbles did not respond with words. The right fist to his cheek was more than enough. Ghoulie staggered and Marbles followed through with another right into his eye before he could react. He squeaked once and splayed out on the ground, totally out.
Marbles shrugged at the boys who did nothing and stepped over Ghoulie and into the club. Never a dull moment.
---
The club is very drab, curtains hanging from the ceilings, gray interior. So are the people. Zombie like creatures dressed in black lace shift around aimlessly as they speak to each other. I giggle when I hear an old trid show line in my head. They’re coming to get you Barbara. A couple of em looks at me and looks for a deck. Being the only guy here wearing armored denim, a grayish longcoat, and a (gasp) white T-shirt as well as no deck makes me stand out here like a dwarf in a basketball game. Some snort and return to whatever they are doing. A few of what I like to call "slurps" gimme the old "Look at me the wrong way and I kill you" looks. I maintain brief eye contact with a few of these jerks and take a seat in the corner. Gadzooks, I would not be surprised to actually find a real corpse among these nitwits. A hallowed eyed girl pauses to ask me for a drink. I get a soykaf and relax.
An hour passes and my brain is slowly turning to mush on this god-awful drone they call music. Where is Brinks, dammit? I jump back as a hand slams down on the table. Ghoulie again, looking worse for wear with a purpling shiner. Flanked by Gort who looks like he hates to be here. Should have punched him harder.
"You piece of drek. You sucker punch me and then run in here like you did nothing. Gort here says he was too busy to try to catch you. So now Gort and I are gonna have a little fun. Right Gort?"
Ghoulie cannot see it but Gort is continually shaking his head no. Good ol Gort. His only trouble is that Ghoulie out ranks him here. He supports him only when he has to and that ain’t very often.
"Last chance Ghoulie. I will close up the other eye if you try it."
He is very stupid.
Ghoulie tries a meager front strike which my grandmother could see coming. I dodge and grab his wrist. Pulling him forward, I grasp the shock of black hair and send his melon crashing into the table. He tries to pull away.
"Say goodnight."
I let go of his wrist and smash my elbow into his medulla near the base of his skull. He jerks once and slumps. Not enough to kill him, but man is he gonna have a headache when he awakes which I figure will be about the time I am long gone. Gort chuckles.
"Y know Marbles, I do not like you very much. But I like Ghoulie even less. Don’t hit any of the payin customers or I start actually following his orders."
I nod. Gort picks up Ghoulie like a sack of soyflour and works his way to the back rooms. I look around. The stinkeye I was getting from the number of low-lifes has now been significantly cut in half but I still get a few. Well at least Ghoulie got a few hardcases off my back in his own special way. I sit back and sip my kaf.
I am in the dregs of the soykaf with no hope for a refill when a girl wanders up and sits down at my booth. She is pretty in a sense though the heavy white makeup and dark clothes fit the surroundings more than her. A deck case resides on her hip like a gunslingers holster. She looks at me with bright blue eyes encased in black liner.
"So why do they call you Marbles?"
I reach into my pocket and pull out a little bag made of leather and tied with rawhide. It’s actually a juju bag I got from a Talismonger a few years back in New Orleans but Brinks first thought I carried it for marbles. Hence the name and how he contacted me through other people on occasion. I rub the bag a few times and drop it back into my coat pocket.
I take in her whole appearance and decide to throw the question out.
"You’re not a slurp are you?"
The girl gives me a quizzical look
"Slurp?"
"Um..yea. Faux vampire. Basically looking for the blood suck rush and wrap yourselves in black to pretend to be a vamp. Sorry, but they tend to depress the drek out of me so I stay away."
The girl looks down at herself and giggles.
"Well no. I am not what you call a slurp. Good name for them though. Makes me wonder why a real vampire would want to be associated with them in the first place. I told Brinks once that if I was a vampire, I would probably look more like the boy next door than something out of a cheesy trid show."
"Agreed. Your best bet is not to stand out but to blend. Jeans and T-shirts."
"I just dress like this because it does not show stains so well. Brinks taught me that."
"You his new protégé?"
The girl nods. "I am called Annie Anime. Brinks told me to meet you here."
"When did you talk to him last?"
"Yesterday night. He said to come here and meet both you and him. Says it was important."
She blinks a few times at me. I shrug and relay what Brinks left on my answering machine. I do not inform her of the chip, thinking if Brinks wanted her to know, he would have told her. I yawn and look up at the timer near the bar. Nearly 2400 hours and no sign.
"This is strange for even Brinks. He is never late." Anime says next to me.
I nod in agreement. If anything, I am the one who gets chewed out for being late.
"Want to go to his place?"
"May as well kid. Seeing that he is 2 hours late."
"Don’t call me kid."
"How old are you, 17?"
"16."
"Kid."
"Annie or Anime. I do not care."
"Ok ok…Sheesh. Let’s get going."
She jumps up with boundless energy. I follow at a slower pace, shoving my credstick in the payment slot. A few souls start to get up for the final showdown but I jam my hands in my pockets and let the edge of my Guardian "accidentally" gleam in the few lights. They fall back into the chairs and fade back into talking. Not in the mood eh? Good, neither am I.
I follow Anime out the door.
---
Ah Las Vegas. It has always retained that image of the oasis in the desert. And man they play up that image like nobody’s business. Sure we got the corps out here and some pretty hefty business but the main nuyen maker is the gambling and the casinos. Everyone has his or her hands in it. Corps own a few. A couple of Tribals owned some of the originals. The Triads own four casino complexes. Another three to the Yaks. Two of them herald back to Las Vegas ancient history with the Mafioso owning a good chunk. Of course, they do not say it outright but check the local Shadowland posting if you do not believe me. Through all the fluff and red tape, you will find the gravy of crime holding like you would not believe.
I gaze up at the huge skyscraper that looks half toppled over and the faux fires of the Casinoplex called Disaster Island. Some brainiac builder thought that a Casino that was built around all the old disaster trids of yesteryear would generate business. And yes, it does get a load of tourists to become one with sham Volcano’s and tidal waves while laying down their kids school money on a blackjack table. All this to divert you away from the realization you are losing your shirt. Lost Wages is all that and a deck of cards. But behind it, you find the working stiffs and drekheads just like any other city. I just do the dirty biz and keep on living day by day in some sort of moral stance, though it is shaky at best. One day though…outta here.
The cabbie rolls up to an ol apartment dwelling near the airport. A little gun pops out of the separator window and the cabbie smiles and sez "15 nuyen plus a generous tip". I chuckle and drop him 30 for the ride. It may scare the drek out of the touristas but the cabbies around here gotta make their living and they cannot do it on guys that do the ol ‘hail and bail’ on these poor souls. So some have taken to installing new locks and making sure to get paid somehow before they let yer meat out. If you find you cannot pay, don’t worry chummer, I hear a few got some good contacts with the organleggers. Scary but then again this ain’t Podunk, South Dakota. The cabbie roars off without a moments smile and we are standing in the Wasteland. A couple of gangers give Annie and I the stinkeye and I see a bit of steel rimming their edges but they make no move. Annie scoots up into the courtyard, beckoning me to follow. I make sure nothing looks too out of the ordinary around me and walk into the courtyard.
It was once a nice apartment complex, done up in some hail back to a roman era. Now it was a squalor but livable if you closed your eyes most of the time. The pool, now dubbed the "polio pit" by some wit with a paint spraygun and an open space on the cracked cement, ebbed to a hot breeze. The black green water like substance looked alive but smelled dead so we took our care not to jander to close to its scummy surface. Brinks place was at the far end of the corridor, near the parking lot. The smell of burning chrome caused my nerves to tense. I freeze, grabbing onto Anime’s shoulder. She jumps like someone had goosed her.
"Frag Marbles! I.."
"Shhh!"
I pull out my Guardian and thumb the safety back. Something fizzles from inside the doorway. I wrankle my nose and get into a crouch. The lock is burned away but not enough to where your average joe would notice that it was broken. I push open the door slowly with my gun.
Brinks is there. It’s bad. I turn and look at Annie who has turned white. She looks close to shrieking and I grab her and hustle her out to the alley. She is trying to say something but she just flaps her mouth like a fish.
"Calm down. Calm! I can’t have you freaking out on me."
"He’s..He is.."
"Yes..but now ain’t the time for hysterics Annie. Just stay here for a moment."
She nods hard enough to break her neck and I go back into the room.
Whoever got a hold of him knew what they were doing. He is tied up with some fiber optic cable and his mouth has been gagged. His body is covered in tiny razor like slits and I recognize this as an old Triad torture. Its like getting paper cuts continually all over your body, except the cuts are slicing through the muscle connections to your bone, causing them to snap back and completely off the bone. Absolute horrible torture. I feel something crunch and look down at a bloody chrome piece. I hop back in disgust as I realize they have ripped out his datajack. I feel myself getting lightheaded too as I grab a blanket and toss it over Brinks. Thankfully, it covers him fully. I shake my head and clear the forming cobwebs. Stay cool M. You get spooked now and your contacts death goes unsolved. I look about. The place has been turned upside down and ripped apart. Ok looking for something. Something he had. I reach down into a mess of stuff and pull up a smashed deck. The chip slot is empty. Ok, so maybe he had it there. So why the torture?
"You ok?"
I whirl and nearly blow Annie away. She flinches but remains standing at the door. She is shaking slightly and being careful not to look at the blanket covered body of her former mentor.
"Just fragging great. Quick, look around and look for anything weird. We got to get out of here right flash."
She takes this in and nods like she is asleep or something. I turn and rifle along a desk filled with chips and tools and drek. Annie pops open a closet door and begins to search. Nothing is coming up as off besides the burglary and Brinks being a corpse in his own place.
Annie chimes in. "Hmm..was not deckers that’s for sure."
"How so?"
"They missed his stash."
I turn to see Annie holding open a small door that was not there before. A little wall safe, though its so small and camouflaged as to not even realize it. She pulls out a few chips.
"Some of these are his utilities. His good attack progs and sleazers." She holds another up.
"Dunno what this one is."
I miss the last line because I am staring out the corner of the window. I see someone walking toward the back. Someone carrying some serious hardware. A couple of someone’s.
"Annie.get that stuff and get his deck. We are leaving."
"Huh?"
She quiets as I put a finger to my lips again. She grabs all the chips and his trashed deck and stuffs them in her case. We quickly slip out and shut the door without a sound. All is fine as we move down the hallway and around the corner. Footsteps up the back stairs. I peek low.
Somebody. The shadows are too dark. A troll, wielding a very big assault rifle. He is slowly walking toward Brinks room, sweeping the hallway military style. A really muscular woman and another guy, skinnier, flank him. I begin to ease back when the worst happens.
Annie sneezes.
---
I rock back hard as a blast takes a chunk out of the corner where my head was supposed to be. No time to blame, I grab Annie and jack my reflexes. Luckily, Annie is the light sort so I am running full out across the courtyard with her monkied to my front. The pool blocks my exit and I leap out and over it, covering the 7-foot gap with relative ease. They come rounding the corner and fire at my retreating figure. Bullets whine past me as I turn and let loose with a few bullets of my own. I am nearly out the front when someone steps out in front of me. 4th guy. DREK! No time to stop.
Annie is shouting as I shoot first at the man in front of me. I hear the bullets catch armor. He brings a Colt Cobra to bear on me but I am too close and I send a shoulder into him. His SMG chatters as it starts pushing bullets wildly and he tries to swing back to follow me. Reflexes have got me a half step past him. I return a round nearly point blank in his face and never even stop to see if he’s dead.
I fly into the street and look around. The gangers have now upped their numbers and are walking towards us. I bring low light up and see that these are Dicemen, a gang Brinks told me about. Luckily, he also told me he paid them handsomely to protect him. Too bad they are not good enough but maybe they will give me some time. I drop Annie and raise a hand to the leader, a large orc named BoxCars.
"Hoi Box! It’s me! Marbles! Don’t shoot!"
Box puts a hand out and the weaponry eases up.
"Marb! What the frag are you doin?!"
"Box, someone’s trying for Brinks chum! Thought he paid you guys to watch him!"
BoxCar’s eyes go wide. He knows if word gets around that he shirked on his duties that other gangs are gonna try to muscle his turf.
"FRAG! Come on boys lets earn some fraggin pay!"
I grab Annie’s hand and we run past the advancing crowd and up the street. Sorry BoxCars. My hoop or yours and you should have been watching him. A joyboy on a rice burner sits near the corner. He is watching the goings on and he catches me looking toward him. He smiles.
"Hey stud. You and yer dream want to have a little.."
I drop a punch into his smile and he tumbles off, stunned. I climb on and quickly muscle Annie between my frame. She is ok, only her eyes tell me she is drek scared.
"Sorry joy…just gonna borrow your wheels. I am sure you can work overtime and get yourself a new pair."
The joy hops up as I start the engine and gun it. He is trying to reach in his little getup for something but having difficulty removing it from the tight synthleather. All I get in return is his shout of "BITCH!" over the whine as I roar up the street.
----
"Sir."
"Yes?"
"We recorded movement in the deckers hideout. We went to investigate and found two intruders had ran over the place. It seems the decker had a secret compartment we were not aware of."
"Were the intruders neutralized?"
"Working on that sir. Apparently a gang of toughs are intercepting our team now and preventing us from capture. B team has tracked them though and are giving chase sir."
"Good."
"Sir we suffered a causality. Payment just went up.."
"I do not care how much it costs or the weight of causalities. This package is of utmost important to us and must be found. You will find your payment has doubled when you fulfill your objective."
The voice got quiet. "Yes sir."
The line clicked in disconnection.
----
"BOY! For a joyboy bike, this thing really hauls!!!!" Marbles shouted over the screaming RPM’s as he hooked it into a corner at near blistering speeds. Cars swept left and right and people yelled obscenities at them as they flew past. Annie said nothing, only kept swiveling her head about. Marbles glanced in the side view and found another bike coming up on them fast. The hardpoint told him it was not someone trying to race.
"DREK" He yelled to no one in particular.
"What?"
"We got company Annie!" He throttled up and the bike kicked a little as the tires spun and caught. Annie glanced under his arm and seemed to be trying to count them as they wove through the traffic.
"Four I think!"
"Annie, turn around and grab my gun! I got to concentrate on driving!" He swerved right a bit to avoid clipping a pizza van.
"I never shot anything bigger than a Needler Marbles."
"Same thing just bigger. Now DO IT!"
She suddenly rotated on her butt so she is faced him. I would look down at her but I am too busy trying to put some miles between whoever and us. He felt her hands grip his Guardian from the holster and draw the weapon out. She held it in both hands and clamped her legs tightly around his waist. She squinted and pulled the trigger in the general vicinity of the first bike following them.
BLAM!
BLAM!
The Guardian boomed too damn close to Marbles ears and he thanked god as his dampers kicked in and reduced it. He to a look in the side views and caught a glimpse of an explosion as a rider less bike hit a car’s rear end and nosed over.
"Good shot!"
"I think he swerved and hit something!"
"Who cares, one less to.." A rack of gunfire erupted near him and he could see the left side mirror catch a bullet and smashed off.
CHRIST, they are closer than I thought! Marbles shifted down and cut across a lane as another bike matched speed. Annie popped a round toward him but only succeeded in shattering the guy’s windscreen.
He returned fire and Marbles barely missed getting sawed in half by the bikes’ hardpoint SMG due to a cargo truck getting in his line of fire.
He slowed on the other side of the truck to take stock of the situation.
Suddenly, another bike whipped in front of them from nowhere and tried to crowd the pair into a car on the right. Annie turned the gun toward him as Marbles foot kicked out, putting sole to the rear fender.
It sent his bike apart from them and Marbles could see the assassin swinging a mean looking uzi from a strap hung on his shoulder to his hand.
He had just brought it to bear when Annie began to pump lead at him. Marbles caught sight of where exactly Annie was aiming, his chest and a row of grenades sitting on a bandolier.
Oh drekkin hell!
Marbles gunned the engine and shot up the road another thirty meters as the assassin shot wildly with Annie returning fire. Annie breathed out, taking her aim carefully.
A bullet smashed into the guys shoulder, throwing his aim off.
She shot again and hit home this time.
CH-BOOM!!!
The force of the blast threw them forward and nearly over the handlebars. Annie held tightly on to him like a monkey as Marbles struggled to not slam the bike into anything. A chunk of metal rocketed past his thigh and into the back of a car and he felt the heat wash over his back. Finally, Marbles was able to regain control of the bike and sped on.
Annie put her mouth to his ear. "Two more!" she yelled over the wind. He could hear the bullets whine near him and jinked to the right between a Westwind and a wheezing Honda Strivant who stopped short, blaring its horn. Annie aimed and shot but to no avail as Marbles could hear her curse. A car pulled out in front of the bike suddenly and another blocked the street to their left. FRAG!
"HOLD ON ANNIE!"
Marbles bunny hopped the curb and suddenly was in the middle of a whole lot of surprised people. The sidewalk parted as people screamed and dove out of the way. He was able to slow down enough not to run anyone over but could feel the bike smack a few hoops that stupidly are in the way.
"MOVE! MOVE IT FRAGGERS!" He screamed over the shouts and curses. Annie pointed the gun but did not pull the trigger.
"THEY ARE NEAR MARBLES!" He could hear guns and screams of agony. Throwing the bike to the right, they found themselves in an open courtyard filled with people just as a stream of lead obliterated the idiots on the sidewalk behind them. Jesus Christ they’re going to kill anyone to kill us. The crowd finally moved enough to show them…wrought iron gates coming up too fast.
He laid the bike down at the last second and ground to a stop. No bones broken and no light shining through holes in my body thought Marbles but that could be changed as the remaining two bikers skidded to a stop in front of the entrance to the courtyard. The crowd began to thin as people found cover. Marbles picked up Annie and tossed her into the crowd. He himself ducked low and watched the two bikers scan the throngs. Where is Lone Star? I do not hear anything except DocWagon sirens! One spotted the bike and pointed. They said something he could not hear and the other nodded.
Suddenly one pointed toward another part of the crowd. Annie. Marbles reached for his piece. Nothing there. The Guardian boomed yet again and one of the guys jerked off his cycle. The other gunned it and flew toward the crowd as his hardpoint blazed.
No time!
Marbles’ reflexes kicked in before he knew it as he sprinted across the rapidly clearing courtyard. He could see Annie to his left crouched as she tried to take aim at the oncoming enemy. Marbles knew it was empty even before it clicked in her hand. All he could hear now was the roar of the cycle and the chatter of the SMG as it chewed up stone toward her. He did not see him, instead concentrating on mowing down Annie
Only one chance.
Marble leapt high and hooked his left leg back The assassin saw him at the last second but it is far too late, a look of surprise crossing his features. His foot lanced out and he smashed the kick into the man’s face, putting all his leg behind it.
CRACK!
The biker separated from said bike that glided a few more feet before falling to the side. The guys’ body rolled a few times before coming face up. His nose was slammed into his face almost to the point of it not being there and it sprayed blood from the gaping wound.
Marbles followed through with the sidekick and sprawled onto his back, his entire foot white laced with white. He screamed in pain.
I think I broke it.
Annie is there at his side and pulled him up on his feet-er foot.
"Marbles..Come on! The law is coming!"
Marble’s groggily noticed the high-pitched keening of a Lone Star CityMaster in the distance, coming closer. He felt the weight of the Guardian jammed back in his holster by Annie. She braced herself under his arm on the injured foot side and together they hobbled off into the night.
---
"B-Team lost them sir. Only two survived, both gravely injured."
"AAARRRGH! I thought you guys were the best soldier!!! And here you tell me two burglars killed half of them???"
"They are not burglars sir. One is cybered
most definitely from the leap he made. They knew the decker. And
also I would like to point out that Team B were your me-"
"I DO NOT CARE! Now you listen to me you fragging wetboy! I
hired you to locate the goods; you found the culprit and dealt
with him after what you said was the goods. Now, ever since those
two showed up and saw the body, all I have heard is FAILURE! Get
this straight right now, I hear anymore bad news and you and your
team gets introduced to my personal graveyard in the desert! You
scan me?"
"Crystal….sir."
The line disconnected. Parsec sighed and looked to the A members sitting around him.
"Boss sounded mad." Needles had a way of stating the obvious. Of course, with Needles the obvious was news to him. Big troll lunkhead.
Macross sat across from Parsec. He said nothing as Cammi stitched up a knife wound on his side with some dental floss. The gangers put up a fun fight but were no match for them though they got a good cut in Macross when he let one of em get closer than he should have. No matter. The bodies lay in the stinking pool now and no one was wiser. Jim opened his eyes from the corner and smiled. Pulling his datajack he said.
"Got pics on em both. The security camera we set up got full facials."
Parsec smiled. Cammi finished with Macross who pulled on his shirt and nodded his thanks.
"Good job Jim. Run it through…"
"Already doing so sir. Should finish compiling shortly. Who knows, we may get lucky and they have backgrounds in our databases"
"Good. The sooner this is over, the sooner we get out of our bosses spotlight."
All nodded. No one liked being associated with the boss much. Could cause some trouble down the road.
---
Marbles lost consciousness when we finally make it to my doss, a run down little condo I share with my sister. Lucky for me he finally did it at the top of the stairs. I prop him up and run down to the door. A couple of hits bring the slight whir of the hidden camera to my ear and I know Tyra is home. She opens the door and yawns.
"Yer home late. Where you been?"
I grab her hand and pull her out to the hallway
"Annie! I am half naked! What’s the big-" She stops as she sees the slumped over form.
"This is Marbles. We got to get him inside quickly."
"Why?" She looks at him and then me with a "What’s goin on" look.
"I will explain in a bit. Come on and help me drag him in."
We grunt and strain as we drag him into the room. Marbles does not react other than a few soft moans. Jeez is he heavy! We finally get him into some semblance of waking up at least enough to have him stand himself up over the bed only to fall into it again out of it. Tyra sits down beside him and wipes the sweat off her brow.
"Whew! This is a big one. So tell me why we are dragging this fragger into our place Ann?"
I hastily cover the past couple of hours. She winces as I get to the part about Marbles kicking the gunner off the bike.
"Sounds like he might have broke it. Kicking some guy at that speed feels like you are hitting a brick wall."
I nod as I pull off his combat boot on the one that he smashed into the guy. I suck in a breath.
"Ouch" Tyra echoes my reaction.
His foot is loaded with bruises up one side and at a funny angle. It is red and swollen and obviously broken. It is a wonder the guy could keep himself standing for that long before passing out on the pain. Marbles moans again and coughs. I look at Tyra.
"Can you do something with it?"
Tyra feels the foot and tsks. She is a mage and I have seen her
heal though this may be a bit too much for her.
"I dunno, he is really fragged up here. It will take time."
Time is not what we have a lot of but I simply nod.
"Remove yourself from here. I will need to be alone with him." She clasps her hands together and pulls a small box from underneath the bed. I know its her magic stuff so I leave to the other room. Pulling the shattered deck from my pack, I begin to work over the hums and quiet singing of my sister and the dude who saved me in the other room. Damn you Brinks. What did you get us into?
---
@I(@10290330 FULL BACKUP…240 trams engaged…Nominal capacity…*ready to rock and roll captain*
I run the self capacity diagnostic chip I got planted in my system on the chips I liberated from Brinks stuff. Bad. I see two of the five backups are totally smashed and useless. The prog (who takes the form of a old doctor) shakes his head as he examined the smashed chips. He then runs his hands over the rest.
Capacity: Intrusive Attempting Emergency backup to save storage. We have a pulse Nurse Successful. All others normal running.
Hmm ok. We got three backup chips. One had signature line so maybe I can circumvent that one to make the chips I got from his storage think its his deck.
I insert the chips into a secondary slot wired onto my deck.
ENGAGING…3….2….1
A holo of some old trid woman appears "Fasten your seatbelts…its gonna be a bumpy ride!"
What the…?
Flying..Fast!
---
I have woke up to the equivalent of someone inserting a white hot needle in between my toe. My first reaction is to grab the hurt appendage and curse nine ways to Sunday but a hand slaps mine away.
"Hold still you or it will hurt worse."
Hurt worse? Dammit, it’s about near screaming time.
The pain lessens and becomes a dull throb. My head clears enough to see the glow hovering around the hurt foot and I vaguely remember doing something mighty stupid to hurt it. Hands caress it and the pain subsides. I sigh and look up at the girl doing the healing.
"Hey, weren’t you a decker a minute ago?"
She pauses and looks up at me. The facial features and huge eyes are the same yet..
"I am Tyra, Annie’s sister. Annie’s the deck, and I am the magicker of the family."
Ahh.
Tyra continues on as she weaves an intricate display over my foot.
"Thank you for saving her by the way. She tends to be more trouble than she is worth half the time yet it is good to see someone else was looking out for her. Though," she finishes her display and my foot feels slightly warm. "I would have not done it so stupidly. You could have torn your foot off."
I shrug. "Had worse." Though not too recently. "Can I walk?"
Tyra nodded. "I would not do anymore footkicks anytime soon but yes you can walk."
I tested lightly to insure she was right then sat down to strap my boot on again. Suddenly, the little voice in my head cut in.
"Where are we??"
Tyra calmed me with a smile. "Not to worry, Mr. runner. She cannot be traced here. We made sure to keep good aliases."
I nod and settle back down. Still the ol voice in the back of my head keeps shouting. Make sure all avenues. You do not know who you deal with yet, knucklehead.
"You got a telecom?"
She points. "Don’t use it too long, Annie spiked it from a neighbor to avoid getting zoned for payment."
"Ok." I sit down in front of it and punch in a few numbers, then wait, and then punch in some more. The drop box opens and I drop in a number for Kinetic to call me through my rerouters. Five minutes later, Kinetic is staring at me with bug eye, big, round, and full of white.
"We clean on this line?"
"Hold on." The screen fluctuated a few times and came back into view.
"MARBLES! What the frag you got yourself into????"
"Got me kid. Why? What’s the word?"
"Words a scream chummer. There have been no less than 3 heavies snooping around your haunts, throwing big nuyen to anyone willing to breath a word of your general direction. That ain’t the worse part either though chummer." Kinetic paused to slot something. "Scan this. It’s from a trid report earlier."
A small window popped beside Kinetic’s image. Marly Nueman began with a report on Las Vegas Live showing a burning structure. The overhead shot clued me into it a second before Marly began her spiel in a half dry "why should I give a drek" tone. There was no mistaking the kidney shaped pool I had leapt over.
"The blaze originated from a small doss in the rear of the dwelling and seemed to have spread throughout the complex in the area known as the "Wasteland". Authorities report the fire was contained and will not affect the airports landing patterns. At least 20 are known dead at this time including a local gang who resided in the place. Officials speculate all died of smoke inhalation before being burned beyond recognition."
Smoke inhalation? Bulldrek.
"Authorities are now seeking two suspects in the arson fire." Crystal clear images of both Annie’s faces and mine came up, they seemed to have been shot from somewhere up high as we were running away from the killers. "Both cannot be identified but are believed to be armed and extremely dangerous. A reward of unspecified amount has been offered for their capture. Report all sightings or claims to this number 501-2395-43221454. In other news, newly elected governor Michael Cloudsrunner announced his…" The message cut out and I was left with the face of Kinetic.
"Yer in deep chummer. What the frag did you do?"
"Well kid, it ain’t arson if that’s your suspicions."
"Ya, I know that for a fact. My source says the fire was magical in nature and the last time I saw you, you weren’t exactly slinging spells. The girl ain’t either, cause the deck she was holding in the pic and from what I hear about her. Still, that ain’t gonna stop someone from capping you for whatever it is."
"So why haven’t you?"
Kinetic gave a glance over his shoulder and came back in close.
"Cause you are a moneymaker Marbles. I let you go for whatever and I lose my investment. Besides, I like you. You know how to handle yourself. And also something ain’t jake here. The heavies getting answers on you are not your usual Star detectives or stoolies. They are all pros by the cut of their suits and some hardware that kept flashing."
"Any chance we got some pics of them?"
"Ya give me a few ticks and I will find something. Till then, keep your head down."
"Echo that. Thanks Kinetic and keep your ear tuned to anything else. I will get to you later"
"Null sheen. Stay alive. I need the nuyen." With that, he disconnected.
Well, Kinetic gave enough away for free to tell me I could trust him. Something like that would have cost me several nuyens to say the least. But it only clouded my already soured mood. What had I stumbled into? Why do I have a price on my head? All I did was go see what is up with a bud and found him cacked in a most gruesome matter. Now I am supposedly a crazed arsonist or something. Something about the whole situation left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I finally noticed Annie had been sitting behind me and turned around to see her.
She was bunched up in a ball and her eyes spoke of the feeling of helplessness. She looked at me.
"Marbles..what the frag is going on??? The Matrix is buzzing with our pics and people are looking for us left and right. Some of my friends said they were roughed up outside Matsuko’s for info on us both. I….I never been hunted like this. I’m scared."
"Chill Annie. Just chill. You go static on me and we will never be able to get out of this. I need a functioning body." My words soothed her a bit as she nodded yes slowly. "Now, did you find anything on Brinks stuff?"
"Well, some of the chips were bad but I found one that took me somewhere. It was just a blank room with a few words of something written on the walls." She plugs in her datajack and rolls her eyes back. She comes back and starts reciting.
"On beams of steel, she glides on endless track. The soft hum of 12 cools the minds of her freight. To seek is to find thine truth beneath layers of numbers. A herald of love shall release."
Annie is as mystified as me. Seemed like Brinks likes poetry.
"Well Brinks never struck me as a poet."
Tyra piped in. "He wasn’t. He’s just covering his ass."
"Huh?"
"It’s got to be a backup. Something to lead you on."
Annie nodded in agreement. "It makes sense Marbles. The chip scanned my signature lines of my persona just before whisking me to the room. I think Brinks put that chip there for just me. If anyone else had used the chip, I figure it would have just given garbage."
"But what’s with the poetry?"
"It’s pointing to where you need to go next Marbles. And I can think of only one place that rides on beams of steel on a endless track here."
All three of us said it at that same time. "The Mirage Circuit"
---
THE MIRAGE CIRCUIT (AKA Crane’s famed train drain) –taken from One Armed Bandits: The Life and Death of Las Vegas:Family Town published by Natas Topper
The Mirage Circuit was a actual tram that ran the gamut of the big time casinos dropping people off and picking them up to go from place to place, dropping their coin. It began with a simple tram here and there between casinos that wanted to keep their customers in place and still be able to attract the gogglers from another hotel/casino but some wit (scuse me..some politician) by the name Lucas Crane decided to connect them and herald a new way to travel about Vegas in your average above ground tram. The big payoff for the public was the simple declaration it would not set the average wage slavers back a red nuyen. It would set aside 75 million nuyen from the casino taxes and such to connect them. But no problem, Las Vegas was rakin it in and 75 million was chicken feed. Crane was golden and people pushed their reps to back it. On trid it sounded good. But, real world and trid world is hilariously different. Take in the effect of greasing palms.
Greasing Mafia palms to get the teamsters to sit up and bark. Greasing casino palms to agree to the plan, Greasing the Councils brown palms to ‘infect their land’ yet again with white man’s buildings. Then greasing a drekload of the city’s building inspectors to look the other way for a long time averaged out to something in the ideals of 30 billion nuyen before construction started, even more than they could draw from their reserves at the time.
Inevitably, Las Vegas took some hefty loans to finish this debacle and guess who had the capital to provide with a little incentive of their own. Like I said brother, get past the red ink and Lost Wages is owned by every black organization and or corp you can name. Mafia asked to let the black books burn keeping them out, Yaks and such could freely buy casinos rather than having to use shell companies and the formally "family oriented" Las Vegas turned back the clock to the ancient 50-60’s of a bad guy owned Vegas. Fingers were pointed, Careers ruined for kickbacks, and a few new bodies wound up in the Nevada desert but it was too late, Ol Vegas was locked down and the boys who lost it so long ago were not about to let it out of their grip again. Crane?-he took a powder- literally. Word on the street says he was mixed with the final plasticrete pillar of the tram. And what do we have to show for it? An overpriced tram sliding through Vegas that brought it to its knees. Ironic that nuyen was part of the dead man’s hand in a place where people will bet their life on a roll of a dice.
---
"Jeez this stop is a real shithole."
That’s putting it mildly I think to myself, making sure the thong of my holster is off and sweeping my eyes over the tram stop number 12. Once it might have been nice looking, white tile and what looks like a fresco or two on the walls, now covered with gang insignias of all types. An ork bum retched and granted us a phlegmy cough as he tried to ask for a nuyen or anything. He let out a string of curses as we passed him off without so much as a glance. It was late and aside from a few stragglers here and there, the place was deserted. Obviously, this was not one of the more popular stops as a tram zipped pass stuffed with tourists and assorted drek. Annie and Tyra led the way toward the lockers off to the side as I kept my distance making sure that we were not followed. I turned the corner to find Tyra and Annie arguing
"It has got to be here."
"How will we know?"
"I dunno, maybe there is a locker 12."
"Stupid, these are alphabetical."
"Drek. Drek. Drek."
I sigh to myself and look around the corner again. Nothing. Even the ork is gone. My nerve starts knocking and saying En Garde. I keep my hand on my Savalette Guardian and my eyes on the door.
"Ladies. We got to move quickly. I am getting jumpy."
Tyra turns and waves a hand at me.
"It’s frosty Marb. I got a watcher looking for black forms. If anyone comes in here with cyber the watcher will warn us."
"Watcher smartcher. I got a feeling."
Tyra ignored my last comment and went back to arguing. Annie was reciting the little stanza and suddenly something clicked in my head. I reached in my pocket and turned to the girls.
"Shuddup for a moment. I got a idea."
I flipped my reader with the downloaded chip to Annie who caught it. She played it and Tyra giggled.
"Cute Marbles. One of your conquests recorded for posterity?"
I granted my response to her with an outstretched middle finger and kept watching the door.
"Turn it up Annie. Maybe there is something to it."
Annie switched the reader to its highest level and replayed the porn chip. The walls echoed the girls big O with surprising clarity. As soon as it ended we all reacted to a distinct click in the corner locker. Both hurried over and opened the locker.
"Whoa. Hey Marb. Come here and check this."
I ambled over and peered into open locker. Someone had rigged a small transmitter and mike obviously made to listen for the vocal range on the chip. Also with it was a nice little zip gun that would have been an unwelcome surprise to someone trying to rip the door off. The barrel looked large enough to house a shotgun shell and was centered at eye level. A small duffel bag was wedged in the bottom.
"Ouch. This would have ruined someone’s day." Tyra reached in to grab the bag and I gripped her hand.
"Uh…let me look at this first or we may have to be searching for your hand. Annie, keep a eye on the door."
I popped my holdout switchblade and began to look for sensors as Annie slunk into the corner I previously occupied.
"Looks like Brinks had something to hide..eh Marbles?"
"It better be something Tyra. If I find a bunch of porn chips I am going to find Brink’s corpse and kill him again."
---
5 minutes and one thread bomb defuse later, I picked up the duffel bag and handed it to Tyra. She unzipped the bag and pulled out a small rectangular box. She flipped it over.
"Hey, what is this thing?"
"Hmm tape maybe? How do I know?"
Tyra stuffed the black box back into the duffel and we began toward Annie. Her eyes got big for a second and she started toward the opposite way at a slow walk, marking us with her eyes as she disappeared down the hall. Heavy clomping sounded near the entrance. Tyra peered around the corner and spun quick.
"Jeez. Stars! What the frag they doing here?" She started looking for hiding places and I could see panic rimming her eyes. "What can we do?"
She paused and suddenly shoved me into the locker and jumped into my arms. Her lips locked onto mine and I nearly fell forward as she turned my back to the Star. I heard them clomp past us with nary a misstep and I thanked the gods my duster covered my hand gripping my pistol. I cradled Tyra with my other arm as her hands made a good run over my back and a squeeze on my hoop. I broke away and whispered.
"Watch those hands."
"Marbles. You wallflower you."
"Not really. My switchblade is stuck in my back pocket. You hit that button and you are going to slice off a generous rind of my…." Tyra stopped me in mid sentence as she gripped my hair and kissed me again hard. I realized the cops had turned and were slowing behind me.
"Hey you two. Get a fraggin room and move along."
Tyra broke for air and peered over my shoulder.
"Know any good ones studboys? Perhaps you would like to join my boyfriend here and read my rights?" She pulled back my hair and nibbled on my earlobe to make her point. Sweat beaded on my brow and Tyra smiled into my eyes.
"Yea right scuz. Move it along short-like and we won’t bust you for indecency."
The non-talking Star laughed as his friend mumbled something to him. Tyra played it soft. She stroked my head and giggled stupidly.
"We are officers. Just waiting for the next tram."
That must have satisfied them. "Ok then. Just don’t be here when we come back." Their footsteps sounded to the exit and out.
I blew out the breath I held and dropped Tyra. My nerves turned down a notch and I leaned back. Tyra looked around the corner and nodded.
"Gone. Nice kiss Marb."
"Heh. Nice idea and good cover too."
"You did not like the smooch? Hmmph."
"Ok. Nice kiss too."
Annie screeched around the corner and puffed air.
"You guys ok? I was waiting for gunfire."
I waved her off. "Fine Fine. We are fine. Let’s take the tram to the next stopover. I do not feel like meeting those Stars again."
Both Tyra and Annie nodded and we walked toward the docking station. The tram sensed the passengers on the step platform and slowed for us. I grinned at the back of Tyra’s head.
"Join my boyfriend and read my rights?"
Tyra turned and laughed.
"My finest free verse. I should be a actress." She bumped a hip toward me and tossed her head. "Why you interested? We can ditch this hanger on." Annie stared daggers at Tyra as we boarded.
"Um maybe later after I figure out whose trying to kill me and Annie."
"And me too. Believe it or not I am in this now."
Annie voiced her opposition immediately but it was not to be turned. Myself, I figured we could use the magikers edge. I certainly had my fill of mages in the past and any help from another mage was easier on me. Annie slumped into an open seat and looked up at me.
"So where too now Marb?"
I was hoping you might tell me flashed in my mind.
"Well ladies. We need to hole up for a bit and gather some intelligence. Nothing ticks me off more than not knowing whose pulling the trigger at me and why. Annie, you need to dig a bit and see what we got. I am going to hit up some of my sources. Tyra…can you do defensives?"
"Null sheen. What you want?"
"Whatever you can provide. We will be using one of my haunts and I just got sensors."
"Sounds as though we may be there for a while."
"Maybe."
The full weight of the world sat on the two girls before me as we hummed along above the crowded streets. Myself, I had been in this position once or twice before but never without pros on my side rather than two sisters who seemed as green as grass. And there was the ol "you saved me so I got to protect you" feeling. I cursed myself for having this kind of thoughts. Guess it’s the good guy in me. And here I thought I murdered him long ago.
---
The telecom rang and Richard picked up on the second beep. It may have been a temperature-controlled room but the sweat stains made it look like he was sitting poolside in the hot Nevada sun. Nerves it was simply nerves echoed through his head but it was more than that. It was their decker, the somber looking gentlemen who did not fit in with the rest of them.
"Status?"
"We have located their residences sir and we believe they have another accomplice. The decker has a sister or so we have been told. It set us back some nuyen but it seems they have a few enemies willing to part info. The bloke especially."
"The package?"
"We believe that the two were contacted and have it. We have men at their haunts and are monitoring."
"The decker?"
"I found the trashed deck of Brinks. Obviously the younger
was some sort of friend or something. Used some of his various
tricks to trace where the last signature came off the datajack
and was pleasantly surprised. It seems Mr. Brinks led our trio to
the next step, our belief is that the package lies at the end of
road."
"This next step?"
"Already on it sir."
"Time is of the utmost importance Team A. Situation demands that this needs to be rectified quickly. It was believed this was actually closed long ago and now we find it rearing its ugly head."
"Understandable sir."
The line disconnected and Richard set back and sighed. Everything…everything was up in arms over this.
---
Reverend Jim leaned against the wall and sighed. Usually they would be done with this and on their way to decompress but the tenacity of these people was bothering him. He never believed in fate but lately it was just that things were working harsh against him and the team, and that worried him. Needles banged his head for the fortieth time and issued the rudimentary string of curses. Reverend turned and stared at the troll as he rubbed his noggin.
"Siddown Needles. You are starting to bug me."
"Hokay Rev. Dese places are not made for people like me I suppose." He flumped down on one of the overturned mattresses with enough force to bust nearly all the springs and probably crack the flooring underneath. His eyes swept over the trashed doss of the girls and settles hungrily on the pizza boxes.
"Man I am getting hungry Rev. Cin we stop and get some food?"
A pounding at the door quieted the two immediately. Both were up (with another wack to Needles melon) and shadowing it, weapons drawn. The pounding continued and a voice rose up.
"OK YOU LIL SLITCHES! I KNOW YER IN THERE! You were just on the phone and my tracer saw it on my line!!! Now YER GONNA PAY!"
Jim looked on the little camera viewer beside the door to see a bony guy standing outside the door, gun in hand. He looked like he smelled which permeated the door easily. Ugly. He absentmindedly scratched at his crotch with the barrel of the gun and pounded again.
"I KNOW YER IN THERE YOU LIL SCUZES!!! NOW PAY UP OR I POP YOU AND EAT YOUR LITTLE HEARTS!"
Rev rolled his eyes. He looked to Needles to see him turning red. He thinks the guy is talking to us personally. He raised his hand to explain but then slowly lowered it. Ah, who cares, let him take care of it. Rev backed away and bowed slightly to indicate that it was all Needles. That was all Needles needed to know. The pounding got louder and the punk on the other side got filthier. Needles backed away and hunkered down. He roared once and, for a second, the pounding ceased. That was all it took.
Needles slammed into the closed door, ripping it off its hinges and flying into the man. He got in one yelp as both the heavy plastic door and a large troll mashed him against the other wall with a sizable crash and a smaller splut. Needles fell backwards onto his butt as the wall grew cracks from behind a red splashed door. He smiled at it.
"Not nice to call people you don’t know names!" He waggled his finger to insure the obviously dead or extremely hurt jerk on the other side.
Jim paid no mind. He scanned the area around him again and grinned. He grabbed a couple of slips of plastic off the floor and hustled past the troll. He waved a hand to him as he ran to the stairs.
"Come on already. I got me a idea that may work."
Needles nodded and rose up to full height…. and smacked his head into the ceiling. Bending low and cursing, he followed the decker to the stairs.
---
"And I thought the tram stop was a shithole."
"Ha. Funny. Would you rather sleep outside?"
Annie smiles sweetly and plops down in the recliner I had sprung for. It was an essential with me since I hardly made past it to the bed anyway. The secondary doss was confining though it has the essentials such as my regular residence. Bed, chair, small shower, trid and telecom with enough loops in it to make sure I did not pay (Thank ye Brinks). Also a window that showed a good view of the intersection. I had it as my landing place for cooling off and originally it was going to be my regular drop and snooze until I got the apartment for trade on a trace job. Maya does a lotus on the bed and murmurs about going scouting before slumping as I pop the telecom and decide to send out the feelers for any ID’s on my trigger boys. I hear the trid snap on behind me as Annie settles in for a mo.
First things first.
Kinetic’s router drops me into his mailbox (after a few bounces to make sure I am not tailed). I curse and say someone’s looking for Maria and hang up. Kinetic would figure it out and give me a ring back.
I decide to work the news end of it and put a call into Lucy. Her private com beeps twice before she comes on. Elf biff is still looking for the chance to get her feature story, her flawless features are highlighted to exude tasty. I manage to cover the camera since I know she records everything for posterity (and to use it later in case of blackmail).
"Lucy Kannadin" she frowns as she see the dark picture "How did you get this number?"
"Still looking for the killer of the draco?" I say in a gravelly voice. "I got the scoop and its yours if you let me see your goodies right now." I smile.
Lucy’s eyes go wide and I can see she is debating this for a millisecond. Unbelievable. She then growls and reaches to disconnect. Time to give up.
"Remember Toscana Plaza? Turn it off Lucy."
Recognition and her hand reaches to turn off the recorder. I take my hand away and she smiles.
"What do you want firebug."
"You know its bulldrek and I want to find out whose to blame Lucy. Did you cover it?"
"Naw but Lil Mikey was taping. Remember him?"
I chuckle. Lil Mikey is in actuality a large guy who is timid as a mouse. During the infamed Toscana moment, the guy froze right in the middle of a firefight and proceeded to get missed by enough bullets to seriously consider him a miracle. The bullets flew so fast that I remembered actually seeing his coat flying from his body and hair getting parted by the air. All in all, something to actually have bragging right too but the end result of him drekking in his pants made him want to forget it. The joke around him I hear is to light firecrackers behind him and watch him dive for cover better than the most cybered sammy.
"Hard to forget Mr. Statue. I got something I need him to take a look at."
Lucy nods. "On one condition, I get the story, if there is one."
"Story? My ass is on the line and you want to do a interview sob story?"
"Either that or your obit. Though my nose is telling me otherwise. Lot of people on Shadowland think something is up too."
"Ya I heard."
"Keep your hoop whole and maybe I get a promotion."
"Does anyone care about me? I only see people caring about their own means and losing me as a exploit."
This is hilarious to her. "In this day and age?? Where do you think we live? Disneyland? Give me a few hours. He’s out covering some drekking government party."
I disconnect and turn around. Annie has nodded off in my chair and Maya is just coming out of her trance. She blinks twice and looks at me.
"Ok done…I got some watchers around the perimeter of the doss. Also the hearth spirit seems to like you and will come to our aid if I call it."
I shrug my boots off slowly, wary of my healed foot.
"Likes me?"
"Don’t ask me. It just seemed to hover near this doss. Maybe it likes that you keep your place clean."
I look about.
"Whatever. Look I am bushed and need to close my eyes. Call me if the com rings and leave the picture off." I drop onto the open spot beside Maya and close my eyes.
"You are first watch."
"Watch? I got enough out there to tell me if anyone…"
"Yes..your watchers. Look just pull Annie off the recliner and have her take up where you are. Just watch the trid for the time being."
The sounds indicate that Maya is doing just that. How nice. Someone is finally listening to me. The bed shifts slightly as Annie slumps onto the open spot. I am half asleep when I hear her whisper
"Thank you Marbles."
I smile and drift off.
---
The bed shifts slightly and I yawn and blink twice. I start to drift back when the com beeps and I sit up, hearing my back crack in protest. I put my thumb over the camera and open the line. KidKinetic raises his eyebrows and goes "well?" I pull my thumb away.
"You get anything?"
"Evening to you too sleepyhead. Such cheek.."
"Kinetic…. its mighty early for this…"
"Ok ok…yea I got some things. Grainy prints but since it was at Matsuko’s, your lucky to get anything. Some tall dude by the name of Ghoulie is looking for your head for something."
I fan my hand
"Skip it for now. How many perps?"
"Well we got a full on face of one but the other two that were with him were pretty hidden in the shadow." The three photos rolled over Kinetic’s head. The clear one showed the skinny guy I had seen walking into Brinks room while the other shadowed ones did not give me much. It may be the woman that was with him but no sign of the troll, just another guy who looked to be catching light on the gleam of a datajack but I was not sure. I could tell though that they were talking to one black-headed rail of a man that I had smashed a day ago. Ghoulie is gonna eat it for this one.
"Big deal. Matsuko’s has inverts for the darkness. Brinks himself put in half of them."
"Hey be thankful I could just get these. You burned a bridge there with the Ghoulie scuz."
I shrug as if I could give a drek but the thought that the skinny lil fragger keeping me from knowing whose trying to ice me had me fuming on the inside. Maybe Gort could get me something? Its either him or muscle up Ghoulie. Hmm. I did not want to head back to Matsuko’s simply on the very rule of shadowrunning to vacate regular hangouts when in dutch because there was always a pair of eyes scanning for you. Its your only lead so far Marb. You’re better off taking it through this. Besides, a quick in out should be cake.
"Cake…yea right."
Kinetic arched an eyebrow. "What you on Marbles?"
"Nothin. Just thinking."
"Does it hurt?"
I ignore the louse. "Anything else?"
"Not really. Things are still hot. They got your friend’s sis as a perp now and are looking for her too. You’re going against some high boys because they got everything on you that you have not erased in a right fraggin quick amount of time. I would hate to be you."
"Joy. I hate being me too."
"Well keep it covered. No way they know where you are now. Be careful omae."
"Aye." With that I disconnected and sent a sniffer looping back to see if there was any trace. Nothing…how nice. KidKinetic was to be trusted for now. To biz then.
I got out of bed quietly, mindful of the two girls sleeping fitfully. I shrugged on my boots and cracked my neck. Sticking my head into the com once more, I left a simple message for them to stay put and keep quiet and was off again. On forethought, I placed one more call. Well she did owe me.
---
Gort tapped Ghoulie on the back of the head, purposely fingering the spot where Marbles had introduced his elbow and relishing the shouts of pain from Ghoulie. Lil turds lucky his brother owns the damn club. Otherwise I would have cacked him on simple principles.
Ghoulie whirled and faced Gort who quickly masked his thoughts in a typical dim expression.
"Goddammit Gort, you stupid ape. That’s where I got hit!!"
"Whoops sorry Ghoulie. I forgot."
"Stop calling me that!!!! My name is not Ghoulie!! Call me by my real handle!"
"Yes sir Mr." Gort could not help but wince. "Darkstorm." Gort felt a earlier snack of frito pie do a flip flop in disgust of having to feign to Ghoulie’s little nickname fun.
Ghoulie relished this a little then came out of his trance.
"Ok Gort. What is it?"
"Some girl at the service entrance wants to see you. Katy something."
"KATY?! Here?! Hmm, maybe she has come back to beg me to let her be mine again. Ohh this is gonna be sweet!" Ghoulie practically ran towards the back entrance, missing Gort’s leering grin at the back of his head.
---
There she was.
Solid flowing black hair. Ivory skin. Everything about her that Ghoulie remembered.
She looked up at him as he entered the alley. There was no softness in his eyes.
"So back again eh?"
"Yes Gh..uh Darkstorm. I..missed you."
"Sure slitch. You ditch me for a joker like Marbles? Hoop-fraggin son of slitch. Now you want to come back to me. Well you are gonna pay.." He began to raise his hand to backhand her when he stopped. The back of Ghoulie’s neck felt warm and he turned. All he heard was a familiar voice saying "son of a slitch eh?" Before a large object slammed into his head.
WHACK!!!
Lights out.
---
Ghoulie tried to mumble ‘what happened?" but something in his mouth made it come out "wha hahon?" His eyes came back into focus and he found himself eating the business end of a very large Guardian. Attached to said Guardian was the scowling face of Marbles. Oh drek.
"Hi ya Ghoulie. Or should I say
Marbles pulled upward on the Guardian, making Ghoulie slide to a standing position against the alley wall. He caught sight of Katy apparently enjoying the little scene and almost made a move to grab her. Marbles slapped the idea out of his head with a smack across his cheek hard enough to make him chip a tooth on the barrel.
"Naughty Ghoulie! Bad! To business first. You have been talking!"
"Go fragth yerthelf Marbl! I noth say nuthin"
"Oh yes you have! And what’s worse you let your guard down and let me see you talk! Sloppy! Very sloppy!"
Ghoulies eyes went wide.
"Mmm yes. And to top it all off, you did not give me the inverted images of those that you talk too. Told my man to frag off as I hear?"
Ghoulie head shook no, making a clinking sound against the Guardian.
"Ah swerth Marbl!"
"Lies Lies Lies! Ghoulie, I have a large gun in your mouth and you have nothing better to say that "Ah swerth Marbl?" Marbles pulled the trigger.
*click*
Ghoulie jumped like he had been hit with a cattle prod. He shouted a bit around the Guardian, which came out as "Naaaauggthtth". Katy chuckled a bit.
"That’s one Ghoulie. Now you gonna talk?!"
"I canth Marbl! Theyth gon killth muh!"
"That’s two!!!"
*click*
Ghoulies face went whiter than normal and the front of his trousers showed a spreading stain. He began to shake violently.
"What you think I am gonna do Ghoulie?! ONE MORE TIME!! . Who were they???? Talk now or find out if I loaded on the next shell!!!!"
Ghoulies head shook yes hard enough to break his neck. Marbles pulled the spit shined Guardian from Ghoulies mouth and pressed it under his chin.
"Spill."
"They were three of them. Human Two guys, one girl. Looking for you. Told me to call them. One decker never saw him before. Was told to talk to Parsec, who was the guy I was talking too. He said if I told them you were here and they got you that I would get fat stick. Said that I would die if I told you. Oh pllllleaaaasee, Marbles don’t kill me man!"
"Shaddap. Now the invert images!"
"Upstairs! Gort’s got the key to it! THAT’S ALL I KNOW MARBLES!!!! DON"T KILL ME PLEASE!!!!"
"Gort’s got the key?"
Ghoulie shook his head yes again. Tears streamed down his face. Marbles mulled it over as he kept the gun buried in Ghoulie’s neck. He looked over his shoulder at Katy who shrugged. Marbles turned and put his face dead set to Ghoulies.
"Ok you quisling lil jerk. Not letting me into the club is one thing. Trying to hit me is even something I can go around. But ratting me out is a whole other valley you just walked into. Now yer gonna have to pay the toll." With that he moved pulled the Guardian back, yanked it to the left and pulled the trigger. This time there was a bullet chambered instead of a dud.
BLAM!!!!!
Ghoulie’s ear went shrieking in pain as the slug nicked off the outer edge of it and lodged into the brick façade behind him. The thunder echoed in the small confines and most assuredly deafened the one Marbles aimed for. Marbles whispered in Ghoulies good ear.
"Cross me again and I move it three inches to the right."
Ghoulie clamped a hand over the injury and screamed bloody murder, which earned him a hard smash to his temple from Marbles gun butt. He sank to the ground with a long groan and was finally silent.
Marbles slipped his gun back into his holster and smiled at Katy.
"Thanks baby. I guess that calls us even."
Katy nodded and looked down at the prone form.
"He gonna be ok?"
"Oh yea..other than a little less ear and a ringing in his head for a good long while. Fine for now."
Katy hiked back a foot and slammed it into Ghoulie’s groin hard enough to make Marbles wince.
Ghoulie yelped but did not awaken. His body curled into a fetal position, protecting his now pained insides.
"Fragger had that coming for slapping me around." She wavered on granting Ghoulie another but then settled on spitting on him and walked out of the alley. Marbles watched her go without a word, her long stride carrying her away. He kicked Ghoulie as well, not as hard but still enough to hurt.
"That’s from me for her." He yanked open the door and ambled in.
---
I spied Gort almost immediately as he sat in a corner eating a sandwich the size of my head. He nodded his head in response to my wave.
"Breaktime?"
"Mmmph..uhhuh." He looked around me and swallowed. "Where’s Ghoulie?"
"Taking a nap…listen Gort. I need a favor. I need the tape of the bar earlier. I got.." Gort stopped me from continuing with an open palm as he bit another monstrous bite off the sandwich. He chewed slowly and studied me.
"Yah…I think you will do."
"For what?"
"Favor for a favor."
"Gort…I ain’t got time."
"I do. Comon chummer. It ain’t too tough."
I sighed and rolled my eyes. No matter what it was, I needed those pics.
"Ok…what?"
"It’s simplicity my friend. Take this credstick down to the corner market and get a case of Ol Keglin Scotch. The bar is running low and they sent me to get it."
"Slackass. And that’s it?"
"That’s it."
I eyed him. There has to be more…
"One case?"
Gort raised a finger. "Uno."
"Something ain’t hinky."
"You want the pics or not Marb?" He held out the stick. One ordinary credstick with the right amount to buy a case of scotch.
I snatched it and looked him in the eye one last time. He gazed at me and finished off the last of his sandwich. He smiled as I started to walk back to the door. I just know I am doing something wrong here. I slipped the thong off my Guardian as I walked back out and stepped over Ghoulie again.
---
Marbles paused at the corner, scanning the street upwards and down. Nothing looked out of the obvious; no one seemed to be watching for him, everyone was doing his or her biz. He wandered down the sidewalk, sidestepping the various joygirls and bitheads. He finally paused before the liquor store and went inside. The small man watched him warily, his finger tapping lightly near the FIRE button located on the bar. The Ingram Supermach 100 mounted on the tracker promised retribution if Marbles looked at him cross-eyed, so he made a show of looking very unthreatening as he approached the counter. He laid his hands upon the counter and smiled.
"Is it really that bad to have to point that thing at me?"
The man smiled hard. "You live in the area?"
"Well..not really."
"Then shaddap. That baby has greased more robbers than you can say boo. Now what you want?"
"Case of scotch. Ol Keglin."
"Lets see your cred."
Marbles slotted the credstick, half expecting it to show up nothing on it. The man ticked off the cred and nodded. He paused as the conveyer behind him slid a case out and into his hands. Before setting it down though, he paused.
"Wait a mo. You not from that bar across there are you?"
Yes or no? Flip a coin…ok let’s be truthful.
"Um yes..they sent me over here."
The guy rolled his eyes and took a marker out. He wrote in big black letters "NO REFUNDS ON THE BROKEN ONES GORT" across the box and shoved it in Marbles hands.
"Don’t loiter in front of my store. I hate broken windows."
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what it means lamb boy. Now march it out." He tapped near the button again and Marbles raised his eyes as the Ingram tracked his every movement with methodical precision. Marbles hefted the box and strode out the door. A few rummies looked at him thirstily but none of them looked to tried to wack him for his prize. Marbles warily walked back toward the club.
Lamb boy?
Suddenly, shots began to ring out and a joygirl collapsed beside him with a bullet to her head. Marbles instinctively ducked and dove for the safety of an abandoned junker near the curb. People around him got lost quickly and Marbles found himself to be a very lonesome target of someone. He pulled his gun out and hunkered down as another burst of gunfire ripped into the hood of the car.
Fraggin Drek! What did I do?! He reached over to the limp corpse of the joygirl and dragged her over to him. Sorry baby but I am gonna have to use you. You ain’t gonna be feeling it though.
He leaned on his back and propped her body on top of his legs. Ok, now lets see where you are. Marbles grunted and flung the body upwards. The corpse bounded somewhat into a standing position and the attacker let her have it, thinking it to be Marbles. The body fell over the hood and did a little jerk dance as bullets plugged it. Marbles shifted to his left and peeked out, finding the muzzle flash. He let the target reticule come up over the gun flash and fired.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
He heard a scream of pain and the gunfire ceased. Marbles grabbed the case and hit the ground running. He had struck something and hopefully he could make it to the nearby alleyway before it or his friends got…
A shout from above.
"MOTHERFRAGGER!!!" And another rifle opened up. Marbles was in the open and sank low as he ran. He could hear the shots ripping up the cement behind him and knew he could not dodge what was coming. A cold shock was forming for the inevitable.
SMASH! Sounds from above him again
The rifle stopped but Marbles did not. He rounded the alleyway and paused. He could hear shouts of pain and furniture breaking. Suddenly, a man’s body flew out of the window where the firing was coming from. He screamed as he plummeted to the ground with a sickening crunch. A minute later, two forms emerged from the front door of the hovel., one hefting a banana clipped Klashnikov that had seen better days. Gort and Moe smiled at one another and waved to the alleyway. They jogged over to the place where Marbles now sat on the case, breathing heavily to try to calm his thundering heart.
"Nice work Marbles. We got them."
"Got who? What?! Why was I being shot at?!?!"
"Easy. Ease down. We got them, that is all that matters."
"WHO?!"
"Um..I forgot to tell you. A couple of brothers were strong arming us to buy their liquor. They were ventilating whoever came from our place and went to the store to buy for us. You got one and we were able to see where they were firing from long enough to get the other. Nice job!" Gort slapped Marbles on the back.
"WHAT?!?! I played sacrificial lamb for you to find a couple of thugs?!?! I’m gonna …"
Gort raised his hands in mock protest.
"Whoa whoa whoa. Frost out Marb. I knew you would survive long enough for me and Gort to find em. You taking one of them out first was just a lil icing on the cake. Nice use of the slitch by the way."
Moe smiled toothily. "Yea Marb. We knew yous was hard to hit. Gort sez so himself. So we killed too boids with one stone as the sayins go. We get liquor and we get scuzboys that trying to hurt the biz."
Marbles gritted his teeth and finally slumped
his shoulders in resignation. Of all the stupid…Ah ferget
it. Getting mad at these two dopes is about as meaningful as me
applying to Lone Star. Wait a min..lambboy! That (!*@)@&*@)*
asshole knew what was happening!
Gort smiled and put an arm around Marbles, dragging him halfway to the door of the club in the process.
"Now what was it you needed?"
---
"I am starving." Annie grumbled as she yawned and checked the message Marbles left for both of them. Lucky that the air conditioning still worked in this or it would be a sauna in here. Maya muted the trid long enough to offer an idea.
"Check his fridge then."
"I did.. two soybars and a jug of water. And he has the worst flavors in those two."
Maya looked at Annie as she held her stomach in mock hurt and waited for her inevitable solution.
"So?"
"Lets get some Spookie’s takeout"
"Not again."
"Come on…we are still within the range for delivery."
"Ok ok…but no Gai Pan sauce. And you are paying this time."
Annie giggled and punched in the number by heart.
---
Rev Jim was about to put up for the night with his research when the prog he attached to the LTG went batshit. Jim put it away and opened his hymnal and watched as the food order appeared. He was calm and made sure it matched exactly. Other than a side order of Gai Pan Sauce, it was word for word the same ones he had found on the plastic receipts in the girls room. Parsec had given him drek about this saying it was a long shot at best. It was…but it was a good one. Though…he had gotten two others with exactly the same thing in the last couple of hours. The first was a not their quarry for it was in a Mitsuhama office which would be completely silly for a runner to hide out in. The second was a little doss that showed a single resident, a little old dwarf woman who continually kicked Needles in his shin when they came calling to just check it out. No luck though since then.
Until now…
---
Marbles nodded as he examined the scans, a little manipulation and the faces of some of his hunters came up crystal. The girl and decker looked strict pros, their eyes sliding from left to right as they covered the man talking with Ghoulie. No audio but that could be pretty much guessed at what was being discussed as a holo portrait of his mug and Annie’s appeared and slid across to Ghoulie’s hand. A few moments passed and the guy and his partners rose and left.
A couple of holos of his own came out along with a chip of the clearer images of the trio, which he pocketed.
Marbles turned to find both Gort and Moe standing behind him. Gort smiled toothily.
"Got what ya wanted?"
"Yea. I am taking off for now."
"Null sheen."
Marbles stepped toward the door then stopped.
"Oh Gort, one other thing."
"Yea?"
Marbles spun punched and caught Gort directly across the chops. It staggered the big ork but was nowhere near putting him down. Gort held the pose for a second and then turned calmly back to Marbles who held a semi ready stance.
"Put me through a grinder like that and I will lay you on the slab. I don’t do biz that way and you know it."
Gort put an arm out as Moe started to advance on Marbles. He smiled as he rubbed his jaw with the other hand.
"Heh. I will give you that one Marbles. But that’s it. Anymore dealing out your little revenge tactics will find us seeing about whose being laid on the slab. Now beat feet and don’t come back."
"Fine by me." Marbles backed out the door this time, keeping his eyes on Gort who returned the cold stare. Burned that bridge but it needed to be done.
As he turned down the street to board the tram back to his hideout, he caught himself wondering what kept him here. Everywhere he thought there were friends and chummers, he found himself piles of corpses and double-dealing fraggers. God help me get through this and that’s it. I am heading for new horizons. Anything to get away from this stinkin burg.
---
They did the standard. Rev Jim, Needles and Cammi would be taking up the initial ‘door knock’ while Macross found himself as he described it "a supreme perch" across the way on the roof of the next building. Parsec trundled the van up near an alleyway and let loose Bastion, his beloved all-purpose frag drone. It chattered on it tracks and into the shadows where it did a quick scan. Parsec spotted the wino sleeping off some bad hooch and rolled the rotary cannon on top of Bastion to wake him up. He regained some semblance of cohesion and got up quickly, mumbling darkly about robots chasing him away. He staggered out of the alleyway and down the street, colliding with a burnt out streetlight and yelling at it. Parsec settled back into the seat and began to check all the eyecams his various teammates kept on their bodies to keep him in line.
"Det tal all. Run the numbers before we go up. We lost this guy before. We ain’t losing him again."
Rev Jim pulled nervously at a collar of the uniform of the restaurant he was supposed to be delivering from, some weird place called "Spookie’s". They had "liberated" it from the guy to give some semblance of surprise for them and hopefully enough to capture one of the supposed three up there. Unfortunately, Reverend Jim was the only guy who looked halfway clean and fit the uniform perfectly. Much to his consternation, the other members gave him the royal ass all the way up to the front of the building, asking him for food orders and pretending to mug him for the stupid looking hat of the uniform.
Cammi again slapped Needles’ huge hands as he once again tried to pull a steaming box from the carryall of the restaurant. Needles grumbled and again asked when they were done if he could go get some food. Cammi told him loudly she did not care what he did as long as he did this correct and by the books. Parsec chuckled. With Needles you had to practically shout to get it through the first layers of stupid.
"Tone down Cammi. Remember to throw catch spells only until we secure one of them. After that, go nuke if you like."
"Yes sir."
A new voice sparked.
"In position now sir, awaiting orders."
Parsec looked at the hovering field that housed Macross’s eyecam. It showed the length of his arm hanging off the ledge overlooking them. He pulled up and looked into the eyecam.
"What you seeing Macross?"
"Good field of vision and from what I can see so far, the targets are home. Staying away from the windows but I see shadows moving."
"Excellent. Maintain eyes only. Action only when ordered. "
"Yes sir."
Parsec watched as Macross begin to assemble Walther WA-2100 sniping rifle. In less than 15 seconds he had chambered the finger long bullet from a stubby clip and was peering through the scope. The volatile movements of his eyecam ceased and only the slow scan of the building across the way as his arm perched on top the rifle.
"Long range and backup are ready. Cammi, gimme me a quick astral."
Cammi slumped and came back a minute later.
"Looks like they have sunk themselves in. I see watchers around the doss and one hearth spirit ambling around the location but it looks pretty weak."
"You still clean?"
"Shiny. The watchers have yet to notice anything. Looks like their range is kinda limited. I would guess that the mage that did them is not too strong."
Parsec considered this then gave the order
"Point team ready?"
"Yes sir"
"Ya" Needles corrected. "Uh..ya sir."
"Ready to go sir."
"Right. Capture only for now. We shall interrogate for info. The rest are expendable measures."
The van door slid open and the trio made their way up to the apartment building.
---
If Marbles did not know the drunk he would have accounted him mad but paranoia had got Marbles to notice him before. ‘Ol Walter’ was leaning up against the stoop near the letoff point Marbles had just come from. Now winos were a dime a dozen but Walter had claimed the alleyway next to his hideout as his and was vehement about chasin anything out of it. The grimy man was muttering as he sucked on a plastic wrapped bottle of cheap liquor. Marbles raised a hand.
"What you doin out your palace Walt?" Walter called the alley his Palace for some strange reason. That was only a few of his quirks including calling Marbles "Eugene" consistently.
Walt wiped his mouth and squinted through a bloodshot eye at Marbles.
"Eugene?!! HAA—haa!! I knew you would be around boy!!! I knew it as soon as I seened de robot!!"
"Robot?"
"Har Har! Ya, I was sleepin on my throne and whut happens? A big ol robot growls at me to git out of my own home. You believe that? Some robot wants my home. Well, anyways he looks like he packin special with that barrel stickin out his forehead so I thinks I may as well take a powder till ol Eugene gits around here to chase em off. And lo and behold, the good lord himself delivers you to me."
Marbles was already starting toward the doss cautiously. He waved a hand back to Walter.
"I will see you Walter."
"YOU GO GIT EM EUGENE! YOU NEED ME YOU JUST HOLLER!" Walter raised his bag and took a long draught, thinking happily about going back to his Palace.
---
It was the sharp tang of fresh gun oil that I caught when I rounded the corner. That and a hint of movement where there was not supposed to be any. Switching to lowlights with a heatseek array gave me a nice slow sweep of a practiced snipe gunner with his hand sitting on top of it. The van near my doss showed heat in the turbine and on the tires so it had just got here and stopped short fast, giving a little rubber to the ground. The inside was lead shielded so no hopes of seeing what was inside with heat but first things were first.
I turn my coat up along my face and mess up my hair. Staggering across the street I bobbed like I was walking with a major buzz on and bowed over a nearby garbage can to looking like I was heaving. No one reacted to my presence and I caught the gleam of some hard steel in a lucky headlight from someone’s buzzing copter. I gave the cybereyes another switch to my lowest ultra lowlights and could see the mean looking drone sitting in the alleyway wedged against the wall and a dumpster of Walter’s Palace. Ground cover. Which means one thing, the cover high is for windows, drone to mop up anything running out. A team is going for the doss and the girls. The ol hero reflex wanted me to run wild and storm in blasting but reason smacked it hard and told what we could do to kill to birds with one stone to quote Moe.
I belched and trip over my own feet into the alley opposite my doss.
---
The drunk got done with his rehash of his meal and sidled into the alley without looking around too much. Parsec was about to give status when something occurred to him. The camera outside his van housing was motion active and had followed him into the alley. Parsec opened the sensor to full view and studied the guy as he went to the other side of the alley and then darted around the building. Awfully fast for some boozehound. He backed it up and played it again. There! He backed it again and got a profile. Bingo.
"Base to Eyespy. Target acquired and heading to yo-" His BIGEAR picked up shots from above and shouts.
"Eye you sound whipped. You need help?"
"Neg on that. Just checkin someth-" Another big bang sounded and the mike hissed loudly.
"Eye? Eye come back."
Parsec brought up the first teams command calls.
"Points…Eye is having difficulty. Target acquired on one..the male. Break formation and.."
Shots and screams began to interrupt Parsec’s orders. He growled as the BIGEAR and the outer camera housing winked out with a sharp snap large caliber bullets smashing down on the roof. He brought up the individual cameras and found Macross’s out and Cammi’s focused on a ceiling. Revs and Needles were running but it was too hard to make out.
"Eye! Points! Bark out! Fraggit someone talk to me!
---
Three minutes ago
Macross heard him a second before whirling. A heavy foot stomped down on his Walther and Macross froze for a second. It was the guy known as Marbles. He peered over a big gun aimed in his general direction.
"Peeking in a few of them windows perv-boy?"
Macross triggered the long cyberspur in his right wrist and it scored the guys shin.
He yelled bloody murder and shot but Macross had already pulled away, the bullet kicking up roof tar and gravel.
Cross jumped on top of him and they rolled, both struggling madly to kill the other with their respective weapons.
He could hear Parsec in his ear but was too busy to answer. He twisted the guy arms and spiked him with his spur in his forearm, not penetrating but leaving a wicked scrape.
Marbles got his feet under Macross and pushed him up and off but Mac was ready for this.
The thin whipline attached to his wrist was for just such an emergency.
As Macross fell back, he jerked his arm and the rifle pulled from its position and into his waiting hands. He switched to full auto and shot from his hip.
Marbles rolled backward, trying to avoid the stream of bullets but misjudged the edge, tumbling over the side and into the darkness. He made nary a sound.
Macross wiped sweat from his forehead and heard Parsec again past the roar of blood in his ears. He shouldered the Walther and responded
"Already here Base and he has been dealt with."
He walked toward the edge that Marbles had fallen over, already congratulating himself on success in his close up combat. He hardly ever faced the enemy mano e mano and the rush of taking someone down gave the old ego a boost. Parsec asked if he needed help.
"Neg on that. Just checkin someth-"
He peered over the edge and found his victim very much alive holding onto a plumbing pipe in the wall with one hand and looking directly over the sight of a gun with red glowing eyes with his left.
Marbles blew the top of Macross’s head clean off. The force carried the rest of Macross backward and onto the rooftop where it spasmed and then laid still. Marbles gritted his teeth against the flowing blood from the gash in his forearm and struggled back on to the roof.
---
Across the way, the point team had reached their destination with no worries whatsoever. Cammi had displaced the watchers with relative ease and they stood at the door. Cammi and Needles kept to the right as Rev put on his best shit-eating grin and buzzed the doorbell. He held his Predator behind his back waiting for the door to crack open.
Nothing
He tried again
Nothing…Reverend Jim got antsy.
"Cammi scan the doss ag-" Suddenly he was violently shoved out of the way. Needles took it upon himself to open the door like he had did last time. He scrunched into a crouch and hauled himself upward diagonally, meaning to smash the door down with brute strength. He succeeded and the door ripped from its hinges.
---
Had Needles stupidity not brought him to be a rather large blunt object and had Cammi succeeded in scanning in astral, they would have discovered that they had mistaken the doss next door as their target. No one resided inside save for a bunch of trash, a neat little splice job from Marbles wall to the telecom within (Marbles liked to call it his 30 second start if someone traced him because they would go next door first instead of his dwelling) and a mean little leftover from the previous owners for just such a bust down the door emergency. Tacked above the door by its handle and resting on a trip starter was a nice 12-pound sledgehammer. Marbles left it there to give whoever was dumb enough to force their way in a bad headache. That dummy was Needles.
Gravity carried the steel end of the sledge into a slow swing. Normally, the sledge would have cracked the forehead of your average human. However, in a stooped troll standard, the hammer was accurate in centering on to Needles wide pug nose. He never moved to dodge, even tracing its path by crossing his eyes as it honed into his face. The sound echoed in the tiny room and hallway.
THWOP!!!
Needles body reacted like he had stepped on ice and been struck by lightning at the same time. His feet slid out from under him and he went totally horizontal before crashing to the ground with a thunder. He brought both hands to his flattened nose and now swelling face and howled. Reverend almost busted out laughing at the almost cartoonish quality of the trap as he quickly ducked his head low and did a quick scan of the empty one room doss. Cammi bent over Needles prone form to pick him back up as two things happened. One was Cammi jerking upward and being hit from somewhere along with the sound of a whip cracking and two was a door opening up next-door and two heads peeking out at the diving Reverend. Target! Reverend Jim raised his weapon as he dove forward.
---
Marbles caught sight of his floor through the high-powered Krychek scope. Bathed in green light, he counted over and found the apartment they were hole up in. He saw Maya’s curly locks drifting over her face near the edge of the window. A jerk of movement brought him to the window of the next-door apartment. The window faced the entrance and just as he centered on the door, it shattered as it fell forward, heralding the entrance of a huge troll who barely fit within its frame. As if on cue, the trap sledgehammer Mr. Sinister had installed there swung down and conked the troll but good. He went horizontal right quick and movement around the door signaled more intruders. Marbles began to dial his doss on the palm phone then gazed at the holo display in the corner of the scope as it blinked 22 rounds. A head came low, too low to the window and Marbles cursed. Then another one stooped right in the center of the window. He squinted and the scope responded, zooming tight on the woman’s profile. No doubt about it, its one of them. Without thinking anymore, he depressed the trigger.
The gun chattered in his hand and Marbles struggled to keep it from flying wide. The thick plastic/glass compound that was the window cracked under the onslaught of inch long slugs. The woman snapped back as one burned her chin, but in doing so, made her body the target. She jerked as the slugs pierced red flying out of her back and burying into the wall. She was not going to stand up much longer.
On a forethought, Marbles glanced down at the van parked and burned the rest of the shots into it, the last shot hitting something vital as sparks flew out of a small square object. He grabbed the gun and ran toward the fire escape he had ascended, determined to make the most of the mayhem and confusion.
---
Annie popped up at the crash outside. Maya involuntarily ducked then looked at Annie with haunted eyes.
"Grab your crap. I think it’s about high time we got lost." She whispered. Annie nodded and grabbed her deck and began to strap on her shoes.
"What about Marbles?"
"What about him? I don’t think that’s our food
that hit the-" Something creaked and that were a hollow
‘whop’ sound followed by a thunderous boom of something
heavy falling. They heard someone shout in pain and say something
muffled. Both were silent. Maya motioned to the door and they
both cautiously peeked out into hallway.
Both saw someone looking over a hunched over person. It was a tall muscular woman who was talking to a large man on the floor. Suddenly she rose up and began to dance jerkily. It was only then they saw blood and heard the crack crack crack of gunfire. As the girl slowly collapsed, another body leapt diving forward toward them. Annie recognized the uniform and began to reach out to help him. She first saw recognition in the tall mans eyes then a gun being drawn toward them both.
---
Parsec roared at his monitors, almost trying to will his team to take action. He was getting static and flatsigns from Macross and Cammi, Hyperactive heartbeat, screaming and a good close up of Needles ugly kisser from his eyecam and no response from Reverend Jim, only a lot of curses
"SHOOT YOU MORON!" He shouted as Jim dove forward, recognizing the two girls looking out at him from the cracked open door. He watched as Jim began to fire from a prone position. Even from this angle there is no way he is gonna miss.
Indeed, even the shaking hands and the awkward position of Jim did not prevent him from missing his intended target. However, the plestricrete rising from the hallway floor did. Jim gaped but kept firing anyway, wondering how on earth the little mage Cammi had called amateur pulled off a speed spell like this.
Annie wondered too, since she had not seen Maya even grasp one of her foci on her jacket nor heard the murmur of her many incantations. That and she had never seen Maya do this one. Her barrier spell at best was pretty weak since she had Annie throw things at it to test her mettle. They both took advantage of the situation though, sprinting from the apartment and pounding down the hallway. They pushed open the door and began to descend.
"That was unreal Maya! I did not know you had a spell like that!"
"I don’t!"
Annie slowed but was being dragged along by Maya.
"Then how?"
"It was that hearth spirit! Frag me as to understand why and how it knew we were in danger. Just chalk it up to a second chance now GO!"
The door slamming open a floor above put some juice into her step. Both Jim and Needles took the steps two at a time, intent on taking their pain and pissed off ness on their prey.
---
Marbles booked it across the street, keeping a close eye on the van and the alley where he saw the drone earlier. Nothing moved from there and he bounded into the doss. He was heading toward the closer of the two stairways when he heard a stattico of shots in the other and screams of the two girls as they stomped down the stairs near the back exit. Marbles rushed to the door and was about to run in when he stopped. He hoped he guessed right when they came out. Pressing himself against the wall, he readied himself and waited.
Maya flew out first and did not even notice him as she ran towards the back door. Her sister being towed by Maya did and nearly screamed his name when Marbles hushed her and tossed his Guardian in her direction. Two beats of heavy footsteps tromped down the last flight, one heavier and less fast behind the other. Marbles ears filtered the sounds and as the first neared the open doorway, he stuck out his foot.
Jim never saw the foot and tumbled over it, smacking his head firmly into the stucco wall opposite. He rolled right, his vision blurred as he tried to avoid what he thought was going to be a killing move. Instead he found the girl pointing a large gun at him. His vision cleared to see a large man holding something near the doorway. He sucked in his breath to warn Needles but it was a half second too late.
Needles came barreling through the doorway and Marbles, now sporting the empty Sniper rifle like a baseball bat, swung for his head with all his might. The folding stock connected brutally with Needles already swelling nose with a sound not unlike someone smashing a car into a light pole.
SMASH!
Needles may have withstood the swing if he had not already endured a smart crack to his snout. The gun clattered to the floor, sporting an unusual crack up the stock and a whole lot of blood. Needles, on the other hand, went down like a crashing sub orbital, momentum carrying his unconscious body directly into the wall and putting his head straight through it where he slumped to his knees. Marbles cursed and shook his hands, stinging from the vibration running up them. He blew out air and grabbed the gun from Annie. Grabbing a generous shock of Jim’s hair and slamming it against the wall again, he jammed the gun in between Reverend Jim’s eyes and growled.
"Ok wetboy, me and you are gonna have a talk. Where’s Parsec?"
"Frag off Marbles."
"So you know my name eh? Hardly the thing to leave dying on your lips."
"I said frag off."
Marbles thumped his head against the wall and Jim sucked in air through clench teeth.
"Why the frag you trying to kill me?? Talk now or-" Marbles stopped as he heard something toward the front. Unmistakable and something completely forgotten. Treads going up stairs. He turned and shouted
"RUN!"
The front doors obliterated under a lethal wall of case less ammunition. Parsec and Bastion had entered the game.
Marbles scampered down the hallway, quickly catching up to Annie and Maya. He glanced back to see Jim duck low and a mean looking mini tank trundle to the mouth of the hall. It turreted toward him as they reached the back doorway and slammed the door open.
Marbles shoved the girls to the left side over the stoop as he himself dove forward down the stairway. The high pitched whine of the rotating barrels filled the air and Marbles felt his duster’s tail fly up, getting turned to ribbons as he belly flopped painfully off the landing and onto the hard dirt and refuse of the vacant lot. He pressed to the ground and crawled fast to the left of the doorway. The girls were there and helped him up as they ran toward a wire fence and hopefully some escape further. Marbles did not have time to help them over, instead grabbing both in his arms and triggering his reflexes to push his limits. He pushed off hard and willed his legs to get them as high as he could, yet he struck the fence edging with his shins and tumbled over. He semi-flipped and landed hard on his back, the girls weight crashing into his chest and forcing the air from his chest.
"*Gasp* Roll left!"
They rolled off him and continued on till they each got the safety of a brick wall between them and the drone, who could be heard whirring about the vacant lot, searching for them. Marbles pointed to the tram station near the mouth of the alley and they ran. Luckily, nothing stopped them as they boarded. All of them slumped on one of the tram’s benches, exhausted from their escape.
---
Parsec cursed holy hell as he programmed Bastion to pull Needles unconscious form from the wall and back to the van. Reverend Jim said nothing, only waited for orders. They had found Macross and went back to Cammi but it was too late. Parsec thunked his head against the wall as he tried to think. Jim lightly touched the wound on his head.
"I blame myself."
"Why?"
"We took them much too lightly. Took our orders for granted."
"Bulldrek. How could anyone know they could get away? An amateur mage, her fraggin green decking sister and one guy who is known for small ass detective work? Come on Parsec, give yourself a little credit."
"Credit? Jim, look around you. We got our long-range shooter with his head ventilated and our both our secondary and main enforcers swiss cheesed and out cold respectively. I mean jeez, 24 hours ago we took out a gang and these three fraggers keep slipping through our fingers?"
"By luck! My god man, we are supposed to maintain a low profile and capture them for the goods. We are wetworkers. We are hired to kill. Its not like we haven’t had causalities before anyway."
Parsec nodded to this. They were in a biz with high turnover. That was a stated fact.
"I dunno man, this just ain’t jiving to well with me."
Jim nodded. "Maybe we ought to cut and run?"
Parsec considered this. Then shook his head no.
"Not with this Johnson. I suspect that whatever these guys have is something that is extremely important. I figure once we get it, we renegotiate our costs."
"Agreed. We need replacements."
"Already in process. A few locals I knew from back when."
"They solid?"
Parsec nodded as he climbed into the van. He jacked in and paused, activating the erasers on both Macross and Cammi’s corpses. Both began to smolder then blaze from the still suits they wore. In a few minutes there would be nothing but ash and a blackened spot where they lay.
---
END PART 1
Author’s Notes: Hi ya chummerinos. Tat back at ya with half a story (It’s a 2 parter on wish from a friend of mine to release something) This one is damn hard to get through. I have had this running for nearly 4 years! Why? I dunno. Marbles has been kicking around actually longer than Snap and Al. He was my main character when I used to game. He was rough, but noble. A guy who basically tried to keep out of the limelight. I got along with him almost immediately when I rolled him.
Anyway, I have been running this backstory while doing projects. Lost Wages was pretty much a "I have nothing to do at work" story. I would write a page or 2 every once in a while. I actually have about 100 pages written so far but I am only release these 60 because I am sure this is where I want to go. The last half has a lot of twists and turns in it (as well as what is exactly on the mystery tape). Some may die, some may turncoat on their very lives. All I can say is that Las Vegas will never be the same when the fire dies down.
Snap and Al? Fleshing out 2 stories on the dynamic duo. Sorry its takin so long. The one probably coming out first will be one that someone asked about. How exactly Snap and Al first meet? Believe me, it is not simply they worked together. They met someplace, and in that span of time became best friends and fighting buddies. The story is thrilling so far (at least that is what my testers say) and quite scary. I hope to have it out as soon as I can
Well guys, the rest will be out shortly. I have about 20 more pages to go and maybe some minor changes. As always, any feedback would be appreciated. Drop a note and say hi. Until then, Tat over and out.
Shadowrun and all Shadowrun related stuff are copyrighted by FASA and used without their permission. All names places characters, quips and general mayhem are of my creation and cannot be used w/o my permission but what the hell, ask and ye shall receive. Have fun kids.