Vito got the data he ca for. To avoid any tracking, the dical Dispute Resolution Team downloaded everything to an external drive. Biotechnica had no way to identify who had touched their servers.
"Harvest ti for Uncle Vito."
Vito pocketed the external drive and retraced his route. Everything had gone smoother than planned.
"How is Mr. Santos doing?"
Vito asked T-Bug.
"If your dosage was right, he'll wake up next to his car in about an hour. He might think he had a strange dream."
T-Bug rotated the last cara back into position. Vito returned to the area Santos Rogers had clearance to be in.
"I think I caught a bit of office drama in there. I'll tell you about it on the way back."
"A man would rather pursue nothingness than not pursue at all."
"Hey. Don't be like that. You have no idea how much we field people need this kind of thing to stay sane."
"I have zero interest in office gossip. Jackie is in position. Get in the car. Give the journalist the data. If you move fast, you might still make your match."
"Hell, I completely forgot about the match."
Into the car, disguise dropped, Vito told Jackie to push it back to the Wild Wolf.
Romano hadn't been in any kind of mood to drink, but he'd kept pouring anyway to work through the anxiety. He was watching Channel 54 with one eye the whole ti. He and Channel 54's reporters squared off regularly, but there was no denying that those people had instincts sharper than any tracking software. Wherever sothing big was breaking, they were already there.
"Sir, another bottle of tequila please!"
Romano called down to Pepe.
"I bought you one bottle. Anything past that, you're paying for yourself."
Vito's voice ca from the top of the stairs.
Romano heard it and stood up so fast he knocked over an empty bottle.
"You got it?"
His voice ca out slightly unsteady.
"Got it. They don't know who did it. Of course, once you publish, they'll at least be able to figure out where it ca from."
Vito handed Romano an external drive.
Romano took it and plugged it in imdiately, pulling up the data. Whether from excitent or the tequila, his face was bright red.
"Hahaha! You really are the best! I'll have Rogue transfer the paynt right now! With this material, Channel 54's tabloid garbage is absolutely no match for !"
Vito, watching the client's state, couldn't help himself.
"At least Channel 54 sends updates about interesting things every day. Your journalism, to be honest, I've never actually run into it."
Romano didn't care. He was already putting the drive away carefully.
"Those people put out entertainnt for the brain-dead. What I'm doing is journalism that actually wakes people up."
Vito shrugged.
"Fair enough. Hope you don't get assassinated by Biotechnica's people. Anything else? If not, I'm heading out."
"Go ahead!"
Romano could barely hold it together. He wanted to get ho, go through the data properly, and build the story that would make everything worth it.
He called down to Pepe:
"Check please, bartender. Keep that bottle of tequila. On ! Hahaha!"
Pepe was past being surprised by anything. He pocketed the bottle and muttered:
"At least this one's generous. Not like the last one who wanted a refund on a half-finished bottle."
Vito and Jackie had been buying their clients a bottle at the Wild Wolf for every job they brought there. The bigger the job, the better the bottle. Over ti the Wild Wolf had developed its own shorthand — people started using the bottle na to indicate the size of a gig.
Smaller rcs tried to copy the routine, ordering a bottle for their clients at the Wild Wolf. Most of the ti they couldn't wrap the job up inside one bottle's worth of waiting. Sotis the client would smash the bottle over their heads when things went sideways.
...
"Jackie, faster! Old Fred and Vik are about to burn my phone out!"
Vito pushed.
"I'm already going fast! Any faster and this thing hops the curb and takes out a line of civilians!"
Jackie was fully concentrated, foot on the accelerator, pushing toward the venue.
Ring ring.
Rogue.
"Hey, Queen. Sothing up?"
"You completed it in one afternoon, Vito. That's genuinely impressive."
Rogue said it without her voice giving anything different away.
"Precise and efficient. I can't undercut my own reputation."
Vito nudged the wheel and had Jackie swerve around a Tyger Claws biker who cut out without looking.
"Very professional. The client is satisfied. He threw in a gratuity. Your na is going to be known at the Afterlife very soon. I won't be charging a promotional fee. Good working with you."
Rogue transferred the paynt. Thirty-five thousand eddies, in full.
Vito whistled.
"dia people are more generous than the President of the New United States. This is ten thousand more than you'd get for dodging gunfire to actually rescue the President."
In Rogue's files, Vito was always this kind of irreverent. She let a small smile through.
"At the Afterlife, if you have the ability, you earn what you deserve."
Vito's mouth moved.
"You took a decent cut too, didn't you. Your Majesty."
Rogue laughed.
"Of course. But I gave you forty-five percent. Newcors normally only get thirty. I like what I see. Keep at it, rc."
Rogue hung up.
"Hell. Bled by the Afterlife's vampire."
Vito said it quietly.
Screech.
Sharp brakes. Jackie was out of the car before it had fully stopped, grabbing Vito, and the two of them ran toward the entrance like passengers about to miss their flight.
The previous fighters had been evenly matched. They'd gone twelve full rounds before the scoring settled it. That bought enough ti.
Vito made it ringside. Fred ca over imdiately to start the warmup. Vik stood with them and started talking.
Vito ward up and told Jackie:
"Quick. Our money ca through. Go put a bet on winning in six rounds or under. Now."
Jackie felt the urgency and took off to find whoever was running the pools.
"Listen, Vito. Your opponent is a 6th Street fighter who goes by Armored Car. I watched his previous fights. All military hand-to-hand. Protect your chest and throat. Most important: this one plays dirty. He's got bone-spurs buried under the skin of his knuckles. Watch your eyes and your chin."
"Thanks, Vik!"
The announcer started the introductions. Both fighters ca forward.
"Wooo! Co on, good-looking! I've got a big bet on you!"
A woman's voice from the stands. Vito turned. The Mox girl.
"Pools are still open! Go add to your bet! I'll finish him in six rounds!"
The Mox crew all heard him. Only the girl sprinted off to add to her bet. Her friend grabbed her arm.
"Liying! Don't gamble your rent money away!"
Liying jumped into the aisle.
"Relax! I'm investing. Investing in a hot guy! He's not going to disappoint !"
User Comments
0 comments from readers