Living in the Shadows: IC, Jan 8th-14th Options

[Slipshade]

10:22:18 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Skylight Towers Condominiums, Bellevue

"Thank you Mr. Wong, Mrs.Wong. Maybe when this is over we can sit down and discuss my unfortunate turn of events." He gives the man a weak smile. "But until then I will put my faith and trust in you and your wife and the hope that I can in some way help you and repay our unfortunate visit today."

Before he reaches to the astral realm for help Max informs the Wongs of what he is about to do.

"I must conceal my friend and I and I am going to conjure a spirit to do so. Please do not be worried."

Max sends out his call to the ether and the hearth spirits that reside there.

[Scrapheap]

10:23:21 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Skylight Towers Condominiums, Bellevue

As Max "called" for some help, John quietly cracked open the front door to check the hallway. A quick scan showed the hallway empty. Shutting the door, but not closing it all of the way, he pulled out his other pistol to attach a silencer to it as well.

That complete, he waited patiently as the shaman finished. Max stood with his eyes closed and arms slightly raised. His lips moved silently. Finally, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. "I have called on a spirit who has agreed to help hide us from prying eyes while we make our escape. Our concealment will end once we exit the building, but this should help up reach the parking garage unseen."

John simply nodded. Carefully grinding his cigarette out on the heel of his boot, he put the extinguished butt into his jacket pocket. Motioning for Max to follow he turned to leave. Checking the hallway one final time, he opened the door wide and started through, then paused as a thought occurred to him. The old runner turned to the Wongs, still seated on their couch holding hands. His look was serious and haunted. "Sorry again for the deception. You seem like good people. If ya choose to help us; don't worry, we'll do what needs to be done. One of the people we're lookin' for is my niece." That said, he stepped into the hallway, waited for Max to follow, and closed the door without a sound.

Quickly leading the way down the hallway, John moved silently with one hand inside his jacket resting on a pistol grip. Max followed close behind. The two saw no one as the neared the entrance to the stairwell. When they had reached the door, John glanced up and down the hallway before leaning forward to listen, his ear pressed against the cool steel...

[Scrapheap]

10:25:50 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Skylight Towers Condominiums, Bellevue

Hearing nothing, John silently opened the door and paused again to look and listen. Still nothing. Quickly clearing the landing, he began to lead the way down the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible, occasionally peering down the center of the stairwell to see if he could spot anything below.

[Scrapheap]

10:32:07 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Skylight Towers Condominiums' Parking Garage, Bellevue

John and Max paused at the bottom of the stairway, leaning against the wall to catch their breath. The way down had been tiring and tense, but ultimately uneventful. John idly wondered how much of that was due to pure chance and how much was due to their spiritual aid. Knowin' my fraggin' luck, that spirt must've been workin' his hoop off. He's gotta be as tired as we are! Ah well, we made it this far, now ta get to the fraggin' car.

Max looked up, but said nothing as the old runner pushed off from the wall and made his way over to a steel door marked with a large 'G'. Unlike the other doors leading from the stairwell, this one included a small window, which John now carefully looked through. He remained motionless, watching for any movement, taking full advantage of the vision mods his cybereyes contained. He also carefully noted the positions of the visible security cameras, watching their movements and trying to estimate the areas of coverage and blindspots. Finally satisfied, and with a path mapped out in his mind, he motioned to the shaman to move closer.

"A'ight, chummer. Stick close, and stay low. We're gonna try and stay outta the camera's line of sight. Move through the rows when possible. Got it?"

When Max nodded and took one final deep breath, John waited for the nearest camera to complete it's arc towards them and start to move away before slowly opened the door just enough for them to squeeze through. When he had quietly closed the door behind them, he quickly led Max between the nearest parked cars as they started to make their careful way across the parking garage.

[Bastard]

13:54:25 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Sea-Tac International Airport, Long Term Parking Terminal, Seattle, UCAS

"Ahhh...I feel much better now," Marq says to himself, plopping into his driver seat. Still quite groggy, he is extremely carefull in backing out his car. His body is damaged enough, no need to make the car match. The car idles its way to the ticket booth where after a quick read of the credstick, the plastic yellow and black striped bar raises. The gold Cadillac rolls through and deliberately picks its way through traffic onto the onramp.

[bclements]

20:10:18 Thursday 11 January, 2063. Capitol Hill Terrace, Apt 203. Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

Tony snaps up, sweating from his sleep despite the cool air blowing over him from the apartment’s air vent, pistol from under his pillow now in his hand ready to fire…at the wall. Blinking rapidly, he tries to clear his head, still foggy from a semi-hangover and quick awakening from deep sleep ( or am I still drunk?) He only remembered fragments from his dreams of a few hours sleep..

his mother, bringing him breakfast when he stayed home on the weekends, only with red cybereyes instead of their normal bright green. “Honey, did you hear from Massada yet?” Suddenly, back in the parking garage, but with Andie instead of the red-eyed woman, bleeding from her wounds, pleading to carry her out. “But I can’t,” Tony said softly. “The ‘Star’s out there. Bringing you out...” “Help me!” Then she’s gone; turning around, he sees the entire firefight replay in his head, straining at his inability to help someone that needed it..”

Shaking his head and putting the gun on the nightstand and thank God that cleaning drone didn’t come by, still not sure that he wasn’t dreaming, he stumbled to his kitchen to get some water. Even after a half bottle of bourbon and Rebecca’s fawning disapproval, dreamless oblivion hadn’t been easy to come by. Chugging a glass of water, still blinking off afterimages of his dream, he heads to the shower to wake himself up.

20 minutes, a cool shower, and a shave later, Tony’s at least functional, if not still a little woozy and sore, both from the alcohol-induced headache and from the now purplish bruises that stitched a line across his chest. Dressing in a robe, he pads his way back to his kitchen for something to eat. While heating up an older nuke-and-eat meal to cure some of his sudden homesickness from his dream, he leans against the kitchen counter, absently watching the microwave’s countdown while thinking about the day’s events. I’ve heard Red Queen a couple of times before. Now Massada, and those guys from the warehouse being found. Hotter-than-drek decker kicking off Todd, and doing so good of a job that Sea-Tac didn’t know anything was wrong... The beeping from his microwave interrupted his thoughts.

Getting his meal and making himself a cup of that god-awful soykaf he for some reason kept around, he ate his meal on his couch, while shooting off an email to Todd:

[WinterRat1]

10:33:19 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Skylight Towers Condominiums' Parking Garage, Bellevue

John's heart almost stops when he sees the pair of Lone Star cops who are combing the garage looking right at him, but it's like they can't even see him...

Must be that spirit Max summoned up. Handy guys to have around, those wizworms...

Still moving silently, unsure if the guards can hear them, even if they can't see them, the two of them make it to their car undetected by the cops, who are still looking around the garage.

Wonder if there's more of them street level? immediately flashes through both their minds.

[Scrapheap]

10:38:43 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Skylight Towers Condominiums' Parking Garage, Bellevue

Sliding into Max's gleaming Westwind with a sigh, both men carefully close the doors and glance at each other.

"Well, we made it. What do we do now, John?"

Slouched down in his seat, John used the controls on the center console to adjust the passenger-side mirror so that he had a better view of the garage. He then adjusted the rear-view in the same fashion. "Well, even if we managed ta get past the flat-foots in the garage, and somehow made it past the fraggin' security gate, we'd lose the spirit when we left the garage. Right?"

"Yes, that is correct. We would lose the aid of the hearth spirit as soon as we left its domain. Which in turn would leave us exposed to any Lone Star patrolmen stationed outside the building."

"Yeah, I thought the same fraggin' thing. I guess we just gotta wait. See if the pigs leave. If they don't, or they take too long, we'll figure somethin' else out."

Nodding once in agreement, Max slid down in the driver's seat, mimicking John's posture, and both men settled in to wait.

[Slipshade]

10:38:52 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Skylight Towers Condominiums' Parking Garage, Bellevue

"When we leave, lets have you drive out and I will keep myself concealed with the spirit until we clear the building. It is likely that the security officer at the gate will only remember there being two of us in the car and I am sure my looks caught his attention. A human driving a Westwind out of here shouldn't raise any eyebrows."

[The_Eyes]

09:37:24 Thursday 11 January - Unit 303, Winlock Apartment Complex, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Eyes jacked out and cricked his neck tiredly. The resulting pops in his joints made him surprised his head didn't tumble into his lap; he had only been in the Matrix about an hour but his body felt like it hadn't moved in weeks. Ugh, I've really got to get out more, he thought for the umpteenth time, stumbling to his feet to nuke the life back into his forgotten breakfast.

"Nothing," he muttered to himself as he scratched his unshaven chin. "The place is so obviously a front that it might not be one at all. No cameras, no terminals; the company didn't even have a mission statement. The place'll probably be empty except for some other cryptic clue stashed in a corner or something."

Jane popped her head up on the nearby display. "But what else are you going to do? Sit around all day glued to a screen?"

Eyes chuckled. "Well that is a possibility, you know," he joked, "It just, well, it doesn't really feel like we're following clues, or investigating, or really doing anything that'll lead to Casimir's killers. It seems more like we're playing one of those random games of fetch you see in old computer RPGs: 'Give the dog a bone and he'll dig up a key for you,' that sort of thing.

"We're no closer to a suspect today than we were before we were even hired. Or a motive, really; this chip might be one, but we don't know what it is." Eyes retrieved his bowl from the microwave and sat back down, taking a careful bite of the hot congee. "Hm. It's not like we have any other leads, though," he mused.

Really, he wondered, what did he know about this Casimir guy, anyway? He was a brilliant AI programmer; he was supposedly retired, though his friends seem to think he was still a player; he liked chess, or at least hanging out at a chess club; he was an active poster on Shadowland, by the name of... what was it again?

Eyes idly tapped a few keys on a nearby computer, the display coming to life in front of him. He leaned forward suddenly, his eyes catching a post made earlier that week. Well, he thought with a sudden smile, Now that looks like an actual lead.

[Scrapheap]

10:40:21 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Skylight Towers Condominiums' Parking Garage, Bellevue

John nodded absently at the shaman's suggestion. Not that it wasn't a good idea, but he was busy tracking the progress of the Lone Star cops as they made their way around the garage again. He watched as they reached the end of a row, seemingly the end of their search.

As the two walked back towards the entrance, John could see that one was obviously reporting their progress via a subdermal mike or something attached to his patrol-armor; he couldn't tell from this distance and angle. The guy was doing a lot of nodding and so forth, plainly listening to orders. Finally they stopped walked and looked at each other. One shrugged and they both turned back towards the far end of the garage to make another pass.

"Frag." The old runner mumbled, wondering if he would make his noon meet.

"What is it? Are they coming this way?" Max leaned over to look at the driver's side mirror.

"Naw, but it looks like it'll be a while. They just started another fraggin' pass."


11:29:19 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Skylight Towers Condominiums' Parking Garage, Bellevue

John tapped the ignition, grinning slightly as the Westwind's instrument panel came online. He'd owned one himself, a blue '53, but that was a lifetime ago. He shifted around, trying to get comfortable in Max's overcoat. He missed the reassuring bulk of his armored jacket, but the shaman had wisely suggested that it would look more believable if he wore the stylish overcoat as opposed to his plain and worn armored jacket. At least this way, maybe the fraggin' guard won't think I stole the damned car. Carefully backing out of the space, he then drove through the rows of cars towards exit and the street.

Lone Star had only left about 10 minutes earlier. The two officers had searched the garage 2 more times, checking under and between cars, stopping anyone entering and exiting. The only really tense moment had come when one of them had approached the Westwind and shone his flashlight through the rear window. Once again the Max's spirit had saved them, as the cop had only paused briefly before moving to the next car.

As they approached the gate, John took out a Manhunter, placing it in between the driver's seat and the center console. He then rolled down the window as he stopped by the guard's booth. The female guard slid open her window and smiling said, "Hello, sir. Exciting morning."

Nodding toward's the gate he said, "Sorry to be rude, but I am late for a meeting..."

Her smile became forced. "No need to apologize. Have a good day, sir. Drive carefully."


11:34:56 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Stuffer Shak #3987, Parking Lot, Bellevue

John lit a cigarette and watched as Max buttoned his overcoat. "Well, that certainly was exciting. What now, John? Do we just wait for the Wong's call?"

"Not a lot else we can do, Max. I'm gonna call my chummer Finn. See if he and Iris have come up with anything. See if he'll check into the Wong's a little deeper. Uh, I also need a favor if you got time? I got that meet in about 20 minutes. I don't think there's time ta go back to your place for the van. Think you could give me a ride?"

[grendel]

20:35:21 Thursday 11 January, 2063. Capitol Hill Terrace, Apt 203. Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

Tony is almost finished with his food when the trid chuckles to itself, logging a reply to the message sent earlier.

[Slipshade]

11:36:23 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Stuffer Shak #3987, Parking Lot, Bellevue

"Sure, no problem." Max says as he turns his cell phone back on. "I am just waiting on phone calls anyway. I am going to head home for a while after I drop you off, so give me a call when you are done. We can figure out where to go from there. I am supposed to leave town tomorrow morning, but I may have to cancel my business trip if we can't find Nora and Keira soon.

[bclements]

21:08:21 Thursday 11 January, 2063. Capitol Hill Terrace, Apt 203. Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

Well kid, hope out of town treats you better than here. Still need to get you a skateboard, though Tony thought to himself as he read the email.

Tony sat there and debated with himself for a bit about what to do next. Making a mental list: what exactly he wanted to do with Todd's initiative, now that he was involved in it and the kid seemed so adamant about it; finding out about whoever this Massada was and telling him about his almost-surely-now-dead female friend from the garage, same with Red Queen, whose name had already come up twice in connection to dead or near dead people; Andie's fate in jail and how to do something about it; and what the hell is Ricky doing running guns in Atlanta for? He always said he hated that town; and whether or not to call Zedya for more work. And getting a bit more worried about Marquis, who he hadn't heard from since the garage.

In the end, practicality won out, after half an hour of debating. Resurfacing from his own private world to some blathering from a weatherman saying something about a warming tread this weekend, Tony had a plan. Todd's 'thing' isn't mine, and if he's after another cyberdeck or drek like that, it's of little use to me. I'm in no real shape, physical or financial, to bust Andie out, and Ricky can take care of himself for a bit. And I'm in no shape to call Zedya for more work just yet he thought to himself, feeling bruises that still hurt a bit.

Running loose ends down isn't fun, but at least I've got the tools to do it with he ended, placing a call to Ran's LTG number.

"Ran, my name is Tony. Got your number from a chummer of mine named Todd. Need you for a little job..."

[grendel]

21:08:24 Thursday 11 January, 2063. Capitol Hill Terrace, Apt 203. Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

The voice on the other end of the line is soft and female, something that Tony hadn't expected, especially from a friend of Todd's.

"Yeah, he mentioned you might be calling, something about info searches? Look, not to be a pain, but I'm kinda busy now. I've got a friend who could help you out, though. You want a face to face or are you comfy with a virtual meet?"

[bclements]

21:08:26 Thursday 11 January, 2063. Capitol Hill Terrace, Apt 203. Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

"You got it. Face to face preferably, I'm no good in y'alls world," Tony says, still mildly surprised but recovering his composure quickly.

[grendel]

21:08:29 Thursday 11 January, 2063. Johnson Hall Basement, Room 4G, University of Washington: Seattle, Seattle, UCAS

"Null sweat. Bluefish. Midnight. Come alone. We'll find you."

Ran dropped the telecom connection, shaking her head irritably at Zee's questioning look. Hot-swapping, she routed a call to Eyes.

"I know you've got nothing planned for tonight so meet me at Bluefish at eleven thirty. I've got someone who needs your services and wants a face to face meet."

[Scrapheap]

11:58:48 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Corner of Elliot Avenue West and West Harrison, Downtown Seattle

Standing next to the idling car, John leaned down, arm resting on the low roof. "Thanks again, chummer. I'll call when I'm done, but I'm gonna try ta find my own way back to yer doss. No reason to drag you back out in this fraggin' weather. You call me if you hear anything."

"Sure thing, John. Best of luck and talk to you soon." After the door was closed, Max shifted into gear and pulled carefully away from the curb. John lit a cigarette as he watched the shaman drive off. Then, settling the strap of his canvas satchel more comfortably over his shoulder, he stuck his hands into his jacket pockets and hurried up the block to the restaurant.

As he opened the door to Lee Chee Garden to the jingle of the bells hanging from the handle, John immediately scanned the interior, noting the positions of the other patrons, the staff, exits, anything that could give him an advantage. Finally, his gaze settled on Cheryl Lin, the fixer Finn had introduced him to as he tried to step back into the shadows. The athletic-looking chinese woman gave him a short nod as he spotted her, so he slowly crossed the dining room and stood before her table.

He flashed her a half-grin. "This seat taken?"

[bclements]

22:58:15 Thursday 11 January, 2063. Capitol Hill Terrace, Apt 203. Capitol Hill, Seattle, UCAS

Bluefish? Tony thinks as the call disconnects, while trying to place the name of the establishment. Looking it up quickly, he notices it. Yeah. Raver place down in Tacoma. he remebers vaguely from some advert last week, putting the address into his psec. Then, trying to put his mind into neutral, he dozes off for a bit under the watchful eye of the news ticker on the trideo.

Rousing himself, and after getting dressed into something decently stylish for the outing and lugging his arsenal back up to his apartment, he sets off for Tacoma, remembering to hit up an ATM for some backup cash.

[WinterRat1]

12:00:00 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

Smiling up at him, she motioned for him to sit. "John, you're looking well. How's life been treating you?" They exchanged small talk for a few minutes, allowing the waiter to come by and bring some tea and take their orders before getting down to serious biz. Opening the conversation, Cheryl took a sip of tea and began, "Well John, I've got word there's a team putting some action together, and they need some muscle. Word I get is that it's a small team, but a big job, and they need an experienced gun in case things go wrong fast. Think you're interested?"

[Bastard]

13:42.03 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Marquis digs through the freezer to recover a half filled ice tray. With a little twist the ice cubes crack and pop out of their seats and onto the counter, where a handtowel awaits their arrival. After refilling the rack with water, it is placed in the freezer, and Marq's recovery can begin. A few pieces of ice found their way into a lowball glass filled with Jack and Classic Coke (aka Soyless Coke), so he takes a small swig as he uses the other hand to hold the icepack to his cheek.

The couch seems to be comfortable enough and Marquis rests there with his ice and drink. Finding the remote in the middle of his back is actually good news, now he doesnt have to get up to find it. The radio powers on and is tuned into the Earnie and the Troll Show. After a couple more drinks, the glass finds itself sitting on the floor, filled with just a few half melted ice cubes.

[The_Eyes]

09:51:25 Thursday 11 January - Unit 303, Winlock Apartment Complex, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Message sent, Eyes sat back and pondered his next moves. Sleazing his way into that office building was a definite possibility, but it wasn't going to happen until Friday night at least, when there'll be fewer guards and public eyes around. Anyway, that whole place seemed too much like a plant for it to really lead anywhere; the address just happening to show up in a "forgotten" part of the wiped server just smacked of a set-up, and Eyes wasn't interested in following a planted trail, no matter where it led.

And besides, it was far past time for a break. Eyes shrugged and cast about for something to do.

21:08:35 Thursday 11 January - Marukai Marketplace, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"I know you've got nothing planned for tonight so meet me at Bluefish at eleven thirty. I've got someone who needs your services and wants a face to face meet."

Eyes snickered. "Well since you asked so nicely," he replied wryly, "I'll see what I can do."

[grendel]

23:22:41 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

It's just a regular club night at Bluefish tonight, nothing special about the DJ spinning hard electronica, or the crowd gathered around the entrance. This time, only a solitary Strato-9 orbited overhead to keep a lid on. Tony scanned across the surrounding area again for signs of surveillance. Nothing but darkened buildings, businesses closed for the day, silent warehouses full of transient goods, and parked cars. With a sigh, Tony settled his coat around his shoulders, checked his gear again, and headed across the street.

[bclements]

23:28:27 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Tony got into the line to get into the club, but the wait was thankfully short. More kids, great. I'm gonna get an age complex if this keeps up he thought to himself as he waited behind a group of barely-in-high-school kids that made him feel a lot older than he really was. Not like you wouldn't have been here at their age. Getting his 'yeah, you really are old enough to drink' handstamp, he walked in.

The age difference was more apparent inside the club, he noticed as he walked through the door and was assaulted by the high-intensity synthesized sound. While not really minding the...ambiance, he was a little out of his element in the cavernous, well populated area; smaller, slightly seeder gems like the Landing or the Spirit where more his venue. Glancing around in confusion and almost sensory-overload for a bit at the scene, he nearly was ran over by the next group of teenagers coming in after him, eager to get on the dancefloor. Getting quickly out of the way and taking a moment to acclimate himself to the strobing lights and pounding music, he looked around the converted warehouse.

Well, you actually can at least get a drink here... he thought, as he saw the upper section's bar while glancing around. Passing between the cadre of bouncers at the foot of the staircase with an outstretched hand and a light-wand, he moved up the see-thru stairs to the bar level.

Up here, the strobes and colored lights weren't as apparent, more drowned out by the neon blue coming from tubes under the bartop and some overhead UV's, and the sound abated to a more comfortable level. Sitting down at a stool at the uncrowded long bar, Tony was slightly dismayed at the poor selection of whiskey on hand. Shaking his head slightly, he orders a gin and tonic, not his favorite drink, but you really can't screw it up he thinks, and swivels around in his seat, looking for whoever he was supposed to meet.

[Scrapheap]

12:11:03 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

Interested? Frag yeah, I'm interested. I hadda fraggin' count the loose change in my pocket ta see what I could afford to order. How's that sound for interested?

That was the first thought that occurred to the old runner, though John resisted the urge to say it aloud and kept his professional composure. Covering his hesitation, he took a few sips of the steaming tea before answering.

Maybe it was the recent memory of the meeting with the Wongs, or maybe it was whole Nora/Keira search still hanging over his head. Hell, maybe it was just Max starting to rub off on him, but John decided that the best option here was honesty. Setting his cup aside, he took a deep breath, looked Cheryl in the eye and began.

"Yeah, I'm interested, Cheryl. It's just that there's some personal drek I'm tryin' ta take care of first. I know that you was doin' Finn a favor, gettin me work, at least at the start. I appreciate it, but I also like ta think that I've proved my worth over the last year or so; shown that I can do good work."

The fixer's eyes had narrowed as he spoke, and she gave him a shrewd look as she said, "You have John, and yes, you do good work. I have to ask though, and forgive me for being blunt, but what kind of 'personal business?' You haven't started drinking again have you?"

The old runner felt his face redden slightly, though he really wasn't surprised by the question. He knew that Finn wouldn't have mentioned his drinking problem to Cheryl Lin, but he also knew that the fixer was a real pro and it made perfect sense for her to run a background on him. 'John Standard' had only been around for a couple of years though, which made him wonder what else she knew about him and his past.

"Nah, Cheryl. It ain't like that. It's my niece. I got back from that last job (thanks again, by the way) ta find that she's missin' and has been for over a week. Seems that she and a chummer got caught up in some fraggin' deal with a medical clinic in Redmond. Saw somethin' someone didn't want 'em to, she got caught and the chummer got away. I been lookin' for her since. Got a couple leads. Just tryin' to run those out."

He paused as the waiter brought their food to the table. John looked longingly at the fixer's dish, which appeared to have real meat in it, as his own bowl of fried rice was plopped unceremoniously in front of him. He stirred absently at the rice, veggies, and chunks of soy until the waiter withdrew.

"So yeah, I'm interested. You know I could use the fraggin' cred. I just need to know more, like the when and where, before I can commit. What's the pay like? Any upfront? Any details on the team? 'Course, you tell me so and I'll walk away. I know that I reflect on you when you send me on a job, so I never want ta make you look bad. Yer rep's safe with me."

John stirred his dish again before he brought the chopsticks to his mouth and took a bite. Cheryl was looking at her own dish, though he knew she'd have heard every word. He also knew he was taking a risk, not just for this job, but with his entire business relationship with the fixer. Her street-rep was her life and her lively-hood. She couldn't afford to have it compromised.

They continued to eat in silence as he waited anxiously for her to respond.