Friday, April 4th 2070; 08:45; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex

The soycaf was hot and strong, both of the required attributes if Hugo was gonna be in any shape for the weekend. The last few days were a blur, at best. He wasn't for sure what exactly he missed, he just knows... well, thinks, that he had a good time.

Looking around the shop, the early working crowd has long since gone. Currently, the crowd includes folks like himself with no place special to be. A pair of students sit at a table closer to the door, discussing of all things, how Knight Errant is as crappy as Lone Star was. Before he has a chance to inject his own opinion into the conversation, Jane is at the table freshening up his cup. "Pay them no mind Sweety."

He, of course, knew that Jane called most everyone Sweety. Funny enough, Sugar is her name of choice for customers who are making her mad. Not that he'd ever seen her not smile at a customer. He had heard once about a customer that she bounced out on his head. Rumor was that the guy was a cybered up ork. In any case, she'd never been anything but nice when he was in... and he was a regular for over a year now.

He snapped back to the current conversation when she spoke again. She placed a hand on his shoulder, "You need to slow down the partying... and a shower would be really good right now."

Friday, April 4th 2070; 08:46; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

"Thanks Jane! I'll go get right on that. What do I owe you? No, no, Danny, I'm paying this time! I insist! You paid yesterday."

Finalizing the bill, he stepped outside of the coffee shop into the bright morning sun. He felt lucky to be alive on this beautiful day. He paused for a second as memories cascaded over him. For some reason, talking with Danny today over coffee had seemed awkward. But why should it be awkward? Maybe Danny had something on his mind? I'll have to ask him... Suddenly, a loud bark brought him out of his reverie.

"Ah, sorry Cabre! Buen chico!" Hugo pulled out a piece of soy-bacon from a pocket on his well-traveled trenchcoat and fed it to the dog who was anxiously wagging his tail, all attention fixed on the bacon. Not totally satisfied, the dog took up a position near Hugo's side, hoping for more. As Hugo reached in to his trenchcoat again, the dog's tail increased it's ferocious motion. The sunglasses Hugo pulled out instead and slipped over his eyes caused the dog to emit a disappointed whine.

Turning to his left, Hugo said, "Ok, I'm headed to my place to shower up. Meet you later tonight at Loveland Quinn's?" Without waiting for a reply, he walked over to Pacific Avenue, then turned towards the bus stop, the dog following at a close distance. I should stop at WICANS on the way home, see if they need anything.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 09:47; Hugo's Doss, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex

Home crap home. No other sentiment really fit.
After getting off the broken down bus, Hugo had to walk thirteen blocks to the house with his room. Once, it was a reasonably nice three bedroom split ranch home. Now, it was reconfigured into five apartments. It sat on a street that hadn't been maintained in several decades and had a Knight Errant rating of almost Z; Meaning that he was the only cop likely to be here except on a blue moon on the third Thursday of leap year. The one thing it did have going for him was the security system he re-allocated from his former condo in Tacoma and the several hundred nuyen he paid Kim Sung-Pak every month for the protect of the Komun'Go. They had repainted their mark on his door yesterday in fact. Upgrades. Take 'em where you can get 'em.

Stepping through the doorway, he noticed the matrix was down again. Stepping in the shower, he found the hot water was also missing, but luckily plenty of cold was flowing today. Cabre lie on the bathroom floor, on the nappy rug that served as a bath mat. As the cold water flowed over his body, clearing the funk from his head, he had one thought. Yep, home crap home.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 10:31; Hugo's Doss, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo stayed in the shower a long time, even dozing a little standing there. Turning off the water, the rumbling of his stomach reminded him that he hadn't had anything but soykaf for a long time. Cabre hadn't eaten in a long time either, judging by the expectant stare the dog was giving him. The thought of the flavorless soya and krill wasn't so appetizing, but at least it was food. He was lucky for that. As he fixed their breakfast, he mentally ran through all of the days tasks. The training, it died hard.

Let's see - I've got the spare clothing that the WICANS shelter needs (thanks Kendra), I can drop that off and stay to help with the lunch detail, maybe snag some lunch too. It's too bad that they need security - why Fridays are the crazy days is beyond me. With me and Cabre there though, no one will try anything. A grin spread over his face as he looked fondly at his dog. Just when he had seemed down down down on his luck, after being cut out from Lone Star after 10 years! then Maria leaving...well, Cabre was a welcome, unexpected new friend.

Ok, after WICANS, Kendra promised I could look at the new "inventory", see if there's anything that would be a good fit for me. Heh, it would be nice to have a left arm again. Feel whole again. I should mention to Kendra that we're going to Loveland's, if Danny hasn't already told her yet. Then I should make contact with Rojos - don't want him to think I'm blowing the Chulos off. I wonder why he needs to meet up?

His mental list completed, breakfast was quickly served and eaten. Afterwards Hugo went to his closet and moved the false back out, exposing a large lumpy black duffel bag. Unzipping the bag, he began sorting through the various items.

Let's see - helmet? Too conspicuous. Riot shield? Not in my condition. I think just the earbuds today...well, the Securetech stuff is pretty inconspicuous, why not bring that too? A little extra Jazz and Zen for my friends tonight...hmm, The Foam could come in handy today at lunch.

Replacing the bag in the hidden section of the closet, Hugo prepared to leave his home. Plugging his commlink in to the datajack in the base of his neck, he subscribed the Ares and checked the gun's diagnostic information over the smartlink on his PAN. Maybe if I have time (and can spare the cred) I can go get these skinlinked. Finding everything satisfactory, he placed the gun in a concealed holster in the small of his back. The taser went on his right hip. After strapping on the various Securetech pieces, he shrugged into his Lone Star armored jacket. Still fits. he thought, smiling. Various items went in the multitudes of pockets on the long trenchcoat he draped over his frame or in the hip-pack on his side.

Feeling much refreshed and ready to face the world now, Hugo went to the door, only to find a waiting Cabre, tail wagging happily in anticipation.

"Vamos, Cabre!"

Friday, April 4th 2070; 10:47; Hugo's Doss, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex

Breakfast was soy packets... and no flavoring. Not trusting the quality of water from the tap for anything other than bathing, he gets their water from the hand made rain collector he pieced together. Even that sometimes get polluted when the ash blows in. Today it was fine though. Cabre, having been a wandering stray when Hugo found him, he devours the soymeal without objection.

Suited up and ready to go, the duo head out and begin the trek back towards the bus stop. He makes it seven blocks before his first challenge occurs. A trio of older teens are sitting on a porch. As he approaches, they take notice.

The first talks. "Lookie, lookie. Is that a star?"

The second adds some banter. "I smell bacon.. Yep, definitely bacon."

The third calls outs to Hugo. "Yo. Piggie. Give me your jacket."

Friday, April 4th 2070; 10:47; Pulford Rd E, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo stopped and sized up the kids sitting on the porch. No obvious firearms, no obvious cyberwear, no gang colors. Just three kids, bored, young, stupid. He sighed. He hoped they would live long enough to get smarter. The multitude of bags of clothes he was holding in his hand were encumbering him enough that a physical confrontation would be more awkward than it should be. He accessed his PAN and set his earbuds and sunglasses to max enhancement, just to be safe. Trying to come up with a plan, he felt lucky to remember he'd seen the colors of the Komun'Go a few buildings back. Maybe I can talk them down.

"Not been a pig for a year, I'm afraid. Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm late to meet some friends. I'm sure the Komun'Go wouldn't be very happy to find out you're hassling people on their turf, would they? I don't think my friends would be very happy AT ALL. You do know the Komun'Go like to do some organlegging, don't you? Kill you, slice you up, cut your body into pieces and sell them? Your body goes to some lab, maybe your legs go to the ghouls - like drumsticks to them. Giant, meaty drumsticks. You're young and healthy, you look like you'd fetch a really good price. They might decide you were easy money...well, I've got to be going. I think we can forget this whole thing ever happened, don't you? Now you kids take care and stay out of trouble."

With that, Hugo turned and continued walking at a normal pace towards the bus stop, Cabre trotting at his side.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 10:47; 40 Ave E, Loveland, Puyallup District

The punks give pause as Hugo and Cabre confidently continue down the street towards them. In the end, they consider that perhaps there are easier targets.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 12:25; 224th St E & 30 Ave E, Loveland, Puyallup District

Hugo arrives at the "bus stop". In reality, it is the stop sign on 40th Ave E at 224th St E. A couple of old guys run several broken down school buses along the road and into Loveland. A couple of nuyen in corporate script or certified cred is all that is required for passage. Sometimes you do have to wait quite a while to get picked up though; Like today. Hugo waited over an hour for a pickup, but that was better than most days. The bus is about 75% full, mostly with housewives with empty bags and a few youth who, if they came from more affluent families would be in school.

The next stop is 30th Ave E. Several more passengers get on and a trio of youth with black and red gang colors talk to the driver, collect some of the script and exit the bus.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 12:25; 224th St E & 30 Ave E, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo didn't get a good look at the gangers, standing in the back of the bus stuffed between two "matronly" troll women and their shopping. Stripping the seats out of the old school bus allowed for many more passengers, but made for a much less comfortable ride. He only saw flashes of red and black colors from the gangers, no insignias. The only gang he could think of with colors like that was the Leather Devils, but this wasn't their area at all. Was there a new gang around here? This seemed like a new procedure - it hadn't been happening since he had been riding the bus. Sure, there were payments when entering gang territory, but this was an added new "stop". He made a mental note to ask his gang contacts when he had a chance. Soon these thoughts were pushed from his mind as he had to fight to find a space to breath among the packed inhabitants on the bus.

He realized that he was going to be late to the lunch. He'd better let them know.

<@WICANS[Lucky]: I'm running late, sorry-buses are running slow today. We're almost there, we're on Mountain Hwy, about 5 minutes from B St. Save me and Cabre a plate, will ya?>


Friday, April 4th 2070; 12:57; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District

The bus arrived at the WICANS shelter right in the full swing of the free lunch detail. Folding tables had been set up on the sidewalk outside of the shelter, laden with steaming trays of fresh soya, krill, myco-products, even some real vegetables here and there, grown right at the shelter. Hugo's mouth started watering as soon as he smelled the food. A large throng of people were lined up, mostly orderly, passing in front of the tables and being served the lunch. An elderly woman noticed Hugo and his large collection of bags as he got off the bus and started walking towards the shelter.

"Ah, there you are Hugo! Are these the clothes? Oh, thank you so much! These will go to good use. Let me take those from you. Now, are you able to help keep an eye on things until we're finished out here? Don't worry, we've set aside some plates for you and Cabre already - you'll get your fill!"

The woman motioned to some younger women and they all began bringing the bags of clothes inside. Hugo took up a position behind the card tables, trying to keep an eye on everything at once from behind his dark sunglasses. He called out greetings to some of the patrons, recognizing them from other lunches, other times. He had been one of them himself, for awhile. The memories quietly slid over him.

Maria leaving him...losing the condo in Tacoma...wandering the streets with all his belongings in his duffel bag...it was at places like this, charity shelters, that he was able to get a meal, get a night off the streets, get cleaned up every now and then. He was lucky to know some good people, people who had helped him get back on his feet, find a place to live...

Snapping out of the reverie, Hugo smiled a huge smile. Things were different now. He had a roof over his head, good friends in Cabre and Danny and Kendra and others. As he continued to scan the crowd, his thoughts turned inwardly to the lunch he would be having soon. His smile got even wider as he glanced at Cabre, who he knew was sharing the same thought.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 13:22; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District

The shelter house, formerly a WIC center, transformed into a women's shelter in the 30's and in the intervening years evolved into a soup kitchen and more generalized. These days its referred to as the WICANS Shelter: Women, Infants, Children And Nora's Soup Shelter.

The soup went too soon and despite the fact the krill was probably well past his prime, he was pretty sure one of the chunks was a real piece of onion. Looking around, the place was crowded; A sure sign that the number of jobs isn't picking up. He noticed several new women in crowd, all but one bore a visible bruise or black eye. Another sign the economy was in the toilet: Increased domestic violence.

As usual, Cabre slurped down the soup before Hugo had his third spoonful down. Once done, Hugo took the two bowls to the wash basin then rinsed them. Even disposable service ware is recycled at the shelter. As Hugo helped pack the portable tables (most doors on saw horses), Nora approached. "Hugo right? Thank you for the clothes. Cynthia said you had located some clothes. They will be put to good use." She paused, allowing Hugo to reply before getting to the point. "I'll not beat around the bush. We are in straights. The cupboards are bare. In about two days, it will be onion flavored soup."

Friday, April 4th 2070; 13:22; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo's hand slowly ran through Cabre's fur, the dogs warmth and presence giving comfort to Hugo. He hated to think of bad things happening to these women. A sad smile spread across his face.

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Nora, although I'm sorry to meet you under these trying circumstances. I'll do anything I can to help. Just to warn you though, I've got enough cred to maybe get through the week, and not much more. I'm lucky to have that much, truth to tell. But I'm thinking this shelter needs more than a short-term cash solution. And I'm thinking you have the same notion. So what can I do to help you out?"

Friday, April 4th 2070; 13:23; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District

"Yen is always good and the easiest to convert to food, but solid food stuffs will also work. I didn't know if through any of your connections you knew someone with more than they needed?"

Friday, April 4th 2070; 13:23; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Pondering these words, Hugo rubbed his heavily-bearded jaw for a few seconds. Muttering to himself, his eyes took on an unfocused glaze, causing Nora to wonder if he was still mentally present. After the few seconds had passed, Hugo's eyes lit back up and a large grin split his face as he locked gazes with Nora.

"I think I can help. I've got to contact some people to see what our options are. I'll try to get back to you tonight with the outline of a plan. I'll be in touch."

Shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with Nora, Hugo turned to go. He walked down the street back to the bus-stop and took a place in line behind a grizzled old man and what must have been his wife, to judge from the argument they were having. While waiting he accessed his commlink and sent a quick message to Kendra.

<@KJack[Lucky]: I'm done with my lunch - is now a good time to come say hi?>

Not receiving a response immediately, Hugo just shrugged and waited for the next bus to arrive. Smiling to himself at the thought of seeing Kendra, Hugo lingered on his message and re-read it several times. He was lucky to have a friend like Kendra. After the fourth or fifth reading, he realized he was putting off what he knew he had to do. It wasn't that he didn't WANT to, it was just...well, it was for WICANS, wasn't it? Steeling himself, Hugo decided to send another message, this time to someone he hadn't talked to in a long time.

<@Kilroy[Lucky]: I've got a need to make some quick nuyen, or at least score a large amount of foodstuffs. All for a good cause - WICANS is running out of resources and needs help. Know of anything for me?>

Friday, April 4th 2070; 13:23; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District

Kilroy's response came quickly. As with most of his initial responses, it was short and to the point.
<<@Lucky [Kilroy] Will advise.>>

Friday, April 4th 2070; 14:10; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District

His comlink buzzed, alerting him to an incoming message. Shaking his head, he realized he'd dozed off sitting in the yard, leaning against the "WIC: Women, Infants & Children" sign. Momentarily frantic that he'd missed the bus, looking around he realizes not. Some of those waiting had given up and walked on, most were relaxing, like himself.

<<@Lucky [KJack] Just got your message; On graveyards. Gonna grab a shower and then nuke something. You gonna swing by?>>

Since she moved to an apartment at 119th St S & Park Ave S, it was at least possible. He could walk over to 7-Hwy and catch a bus there north. Buses on 7-Hwy are more consistent anyway.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 14:15; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo briefly considered walking over to Kendra's new apartment. His GPS told him it was only about 5 miles, the map overlay in his peripheral vision showed a very simple, clear route. But it included walking along 7-Hwy, never a good idea, unless the idea of dodging cars, trucks, gangs, and thrown objects was a person's idea of fun. Looking down at Cabre, Hugo felt that he could feel his friend telling him it was a bad idea.

"I know boy, I know - we need to get a scoot or something. Maybe someday soon."

Turning to the west, Hugo began walking towards the highway, Cabre following at his heels. He sent Kendra a quick message.

<<@KJack [Lucky] Ok, I'm going to try to grab a bus from 7-Hwy and 180th St. Could be 15 minutes, could be an hour. See you soon I hope.>>

Reaching the bus stop, Hugo was glad to see that there were a few people waiting already. This was a good sign - if the stop was deserted, that would mean that a bus had come by recently and another one would be a long time coming. If people were waiting, it meant a bus could reasonably be expected to arrive sometime soon. Joining the line of people, Hugo had time to ponder the recent developments.

He wasn't sure contacting Kilroy was the best idea. Hugo didn't have anything against Kilroy personally. He was lucky to have a good business relationship with the fixer. It was just, well, it was just that he wasn't sure what he would end up being obligated to do - and he didn't like that feeling.

Better than asking for a favor from the mob, anyway. And no way could I get the gangs involved. Those women would be like fish in shark-infested waters. The Chulos might even see it as a business opportunity. No, Kilroy is probably the best solution. Although if that doesn't work out, maybe I can get Juan Carlos to do a human-interest story or something like that, get some media exposure, maybe some corporate donors would want the tax write-off. But getting the corps involved could be as bad as the gangs.

Hugo laughed to himself at this. I sure hope Kilroy comes through.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 14:47; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District

The wait wasn't as bad as it could have been as Hugo watched the bus approach; At least its running today. The company running the bus route in Loveland was definitely the low cost provider... probably the higher bribe bidder, actually. As the bus approaches, he can see its already pretty full. By the time he steps up with Cabre the driver is raising a hand to wave the dog off. Hugo's initial reaction is less than cordial, his body language betraying his frustration with the policy. In the end, it takes a small stack of script to convince the driver to allow them both to board.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:12; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District

A long, smelly ride in a poorly maintained bus later, the duo exit in front of the Walgreen's on Pacific Ave S at 121st S. Afternoon foot traffic moderate and vehicle traffic is light. People tend to keep to themselves and ignore each other as much as possible.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:30; 18020 B St E, Loveland, Puyallup District

The walk towards Kendra's duplex gave Hugo time to reflect. Reflect how far he'd fallen. Her place isn't in the best neighborhood, but compared with his, it is pretty classy. Most of the cars parking on the streets and in driveways are older cars and needing considerably more care than they are getting, but he imagined they ran. In his current neighborhood, most of the cars are on blocks or are burned out hulks. Most everyone knew that the few running cars are protected by a lot of guns. Continuing to look at the differences, he noticed a few yards that had even been mowed. A yard with grass was rare enough in his new home.

The chirp of a siren, brought him out of his trance. Looking around, a KE squad car has its lights on and is sliding up behind him and Cabre. It stops and an officer gets out of either side. The driver talks to his partner, though both keep their eyes on Hugo and Cabre. "Johnnie, will you look at that. I don't think he got the memo. The Star is fired."

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:30; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Gritting his teeth in a smile, Hugo braced for what could be a painful exchange. Dealing with these KE jokers was really trying for him. He'd met maybe one or two worthwhile KE officers of the whole bunch. He'd try to play nice for now.

"Afternoon, officers. What can I do for you today?"

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:30; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

Seeing an opportunity, the lead officer moves out from behind the car. Cabre, sensing Hugo's anxiety tenses. The officer senses the subtleties of the escalating situation and causally puts a hand on his holstered taser as he cautiously approaches. "You got a permit for all that hardware?"

Being visibly armed anywhere in the Puyallups isn't really that out of place; The police car is more out of place than Hugo's weapons. That said, the laws are on the books and while he was an officer, that bonding doesn't carry forward to former officers. He figures they are targeting him just because of the star on his jacket.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:30; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo was initially confused - hardware? Did they mean his pistol, concealed in the holster in the small of his back? It couldn't be - Hugo doubted KE had the skills to detect something like that. LS officers maybe would've picked up the slight bulge in the coat on his back, but not these KE clowns. They were just looking to make trouble. Seeing the officer move his hand to his taser, Hugo made sure to keep his hand slightly raised, away from his body. The last thing he needed was a physical confrontation with KE.

"I'm sorry officers, what hardware? Surely you wouldn't begrudge me a taser and a jacket, seeing the location we're in? Especially given my condition."

Hugo continued to scan the officers, his eyes moving from one to the other. His training had taught him the correct procedure in this situation, so he should be able to predict what KE would be doing. Except this wasn't a normal police situation. This was not going by the book. He tried to calm himself down, to push down the anxiety he was feeling. He could sense Cabre reacting to his nerves, and he tried to mentally send him calming waves as well.

He hoped he wouldn't have to bother officer Kochanski with this. James owed him somewhat, Hugo didn't want to reverse the situation and be put in his debt now.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:30; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

The cop gestures with his left hand, "Taser... Perhaps not.... Pull up your pant legs."

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:30; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo relaxed a little, hope starting to bloom in his mind. He knew concealing the existence of the pistol would go worse for him if the KE cops found it. But he was right, these KE weren't real cops like LS. Well, most of them weren't. Still, he wasn't out of the woods yet.

They hadn't seen the pistol. They hadn't seen the pistol. They hadn't seen the pistol. He held on to this thought, trying to steady his nerves. Cabre luckily was also seeming to relax a little, his tail starting to wag a little bit, his ears perking up in a more friendly posture.

"Of course officer, although you'll have to forgive my slowness. Lost this arm while working the Tacoma beat. I think I know the KE officer working the beat now - officer James Kochanski?"

Reaching his hand down slowly to his pants leg, Hugo hoped the name-drop would be just enough to get these guys to relax and let him go. He was already late enough to meet Kendra as it was.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:31; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

"Hugo!" His attention is again diverted, this time by Kendra's voice. All four sets of eyes turn at the sound of the voice to the approaching young woman. Dressed in tight black pants, a white tee and her Doc-Wagon jacket, she holds their attention once she has it. "Hugo what's going on?"

The partner speaks for the first time as Kendra jogs down the street towards the scene. "Kendra...? You know this guy?"

"Yea." She calls out as she continues to close the distance. "He's a friend" Cabre prances towards Kendra. She stops to greet the dog. Despite his own affinity with Cabre, over the past weeks, Kendra seemed to be bonding in her own way with the dog.

As she knelt with the dog, the partner addressed the first cop. "Jimmy. A word?" The two stepped together, giving Hugo a moment to sort out what just happened...

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:32; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

The stress of the moment melted away for Hugo. Seeing Kendra, seeing the cops reactions, he felt immense relief. He lowered his pants leg but continued standing where he was, making no sudden moves. He knew the cops were still keeping an eye on him, even as they conferred. At least, that's what he would have done. No knowing how well these guys were trained.

"Hey, Kendra! Great to see you! Your timing is perfect, as always. This something DocWagon taught you?"

Giving a great big smile to Kendra and a wink, Hugo again thought how lucky he was to have such great friends.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:32; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

Kendra smiles a smile that warms a heart.. and after a moment of staring, starts blood pumping through other areas of his body. She stands and approaches with Cabre leading the way, as if announcing his victory at having gotten her attention first.

The partner calls out to Kendra. "Watch over your friend and keep him off the street dressed like that."

She replies with a smile, "You bet. Have a good evening boys."

The partner asks a question as they load up. "Working tonight?"

"Yea. Twenty-hundred."

"Ok. See you then."

She waves them off before turning to Hugo. She says playfully. "Come on Mr Policeman, before we stir up anymore trouble tonight."

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:32; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo was very happy to see his friends interacting so well. He wished that Danny would get along with Cabre as well as Kendra did, but you can't have everything, he thought.

Relaxing fully now that the cops were gone, Hugo wiped his hand across his brow, feeling the little beads of sweat cooling in the fading sunlight. That hadn't been pleasant. He had a quick thought that maybe he should take more care to hide the LS insignia on his armored jacket. But this thought was quickly wiped away. He was proud of his service, proud of the Star. Even if they had treated him pretty badly at the end. But that was corporate stuff. The Star was made up of some great people.

"Stir up trouble ?! I'm just a guy trying to get by. How do you know those KE guys so well? Don't tell me you're friends with them! Make sure Danny doesn't find out - you know how he feels about KE."

Smiling to try to take some of the sting out of what he just said, Hugo continued.

"By the way, you look great. Danny sure is a lucky guy. Did he tell you, we're hanging out at Loveland Quinn's tonight? Sounds like you're supposed to work though - tell 'em you're sick!"

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:39; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

As Hugo talks about Danny, Kendra raises an eyebrow but remains silent. In fact, the rest of the walk back to the house is in silence. When they reach the door, Kendra pauses and turns to Hugo. She has that serious look on her face. "Hugo. You have to let Danny go." Without waiting for a reply, she opens the door, proceeding inward. Cabre follows as if he was home.

The inside of her duplex is nice and homey. Looking around, he is struck by the contrast to his own apartment. Her carpet isn't new, but its clean and in good repair. There are no holes in her walls the paint is uniform and clean. Her couch is also inviting and unlike Hugo's, there are no exposed springs or unexplained stains. She proceeds across the room to the microwave and starts something cooking. "Hungry?"

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:39; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

A shadow passed over Hugo's face. For a moment, a look of pure terror and pain was etched in every line of his face. It was so quick, so sudden, that Kendra failed to notice it. Hugo stood frozen to the spot, every part of him shaking. Then, like a cloud passing in front of the sun, the shadow moved on, and Hugo's great big smile returned. He went back into motion like a car being put into gear.

"Hungry? For your cooking? You better believe it! Anything I can do to help with dinner?"

Making himself at home in Kendra's apartment, Hugo flopped down on the couch and looked around. The place looked nice. Really nice. Petting Cabre, he had to continually keep him from jumping up on the couch. Nothing like dog hair on a couch to ruin it, Hugo thought. He was suspicious that some of those unexplained stains at his place were courtesy of Cabre, but he couldn't prove anything. Yet. One day though, the dog would get careless, slip up. Then they'd have a reckoning. Hugo just had to be patient.

"You're really doing well at DocWagon, huh? How come they have you doing graveyards? Don't tell me you like that shift! Oh, and thanks again for helping with those KE guys. I was really sweating it out there. I can't believe those guys. If it weren't for that Brackhaven joker, LS would be in charge. And I'd still have a job. Maybe a new arm, too. Good thing DocWagon doesn't have any close competitors, huh?"

Hugo continued the small-talk until Kendra indicated it was time to eat.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 16:43; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

*ding* and she swaps cartons in the microwave, meanwhile the soy processor whirls with a little electronic whirl. "No. Almost done."

She started setting the little breakfast table that is her kitchen table with glasses of water and metal service ware. "Ryan Strickland was killed last week in the crossfire responding to contractee who was stabbed in a mugging. Turns out several of the local gangers wanted the narcotics from the ambulance. Right now, we're getting hazard pay for overnight shifts and I need the yen."

She sets a bowl down for Cabre who dashes across the room. She waves Hugo over as well. "Crashcart is cherry-picking a number of our more lucrative contracts. I'm thinking about turning in my resume. Rumor is they are getting ready to hire EM techs."

She fixed a dinner that looks and tastes like lasagna. Hugo's mind knows it is really processed soy and probably textured krill chunks for the meat, but his mouth is sure fooled. Kendra also fixed powered milk for them to drink.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 17:52; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

The dinner was delicious and filling. While they ate, the two exchanged banter and stories. Mostly Kendra's stories. Hugo wished he could truly confide in Kendra the way he could with Danny, but lately he found that anytime he brought something up, Kendra tended to misunderstand or misinterpret it. It was a little frustrating, so Hugo left it up to Kendra to do most of the talking while he tried to provide friendly comments and insight.

"I've heard that CrashCart is more interested in remote assistance, using drones to do the emergency response. Do you really think you would have a future as a flesh-and-blood EM tech there?"

After comments like this, Kendra tended to not look all that happy. Hugo wasn't sure what was bothering her. Was it something he was saying? Maybe she and Danny had had a fight or something. Whenever situations like this arose, Cabre always seemed to come to the rescue, initiating a playful head-scratch or tug-o-war that brought the mood back up again.

No wonder Cabre is getting along so well with Kendra. He's not able to say stupid drek and put his foot all the way in his mouth Hugo thought with a wry smile.

As the evening wore on, Hugo decided to check in with his remaining errands for the day. He was loath to leave this warm, comforting place. It felt like home, like his family. In a way, it was. But he would have to leave eventually. He would delay as long as he could though.

<@WeaponsWorld[Lucky]: Do you have an available time slot tonight to put a skinlink on a Predator IV? And how long would it take? For what cost? Thanks>

<@Rojos[Lucky]: Sorry chummer, can't meet up tonight. I'll try to catch you tomorrow>

Thinking about tonight, about going to hang out at Loveland Quinn's, Hugo was a little disappointed that Kendra wouldn't be able to make it. To tell the truth recently hanging out with Danny was not as much fun without Kendra around. Just then, Hugo had a sudden thought.

"Say, Kendra. You're working the graveyards, getting hazard pay and all, because it's more dangerous out there, right? Well, I'm not doing much these days except being a bum and knocking around. What do you say if I ride along with you, as extra backup? Not expecting to get paid, of course. Just to make sure you're safe, to have an extra set of eyes or two watching your back. I'm sure Cabre is up for it."

Friday, April 4th 2070; 17:52; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

After eating and throwing the dishes in the dish washer, Kendra moved to the couch. She turned the trid to Seattle Newsbeat as they talked. The picture perfect news anchor woman was smiling as she provided the "news".
"And in other news, during this evenings commute, several alleged members of the infamous go-gang, the I-Fivers were executed in heavy traffic by a vigilantly. Amateur video is the same previous incidents. A rider in all black leathers and full-face helmet riding a similar colored 2069 Suzuki Mirage with no visible, nor broadcast registration opened fire on the young men using a small, automatic weapon before speeding off and disappearing into traffic. This marks the third incident in ten days." The report is followed by a commercial for the 2011 Suzuki Mirage. An AR based disclaimer says that black ones are currently sold out due to high demand.

"Notice how they failed to mention the five riders matching the vigilante's description who were attack attacked by I-Fivers in the last few days..? Typical damn liberal media. Demonize the vigilantes and ignore the criminals." Kendra typically let most of the politics pass by without comment. Occasionally a story gets under her skin.

While there is no immediate reply from Rojos, there is from Weapon's World.
<<@Lucky [Weapon'sWorld #1653 - Operator #36845] Thank you for your interest. We will have a weapon smith scheduled until 8:00pm local time and have openings at 7:00 and 7:30. For a 10 , non-refundable deposit I can lock down one of those slots for you. As an FYI, we cannot take reservations under handles.>>
That Weapon's World, the nearest Weapon's World, is at 3150 S 23rd St in Tacoma. He could probably catch a lift from Kendra to get there, but buses stop running back after 7:00pm and its a long ways home from there. Also, taking Cabre into Tacoma might prove a little problematic.

<<@Lucky [Kilroy] Michael Racing-Bike will meet you at Java Jane's at 8am tomorrow.>>

Friday, April 4th 2070; 17:53; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo searched his brain for knowledge of the I-Fivers. He wasn't sure he could remember hearing much about them when he was on the force. But then again, gangs could change a lot in a year.

"So what do you think, Kendra? About us riding along tonight? Turns out I've got somewhere to be early tomorrow morning, so I won't be able to hang out at Quinn's tonight anyway. Might as well spend the night paying you back for dinner."

As Hugo continued watching the trid and conversing with Kendra, he sent out a few messages.

<<@Kilroy[Lucky]: Confirmed. Thanks.>>

<<@JuanCarlos[Lucky]:
###Spanish translation activated###
Hey, bro. It's me, Hugo. I was wondering if you could pull up any information on a gang called the I-Fivers. Also on a character named Michael Racing-Bike. Hope you and your family are doing well. Thanks.
###End translation###>>

Friday, April 4th 2070; 17:54; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

Thinking for half a second, Hugo remembered that the I-Fivers are one of the largest go-gangs in Seattle. They claim the entire stretch of Interstate 5 as their turf.

Kendra had been thinking a few minutes. She had that serious face again. "Sure. But you gotta keep a low profile."

<<@Lucky [Juan Carlos] Anything special you looking for on the Fivers? Michael Racing-Bike... Isn't he a member of that Indian-Poser gang? Yea. I'm sure he is.... What is their name...? Oh yea. The Chosen.>>

Friday, April 4th 2070; 17:56; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo was inordinately pleased at this. Except he couldn't quite understand why Kendra was wearing her serious face again. But then again, he couldn't interpret many people's moods very well these days.

"Great! We promise to keep a low profile. As long as I'm there in case you need some backup tonight, I'm happy. And so's Cabre."

The Chosen, The Chosen....the name just wasn't ringing a bell. He really hated to ask favors from Juan Carlos...

<<@JuanCarlos[Lucky]:
###Spanish translation activated###
I'm just going to be out and about tonight, and from the trid broadcasts it looks like the I-Fivers are riled up a bit. Is it known if these guys are heavily cybered or armed? Any magic? And do you have anything on The Chosen as well? 'Preciate it, I'll send you a fruitcake for Easter or something.
###End translation###>>

Hugo remembered he needed to let Danny know about the change in plans.

<<@Danny[Lucky]: Yo Danny - sorry, I can't make Quinn's tonight. I've got an important meet early tomorrow morning so I can't get all messed up. Instead I'm going to ride with Kendra as extra backup, as she's working a graveyard tonight. Why didn't you tell me she was working graveyards? Anyhow, talk to you tomorrow brother.>>

Friday, April 4th 2070; 17:56; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

Kendra shakes her head. "I have a new partner. He's allergic to animals, so Cabre will have to stay here tonight."

He really didn't know about the Chosen. He'd heard the name. He knew they were a bunch of Ameri-Indian posers with very few actual by-blood Ameri-Indians. Their turf is somewhere in the central Puyallups.

<<@Lucky [JuanCarlos] Don't know much about the I-Fivers. I have heard quite a bit about the Chosen. Some young buck brave, as he likes to think of himself, came from somewhere in the NAN and started his own little tribe in the Barrens some twenty-years ago. Took in about anybody who would play along. Calls himself the Choser. They are real protective of their turf and the people on their turf. Rumor is they have a few shamans, but they keep to their space mostly. I heard last year they buried one of their own up to his neck in ash then set fire ants on his as an example. Also heard they quartered member of the Katana's for mugging an old woman on the edge of their hood just last month. Just another gang when the day is done I guess.>>

<<@Lucky [SYSTEM] ### Message Delivered to local alias 'Danny' ###>>

<<@Lucky [SYSTEM] ### New message from Lucky. ###>>

Friday, April 4th 2070; 17:56; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Cabre had pricked up his ears upon hearing his name. Seeing the look Hugo and Kendra were giving him caused him to become a little nervous. He anxiously began wagging his tail and trying to imitate the mouth-opening-movement he kept seeing them make.

"Looks like he knows we're talking about him. Is it ok to have him stay here tonight? I'll try to make sure he doesn't leave you any presents."

Hugo got down on one knee to be on eye-level with Cabre. He tried to send him the most stern thoughts he could.

I know you've been the one staining the couch at our place. I haven't caught you yet, but I know. You'd better not do that here, understand?

Friday, April 4th 2070; 19:30; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

Hugo and Kendra passed the time taking Cabre for a walk and cleaning up her apartment. Kendra filled Hugo in on the nights work, what would be done, where he should situate himself. In truth, it sounded a lot like the police procedures Hugo had learned at LS. He got the impression from her that he wouldn't really be much help, might even get in the way. He vowed to himself to be as invisible as possible, but he felt a little better knowing that at least this one night she would have extra backup in case of trouble. While Kendra talked he went over the previous messages he had received.

Strange that my message got returned - maybe Danny is in a dead-zone? I'll try again later...

Friday, April 4th 2070; 19:30; 119th St S, Loveland, Puyallup District

Kendra told Hugo that she was going to drop him off at a stuffer shack, check in, get briefed and then her and her partner would pick him up in just under an hour. She also suggested that they put Cabre in the bathroom for the night.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 19:50; Heavenly Stop, S 96th St & 26th Ave S, Tacoma District

Hugo stands on the sidewalk outside of the stuffer shack watching Kendra drive away. Without Cabre, he felt alone. Standing under the glow of the overhead lights, watching people come and go, he could feel their stairs upon him. Upon the star of his jacket. Its gonna be a long hour...

Friday, April 4th 2070; 20:15; Heavenly Stop, S 96th St & 26th Ave S, Tacoma District
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Speedy Gonzales (not broadcast)

Being at the Stuffer Shack brought back old memories. Once upon a time, stakeouts had been among his favorite lines of work. A little LongHaul, a little to-go coffee from Jane's, some really bad Shack food, and he was ready for anything, including the time-and-a-half pay he earned. The work was so easy. Just sitting there, shooting the bull with your best friend...hell, he would've paid THEM for the privilege. He had loved seeing the city come alive in the morning, seeing all the shops preparing to open up, all the people starting to appear on the street. He knew that dusk and dawn were very special times to those who practiced magic. He could see why. The changing of the world, the transformation, it was so beautiful. He took every stakeout job he could get. Maria was upset every time, but she didn't understand. At dawn, he felt like he could see the magic, could wield it himself. He didn't feel like a failure at those times. Those were the days...

Now, though, everything was taking on an ugly hue. The cool, dark night which before had seemed so comforting now felt a little scary. Darkness no longer held mystery, it held danger. In the good old days, people's eyes would slide off of him, looking away in fear or self-preservation or respect. Now, those eyes seemed to linger. To mock. To laugh. He could see it in their faces. They were staring at him, at the star on his jacket...at the empty coat sleeve on his left side. They knew, he could tell they all knew, and were laughing at him. They began closing in on him. They knew he was alone. All alone. They knew Danny wasn't there, wasn't coming back, wasn't ever coming back...

Momentarily confused, caught between reality and memory, Hugo dashed inside the Stuffer Shack. He needed some air, some space. Bending over with his hand on his leg, gasping for breath, he willed himself to calm down. It was just his wild imagination again. After a few moments, he began breathing easier. Of course Danny's coming back - probably just took a trip to the can. He began to chuckle. Danny had always had problems holding it. He used to get teased mercilessly in the Star for his inability to sit still for an hour.

"You going to buy something pig? Or you just going to stand there bothering our customers?"

The voice jolted him back to the present. Looking around, Hugo could see the other patrons paused in their meals, staring at him. Not knowing what else to do, he did the only thing he could think of. He stepped up to the counter.

"I'll have a Choco Whammy Shake,some Whammy fries and a Whammy burger."

Paying from the Speedy Gonzales account, Hugo waited for his food. It took forever, and was cold when it arrived. Hugo took his food and started to sit down at a table near some other patrons. He paused when he saw their looks of fear, of disgust. Hatred. Looking around, he saw everyone else giving him similar hostile looks. Sighing to himself, he turned to back to the counter.

"Can I get this to go?"

"Too bad, you already picked up your food. Tough luck chummer." The teenage kid behind the counter was giving him an evil smirk.

Hugo looked helplessly at the kid, his eyes pleading with him to at least give him this one shred of dignity. The kid could see the look, and his smirk turned into an out-right shit-eating grin. Laughing, the kid turned away from the counter and went in back to the food-prep area. Hugo could hear loud laughter coming from there.

Dejected, defeated, alone, Hugo stuffed the burger and fries into the voluminous pockets on his trenchcoat. Picking up the shake, he hastily retreated to the exit of the store. Once outside, it was no better. The stares returned. Looking around, Hugo found himself a dark section of wall where the lights weren't quite working well and tried to melt into the shadows. Alternately drinking his shake and dipping his trembling hand into his pocket to pull out fries, he hoped Kendra would return soon. He didn't know how long he could keep the memories from returning again, being alone like this.

Friday, April 4th 2070; 20:40; Heavenly Stop, S 96th St & 26th Ave S, Tacoma District

At the corner of the building, Hugo was able to watch people come and go. The stuffer shack maintained a pretty steady stream of business this Friday night. Fuel sales for vehicles running on natural gas, hydrogen and even electric boost charges. Burgers, pizzas, various microwavable options and any number of carbonated beverages were in high demand. Most people didn't see or pretended not to see someone lurking around that corner.

In the near half an hour he stood there, two different groups of people had slipped around the corner however. The first was a trio of youth. Upon seeing Hugo, they grumbled under their breath about "pigs" as they walked on. Hugo's experience screamed 'drug deal foiled' or at least delayed. The second incident was a middle aged man and a 20-something woman. Given her appearance, she is no doubt a low end prostitute. The two looked at Hugo as they walk past him, but still walked over to the middle of the wall. Despite Hugo's presence, they begin in earnest, finishing about ten minutes later.

Finally, a few more minutes later, a Doc-Wagon ambulance pulls up. Kendra steps out and looks around. As Hugo steps out of the shadows, she flags him over. Seeing four gangers considerably older than the youth who walked on a little earlier, Hugo considered the timing of her arrival perfect. He climbed into the back and they were off.

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 02:07; Driving around Tacoma

Kendra's partner's name is Merino Estabez. In his mid-50's, Merino was with the Star in the 2050's. He went back to school in '61 and spent the better part of '64 sorting out his lost school records. He is quite talkative once he gets started. When the conversation gets around to the Eye-Fivers, he remembers them. "In the 50's, this gang claimed I-5 in central Seattle as their turf dealing violently with those who opposed them. From '57 to '59, that resulted in a war with Lone Star that ended with most of the gang dead or in prison. What little remained of the gang after that could barely be called a bottom tier gang. To make matters worse for them, many of their members either defected to other gangs or were killed to settle old scores. They were never wiped out and I can't tell you anything about them currently except what I've heard on the trid. Colors are blue and white with a big eye. ergo: Eye-Fivers."

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 02:25; Driving around Tacoma
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Gonzales (not broadcast)

Hugo had rarely been this happy as to ride in the DocWagon ambulance. Merino was a great talker, with so many interesting stories. Hugo didn't have to worry about carrying the conversation at all. He was lucky to meet another fellow LS officer. Even though the two hadn't worked for the Star at the same time, they knew a few of the same people. Merino was surprised to find out Cpt. Murtaugh was still on the force years later, and still as ornery as ever. As the two talked, they switched between Spanish and English, their words blending in and out of the two languages. Kendra seemed a little annoyed at this, as her Spanish wasn't great, but she was generally able to follow along. Or maybe she was a little annoyed at how the two men were trading "war" stories about their time at LS and keeping her from a lot of the conversation.

Hugo remembered now hearing about the war between LS and the Eye-Fivers. During his basic training they were informed daily about the results of various raids and shootouts. But it had seemed so far away, up here in Seattle. He hadn't paid the stories much attention, as they were so far away from Austin. Now he wished he had paid a little more attention - some of that information could be valuable, if they ran into more Eye-Fivers.

Merino still had his training from LS, Hugo noticed. Or possibly it was DocWagon training? As Kendra drove, Merino continually scanned the night-time streets, looking out for possible threats. Hugo admired this and it gave Merino even more respect in Hugo's mind. Even as talkative as he was, Merino never took his eyes from the road. But being stuck in the back of the ambulance, talking through the window to the pair, Hugo wasn't so comfortable. There wasn't a lot of space back here, with all of the equipment stuffed in the vehicle. Hugo idly played with some gauze pads and dmso patches.

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 03:30; Kendra's Doss, Puyallups

The ride ended too soon. There had been four calls during the night. The first was a home invasion in south Tacoma. A family of four. The father is in a coma, potentially with brain damage. The wife, raped, murdered and possibly raped again. Teenage daughter also raped; For better of worse, she survived. A five year old boy traumatized and beaten, but very much alive. The second scene was a mugging. Some poor slob decided that he could go for a jog at night. Someone else decided he made good target practice as a moving target. The third scene was actually a relief. Some guy in his 70's had a stroke; He actually lived to his 70's. The final call of the night was a woman who went into labor. She had twins on the way to the hospital.

Towards the end of the shift, they dropped Hugo off at Kendra's. Cabre was very happy at Hugo's return.

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 04:40; Kendra's Doss, Puyallups

"Hugo.... Wake up." He'd fallen asleep on the couch. Kendra was shaking him by the shoulder. Behind her on the coffee table sat a pair of soy-kafs. "You awake?"

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 04:40; Kendra's Doss, Puyallups
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Gonzales (not broadcast)

"Whadazhahaahazzaf-huhhhhh?"

Blinking his bleary eyes open, the amber glow of the time readout made a small halo in the periphery of his vision. 4:40?!?!? He had just meant to sit down for a second, but it seemed the results of the previous weeks had caught up with him. Looking around, he saw Cabre dead asleep on the floor near the couch. Hugo shook his head back and forth as he tried to struggle towards full consciousness. Smelling the soy-kafs on the table behind Kendra helped wake him up a bit. The smell wasn't even close to the rich aromas that Jane's coffee produced, but Hugo figured he would be polite about it.

"Nothing like the smell of crap soy-kaf to wake a person up in the morning, eh?"

Hugo winced inwardly as he said this. He hadn't meant for it to come out this way, but looking at Kendra, he figured she hadn't taken offense. He figured he should forge on before she had time to fully think about his words.

"Thanks for taking me along on your shift. It seemed a lot like work on the force - long moments of boredom coupled with very short intense moments of action. And Estabez seemed like a great guy - you're lucky to have him as a partner. Seems very solid and dependable. By the way, why is he your new partner? Did your last partner get transferred or something? I don't know what I would do if I didn't have such a great partner like Danny."

Kendra looked very sad at hearing this. Must've lost her partner or something, bad memory. I should drop it. Hugo thought. Lemme try one more time.

"What's going on, is everything ok? How come you woke me up and have kaf for us? Need me to get out of here or something?"

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 04:44; Kendra's Doss, Puyallups

"Maria died five days ago. I had the night off. She got partnered up with a newbie, fresh outa school. Anyway, they were down on the docs responding to a contract call. They get there and the contractee is in an alley. The newbie heads in without checking it out, doesn't pay attention his surroundings and gets jumped. They offer to trade him to Maria for the drugs in the truck. She accepts the deal, but while the gangers are raiding the van, Knight Errant arrives and a fire fight ensues. She was unlucky and took a head shot."

After she tells her tale, she pauses to compose herself. "You mentioned last night that you had a meeting this morning. I need to get some sleep cause I'm working a double tomorrow. You need a right somewhere?"

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 04:45; Kendra's Doss, Puyallups
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

"Oh. Boy. Kendra, I'm so sorry to hear that. I know....how it is...I mean..."

Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Hugo found himself unsure of what he had just been saying. What HAD he just been saying? He had lost his train of thought, couldn't get it back. Well, he was lucky to be alive. And relatively whole. A huge smile split his face at this thought.

"I would love a ride. How about dropping me off at Java Jane's? I know she doesn't open until 6, but I can hang out there for awhile, make sure she gets to open without being hassled."

Kendra agreed to this and they headed back out into the cool, damp night, Cabre trotting along in front of them. With morning just around the corner, Hugo could feel the change coming in the air. He loved this feeling, the impending transition from dark to light, something from nothing, creatio ex nihilo. Magical. He felt a slight twang in his heart, realizing for the umpteenth time that he would never be able to participate in the mysteries that some lucky others had access to. Sighing, he looked around him. At his two best friends, with him at this magical time of night. The twinge in his heart slowly melted away.

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 05:23; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex

Arriving at Jane's this early wasn't so unusual for Hugo. Ever since he had found the place, over a year or more ago found the rich, luxuriant smell and taste of her coffee, he was like a moth attracted to the flame. He came to her shop as often and as early as he could. Realizing that this early Jane would probably be in back, he approached the front of her shop, trying to see in through the glass to the dark interior beyond. The sunglasses he wore gathered and amplified the small amount of light around him, turning the night as bright as he liked, but for all that he still could barely make out details inside the store. Cabre seemed interested in a few new scents on this side of the street and went to investigate. Still peering inside, Hugo rapped on the thick glass (that was probably really transparent ferrocrete) and sent Jane a quick message.

<@Jane[Lucky] Hey Jane, it's your favorite customers! Need a hand setting up this morning?>

After a few moments he saw a figure appear out of a room in the back of the shop. The figure moved surely in the dark, moving through the shop as if it knew every centimeter of the place, never taking it's attention from the front of the store. As the figure approached the door Hugo was able to make out Jane's features. She was holding a largish shotgun, aimed at the front of the door, scanning Hugo and the area around him. Satisfied with her scanning, slowly she relaxed, a smile appearing on her face. He returned the smile twofold. As she lowered the gun, he heard several clicks as the locks disengaged and the door swung open. Hugo and Cabre proceeded inside. The sound of the door locking itself behind him was lost to him as the aromas enveloped his senses.

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 05:26; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex

The ride with Kendra had been quiet. She was obviously tired. She waved the duo off and wished them well.

"Cabre, back outside. You know better." The dog stops in its tracks and turns tail back out of the coffee shop. Jane fetched a bowl of water, placing it outside several feet from the door alongside the building before returning and locking the door back. She kept her shotgun in her hand the entire time until the door was locked. Jane then scolded Hugo playfully. "What in the world are you doing out this time of day? And what's with all the Star gear? You looking for trouble? You are on foot right?"

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 05:59; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

"You know me, Jane. Can't wait to start the morning off with a cup of your coffee!"

The two friends talked and joked while they worked. Hugo related the previous day's doings to Jane, while Jane had Hugo moving boxes and other slightly-menial tasks while she focused on the important business of making coffee. Jane smiled a little at hearing Hugo's stories - the damn fool couldn't see what was right in front of his face. Oh well, he'd either realize it one day or he wouldn't.

Hugo was slightly unsure about how Jane would feel that he was doing "business" in her shop. She didn't outwardly seem to mind, but then again, Hugo wasn't so good at reading people these days. She did suggest that he take off the armored jacket and other obvious 'Star gear, telling him it would be secure in the back room here. He would feel a little less safe without his gear, but it might help set his contact at ease some.

The sun hadn't risen yet by the time Jane was ready to open her shop, nor would it for another 45 minutes or so. Hugo continued to do small odd jobs in the back of the store, keeping himself busy and checking on Cabre to make sure he had some food and more water. Hugo hadn't really slept much recently, and he knew if he stopped and relaxed he'd fall asleep again. He'd just take a short break to watch the sun rise, have his first cup then...

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 08:00; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex

Jane smiled at Hugo's response and playfully punched him in the arm. "If you weren't crazy, an attitude like that could take you far with me." she said before heading back to finish her preparations, whistling. Hugo was a big help with reaching the shelves. Jane had a ladder, but Hugo putting stuff up and down sped up her process. Just before six am, drive through customers started arriving, taking Jane's attention.

Just before seven am, a man in a cheap suit, escorted by a pair of orks with orange rain slickers over their heavy jackets; Hugo immediately recognized the colors as Forever Tacoma. The gang recruited mostly orks and trolls and operated northwest Puyallaps into southern Tacoma. They specialized in protection and ran a number of gambling rackets. In years past they had worked for both the Yakuza and mafia; In recent years they had worked less with the Yakuza and more with the mafia.

Jane motioned for Hugo to stay put while she opened the door. As the man followed Jane back to the counter, one of the orks stood by the door watching outward. The other ork walked right over to Hugo and leaned against the wall. Both the orks had large knives strapped to their legs. The rain slickers surely hid more lethal weaponry. About this time, Hugo was definitely happy he had placed his star gear in the back.

Using the audio enhancement of his earbuds, he was able to track most of the conversation. He was shaking Jane down for protection money. The lightly argued on her take and their percentage before the man took some script and a credstick and left with the gangers. As he was walking out, the first of the seven am crowd began to arrive. As well as a kid delivering fresh donuts.

The next hour passed slowly for Hugo. He was not able to get a word in edgewise to Jane as the morning rush was underway. Before he knew it, a man walked in the door wearing faux-leathers, his long hair braided with feathers in the braids. He walked up to the counter, ordered something and then Jane pointed to you. The man walked over and reached out his hand. "Michael Racing-Bike. You Lucky?"

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 08:00; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

The first cup of coffee held in his hand, Hugo stepped outside to watch the morning begin. Seeing the sun rise while drinking a cuppa, feeling Cabre warm against his leg, Hugo felt like he could take on the world. As the early rays peeked between the buildings and created slivers of molten gold all over the surfaces around him, Hugo thought again how lucky he was to be here, to be alive.

Ah, the first cup was heavenly. But the second cup....now, the second cup is the key. For the first cup, the initial reaction of the tastebuds was like being shaken awake from a deep sleep. Pleasantly awoken, but awoken nonetheless. Your mouth, your mind, they're not able to appreciate the subtleties, the flavors, the aromas that were so very key in Jane's coffee. After your sensorium has been pleasantly and fully awoken, it's time for a second cup. NOW your faculties are fully able to appreciate all of the deep, rich flavors present in freshly-roasted beans, ground coarse while still warm from the roasting, and brewed slowly in a 3-step process using the proper stainless equipment. Jane was a master at her craft, and Hugo appreciated it as only a junkie could.

Between reflections on the art of brewing great coffee Hugo thought about the recent meeting Jane had had with Forever Tacoma. He realized that's the way the streets worked. It was mostly better to pay protection money than to try to run things yourself. The gangs usually did a decent job of keeping things safe. Still, he hated seeing his friends in these kinds of situations. Hugo made a mental note to see if he could use his contacts to work out a better deal for Jane.

He was sitting lost in thought when the man approached him. Hugo had chosen this table because of it's relative privacy and distance from other tables and customers. There wasn't a ton of privacy available at a shop like this, but it was the best he could do. He had also chosen this table because it allowed him to watch the door, but once again Hugo had been in his own world and had missed the entrance of the person standing before him. Hearing the name and seeing the hand extended, Hugo stood up and shook hands, then motioned to the empty chair across from him. After they both were seated, Hugo spoke.

"Yeah, I'm Lucky. A friend tells me you might have some work for me?"

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 08:02; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex

Jane always made Hugo pay for the first cup. He was pretty sure it had something to do, despite their friendship, insuring that he understood this was her business and lively hood. That said, on the mornings he got in early enough to sweep up and help set up, she always gave him the second cup for free. In the 6th world, even that says something.

As Hugo extended his hand, Michael actually clasps the forearm for the shake. Once introductions are complete, he sits. "Actually, Kilroy said you were looking to get some food stuffs for a local soup kitchen?" After getting an acknowledgment, he continues. "I'm a sucker for a good cause and Kilroy knows it so actually, I'm looking to help you. Kilroy also said you might be a little squeamish on exactly *how* we pull this off.... So, how far you willing to go for a good cause? What won't you do?"

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 08:03; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Somewhat taken aback at this, Hugo eyed Michael carefully. What won't I do? he asked himself. He thought for few moments, then replied in a low voice

"I'm not unaware of how the world works. If some of these foodstuffs have to disappear somehow from a van or a warehouse, I'm fine with that. But I hope you're not expecting to be hurting anyone in the process. That doesn't seem right."

Still keeping his eyes on Michael, Hugo waited to see what effect his words would have.

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 08:04; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex

Michael nods. "I'd rather not hurt someone, but sometimes plans fall apart. Sometimes the needs of the many must be weighed again the few... or the one." He smiles, "Enough philosophy, let's talk specifics. Wall-e-World has a grocery warehouse near the docks in Tacoma. We can hit one of trucks on an early morning delivery. We'll need a hacker to do something about the truck's GPS once we get it and something to burn the RFID tags. A second truck to transfer the goods to would be good planning. The driver will of course have to be dealt with, but no need to wipe the poor smuck. Sound like something you can buy into?" Michael's tone is a little terse, but Hugo was used to not being able to convey his thoughts into the right words and the right body language. Danny used to get on him all the time about how Hugo presented himself. The language he used, the way he stood.

As Michael is talking, Hugo's com vibrates denoting an incoming message. The image-link implanted on his cornea allowed him to see what it was subtly.
<<@Hugo [Mom] *Schedule Request: 4/5/2070 10:10am @ West Coast Busline, Tacoma Terminal, 3310 96th st S, Tacoma, WA* Son - Can't wait to see you. Love Mom>>
Looking at the message, Hugo was sure this was the first he'd heard about his mother arriving in town....

Saturday, April 5th 2070; 08:05; Java Jane's, Loveland, Puyallup District, Seattle Metroplex
Lucky; PAN = hidden [Datajack]; SIN = Hugo Sanchez (not broadcast)

Hugo tried to keep the confusion off of his features as he read the message from his "mom". He was positive that his parents didn't have the money to travel all the way up here from Corpus Christi. He composed a quick message to his family.

<<@Luis[Hugo]:
###Spanish translation activated###
Hey pape, how are you and mom doing? How are your Easter preparations going? Is mom making her famous tofurken for Easter Sunday dinner?
###End translation###>>

As he was doing this, he realized that Michael had quit speaking and was staring at him expectantly. Recovering himself, Hugo tried to put on an expression of being deep in thought. He then replied,

"Ok, that doesn't sound so bad. I know the Tacoma area pretty well, so I think I can help set this up and take part. But I'm short on the extra truck, hacker, and tag eraser. You have any of this arranged already or will we need to work on that angle too? And what's the percentage that the soup kitchen gets?"