COWBOY COFFEE - Hang Man's Jam pt.3

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COWBOY COFFEE :: The SYSTEM :: Truckers Union :: Hang Man's Jam pt.3 - Hang Man's Jam

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Topic: Hang Man's Jam pt.3 - Hang Man's Jam (Read 216 times)

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Hang Man's Jam pt.3 - Hang Man's Jam
« Thread Started on May 4, 2004, 10:07am »

Hang Man's Jam

Raji strode down a smelly hallway of the cheep hotel. Room 11B. She took out her gun. The door slid aside without a sound. It was dark inside except for the cold glow of a computer screen. Raji calmly took aim at the woman holding it in her lap.
– Where's the girl?
The brunette smiled at her:
– Not here, as you can see.
Raji's finger caressed the trigger:
– Very well then…
The woman smirked:
– I never said I don't know how to find her, – she studied Raji with her eyes, – Do you?
Raji hesitated for a moment:
– OK, start talking.
– There's no hurry. I believe we haven't been introduced. My name is Jessica King – no, I know who you are. Kami Wen Mikido, Raji as you call yourself. An independent assassin, – she leaned back and crossed her legs, – Independent assassin with a perfect record. Not one job left unfinished, no customers sold out, not a single arrest. Eight years of hard, honest work – and there is also the small matter of publicity. Raji, the Snowflake, probably the most well known professional killer since Udai Texan.
– Oh, I'm very flattered, honey, – Raji was growing increasingly annoyed with this strange conversation, – but if I was you, I'd skip the compliments and start telling me what I want to know.
– I will, if you insist. Of course, that won't help you much.
– In English, please?
The brunette curled her lips in false offence:
– I'm surprised at you. Frankly, I imagined you being slightly brighter then this, – suddenly she turned very serious, – I'm afraid your little private recon is doomed.
Raji winced. "Damn, what is this?" The brunette continued:
– I don't have time for your foolish games, Raji. You are playing a risky card. Oh, don't worry I'm well informed about your business. Aquarius has hired you, Lady-Dynamite of the underworld, at the peak of your career, to eliminate Michelle. They paid you a fat prepayment, plus put their contacts to work exclusively for you. Aquarius wanted her dead at any cost.
All of the sudden, however, you decide to doublecross them. Instead of doing what you were hired for, you try to take her alive. Can't imagine how much you were going to ask for her, but surely it would be enough to make 'fortune' sound petty, – the woman smirked again and drew herself up in the armchair, – And this is where I come in and screw up your act. Which brings us both here, – she swayed her palm in an indefinite gesture, – Hopefully now you are beginning to understand what you've gotten yourself into. I, as you will soon find out, am the least of your troubles right now.

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Re: Hang Man's Jam pt.3 - Hang Man's Jam
« Reply #1 on May 4, 2004, 10:09am »

Jessica closed the computer and continued:
– What do you know about your victim? The crap from closed ISSP archives most probably. All about a rundown junkie with loads of luck – which is supposed to explain the 'Still Wanted' tag on the file. The real facts in a case like this are in no archive. No cabinet rat would dig deep enough to link unconnected at first glance events to our subject. And there's quite a few examples.
Alexander Powell, shot dead by a nutcake shopkeeper. The guy was a known killer, hired to take out Michelle. He was shot taking aim at her.
Milton Law, a cowboy (a damn good one too). His ship disappeared without a trace in Mars local space. At the time he had Michelle locked up on board, taking her to MPD. No one heard of him since. The list just goes on and on.
– I don't have time for this...
– What's the rush? It's your funeral, after all. Stick around for a minute or two and I'll show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.
Still at the point of Raji's gun, the brunette reached into one of her pockets and took out a small plastic disk:
– Know what this is? It's an inhaler. This thing comes with a capsule of 50 mcg Rizsocitramil B or 'Shell'. Shell is a stimulant, developed in the 2050's for use by the military. Soldiers would use it to stay awake and alert in action, – the woman was clearly enjoying this, – A person under the influence of Shell can stay awake for weeks on end without growing in the least tired or any loss of concentration ability. It is also highly addictive.
This is what Michelle takes. Have you got any idea what it makes her capable of? I do. Compound neuro-agents were in use on Titan on both sides of the front. I've been there. I got to deal with captured rebels pumped full of them. Can you imagine trying to contain a person that willingly breaks his ribs to crawl down a narrow shaft? Or keeps setting the fire alert off every ten minutes, day and night, without sleep at all? You never know what to expect from...
She stopped, looking at the gun with disapproval:
– You either shoot or put that thing away. Or are you afraid I'll draw faster? – she nodded at the white patch on her right arm. Raji didn't budge, – Fine, have it your way.

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Re: Hang Man's Jam pt.3 - Hang Man's Jam
« Reply #2 on May 4, 2004, 10:10am »

The brunette slowly rose to her feet. Now, compared to her, Raji looked awfully small and light.
– Where, – Raji's voice was quiet, almost a whisper, – is the girl?
– Off the station, – the brunette was obviously enjoying the situation, – She is now one of the stars. You want her – take a pick.
"She thinks, she's toying with me," thought Raji. Her gaze, cold and indifferent, lit up with a murderous spark.
– You had your chance. Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now.
– Oh, that's easy. Because you need me. You have no idea how to deal with Michelle. I have. She must think she is safe. Only then she can be controlled. And as you recall – 24 hours ago I saved her life. Right now I'm the only person in the System she can trust. I could make her go wherever I want and do whatever I tell.
You are the one that recently tried to kill her. At least she thinks so. Even if you succeed in capturing her, there are eight days of travel to Mars plus an indefinite amount of time for negotiations. Lots of room for error. Are you sure you can pull this off on your own?
Raji sighed heavily in her heart:
– What do you want?
– A cut in the deal. It's simple: I deliver the girl, you handle the customer. We close the deal, turn over the girl and vanish. Then we cut the cash and go our separate ways. You never get to hear from me again.
– How much?
– Fifty percent of everything.
– For babysitting?
– For doing your dirty work. Figuratively you could call it that, if you wish.
They stood opposite each other – Raji's delicate figure in the light square of the doorway, and the tall brunette, towering above her in the shadows. A pale smile crossed Raji's lips. The silver ghost of the Colt hovered, shrouded in a misty blanket of dust specks, dancing in the dim evening light through the door.
Raji's voice was slightly hoarse:
– Why?
The woman smirked and said in an educational tone:
– One, who don't risk – don't drink champagne.
Raji's smile became sarcastic. The Colt slowly moved off target.
– I'll think about it.

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Re: Hang Man's Jam pt.3 - Hang Man's Jam
« Reply #3 on May 4, 2004, 10:15am »

***

The door closed cutting off the light. Jessica remained alone in the room surrounded by the soft darkness. Apart from the steady hum of ventilation the room was quiet. Jessica cringed and sat back holding her wounded arm: "Did this really succeed?" A hot wave of pain washed her right shoulder. She reached into her bag and dug up a heavy bottle of turbid whiskey. Pleasant warmth, starting in her stomach, begun spreading throughout her weary body.
"How did she think I discovered her little scheme? Probably thought I have connections in Aquarius..." Jessica smirked. Ridiculous, of course. Miss Mikido's secret wasn't hard to crack.
Immediately after having her arm stitched up, Jen looked her up in bounty hunters guild archives. Soon she learned of her opponent's class. This was more then strange. After all, it should've been a sinch for her to kill Michelle, considering the circumstances. The target was completely out in the open. One bullet would have been enough.
Besides, Raji's behavior that day was completely opposite to her usual self. She normally doesn't like anonymity – almost all of her hits were performed in public places. Even when there's no crowd, she always makes sure to have one witness to be able to recognize her for the police – and media. "Heh, weirdo... Though, you can't argue with success, can you?"
That day, however, she was determined to eliminate anyone able to report to the authorities. When she fallowed Jessica over the bar, she even took an incredible risk, pausing to kill that poor last guy.
All this led to the conclusion that Raji wasn't going to kill Michelle but, rather take her in alive. Who would hire a killer to do a cowboy's job? Well, no one. "No, Miss Mikido, your secret wasn't hard to crack..."
The rest of her bold claims? "Smoke and mirrors, smoke and mirrors." Neuro-agents were indeed very popular among common soldiers in the war, but she never actually got to deal with real-live prisoners. The part about Michelle's questionable adventures was, however, completely true...
She got up and walked to a desk on the far side of the room. A lonely, forgotten cigarette lay there. She put it in her mouth and lit it: "To hell with it, I deserve one." Jessica idly flipped open her computer. An exacting emerald light blinked in the corner of the screen.
– What is it?
Michelle's freckled face appeared on the screen:
– Where, the hell, are you?!! – she was sitting in the cockpit of her one-seat jet, – I ain't waiting till the controllers stop asking why I'm hanging in the docks red zone and arrest me!
– Stop sweating, it's bad for you. I'll be there on time, – she glanced through the open bathroom door at her reflection, eerily white in the cold glow of the screen, – Now I need to freshen up.
A push of a button, cut off Michelle's indignant cries. Jessica stooped out the cigarette and smiled at heart.
She was exceptionally pleased with herself.

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Re: Hang Man's Jam pt.3 - Hang Man's Jam
« Reply #4 on May 9, 2004, 11:59am »

*Jessica, Michelle and Raji leave Truckers Union

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