| From: | Paul J. Adam Shadowtk@********.demon.co.uk |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Pickup |
| Date: | Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:12:13 +0000 |
>>>>>[Just so's you know, dude, I made pickup no problem, already on my
way back. Thought you'd like to know how our friends were...
+++++begin video
The view is oddly distorted: a 360-degree panoramic view, from a raised
mast atop a modified, battered and elderly Lobo LAV.
The thunderbird is parked on a straight, metalled road that runs past a
fair-sized ranch house, in rolling, hilly grassland. Horses canter in a nearby
field, a few hundred yards away: the scene would be timeless if not for
the satellite dish and solar panels on the house's roof.
It's past sundown, and the sky is darkening. Two women stand by the
Lobo's rear ramp. One is short, muscular, wearing biker leathers with a
denim cutoff jacket, her right leg braced by a metal frame. The other is
Elven, tall, slender, swathed in loose and comfortable white that seems to
glow in the quarter-moon's light. Her skin is alabaster pale, her hair spun
platinum, and she seems almost aethereal next to Harley's straightforward
solidity.
"I make that the full load. So how's it going down here?" Harley asks.
Easy gestures at the hills. "Fantastic. We bought the land: the Aztlan
spooks found us a decent deal, someone who wanted cash quickly. Brought
in the horses... Mani's family have bloodstock you wouldn't believe. They've
been horse-traders for like a thousand years, what they don't know isn't
worth knowing. We sorted out the deal: they don't ask what goes north as
long as nothing goes astray or goes into Aztlan. Nice and simple. Sweet
deal."
"Sounds it, dude. Not bored yet?"
Easy shakes her head. "You do what you have to do, Chris. Here, I'm
retired. I've got friends who know where to find me. Enemies who don't
know where I am. A good life. I'm not going to screw it up just to get
back into a firefight."
"Never saw you as the retiring type, Easy."
"I did what I had to do to stay alive. Now, I can be alive and happy and not
have anyone try to kill me for weeks at a time." The Elven samurai
shrugs. "The game was a means to an end, Chris, it was never what I
wanted."
"Whereas guys like Jason -"
"Can't quit. He'll be back in the business within a year. I mean, look at
him. His idea of 'retired' is being the Bad Guy in exercises for everyone
from the Secret Service to Delta Force. He'll be back in the field within a
year." Easy says with confidence. "He's a warrior, it's his life. I just used
the system until I could leave."
Harley nods. "So, you're quit for good?"
"Unless someone comes after me. Yeah. I like it here, I like sleeping safe,
I like being out of the warzone. I'm not going back."
"Wasn't asking, just wanted to give you the option, you know?"
"Yeah, I know, Chris. Hart _did_ ask. I told her no, nicely." Easy shakes
her head. "But I'll run you in all the firepower you need. And if you want
somewhere to hide, you come here. Anyone wants to mess with my
guests, well, that's going to cost them. That goes for you, Jason, Lilith,
Susan... the crew. You know?"
"I know." Harley nods. "You take care, Easy. I got to get going else my
fuel stop's gonna pack up and run, plus I got to sneak past the BARCAP out
of Petersen-"
"Yeah, I know. The Yellow Brick Road?"
"Hell, no! The Yellow's blown, CAS got SAM teams spiking it now. Mungo
Jerry got wasted there last week. Got a new track, or an old one
everyone forgot, whatever. Highway One do for a name?"
"Hasn't been used in a couple of years. Go for it." Easy nods. "Good trip,
Chris."
"Yeah. See you around, 'kay?" Harley steps into the back of the Lobo, and
the rear ramp whines closed. Easy breaks into a jog to get back to the
house, as the T-bird accelerates along the metalled track until it lifts into
ground-effect.
+++++end video
We got the _serious_ firepower now. You still say we don't tell
Elliott?]<<<<<
-- Harley <00:11:34/11-30-60>
*****PRIVATE: Harley
>>>>>[I trust Elliott. I don't trust all of the FBI. I think I'd like our
having
that kit to be as much of a surprise as possible, when we pull it out of the
bag.]<<<<<
-- The Mighty Quinn <00:12:45/11-30-60>
