| From: | "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Beating the Streets |
| Date: | Sat, 4 Jan 1997 11:55:17 +0000 |
>>>>>[Hello, gentlemen. We've been having a few words with some of the
fine citizens of Renton.
+++++begin trideo
Lilith walks towards a house, its lawn strewn with trash and several
windows broken, screech-rock music thumping from within. A Human girl in
silver and black synth-leathers appears in the doorway, regards her with
suspicion.
"Whaddaya want?"
"To talk." You hear Lilith's smirk even if you don't see it. "We have a
business proposition."
"What kinda business?"
"Profitable. Observation, sort of a missing persons job."
"Yeah, okay. Come on in." The ganger relaxes her grip on the Defiance
shotgun behind the doorframe, motions Lilith to go inside.
The room seems to shudder with the music until Lilith, walking
delicately through the litter of empty bottles, stuffer wrappers,
chipholders, cigarette butts, spent beetles and other junk on the floor,
turns it off. The half-dozen Night Hunters look at her, a few alertly,
most dulled. Two others sit enraptured by the chips stuck in their
sockets, dead to the world.
"Who're you?" says one.
"I'm from the Government and I'm here to help you."
"Bull drek."
"We want someone found. You claim this area. You should know what goes
on. We want this someone found so bad, we'll pay big money for where he
hangs."
The spokesman - a dark-haired girl in her late teens - shrugs. "How big
is the money?" When she hears Lilith name the sum, her eyes widen. "You
want this guy bad, then."
"Real bad. You hear the fireworks Christmas and New Year's? He's the guy
who pulled that. We're _angry_. When we get angry, people like him get
hurt. Anyone who helped him gets hurt. Anyone who lived on the same
street as him gets hurt. Sometimes we call in an airstrike and level the
whole neighbourhood, we're so angry." Lilith's relaxed drawl sounds
amused as she surveys the gangers.
The girl looks thoughtful. "Course, it could be worth our while to try
to grab you and take you out and ask him for money. One, I'd guess you
thought about that already-" She looks sideways at the sound of weapons
being cocked, glancing left and right, then grins wryly. Lilith looks
herself, seeing where Easy stands in the doorway, one foot on the
guard's neck and the CAR-15 at high port; and Lynch is leaning on the
sill of the broken window with his MP-5K in one hand and a cigarette in
the other: the entire room is covered by their crossfire.
"Okay, I'm convinced that might be a bad move. Who are we looking for?"
Lilith hands over a set of trideo stills. "This guy. Do not, I repeat do
not, try to play any games with him. Go tell him we're looking for him,
because you were spot on with number two: he'd listen to you, say 'thank
you', then snuff you because it was cheaper and more fun than paying
you. This guy is a serious combat monster with heavy-duty backup. You
see him, do not try to take him on, do not try talking to him, do not
pass Go, do not collect two hundred nuyen. Call it in to us and
discreetly clear the area, and if it's near here clean the place up a
little in case the Star notice you."
The girl takes the pictures, glances around: the more aware of the
gangers shrug or nod. "Okay."
"One thing. This guy likes car bombs. Anyone been asking you to heist
autos for them?"
"Not my angle." The girl shrugs. "I could be persuaded to ask around,
for the right price."
Lilith sighs. "Know how much we want this guy? You find who boosted any
of his cars - these cars" she passes over a list - "and it's worth four
Ingram Supermachs, unfired, still in the manufacturer's packing. You
realise how much we want him, that we're giving a street gang like you
that kind of firepower? You get the impression of how pissed we'd be if
you knew something and didn't help us out?"
The ganger's eyes are wide. "Supermachs? No shit?"
"Supermachineguns, lead hoses, zippers. Two mags per weapon, one
standard and one extended. Get the info fast enough and we'll throw in a
thousand rounds of tracer as well."
Leaving, Lilith walks back towards their car (a black, rather battered
four-wheel-drive). Lynch joins her as Easy checks the vehicle.
"Are you sure about the Supermachs, Jason?"
"Good weapons to give amateurs, especially with tracers. They won't hit
much and those wimpy rounds, especially loading tracer, won't ricochet
back. " Lynch shrugs. "These guys like guns, the Supermachs are bait. If
it gets us Thunda..."
"And if it doesn't?"
"They've got to deliver the information before they get the weapons."
Lynch shrugs. "And that girl looked smart enough to know that, if we're
willing to give them milspec weapons if they help us, it might not be
very pleasant if they screw with us."
"Yeah. Where next?"
"Barney's. Time to hassle the fixer."
+++++end trideo
More to follow.]<<<<<
-- Lilith <11:55:42/01-04-58>
