Read Online 02. The Shadow Dancers by Jack L. Chalker - Free Book Online
Authors: Jack L. Chalker
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and they're all implausible, impossible, unbelievable. That's what this whole parallel worlds thing is about. I'm the one so far who done everything right. The only one."
He stared at me. "But those things just happened, one at a time. This is different. This is a clear choice of very high risk and for you alone. The other times, it was both of us."
"Well, you sure as hell can't get in the way I can, and probably not any other way, neither. I wouldn't risk my toenail for the damned Company and to hell with any threats, real or not, but this is a big score, Sam. Look, say we get outta here and I get hit by a car out front. What you got?"
"Ten grand from Home Beneficial Life Insurance. Okay, but the odds against that are a lot better than the odds here, and you wouldn't jump in front of the car."
"Maybe not. Know what I done while you was off in Pittsburgh? Went down and scored some high grade pot and sat around that apartment starin' at the walls and keepin' high as a kite and eatin' a ton of chocolate candy and I was still depressed. Now gimme that million and we hire on 'nuff people to take the caseload and we get us a big, fancy house way up the Main Line with lots of room 'n trees 'n luxury, and we get some kids and we enjoy life a little. Maybe I even set up my own business."
He looked at me hard. "Things really that bad for you? I knew you had some problems, but I never had any idea it was this bad. I guess I just wasn't looking at the flip side. Damn it, I'll quit the business. We'll move somewhere with whatever we've got and start a security business or something far away from here and G.O.D., Inc. I mean that."
"I know you do. Hey-you think I like this shit? I mean, gettin' killed, that's always a risk when you're after a real bad dude, but what you said, 'bout bein' beat or raped or have my brain scrambled-that's scary. But if I can do it, if I can really do it, really pull it off, then I ain't never gonna doubt myself again." I stopped a moment. "Besides, anytime before they put me under I have real doubts, really think that there's no way this can be pulled off, I'll pull out. And I want you there to make sure they listen. Hear?"
He sighed. "Okay. It's not that I don't trust and have full confidence in you, babe-it's just that I don't trust or have any confidence in them. And I'll be there-all the way through, just to make sure they hold up all the ends of their bargain, and Bill's gonna be there as well. He's gonna pay if it goes wrong because of his end."
Sam went out and found Markham and brought him back in.
"We made a decision, and it's firm," I told him. "Five million, same terms."
I was afraid Bill was gonna choke. "You have to be kidding!" he managed.
"It's chicken feed to the company if this is really that important, and if it ain't, then I ain't gonna do it."
I never saw a white guy turn red before, but he finally got hold of himself. "All right. By shifting some here and some there I can come up with it. Five million. But not as before. Two and a half now and free and clear, come what may. The other half only when a live Vogel is turned over to my security agents."
"Done," I told him. "And both Sam and you are along on the scene from the word go. That's the other part."
He looked puzzled. "I figured Sam would want in on the action, but why me?"
Sam looked up at him and gave a really evil grin. "So if your people act with the incompetence and unreliability that they've shown in the past and because of it anything happens to Brandy, I won't have to go far to wring your fucking neck."
3.
Heaven Is for Thieves
I remembered to stop the mail and papers and get the bills paid up before we had to leave. We had three days if we needed them, since all of this plan was based on the time them girls was to go from that bastard in Virginia-that other Virginia-up to Pennsylvania. Sam managed to tie up two cases, one of which was gonna send up that little accountant for a long stretch, and pass
He stared at me. "But those things just happened, one at a time. This is different. This is a clear choice of very high risk and for you alone. The other times, it was both of us."
"Well, you sure as hell can't get in the way I can, and probably not any other way, neither. I wouldn't risk my toenail for the damned Company and to hell with any threats, real or not, but this is a big score, Sam. Look, say we get outta here and I get hit by a car out front. What you got?"
"Ten grand from Home Beneficial Life Insurance. Okay, but the odds against that are a lot better than the odds here, and you wouldn't jump in front of the car."
"Maybe not. Know what I done while you was off in Pittsburgh? Went down and scored some high grade pot and sat around that apartment starin' at the walls and keepin' high as a kite and eatin' a ton of chocolate candy and I was still depressed. Now gimme that million and we hire on 'nuff people to take the caseload and we get us a big, fancy house way up the Main Line with lots of room 'n trees 'n luxury, and we get some kids and we enjoy life a little. Maybe I even set up my own business."
He looked at me hard. "Things really that bad for you? I knew you had some problems, but I never had any idea it was this bad. I guess I just wasn't looking at the flip side. Damn it, I'll quit the business. We'll move somewhere with whatever we've got and start a security business or something far away from here and G.O.D., Inc. I mean that."
"I know you do. Hey-you think I like this shit? I mean, gettin' killed, that's always a risk when you're after a real bad dude, but what you said, 'bout bein' beat or raped or have my brain scrambled-that's scary. But if I can do it, if I can really do it, really pull it off, then I ain't never gonna doubt myself again." I stopped a moment. "Besides, anytime before they put me under I have real doubts, really think that there's no way this can be pulled off, I'll pull out. And I want you there to make sure they listen. Hear?"
He sighed. "Okay. It's not that I don't trust and have full confidence in you, babe-it's just that I don't trust or have any confidence in them. And I'll be there-all the way through, just to make sure they hold up all the ends of their bargain, and Bill's gonna be there as well. He's gonna pay if it goes wrong because of his end."
Sam went out and found Markham and brought him back in.
"We made a decision, and it's firm," I told him. "Five million, same terms."
I was afraid Bill was gonna choke. "You have to be kidding!" he managed.
"It's chicken feed to the company if this is really that important, and if it ain't, then I ain't gonna do it."
I never saw a white guy turn red before, but he finally got hold of himself. "All right. By shifting some here and some there I can come up with it. Five million. But not as before. Two and a half now and free and clear, come what may. The other half only when a live Vogel is turned over to my security agents."
"Done," I told him. "And both Sam and you are along on the scene from the word go. That's the other part."
He looked puzzled. "I figured Sam would want in on the action, but why me?"
Sam looked up at him and gave a really evil grin. "So if your people act with the incompetence and unreliability that they've shown in the past and because of it anything happens to Brandy, I won't have to go far to wring your fucking neck."
3.
Heaven Is for Thieves
I remembered to stop the mail and papers and get the bills paid up before we had to leave. We had three days if we needed them, since all of this plan was based on the time them girls was to go from that bastard in Virginia-that other Virginia-up to Pennsylvania. Sam managed to tie up two cases, one of which was gonna send up that little accountant for a long stretch, and pass
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