Read Online Geek Mafia by Rick Dakan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rick Dakan
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Science-Fiction, Thrillers, Crime, Espionage, High Tech, Computer programmers, Software piracy, Video games industry
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There was some juicy stuff in there between him and that piece on the side he's keeping. I picked out the best bits for Chloe to use in her blackmail files. Then I did some driving and was waiting around the corner as backup in case things went sour."
"What do you mean by 'sour?'" asked Paul.
"You know, if they'd called the cops or if someone got violent or if maybe you had freaked out or something."
"What would you have done then?"
She took another drink of beer and eyed Paul for a moment, her expression saying that she wondered if he was clueless or just dim. He couldn't tell which option she decided on. "I can't say. Not exactly. It depends what went wrong, doesn't it? I'd have done what needed to be done to get Chloe clear of any trouble."
"Just Chloe?" Paul asked.
"Well, if you were the one who went sour, then hell yeah, of course just Chloe."
"Makes sense," said Paul. "To be honest, I'm still not really sure why you guys helped me in the first place. I mean, what's in it for you?" This was of course the big question he'd been asking himself over and over again for the past twenty-four hours.
Chapter 6
33
She looked a little surprised and was about to say something when Bee cut her off and announced that she had decided she didn't want a beer after all. "I want champagne!" she said, "Paul? Can we open that?" Bee pointed at the warm bottle he'd brought in with him. "I like the bubbles." Paul wondered if she was changing the subject on purpose.
"There are bubbles in beer too," Popper pointed out, having gotten the message to not answer Paul's question.
"Yeah," said Bee, "But I don't like beer, remember?"
"Sure," said Paul as he handed the bottle to Bee. "But you should probably stick it in the freezer for a bit first.
It's not cold at all."
"Nope," she said, "I've got a much quicker way." She put the bottle on the counter and started digging around in the cabinet underneath the sink. "Ah-ha!" exclaimed Bee. She had a fire extinguisher in her hands. "Paul, can you do me a favor and open the back door for me?" she said as she pulled out a large cooking pot as well.
"Ok," said Paul. "Sure..."
The house had a surprisingly big back yard, with trees and a hammock and a large grill on the cement patio.
Three people Paul didn't recognize were hunched over the grill and cooking hot dogs while they passed a joint around. Bee placed the large pot on the patio floor and then put the champagne bottle in it.
"Ok, stand back!" she said. The guys by the grill looked over and laughed. Popper grasped Paul's hand and drew him back a few steps. Bee released the safety pin and pointed the fire extinguisher down into the pot.
She let it rip and a cloud of white vapor soon enveloped the pot and her legs. She kept firing bursts for the next couple minutes, until the extinguisher was empty.
After the fire retardant fog had cleared, she reached in and pulled out the frosty bottle. "All set she said,"
bringing it over to Paul. The bottle was ice cold.
"I didn't know that really worked," he said in amazement.
"CO2 under pressure," said Bee. "Better than a salt water ice bath." She took the bottle and unwrapped the top. A second later and the cork went flying through the air.
"You guys sure have an interesting way of having a good time," said Paul.
"You ain't seen nothing yet, cowboy," said Popper. She took the bottle from Bee and drank down a swig before handing it to Paul. Then she and Bee each took him by an arm and started to lead him inside.
"Come on," said Bee. "Let's go into the living room. It's story time!"
CHAPTER 7
34
CHAPTER 7
Story time, it turned out, was just that - a time to recount to the whole group what had happened that morning.
The whole Crew, which numbered eighteen people, crowded into the living room, occupying every empty bit of couch and floor space. Paul somehow ended up with Bee on his lap, which, while not doing anything to relieve the heat of the crowded, smoke-filled room, had a certain
"What do you mean by 'sour?'" asked Paul.
"You know, if they'd called the cops or if someone got violent or if maybe you had freaked out or something."
"What would you have done then?"
She took another drink of beer and eyed Paul for a moment, her expression saying that she wondered if he was clueless or just dim. He couldn't tell which option she decided on. "I can't say. Not exactly. It depends what went wrong, doesn't it? I'd have done what needed to be done to get Chloe clear of any trouble."
"Just Chloe?" Paul asked.
"Well, if you were the one who went sour, then hell yeah, of course just Chloe."
"Makes sense," said Paul. "To be honest, I'm still not really sure why you guys helped me in the first place. I mean, what's in it for you?" This was of course the big question he'd been asking himself over and over again for the past twenty-four hours.
Chapter 6
33
She looked a little surprised and was about to say something when Bee cut her off and announced that she had decided she didn't want a beer after all. "I want champagne!" she said, "Paul? Can we open that?" Bee pointed at the warm bottle he'd brought in with him. "I like the bubbles." Paul wondered if she was changing the subject on purpose.
"There are bubbles in beer too," Popper pointed out, having gotten the message to not answer Paul's question.
"Yeah," said Bee, "But I don't like beer, remember?"
"Sure," said Paul as he handed the bottle to Bee. "But you should probably stick it in the freezer for a bit first.
It's not cold at all."
"Nope," she said, "I've got a much quicker way." She put the bottle on the counter and started digging around in the cabinet underneath the sink. "Ah-ha!" exclaimed Bee. She had a fire extinguisher in her hands. "Paul, can you do me a favor and open the back door for me?" she said as she pulled out a large cooking pot as well.
"Ok," said Paul. "Sure..."
The house had a surprisingly big back yard, with trees and a hammock and a large grill on the cement patio.
Three people Paul didn't recognize were hunched over the grill and cooking hot dogs while they passed a joint around. Bee placed the large pot on the patio floor and then put the champagne bottle in it.
"Ok, stand back!" she said. The guys by the grill looked over and laughed. Popper grasped Paul's hand and drew him back a few steps. Bee released the safety pin and pointed the fire extinguisher down into the pot.
She let it rip and a cloud of white vapor soon enveloped the pot and her legs. She kept firing bursts for the next couple minutes, until the extinguisher was empty.
After the fire retardant fog had cleared, she reached in and pulled out the frosty bottle. "All set she said,"
bringing it over to Paul. The bottle was ice cold.
"I didn't know that really worked," he said in amazement.
"CO2 under pressure," said Bee. "Better than a salt water ice bath." She took the bottle and unwrapped the top. A second later and the cork went flying through the air.
"You guys sure have an interesting way of having a good time," said Paul.
"You ain't seen nothing yet, cowboy," said Popper. She took the bottle from Bee and drank down a swig before handing it to Paul. Then she and Bee each took him by an arm and started to lead him inside.
"Come on," said Bee. "Let's go into the living room. It's story time!"
CHAPTER 7
34
CHAPTER 7
Story time, it turned out, was just that - a time to recount to the whole group what had happened that morning.
The whole Crew, which numbered eighteen people, crowded into the living room, occupying every empty bit of couch and floor space. Paul somehow ended up with Bee on his lap, which, while not doing anything to relieve the heat of the crowded, smoke-filled room, had a certain
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