Read Online Ragnarok by Ari Bach - Free Book Online Page A

had been sneaking the critters into various soups, flambés, casseroles, and other dishes.
    â€œSo you hire someone to scour the place for Mishka,” linked Toshiro on high crypto. “They don’t have to go through Aloe. You probably shouldn’t use Aloe to contact them either.”
    â€œClassic spy handling,” mused Vibeke. “We just need to find Fred Leiser.”
    â€œWho’s he?” asked Violet.
    â€œAn unlucky fellow from an old book,” answered Vibs. “Someone we can train to do our jobs and send us the results. Valhalla hasn’t been big on agents like this, but it solves everything.”
    â€œWhy haven’t we been big on agents?”
    â€œThey always betray you or sell you out, and they always ask for things we can’t give them.”
    â€œAh!” said Veikko. “Mutual respect and benefit.”
    â€œWe do hire out specialists, especially online,” linked Tasha. “Nothing like the Blag, though. Actually I don’t know of anyone who ever went there. Without dying, I mean.”
    â€œI do,” Varg said. “A guy named Yoshi from the Nikkei Underground. Traffics information. My boss at the tofu warehouse hired him to scout all his illegal bets.”
    â€œCan he be trusted?” asked Veikko.
    â€œNo, not at all.”
    â€œSounds good. What did he do on the Blag?”
    â€œHe bragged about it once when I passed him his share of Heinrich’s winnings on a pickled pint game. Didn’t get into specifics, but it involved mutant organ trading.”
    â€œThat’s odd. They do that on the Nikkei Underground. The Nikkei Underground’s already one of the most dangerous, nasty sites around. Why would they go to the Blag?” asked Vibeke.
    â€œBecause the organs were intentionally mutated. They say Høtherus was one of the first people on the Cr—Blag. Though… wait, when did he disappear?” Varg scratched his chin.
    â€œWhat will Yoshi want in return?”
    â€œMy boss, Heinrich, always paid him a percent. But he’s into info rackets. Has a line of people asking him about anything they can’t say on the wikis. Like my boss, he always sent me to get the insider rumors on contestants. Not who won before or who could swallow the most vinegar, but who was playing dirty, who was going to sabotage who. He always knew, Heinrich never lost a bet.”
    Veikko pointed out, “We do have tons of information.”
    â€œI don’t think C would like us trading with it,” Violet reminded him.
    â€œC wouldn’t like the icing on their own birthday cakes,” said Veikko, “Fuck ’em. They had their chance to search the ‘location’ for her and lied. We won’t sell him anything on Valhalla, no mention of Hall of the Slain. But we know loads on loads about the gangs, the companies. I can’t believe we wouldn’t have anything he needs. This is perfect.”
    â€œWhat about Aloe?”
    â€œLog out,” suggested Trygve. “Log in from somewhere else. You can still call her in an emergency, but that would alert C. You just need a mission cover for… what letter are you on?”
    â€œC, actually. No name yet,” admitted Vibeke.
    â€œObvious, Cra—Oh, never mind.” Tasha looked down.
    â€œCall it project Cato,” said Toshiro.
    â€œMight alert him,” said Tahir. “What’s a term for Cato that begins with a C?”
    Tasha spoke fast before Veikko could answer. “What was your last C mission called?”
    â€œAfter Alpha and Beta, we had to be more creative,” said Vibeke, looking to Varg.
    â€œBut we couldn’t,” said Varg, “so we called it ‘Creative.’”
    â€œIt’s an unofficial mission. We don’t need a name,” said Violet.
    â€œSure you do. They’re going to know about it once you find Mishka, or once you get home and ask for a heavy brain scan