Read Online shadowrun 40 The Burning Time by Stephen Kenson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephen Kenson
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Action & Adventure, Twenty-first century
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while ago to say she got the message but that she’d be a few minutes late."
Talon nodded and dropped into a chair. He was curious, though. It wasn’t like Trouble to be late, but he didn’t press Boom for details. If the troll didn’t want to say more, then it was none of Talon’s business.
"So," he said, not wasting time, "we got a bite?"
Boom grinned and nodded. "Last night."
"Well, that didn’t take long," Hammer said.
"What did you expect?" Val asked. "This suit has definitely got it bad. When you’re that hooked on sims, you can’t go for more than a few hours without one."
Talon knew that Val spoke from personal experience. She’d been heavily into simsense as a kid. It was only the equally addictive rush of rigging that let her overcome her dependence on them. Talon often though he might have gotten hooked, too, if he’d had the nuyen for a datajack back when his magic was first developing. Anything could have happened if Jase hadn’t found him and taught him that he wasn’t going mad and not to be afraid of who and what he was.
"Talon, you still here?" Boom said, bringing Talon’s attention back to the conversation at hand.
"What? Oh, yeah, sorry."
"Thought you’d gone out-of-body on us or something."
Talon laughed. "Just thinking. Now, what were you saying?"
The troll raised an eyebrow. "I told him I wasn’t sure I could get in touch with you, but that I’d try my best and get back to him."
"And you left him hanging?" Hammer asked. "What if he decides to go to somebody else?"
Boom shook his head. "He won’t. First off, this guy knows zero about getting the hardcore sims. He only found us because we gave him a trail to follow. He’s not likely to be thinking real straight without his daily fix, and he’s scared. He’s afraid of getting caught doing something bad, and the more people he talks to, the more chance of that happening. No, it’ll be a while before he gets desperate enough to try to track down another supplier. Waiting will make him that much more eager to get what we’ve got, and that much more likely to use it once he does get it."
"And then we’ve got him," Talon said with satisfaction.
Two knocks at the door sounded, followed by a pause, then two more knocks. Talon got up and opened the door.
"Hey," Trouble said.
"Hey," he replied.
"Sorry I’m late." She walked past Talon into the room.
He noticed that Trouble was wearing the same clothes as yesterday when they’d gone to Otabi’s apartment yesterday. She’d never been a fancy dresser, but he’d never known her to sleep in her clothes unless she had no other choice. More than likely, she hadn’t gone home last night. He was more curious than ever, but still didn’t ask.
He closed the door while she took a seat next to Val on the couch.
"You didn’t miss much," Val said. "Boom was just saying he’s heard from Otabi, but that he hasn’t gotten back to him yet."
Just then an electronic ringing noise came from the troll’s desk. Boom glanced down at the ID code of the incoming call.
"Ah, speak of the devil," he said. "Looks like somebody’s getting impatient." Boom tapped the touch-sensitive surface of the desk with one thick finger, transferring the call to the cell-phone built into his skull and wired directly to his speech and hearing centers. He also ran the audio through the tiny speakers in his desk, so the others could hear the whole thing.
"Hello?" The voice sounded both nervous and desperate even in just those two syllables.
"Hello, Mr. Otabi," Boom said to the empty air, his voice relayed over his headphone. "What can I do for you?"
"I, ah, just wanted to know if there was any progress regarding. . .what we talked about earlier."
"As a matter of fact, yes," Boom said, turning an eye toward Talon. "I was just about to call you. I set up another meet for tonight. Eleven o’clock, here at the club. Is that acceptable to you?"
"Can. . .can you make it any sooner?"
"I’ll see what I can
Talon nodded and dropped into a chair. He was curious, though. It wasn’t like Trouble to be late, but he didn’t press Boom for details. If the troll didn’t want to say more, then it was none of Talon’s business.
"So," he said, not wasting time, "we got a bite?"
Boom grinned and nodded. "Last night."
"Well, that didn’t take long," Hammer said.
"What did you expect?" Val asked. "This suit has definitely got it bad. When you’re that hooked on sims, you can’t go for more than a few hours without one."
Talon knew that Val spoke from personal experience. She’d been heavily into simsense as a kid. It was only the equally addictive rush of rigging that let her overcome her dependence on them. Talon often though he might have gotten hooked, too, if he’d had the nuyen for a datajack back when his magic was first developing. Anything could have happened if Jase hadn’t found him and taught him that he wasn’t going mad and not to be afraid of who and what he was.
"Talon, you still here?" Boom said, bringing Talon’s attention back to the conversation at hand.
"What? Oh, yeah, sorry."
"Thought you’d gone out-of-body on us or something."
Talon laughed. "Just thinking. Now, what were you saying?"
The troll raised an eyebrow. "I told him I wasn’t sure I could get in touch with you, but that I’d try my best and get back to him."
"And you left him hanging?" Hammer asked. "What if he decides to go to somebody else?"
Boom shook his head. "He won’t. First off, this guy knows zero about getting the hardcore sims. He only found us because we gave him a trail to follow. He’s not likely to be thinking real straight without his daily fix, and he’s scared. He’s afraid of getting caught doing something bad, and the more people he talks to, the more chance of that happening. No, it’ll be a while before he gets desperate enough to try to track down another supplier. Waiting will make him that much more eager to get what we’ve got, and that much more likely to use it once he does get it."
"And then we’ve got him," Talon said with satisfaction.
Two knocks at the door sounded, followed by a pause, then two more knocks. Talon got up and opened the door.
"Hey," Trouble said.
"Hey," he replied.
"Sorry I’m late." She walked past Talon into the room.
He noticed that Trouble was wearing the same clothes as yesterday when they’d gone to Otabi’s apartment yesterday. She’d never been a fancy dresser, but he’d never known her to sleep in her clothes unless she had no other choice. More than likely, she hadn’t gone home last night. He was more curious than ever, but still didn’t ask.
He closed the door while she took a seat next to Val on the couch.
"You didn’t miss much," Val said. "Boom was just saying he’s heard from Otabi, but that he hasn’t gotten back to him yet."
Just then an electronic ringing noise came from the troll’s desk. Boom glanced down at the ID code of the incoming call.
"Ah, speak of the devil," he said. "Looks like somebody’s getting impatient." Boom tapped the touch-sensitive surface of the desk with one thick finger, transferring the call to the cell-phone built into his skull and wired directly to his speech and hearing centers. He also ran the audio through the tiny speakers in his desk, so the others could hear the whole thing.
"Hello?" The voice sounded both nervous and desperate even in just those two syllables.
"Hello, Mr. Otabi," Boom said to the empty air, his voice relayed over his headphone. "What can I do for you?"
"I, ah, just wanted to know if there was any progress regarding. . .what we talked about earlier."
"As a matter of fact, yes," Boom said, turning an eye toward Talon. "I was just about to call you. I set up another meet for tonight. Eleven o’clock, here at the club. Is that acceptable to you?"
"Can. . .can you make it any sooner?"
"I’ll see what I can
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