Featured image by Bruno /Germany from Pixabay
“Reputation is wind through an anus” I responded. “Someone, somewhere, long ago decided to talk about a job Badger did. They talked to somebody with a mouth like a fire hose and the company didn’t clean up the mess. Perhaps they were behind it. Helping to up the fees for Badger’s work? I don’t know. I do know that nobody ever risked that with me. I also know that if they captured Badger’s family to send him here and he didn’t kill Henry on sight, that was to be my fate, assuming he would choose to save his family over saving our friendship. A rather fair assumption I think.”
“It’s okay to be scared. I’ve taught you enough to run. Take a handful of the small diamonds and each go a different direction” I stated. “This ain’t really your fight. You could lead good lives elsewhere provided you never make contact with anyone from your past and never fall into any of your old habits like clothes shopping.”
“Fuck that, I’m riding this out” blurted Giant. “No way I’m giving up nice clothes forever. If we have to kill off the entire company to be free again, that’s what we do!”
“Hmm” muttered Henry.
“What?” asked Giant.
“It may well come to that, but, if one of you gentlemen felt like taking a trip . . . Nah, we don’t have the time” said Henry.
“Don’t just let something like that hang in mid-air Henry. Put your teeth back in and finish chewing it” I said.
“Some of that currency is with suppliers from Seattle, Washington and a few other places. It should have started tripping their alarms by now if the bills end up at banks” Henry stated.
“I think we’ve already been down that road, but continue” I replied.
“There will be lots of monetary evidence but nothing visual to really make them take the bait” Henry continued.
“You are thinking one of us being seen at an airport by the surveillance cameras would make them bite rather hard” interrupted Stretch. Henry nodded and Stretch continued “I’m not opposed to it, but, buying a plane ticket would burn an identity and a prepaid card. We also don’t have a car staged in Seattle or wherever so one would either be there a while obtaining a ride using yet another ID or take a long train ride passing more surveillance cameras.”
Slim spoke up “That line of thought makes a grand assumption.” We all turned to look at him before he continued. “It assumes that whoever wants us dead didn’t piggy back onto a legitimate job. We have not identified who in logistics is in on this, but we know there has to be at least one. We suspect Pretty Little Thing has been compromised. We know Badger was here, but not why. You assume he was here to do something evil to you and possibly Henry, but he could have been assigned to the job. We know the three condoms were sent here to off whoever they found in the house and we assume take the money. I’m all for having a plan and taking action, but, right now, we have no idea what to plan for.”
“What do you suggest?” I asked.
“You’re the seasoned professional Old Timer. I’m willing to back your play until it all goes sideways and we have to scramble. I just wanted to point out we were scrambling a bit early” Slim concluded.
“Good catch. It’s because we are all scared, even Henry is petrified.” That got me an angry look from Henry, to which I responded “It’s true. I’ve worked with you a while now and that little lecture you gave us earlier is more than I ever hoped to know about you. In a calmer state of mind you wouldn’t have laid it all out there. I wasn’t scared until I heard that. Slim wasn’t wrong. Someone knows this is your base. Maybe not this house, but at least the bar.”
“You said you went to Badger’s wedding and know his kids” piped up Stretch. “I will assume you have a way to reach the family?” I nodded. “A clean burner or email from a generic account could let you know if they have his family. If they answer and all sounds Kosher, we will know they didn’t have his family as leverage. I will leave the decision about whether or not to inform them about his passing up to you.”
“Too bad we can’t risk the house again” Giant mumbled.
“How so?” I asked.
“I haven’t checked my work phone yet and you haven’t had me check in with Pretty Little Thing” he responded. “You didn’t check your work phone either, nor has Henry since we got here.”
“I still don’t see where you are going with this, Giant. Not saying it is a bad train, just that I don’t know the depot it will eventually pull into” I stated.
“Both of them got different targets. What if we all did? That would explain why so many were being assembled” Giant answered.
“Fair points” said Henry. “I’ve been assuming we are the intended targets, but that may only be for a tiny rogue group within the company. If there is any legitimate part of the company left, they won’t be well pleased if we blow an assignment.”
“Well, I need to clean up. You guys need to eat. Henry needs to take me to Dimitri. Is this place safe enough to sleep without a sentry?”
“Quite safe. There have been no new faces. Mine is the only house on this street which gets rented out” responded Henry.
“I noticed there is no alarm system” piped up Slim.
“Couldn’t install one renting it out” offered Henry. “Would be a constant nightmare changing codes. Bad enough rotating door locks every so many months.”
“When you guys get back from supper boot the laptop like I showed you and look through your assignments. In the morning we can plan on how to check our work phones again.”
“Don’t forget that picture Henry wanted you to look at” chimed in Giant. It might match one of the two we already know about. That was an odd location to rally so many of us in. But not so odd if the person we assumed to be a watcher was really just looking over their shoulder.”
The students were learning.
“We can put that picture along with the assignment files on a thumb drive. I have a few in the bag with it” I said. “You still have a bit of that tagged money don’t you Henry?” He nodded. “Good. We all need to rat hole a few of the smaller bills on are person. When we wish to leave a trail that will be the easiest way. Especially if we are forced to scatter and regroup later.”
[…] <Previous Part Next Part> […]