Briggs had a printed photo of Brinus and put it on a corkboard with a thumbtack. It was a board of active cases he stared at. He had his hands behind his back with a smile on his face. I’m gonna nail this asshole to the wall this time. He opened his TriQuarter laptop and saw the text messages Brinus sent between him and his new client. I’ve got you this time, motherfucker.
He made a fist bump as he filed an application for an arrest warrant online with his favorite judge. The charge was for conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.
As the application printed on his computer, he looked around his office. He had his active cases board with three other criminals on it. He also had food wrappers and soda cups everywhere. There was a cot with a blanket and a pillow. On the opposite wall were mugshots of every criminal he had arrested or sent to the military. It was a subtle way of bragging to everyone else that he had more arrests and successful cases than everyone else.
His captain walked in with the print arrest warrant and sat in the chair across from him. “Sleeping in the office again?”
Brigg nodded.
The captain sighed and rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Your obsession with this boy is unhealthy. His license to commit these crimes and others was approved yesterday.” She took her lighter and burned the order. “I am putting you on medical leave for a week. You haven’t slept in three days. Go home. That’s an order.”
The captain produced the approved paperwork for Brinus’s license which had the Duchess of District 12’s seal on it. “This is state business so forget about it.”
Briggs grabbed his coat and then turned to face his captain. “Gonda, he will end up dead someday and someone like him has so much potential if he can be reformed.”
“Go home. Get some sleep and then you can work on your pet project.”
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Brinus sat in the crowd in a lecture at the university. Most of the audience were med students, Brinus had deduced from the white coats, khaki pants, and dress shirts. Brinus had a nicotine patch on his neck. He also chewed orange creamsicle gum. He wore a black leather jacket, white tee shirt, skateboard shoes, and a wallet chain on his blue jeans.
The room held about 200 people. It was a classic auditorium with ornate baroque paneling and a painted mural on the ceiling of famous doctors from this medical school.
Everyone but Brinus stood and clapped as the activist walked on stage. He looked directly at Brinus and they locked eyes for a second.
“Greeting ladies, gentlemen, and catpeople. I am Dr. Halibirth. I received my medical degree in Pulmonology and a PhD. in human physiology from the Saffron Admiralty Naval Academy. I completed my post-fellowship research at the military department of health. I served 25 years in the Navy doing research in the enhanced nicotine addiction program and on how to make cigarettes and vapes more addictive. I am a whistleblower of this program…”
The talk went on for ten minutes as med students began pulling out their comms devices and started playing mobile games. Brinus felt like the guy’s claims were getting more and more outrageous. Finally, at the fifteen-minute mark, med students began leaving the talk early to go smoke. Brinus activated his electronic pickpocket.
As the man continued talking, More students began leaving. He felt like the idea of the government using tarken tea leaves to control the population level was repulsive; also, pushing them on the people while making them similar to crack made no sense. What would be the government’s motives?
After pickpocketing the man’s phone he began going through it. He’s a partier. He likes to drink with teenagers. Weird. Why does a 60-year-old drink with underage girls at his summer estate? He began going through his social media. Oh, that’s why. In his DMs were images that were…we will just say…the Magi would be interested in if you know what I mean. Brinus took screenshots of the DMs while blotting out the names of the victims out of respect.
Brinus began to hate this man to the point that he almost jumped onto the stage and strangled in front of the remaining audience the more DMs he saw with underage girls.
No, I know exactly how to handle this.
He left the lecture to go smoke and called a taxi. He punched a hole in the drywall of his apartment and screamed once he was home.
He created two fake social media accounts and spent twenty minutes tricking the DM screenshots he made.
There was a knock on his door as the posts started going viral.
He opened the door and it was Detective Briggs.
“Got a warrant?”
“This is more of a social call. How are you?”
Brinus laughed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Why the fuck do ya’ care?”
“Because you aren’t cut out for the syndicate. Let me help you before you kill yourself.”
“Get lost.”
Brinus slammed the door in his face. He realized Briggs was right. He didn’t see himself doing this in five years. In fact, he had a navy recruitment brochure next to his TriQuarter Laptop.
He went back to work after collecting his thoughts. He began to compile an anonymous Email to the Magi and to the Police.
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Two days later Dr. Halibirth gave a talk at another medical school on saffron. Brinus was at the talk sitting in the front row. He smiled as the doctor showed slides of lung and brain tissue damage caused by Tarkin Tea cigarettes. Brinus pressed a button on his TriQuarter and then the next image was of him sending special messages to an underage girl if you know what I mean.
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Everyone began screaming and calling him a predator. Brinus busted out laughing and began spamming the DM slide he made.
The predator ran out of the back exit as he was chased by two cops. Four cops noticed Brinus was the only one laughing as everyone ran out of the auditorium.
They came up to him. “What’s so funny?”
“N-n-nothing.” Brinus was doubled over with laughter. He laughed so hard his eyes watered and he sounded like a hyena.
The first cop came up to Brinus. “Why are you here Brinus? Let me see some I.D. and whatever license you have to commit your crime.”
Brinus presented his license to commit data theft, breaking an electronic lock, digit harassment, and illegal hacking to the two cops while doubled over with laughing.
“Where is your ID?”
Brinus presented his wrist and the two cops scanned it. They looked at each other and realized they couldn’t arrest him.
“Now why are you?”
Brinus took a moment to gain control and then stated after putting a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it to stop laughing, “I was hired by the Duchess of District 12 Marchella Blankenship to silence a whistleblower.” Brinus blew smoke off to the side. He couldn’t help but feel a little revolted by his smoking habit after spending thirty minutes looking at slides of damage caused by cigarettes.
“Okay. Do you have proof you were sanctioned by the state?”
Brinus reached into his pocket and pulled out a card with the duchess’s seal.
The cop scanned the barcode.
“You’re free to go. We’re watching you though.”
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Harper was at Brinus’s apartment. He laid in his lap, sleeping, as Brinus played a popular MMO. Next to them was an ashtray with fifteen cigarette butts. Brinus had his arms resting around Harper's bare chest holding his controller. Their legs and feet were intertwined.
image [https://cdn-gcs.inkitt.com/story_images/big_7ea2557d5030dbaa41a2743d8baba712.png]
Finally, Harper reached for a bottle of tequila. He poured himself a shot. “Do you feel guilty about it?”
“The guy took advantage of eight underage girls when they were drunk. Whatever reason I was hired fer, I took down a predator.
“I know what you’re thinking. What if he wasn’t a predator?”
Brinus pressed pause and came up from the couch. “I thought ‘bout that. I would’ve taken down someone who tryin’ take down Big Tea.”
Harper wrapped his arms around his chest and kissed him. “I know you. You don’t think those DMs are real do you?”
“They are real, that’s the problem. The guy was a pedo but I don’t feel good about it.”
Harper began making out with Brinus’s neck. “Why?”
Brinus smiled and titled his head back exposing his neck. He groaned, “I-I guess havin’ the consequences of my smoking habit in my face fer one." Harper's lips caressed Brinus's neck and jaw as Brinus half closed his eyes. "You should’ve seen those pics or heard what that guy was saying.”
“But you smoked twelve cigarettes over the last two and a half hours?” Harper gently ran his hands down Brinus’s sides and put them around his bare stomach.
Brinus said with a soft purr, tilting his head back so Harper could have better access, “Yeah but I’m addicted and ain’t ready to quit. I still enjoy the habit ya’ know.”
Ten minutes later Brinus grabbed some beer from the fridge. The cold air tickled his bare chest. Harper Reached for his tequila on the shelf.
“Well, that was fun. I'm going clubbing with some friends tonight. Do you wanna join me?” Harper drank directly out of the bottle.
Brinus laughed. “Use protection and take your meds before you go.”
Harper cocked his head to the side and frowned. “You know I’m not that kind of guy. Of course, I will honor our agreement!”
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The next morning Brinus was at the syndicate clubhouse velvet room. He waited for Long Ho while reading some health department reports on tarken tea.
Report One: Experiment successfully completed with AA nicotine. We will begin rolling out AA cigarettes over the next three to five years We still require vaccination for public and charter schools and we will force infants to be vaccinated to manage the increased healthcare costs. However, we will make cigarettes not as accessible to Minors as Adults by putting them in card-operated vending machines.
Report two: Not enough people are taking up smoking to make an impact. Therefore, we have licensed about two dozen tarken tea and vaping companies and allowed them to promote the health benefits of smoking. The federation continues to decline in IQ and social cohesion as the population skyrockets. Our population growth has gone into decline and is achieving the desired results.
Report three: Not enough people are getting vaccinated as healthcare costs skyrocket. We still need to keep healthcare costs manageable by preventing diseases. We have decided to start mandating vaccines for certain careers and the military and school children.
Report four: Mental illness rates have decreased as people begin forming communities such as churches and third spaces. There is also less competition for resources and jobs. People begin to report being more satisfied with life and average IQs have risen for the first time in 100 years.
Brinus looked up and saw Long Ho. “Is this why you had me destroy this guy?”
“The guy was a fucking pedo? Why the fuck do you care?”
Brinus laughed and put down the TriQuater. “So basically, we’re complices in this?”
“Bingo! You helped keep the Confederacy afloat. Now fuck off. I have a fucking meeting in ten minutes.”
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Brinus was in a bar. He knew Harper was probably having a three-way right now. It was a good thing he took his meds. It was part of the agreement they had. He took meds to prevent Brinus from getting STDs, he would use protection, get tested once a month, and Brinus would ask no questions. Truthfully, he didn’t want to know about his escapades every night. Harper sent him pictures of the boys he partied with. They looked like they were having a good time. Brinus was alone and had a cherry soda with rum in it. He also had an ashtray next to him with four cigarette butts. Next to him was an open pack of Otis Datis Vanilla Reapers.
The bar was full of so much cigarette smoke and vapor it caused Brinus’ eyes to water. It also was grungy but in a cool hipster way. It was mostly full of loud gangster rap being played at a rap battle on the sound stage. The bar itself was a large open room with about fifty tables and 200 chairs. Brinus sat at one of the booths by the exposed brick wall.
A girl of about 17 with a foreign accent sat across from him. “Hey, hon! Wonna buy me a drink?”
Brinus felt the buzz-off body posture and the look on his face was clear. However, he decided to handle it like a man. “Oh, my boyfriend wouldn’t like it.” This was a lie. Truthfully, Harper would like him getting some more ass. He likely would want to hear every detail.
The girl looked at him with a surprised look. “Are you bi?”
Brinus shook his head. “I am not into women.”
The girl took the hint and left.
She came back a few moments later with two young men at 18.
One of them spoke. “My girlfriend says you disrespected her.”
Brinus stood, removed his jacket, and flashed his Orin Syndicate tattoo. “Fuck off before I kick your ass.”
“Did you just threaten me?”
Brinus realized these three dumbasses must be from the federation based on their accents and behavior. “Do you know what this tattoo means?”
The woman pulled out her comms device and began recording Brinus. “I am recording this and will post it to my followers and for police purposes.”
Brinus laughed for a couple of moments, “You think this is the federation?” He then punched the girl and she stumbled back dropping her phone. “There you go, Karen, for your followers.” The phone then burst into flames as Brinus laughed.
Five syndicate members came up behind Brinus. They were big strong men and also another woman who came up in front of Brinus.
“Is there a problem?”
The five men removed their jackets and showed their tattoos.
“Brinus hit my girlfriend when she wasn’t doing anything.”
“After you three provoked him and harassed him. This ain’t the federation boys. Men, take them out back and teach them some manners.”
The men grabbed the two boys and took them out back. The woman came up to Brinus and handed him her card. “If you need backup in case they go to the police, here is my card. I doubt they will file the complaint.”