Rather than the posh balcony table overlooking the western sunset, Mark led us over down to a basement, then through a tunnel. We emerged a few minutes later up on a street outside a building painted neon green and black, with heavy door that didn’t look inviting.
“This is Russell’s place, we’ll be safe here until we figure out what’s going on,” he had said and true to his word we were let in and escorted to a privet room.
The inside of the place wasn’t a home, it was more of a club house, with a bar in one corner, and several tables where rough looking men in identical leather vests sat nursing beers or cheap booze.
“The Rabbit has VD, you boys got somewhere I can keep these nice unsullied lassies for a few?” Mark asked, and men came alive like someone blared a siren.
“Sure, man, we got your feeds up like Russell asked,” a heavy set man with blond hair and a long beard said and quickly led us to a back room.
“What the hell is going on?” I asked once more. I was starting to really feel like a noob and it was bugging the hell out of me.
“Something set them off. I’d bet an apple pie it was you princess,” Mark said as he sat down at a monitor and zoomed in on the vid screen.
None of that made any sense to me, and clearly, I was missing a huge amount of information.
On the screen several of the Vision Dynamics outfitted thugs were moving inside the Rabbit, each looking over the patrons and doing their best to look mean.
In my right eye a not insignificant read out of their armor, weapons and Augs started flowing, and my heart skipped a beat. These weren't just your standard low lives, hell, they were tricked out for Mercs.
“I know she was here man, my man saw her going in, so tell me where she is, or I’ll have to mess this place up,” whined an all too familiar scrawny jerk.
“Seth?” I blurted and sat back as I watched the little asshole prance around like he owned the place.
The Augmentations he was packing were more expensive in total that the amber pearl, but how he rated the upgrades was baffling. The last time I'd seen him he'd been a bloody mess.
“Where in the hell did Seth get all that firepower and muscle?” I said astonished, and Mark shot me a dirty look.
“Shut it, darling, Mother is trying to focus,” Jessica demanded and cocked her head to hear the feed.
“Don’t know who you are talking about friend, but this is a long way from the city for you to be making demands. This is Hellion territory not Bucket List Boys,” Russell said, the lack of a tag on on Seths jacket clearly making no difference.
“Hellions need to stay out of this, she owes me money, so its personally not a club issue. Besides, you see what we are packing, you don’t want to fuck with us,” Seth said with a cocky tone to his voice.
“I see you rocking Augs, high dollar stuff, but the Hellions can’t be bought off with tech and a few creds. You need to take your ass somewhere else,” Russell with that same school yard bully attitude I’d seen when we arrived.
“You can’t talk to me like that! I’m the president of the Bucket List Boys,” Seth screeched and his hand flashed, quicker than I thought possible to his pistol, drawing on Russell in a blur.
Russell, spry for a man his size, dove to the side, his own side-arm coming up in a flash. Rounds flew from each weapon, the Hum, whiz, pop of the discharges sending the other patrons to the ground.
To the left of Russell's head a ballistic plastic pock marked, but Russell's experience under fire we evident as his own round slammed into Seth's chest, though the heavily armored torso plate absorbed it, making Seth only stumble back a few steps.
The Patrons dove for the ground pulling tables over with them, or sliding behind pillars and appliances. Even as they did Seth's men crouched and spun around realizing they'd maneuvered themselves a potential cross fire in their attempt to be intimidating to the crowd.
“Good Patrons, please desist from this course of action, the Jacked Rabbit Saloon is neutral territory,” the small clean up drone said into the echo of the blasts.
All eyes went to the small robot for a moment, then slid back toward each other. Seth peered around realizing his error. His men were spread out, but not familiar with the Saloon and had no cover. Russell and the patrols on the other hand were behind tables, or pillars, and each one of them had a easy shot on his men.
“Well Seth, I see your charm is winning them over,” said a smooth rolling voice from the doorway.
The man who walked confidently in needed no introduction, but he gave one anyway.
“I’m Colonel Garshack, Commander of the Marine Corporation,” he said, and a massive man stepped in beside him looking like the incarnation of hell’s fury.
Russell visibly paled, even as he stuck out his jaw in defiance. “You holding this punk’s leash?” Russell asked and pointed toward Seth with his Jaw instead of his gun.
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“I’m no one's pet!” Seth growled and went to raise his gun again, but the mountain of muscle at Garshack’s side moved, his gun raised at Seth’s head.
Garshack’s brow furrowed, then a playful little smile touched his lips. “Now, now, don’t be hasty there, Seth. This fellow just doesn’t know the deal,” he said.
“BLB comes in here to my turf waving around guns and running his mouth, now you show up backing his play, seems pretty straight forward to me,” Russell said slowly coming to his feet.
“Oh, now, it’s not about turf,” Garshack laughed as he looked around the Rabbit with amusement and distaste.
“You know The Faction, boy?” The Colonel asked.
“We aren’t chartered under the Koreans,” Russell replied.
“No, no you’re not,” Garshack granted with a nod as he fished an old school cigarette from his coat and made the room wait as he lit it, took a long drag and exhaled. In that moment he looked all the world like a dragon amused by a mouse, and Russell, also seemed aware of his predicament. "But you also don't have their contempt."
"I' did go to their house and piss on the entry way," Russel said, a challenge in his voice.
“Miss Emerson has possession of something The Faction very much wants returned, Seth is here representing those gents,” he said.
“All the muscle on the streets is over some bullshit property dispute, bullshit,” Seth said evenly, his tilting toward the street.
Garshack looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged, “No, I won’t say it is. I will say that’s not your current concern, tell Seth where to find the girl. You’re out numbered, and this doesn’t concern the Hellions, Hell this isn’t even your place, its Mark’s,” he said and took another draw on his smoke.
“Yeah, The Rabbit isn’t his, and sure as hell isn’t yours,” a new voice cut in and to my surprise the sexy server girls rolled out from opposite aside entrances with a small tactical team with them followed by dozens of Hellion gang members.
“Thats PTS!” I exclaimed as we watched and felt a surge of hope and pride surge in my chest.
“Well, this is unexpected,” the Colonel said as casually as if just realized he’d been charged half off a drink.
“Emerson is one of ours, so unless The Marine Corp wants a professional conflict back the fuck off,” said a voice I knew at once.
“Diz!” I gasped as I realized she’d been in the bar with me the entire time, hidden behind the outfit and mask.
“It was my understanding that your people told you to stand down and hold in place,” Garshack grumbled and dropped his smoke to the ground before casually crushing it under his boot.
“That has to do with the settlers, not my drone technician. I don’t think that the Marine Corp wants to snuggle up to the BLB or the Faction enough to do that,” Diz shrugged, then laughed a little.
“But, what the hell? I’ve been itching for a little pay back since the ambush and maybe I don’t know which one of your pricks was behind it, but it would make me feel better to just shoot some jerks,” she said with enough rye amusement to unsettle even the old badger of a Colonel.
“Fuck this shit!” Seth growled and started to step forward, but the massive bodyguard pressed his gun hard into Seth's forehead, making him step back.
Garshack glanced that way, then at his man, and back to Diz. “I’ve dealt with PTS, you are some hardheaded knuckle draggers, but you can be taught,” he said, but motioned for his men to lower their weapons.
“Seth, you can deal with your personal issues another day. We don’t have time for this right now,” he said matter of factly.
“Fuck no! That bitch owes me!” Seth objected, but the still silent bodyguard stepped in front of him and physically pressed him back toward the door.
"I don't owe that mother fucker anything!" I protested, but once more Jessica shot me a glare and I shut up.
Seth stepped back, nearly stumbling, one of his men, the gorilla, steadied him and guided him to the door.
“No! I am going to find that bitch! I’m gonna find her and she’ll pay the price, she’ll find out who she fucked over! Then I’m coming for the rest of you PTS fuckers! You fucks have no idea-” Seth’s words cut off as he was shoved out the door.
Garshack’s man went to step out as well then paused and looked back at Diz, Russell then right up into the camera. It was like he was looking into my soul and for a moment my breath caught in my throat. I’m not the hardest woman in the world, but I’m though enough but something about that man spoke of death and misery.
Garshack looked at the room as well and smiled a little under that grey handlebar mustache. “Rooker sure doesn’t know when he is playing above his league. But then he never did,” The Colonel motioned, and his people started tactically pull out, their guns up and surveying the room as the moved.
“You take the girl and fall back to your compound, where I suggest you stay. Rooker gave orders not to get involved in our business, so follow orders like a good little girl and there won’t be a problem,” Garshack said still smiling like a grandfather with an inside joke.
“Yeah, I've never been a Good Girl, but leave me and my people be, and we won’t cause trouble, but fuck with us, and you’ll find out how much of a bad girl I can be,” Diz said with a hard tone.
“I’m sure you’re just naughty,” Garshack laughed and made his way out of the building, chuckling.
The room took a collective breath as Russell barred the door. “Chill out people, safe those weapons and get a beer!” he laughed, and the room broke into gales of celebration and laughter, but Diz didn’t look happy.
“Regroup at the compound. No one moves alone. These fucks aren’t above taking an easy opportunity to hurt us, so be on your guard,” she said to her people, who actually saluted despite the fact their team leader looked like a cross between a pin up model for Soldier of Fortune and a street walker.
“We need to talk,” Diz said, and I realized she was looking at the camera the same way the bodyguard had. She was talking to me, and I felt admonished for some reason.
“Hey, I’m Turk, Sergeant at Arms for the Hellions,” The blond man from ealier cut in. “Russell said to get you out of our club house as soon as possible, so like, you’re going to the PTS compound,” he said then stood there looking at us.
“What now?” I asked and toggled my frame to the standing position.
“What the fuck did you think I meant, tomorrow? Stupid bitch,” he said without heat.
“Language young man!” Jessica hissed, and the bad ass gang banger paled at her admonishment.
“Ma`am, get this chick out here, I’ll send some brothers as escort, but you got to go,” he ushered us to move, and we both complied.
“Mark, are you coming with us?” I asked, but Mark was already shaking his head.
“Nope, I need to see to the Rabbit. That guy Seth doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who is just going to step back and be chill. He’ll start trouble one way or another and I need to be read for it,” he said and suddenly hugged Jessica and kissed her cheek.
“I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into Grandma, but keep yourself safe,” he said and for a moment they just looked fondly into each other's eyes.
“I can’t promise you that darling, but my part is over once Abby is with her people,” she replied, and I realized finally that Mark wasn’t calling her grandma in mockery.
“You two are related?” I asked with a laugh, completely caught off guard after their antics.
“My second daughter’s child. I believe Gunny refers to him as, The Monster,” Jessica laughed.
“I progressed from ankle biter in highschool, but that’s a story for another day.” Mark grinned and gave Jessica one more hug before slipping out.