The Johnson Run

by Kai O'Connal

  Lance took a breath and held up a hand. All eyes turned toward him as he spoke in his soft, even voice. “I’d like to remind you that we tried cloning the information off the commlink, but E-jekt wasn’t able to crack the encryption in the time we had. I doubt any of us could have done better.”

  “Well, then maybe we should’ve scheduled the second meeting a little bit later and not jammed ’em together like that. I thought the whole point of this insanity was to avoid getting shot at, not make it all worse!”

  “Hindsight, my vertically-challenged associate. That is of little help to us now. What we need to do is remain calm and wait until Meritus attempts to contact our Ms. Johnson. His team might have still succeeded. We don’t know. All we do know is that Meritus and Kylie escaped, and Tors didn’t. Anything beyond that is speculation.”

  “And how long do you think we’re gonna have to wait for that?”

  As if in mocking response to Paz’s question, Keandra’s commlink beeped to indicate an incoming call. She pulled up the display and saw it was from Meritus. She didn’t need to ask for silence; all conversation in the room stopped. Keandra let the call page her a couple extra times before she answered—despite their current circumstances, there was no need to appear too hasty.

  “Mr. Meritus. I was not expecting a call from you. I thought we had agreed to meet at the restaurant.”

  “I know that was the original deal, but I need to know if you might alter the arrangement. There was a slight problem.”

  Keandra’s breath caught for a fraction of a second. If he was wanting to alter the deal, that meant he had to have at least acquired the data file. Only with severe effort did the keep the relief from creeping into her voice.

  “And what alterations would you suggest?”

  “I hoping that we might be able to meet now, or at least in the near future. There appears to be some—” He paused, and Keandra heard tires screeching in the background combined with a curse. “As I was saying, there appears to be some difficulty maintaining control of the package. It would be very helpful if we could arrange a more immediate exchange. Look at it this way: you’ll get your data hours ahead of your original plan, and I’m not even asking for a bonus for that.”

  Keandra fired off a quick message while she listened to Meritus.

 

  “I appreciate your initiative, Mr. Meritus. However, it does seem like your delivery might pose a significant risk if I were to meet with you right at this moment. As I am sure you can appreciate, discretion is of critical importance in this matter.”

  Paz shouted on her screen.

 

  “I understand that, Ms. Johnson. But I do feel the need to point out one tiny detail. The script we ran didn’t copy the data file—it moved it. If we’re unable to deliver it in the near future, it might be lost. Permanently.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  Keandra kept her voice icy, even though sweat formed at the base of her skull and dripped down her spine. If he destroyed the data, they would have to face their Johnson’s disappointment. Unlike her, he wasn’t pretending to have the full strength of a megacorp behind him.

  “More like an advisory or update on the status. You see, it is rather urgent that we arrange a meetup as soon as possible.”

  “This is most…unusual. I expected something more from a man of your reputation, Mr. Meritus.”

 

  “However, as you so eloquently put it, I would be able to receive the data sooner than expected. Provided you can lose any additional attention in your current activities, I suppose we could arrange a rendezvous. I will be at Syberspace shortly. Meet me there within the next sixty minutes—discreetly—and we can verify you have the necessary data.”

  “A pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Johnson. I look forward to the conclusion of our agreement.”

  Keandra cut the connection and rushed to her room to get ready for the meeting, confident that the rest of the team would be scurrying about collecting what they would need as well. They didn’t have much time. Even if they avoided the traffic, it would be at least thirty minutes before they could get to the club. There wouldn’t be time to reserve the limo. Hopefully the charade would last long enough for them to get the data.

  Even though she hurried, Keandra took care to look every part the professional. She finished her preparations and then returned to the main room to find E-jekt still shrugging into his suit.

  As he rushed to put the jacket on, a ripping sound broke the silence when the shoulder seam gave way. He froze, and Keandra rushed over to help him pull it on the rest of the way.

  “It’s fine. We’ll get it fixed after this meeting. As long as you don’t shrug your shoulders or roll your arms, it shouldn’t get worse or be noticeable.”

  “This is cutting it too close. I don’t like this.”

  “We can talk about that later. Right now we need to get down there and get the data. If Meritus doesn’t show or doesn’t deliver, we’re screwed.”

  With a final flurry of activity, the group hustled out of the apartment and down to the ground floor where Paz’s van was parked. They piled in, and Paz started driving before the doors were shut.

  “What do you want to do when we get there? My beat-up armored van doesn’t scream suit transport.”

  “Park a block away and wait for my signal. I’ll go in with Lance and E-jekt. If anyone sees us, we’ll look like an executive with her bodyguard and technical advisor. Nothing unusual about that. I doubt they’ll ask questions. And besides, they might not even be there yet. They had quite a bit of heat to lose first.”

  Keandra took a deep breath and looked out the window. She hoped they did lose the heat. If they didn’t, and that data was lost, there would be no way to recover it. And then they’d need to figure out how to deal with Mr. Johnson. They could scrounge up the funds to return his advance, but something told her that wouldn’t be an acceptable trade. There was no way they had the resources necessary to go on the run from someone with his reach and influence.

  But now was not the time to think about that. She had to portray the successful businesswoman—the person who had the power and influence to be feared. She could only focus on one problem at a time, and the current obstacle involved getting the data from Meritus. Luckily, she had already gotten the necessary certified credsticks for the rest of his payment.

  As soon as Paz turned down a side street and slammed on the brakes, Lance opened the side door and jumped out, running as he hit the pavement to keep from falling. Keandra waited until the vehicle came to a complete stop. Running in heels at all was a difficult venture; doing it while jumping out of a moving vehicle was foolishness. She strode to the club’s front entrance, her “advisor” walking next to her while her “bodyguard” stayed a few steps behind. E-jekt pinged the staff as they walked.

 

  Keandra let out a relieved sigh. Finally, something was going their way. With any luck, they’d shortly be walking out of the club with the necessary data in hand.

  When they got to the front entrance, the bouncer waved them through with only a passing glance at her SIN to verify her identity. They passed through a small foyer with another set of double doors before entering the club proper. As soon as the second doors in the airlock-style atrium were open, a combination of sights, sounds, and smells blasted Keandra and almost sent her reeling.

  The main floor of the club had a bar and several tables scattered around the border, but the vast majority of space was completely open. These open areas had some walls as physical barriers to divide one AR simulation from another and prevent them from overlapping. The individual scenes ranged from wild, s
eizure-inducing raves to a dungeon area where clubgoers engaged in a heated battle against a virtual dragon. At the far end was a stage where some tribute band belted out the latest hit at a volume making Keandra want to cover her ears. She didn’t think she’d be able to hear E-jekt if he shouted at her, and he was within an arm’s reach. The air was filled with a mix of sweat, perfume, cologne, and the unmistakable scent of pot for those who preferred to get their rush the retro way.

  E-jekt tugged on her arm and said something, but she couldn’t make out his words. He pointed to the left side of the club, where a darkened doorway led deeper into the shadows. She strode through the crowd, stepping over a couple of BTL users passed out on the floor, oblivious to the world around them.

  Once in the hallway, the sound dropped from overpowering to simply loud. Keandra looked to E-jekt, and he nodded at the third door. It was locked; the digital keypad read OCCUPIED. E-jekt punched in a code and the indicator light turned green as the door swung into the room beyond. Keandra and her entourage stepped through, Lance closing the door behind him.

  As soon as it swung shut, a silence so sudden that it created a rush in Keandra’s ears settled over her. It took a moment to realize that the sound she was hearing was her own blood coursing through her veins. It was as if they stepped into a different world, completely isolated from the one outside. At least they wouldn’t need to worry about an observer trying to spy on them through the door. Keandra wagered a gunshot wouldn’t be heard outside the room as long as the music was still playing.

  The chamber was well-furnished, with a large table against one wall, three chairs, and two small but expensive-looking couches covered in probably-fake leather. She headed to the table and Lance moved to help her without a word. He had watched her set the scene enough times to know what she wanted. She put the table in the center of the room and put her seat directly opposite the door. Then they pushed the couches to the walls on either side. E-jekt took the chair next to Keandra’s. The remaining chair was meant for Meritus once he arrived. If he brought anyone with him, they could stand or use the couches.

  Once the room was set to her liking, Keandra gave it another sweep, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She found a small camera in the back corner where the walls met the ceiling. It was small enough that she’d missed it on her first cursory pass, and only caught it when she gave the room a thorough check. She tagged it and pointed it out to E-jekt, who was already wired into the Matrix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Lance did as he was instructed as Keandra arranged herself in her seat. Next to her, she felt E-jekt’s leg tremoring as he bounced it up and down on the ball of his foot. She put a hand on his thigh and gave it a quick sharp squeeze before folding her hands on the table in front of her. He got the message and planted both feet flat on the ground.

  The door swung open, and both Meritus and Kylie entered the meeting room. Even if she hadn’t watched their narrow escape, Keandra would have known their operation hadn’t gone as smoothly as they hoped. Pain, exhaustion, and fear left obvious marks on their faces.

  Meritus held it together better than his companion, but it was telling that he hadn’t stopped to take the time to clean up before coming to meet his employer. He kept his decorum as he slid the chair away from the table and eased into it. By contrast, Kylie collapsed onto a couch hard enough to make it slide a short distance across the floor.

  Meritus pulled out the disposable commlink she had given him at their last meeting. He placed it on the table in front of him and kept two fingers resting on the top of it.

  “This is what you’re looking for. All of the data, just like you requested.” Meritus offered an easy smile that said he was just there to do business as usual. The only thing off about him was his ragged appearance.

  Keandra risked a quick glance at his associate. The couple beads of sweat running down the side of her face appeared since they entered the room, and she seemed unwilling to meet Keandra’s gaze, even briefly. It could just be the narrow escape, but it made Keandra nervous.

  “I’ll need to verify the package is complete, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  Meritus slid it across the table and lifted his fingers from it so Keandra could inspect it. She passed it to E-jekt, who connected it to his commlink. He began running commands on it while Keandra and Meritus stared at each other with matching expressions of stone.

 

  With a crack like thunder, the lights in the room exploded in a shower of sparks. Meritus was on his feet in a flash, drawing a gun from under his coat. Keandra kept her hands on the table in plain view, not wanting to startle the runner. His hand shook as he held the gun out in front of him, the first time she’d seen him visibly shaken.

  “Pay up! Now!”

  8

  “Mr. Meritus, there’s no need to be rash.”

  Kylie rose and drew her gun, keeping it trained on E-jekt as she walked over to stand behind Meritus. Even in the limited light available from the floor’s emergency strips, Kylie’s skin had visibly paled.

  “I’m going to reach into my pocket and retrieve your payment.” Keandra kept her voice calm and moved slowly, not wanting to accidentally push Meritus over the edge.

  While she retrieved the payment, a message came in from Lance.

  Keandra hoped E-jekt would respond, but he was quiet. She didn’t dare look in his direction while under watch, let alone try to access her commlink. She nudged his foot and it slid across the floor with no resistance. Keandra sucked in air, making both Meritus and Kylie twitch. She opened her suit jacket so they both could watch as she reached into an inner pocket with two fingers and pulled out the credstick stashed there. She put it in the center of the table.

 

 

 

  “Here is the rest of your payment. Thank you for your services and for delivering the package.”

  Meritus snatched the credstick just as the door started to open. Kylie whirled around, aiming at the opening. When Keandra spoke, it was loud enough she hoped Lance would hear.

  “Now that our business is concluded, my associate will see you out.”

  The door opened enough to show Lance standing in his suit with his hands at his sides. The sounds of panicked chaos echoed down the hall just past him. It sounded like a stampede, and Keandra was surprised they couldn’t feel the vibrations through the floor. Meritus and Kylie bolted into the hall and out of sight without checking the credstick or a word of thanks. Lance watched them go and then stepped inside, slamming the door shut.

  “What happened?”

  Keandra rose from her chair hard enough to send it crashing to the floor. Sheknelt at E-jekt’s side and grabbed his wrist to check for a pulse. He sat slack with a hand pressed against his chest. His eyes were open, but distant and
not tracking anything. A bit of drool leaked from one corner of his mouth. At least his pulse was strong. Whatever happened, it hadn’t killed him.

  “I don’t know. I had E-jekt check the data package. He said everything was there, and then the lights went out and he got like this. I didn’t see it happen; my attention was focused on Meritus.”

  “Whatever made the lights spontaneously explode, it didn’t just happen in here. I heard a couple of cracks from the main room, about the same time the music terminated. If I had to guess, I’d wager the club’s entire network was attacked.”

  E-jekt groaned, a sound that had never sounded so good to Keandra. He closed his eyes and refused to open them, but at least he seemed cognizant. His limbs were still weak, and he offered no resistance as Keandra attempted to move him. She hunched forward, draping one of his thick arms across her shoulders, and heaved him up, trying to stand—frag, he’s heavy! He was small for an ork, but still outweighed her by half again. She lifted him a couple of centimeters before her legs gave out and she dropped him back into the seat.

  “Lance!”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Lance rushed over and took her position, hefting E-jekt out of the chair. Once they were standing, hee gave a little shrug, rebalancing the weight. His face strained with the effort, but at least he could move.

  Keandra snatched the disposable commlink off the table and shoved it into her pocket as she headed toward the door. She opened it and peeked into the hallway before stepping out and waving her companions forward.

 

 

  Keandra ran to the doorway connecting the private rooms to the main club. The scene was worse than she anticipated. Several people writhed on the floor in various states of injury. It looked like most of them had been trampled, and more than a few were unconscious. There were a few scorch marks, both on people’s skin and on the wall near some of the projectors. The heavy odors of ozone and crisped flesh filled the air. Sparks flashed and electricity crackled.