The Run

“On the same night that the tapes disappeared!” Margo said suddenly seeing the connections fall into place.

“Riiiiight. Transcom is screwed. They can’t say anything about the tapes being lifted or involve the police while they’re busy trying to absolve themselves of blame by claiming their security was adequate. There’s no need to go after the tapes anyway, you can’t blackmail a corpse. Syntech thinks La’joure is out of the way, so her people can smuggle her back to the safety of their HQ in Paris without having to worry about security, no one keeps trying to kill a dead woman. Once the tapes are destroyed and La’joure is safely back in Paris they announce that the person killed wasn’t her after all, but until then the newspaper headlines are going to provide them with a lot of cover, like I said, slick,”

“Why me? And why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why you? Why not? Put yourself in their security chief’s position. You already know the actress is going to take it in the head. There has to be some kind of security presence or no one at Syntech will buy the charade. The security you send is most likely going to get it too, so why send one of your guys when you can hire an outsider to take that fall?” he said. Margo started to get angry again, she didn’t like being set up.

“As to why I didn’t tell you, I didn’t know. Get this message loud and clear Margo, even if you take nothing else from this meeting. I’m expensive and considered one of the best, but I am always on a need to know footing. Corps don’t give information to anyone, not even the elites. Make it your business to get the real skinny before you start any run,”

“When did you find out?”

“For sure? Not until this morning, but I suspected something of the like from square one. That’s why my 400K, fifty of which your holding in your hand was guaranteed, regardless of the outcome of the babysitting bit. Remember when I told you no one would take it? It stank of set up and the good runners couldn’t get any clean intel on it, so they passed,”

“How did you find out?” Margo inquired. Nelson looked at her very hard and seemed to be thinking. When he spoke his words were calculated and careful.

“Irish has a bookie friend. One of the security staff at Ma’Cherie has a gambling habit and he looses…a lot. We set him up with a sure thing that didn’t pan out and then Irish leaned on the guy pretty hard. In exchange for the info, I picked up his debts as far as he knows. You have to network Margo, information will save your life more often than your Kevlar vest.”

“So now what?” Margo said.

“Well, I suggest you flash that cash around. Take your girlfriend out and show her a good time. Be conspicuous with it, make sure you flash it around as much as you can, especially in places where the suits hang out. Take her shopping downtown and to dinner at Chuchuzco’s. Hell, take to the Siren’s club and show her off, enter her in the cutest pussy competition, anything that’s highly visible,”

“Why?”

“Because your name is mud right now. No one is going to hire you to hold the fucking bag on a panty raid,”

“So I should hang on to this,” she said indicating the cred stick, “Since I won’t be making any more,”

“That would be the prudent move, but it isn’t the one you need to make,”

“Why?”

“You’re thinking small again. In a week to ten days Ma’Cherie will announce that Miss La’joure is safely back in Paris. If you live small you’re done, but if you live large and perhaps drop a hint here and there that your fortunes will change in the next few days…”

“Snap! People will think I was in on it all the way!”

“Right. You’re flashing money around and people are going to start to wonder where it came from. Corps don’t pay runners who fail. When they announce she wasn’t killed, the natural assumption is going to be those creds you were throwing around came from Ma’Cherie and if people get the idea that you were in on it from the ground floor, how much is that going to raise your stock?”

“Thanks Jack, I really owe you now. But I do have a question, how do you know I have a girlfriend?”

“I make it my business to know Margo,” he said smiling expansively, “I have a decker too you know, and the vid unit in your hotel has a send feature. You might want to consider moving and getting one that has a hardwired kill when you do. I do have to admit she’s as cute as hell,”

“Isn’t she?” Margo said, smiling even as she blushed.

End