Turncoat: Turncoat Trilogy Book 1

Chapter 20.2

I guess I should have warned Vicki before we walked into the establishment about what the inside would look like. A mix of encrypted computer hub and night club, professional hackers tapped away at keyboards while barely dressed women and men deliver them drinks and did their best to distract. Occasionally a hacker would leave their station and take the hand of one of the servers and they would vanish.

"This is your place?" Vicki shouted over the pulsing music, most of which was illegal.

"Yeah," I said. "The owner is around here somewhere. We need his permission to use a station."

"Why?"

"I left, so someone else bought my station," I said glaring at a chubby man working where I used to. "This is one of the best encrypted computer hubs in the city. Our message will be safe."

"You're sure about this?"

"A team of four people hacked the government's dead head registry and switched the information with the political prisoner registry from here. Dead Heads were popping up as political prisoners for a week until they got it settled."

"And it was a lovely hack at that, Tawny," a man said walking past us. "Couldn't have done it without ya. Who are you?" A smirk crossed his face as he eyed Vicki.

"Gay," Vicki said.

"That's too bad," he said. "I'm sure we could still get to know each other on a personal level."

"Hers," Vicki added pointing at me.

The man scowled and walked away.

"I thought you were bisexual?" I whispered.

"He doesn't know that," she responded. "So, where is this owner?"

I resisted the urge to scowl as I started walking, being cordial with the people I passed as we weaved our way up to the bar. I lifted my hand to catch the bartenders attention, a firey red head by the name of Ash. Her curly hair fell over her shoulders, nearly covering the tiny crop top she wore. I would call it more of a rag, but who am I to say.

"Hey, hun, you aint been here in a long time, what can I getchya?" Ash asked.

"A meeting, I need a terminal," I said.

"Coming right up," she said with a smile. She turned back to a terminal behind the bar and began typing. "So, how have you been? Heard you got pinched about a month back, this have anything to do with that?"

"Some of it does, some of it has something to do with the break in at the maintenance bay earlier," I said.

"I knew you were my kind of crazy," Ash said with a smirk. "So, this gonna be a permanent thing, you coming back?"

"Actually, we're getting out of town," Vicki said. "We just need to send a message to a few people."

"Oh, well, I'll send you off properly then," Ash said with a smile hitting enter. She turned back and began pouring two drinks. She slid them across the bar and I took one.

"What's this?" Vicki asked cautiously looking at the drink.

"Its a neural stimulant, mostly for the hackers when they hook into their systems for long term hacking," I said.

"However, without the gear, you can get a little trippy if you drink too fast," Ash said. "So, drink up and I'll get you hooked into a system."

"Ah, no thanks, some of us need to remain clear headed tonight," Vicki said.

"Your's doesn't have the stimulant," Ash said, "just a double shot. It's actually one of the tamer drinks I can make."

"What?"

"Alcohol and stimulant drugs are a surprisingly good combination for this place," I muttered throwing back the drinks in front of me.

"He's giving you console three for today," Ash said. "Do you need your bag?"

"Yes, please, thanks for holding onto it," I said. I walked over to the console and began typing. Explaining everything that happened and what we intended to do. Vicki seemed a little weirded out by everything, sipping cautiously at her drink as if she doubted the nonexistence of stimulants. Ash handed me another drink as I send the message off and I saw my black duffle sitting on the counter.

"Everything is in there minus a hundred kredit, holder's fee," she said. "Do you know which direction you're headed?"

"Out," I said. "I would assume north, fighting is closest there."

"Alright, well be careful, there's no guarantee that the Alliance will treat you any better," she warned. "I want an email when you're across the safe, you got me?"

I nodded and hugged her. "Will do," I said. "Vicki, message is sent."

I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. Vicki practically clung to me as we walked over. Once back in the streets, she released me and stepped back a little.

"How do you manage to stand it in there?" she asked.

"You get used to it," I said. "We should check on Nick, make sure he hasn't bled out."

"Yeah, let's go," Vicki agreed looking back cautiously.