Tally Road Original Story- Chapter 21

"Did you hire her?" said Rairate.

The scruffy Runge sneered at him. "What makes you think we should tell you? How much is it worth to you?"

"You want to be friendlier, Leet." snapped Siertes.

"Liellte to you, angel-dee. And no, I don't, I don't want to be friendly at all."

"I think you do." said Siertes, tightly. Liellte glanced at her, and looked away with a grimace.

"Angel-dee?" whispered Boodins to Rai. The Runge heard him.

"She's our lovely angel of pointy-fanged death, dumb-ass. Best one we ever had until she fuckin' turned on us. You all should go away now. I never saw you, you never saw me."

"Yeah," said Siertes. "They never saw you running the candy train to Ritteln, they don't know you controlled more than half the money laundering from the interception of the Schende convoy..."

"Bitch!" yelped Liellte. "Shut the fuck up!"

"No. We're going to find out why Finn was at Dinsam, and who you had me working for- and my friend had a question for you."

"Your friend can go sink slowly on my stiff..."

Siertes lashed out with a hand and slapped his wolfish muzzle, hard. He tried to snap at her, but she was far too fast, and said "You could be dead just as quickly as that. Answer my friend's question."

The fellow glowered at her, and thought, without speaking. Siertes didn't rush him. Rai watched this interchange attentively, for it spoke volumes: Siertes was trying to get his cooperation but seemed aware that the fellow would easily accept a fighting death if he were pushed too hard. There was also the events Siertes alluded to- she wasn't only telling his secrets, she was also alluding to the fact that this fellow was powerful and influential in his way. Rairate kept his focus sharp, and paid attention to attack paths that exposed Boodins and Dene. He had a suspicion that Siertes was still prepared to protect Dene, so he concentrated on the sphere of possible event around Boodins and himself.

Liellte spoke. "I don't appreciate you mentioning our little victories."

"I know." said Siertes. "Answer the kitty."

Liellte turned to study Rairate. "I hired her. Her assignment was to tail you and be sure to fuck up your approach if you got a sniff of Finn. Finn's ours. He works here as a chef, and he's damn good. He's good at his work for us as well."

"You were protecting his latest kidnapping?" inquired Rairate.

Liellte's jaw dropped. He shot a quick glance at Siertes, and returned his gaze to Rai. "What the fuck are you talking about? We do transport, and transport intercept. He's a driver. What the fuck would we want him kidnapping anybody?"

"You didn't have him kidnap Elistary Brinmont Doestral Evensring?"

That produced another glance at Siertes. "That's a Fine Resten name. You think our Finn kidnapped a Resten aristo?"

Rairate saw no point to denying this. "We're trying to find that out."

Liellte kept staring at Siertes. "This sounds political."

"You have no idea." replied Siertes.

"This sounds too fucking political."

"You're right there." replied Siertes.

"Who really kidnapped her? It wasn't our man." said Liellte.

"Damn if I know." said Siertes. "But it looks like someone is allying with Xarnax."

"Shit! Finn's tied up in that?"

"We don't know." said Siertes.

Liellte stared at nothing, his eyes flicking to and fro and revealing the intensity of his thought. He spoke. "Too political."

"Yeah." said Siertes.

"You're in it?" asked Liellte.

"Looks like it."

The Runge sat up abruptly. "We're out. Okay?"

"You're gonna cut Finn loose?" said Siertes.

"We don't do political. You know that. He knows that. We're not gonna target him ourselves but he's on his own now. He said he was in trouble, huh? He knows better, going off political on us. Dammit!"

"He said he was in trouble?" asked Rairate.

"He gets in trouble with women sometimes. He said he was being hunted and needed something to fuck up the approach. Is this all because he got knotted on some aristo cutie and got her family mad?"

"What was he doing in Dinsam Industrial Fabrication?" countered Siertes.

"What were you doing there, angel-dee?" replied Liellte.

"Another assignment- I was using it as cover, now I think maybe I'm signing on for real."

"Who for?"

"Voustrets Talanstre Laimontre."

Liellte's eyes bugged out. Then his hand shot out, and Rairate jerked with instinctive reaction, but the Runge was only pointing a finger at the open door.

"TOO political!"

"You think?" said Siertes. "Imagine how I felt."

"I'm serious, angel-dee. Too political. Kiss Finn off. If he's involved in something that has that guy after him, I don't ever want to see his ass again. I want you guys out of here, too. You've gotta go."

"Charming." said Siertes.

"We don't do political. You know we don't. It's an expensive way to get shot in the back and not even know who's gunning for you... and you're not sticking around in case you attract his attention." said Liellte.

"Well, you're the one who brought us here, Leet. Gonna drop us back at the station?"

"You know me better than that, angel-dee. We'll outfit you, but you gotta go now."

"Who can you have drive us? It's not an easy road." said Siertes.

"Forget that. I'm not having any of my people even seen with you guys. You're way too hot to touch. We can outfit you with vehicles, weapons, and you can keep them- as long as you go, now."

Siertes glared at him. "Is it an echo in here?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, angel-dee," said the Runge. "I'm hurt. How can you insult the inner decency of my Go! Now!"

Siertes had to laugh, as Liellte grinned wolfishly. "All right, all right! Slow down, though, I don't know if my friends here want me. We might have to go two different ways. Rairate, you've been quiet. What do you say?"

"You seem to know these people quite well." said Rai. "Perhaps you should stay with them..."

"No." said Liellte.

"What are we supposed to do with you, then, Siertes?" said Rai.

"I don't know. I'm leveling with you, and I'd like to go with you if you're caught up in this. I can't go back home, because I broke my contract, and I can't tell them why because I don't know exactly what's happening. With or without you, I'm going to learn more." Siertes' eyes glinted. "And I may catch up with Finn before you do."

"If you find he has Elistary somewhere," asked Rai, "will you refrain from harming her when you settle with him?

"I don't know. What does it matter?"

"My own mission is to find and rescue her." said Rai. "You've deceived us before, please be truthful, vraonse."

Siertes looked as if the limitation was distasteful. "Oh, all right, I'll be nice to the aristo puppy. She might not like it when I put pressure on Finn. You'd better not expect me to keep her happy as well..."

Liellte cleared his throat. "You can talk on the road. I want all of you out of here in fifteen minutes."

Both Rai and Siertes turned to stare in disbelief at him. Rai said, "It was you who brought us here..." while Siertes' reaction was more direct. "Fine- set us up!"

"Sure, angel-dee." said the Runge. "This way to the garage."