Dodger nodded solemnly. 'Naught to do now but face the inevitable.'
'It's settled then,' Sam said firmly. 'We'll get Howling Coyote.'
'But no one knows where he is,' Hart protested. 'If he is alive at all,' Dodger added. Sam shrugged, dismissing their objections. If only his own fears could be dealt with so easily. 'I'll find him,' he said.
Neko Noguchi stretched contentedly. The surroundings were eminently satisfactory: subdued lighting, soft music with just enough beat to be stimulating, condiments and liquid refreshments made from real foodstuffs, soft furniture, and an even softer bed waiting. Though Neko had not yet lain down on it, he was sure of the last; he had checked earlier in the evening. The woman was attentive and skilled. Monique, she had said her name was, a name as exotic to him as her sleek, dark good looks. Oh yes, he was content. This was how the best shadowrunners lived between runs, a lifestyle he was going to enjoy getting used to.
He reached for the decanter to top off his glass. Monique nudged him gently in the ribs and nuzzled closer, holding out her glass. He grinned, more for his own amusement than in response to her smile. It was her third refill all on the tab, of course. She had guzzled twice as much as he had, and he knew from the buzz in his own head that the booze was good quality. Though her voice had started to slur, she was not really drunk or uncoordinated. Her drinks came from the same source as his, so she must have some kind of augmentation that shunted the liquor from her system or neutralized the alcohol. He wondered how many of these overpriced drinks it took to pay for her enhancement.
She nestled in his arm and pulled at her drink. He settled back and sipped at his, ready to continue his tale.
'Deckers are so proud of their ability to lift data from the systems of arrogant corporations, overbearing governments, and wealthy individuals. But they are fools to risk their brains against Intrusion Coun-termeasures, daring the black ice with only meat reflexes and the thin shield of their cyberdecks to protect them.
'Data-theft, like most fine arts, can be accomplished in a variety of manners. Some are safer than others, of course.'
Monique's eyes were wide, shining with admiration. 'What you did was not without danger. A decker might risk his brain, but you risked your body and life.'
'True. Life and limb were at peril.' He sipped. 'But my body is a well-honed machine, and like any machine, it can be rebuilt if necessary. You know the old saying, 'We have the technology.' As to the risk to my life? Breathing is a risk and walking down the street a danger. Death comes to all, and when it does, our worries and concerns leave us. No good karma comes from running away from what cannot be avoided. The real, true, and horrible fate worse than death is the loss of your mind. To remain breathing while the mind is absent or locked in a fugue is a nullity, existence without purpose. You cannot deal with this life nor go onward in the cycle. The brain death is what deckers risk. I would rather face a dragon in single combat.'
Monique shivered delicately. 'Yet you stole the data. How did you do it?'
Neko shrugged, dismissing the difficulty of his feat with deliberate casualness. 'Cats are shadowy, silent creatures, unnoticed when they wish it so. I wished it so. Goroji-san will learn of his loss when his tame deckers begin tomorrow night's work.''
'Aren't you afraid he will find out who stole from him? Goroji's kobun are notorious for their brutality.'
Chuckling, Neko put down his glass and traced the fine line of her chin. 'However brutal they are, the f Goroji's clan cannot hurt what they cannot find.'
'You are marvelous.' She kissed his finger. 'Are you sure they can't trace you?'
'Very.' Neko kissed her. His lips tingled, a sensation brought about by her lipstick, he realized, because it was strongest where the liquor had not washed away much of the ruby tint. He pulled away to stare into her eyes. She lowered her lids, a feigned shyness that hinted at the pleasure to come. He smiled. Biz before pleasure; it was time to end the pretense. 'You may assure Cog that what I have is no isotope. He will not be burned by simple association, although some of the offering will have a half-life of usefulness.'
'Cog? Who or what is Cog? What are you talking about?'
Her eyes were wide and her tone a masterful blend of hurt and confusion. Her body language expressed innocence tinged with timidity and a hint of growing trepidation. He was impressed. The act would have been convincing. If he hadn't known better.
'Excellent performance.' He used his free hand to clap softly on the arm of the sofa. 'But I do know that you belong to Cog. Do you think I would have spoken so freely if I hadn't known you were screening for the fixer?'
Her deception remained in play while those dark eyes evaluated him, measuring his conviction and weighing the cost of dropping her pretense. He let the seconds drag. Finally her eyes shifted focus, checking the room around them. Looking for the hidden ready lights of the even better-hidden trideo cameras. She needn't have worried; he had already made sure the monitors were dysfunctional, though he saw no need to tell her that.
'You are very astute for one so young,' she said. He preened under the compliment. 'A necessary attribute for anyone in the biz who wishes to get any older.'
'Messing with the yakuza is not conducive to long life. Were Goroji a simple boss, dealing with your offering would be a delicate business, but as it is, the heat is higher than desirable. You were aware that Goroji fronts for Grandmother?' He hadn't been. 'Of course.' Her eyes gave away nothing, but the slight twitch of a cheek muscle hinted disbelief, or at least suspicion. He smiled, hoping to project the air of a confident and assured runner.
'Cog would prefer that your next offering have nothing to do with Grandmother's sources. She reacts violently when someone disturbs her network, and her wrath descends on those who bothered her and on anyone associated with those unfortunates. Should you continue to court such a fate, Cog wishes that you not involve him. He and Grandmother settled their feud long ago, and he has no desire to reopen that unpleasantness at this time.'
'No one expects a fixer to show a warrior's courage. This run was in direct response to the needs of a client for whom Cog serves as an intermediary. No stipulations or caveats were placed on me at the time of the request for information. Hence there should be no change in the payment. Fixers rely on their reputation with shadowrunners. Fair dealings are imperative.'
She raised an eyebrow.
'Within reasonable margins of profit, of course,' he added.
'I'm sure a reasonable fee will be paid for the contracted data.'
'And for the bonus material.'
'Commensurate with its value.'
'And its temperature.'
She smiled now. 'We do have an understanding. The caution was meant for future dealings.'
'If Cog fears connection with further enquiries, perhaps he would consent to bow out and let me deal directly with the client.' 'Perhaps he will.'
The possibility that the fixer might cut himself out of the deal made Neko realize just how dangerous Cog thought the situation. How could Grandmother be so territorial? It was bad business. There had to be something more to the data he was uncovering for the elven decker. Some secret connection perhaps? Understanding what was happening would make it easier for him to know the value of what he discovered. Knowing the value, he could cut himself a better deal. Coinciden-tally, he would also know just what kind of danger he was facing.
He continued to dicker with Monique over the price for his recent acquisitions, but his mind was preoccupied with other matters. He began to wonder if Go-roji's search for Warlord Feng was just the yakuza boss grasping at power or something more sinister. Perhaps it was part of some great scheme of Grandmother's. The Feng data was juxtaposed in Goroji's files with material on enquiries into the matter of Renraku's Special Directorate. An operator like Grandmother would likely have more than one angle on an operation. Go-roji on the outside and Sato on the inside made for a well-orchestrated attack. Very understandable, considering the importance of the prize. Neko would be ' surprised if Grandmother didn't have other tools work-(ing on the target as well. An artificial intelligence would be a powerful research tool in the Matrix. If it was as good as his decker acquaintances claimed it could be, what computer secret would be safe, save one defended by a similar artificial intelligence? The worth to an information broker would be incalculable.
If Grandmother had access to such a machine, she would know all.
And what did she want to know? Why did Feng interest her? What connection did a Chinese neowar-lord have with German terrorists, or to the breakup of the United States, or to Israeli commando strikes in Africa? And what
