“My family has been in the Triad for four generations. You might say it is our family business. It is certainly our family tradition, and I am a very traditional man.”
“I understand. Tradition is as important as loyalty.”
“Please tell Mr. Craig that I am flattered he made the offer. However, I must say no.”
“Of course. If you have a change of heart, do not hesitate to contact me.”
Mr. Li got out and walked to the hotel’s main entrance.
Johnson tapped the screen on the panel next to the wet bar. Mr. Craig’s image appeared.
“Johnson, what is our answer?”
“The answer is no, sir.”
Disappointment washed over Mr. Craig’s face. “I see. Perhaps we should have approached the Russian.”
“Perhaps.”
“I am sure that is what you would have suggested if I had put you on this from the start. It was my mistake to offer it to someone else. Always go with the best.”
“Thank you, sir,” Johnson said.
“A missed opportunity.”
“Yes, sir. If I may make a suggestion?”
Mr. Craig gestured his approval.
“I feel that we should increase our surveillance of the SRS, and perhaps prepare for more drastic measures. Our inside contact should also be informed of this. I do not think we can trust their goals will align with ours, and they could be a hindrance, either by design or by accident. To put it bluntly, I do not trust them.”
“Take whatever steps you deem necessary.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Chapter 27
Jacob’s body ached. It didn’t take long to feel mostly recovered from the neurofeedback. The brain fog he had at first went away quickly, and he regained his motor functions shortly after, but his body still felt some lingering effects. His appetite suffered also, and he pushed his unfinished chaat to the center of the table.
“Anyone want this?” he asked.
Gomez and Kat shook their heads no.
Sandy said, “Sure.”
“You have the most amazing metabolism,” Kat said to her.
“I’m sure it will catch up with me eventually. Until then, I’m going to enjoy it.”
Jacob watched the little girl who sold vegetables making her way through the garden, adding to her basket. A young couple dressed in typical corporate sector clothing approached the girl. They exchanged a few words, and she gave them some squash and tomatoes. Bending down to her eye level, they asked her something and she nodded. They each took out their phones and took selfies. The couple walked away with their produce and the photographic proof of purchase, photographic proof of their experience, a satisfied look on their faces. It was common for young corporates to visit The Galleria to buy food. It was trendy. Hey, look at us eating food grown by real people. Some of them, the more adventurous, even bought from Pigeon Eater at times. All of them had to have proof, for themselves and for their social network. Jacob used to do the same thing. His time in prison broke him of the habit and he never felt the need to go back to it.
He watched the couple exit the garden, then turned his attention back to the girl refilling her basket. This is the only life she knows, he thought. She has almost no chance of getting out and becoming one of those trendy young corporates coming to The Galleria on their days off and posting evidence of the trip. Born into what most people spend their lives trying to avoid, she would probably only know the world outside through the net, and the photo of her, spreading through the couple’s social network, was the only way she would be known by that world. But the photo would eventually be buried deep down in the network feed and become irrelevant and unnecessary to the couple and to the world, just like the girl.
“Still feeling off?” Sandy asked, snapping Jacob out of his thoughts.
“I guess so. Just lost in thought.”
“We meet with Evgeny in a few,” Gomez said. “You good to go, or should we handle it?”
Jacob shook his head. “No, I’m good. Once that chaat gets in my system, I’ll be even better.”
“You hardly ate,” Sandy said.
“It was enough.”
Sandy shrugged, accepting his response. “How soon can we move on Your Better Life after we get the cards?”
“It’ll take less than an hour to program the cards, and Two-Step has the flippers modified, so not long,” Gomez said.
“I would feel better if we could test the flippers somehow,” Kat said.
“I would too,” Jacob said, “but I don’t know where we can find a quantum processor to run tests.”
“We could test one on a traditional processor and see if it slows that down,” Sandy said.
“I don’t know how true of a test that would be.”
“But if it works, we would have an idea,” Gomez said.
“Let’s assume a test works and we program the ID cards. Where do we go from there?” Jacob asked.
“We have to go on a day and time both Xia and Slade work,” Gomez said.
“That shouldn’t be too hard. I’ll ask her when she works, and you ask Slade.”
Gomez nodded and checked the time. “We better get going. We have to meet them in the garage in ten minutes. They better not fuck us over this time. It’s getting a bit old.”
They tossed their leftovers in the garden composter and headed to the parking garage. Kat and Gomez walked in front of Jacob and Sandy, far enough away to be out of earshot.
“I think he’s going to ask her tonight,” Jacob said.
“Ask her what?”
“You know, pop the question. Ask her to marry him.”
Sandy raised her eyebrows in surprise. “He told you that?’
Jacob nodded. “I think he was going to ask the other night, but Evgeny contacted him before he could. So, I think he’ll do it tonight.”
Sandy smiled. “He’s going to ask her to marry him. That’s so traditional and so cute.”
“Cute is not a word I associate with Gomez.”
“You think he’s nervous?”
“Of course he is. Who wouldn’t be?”
Sandy shot him a sideways glance.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Sandy
