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| Carrier Syndrome | ||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Part Two: Life in the new age | ||||||||||||||||||||
| In the abandoned remains of what used to be an apartment building - a huge deal was going down. Or was about to. The anxious group was getting seriously impatient. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "The stupid bitch showed us up," one complained. The leader of the group raised his hand and motioned for him and the others to calm down. He pointed to his ear - they listened- they could hear the sound of an old truck. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| They all watched as a small band walked into the building and stood a few feet away from them. The two leaders stepped forward and smirked at each other. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - are late - again," he stated calmly. The woman smirked and shrugged her shoulders. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You want punctual - buy a clock - you want what I have - deal with it," she rebutted. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You have the stuff?" he asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Greg," she barked out motioning for one of the men to step forward. The man walked over to the table and put a closed briefcase down. The man before her reached over. Instantly a blade was drawn and was at his neck. "Not before I see what you have honey - you know the rules," she warned. He nodded and motioned for one of his men to step forward. She watched as a second briefcase was put on the table - and opened for her approval. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do you mind? The knife?" he asked seriously. She smirked and put the knife away. "You know what your problem is - no trust," he stated as he opened the briefcase up. He smiled as he saw the perfectly contained bags of white powder. "I trust this is pure?" he asked curiously. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are funny - keep that up - and I might fall over laughing - or just cut you off altogether. I am not some kid off the street that you can bully around - remember that?" she warned seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why the drama every fucking time Julie? I am professional about this - is it too much to ask that you be the same?" he rebutted. She groaned and shook her head. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Fine - Mark - here," she ordered. One of the others stepped forward. "Pick one - that way you know I didn't plant it," she stated. The man looked and picked one bag out - tossing it to her. "One free taste you pompous fuck - last time it is done like this - if you try it one more time - I swear - you can find another supplier for your poison," she warned as Mark sat down at the table and opened the bag. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Julie carefully watched the men that were across from her. She had in her career in the industry one deal go sour. And that was because she got careless and ignored her instincts. Something she vowed would never happen again. She watched as Mark and her business partner. She watched as Mark set up two lines. He leaned forward and snorted one line - then leaned back so that he could sample the product. After a quick snort he gasped and took a deep breath. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well?" she impatiently remarked. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Wow," he muttered. He nodded to his man with the briefcase. Julie watched as he pushed it across the table. She nodded to Greg to do the same. "At times I forget why you are so highly recommended," he added. Greg closed the briefcase and handed it to Julie. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - you want the best - you deal with me. I keep telling people - they keep forgetting," she muttered. "Oh one more thing - if you have your boys follow me again - you are cut off. I work on my own - I am not contracted to you - so know your place," she added seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Can you blame me for trying?" he remarked. She squinted at him. Something wasn't right. "Problem?" he asked curiously. It was then that she could feel it - it was a trap! | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You son of a bitch!" she hissed. In the blink of an eye - hell opened up. Weapons were drawn shots were fired. The man that had set her up was the first to fall - those that had come with him quickly followed suit. "Quickly let's," she began - but stopped. Her eyes panned around - soldiers - lots of them. "Shit," she muttered - tossing her gun to the floor. Those with her followed suit. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - well - well," a familiar voice began as the soldiers slowly - cautiously closed in. "Look who we have here - the prodigal daughter back in the city," the soldier stated as he walked over and smirked at her. "Lora - has been dying to see you again," he added. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I keep telling her I'm not her type," Julie remarked. The soldier knocked her to the ground with the butt of his rifle. Her gang was getting ready to attack him when they heard the other soldiers arming their weapons. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "She had a smart mouth - anyone else here want to be smart?" the soldier asked. They glared at the soldier but remained silent. "No - she must have upped her standards then. Secure them - their truck and take them to the capital," the soldier ordered. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| How much time had passed Julie had no idea. But a splash of cold water to her face woke her up. Her vision began to slowly clear as she realized where she was. She groaned and shook her head. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You put up quite a merry chase my dear," an all too familiar voice commented. Julie slowly sat up and rubbed the dark bruise that had formed on her face. "But I think we both knew that you would end up here," she added. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Not by choice," Julie muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did you say something?" Lora asked sternly. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - nothing," Julie strained - remembering all to well what she went through the last time she lost her head with Lora. It was then that she realized - she wasn't bound. "I'm not cuffed," she commented. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Is there any reason why my top and favorite mechanic should be?" Lora asked curiously. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I told you - I want nothing to do with you or your politics," Julie began. One of the guards walked over and slammed his metal staff against the small of her back - sending her back down to the floor. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know what you said - yet - you keep playing in my city. It is like you are saying one thing and meaning another. I run this city - do business here - u deal with me - and - my politics," she pointed out. Julie shook as she moved her hand to the spot the guard had hit. For almost four months - you and your little band of fugitives have been cutting into my profits - undermining my authority," Lora stated as she got up from her chair and walked over to where Julie was. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Haven't been in your city - until now," she gasped. Lora smiled as she squatted down and then pulled Julie's hair back so that the two were looking each other in the eye. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don't you ever fucking question me dear - not unless you want a repeat of what you went through last time? They weren't very gentle were they?" Lora hissed. Julie timidly shook her head. Memories of the almost fatal beating she received at the hands of Lora's goon/security squad still gave her nightmares. "You going to behave?" she asked. Julie timidly nodded. "Good," she whispered - letting Julie go. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Julie hesitantly looked up and watched as Lora returned to her decorative chair. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Take her to the garage - work has been just piling up in her absence. But I am sure that someone as resourceful as she is can get the job done by at least the end of the week. If not - I'll tell the boys to take the kid-gloves off when they deal with her," she concluded. Two guards walked over and all but dragged Julie away. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| A little while later - her escorts all but threw her into the cluttered garage. She looked at the near totaled machines that littered the large cluttered room. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "A - a week?" she muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yeah - I guess you should have done the work as it was coming in instead of playing with your friends on the outside," one guard stated as they left and locked the door. She could feel a tear escaping from her eye. She shook her head in disgust. The last place she ever wanted to be was back there. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Damn that stupid bitch," she muttered - doing her best to force her emotions back. She slumped down to the floor. The lock gave and the door flew open. She looked up as her friends were tossed in. it was clear that they had been just as roughed up as she was. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Act up - and next time we won't be quite so nice," a solider warned as the door slammed shut. They quickly hurried over and helped her to her feet. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "They expect this done in a week? They must be out of their fucking minds," Greg muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "No one ever accused that bitch of being smart ow," Julie muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "So - what's the game plan?" Mark asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - there is no way we can get any of this shit done. I keep telling her that - ow - we have no means of fixing newer cars. All that shit was computerized and well - those are poofed. We have to get out of here," she muttered - looking around the garage. "Any ideas?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Fix one bad boy up and drive out?" one of the others suggested. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "That worked last time - doubt they'd fall for that twice. No - if we want out - we have to be quiet - or more subtle," she pointed out as she limped over to where a beat up old ford truck was. "I really hate to say this," she groaned. Almost instantly they knew what she was thinking. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "You can't be serious," Greg began. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "They fucking hate us," Mark added. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "It is the least guarded route - and if we want to escape this city - I'm afraid it is our only option," she concluded. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||