cushions. At least I didn’t have to argue with anyone here on where I sat. The place was practically empty.
The man returned with a pitcher of beer and two glasses.
“Beer. You brought me beer?” I shook my head.
“They don’t serve anything above 10% alcohol. It was either beer or wine. Do you want me to get wine instead?”
I sighed. “The beer is fine.”
Heaven help me.
‹“Kali, who the hell is this guy?”›
Since Kali had already pinged the man’s Chrono she instantly brought up his stats.
NAME: Paxton Jackson Thrass
REAL AGE: 19
APPARENT AGE: Actual
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Brown
HEIGHT: 178 cm (5’ 10”)
WEIGHT: 75 kg (165 lbs.)
FITZPATRICK SKIN TYPE: 4
OCCUPATION: Sanitation laborer - Pueblo, CO
ADDRESS: 2863 Olson Road #213, Q-Avondale, CO
*CRIMINAL RECORD: 2 counts larceny. On parole. Review 2115. Sentencing – Judge David Barr
“Well, well, well, would you look at that, two strikes already and on parole. One more screw up and it’s indentured servitude for you. If you think you’re going to steal from me, you might as well bend over and get it over with.”
Paxton poured a glass and handed it to me.
Some alcohol is better than no alcohol, I guess.
“No way would I even think of stealing from you. I need your help,” he said.
“I thought you were trying to help me? I thought this little powwow was supposed to be about some devil.”
Paxton poured himself a glass. I took a sip of mine.
I hated beer.
“It is,” Paxton said. “Like I said back on the street, that man you met at the diner is one of Van Horne’s lawyers. He’s part of the Demon Legion - Van Horne’s gang. You pissed him off, which means you’ve inadvertently pissed off Van Horne. You don’t fuck with any of Van Horne’s guys and get away with it.”
“Is that right? Let’s see if I understand the situation, shall we? Because I made one of Van Horne’s bitches wet his pants, by proxy I made Van Horne wet his?”
The man laughed and spit some of his beer on the table. “I would love to see that,” he said.
“Thanks for the warning kid, but I’m leaving town anyway.”
“Take me with you.”
I nearly spit my beer on the table.
“Did you just ask for me to take you with me?”
“Please? If you really are an Inquisitor, you’re the only hope I got.”
“Hope of what?”
“Getting away from Van Horne.”
“Ah, I see what’s going on now. You’re one of his bitches, and let me guess, you’re looking for a new master? Sorry, kid, I ain’t buying.”
“ Please ? Just take me to wherever you’re going and leave me there. Any place is better than here.”
I took another drink, grimaced, and figured it wasn’t worth finishing. I got up to leave.
With lightning speed the man reached out and tried to take something from one of my pockets.
But I was quick too and managed to grab his wrist before it’d left my pocket. “Careful,” I said, squeezing hard. “Wrists are rather fragile. Wouldn’t want it to break now would we?”
My smart-assed self couldn’t help himself, I kept going. “What would you do with the tool of your trade out of operation? Could you afford the premium to get it fixed I wonder?”
I squeezed harder and twisted his wrist a little. Felt a smile manipulate my face. I watched the man’s eyes and caught the flicker of gears turning. Soon enough, tears started to pool in them. “Please, have mercy,” he pleaded. He was good. He actually sounded genuine and not like he was simply trying to get out of his current predicament.
“Kali,” I said. “Resume probing Mr. Thrass’s Chrono for anomalies.”
‹ Auditing resumed . ›
Tears streamed down Paxton’s cheeks, which brought to my mind an image of a waterfall.
And then I was physically in front of that waterfall. Mr. Thrass and the rest of the bar were gone, replaced by the sound of falling water cascading over the side of a mountain. A pine forest, flowers, nature, life, filled my nasal
The man returned with a pitcher of beer and two glasses.
“Beer. You brought me beer?” I shook my head.
“They don’t serve anything above 10% alcohol. It was either beer or wine. Do you want me to get wine instead?”
I sighed. “The beer is fine.”
Heaven help me.
‹“Kali, who the hell is this guy?”›
Since Kali had already pinged the man’s Chrono she instantly brought up his stats.
NAME: Paxton Jackson Thrass
REAL AGE: 19
APPARENT AGE: Actual
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Brown
HEIGHT: 178 cm (5’ 10”)
WEIGHT: 75 kg (165 lbs.)
FITZPATRICK SKIN TYPE: 4
OCCUPATION: Sanitation laborer - Pueblo, CO
ADDRESS: 2863 Olson Road #213, Q-Avondale, CO
*CRIMINAL RECORD: 2 counts larceny. On parole. Review 2115. Sentencing – Judge David Barr
“Well, well, well, would you look at that, two strikes already and on parole. One more screw up and it’s indentured servitude for you. If you think you’re going to steal from me, you might as well bend over and get it over with.”
Paxton poured a glass and handed it to me.
Some alcohol is better than no alcohol, I guess.
“No way would I even think of stealing from you. I need your help,” he said.
“I thought you were trying to help me? I thought this little powwow was supposed to be about some devil.”
Paxton poured himself a glass. I took a sip of mine.
I hated beer.
“It is,” Paxton said. “Like I said back on the street, that man you met at the diner is one of Van Horne’s lawyers. He’s part of the Demon Legion - Van Horne’s gang. You pissed him off, which means you’ve inadvertently pissed off Van Horne. You don’t fuck with any of Van Horne’s guys and get away with it.”
“Is that right? Let’s see if I understand the situation, shall we? Because I made one of Van Horne’s bitches wet his pants, by proxy I made Van Horne wet his?”
The man laughed and spit some of his beer on the table. “I would love to see that,” he said.
“Thanks for the warning kid, but I’m leaving town anyway.”
“Take me with you.”
I nearly spit my beer on the table.
“Did you just ask for me to take you with me?”
“Please? If you really are an Inquisitor, you’re the only hope I got.”
“Hope of what?”
“Getting away from Van Horne.”
“Ah, I see what’s going on now. You’re one of his bitches, and let me guess, you’re looking for a new master? Sorry, kid, I ain’t buying.”
“ Please ? Just take me to wherever you’re going and leave me there. Any place is better than here.”
I took another drink, grimaced, and figured it wasn’t worth finishing. I got up to leave.
With lightning speed the man reached out and tried to take something from one of my pockets.
But I was quick too and managed to grab his wrist before it’d left my pocket. “Careful,” I said, squeezing hard. “Wrists are rather fragile. Wouldn’t want it to break now would we?”
My smart-assed self couldn’t help himself, I kept going. “What would you do with the tool of your trade out of operation? Could you afford the premium to get it fixed I wonder?”
I squeezed harder and twisted his wrist a little. Felt a smile manipulate my face. I watched the man’s eyes and caught the flicker of gears turning. Soon enough, tears started to pool in them. “Please, have mercy,” he pleaded. He was good. He actually sounded genuine and not like he was simply trying to get out of his current predicament.
“Kali,” I said. “Resume probing Mr. Thrass’s Chrono for anomalies.”
‹ Auditing resumed . ›
Tears streamed down Paxton’s cheeks, which brought to my mind an image of a waterfall.
And then I was physically in front of that waterfall. Mr. Thrass and the rest of the bar were gone, replaced by the sound of falling water cascading over the side of a mountain. A pine forest, flowers, nature, life, filled my nasal
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