A Dangerous Game Part 3

Ark sat on the ratty love seat with Joy in his lap, they watched as T paced back and forth. Gozer sat back in an old leather recliner with a beer in his dark hands. "Relax there chummer, Bard'll be back soon enough."

"He's late," T seethed, "He knows better than to be late."

"Well he is new," Ark responded idly, "you haven't drilled it into him yet."

"Or maybe he stopped to chat up one of those razors he chums around with," Joy offered.

"Doesn't matter," T shot back, "I told him to get here an hour ago."

Joy was going to say something back but Ark dropped a hand on her knee, quieting the hacker with a touch. Gozer took a pull from his beer and grimaced, "hey Ark why do you buy this swill?"

"Just for you Goz, just for you," Ark retorted, "I don't drink the stuff, if you have a preference just name it, next time I'll pick up a case."

Gozer pulled a face and stuck his tongue out at Ark, they had been friends before they joined up with T. Their last group had fallen afoul of some Yakuza, and Ark and Gozer were the only ones to make it out alive. T took them in and since he had some standing with the Yakuza, he got the bounty called off. Ark and Gozer felt obligated to watch T's back from then on. T continued to pace, his dark brown eyes afire with rage. For all the serenity he portrayed most of the times T's small Asian frame quaked with an unbridled rage that frightened even the toughest of street samurai. T was a small man maybe a full foot shorter than Ark, but he was wired to the nines. High quality cyberware as well but T was a well payed hit man.

As T was making what seemed like the hundredth lap of Ark's small living room, the Bard burst through the door. Bruised and bloodied, "sorry I'm late I got caught up in a bit of a scuffle with some bangers."

"A scuffle?" Joy responded as she took a sip from her own bottle of beer, "looks more like you were in a war."

"Heh, nothin' The Bard couldn't handle." Bard shot back as he took the bottle offered up by Gozer.

The massive troll popped the cap, and looked at T who had been standing still as a statue his body almost vibrating from his rage. The Bard bowed low, "I hope you'll forgive me this slight. I did not intend to delay, but these bangers were intent on perforating my clothes."

T frowned but nodded his acceptance of the apology, as The Bard sat down, T began.

"Our last run was so successful that Mr. Johnson called Mox, to get us to do another run. It's wetwork," T looked over at Ark for a brief second before continuing on, "decidedly more dangerous than the last run in that Mr. Johnson needs us to hit three separate targets at almost the same time. It'll be a dangerous job but it'll pay a lot. More than we've ever made."

Ark grimaced, but kept his silence even when Joy's hand found a resting place on his. With no direct response T continued on, "I know most of us need the money, but as always we'll take a vote."

Bard nodded, as did Gozer, Joy bit her lip and nodded as well. They all looked at Ark who remained stone faced but in the end he nodded as well. The group wouldn't go on a run unless everyone agreed, normally Ark would refuse to do wetwork but the team had fallen on some hard times and they needed the work.

"Good, we're going to need to bring in a few more men. Ark, can you call in Sam? Bard I need you to bring in The Crag, and Gozer, can you get a hold of Trey we'll need some more drones."

"Will that be enough?" Joy asked.

"No," T responded, "I'll be bringing in Sparta and The Dire Wraith."

Joy gasped, and even Bard, irrepressible as ever, seemed shaken.

"Why are you bringing in Wraith?" Gozer asked.

"Because I need him to get to one of the targets."

"Who are the targets?" Ark turned to assess T.

T turned to Ark with a look as if to say you don't want to know but Ark's own look brought it out of T, "One is a suit who likes to do some things with young boys and Mr. Johnson doesn't want him ruining his companies reputation, another is some triad, and the third is Green Lucifer."