Never deal with a Dragon

10

Sam fretted, toying with his food. The lunchtime crowd at Garrelsen’s Mall Cafe was its usual boisterous self. Even though his table was against the wall and away from the passersby outside the roping, their noise added to the clamor. Periodically, his waitress stopped by to ask after the quality of the meal, trying to hurry him along to clear the way for another paying customer. He paid no attention to all the bustle.

Roe was late.

Had she abandoned him? Been caught by Renraku security? Were the Red Samurai moving into position to arrest him for conspiracy to break his employment contract? Or was it all a test by Roe to see how nervous he was?

It really didn’t matter. He was committed to this course now. If Roe didn’t show, he would have to figure his own way out of the arcology. That would be hard, but staying was harder. It had become all too clear that he would never get his answers about Janice while he was under Renraku’s thumb, and he could no longer sit idle.

If he was caught… well, that would solve his problem, too.

He had left few loose ends, putting in extra hours that almost cleared away his work load. No one would be able to accuse Samuel Verner of shirking his responsibilities no matter how trivial. The dogs were a problem because they could hardly be part of the extraction. They wouldn’t survive in the arcology without an owner, but Ms. Haramoto in Corridor B seemed fond of them and had agreed readily to care for them if Sam had to take a business trip. Since this “business trip” would likely never end, he hoped she would come to love them as much as he had. He had never been much for possessions, so not much problem there.

That left Hanae. Sweet, comfortable Hanae. Despite the lack he felt in their relationship, he couldn’t abandon her. She had helped set him on this course, and he had felt better these last few days than he had for a long time. He felt good to be doing something instead of waiting for someone else to do it for him. She was part of that change and he owed her for it. It might not be the best basis for a relationship, but better ones had started from worse reasons. He would take care of her.

Sure he would. Here he was thinking about taking Hanae out of the corporate cocoon that had protected her all her life, and he wasn’t sure he could take care of himself. The events in which he’d gotten involved the day he arrived in Seattle showed him how different was the world away from the corporation. Life could get violent, even deadly. Hanae was probably less ready for that world than he was, but he was sure she would refuse to be parted from him.

The waitress appeared again, but before she could begin her nudging. Roe appeared behind her and slid into the seat opposite Sam. Roe snapped a quick order for a house salad and carrot juice and shooed the flustered girl away.

“Sorry I’m late. Had a little transportation problem. The Red Rovers and the Ancients were having a little get-together on Western Avenue. Typical gang nonsense. How have things been going with you? Made a decision?” The flush of her obvious hurry faded quickly and her normal pallor returned along with the usual smooth pace of her speech.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”

“Glad to hear it, Sam. More stuffy corporate types should do that.”

Did she mean that he was a stuffy, corporate type? He hoped not. He didn’t think of himself that way, and it disturbed him slightly that she might. He reminded himself that it was Roe’s skills and connections that he wanted, not her good opinion. Getting out of Renraku was the most important thing right now.

“I would like to go ahead with the extraction.”

“Shush on the E word,” Roe warned with a sly, conspiratorial smile. “Even a public place like this has long ears.”

Her levity annoyed him, but Sam knew she was right. Be should have used some roundabout phrasing that could mean something entirely innocent. The circumlocutions of her business were even more obtuse than corporate slang. But he wanted to stay straightforward and on-track until everything was settled. He was not yet done with business. “Hamae has to go, too.”

Roe’s warm smile vanished instantly. “That makes it a little tougher.”

He swallowed. This was it, time for his gamble. “She goes, or I don’t.”

Roe’s eyes searched his. He felt the intensity of her bronze eyes and fought to keep his face immobile, hoping to mask his worry that she would call off the deal. She must have been satisfied by his resolution.

“You’re lucky I’m a soft touch, chummer. Now listen up. Here’s the plan.”