Manageable #2
Her deadweight makes it awkward muscling her up the steep stair/ladder that leads to the roof. She was or is pretty, the dried vomit and actual foam dribbling from her mouth has played havoc with her lipstick and foundation. I wince as her head bangs off a steel riser, it doesn't appear to bother her much.
She was the most expensive part of the run. I was in deep with the Triads and the Vig alone was enough to get my ticket punched if this went sideways.
It all seemed so doable under the clean, sensible fluorescents of the Vancouver retro automat. She sat in front of a ridiculously priced goat cheese and sundried tomato panini that came wrapped in authentically reproduced 1950 era cling wrap.
"So we just walk in and walk out?" asked through exquisitely outlined lips making no effort to tone down her incredulity.
"We're on the itinerary for a simple baffle upgrade. I'm tech support, you're systems upgrade. You dip in, its level two ice , you bypass, pull the file and walking on sunshine in the parking lot ten minutes later. Easy, peasey , Japanesey."
She furrowed a otherwise flawless brow and settled her suspiciously violet eyes on me. "Ignoring that otherwise racist and overtly offensive statement, where is the team actually scheduled?"
"In the downtown Marriot under two long release propofol patches. They'll wake up tomorrow afternoon, dehydrated with headaches but otherwise none worse for the where."
I can see the scenarios play out across her face, but I already know the outcome. I was given the line on her by the Triads who have been exploiting human weakness for thousands of years. They've watched her for a long time, like Zen fucking spiders waiting for her two ripen and when they gave me her name she was heavy ready to be plucked.
"I'll do it." She said.
No surprise there...
It was all cakewalk until she tripped a intrusion protocol pulling out. This lead to me cutting the cable and doing the run and gun to the roof. While dragging fifty kilos of now none disposable talent, along behind me, hoping beyond hope that the file was intact in her expensively quaffed head.
The rooftop was windswept and slick with a cool evening rain. HongKong was spread out below, glittering diamond like in a cacophony of reds and golds. I could just make a Airbus banking at a severe angle out of the airport we deplaned from ninety minutes earlier.
Laying her against a ventilation hood I fused my last frag and tossed it down the roof hatch. I hit the tab summoning the emerg/recall drone and wrestled her into a harness as I felt through the soles of my feet the explosion below. As I buckled my harness I could here the thin whine of the retrieval drone overhead. I picked her up in a parody of a lovers embrace as two smart tethers snaked down and sought out and secured to the d-rings mounted on the back of the harnesses.
The drone's blades rose in pitch as we lifted from the roof and faded into the misty darkness.
Manageable....