Once Upon a Time in Liberty

[ugliestmoose]

[color=#CCCCCC]No joke your brothers in on this? Jake asked. They had left Gibsons flat and were on a tramcar out of Beggars Bay, its dreary skyline receding behind them.

Well, you heard me call him. He said he wont talk about it over the public lines. Thats why were paying him a visit.

Jake paused thoughtfully. Can I take a look at that cardamine you took from Gibsons place?

Yeah, sure. Scott took the baggy out from his coat and handed it to Jake, who untied the ribbon keeping it closed and took a sniff of the contents. He wrinkled his nose. Ugh, this stuff smells like paint thinner.

Id bet the junkies dont mind it too much, Scott responded.

Uh huh. Jake returned the cardamine bag to Scott and returned to gazing through the window at the shifting cityscape. The decrepit warehouses and factories gave way to a sea of low-rise, working-class tenements Sunshine City and then, those gradually receded and were replaced with a patchwork of suburban neighborhoods. Within fifteen minutes, the tram came to a stop and Scott motioned to Jake that they were getting off here.

It was a short walk to the residence of Donnie Sandison. It was a standalone house unusual to Jake, whod spent his entire life living in conapts with a garage to boot. Jake was informed by his partner that the skiff-car parked inside, a classic 722 Mercedes Benz SLS1400, was smuggled in from Rheinland after the hostilities began, and at the cost of six lives when authorities intercepted the smuggling crew planetside. The skiff had been sitting in the garage ever since, partly to keep hidden from the authorities, but also because Donnie viewed it as a bad omen.

Scott came to the door and buzzed the doorbell. The man who opened it was maybe twenty-five, of average build, and looked unkempt; his shoulder-length black hair was visibly greased, and the face suggested that he hadnt slept well in a long while. That, or he was strung out Jake couldnt say for sure.

Come in, come in. This is Jake, am I right? Donnie held out his hand and Jake shook it. Scotty, my little bro, you cant even imagine the mess youve gotten yourself into.

The house was a mess, and Donnie and his two guests navigated across a carpet littered with discarded synth-paste tubes and empty bottles. Jake and Scott plopped down on a couch while Donnie went to get drinks. When he came back, beers in hand, he began: So. Tell me what you know about Frank Gibson.

Not much, besides what Adam told us, said Scott. That hes a well, he was some new drug dealer slinging on our turf. And he sold the good sh*t for cheap. What Id like to know is where you -

Well get to that, Donnie cut him off mid-sentence. but I think you need to know the whole story before you make any snap judgments, okay? Christ, I shouldnt even be telling you any of thisf*ck it. Here goes anyway. He paused, and looked down at the floor pensively for a moment before he spoke again.