Duval - It's not a first time for a man like me to deal with all this. But if you ever heard about me. Job like this requres something more then just mere money.
Sitting on a comfy leather chair. Duval took a sip of coffee. The room was filled with old fashioned decorations. The carpet made out of zebra skin. Shelves were filled with different types of trophies, and most of them were golden. And finaly, the man on the oposite side of a table.
The Client - While I did heard alot about you and your achievements. I preffer to judge people up close. And so far, I heard that you are stuck playing a double edged games.
Middle aged man, dark-brown short hair, thin and slender arms, and his outfit was screaming "office clerk" if not for a single thing. Two scars across his face, one bigger than the other. While liooking at these scars, Duval kept guessing "was it someone with a knife or ELID"?
Duval - Okay. You did your share of leg work. What's in it for me?
The Client - Everything is simple! First of all, money. Me and my company is in posession of large ammount of riches. And we are not greedy people, in fact, we are quite generous when it comes to people we work with. If you do your job well, we can arrange to double the sum. But if there is something else that your soul desire, I am more then glad to listen!
With satisfied smirk, Duval took another sip of coffee. The he thought for a few moments, this offer sound outrageous. Considering the what kind of job is offered.
The Client - If you find yourself troubled on my offer and find it rather suspicious, then I would count it as a good sign. Prefer to work with cautious people.
Duval - Then you understand that won't make your offer even more appealing.
The Client - Then let me try to tempt you one more time, mister Duval. I heard you had a trouble durning latest of your heists? Missing a member of your group?
Duval - ....
With concerned look, Duval leaned forward listening carefuly.
The Client - Once each and every name on that list is found dead by the end of this month. We will help to get your friend get out jail free. And if need arises... You can always ask me for a dubious favors. And if things go well. You might consider ourselves as friends among the greatest circles of greatest circles. And we would never forget thouse who helps our cause!
Duval - ... That sounds good... If my guess is right. That list of names would contain some big names. Otherwise you wouldn't call for someone like me and my people.
The Client - Oh... The biggest in our circle! | Duval - Then let's hear the list.
The Client - Oho! Don't worry about that. While it is complicated. You might find it easy to finish off the whole list, once you start. This would help you!
With a press of a button, a holo projection full of images and test appeared above the table. Duval sighed in annoyance, but quickly returned his attention to the information.
The Client - What? You dont't like when the client provides you witl helpfull information, Mr Duval?
Duval - No... I much prefer when everything was on paper to something like this.
The Client - Hm... I'l keep it in mind if we ever to work together again.
In the mean time. Duval stood up and was inspecting, reading, evaluating. Everything looked clean, almost simple. It took a long few minutes before Duval started speaking again.
Duval - So... You wan't to get rid of your opposition. And do it while they are on a train?
The Client - That's one way to say it. So?
Duval - I'l take it... I'l take it.
As Duval's hand reached out for a cup of coffee, he took a sip, while his gaze were fixated on a list of names. Nobody he ever heard about, so this won't be a problem.
=== The other side of Odesa ===
Kilmure - Who do they think we are? Some sort of morons?
Harry - It's sure looks like it.
Sam - But in it's own way! It is a briliant idea! And besides, we both get payed AND get to steal a truck filled with alcohol! It's a win win for everyone!
Unfortunatly, both Kilmure and Harry didn't shared the same enthusiasm.
Harry - If you wanna get to it, then I guess you will be a great friend for Manin. But stealing alcohol truck? Blow up a cake on a wedding? Kilmure, what the hell are we even doing here? They think we are some sort of small fly criminals or what? What is this?
Three man gathered near a game of billiard in a club. It is a late evening. While Sam were taking aim with his pool cue, Harry expressed his discontent. Finaly, Sam hit the white ball, it hit two others, but none fell down into a hole.
Kilmure - These two corporations were hating each other for a long time. I did some background check, and it looks like they were in fight for a long while. More than a seventy years of resentment! Last twenty years they even were contending on eachothers business. But nobody won from all this. So here we are. But I do have to agree that what they are asking us to do is... Not out caliber...
Harry - I used to jump higher than i can... But if we were to work for these freaks? It's like a child's prank compared to what we used to do!
Sam - Oh well, Imagine that a child's prank gets paid like a really good job! And it's your turn Harry!
Harry - Yeah, yeah!
While Harry were rubbing chalk on his cue, Sam sat down near Kilmure.
Sam - I don't know about you. But my boys could use some time to relax and take do some light errands. Especially since the last one really hit bad on their morale. And I prefer to keep the spirit high. It's... Let's say that it's much more convinient for me that way.
Harry - Then you are doing a bad job. Heard that Edjher is still out there. I just hope he won't talk. I remember he was a good pal. Better than you ever was... SAM...
Sam - O-oh *Heh* You alway was the one to bark and never bite Harry! If I ever throw you a duel, you won't even stand a chance out!
Kilmure - Maybe both of you should keep that theme down? Cheez, how the hell did you even get to be team leaders with that attitude?
Harry - How can you keep yourself up with that snake loitering around, Kilmure?
Kilmure - Just focuse on a job and nothing else! Not like we can do much.
Harry - Yeah. And our job is child's pranks!
Sam - High paying child's pranks! I dare to notice.
Swift strike with a cue, a white ball hit another red-white ball, and moments later red-white ball hit the dark ball, that was stuck on the edge of a hole, and the dark ball ended up falling down the said hall. A small smirk appeared on Harry's face. Sam on the other hand, was annoyed.
But it was Kilmures next turn. So he prepared his cue and walked to a table, while Harry took a sit as far away as possible from Sam.
Harry - Oh well... It's not like for us to decide. If Duval wants us to work on that, then we go ahead and work on that. It's just that simple, isn't it? Always has been.
Sam - Then what this all charade was all about?
Harry - Because if I could make choice, I would have take something more exiting rather then just pranks! I had a perfect job from my contacts, but I had to drom everything just to get here and do these... Pranks! Who would have thought I would have end up here? You could have called for JayJay and spare me the shame of doing low end jobs!
Kilmure - JayJay is a... Hard person to deal with. He wouldnt fit in the enviorment of green zone, let alone white zone and Odesa? Yeah, he would have been busted in a minutes, if not seconds!
Harry - You sure think low on him. What's the story? | Kilmure - Long and private story.
Positioning himself with a cue, Kilmure pereared to hit the white ball.
Sam - If we leave the unnecessary and private details. He had an affair with daughter of some big man in a white zone. Being the idiot that he is, he was caught red handed, but managed to escape. That was eleven years ago... And both the father of that girl, AND that girl is still looking for him. One to kill him, and another to love him...
Harry - Oh... We better NOT take JayJay over here! Else he end up dead in best case scenario.
Sam - Dead in best case? What would be a worst case?
Harry - Trapped in basement, forever loved and bound to a wall?
A flinch... Kilmure's strike sent white ball on a wrong trajectory, the ball bounced of another and went into a hole. Then Kilmure turned to face Harry with disapointed expression.
Kilmure - You should stop reading that manga of yours!
=== DHG Camp ==
In a only office building. A lone figure of a blonde man sitting behind a big table, were looking through a papers and trying to dial someone through a terminal. Unfortunatly, noone answered and after low-tone sound, a robotic female voice sain "The number you...". Not wanting to hear it any futher, blonde man canceled the call. And a few seconds latter, a someone knocked on a door
Andre - Come on in! | JayJay - And here I am! How ya doing partner?
Through an office door, walked a JayJay. A man little higher than average man, short dark hair and rough face instantly gave out a "cutthroat" feeling about him.
Andre - Oh... What do you want James? I am rather busy right now.
JayJay - Not much. So... Did they sent anything? An answer?
Andre - Oh... Yeah... Sorry, I almost forgot about that. Sit down and give me a sec...
While looking around, JayJay took a seat in front of Andre. All while Andre were looking through a terminal and scrolling through tabs and texts on it. Silence lasted for a half a minute, untill Andre found something, started reading it with whispers and then out lout.
Andre - ... and on that note, we would like to inform you mister 'Karlos' *For moment, Andre looked at JayJay* that you latest efforts did not went unnoticed! And our company, blah-blah-blah... Ok, here... With everything in mind, we would like to hire your services for a long-term compain in region of S48... Bunch of numbers and letters... in assisstance of URNC forces to the common goal.
JayJay - Oh wow...*heh*This time I really went and did it, didn't I?
Andre - What exactly did you do out there? I almost feel like reading a recommendation letter.
JayJay - Not much, really. Few moths ago, I happened to fight a bunch of bounty hunters over a lost cargo in red zone. Of course we took that fight and then got out with a cargo in tow. And then found out that this were not just any hunters and that was not any ordinary comission. These huntes were reason that cargo ended up over there, and URNC needed some really good help out there and they even agreed to some sort of a long-term contract for me and my boys for a short big profit.
Andre - So what now... You are on URNC leash?
JayJay - Hey! At least let's hear them fellas out. And if anything happen, you could gain a man on the inside. That way you would know if... let's say... They were to put an ambush on an ambush?
Andre - No need to remind me that... Okay. That's a message for you, so here you go.
With a few more taps. Andre locked the terminal and handed it over to JayJay, who unlocked in with another few taps, locked again and put it in a pocket. Seeing that, Andre returned his attention to a table and text in front of him.
JayJay - Good. Got some things to worry about. Any news from Duval?
Andre - Not much. He called today, saying that we probobly going to make a train heist somewhere this month. Not a lot of info on hand, but he said that he will contact again when he will everything planned out.
JayJay - Train heist? Hell yeah. It's been a while since we pulled one of thouse over.
Andre - Yeah... The last one was...JayJay - Five years ago... Yeah... It was a wild time.
Andre - I wasn't even here when you were pulling stunts like this.
JayJay - In a way, you missed the worst part in Duval's story. So, it's even okay.
Andre - Maybe... Maybe... But the worst part of Duval for now, is WHY THE HELL is he keeping everything on a paper? And I mean EVERYTHING. Even contacts and our old heist plans are all on a paper over here! The only thing he uses terminal, is to call someone or to send messages!
JayJay - That old man always were strange... Anyway, recon disturbed you long enough. Have a nice paper time over here.
Andre - Yeah... Yeah...
Slowly, JayJay stood up and walked out of the room. Leaving Andre to deal with paper. A thought crossed through Andre mind "I would rather have a gun fight than deal with this". But nevertheless, he kept looking through paper to figure out "Who to call for an order of supplies"