After taking a few turns but still following the directions from my route instructions, I came to what looked like the place I was to hand over the jacket.
Just like the other shops around the corporate district, this one too was a mid-sized store with glasses all over.
I could clearly see through to the towering figure that was seated behind a tailoring machine inside.
It was a Devaronian....definitely the dropzone?
I wondered inwardly who in their right mind makes a Devaronian a tailor?
Honestly even if it was a cover it was quite a lame one. Everyone knew they were a physically aggressive species.
They would either opt for smuggling or bounty hunting
The tall figure on the other side raised his head at that moment and caught my eye.
He did not show any sign of recognition or encouragement for me to approach.
Then again no syndicate affiliated fixer would do that.
I was pretty sure that I had my destination right so I swallowed in another gasp of corporate fresh air and began to climb the steps.
Even in this area there were security droids but they were scantily spaced.
Non of the customer around gave much thoughts to my movement but I could see that there were cams all around which I tried hard to not to look at.
I pushed in the glass door and on entering I was greeted by slow jazz rizz
The Devaronian who now had a tailoring string on his lips did not raise his eyes to meet mine even as I entered. He still busied himself with fixing his machines.
Several seconds of awkward silence stretched between us and I realized that I was the customer.
I recalled the handlers instructions to every first face to face meet with a syndicate member...
you never mentioned the syndicate. You never mentioned you are a runner,never mentioned the product. And you used the language of their business.
I had been coached for this one by the Nikto.
"Excuse me, I had dropped a green jacket for adjustment earlier" .
I said, playing casual.
I could not tell whether there were cams in here, whether by his knowledge or not.
Rival syndicates were known to use all means to pry on anyone they suspected and Black sun certainly did not follow no rule book.
"What size?..." the Devaronian asked now resuming work on his machine
"was similar to this one." I said, taking off the delivery jacket.
In all manner, we were thoroughly discussing clothes in here and up to now he had still not betrayed any reaction that he knew what I was talking about.
"let me take a look" he said now for the first time looking me in the face.
"What happens to the old jacket?" he asked
"Caught something on the street and tore... Can't be worn anymore"
I had been coached about this too .
One might think he was asking about the previous clothes, but the man was asking about one of the previous runners who Hato had killed.
"I can't have the right size on a short notice. I need to know every time you want a different clothe made. That way I know what material I'm dealing with beforehand... I have alot of client"
Now the man was complaining about the sudden change of runners. Wanted to be briefed beforehand.
He was literally in the heart of the enemy and he had to know who he's dealing with because anyone could be just an infiltrator from a rival syndicate.
"Here, this one should fit you." he said bringing out exactly an identical jacket to the one I wore.
" should serve you well until I can fix this one.
'fix' was the last code word I had been waiting for to know that the drop was successful.
I took the jacket and swung it on.
It felt even more heavier than the first one. not by much. That made me realize that the payment for the last batch of spices was within this.
I nodded, ready to turn and walk out when something gave a strong vibration on his desk.
"Get down" . He ordered in a panicked voice
You don't get told twice to get down in mantel. I turned quickly to check outside the shop.
the street outside was clear.
The man grabbed me by the neck and dragged me around the desk, before reaching for the mirrored cabinet right behind him.
It was at first glance, a huge mirror for customers to check out the way they looked in clothes.
With a gentle click, it pushed open and the man pushed me inside what looked like a walk-in closet before shutting the mirror behind me.
"stay fucking still, don't move."
I stood there petrified.
What the fuck was happening? A few more seconds went by with nothing happening. The man had gone back to do his work as if
I did not exist.
I wanted to knock and inquire what crazy shitty things he was doing. But right then I saw a group of four individuals begin to climb up the stairs.
I just did not need more prompting.
I knew right away that these were syndicates.
I could not tell outright their affiliation, but judging by the fact that I could tell they were syndicates, then they were from black sun.
There is no syndicate that would operate so openly in corporate district unless they were either black sun or had their permission.
The mirror was a one-way mirror and I happened to be on the right side of it. So I watched as the group of two humans, one Nikto and another species I did not know what exactly was, but which had a head like a pig, but all the rest of the body just resembled a human... Probably gamorrean
They walked in looking nothing friendly at all. They weren't even hiding it.
"good day Wala" growled the human who looked like the leader of the gang.
"day is gone, can't help you... Was just about to close" the Devaronian said.
I watched as the four spread out inside the shop"
"You will no doubt make time for us... Rumours has it you've been fixing a lot more than clothes these days." the leader stated
"Did you mean a lot more clothes? The Devaronian asked
" I am certain there was a 'than' in there"
from this end, I could see that the Devaronian knees had reached on the lower drawer and was pushing it slowly.
I could see a blaster nestled just within arm's reach in that drawer and for fuck's sake I was praying that he doesn't need to use it. I was literally behind him and this thugs definitely had theirs too
One wrong stray blast and the mirror would shatter and him and I would be both goners
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