Serial: Bodyguard of Lies, episode 42: Data Hound

[eimarra]

Bodyguard of Lies is a serialized science-fiction novel updating once a week on Tuesdays. If you missed last week’s episode, Bad Cop, Sexy Cop, it can be found here. You can catch up on the entire serial on this page with a description of the story and links to all published episodes.

Bodyguard of Lies
Episode 42
Data Hound

Sabra watched the cops. She wouldn’t trust either of them as far as Leo could throw them. Whatever happened to truth, justice, protect, and serve? She’d probably bruised Mick’s ankle. Served him right, ogling that fem with her standing right here.

Leo spun his chair to face her. “Are you going to call?”

Right. She still held the fragments of the data chips. Calling while the cops were there wouldn’t have been her choice — maybe some of Charly’s caution had rubbed off on her — but it was Leo’s decision. Charly answered her vid right away.

“Sabra? Can it wait?”

“I suppose, but not too long. I have some broken chits — ”

“And you want me to reconstruct the data.” Charly waited for Sabra’s nod. “Did it ever occur to you that, since I just lost my job, I might be doing something else? Maybe looking for a new place, maybe hanging with other friends?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think — ”

“You never do.” Charly shook her head.

“Suppose I could point you towards another job?” Sabra eyed Leo thoughtfully. He frowned. Well, he’d come around when he saw the quality of Charly’s work.

“Not really interested. Maybe some creds, help me do my own stuff for a change . . . ”

Leo shrugged. Creds didn’t bother him.

Sabra sighed. “Fine. Come over when you can. We’ll be expecting you.”

A voice floated in the background of Charly’s vid. “Hey, Char, did you see where I threw my — oh! sorry!”

Charly raised one eyebrow at Sabra, daring her to say anything. Sabra held both her hands up in a “not me” gesture. Charly nodded and shut off the feed.

Leo said, “How much is she going to want?”

Sabra shrugged. “Probably less than you’re paying me. She’s never asked before, so I don’t know.”

Mick leaned over. “We have some time to wait, then. You want to — ”

Leo stood. “You should go back to the merc quarters for now. I’ll call you when we’re ready to leave.”

Whoever Charly had been with, they must have been just about finished. Charly showed up twenty minutes later, just after the cops finally left. Mick escorted her into Leo’s office. Leo shot him a look, but said nothing.

Charly looked around. “Sharp. So, the creds?”

“How much do you want?” Leo asked.

“How much is it worth to you?”

This wasn’t like Charly. She’d been through something, and it wasn’t just the police calling on her or her losing her job. Or maybe it was; Char had done her best to stay out of the cops’ sight growing up. Most sane people did on the lower levels. And if she’d had to deal with scum like the ones who had just come through here, that could shake up a lot of people.

“Right now? My company’s riding on this information. I can’t afford not to get it.” Interesting negotiating technique — show the weak spot right off.

Charly nodded. “I want a cut. Five percent of everything you make after this.”

Sabra choked, but Leo just pushed his lips together in thought. “How about five percent of current market value? Ten if your help materially helps us to maintain market position.”

“Done.”

Charly held out her hand, and Sabra dropped the chips into it. Charly said, “I can’t work with these here. You have a records or development office with some tools?”

“Sabra can show you.”

“No. She’s guarding you. I wouldn’t want anything on my conscience.”

“Mick, then.”

Charly looked at him. “Right. You’re one of the ones who came to Flynn’s office to get her in the first place. Hope you’re proud of yourself.”

“I do what I can.”

Char headed toward the lift. Partway there, she paused and glowered at Sabra. “This makes us even, starting over with a blank chit. We’ll talk.”

Whoever that was in her apartment must be something. Sabra nodded. “I’m hoping you can crack this. I want to get back to the arena.”

“Maybe that’s a good idea.”

The lift doors closed behind them, and Sabra turned away. She lifted her chin. “I’m going to go down to the merc quarters, see if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You might be able to fight everyone who’s angry with you, but probably not all at once. And I do need you to escort me home.”

Sabra clenched her fists. If Leo and Mick stopped talking to her, too, she’d have no one.

Time passed slowly as she waited for Leo to do his work, Mick and Charly to get back with the chits, something to happen. When the two did resurface, Charly had an unexpected smile on her face.

She ignored Sabra. “I think I’ve got the data reconstructed. It appears to be a transmission from here to Balark. I can’t make out the details; some fem saying the time was right to strike, that the leader was off, would be distracted for a while, and she’d see to the rest of the mercs.”

Leo tapped his fingers on the desk. “You say ‘some fem’? Can she be identified?”

Charly shrugged. “I have a program comparing what I got with your corp files. Should have something tomorrow.”

He nodded. “Anything on the drugs?”

“Nothing I can get right now. A couple days, patching bits from one chit to another, maybe. Right now, ain’t enough to work with.”

“Thank you. Can I get you anything? An advance on your fee? Dinner out?”

“Sorry, you’re not my type.”

He flushed. “I didn’t mean it that way. You’re young enough to be my daughter. I was hoping to sneak in a job interview when you weren’t paying attention.”

“Charly always pays attention,” Sabra said. He’d never said Sabra was young enough to be his daughter. She realized how spiteful that sounded; was she jealous of her friend? “Especially when she says she’s not.”

“You ought to know,” Charly said.

“See you back here tomorrow?” Leo waited for her nod. “Can I drop you anywhere? The heli can take four.”

“Right. Like a heli can land where I live. No, I’ll just go be a ped for a bit, let the smells of the street wash back over me. I’ll be fine.”

Leo walked her to the lift. When she was gone he said, “There’s a fem with potential. She reminds me a bit of my wife when she was younger. Wish I’d met Charly sooner; I’ll bet we could have made something of this corp, working together.”

Click here to continue reading with Episode 43, Unexpected Fan.

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Originally published at Erin M. Hartshorn. You can comment here or there.