I'm a fucking genius. No need to sugarcoat that truth and hide it from myself, because it's absolutely, positively, 100% obvious. As the SUV pulls into the parking space, and the driver kills the engine, I'm greeted with the bleak darkness of the night, lit up faintly by the glow of the nearly full moon. I open up the passenger's side door and step out of the vehicle, knowing full well the walk that awaited myself and my comrades; from the lot into the maze of boxes that awaited us.
"This, this is the place?" the Diaz girl says between stammers and choppy breaths that sound more and more like hyperventilation the longer I'm subjected to it. Nyman puts her arm around her in an attempt to calm her down that frankly sickens me. She's right to be nervous, and doesn't need to be lulled into a false sense of security. I clear my throat at Nyman, who awkwardly pulls her arm away and turns to face the shaken girl, whispering just loud enough for me to hear:
"Yeah, this is it." She tugs at the waistband of her jeans, struggling to keep the cause of her discomfort a secret from her incredibly nosy guest. The look she flashes me tells the whole story: I shouldn't have brought either of them along. However, they're going to have to get used to this. The way we do business. With that, and not a single word more, the four of us: myself, Nyman, Diaz, and Oscar depart from the lot and make our way across the street, ready to meet the maze of boxes head on.
Here's hoping that those we're meeting with keep true to their word. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that they won't. Oh well, that makes things a lot more interesting.
***
Aha, finally! We arrive at an intersection, made such by a conveniently placed structure of crates, their sides bearing the insignias of the multitude of legitimate companies that do business from this very port. One box in particular strikes me as peculiar: its logo, one that has almost been emblazoned in my mind for the last few months of planning, driving me almost into a frenzy with just its mere presence.
Tigris Corp. That bitch was here, too.
Whatever. No time to worry about that. From behind the stack of crates directly in front of me, I can see the unmistakable lights of the boat that presumably belongs to our contact. Those very lights flash on and off, as if trying to draw our attention to the vessel. It's working.
"We see you!" I call out across the void. A wave from the man at the helm assures me that everything is well, and the boat chops across the waves before ultimately settling into a spot at the dock. The engine powers off and in its wake, the sound of feet clamoring against the wooden walkway that led upwards to where we waited.
After a few more moments of restless waiting, the pair of men I've met with once before step into the intersection, accompanied by two more familiar faces: Itaria and Arellia. I can't help but smirk as I watch them approach from behind the two men, looking as if they hadn't a care in the world because likely, that was the case. The larger of the two men; Jared I believe his name was, glares at me with his hand extended, which I reluctantly accept. He looks behind me at the company I brought into this exchange with a sour look on his face. "Who's she?" he asks, pointing directly at a now recoiling Jessie. I chuckle and rest a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry 'bout her," I state matter-of-factly. "She's harmless." For some reason, I don't think he quite believes me. Whatever. I lower my hand back to my side, shooting a backwards glace to Jessie, who's currently waving at those on the other side as if they were long lost friends or something equally as preposterous.
"Yeah well, I don't like it," he whispers under his breath to me.
"Yeah well, you're just going to have to deal with it," I whisper back in a voice mocking his. His face begins to turn a slight shade of red. Perfect. It's been too long, far too long...
"I hate to interrupt this awkward love fest, you two," says the other man, who makes his way toward Jared and I. "But I think it would be in everyone's best interest if we keep this moving as fast as possible. We have the guns." Jared turns to his partner with a look of annoyance on his face. I simply back away a couple of feet and laugh.
"Yes! I agree! Now, could you guys be so kind as to retrieve them for us?"
With a sigh, Jared turns around and urges his companion (whose name escapes me at the moment) to follow him back tot he boat they rode in on. Taking this opportunity, I approach Itaria and Arellia.
"Iraina! Erin!" I exclaim, not letting me joy in seeing them sway me into betraying their Earth names. Likewise, the pair appear as excited as I am about this meeting, as evidenced by the grins I receive, especially from the previously troubled looking Itaria. "Learn anything useful about these two jackasses and their employers?" I whisper.
"Lots," Erin/Arellia says, smiling.
"Is that so?"
"Very much so. We should be able to destroy any opposition they give us with minimal effort."
"Excellent." Iraina/Itaria remains silent, a confident smile planted on her face.
"Dammit!" Jared yells from ten or so feet away, an oddly shaped crate: with handles on either side hanging off the ground between himself and his accomplice. I chuckle, dismissively looking down at the ground. After a few moments, I look back up at the pair, who drop the crate on the ground in front of me.
"Open it."
"You want me to wipe your ass too?" Jared shoots back at me.
"Depends; is that an offer?"
"Was that supposed to be a fuckin' joke?"
"Not at all, the only joke here is your existence."
"You motherfuck-"
"Guys! Guys!" the accomplice chimes in again. "Back to business!"
"Show me the money so we can get get out of here!"
"Yeah... About that," I say as I reach into my jacket and pull out a revolver. The sound of rustling fabric behind me assures me that Nyman and Oscar are no doubt doing the exact same thing. "You won't be seeing anything in a matter of seconds."
![[-]](https://xwf99.com/images/portal2/collapse.gif)
