fixed," glowered Wulf pointedly. "You have given him der excuse to get into the hospital."
Johnny sighed.
"Okay, okay, sorry. It's still gonna take him a while to find this room." Wulf flapped his hand in imitation of a mouth opening and closing. "The doctor treating him is der big talker. Loves to tell you der stuff."
"Dammit. How long have we got?"
"Ten minutes, tops."
Johnny wiped his hand across his forehead. It was turning into another one of those days.
"Who is this Sick Squid?" asked Nigel.
"He's another Search/Destroy Agent," said Wulf.
"Yeah," said Johnny. "And he's a bad one."
"Worse than Simon der Hapless Boy," added Wulf.
"Aren't you guys all, like, on the same side?" asked Nigel.
Johnny and Wulf permitted themselves a two-second chuckle before bellowing "No!" in unison.
Johnny and Wulf cased the hospital cafeteria with practised ease, darting glances left and right, looking for any gaze bold enough to return their own. The high-vaulted hall rang with unbearable clatter: knives and forks, spoons and chopsticks, prongs, scoops, and mini-suction devices, all banging on plates, bowls, and each other. Native Tammerfortians screeched at the top of their avian lungs, each trying to outdo the clamour from the neighbouring table. Human visitors and staff sat scattered about the room, earplugs clearly visible even from a distance. It was hardly the ideal place to have a private chat.
Johnny peered over a Tammerfortian's high, feathered shoulders at the dish of the day, which propelled him to get the sneck out of the place as soon as possible. He made a beeline for the Fire Exit and bashed on the lever. Wulf and the Gronk followed him through, the door slammed shut, and they were in the blissful quiet of an access stairwell.
Johnny sat wearily on the dusty, unadorned concrete step. Wulf did likewise several feet above, where the upper flight of steps right-angled away. The Gronk snuggled against Johnny and gently nudged him with its head, attempting to elicit some kind of friendly reaction. Johnny patted its head absently.
"What do you think?" said Wulf.
"We give Squid five minutes in there. Let him think we're still on the way."
"It is good, jah ?"
"Yeah. He doesn't know about Ruth. Nigel can spin him the official line, send him off on a wild goose chase. Let Squid think he's ahead, and we're still pissed off about him stealing our money."
" Jah ," mused Wulf, tugging at his beard. "It is probably der only thing keeping him from going to the cops."
The Gronk squealed as Johnny inadvertently tugged at the fur on the back of its neck.
"Sorry, Gronk," he said.
"So, are you to be filling me on this?" asked Wulf.
"Ruthie and Nigel are cool," said Johnny. "She's unhurt, and she didn't attack him."
"Oh," exclaimed Wulf happily. "That is fantastic."
"Yeah," nodded Johnny. "Nigel was beaten up by the crooks he hired to smuggle Ruthie offworld."
"Ah, that is not so good."
"And they've kidnapped Ruth. She's probably still in stasis. We need to get her back at the handover or she could be shipped anywhere in the galaxy."
The Gronk let out a plaintive sigh. It looked up at Johnny and blinked sympathetically. Despite the miserable situation, Johnny found himself smiling thinly back at it.
"What do we do?" asked Wulf.
"We'll be the bag men. We'll take the cash out to the location tonight."
"Which is where?"
"We don't know yet."
"Johnny, should we not be going to the police?"
Johnny shook his head. "We can't let anyone find out who Ruth is."
"Johnny," said Wulf, sternly. He held out his hands, palms upraised in a pre-emptive gesture of surrender. "Do not be flying off der handle, but-"
"What?"
"You short tempered all of the time. You beat up der Squid. You don't tell der police. You make der plans for double-crossing der kidnappers. What kind of law enforcement are you?"
"This is different. This is family."
"I'm just saying, these things might be working out on the frontier, but we are back in the
Johnny sighed.
"Okay, okay, sorry. It's still gonna take him a while to find this room." Wulf flapped his hand in imitation of a mouth opening and closing. "The doctor treating him is der big talker. Loves to tell you der stuff."
"Dammit. How long have we got?"
"Ten minutes, tops."
Johnny wiped his hand across his forehead. It was turning into another one of those days.
"Who is this Sick Squid?" asked Nigel.
"He's another Search/Destroy Agent," said Wulf.
"Yeah," said Johnny. "And he's a bad one."
"Worse than Simon der Hapless Boy," added Wulf.
"Aren't you guys all, like, on the same side?" asked Nigel.
Johnny and Wulf permitted themselves a two-second chuckle before bellowing "No!" in unison.
Johnny and Wulf cased the hospital cafeteria with practised ease, darting glances left and right, looking for any gaze bold enough to return their own. The high-vaulted hall rang with unbearable clatter: knives and forks, spoons and chopsticks, prongs, scoops, and mini-suction devices, all banging on plates, bowls, and each other. Native Tammerfortians screeched at the top of their avian lungs, each trying to outdo the clamour from the neighbouring table. Human visitors and staff sat scattered about the room, earplugs clearly visible even from a distance. It was hardly the ideal place to have a private chat.
Johnny peered over a Tammerfortian's high, feathered shoulders at the dish of the day, which propelled him to get the sneck out of the place as soon as possible. He made a beeline for the Fire Exit and bashed on the lever. Wulf and the Gronk followed him through, the door slammed shut, and they were in the blissful quiet of an access stairwell.
Johnny sat wearily on the dusty, unadorned concrete step. Wulf did likewise several feet above, where the upper flight of steps right-angled away. The Gronk snuggled against Johnny and gently nudged him with its head, attempting to elicit some kind of friendly reaction. Johnny patted its head absently.
"What do you think?" said Wulf.
"We give Squid five minutes in there. Let him think we're still on the way."
"It is good, jah ?"
"Yeah. He doesn't know about Ruth. Nigel can spin him the official line, send him off on a wild goose chase. Let Squid think he's ahead, and we're still pissed off about him stealing our money."
" Jah ," mused Wulf, tugging at his beard. "It is probably der only thing keeping him from going to the cops."
The Gronk squealed as Johnny inadvertently tugged at the fur on the back of its neck.
"Sorry, Gronk," he said.
"So, are you to be filling me on this?" asked Wulf.
"Ruthie and Nigel are cool," said Johnny. "She's unhurt, and she didn't attack him."
"Oh," exclaimed Wulf happily. "That is fantastic."
"Yeah," nodded Johnny. "Nigel was beaten up by the crooks he hired to smuggle Ruthie offworld."
"Ah, that is not so good."
"And they've kidnapped Ruth. She's probably still in stasis. We need to get her back at the handover or she could be shipped anywhere in the galaxy."
The Gronk let out a plaintive sigh. It looked up at Johnny and blinked sympathetically. Despite the miserable situation, Johnny found himself smiling thinly back at it.
"What do we do?" asked Wulf.
"We'll be the bag men. We'll take the cash out to the location tonight."
"Which is where?"
"We don't know yet."
"Johnny, should we not be going to the police?"
Johnny shook his head. "We can't let anyone find out who Ruth is."
"Johnny," said Wulf, sternly. He held out his hands, palms upraised in a pre-emptive gesture of surrender. "Do not be flying off der handle, but-"
"What?"
"You short tempered all of the time. You beat up der Squid. You don't tell der police. You make der plans for double-crossing der kidnappers. What kind of law enforcement are you?"
"This is different. This is family."
"I'm just saying, these things might be working out on the frontier, but we are back in the
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