The Perfect Run

Chapter 21

All was well so far on the Augusti Path.

Ryan had met Zanbato as expected, beat up Sarin at the harbor, and now repeated the exact same conversation which would lead him to crash at Jamie’s house. All was well and good, to the sound of crashing waves against the piers...

“I have to be sure about something,” Luigi asked the courier. “Are you a snitch or a double agent?”

“Well, I’m not really on anyone’s side,” Ryan replied, but then his mouth acted on its own, “But I’m a Carnival infiltrator, yes.”

… or not.

Everyone present turned to look at him, a tense silence settling in. The grunts raised their weapons, while Zanbato’s face turned from shocked, to disappointed, and finally, to furious.

“Uh oh.”

Okay, two lessons learned.

One, Ryan hated truth-tellers. Hated them, with a passion.

Two, Zanbato could make sashimi out of people with his laser sword. Ryan wouldn’t look at sushi the same way ever again.

But this time… this time, it would be different. The courier had rehearsed the perfect misleading answers. Luigi's power compelled Ryan to say the truth, but only according to the teller’s exact words.

“I have to be sure about something,” Luigi asked him again. “Are you a snitch or a double agent?”

“I can’t snitch on a group I haven’t officially joined yet, and I am not a double agent.” Technically, he was a triple one.

“Are you a mole?”

“Of course I’m not a mole, I’m human.”

There! Saved! He did it, he did it!

“Okay, I should work on my wording,” Luigi sighed but didn’t give up. “Are you, or do you intend, to relay information about us to another organization?”

“Well, yes, I intend to. Hell, I already did!”

Goddammit!

Okay.

Okay, third time's the charm.

Through timing and intelligence, Ryan had skillfully navigated through the chain of causality to avoid the fated question. He had put on the charm, befriended everyone, distracted the grunts with funny anecdotes. Now, the courier and Zanbato prepared to return to the Plymouth Fury, and go eat some delicious pizzas.

“Hey, Quicksave,” Luigi asked, as they took a few steps towards the car. “Before you go, there are a few questions I must ask every new recruit.”

“Luigi, seriously, please, don’t do it,” Ryan replied, his eyes pleading. “For your sake, don’t say this. It won’t end well, I swear it won’t—”

“Sorry, protocol. Are you a snitch?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Yes, I am! Is that what you want me to say, Luigi? Is that what you want me to say?”

Quicksave breathed deeply, fighting off his rising frustration.

“Luigi,” Ryan pointed a finger at the truth-teller, as everyone raised their weapons at the courier's face. “We’re going to have a problem, you and I.”

“Where’s Luigi?” Zanbato asked Grunt 1 when the truth-teller failed to show up at the harbor, leaving only the henchmen to deal with the operation. “Wasn’t he supposed to take care of the shipment?”

“Sorry, he was attacked yesterday night,” Gruntie said, carrying Luigi’s cell phone. Apparently, he would have to fill in for the Made Man. “He’s at the hospital right now, and he’ll be out of commission for a while.”

“What?” The news shocked Jamie, who clearly hadn’t been informed. “By whom?”

psychopath with a hockey mask and stick, from what I

very dangerous sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the sea. “I don’t

“Apparently Luigi returned home late for a party, you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday the 13th crazy jumps out of the shadows, breaks his jaw with a hockey stick, beats him up for

Jamie almost chortled. “Why Luigi? Was

his money,” Grunt 1

attacker looked really, uh, passionate according to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At

a lot, a real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out,

arms.

hockey equipment than Luigi’s address. Nobody played that

staying at a hotel right?” Jamie asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place for the night, just in case. The

don’t say,” Ryan

happened as predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went to Vulcan’s factory, and Ryan saved

let his sense of timing guide him forward. The auto-pilot wasn’t really a sub-power, simply a state his conscious mind entered when he

a while, always reacting the same way to

would drive

finally end. Everything

snapped him back to reality, interrupting the

he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and repetition

on the ground. The

taken care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such

he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same way upon meeting

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

to

“Have we met before?”

didn’t

it, we already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning from curious to confused.

Lanka stood still

marked,” Pluto said. “But

...

shit! Did her power somehow mark

boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing Ryan up

is your new

to joke when Jamie invaded his personal space, putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he

Ryan with an intense stare, as if trying to peer into his soul. The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing pressure around him. The air

female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers interfere with

The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made

your name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely

alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m immortal, but don’t tell

I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play

that

order, he

silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first,

letting out a breath of relief. “Blabbermouth,

didn’t I do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or

Augustus’ sister and

said, her face full of concern, “She

here?” Lanka

arms crossed. “Vulcan will take command of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in the field, and Pluto loaned her the Killer Seven hit squad. I

after what they did to poor Luigi,” Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack

that it’s the Meta who did that though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was

junkie they paid off,” Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group. It would make sense

Shroud had followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations.

play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how

time he made

until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than that. And if they tried to force him into one fetch

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