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?”

mask and

hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly, looking at the sea.

Luigi returned home late for a party, you know, perfectly normal, he starts opening his home’s door and then BAM! Some Friday

“Why Luigi? Was it a

his money,” Grunt 1 replied. “Maybe it was a

uh, passionate according to witnesses,” Gruntie said.

real homewrecker,” Grunt 2 pointed out, “Maybe it was

arms.

took Ryan more time to find the hockey

at a hotel right?” Jamie asked Ryan. “I think you should crash at my place for the night, just in case. The city isn’t

say,” Ryan

Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went

his conscious mind entered when he couldn’t be bothered to live through the same events over and over again.

through an endless theater rehearsal. People held no mystery to him after a while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they

repetition would drive

would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found

to reality, interrupting the

consciousness. Extensive looping

Vulcan’s factory, the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved a photo of Rust

care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such surprises,

noticed Pluto and her bodyguard talking with Zanbato, Ryan expected events to repeat until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

preparing to repeat

“Have we met before?”

didn’t expect that answer. “Possibly, I’m

already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning from curious

her bodyguard asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’ mere attention terrified her

said. “But I don’t

...

power somehow mark

something wrong, boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing

your new recruit,

to joke when Jamie invaded his personal space, putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,”

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.

memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers interfere with

convinced, her eyes set on Ryan. The courier whistled and looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his defense. “Quicksave may be odd, but he is reliable,” the Made Man said. “He helped us fight off Sarin

name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely dismissing

replied with mock reverence, alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano.

lives forever,” she replied coldly. “I’ve got places to be right now, but I will call you back soon

him… No, wait, that wasn’t

Ryan didn’t follow her order, he would die. The

of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan broke the ice. “So, who’s up for Chinese?”

said, letting out a breath of

Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or would

is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her interest is not

without question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of concern, “She

she even here?” Lanka asked

since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in the field, and Pluto loaned her the

with a frown. “To attack

asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a

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

the discussion, trying to puzzle out the sequence of events. It appeared Shroud had followed through with his promise and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations.

It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure

every time he made progress, a

to play along until Vulcan told him how to contact or reach Len. He didn’t have to stay with

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255