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?”

with a hockey mask and stick,

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

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 a while,

chortled. “Why Luigi? Was it a

maniac didn’t even take his money,” Grunt 1 replied.

to witnesses,” Gruntie said. “At least from

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

Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then

took Ryan more time to find the hockey equipment

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 safe at

don’t say,”

home, they played poker,

state his conscious mind entered when he

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

would

reach the perfect ending and soon, it would finally end. Everything would turn right when Ryan found Len. He was

to reality,

remember when and where he was when he snapped back to consciousness. Extensive looping and

the laying defeated on the ground. The message involved

taken care of. Children are

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such

until he met Vulcan. The Augusti’s underboss froze the exact same way upon meeting him, and said the

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

answered, preparing to

“Have we met before?”

Ryan, as he didn’t expect that answer.

already met,” Pluto replied, her tone turning from curious to confused. “Who

Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’ mere attention terrified her into

“But

...

power somehow mark

joined the conversation, carefully

is your new recruit,

his personal space, putting a hand on his shoulder. You speak to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered Pluto’s

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 thickened, something weighing on

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

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

name, Quicksave?” she asked Ryan,

replied with mock reverence, alleviating the tension.

but I will call you back soon to clear this up. Play stupid, play smart, run, or say no, and you will

she threatened him… No, wait, that wasn’t

Ryan didn’t follow her order, he

until they were out of sight. Nobody dared to speak up at first, so Ryan broke the ice.

Lanka said, letting out a breath of

replied, just as confused. “Or would you prefer

“That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister

said, her face full of concern, “She

here?” Lanka

hard,” Jamie replied, his arms crossed. “Vulcan will take command of the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons

Luigi,” Ki-jung said with a frown. “To attack him in front of his own house… if

though?” Lanka asked, skeptical. “I mean, it was just a guy with a hockey cross. It if was a Meta,

probably an unpowered junkie they paid off,” Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big group.

and stopped targeting the Augusti with assassinations. With no one to divert their attention, the criminal syndicate had decided to focus

how Pluto’s newfound interest in him would play out though. It could threaten his entire infiltration mission, and he had to figure out how she could identify him even after he altered

made progress, a new problem

He didn’t have to stay with the Augusti longer than that. And if they tried

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

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