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

sport, hockey,” Ryan said absentmindedly,

door and then BAM! Some

Jamie almost chortled. “Why Luigi?

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

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

pointed out, “Maybe it was a jealous boyfriend? It had

could be the Meta.” Zanbato crossed his arms. “But then how did they

took Ryan more time to find the hockey

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

say,” Ryan

events happened as predicted. Jamie invited him home, they played poker, went

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

rehearsal. People held no mystery to him after a while, always reacting the same way to the exact same things; they forgot him and relearned the same information, over, and over again. They became machines, and Ryan the only human in

would drive anyone

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

cellphone beeping snapped him back to reality, interrupting the flow

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

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

taken care

Thanks for the tip.

lived for such surprises, good

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

“You,” Pluto asked Quicksave.

preparing to repeat

“Have we met before?”

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

her tone

asked Pluto, while Lanka stood still next to Ryan. The underboss’

Pluto said. “But I don’t

...

Did her power somehow

boss?” Jamie joined the conversation, carefully backing Ryan

your new recruit,

to her when talked to, he all but said out loud. “Quicksave,” Zanbato answered Pluto’s question in the courier’s place. “He’s a

The courier couldn’t explain why, but he felt a growing

would have noticed a memory alteration or infohazard,” Pluto’s female bodyguard pointed out. “Maybe your powers interfere with each other

looked away innocently, while Zanbato came to his

Quicksave?” she asked Ryan, completely

alleviating the tension. “Ryan Romano. I’m immortal,

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

wait, that wasn’t a

follow her order, he would die. The

group watched the underboss leave with her bodyguard in complete silence until they were out of sight. Nobody dared

Lanka said, letting out a breath of

do?!” Ryan replied, just as confused. “Or would you prefer

Quicksave,” Jamie said. “That woman is Pluto, Augustus’ sister and underboss. Her interest

suggest you follow her lead without question,” Ki-jung said, her face full of concern, “She can

is she even here?” Lanka asked her team

the clean-up since she’s been itching to test her new weapons in the field, and

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

it was just a guy with

off,” Jamie replied. “The Meta-Gang isn’t a big

listened to 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. With no one to divert their attention, the criminal syndicate had decided

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

every time he made

Ryan only had to play along 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

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

Comments ()

0/255