them. You’ll be paid one hundred thousand nuyen per runner per day for as long as they’re needed. You can skim whatever you want from that, of course.”
“I’ll set it up,” Cinnamon said without hesitation.
Jane laughed. “Excellent,” she said, and disconnected.
13
Ryan tried to put the upcoming ritual out of his mind as he and Talon found the stairs that would take them to meet Axler and Grind. The stairs led down from inside one of the small outlying buildings and had been cut into the rock itself.
Harlequin had given Ryan a set of keys and free rein over the island. The elf was busy inside the chateau, preparing himself for the ritual.
Excitement built inside Ryan, anticipation at the prospect that his mission might nearly be complete. He was amazed that Harlequin had agreed to help. With a little luck, it would soon be all over.
They took the stairs down and Ryan felt the cool spray of the sea, heard the roar of the waves as they came to the bottom. The stairs opened into a cave of sorts—a massive chamber with hewn floor and walls. The floor dropped sharply halfway through the chamber, and the ocean lapped against a short sea wall.
The far end of the chamber was open to the water, and the wooden dock extended from the stone floor out of the cave opening. A pair of Suzuki Watersports floated just inside the cave, tied to the dock. Through the opening Ryan could see the Harland and Wolff Classique yacht moored at the end of the dock.
The rest of the chamber was filled with equipment lockers and scuba driving gear. Weapons and an array of what seemed to be magical talismana lay helter-skelter, with no seeming regard for their value or well-being.
Axler and Grind poked their heads out of the water and climbed up a short ladder. Ryan helped them haul the three scuba sleds up onto the dock. As they removed their wet-suits and gear, he briefed them.
“I want you two to help me deploy the new runners. Cluster is the name of their leader.”
“I know him,” Grind said. “He’s a minotaur, a metahuman similar to a troll, but from the Middle East. He was an excellent merc back in the late forties.”
“Good, let’s go. They’ll be here soon, and I want to have the whole island scoped out before that.”
Soon, Ryan and Talon had explored the island. The sunset painted the sky in brilliant red streaks, the clouds floating like hot coals in a darkening blue sky. Axler and Grind were dry and geared up. Dhin was jacked into the helo’s console, remote-rigging the two drones that had come with the team. One was an Aerodesign Systems Condor II that floated in the air high above the island and gave Dhin an array of tools for surveillance. The other drone was a Commonwealth Aerospace Wandjina—one of the most effective combat drones made.
Talon had been paying particular attention to patrolling the island’s astral space and studying the arcane defenses. “It’s going to take an army to get onto this island,” Talon said. “Besides the veil around the island, Harlequin’s got spirits patrolling everywhere. I don’t see anyone getting through.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Aztechnology did send an army,” Ryan said.
“Great.”
“Bossman,” came Dhin’s voice over the tacticom, “we got company. Motorboat coming fast from the city.”
“It’s Cluster and his team,” said Jane-in-the-box, also over the ’com.
“We'll meet them at the dock.”
The team consisted of six runners, and Ryan assensed them as they approached. The rigger—a black dwarf like Grind—nestled the GMC Riverine up against the dock opposite Harlequin’s yacht. There were two physical adepts like Ryan, a white elf in ninja silks and a Latino woman wearing light combat armor. There was also a mage and a heavily cybered street samurai.
The team leader disembarked first—a huge troll-like individual with white skin and wearing a tuxedo over body armor. “Greetings,” he said. “I am called Cluster. We are
“I’ll set it up,” Cinnamon said without hesitation.
Jane laughed. “Excellent,” she said, and disconnected.
13
Ryan tried to put the upcoming ritual out of his mind as he and Talon found the stairs that would take them to meet Axler and Grind. The stairs led down from inside one of the small outlying buildings and had been cut into the rock itself.
Harlequin had given Ryan a set of keys and free rein over the island. The elf was busy inside the chateau, preparing himself for the ritual.
Excitement built inside Ryan, anticipation at the prospect that his mission might nearly be complete. He was amazed that Harlequin had agreed to help. With a little luck, it would soon be all over.
They took the stairs down and Ryan felt the cool spray of the sea, heard the roar of the waves as they came to the bottom. The stairs opened into a cave of sorts—a massive chamber with hewn floor and walls. The floor dropped sharply halfway through the chamber, and the ocean lapped against a short sea wall.
The far end of the chamber was open to the water, and the wooden dock extended from the stone floor out of the cave opening. A pair of Suzuki Watersports floated just inside the cave, tied to the dock. Through the opening Ryan could see the Harland and Wolff Classique yacht moored at the end of the dock.
The rest of the chamber was filled with equipment lockers and scuba driving gear. Weapons and an array of what seemed to be magical talismana lay helter-skelter, with no seeming regard for their value or well-being.
Axler and Grind poked their heads out of the water and climbed up a short ladder. Ryan helped them haul the three scuba sleds up onto the dock. As they removed their wet-suits and gear, he briefed them.
“I want you two to help me deploy the new runners. Cluster is the name of their leader.”
“I know him,” Grind said. “He’s a minotaur, a metahuman similar to a troll, but from the Middle East. He was an excellent merc back in the late forties.”
“Good, let’s go. They’ll be here soon, and I want to have the whole island scoped out before that.”
Soon, Ryan and Talon had explored the island. The sunset painted the sky in brilliant red streaks, the clouds floating like hot coals in a darkening blue sky. Axler and Grind were dry and geared up. Dhin was jacked into the helo’s console, remote-rigging the two drones that had come with the team. One was an Aerodesign Systems Condor II that floated in the air high above the island and gave Dhin an array of tools for surveillance. The other drone was a Commonwealth Aerospace Wandjina—one of the most effective combat drones made.
Talon had been paying particular attention to patrolling the island’s astral space and studying the arcane defenses. “It’s going to take an army to get onto this island,” Talon said. “Besides the veil around the island, Harlequin’s got spirits patrolling everywhere. I don’t see anyone getting through.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Aztechnology did send an army,” Ryan said.
“Great.”
“Bossman,” came Dhin’s voice over the tacticom, “we got company. Motorboat coming fast from the city.”
“It’s Cluster and his team,” said Jane-in-the-box, also over the ’com.
“We'll meet them at the dock.”
The team consisted of six runners, and Ryan assensed them as they approached. The rigger—a black dwarf like Grind—nestled the GMC Riverine up against the dock opposite Harlequin’s yacht. There were two physical adepts like Ryan, a white elf in ninja silks and a Latino woman wearing light combat armor. There was also a mage and a heavily cybered street samurai.
The team leader disembarked first—a huge troll-like individual with white skin and wearing a tuxedo over body armor. “Greetings,” he said. “I am called Cluster. We are
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