“Seriously, the street gang of Techno-Mage wannabes? That Union? They were kindehackers, as I recall, more into the flash and fun than real running. How the hell could they be behind this and didn’t they vanish about ten years ago?

“They did vanish about ten years ago. The Union I knew couldn’t be behind this but the Union I knew is gone, replaced by street ghosts and phantom whispers of unstoppable Runners and assassins, wraiths in the system so deadly they scared the megacorps and world governments.”

“Come on, Mary. I saw some of those kids with their tophats and steampunk crap, Victorian-era costumes. There is no way they could be remotely involved in this. The kind of tech this body has? If the corps and govs can’t field this shit than how could a former street gang?”

“Understand that what I’m about to tell you is what I’ve heard from people I consider pretty reliable sources, people that have since gone tits up or vanished completely, you copy? Someone is covering their tracks hardcore.”

I looked at her. “If they’re that hardcore how come you’re still drawing breath?”

“Simple: I used to be one of them.”

Part XVII

I start to laugh. I simply can't help it. I can't see Mary as part of the poser street gang that was the Union. I laugh for a good minute or so, wiping tears from my eyes before I look at Mary and see I'm the only only one laughing. The look on her face is deadly serious. My laughter slowly dies down and I get a very serious look in my eyes.

"You're not laughing. Why aren't you laughing. You were one of the Union? They were hacks and you are so above them that I find that hard to believe."

Mary sits back and sighs. "Look, I was looking for a group to run with and they were better than people gave them credit for. They pulled some crazy shit back in the day, shit no one has traced back to them. Remember the Militech data heist? I nod and she smirks. "That was us."

I lean back in my chair and shake my head. "No shit? That was pretty damn hardcore."

"It was and it was also the beginning of the end. We attracted the attention of someone and suddenly Vlad, the leader, came back with grandiose plans, talking about a sponsor who would give us top end gear and make us the most elite Runners the city has ever seen. He was very evasive and wouldn't tell us who but members suddenly started vanishing, all part of his Grand Plan. I wanted no part of it and told him. He said that was fine, it was volunteer, but he told me to stay out of their way when they started running again."

She sighs and runs a hand through her wild hair. "I took off and made this bolthole, not sure what the hell was going to happen but they kept their word and left me alone. I would even see one of them here or there but I avoided them. They weren't the same but I couldn't tell you what was different."

"And that's when the rumours started. About three years after they went dark. Impossible runs, ops so black that no one knew who was behind them. But I knew. Don't ask me how I knew but I did. It was the Union and their sponsors and they made good on their word. They were the hardest of the hardcore. And now, here you are, in one of their bodies but not just some random member. When you decide to fuck up, you fuck up good."

"What the hell do you mean, Mary?"

"That body you're in? That's Vamp, Vlad's girlfriend, and you can make same damn sure he's going to coming looking for her."

I sit back in the chair, stunned and really damn confused. "Well this is wonderful. I finally get what I want and you're telling me that the most elite runners in the metroplex are going to come looking for me. Any more good news to hit me with?"

She smirks. "Yeah. You broke the link back to the Union and whatever the hell the Enclave is so they can't track you but they're going to be looking. You can rest assured they've already tossed your flat and broken into your Netspace. Good thing for me is I'm so damn smart that I erased all trace of our little talk and whilst they may be great, I'm better. They ain't tracking you that way."

It is, of course, at this moment that the proximity alarm starts to go off. Mary and I look at each other for a moment, both stunned, before she pulls up an image from outside her hiding hole.

Fuck me...

"What? I ask her, trying to fight down the panic that really, really wants to claw its way up my spine.

"They found you. Which means they found me which you means you've fucked us both."

I look at the holo-image she's pulled up and see a man casually strolling up the street. He looks like he's whistling which means that in this part of town, he's badarse enough to pull it off.He's wearing a long coat over a suit of body armour and has on, of all things, a top hat. He has the air about him of a man who knows he's the biggest, baddest guy around and judging by the locals vanishing into the shadows, he's probably right.

With his long black hair and Van-Dyke he's actually rather attractive. Part of myself is drawn to his air of self-assurance whilst another part is screaming "what the fuck are you thinking?!"

He stops in front of the entrance to Mary's place, putting an end to my vague hope he was just out for a walk. At 0400. In a free-fire zone.

He looks around before smiling at the apparently not so well hidden camera. "Mary, I'm disappointed. We had a deal; you leave us alone and we leave you alone but you've gone and fouled things up. Vlad's worried about Vamp dropping her connection to the Union and the Enclave and wants her to come home so we can fix things. So you just let her walk out and we go about our merry. How about it, it's the best offer I have. You do that and we go back to ignoring you."

"Shit, fuck, damn, piss. That's Marcus. He was pretty tough before but now? I have no idea what he can do. He's Vlad's right hand and enforcer. They want you bad."

Mary hits a key on her panel. "Hey Marcus, looking good, old friend. I'm not going to insult your intelligence by lying to you. Vamp just came by to say hi and catch up on old times. Nothing major and she'll head home before too long."

Marcus shakes his head. "Mary, we've seen what's in the arcology she paid a visit to earlier tonight, big damn mess. And her cortical uplinks aren't working so we're a little worried about her."

He shifts position and almost looks bored, save for the muscle tension I can see in him. He's like a lion about to pounce. I lean over Mary and key the mic. "Marcus, it's cool. Really. I had a bit of a time with the Ice Queen but I'm good and headed back soon. You can let Vlad know I'm fine and on the way home shortly."

He shakes his head. "Sorry, pretty lady but you know how we work. Vlad's better half or not, I'm not leaving without you so, come out on your own, or I come in and that's going to be messy."

I let my head drop for a few moments before looking at Mary. "I'm sorry. I have no idea how he found me. I'll go and hopefully they'll leave you alone."

She looks at me and the wildness that's usually there is coming back. "Nope. They're not letting me walk away from this one. I need to get moving. Think you can keep him distracted whilst I pack the important stuff."

"Yeah, I can do that." I pick up my gear and put everything back in place before looking back at her. "Be safe."

"It's not me I'm worried about."

With that ominous response I head outside to confront Marcus.