Geek Mafia: Mile Zero by Rick Dakan (reading tree txt) 📖

he had Raff ? He’d been holding him prisoner all this time he was missing? This wasn’t good.

“Where?” asked Jeanie. “Where is he?” She was pulling out her phone, no doubt intent on calling in her troops or something like that.

“Now everyone hold on here,” Paul said, trying to calm the situation.

“I have him. He’s safe. We’ve been holding him since the night he got flushed out of your safe house. And he’ll remain fine as long as I remain fine. It’s as simple as that.”

Jeanie started to say something but stopped herself. She had a deep, angry scowl on her face, and her brow was furrowed as she stared daggers at Winston. Paul jumped into the moment of silence in an attempt to steer the momentum away from violence.

“Ok, well, I’m as surprised as anyone about that, but it only serves to reinforce my point. We’ve got your basic mutually assured destruction scenario here right? Or if not destruction, then mutually assured big fat pain in the ass. Everyone agrees on that, right?” No one said anything, which Paul took as a sign of assent, so he kept on going. “It seems to me that we need to work out a scenario that we can all live with.”

“And you think you can come up with such a scenario that will please all of us?” asked Isaiah.

“No,” admitted Paul. “Not please. But I think it’s something we can all live with. Emphasis on the ‘all live’ part.”

“Go ahead,” said Jeanie. “Let’s hear it.”

“First of all, I want to reiterate that ‘all live’ thing I just mentioned. We don’t have any proof that Winston ordered anyone killed and, quite frankly, there’s no way we have the right to kill someone based on our suspicions. We’re all liars. We’re all tricksters. If the police can frame someone for murder, then certainly any of us could. There’s just too much uncertainty in our world to do something as irreversible as kill someone. Plus it’s, you know, wrong.”

He looked around the room, and no one objected, so he pressed on. “So here’s my proposal. Winston lets Raff go. We let Winston and Jake go. Winston steps down from the project and leaves the rest of us alone. We decide whether to continue forward or not, but that’s a discussion for after Winston’s gone.”

“That’s not a deal,” said Jeanie. “That’s letting him get away with murder.”

“Ok,” said Paul. “But I’m not done.” He pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket. “This is a list of contacts Winston gave us yesterday. Contacts for other Crews that might be interested in joining this thing of ours. I’m willing to turn this list over to the group for all of us to use.”

“That’s hardly…” Jeanie started, but Paul cut her off.

“Hold on, lemme finish,” he said, turning to Isaiah. “The whole reason that you wanted Winston in on this plan of yours was because of his contacts, right?”

Isaiah nodded.

“Now obviously you can’t trust him, and he can’t trust you for any kind of long term relationship. We all agree on that. But if we can trust him to make one concession - and I think we can - then perhaps we can still get what we need from him.” Paul now turned to Winston and said, “I assume you see where I’m going here.”

“I do,” said Winston.

“Well, what do you think? Give up your contacts - or a sizable chunk of your contacts. And in return, Jeanie and Isaiah forgo any claims to revenge or whatever. Plus let Raff go. How’s that sound?”

Winston sighed and looked up at the ceiling, pulling on his beard as he thought the offer over. Paul could guess at what he might be thinking about and tried to mollify his concerns. “I know you think this is a bad idea,” said Paul. “And I’m sure you’re loathe to introduce us to Crews that trust you with their contact information. But these are all smart people, right? Otherwise they couldn’t continue to exist as viable Crews. And if they’re serious, smart, kick-ass Crews, then they deserve to make the decision themselves. They deserve that freedom. You can preface every introduction with your own warning. You can tell them whatever you want about how dangerous you think this scheme of Isaiah’s is. Just give us an opportunity to state our case to them. That’s all.”

“Hell,” said Paul. “We’re going to find some of these groups anyway. Why not make sure you warn them all off first if that’s what you think you want to do?”

Winston mulled all this over for another long minute. Everyone else in the room was experienced enough at negotiating to know that they needed to let him make the final decision on his own without any more kibitzing. Finally he looked right at Paul. “Let me summarize this. I give you contact information for all thirty-seven of the Crews I’m in contact with and release Raff. In return you let me and my people go and promise not to attempt any reprisals against us.”

“That’s what I’m proposing,” said Paul.

“And you’re fine with this, Jeanie?” asked Winston.

“It works,” said Jeanie. “But if you lie about anything or if Raff ‘s been hurt…”

“Then the deal is null and you’ll all come after me,” finished Winston. “I know.”

“Then yes, I guess I agree, if only to get this whole ordeal over with,” Jeanie replied.

Winston turned to Isaiah. “And what about you?” he asked. “Does this work for you?”

“Not in the least,” Isaiah intoned. “The names are a fair trade for Raff ‘s freedom. And in the spirit of Paul’s efforts to make a peace we can all live with, I’ll concede that they’re worth letting Winston walk out of here unmolested. But Jake is a vicious woman killer, simple as that. I can pretend that Winston didn’t know or suspect what his friend would do. I can’t pretend that killing Raquel was forgivable.” Isaiah fixed his gaze on Winston, staring down the older man with dark, burning eyes. “I call your bluff. Let’s see your army.”

“You forget about Raff…” Winston started to say in a loud, angry voice.

“You’re going to kill him?” Isaiah said. “Are you the type of man who can order someone murdered in cold blood just to save your own skin?”

“Isn’t that precisely what you’re asking me to do, Isaiah?” asked Winston, shouting now. “Let you kill Jake so I can save myself.”

“I’m just going to see that justice is done. I give my word I won’t kill him.”

Winston snorted in derision. “And I’m supposed to trust your word?”

Paul saw that his negotiations had unraveled very fast and the gang war he’d been trying to avoid was about to break out right in front of him. “What if he went to jail?” Paul asked. “Back to prison.”

Isaiah and Winston both turned to look at Paul. He took the opportunity to press forward. “I mean, it’s not like you’re equipped to hold him prisoner for a long period of time, right?” he asked Isaiah. “What else are you going to do with him?”

“We’ll think of something,” Isaiah said.

“Which is exactly what I fear,” said Winston.

“So send him back to prison,” insisted Paul. Not for Raquel’s murder. For something else. Drugs or something. I’m sure if anyone can come up with a crime to frame him with it’s the people here in this room.”

Isaiah leaned over and whispered with Amelia for a few moments, then turned back to Paul. “That would be an acceptable outcome. The rest of his life in prison.”

“Acceptable to you maybe…” Winston started to say, but Isaiah cut him off.

“No!” He shouted. “No more. You’ve lost and everyone here knows it. I called your bluff. You kept negotiating. You’re finished and it’s either him or you. What’s it going to be?”

“I don’t think you understand what…” Winston said.

“What’s it going to be?” Isaiah asked again, talking over the old man. “You or him?”

Winston opened his mouth and then closed it, looking toward Paul and Chloe for some sign of support. Chloe wouldn’t even look at him, and Paul turned away. He didn’t want to give Winston any hope that there might be some other way out of this situation. In the end Winston chose.

“Ok…” he said, defeated. “Ok. But not for any violent crime or anything like child molestation. Drugs or bank robbery. Something that’ll earn Jake some respect with the inmates.”

“Fine,” agreed Isaiah. “Although I’m sure he’s never had a problem impressing his fellow felons.”

WINSTON sighed, took a deep breath and then addressed the whole room. “I just want to say this. You’ve chosen a path of doom, my friends. By deciding to play by society’s crypto-fascist rules, you’re just setting yourselves up to be co-opted by the very forces you’re fighting against. I foresee many dark days ahead for all of you - days of NSA intercepts and FBI investigations and CIA assassinations. No good can come of playing this corporate game, and I encourage all of you to rethink your decision to participate. And rest assured I will be giving everyone I talk to the same warning. Yes, I’ll abide by our agreement and put you in contact with the other Crews, but I dearly hope that not a one of them makes the same mistakes that you are.”

Isaiah and the rest of them listened as Winston gave his speech, but the instant Winston stopped talking, Isaiah jumped in. “Those of us living in the 21st-century appreciate the rambling advice of a murderer and hypocrite and will certainly give it as much thought as it deserves. I’ve made the case for our plan, and everyone here has signed on of their own free will. You’ve made it clear what idiots we all are, so we wouldn’t want to trouble you with having to hear us making such grave mistakes. If you could follow Amelia into the other room, she’ll take down all the contact data you’ve promised to provide. Then I suggest you get the hell off this island right away.”

Winston chewed his lower lip as if actually biting back what he wanted to say. His rueful gaze passed over Paul and Chloe, neither of whom met him in the eye. Despite everything Winston had done and all the lies, Paul still felt sick to his stomach about betraying the old man like this. Even though Paul’s “betrayal” probably saved the guy’s life, he knew Winston didn’t see it that way. At the same time, an intense sense of relief flooded through his body - he’d managed to avoid a shooting war and actually came up with a peace plan that might work. He hoped Winston appreciated that at least. The old man finally just nodded once and followed Amelia out of the room, a knot of five of Isaiah’s Crewmembers following close behind.

No one said or did anything until they were well out of the room. Isaiah then stepped forward and held his hand out to Paul, saying, “Thanks for keeping a cool head, Paul. You kept things from getting ugly. I’ll have some of my people come buy and take custody of Jake. By tomorrow night he’ll be in a Florida jail cell, I assure you. It’s not the most pleasing outcome, but as you said, it’s one that we can all live with.”

“Thanks,” said Paul. “I did my best to keep things civil around here for once.”

“May I speak with you and Chloe in private for a moment?” he asked, gesturing toward the far corner of the room.

“Sure,” said Chloe, and she and Paul followed Isaiah across the room.

“I want to apologize for all the trouble our