Doors

[locked to ian r.

as miles c.:]

I always figured that I'd be the one with the federal warrant and ensuing manhunt on my ass, not you. My general line of work being that much more public than yours until recently.

You haven't changed a bit, old friend.

[on the heels of this.]

[locked to drake w.]

That party fuck you up or did you get off easy?

[locked to max m.]

Got a question about our little deal. If that's still a thing.

[locked to cerise s.]

Been a while. You still alive?

[then, a minute later, public but anonymous]

Got two people at that party the other day. Pretty girl in a whiteish dress, guy with a bunch of tattoos. Strangled and a broken neck. [ ... ] Can't say I'm sorry, because that'd be a lie, but it wasn't personal, and I wouldn't have done it if I'd run into you outside that.

Looks like you got off easy, Smokescreen. Wonder if you ever found anyone on fire enough to keep you stable.

One of you owes me an explanation about a cardboard box.

And someone else owes me MY GODDAMNED ARM back.

[After casually paging through, but without enough attention to get the ins and outs of anything happening, not beyond the notice of some familiar names.]

When you see names on here that read like an old yearbook, do you assume they're your ghosts, or do you pretend they're coincidences?

[In the aftermath of this.]

[locked to lin a.]

You're gonna have to find someplace more permanent to stay, if you haven't already.

[locked to kellan z.]

Got a minute?

[After digging relentlessly through entry after entry and only finding one Kellan, he figures what the hell and goes for it.]

Howdy, neighbor.

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the few meetings I had scheduled have completed, and I am left with an open schedule for once.

It's strange, having this free time after months of being busy.

[Encrypted email to Bo D, Preston R]
The cartels were a bust. I traded the weapons, but all they have on our rogue here is a verified sighting in the area. I'm not even sure they realize he bombed the cartel we were looking into. They weren't very open about it. I did get intel on our name sale. They left Mexico at the first sign of trouble. I think I managed to track them as far as Stockholm. I'll work with the hackers once I'm back to zero in. [...] Have either of you heard from McKendrick? My flight lands in the morning. If I could get a cab and some painkillers, it would be appreciated. I'm going to need a few days to feel human again. Don't expect me in the office this week, unless you want Reed to end up collateral damage.

[Locked to Kellan Z]
I know you're on these things, and I know I didn't kill you.

Well, I'm done with this dumbass.

Anyone in Vegas want to trade up to a better door? I can get you access to a company that basically rules the world, 'futuristic' technology as far as you're concerned, and great goddamned health care. You also get the endless joy of my presence. I can judge quietly. No guarantees on not calling you a shithead when you deserve it, though.

The only requirement is that you know how to do whatever your fucking job is properly.

[Encrypted message left for Bo Davis]
I hope the Feds aren't boring you to tears, legs. Just wanted to update you on a few things, so you don't rip me a new asshole for not cluing you in. Corvus' last job was a good one. We think we have a lead on the origination point for the black market sale of agent names from December. Our new hacker doesn't get transferred for a week, so I have an FBI agent on loan for the month. He's good. He's going to try to get in remotely, but we'll see. He's field trained and certified for this job, just in case. Reed is settling in. He's good with Corvus. It's a good match. Thakkar is antsy, but getting used to a desk is a pain in the ass. We both know that. You owe me a beer once you're home.

[Text to Kellan Z]
[After finally, finally tracking down his name and a contact number. The text comes from a perfectly legitimate phone, one belonging to a Nancy Riley, who (on paper at least) has a dingy apartment on Fremont and a drug habit that has gotten her arrested more than once.]

I hear you're good.

[Whatever she'd intended to type never comes to be. Voice recognition transcribes. Unintentionally made public, as she forgets who she wanted to message at all.]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Well, I'm having fun.

Anybody in Vegas want to leave the assdevastated to their sulking and go trash a casino with me? I'll cover the first hour's worth of drinks.

Locked to Kellan Z.

Dead yet?

The women wear much less on your big screens in the desert. Shameless really. Beautiful, like poured milk, but shameless.

How do you make them stop, switch off, she won't stop. Can I drown it out? Does anything work?

Alright, i can get behind a free phone

but a car key without a car is just cruel and unusual punishment

And i definitely didnt sign up for fuckin Jiminy Cricket yapping inside my skull like one of those annoying tiny dogs.

still not so sure this isnt me slowly losing my mind, but at least i know im clean so it cant be fingers crossed for sanity.

[as daniel c.]

You people are unbelievable.

You're in a situation that actually allows you to move from your boring as shit world into literal other universes, half of them probably with technology that hasn't been invented yet, with zero difficulty. There are endless fucking opportunities presented to you here. Incredible ones. Ones that at least 90% of the entire planet would give their metaphorical or not left nut to get their hands on. Whole other worlds. The people I work for would sell out the entire company just to get a taste of it.

And what are you doing with it?

Pissing and moaning and probably flirting with each other over these things and living your stupid pointless asinine lives and kicking your own asses so hard you actually refuse to go to a hospital because it'd be too embarrassing or some shit and all that jumps right to me which means I have to get this fixed myself, you dickhead and basically, anything that isn't running into that hotel and through those doors and locking them behind you like you should be.

I hope your fucking sun goes out.

[locked to cerise s.]

[the words are typed, rather than handwritten as they've been in the past.]

so i'm not gonna charge you for that spectacular fuckup but i would really love to know why there was more than one person in there