Jet was sitting with Bob in a black car. They were in a parking complex, on the third floor. The complex was across the street from Basque's building. They were inconspicuous. The car blended right in with the other hundreds of cars. Jet stared at the front entrance of Basque's building through binoculars. Bob sat bored next to him with a cigarette in his hand hanging out the window.
Jet was trying to find any lead possible. The most logical conclusion was to watch Basque's building. Demetrius was connected to the company, someone must know more about him. Jet had a list of people who were high-up in Basque's company, courtesy of Bob.
Jet kept his focus through the binoculars. Many people in suits were walking in and out. Then Jet saw Eleanor Veidt. The binoculars focused on her. Jet saw her walk to the parking lot, and then she got into a red sports car and drove off.
"That woman," said Jet, "She's one of the top brass." He picked up a folder and opened it. There was a file there with some of her information. "You think she knows anything?"
Bob let out a puff of smoke. "I think she would. She was really close to Basque. Every single time I've seen her she was standing near him."
"She was his right-hand man."
"Bingo."
Jet looked at the building again. "I need a way to approach her. I don't want to scare her off though."
"There's no doubt in my mind that she helped Basque with some pretty seedy business. You're going to have to get creative. Someone like that is always on edge. Never trusts anyone."
Jet thought for a moment. "My partner: Faye. I bet she could get her trust." he said.
"What makes you think that?" said Bob.
"Veidt seems like a very chic woman. With what she was wearing and that sports car, I bet her and Faye could really hit it off."
"That'd take some time. And it'd put your partner in danger. Veidt is someone who probably has enough pull with the company to get rid of someone she didn't trust."
"If all this stuff you're saying is true, that's an even better reason to start with her."
"Well, you got your lead then."
Eleanor Veidt was at a stoplight. She looked down at the passenger's seat. There was a piece of paper that was torn out of a notebook. There was an address on it. The address was the apartment complex where Demetrius Bardon was being kept. She looked at Shiro's computer files when he wasn't looking. Her itching suspicion that Lee would have her killed drove her to find protection. Demetrius was the only person she could turn to if she wanted to stop Lee.
The light turned green and she drove off. She arrived minutes later at the apartment complex. It said there was supposed to be tenants; however it looked like no one was living in it. The street was vacant. No one was passing by. The neighborhood was a reminder of the decaying communities of poor workers.
Eleanor's high heels stepped onto the rough dirt and gravel surrounding the building. She went up to the entrance. It was locked, just as she expected. She went around to the side where there were rows of windows. She picked up a rock from the ground. She threw it at one of the windows. It bounced off. She did it again to another window, then another, and then another. She threw one again, but this time it broke the window. She stood back a bit and waited. Someone moved behind one of the windows. She saw his eyes look straight down at her. It was Demetrius.
She waited in front of the entrance. She saw Demetrius slowly walk toward the glass doors. He removed a hinge from the push bar and pushed the door open. Eleanor walked in and Demetrius slammed the door shut, and then locked it. Eleanor stood and stared at Demetrius. Demetrius stood straight and stared right back at her.
"Hello, Demetrius. It's been a while." said Eleanor.
"What the hell are you doing here?" said Demetrius.
Eleanor sighed. She crossed her arms and didn't look straight at him. "I need to talk to you about something." she said.
"How'd you find me?"
"I got the info from Shiro when he wasn't looking."
"Sloppy kid. So, you're working them now?"
"For the time being."
"Well, what do you need to talk about?"
"Can we sit somewhere?"
Demetrius and Eleanor went into the room he was staying in. Demetrius sat in a chair in the middle of the room. Eleanor closed the door behind her, and then she sat in the chair across from him. Demetrius put his hands behind his head and started to rock his chair back and forth. Eleanor looked around the lifeless room.
"So, this is where Lee's been hiding you?" said Eleanor.
"Oh yeah, I love it. You should check out my review of the five-star Red Dragon Inn." said Demetrius.
Eleanor chuckled slightly. "I'm sorry you have to be cooped up in here." she said.
"Thanks for the pity laugh. And you're nowhere near as sorry as I am."
"No, it was sincere. All of it."
"I have a hard time believing you, Eleanor."
Eleanor looked down at her shoes. "Yeah, I know haven't exactly been the kindest to you."
"You were probably the kindest out of all them. You tried to stick up for me when I didn't want to do this anymore."
"Yeah, I know you wanted out."
"But you didn't say yes when I asked you out on that date."
Eleanor cleared her throat and pushed her hair back.
"No, I get it. I'm too dangerous for you."
Eleanor stayed quiet for a while. She looked around the room once more. "Do you like being in here?" she said.
"What do you think?"
"Then why haven't you left?"
"Good question."
"I know you; you're not the kind of person to stay somewhere like this. And you're especially not the type of person to be held hostage by someone else."
"Being held hostage is a slight exaggeration. But you're right. I would've left a long time ago."
"Are you scared to leave?"
Demetrius cocked his head and looked at her curiously. "Don't go there." he said.
"Lee could put you away for a long time. Or he could kill you. If you leave this place, you're out on your own. No one's going to be there to protect you from ISSP. What options are you left with?"
Demetrius sighed. "I don't have any more options." he said. He hung his head down low.
"Do you want me give you one?" said Eleanor.
Demetrius looked up again. His eyebrows formed a straight line. His expression turned to distrust. "What are you talking about?" he said.
Eleanor reached out her hand and put it on Demetrius' hand, which was on his knee. "I can get you out of here." she said.
Demetrius grabbed her hand and stood out of his chair. He pulled Eleanor up, still clutching her hand. He examined her frightened face. "What option could you possibly give me?"
Eleanor's breathing became uneasy. "I can get you out of here. I can get relocate you, get you a new identity, and a new life. Who else is going to do that for you?" she said.
"Why do you want to this for me? What's in it for you?"
"I… I need protection."
Demetrius pushed Eleanor away from himself. She gasped and backed herself up into a wall. "What the hell are you talking about?!" he said.
"I… Lee is blackmailing me to do work for him. He said he'd let me off the hook once I did everything he needed, but I can't stop shaking the doubt that he's going to kill me once he decides he doesn't need me anymore."
"Are you joking? You're paranoid."
"No! You've seen how he deals with people! How am I any more special?"
"He hasn't killed me. What makes me special?"
"I don't know! Maybe it's because he can still use you. Me? I don't have much else to offer now that he's getting the company running again."
"You're no different from Lee or Basque. You just want to use me to get what you want."
"No! This isn't just for me! It's for you too. And I'm not going to abandon you once it's over. If you watch my back as I get us out of here, then we'll both be free from Lee."
Demetrius stayed silent for a moment. "What specifically do you need me to do?" he said.
"Just stay here for the time being. I'll need some time to get new papers and identification ready and a place to stay. When I'm ready we'll both get out here. I'm going to need you if things heat up. I can't do it on my own. Please, Demetri. I need you."
"So… you just want to run away together? Is that it?"
Eleanor blushed and pushed her hair aside. "Not the way you're thinking." she said.
"Not even if I play my cards right?" Demetrius got closer to her. They were inches from each other, and Eleanor's face was practically on Demetrius' chest.
Eleanor pushed him back with her index finger. "We're not out of here yet." she said.
"Oh, so there is a chance?"
Eleanor sighed. "We'll see how grateful I am once we're back on Mars." she said.
Dodge had a map laid out. Once again, the Red Dragons were in a hideout. It was the backroom to a liquor store. Dodge was planning the final attack on the head of Blue Snake. The men stood around looking at the plans.
At the same time Gene Kleinman was in an apartment that the Red Dragons were staying in. There was only one man standing guard. He was taking a cigarette break near the window, and Gene sat on the couch adjacent from it.
"Can I use the restroom?" said Gene.
The man let out a puff of smoke. "Go for it." he said.
Gene stood up and walked toward the bathroom. He closed the door and locked it. He slammed down the toilet seat to make it sound like he was going to sit on it. Then Gene took out a cell phone. It was the same cell phone Dodge took from Allen. At one point when Dodge came back from their mission, he set it down on a table and totally forgot about it. Gene took the opportunity to grab it and put it away in his pocket. It was loaded with all the contacts to Blue Snake. He even recognized some of the codenames.
He saw one. It was the last contact called before Allen was murdered. Gene knew who it was. He suspended his thumb for moment. He finally pushed the dial button and it began ringing. The same man on the other end answered.
"Hello? Allen." he said.
Gene was breathing nervously.
"Hello? Allen? Are you there?"
"It's Kleinman." said Gene.
The man on the other end stayed totally silent.
"Hello? You heard me, right?" said Gene.
"Kleinman, where the hell have you been?" said the man.
"With the Red Dragons. They kidnapped me. I've been with them ever since I went missing. Please, I need you to get me. And you need to get ready. They're planning an attack and they know where you operate. You got to get the hell out of wherever you are right now."
"Where's Allen?"
"I think they killed him."
"Where are you now?"
"I don't know. I'm in an apartment somewhere southwest of Tharsis. Trace the phone call. I'll leave the phone on."
"How many men are standing guard?"
"Just one."
"Where are the rest of them?"
"They said some place called 'J&J's'. I think it's like a bar or something."
"We'll be there. Hide that phone."
"Yeah."
The man put the phone down. Gene heard the man talk to someone else. Gene then put the phone in the bottom end of a plunger. He flushed the toilet, and washed his hands. He used the water to wipe his face. He stepped out and went back into the living room.
Faye was in the Bebop. She was looking inside the fridge, only to find it empty. She groaned and frowned. She slammed the fridge shut, and then turned around to see Jet walking in main room through the hangar door. They stood for a moment and didn't say anything to each other.
"Food isn't going to magically appear if you keep looking." said Jet.
"Maybe it will. If I do it enough times, like a ritual, then there'll be food." said Faye.
"Whatever you wanna call it."
"Where have you been?"
"With Bob." Jet went around the couch and sat on it. Faye sat in the armchair across from him.
"Any leads?"
"I think we may have one."
Faye gasped with delight. She clasped her hands together and nuzzled them between her face and shoulder. "Oh, yay. We're one step closer to that reward." she said.
"I don't know if it'll go anywhere. But we're going to have to get creative if we want to get any info out of them."
"Gee, who is it?"
"A woman that worked for Basque: Eleanor Veidt."
"Never heard of her."
"Well, I didn't think you would. But she's pretty important. She worked for Basque as his lawyer. And she's still working there."
"Were you stalking her?" said Faye sarcastically.
Jet grunted. "No, not in the way you're thinking. But Bob and I were watching her. She's still at the offices; she has to be working for someone else now."
"Don't you think it'd be the vice president? He probably took over."
"I barely see him there. Bob and I followed him around, but it seems like he's taking care of normal business."
"So, this lawyer is your target then?"
"Yeah. But I think I'd scare her off if I approached her."
"You'd scare anyone off with that mug of yours."
"Can you quit it for just a minute?!"
Faye sighed. "Okay, Jet I'm sorry." she said.
"You might have something though. I think you could get her to trust you. And whenever you see a chance, find some info on Demetrius, the company, and who works there."
"What, you want us to best girlfriends or something? Go shopping, scam guys, things like that?"
"You make it sound like it's such a chore for you."
"I guess you got a point."
"What do you say? You up for this?"
"It seems like much. But it is the best idea you've come up with so far."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"So where do we start?"
"We'll go down to Basque's offices. You run into her, and I'll let you do the rest."
"Well, it's not the most strategic plan."
"Get to know her, start asking the right questions."
Spike suddenly walked into the room. Jet and Faye were still talking as he moved closer. Jet looked up at him. Spike looked directly at him. Faye noticed Jet and turned around to see what he was looking at. She saw Spike standing there with his hands in his pockets. She turned back to see if Jet was going to say anything.
"What, you want in or something?" said Jet.
"No, but I like listen to you two talk about it." said Spike.
Jet stood up from the couch. "Then stay out of it, I don't know how many times I have to tell you." he said.
The two men silently mad-dogged each other.
"Okay, don't start you two." said Faye. She stood up and stayed between them. They all stayed quiet a moment. Faye switched glances back and forth between Jet and Spike.
"Fine by me. I don't need the headache, anyways." said Jet.
"You don't have a migraine already just looking for this guy?" said Spike.
"It's called critical thinking, guess you haven't tried it."
"All that hard thinking is going to get yourself killed."
"What? You mean like how you actually tried to get yourself killed?"
"You're still on that?"
"Why shouldn't I? Do you think I've forgotten that the whole reason we're stuck here is because you went on a suicide mission and brought the heat back with you?"
"And you're making it worse!"
"No! I'm trying to get us off this planet!"
"Alright, I've had enough!" said Faye.
Jet and Spike looked curiously at her.
"You two are at each other's throats all the time! And I'm sick of it! You need to settle this now." Faye pulled Spike down by his shoulders and sat him in the chair across from Jet. Then she sat Jet down on the couch. "I'm leaving. While I'm gone you two better work this out before I do something you two will regret." She left the ship.
Jet and Spike sat across from each other with their arms crossed. Neither of them made a sound. Jet's stomach growled; his eyes opened wide with surprise.
"We'll starve before someone kills us." said Spike.
"We've been through worse famines on this ship." said Jet.
"We've been through hell, but we're still here for some reason."
"You're still here for some reason."
"Yeah. You know I never intended to stay here forever."
"I knew you'd leave some day. I'd wake up, and you and your ship would be gone. You'd leave without a trace, like you never even lived here. I'd keep doing what I do, and there'd be more food for me. And you'd just be a memory."
"I keep coming back, though. I don't know what it is, but I always manage to make my way back. I know myself; I know I'd leave the way you imagined. But this ship has some kind of pull."
"You wouldn't last out there one minute without coming close to death, that's why."
"Yeah. But, I don't want to that anymore. I should've died back then. If I'm alive now, then there has to be some reason."
"It's to keep on living."
"Maybe it's to avoid dying."
"No matter how much you avoid it it'll still come to you."
"I just make it easier to get to me. That's why the change of heart."
"I get it, Spike. I've always chewed you out for causing destruction and escaping inches within your own life. But I didn't realize how depressing it would be to watch you fester inside of this ship."
"I don't have to be inside of this ship. I can keep on living, but do it something else."
"So, are you gonna leave like we always pictured?"
"Whenever we leave this planet."
"You can't go back to Mars."
"It doesn't have to be Mars. It can be anywhere else. But I don't want it to be here."
"Okay. Once we get enough money from this bounty, we'll go back into space. I'll leave you wherever you want."
"Okay."
Jet stood up from his seat. He walked up into the console room, and left Spike downstairs all to himself.