A/N: So, it's been over a year since I've done an Author's Note, and my updates have been kind of infrequent, taking months or a year at a time. I'm sorry it's gotten so busy, but I've been doing this story for four years now. At this point I really want to finish this story, and I know how it will end, so I hope I can update more frequently. My last update was last month, so maybe I'm getting better at it? Time will tell. Please leave a review, it really makes my day when you do! And it offers good feedback and constructive criticism. Anyways, I hope you enjoy chapter 24!
Dodge opened the door to a bar. His hands were stuffed in his pockets. There were Red Dragon members sitting around inside. They all sneered and mockingly cheered. One man said "He lives!"
Dodge smirked and put his hands in the air as if to try to quiet all of them down. "Alright, knock it off." he said.
The men whistled at the sight of his new bionic hand.
Dodge looked down at the hand and made a fist. He cleared his throat and then straightened his coat. "Okay, I know you're all excited now that Blue Snake is over with, but we have to get back to business. Lee told me we can start moving red eye again. So whatever you had stocked up in your homes, start moving it again. We have all the same dealers, and everything is going back to normal. But, Lee's also been making progress. As you all know, Lee has taken over Basque Industries, and now we have all these shiny new weapons to play with. Well, it's not just about the weapons. It's a business. A legitimate business. The Red Dragon syndicate is on it's way to becoming a trillion woolong industry. A lot of money is going to come in, and I don't how things will change. But the future looks bright for all of us. So, I want you guys to work extra hard knowing what's coming your way. We'll start first thing tonight. Make Lee proud."
The men clapped. They went back to talking with one another. Dodge took a seat at the bar counter right next to Taro. Dodge knocked on the counter with his prosthetic hand. The bartender took out a bottle of scotch and a glass. He poured it in. Dodge raised the glass and chugged it down.
"Nice speech, you're starting to sound like Lee." said Taro. Taro's gaze remained vacantly straight ahead.
"C'mon, don't give me that." said Dodge. Dodge stared in the same direction as Taro.
"No, it's true. If you were a little more psychotic and condescending then you'd be his spitting image."
"You're the psychotic one, maybe you can take over the speeches."
"Nah, I don't want that kind of responsibility. I like getting paid for what I know how to do."
"Yeah, murdering a bunch of guys with a firing squad would make a fine addition to that resume of yours."
"It got a lot of attention, that's for sure."
"It's still on the news?
"Yeah, absolutely, they're eating it up. It's probably getting spread to other planets in the system as we speak."
"That much attention for what we do is not a good thing, Taro."
"It's the kind of attention that got me a raise."
Dodge craned his neck to look at Taro. "Raise? What the hell are you talking about?" he said.
"After you talked with Lee, he called me up. He heard that I was the one who led the attack that day, so he thinks I deserve a little extra for my work."
"Well, shit. All he offered me is a new hand." Dodge turned his head back to position, and stared in the same direction as Taro once again.
"You'll get more cash soon, don't worry your pretty blond head about it. You already get paid more than me anyways, I'm sure he'll have to adjust your salary too."
"Well, with the Basque thing, I'm sure we'll all get a nice raise."
"Lee takes care of his guys. I don't what you've been so worried about."
"Nothing, it's just… I've always wanted more than to just be an enforcer that moves around drugs and kills a bunch of guys. Do you remember when you first joined Red Dragon? Do you remember why you did?"
"It was just always that way, Dodge. My family was always involved. My dad, my uncles, my brother and my cousins: all involved. I started out as a delivery boy. I used to get cigarettes and coffee for all of them. They always had their guns on the table, and there was nothing more in the world I wanted than to own one."
"God, you've always wanted to be a killer, huh?"
"It's the thrill."
"Well, I've never been all that bloodthirsty. I was just some street thug that wanted to make his way in the world. I like the rough stuff, but I also wanted to be in charge of something, like run a business. The Red Dragons were a good opportunity."
"Business? So, you just joined for the money?"
"Yeah, it was quick cash at first, but some day I wanted to be the guy that handed out those payments. You know, someone important."
"Guys who are in it for the money always try to weasel their way out. You know that, right?"
"It's not just about the money, Taro. You know that. What I have with all these guys can't be broken. But there's still this entrepreneurial spirit inside me. Basque Industries would have been perfect, and that geek kid Shiro is the one gets all that."
"It's still about that stupid kid?"
"Not just that, it's the way Lee took to him. I don't know what he sees in him."
"You know what I think? I think he sees obedience. I've seen guys like Shiro before. They're all lap dogs. Willing to do whatever the master says. I think you like to do things your own way, and that bothers Lee. Guys like Lee don't like being told what to do. So, you can have some self-respect at least, knowing that you're not a dog."
"Hmm. I guess you're right. Is that why you like staying where you're at?"
"I like self-respect, Dodge. I like doing what I do. I'll make judgment calls where I need to, but I'm not a lapdog because of it." Taro took a swig from his beer bottle.
Dodge chugged another glass of scotch. "I like self-respect too." he said.
Eleanor typed away at her computer keyboard. She was in her office at the Basque Industries building, carrying on with her actual work. The easiest way to maintain a low profile, she concluded, was to do her work naturally, as if she was going to be there until Lee would let her go.
Yet, Shiro had been keeping an eye on her. She had been making many phone calls from her personal phone, and not using the office phones. Eleanor and Leandro Russ were the only employees who knew of the Red Dragon's presence, so he had to keep an extra eye on them.
Shiro made his way down the hallway leading to Eleanor's office. He opened the door to the office and stepped inside. Eleanor was surprised by his sudden appearance.
"Shiro?!" said Eleanor.
Shiro looked around the office, remaining silent. He focused back on Eleanor, and made a slight scowl. "You've been keeping busy, right?" he said.
"Yes. Why does it concern you? Did Lee send you?"
"No. He has other things attend to. You're easy enough for me to keep track of."
"Shiro, you're being a creep."
"I don't appreciate you calling me that."
Eleanor went silent. She had to remain tactful, she thought to herself. Any bad tone could set off Lee and have her killed. "I'm sorry, but you can't be in here."
"You're not any position to tell me what to do. You work for us now, understand? So, if that means checking on you because of your suspicious activity, then we have every right."
"Suspicious activity?"
"Your phone calls. Well, lack of. You've been making business calls on your personal phone. I assume personal calls as well. We can't keep track of those, so we know you're doing this on purpose. Whatever you try to hide from us, we'll find out one way or the other, okay?"
Eleanor remained silent. "I'm not doing anything behind your backs, okay?" she said.
"For your sake, I hope you're right. Make business calls from the office phone from now on. Make personal calls too, so I won't have to go through the trouble of tapping your phones." Shiro stepped out of the office, leaving the door open.
Eleanor took a moment to stare at the open door. She shut down her computer, grabbed her briefcase and walked out of her office. She closed the door and locked it.
Eleanor exited the Basque Industries building. She got inside her car and drove off. Eleanor's mind was racing because this was the first threat that the Red Dragons had made since bringing her back on the job. Shiro could have already tapped her phones, and just been teasing her. Maybe he didn't, but would make well on his promise. Either way, Eleanor wanted to quickly find a pay phone.
Eleanor found a pay phone on the edge of the city. It was by the docks; boats and ships were entering and exiting the harbor with frequency, sounding off horns that drowned the sound of wading water.
Eleanor inserted her money card into the phone and dialed a number. She waited for moment and someone answered. "Hello? Simon?" she said.
"Yes?" said Simon.
"It's me: Eleanor."
"Eleanor, you calling to set a time yet?"
"Yes. Today. 5:30. Same spot as always."
"Okay, you got it."
"Look. I-I can't be there, okay? I'm sending someone else, I hope you can understand."
"No, I get it."
"I'll send someone. A woman, probably. Look, I have to check with them. I'll call you back."
"Okay."
Eleanor hung up the phone. She bit her nail for a moment. She already had Angela, the fake name Faye came up with, in mind to ask her to retrieve the package from Simon, but didn't know if she was asking too much. She decided to call "Angela" anyways. Eleanor picked the phone back up and dialed a number.
Faye was still in her sleepwear, sitting in the main room of the Bebop. She was filing her toenails with one foot resting on the coffee table. There was a phone laying on the coffee table as well. It lit up and began ringing. Faye noticed. She put her foot on the floor and then picked up the phone. She answered.
"Hello, who is this?" said Faye.
"... Angela?" said Eleanor on the other end.
"Huh?"
"It's… It's me. The woman from the other day?"
Faye's suspicious look turned to surprise. "Oh! Eleanor, it's you!" she said.
"Shh! Please, don't give out my name right now!" said Eleanor in a hushed tone.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Look, I called to ask you a favor. I will pay you, I'm not asking for a handout. Are you available today at 5:30?"
"Yeah, I'm available. What's the favor?"
"I need you to go to the shipyard in the 9th sector of Ganymede. Find a broken down ship on the northeast corner of the yard with the numbers '0411' on the side. Wait for a man there. He'll drop off a duffel bag and leave immediately. Take the bag with you, and then head toward the fisherman's market in the same sector. Meet me at a restaurant in there called the Golden Dragon. And please, please don't open the bag."
"Okay. I can do this for you. How much can you pay me, though?"
"Huh, your priorities are straight, I must say. I can't say for sure right now, but it'll be a tidy sum, I promise."
"Okay, Eleanor. Women helping women out, I like it."
Eleanor smirked. "Thank you, Angela." she said.
Faye heard Eleanor hang up the phone. Faye put the phone down on the coffee table. Jet was standing in the hallway with his arms crossed.
"Was that the woman?" said Jet.
Faye looked up to make eye contact with him. "Yeah, she gave me a job." she said.
"Job? What kind of job?"
"She wants me as a carrier. She told me to meet someone at a shipyard who will give me a bag that I'll take to her."
"What? Wow, that's pretty serious. She hardly knows you, why would she ask you to do something like this?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm not part of her world. She thinks I'm some woman who isn't involved in any shady business, so I don't have any reason to betray her."
"She really believes you're just some actress trying to make ends meet?"
"Aren't I acting now?"
"You got a point there. I don't suppose she told you what was going to be inside the bag?"
"No, she told me not to open it."
"Yeah, I figured as much."
"So, what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking either she's foolish to trust you or we're foolish to trust her."
"You think this could be a trap?"
"Basque's company does have a history of getting rid of people that they don't trust."
"Even Eleanor?"
"Especially Eleanor."
"I haven't even known her that long, why would she try to get rid of me?"
"I can't see a reason, unless she knows you're a bounty hunter."
"She doesn't have a bounty on her head, though. Why would it matter if she knew I was one?"
"Demetrius."
"Do you think she really knows where he is?"
"I can't know for sure. But knowing her line of work, he is something she would handle."
"Demetrius did see me that night he murdered Basque... Maybe he told her something, like a description. Gah, this is starting to mess with my head. What if it is a trap?"
Spike stepped down the stairs of the console room. "Or it could be she's actually making a deal on the side." he said.
Faye and Jet looked at Spike.
"What are you trying to say?" said Jet.
"I'm saying that she's asking some woman she just met to pick up a bag. She obviously doesn't want anyone seeing her, so that must mean she's trying to hide something from someone else. She's also moving out of her apartments, so I'm guessing something's actually going on with her. There must be something that has her running scared."
"Well, that's awfully perceptive for a guy who isn't on the case. But, you could be right. It does seem like she is running away from something. The only thing it could be is Basque's murder. She might be working with Demetrius, she could be running away from him. Either way she has to know something."
"So do I do this?" said Faye.
"I say it's still the best shot we have." said Jet.
"Okay. I'll get ready then." Faye walked out of the main room and into the hallway. She went straight into her room.
Jet turned to face Spike. "You know, if this turns out to be the key to Demetrius, it'll get heavy. We're tricking this woman, and it won't turn out pretty. Even it doesn't lead us to Demetrius. I don't know if we can do it alone, Spike. He took on the three of us before."
"What makes you think the three of us will be able to do it the next time?"
"We have to try, Spike. The reward for this guy is the biggest we've seen in a long time. And we're running low on Faye's share of that other bounty we did not too long ago."
"Even if we get this reward, we'll probably run out of it soon enough. Jet, it's always the same sad story."
"It will still last us for some time, though. And if you want to leave, like you said, then that money could start you off. If you play your part, it'll only guarantee that money. Please Spike, think it over."
Spike stared at Jet. He didn't say a word, and then looked down at the ground to avoid eye contact.
"Okay, I'm going to see Donna. I'm going to let her know about tonight, and we'll watch Faye's back." Jet walked through the main room to the exit of the Bebop. He walked into the hangar, and left in his ship, the Hammerhead.
Spike walked out of the main room and headed toward Faye's room. She had her door closed. Spike leaned against the wall and sighed. He knocked on the door lightly with the knuckle of his index finger. Faye opened the door, and put her yellow hair band on her head. She fixed her hair.
"Hey, Spike. What's up?" said Faye.
"Nothing. I just wanted to see how you were." said Spike.
"Why?"
"You didn't sound too sure about the job."
"Yeah, but you and Jet talked me into it." Faye then groaned. "Don't tell me you're trying to talk me out of it now?"
"No, I just wanted make sure you're doing this because you know it's safe, and not because Jet and I told you."
"Yes, Spike. I can think for myself. And the two of you are right, she probably doesn't have a clue."
"Alright, then."
"But I do have a question for you. Why are giving us advice now? I thought you didn't want in on this bounty?"
"Jet and I had a talk… we realized that I never planned on staying here permanently. So, I'm leaving. But I can't do it without the money, so now is probably not the best time to psyche you two out of this bounty."
"What? Spike what are you talking about?"
"I can't stay here, Faye."
"Spike! You're not leaving again!"
"Why's that?"
"Because, we're supposed to stick together!"
Spike stepped forward into Faye's room. "Then come with me." he said.
Faye stopped right in her tracks. She stuttered. "Uh, umm…"
"C'mon, how much longer were you actually going to stay on this ship?"
"Spike, this is where I belong. We all went over this. This is the only place I had to return to," Faye pointed her index finger at Spike, "And the same goes for you!"
"We don't have to be stuck here, Faye. We can go anywhere, we can do anything."
"Spike, I don't want to leave just to come back. I've done it too many times."
"I can't make any promises, but we can try to go out on our own. Even if we end up back here, I just don't want to rely on Jet forever."
"I don't know, Spike…"
"You don't have to answer me now. Take some time to think about it."
"Okay. But Spike, if you really want the money from this bounty then you're going to have to go all in on."
"I know… and I've really been trying to avoid it."
"Jet and I have put in a lot of work, but if you can be there to catch Demetrius, then the reward belongs to you just as much as us. You won't have to owe Jet anything."
"I'll think about that then, Faye."
Faye and Spike stared at each other for a moment. Faye approached Spike, and slowly wrapped her arms around him. She rested her head on his chest.
"I know you don't want to put yourself at risk," said Faye, "I don't want you to either. But this all we know how to do."
"Then what do we after this?" said Spike.
"I don't know. We'll stick by each other, though, and we'll figure it out."
Jet sat at the table of Donna's kitchen. Donna was at the counter, pouring coffee into two mugs. She walked to the table and set the mugs down. Jet lifted his mug up and took a sip.
"Thanks, Donna." said Jet.
"Eh, no problem, Old Dog." said Donna.
"So, where's your kid?"
"I dropped him off at my sister's. Once you called, I had a feeling it was going to be a long night."
"Yeah, you guessed right."
"That other night where we watched them, took ages!"
"It's all a part of the job." Jet said with a smirk.
"So, what are they doing tonight?"
"Veidt gave Faye a job, actually."
"A job? What kind of job?"
"She asked Faye to pick up a bag for her in a shipyard."
"A bag? Did she say what was in it?"
"Not a chance. She told Faye not to open the bag and that she would pay her."
"God, this is fantastic!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, that means there's something actually going on with Veidt!"
"We don't know what it is, yet. But we have the same feeling."
"I'm betting it has something to do with Bardon. It just has to!"
"Hold your horses, Donna. It could be anything."
"C'mon Jet, she knows something. Eleanor's the one that hired Demetrius way back when. She connected him with Basque."
"So what do you think this bag has to with it?"
"I don't know, yet, but if we watch them again tonight, I'm sure we can find out."
"And if this does turn out to be the key to Demetrius Bardon, then what?"
"Then we book him."
"On what charges?"
"Well…"
"The evidence we had of him killing Marius Basque is just gonna gather dust now, and if all we can do is turn him for the bounty for killing that senator, which he didn't do, then what?"
"I don't know, Jet. We can book him for the senator, and you can get that reward if that's what you really want."
"Donna, I need to know you're okay with this."
"I'm not, Jet! If you turn him in knowing he didn't do it, then it's not justice! You're acting like a run-of-the-mill bounty hunter."
"Maybe you shouldn't have worked with a bounty hunter, then."
"I thought I was working with Jet Black."
"You are, Donna!"
"Then act like it!"
"Donna, things are different!"
"Oh, don't give me that!"
"This line of work isn't exactly a stable job. We starve on that ship if we don't take a shot. I'm not the only one who needs the money. Spike and Faye do too."
"Then pick a different bounty."
Jet sighed, and rubbed his head. "Donna, you know I can't do that after all the time we've spent on this one." he said.
"Do you really need the money that badly?"
"Yes, Donna. Even if it means turning in a hitman who didn't commit the crime. Demetrius Bardon isn't a saint. Think of all the lives he's taken. He's never been brought in for a single one. I think of this bounty as a cosmic type of justice. He's getting what was a long time coming."
Donna remained silent. She took a gulp of her coffee. "If that's how you see it, then I guess I can't change your mind." she said.
"And I haven't changed yours?"
"Maybe a little. Look, I know that Demetrius is a horrible human being, but he's still a human being. ISSP lives by a code that every person should get a fair trial. And I'll bend the rules here and there to get justice served, but in this case I don't think it's justice. It may be cosmic justice, but not regular justice."
"I get it, Donna. I used to be like you too. But regular justice can't account for everything, sometimes you have to you have to be the judge."
"I didn't expect this lecture when you walked into my home, Jet."
"I'm sorry," Jet scratched his head, "You know how I am." he said.
Donna sighed and then smirked. "Yeah, I know exactly how you are." she said. Donna playfully punched Jet in the arm.
"Okay, I'm glad we came to some sort of understanding." Jet took a sip of his coffee.
Inside of a warehouse, Lee looked around at all the crates holding weapons, ammunition, and so forth. There were workers on the warehouse floor, using forklift vehicles to transfer all the crates on to trucks.
Lee stood near the entrance of the warehouse, where the huge door was wide open. Lee had his hands behind his back as he sighed contently. Shiro then approached Lee.
"Sir?" said Shiro.
"Yes, Shiro?" said Lee.
"Every crate has been accounted for and placed into our system."
"Fantastic. How many of these are actually going to legitimate buyers?"
"All of them, actually."
"Hmm. The men back home haven't filled out any requests for more?"
"No, not since the first shipments."
"Hmm, I suppose those shipments did have vast quantities."
"They have nothing to worry about, we have a limitless supply."
"Very true, Shiro."
"Maybe we won't need so much firepower now that Blue Snake is done."
"Yes, Blue Snake is no longer biting at our heels."
"Don't you think it was cause for celebration? You've kept working like nothing's changed."
"Shiro, we have to keep moving. Our work never stops, even if we just finished destroying our rivals. As elated as I am about it, Blue Snake is… microscopic in scale. Compared to what we have, Blue Snake is just old gangster nonsense. What we're doing here with this company is building an empire."
"Blue Snake was 'small stuff' to you?"
"Yes. Shiro, we can't be too impressed with every victory. We're so much greater than a ton of gangster wars. This company is exactly what I wanted. I suggest you keep your focus here, Shiro. You've been doing a stellar job so far."
"Thank you, sir. But, I couldn't have done most of it without Eleanor Veidt."
"Ah, yes. She's proven quite useful."
"Speaking of her, sir, I suppose I should tell you that I had a talk with her today…"
Lee's brow furrowed. His icy stare pierced Shiro. "Talk? What kind of talk?" he said.
Shiro straightened his tie. He cleared his throat. "I noticed her activity. She hasn't been using her office phone for any calls since she came back. I just had to remind her to use it, or we would have to tap her phones, that's all."
Lee rested his chin on his thumb to think. "Well, I suppose that is cause for concern. She probably thought we wouldn't notice, which is foolish on her part. However, Shiro, as I've told you before, you must run things like this by me."
"I know, sir, I'm sorry, but you seemed so busy with everything else, I thought this was a small thing I could handle."
"I'll let it slide this time, Shiro. You're lucky I've been in a good mood." Lee smirked.
"That's very gracious of you, sir."
"But, has she been up to anything?"
"There's nothing to report on her. She's done everything we've asked, I don't think she's going to cause any trouble."
"What about Leandro Russ? Have you still been keeping tabs on him?"
"Yes, he's done everything we've asked too. He's currently at a meeting with shareholders."
"Good, good. Russ has always been a spineless coward, I'm not worried about him. Yet, keep tabs on him. There are times when it's the person you'd least suspect."
"Right."
"Now, the person I suspect the most is Demetrius. What's his status?"
"It's been quiet, but you're right, he's still a major cause for concern."
"I believe we need to pay him a visit. Shiro, I want you to acquire a few cameras and install them in the building next time we go see him."
"How will he react to that, sir?"
"He's obviously not going to like it. Too bad for him, though. He can't do anything about it. He's under our control, and it'd be foolish for him to leave or retaliate."
"Are you still planning on letting him go?"
"I'm a man of my word, Shiro. I'll let him go, when the time comes, but that time is certainly not now."
It was 5:29 pm on Ganymede. The sea air was beginning to chill as the sun set. Faye was waiting outside of the ship Eleanor had instructed her to. Faye stood, wearing her bomber jacket and keeping her legs close together. She looked to her left then to her right. There was no creature in sight besides the birds on the docks. Faye looked at her watch. The time changed to 5:30 pm.
From her left she heard a car rev up on the gravel of the shipyard ground. It went straight toward her. She kept her lips sealed in anticipation. The car approached quickly, but came screeching to a halt directly in front her. A man wearing a ski mask and coat exited the car. He took a look at Faye.
The man unlocked the trunk with remote attached to his keys. He grabbed a sizable black duffel bag from the trunk with both hands. He closed the trunk and came back toward Faye and held out the bag. Faye grabbed the bag and it almost plummeted to the ground because of how heavy it was. She lifted it up and slung it over her shoulder.
The man got back inside the car and drove off. Faye watched the car go. Once it was out of sight, she began walking back to her Redtail zipcraft. Once she got to her zipcraft, she opened the pod and placed the duffel bag inside. She noticed that there were zip ties on the zippers of the bag. Faye got inside of the Redtail and phoned Jet from her console.
Jet answered his phone. He was sitting in the passenger seat of Donna's car, with Donna in driver's seat.
"Faye?" said Jet.
"Jet, I got the bag." said Faye.
"Great, what do you think's in it?"
"I don't know, but it's really heavy. The bag is insulated from the inside, so it feels smooth, and I can't feel around."
"I don't suppose you've tried opening it?"
"I can't do that either, the zippers have zip ties on them. I'd have to cut the ties to open the bag, so Eleanor would know I opened it."
"Hmm, very smart woman."
"Well, I'll try some way. I'm heading over to the fisherman's market now to meet her."
"Alright, we'll be right behind you."
Eleanor waited for Faye at the restaurant. It was an outdoor Asian restaurant with only a counter separating the cooks and the customers who sat on stools. Faye walked down the aisle of the market. There were tons of customers walking about, and merchants selling all kinds of goods and food.
Faye spotted Eleanor and sat down next to her. Eleanor was surprised by her and turned to face her.
"Oh! Angela, you're here." said Eleanor.
"Yeah, of course! You think I'd skip out on a chance to make some cash on the side?"
Eleanor laughed. "No, I guess not," she said, "So, how'd it go?"
"It went well. It was quick and easy, although the bag was kind of heavy."
"Yeah, I expected that."
"So, you going to tell me what's in it?" said Faye with a sly tone.
"Very funny. But not a chance." said Eleanor.
"Yeah, I expected as much. I can keep a secret, though."
"Angela, this is kind of serious business. I can't let anyone know. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, I get it. It's kind of exciting though, I want to know what I'm getting into."
"You're not getting into anything, I'm not going to put you at risk."
"Well, at least I won't have any guys coming to my door, right?"
"Yes, you won't have to worry about that." Eleanor smiled.
"So when are you leaving?"
"That's classified."
Faye pouted. "I can't get anything out of you, can I?" she said.
"Not a chance."
"You are one mysterious woman."
"I don't try to be. It's just the way things are sometimes."
"Yeah, I get that too."
"You know what might make you feel better?"
"What?"
"How about 100,000 woolongs?"
"Whoa! Eleanor, that's a little much."
"Angela, I can't express enough how much you've helped me out. Just take it, okay?"
"... Okay, I can't say no."
"Good. Now, follow me to my car. You can show me where you parked your car and we'll switch." Eleanor smiled.
A few moments later Eleanor drove as Faye pointed her finger to the location of her zipcraft. Eleanor went through the parking lot and parked right next to Faye's Redtail, which was taking up three parking spaces.
Eleanor looked at the Redtail in surprise. "You own a zipcraft?" she said.
Faye laughed. "Girl's gotta around." she said. Faye exited out of Eleanor's car and approached the Redtail. Faye opened the pod and grabbed the duffel bag with both hands. Eleanor grabbed a yellow package from her trunk. They traded off and Eleanor put the bag inside her trunk. Faye opened up the package and saw all the bills.
"Well, I hope it really helps you out." said Eleanor.
"It will, believe me." said Faye. She smiled.
"Geez, I hate to say bye, but I really have to get going."
"Will I hear from you again?"
"I think you will. I'll keep your number." Eleanor extended out her hand with an open palm.
Faye reached out her hand and shook hands with Eleanor. Eleanor turned around and got back inside her car. Eleanor drove off, leaving Faye by herself next to her Redtail.
Through the earpiece, Jet heard the car drive off. "Faye! We can't let her leave!" he said into the microphone.
"Jet, there's nothing I can do. If I pried any more, she would have gotten really suspicious." said Faye.
Jet grunted and slammed the dashboard with his fist. "Donna! Follow her car!" he said.
Donna started up the engine to her car and drove out of the parking space in the fisherman's market parking lot.
"Jet! What else are you going to do! It's over, we can't get anything from her anymore!" said Faye, pressing the earpiece.
Donna spotted Eleanor's car, and tailed it. She let a car get between them in order to keep her distance.
"I'm going to see where she is going at least. Faye, this is the only lead we got!" said Jet.
Faye growled and got inside her Redtail. She started the engine and flew off.
A few moments later, Eleanor arrived to her apartment. She parked her car inside the parking garage and carried the bag out from her trunk. She got inside her elevator and went up to her floor.
Donna and Jet were parked outside of the apartment complex. Jet kept watch on the building.
"This is where she lives. Maybe someone will meet her here?" said Donna.
"I don't know. I say we wait." said Jet.
Jet had turned off the microphone to Faye's earpiece. Faye kept the earpiece in her ear, and kept pressing her fingers against it.
"Jet?! Jet?! Where are you guys?!" said Faye.
Inside of Eleanor's apartment, Eleanor set down the duffel bag. She went into the kitchen and looked inside of a drawer. She grabbed a pair of heavy-duty scissors and closed the drawer.
With the scissors, she clipped the zip ties off of the duffel bag. She slowly unzipped the bag and then opened it up. Inside were two pistols with silencers, boxes of ammunition, a case of tranquilizers, grenades, one grenade launcher, and pack of C-4. Eleanor sighed.
Outside of the apartment Jet watched the building, but could not see anything. He rested his back on the headrest and sighed.
"Let's go, we're not going to get anything here." said Jet.
"We're just going to let her go?" said Donna.
"What else can we do?" Jet turned on his earpiece and microphone. He spoke into it and said "Faye, head back to the ship. We're done here."
About an hour later Faye returned to the Bebop. Night had descended upon Ganymede, and Spike was in the console room, watching the moonlight reflect from the ocean. He heard Faye huffing down in the main room. Spike got up from the seat and went down the stairs.
Spike remained on the steps and saw Faye lying down on the couch. Her arm covered her eyes. Spike continued down the rest of the steps and approached Faye. Faye kept her arm over her eyes.
"So, how'd it go?" said Spike.
Faye groaned. "Uneventful. Eleanor Veidt went home, and I couldn't get any information out of her." she said.
"So, what are you guys going to do now?"
"I don't know. Eleanor was probably our best shot. And she's probably leaving tomorrow."
"You'll find other leads, Faye."
"Demetrius is probably long gone by now. I think this bounty is a bust."
"You're giving up?"
"I think so, Spike."
"What are you going to do, then?"
Faye removed her arm from her eyes. She looked at Spike, and then sat up on the couch. Spike took the opportunity to sit next to her, and they faced each other.
"I want to go with you, Spike. I don't know what we'll do for money, but we'll come up with something." said Faye.
Spike smirked. "I didn't think it would take you this fast to think about it." he said.
Faye smirked as well. "You know how I feel about you, Spike. Of course I'm not going to let go you off alone."
Spike put his hand to Faye's cheek. He got closer to her, and kissed her. Faye put her hands on Spike's face. They remained like that for a few tender moments. Faye released and then smiled at Spike.
"I have some good news, though." said Faye.
"What's that?" said Spike.
"Eleanor Veidt paid me 100,000 woolongs for that job I just did."
"100,000? That's quite a bit for a bag delivery."
"She kind of has thing for me."
"Huh?"
"Don't worry, Spike. You don't have to compete for my heart."
"I guess that's why you two spent so long together."
"Hey, I got 100,000 woolongs out of it. It was worth something."
"Yeah, we can get some food in here now."
Jet entered the Bebop through the hangar door. He ducked down to get inside the main room. He saw Spike and Faye sitting together on the couch. Faye turned around and immediately stood up. Spike stared at Jet too, but remained seated.
"You couldn't get much else out of her, Faye?" said Jet.
Faye sighed. "Jet, you know why I couldn't pry." she said.
"Yeah, I get it. I just wish this could've gone somewhere. Veidt was the best lead we had. We followed her home, but nothing happened. I just decided to call it a day."
"Maybe it's time to move on, Jet."
"When I bite on to something, I don't let go. You know that, Faye."
"Jet…"
"I'm not giving up this bounty. I'm going to try again tomorrow and see what happens."
The Bebop crew remained in the main room in silence.