No Simple Contract Chapter 2
"Damn it!" I cursed, banging my fist into my palm, I paced back and forth, right in front of the spot where the strange attackers had taken Cassie.
"You should really stop saying that," WinterWhite said as he floated nearby, watching me as I paced.
"Why?" I asked in an agitated manner, looking at him.
"Well, you've only said it one-hundred and sixty-seven times in the last fifteen minutes," he informed me.
"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" I asked, my anger suddenly leaving me. "The suites destroyed, Cassie's gone and I have no lead to find her! I'm mean for the Travelers sake WinterWhite, I've killed Archons, Gate Lords! Hell, I've killed the Taken King himself! But when it comes to a small group of minimally armed kidnappers, I get my butt kicked!"
In most situations I wouldn't be like this, I'd retain my usual attitude and press on. In fact I could kind of care less about a brat such as Cassie. But the fact is, I was getting PAID to protect and care for her, there's the difference. I don't usually care about things, I'm often laid backed and passive, but when you throw money into the equation. That's when things turn serious and the real business ensues. But now, my money was flying out the window like a Hive Wizard.
"Fair enough, but I wouldn't say we have no leads," WinterWhite replied.. "While you were over here cursing, I scanned the armor of our visitors." He pointed his eye over at the corpses of the kidnappers I had managed to slay during the main firefight.
I looked at him incredulously, or I would have, if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.
"Why didn't you say anything!?" I exclaimed.
"You didn't ask and I didn't want to interrupt your cuss fest," he said.
I took a deep breath and held back several well thought out, but hurtful retorts.
"Okay," I said evenly, holding up a hand and looking WinterWhite straight in the eye. "What do you got?"
"If you examine the side of their armor," WinterWhite explained, zooming over to one of the fallen kidnappers. "There's an identification code on the side of their armor."
"Okay," I said, coming over to examine the small, black dash marks in question. "What does that tell us?"
"They trace the armor back to the manufacturer, which should essentially lead us to the kidnappers," WinterWhite said.
"Alright, who's the manufacturer?"
"Pinton Arms."
Pinton Arms was another local company in the city, but as Norton Robotics handled machines. Pinton Arms handled firearms and weaponry, being one of the major manufactures. They actually were the ones that supplied The Tower and the Guardians with most of its weapons. For a price, of course…
I thought it over for a minute, Pinton was a major corporation with a lot of influence. It's CEO, Michol Pinton was also known for being a real stickler of a guy. In other words I'd be going up against a powerful enemy with a lot of guns and men at his back. That is if he was indeed the mastermind of this whole kidnapping.
But if I did go for it means I could get payback for the hassle and risk to me getting paid. And I could dispense some of that Guardian Justice Zavala was always going on about.
All of a sudden I was filled with enthusiasm again and felt that maybe, just maybe I could salvage this whole mess.
"How do you feel about visiting Pinton Arms?" I asked WinterWhite all the while a grin came to my face.
Alexander Pinton felt tired, which was to be expected from an owner of a major (if not the only) arms company. But today felt especially tiring, so after concluding yet another meeting he decided to head to his office for a break.
Filing out of the conference room with the various stockholders and major business officials he immediately headed for the nearby elevator. Pressing the button he entered the elevator and he sighed as it headed upstairs with him as its only occupant.
The elevator promptly opened upon arriving, leading into a spacious office of fine carpeting and fancy furniture. He stepped out of the elevator as it closed behind him and went towards his desk. It was there that he grabbed a small glass cylinder of light green liquid and proceeded to poor it into a nearby glass.
He had just raised it to his lips when he heard the words come forth.
"You have some explaining to do, Mr.," it said.
Pinton whirled around, dropping the glass in the process, only to be grabbed by a thin, armored figure who quickly proceeded to immobilize him against his own desk.
"Who…are you?" he grunted out.
"Who…are you?" Mr. Pinton asked as I pinned him down against the office desk.
It taken me a bit to figure out a way into Pinton Tower, these business men built their businesses like fortresses. So after about an hour's recon I eventually found a way to sneak in through one of the lower windows. After that it was just a simple matter of making my way to Mr. Pintons office unnoticed.
"Who I am, is not important," I said to answer Mr. Pintons question. "All you need to know is that you're in some deep trouble, Mr. Pinton."
"What are you talking about?" Pinton grunted, seeming generally baffled.
Realizing that this conversation was going to take longer than expected, I made the businessman a simple deal.
"I'm going to let you up," I said, easing my pressure on him a tad. "We'll talk, but, if you try anything, anything at all, I'll blow your head off." I emphasized my point by drawing my sidearm and tapping it on his desk, in clear view of Pintons sight. "Understand?"
Pinton slowly nodded and I stepped back and released him, holstering my sidearm as I did so.
Pinton straightened himself for a moment and breathed deeply, finally turning to me with a look of fear and curiosity on his face.
"You're a Guardian," he said. "Why are you here?"
"I've some business with you," I said simply, crossing my arms. "Earlier tonight, at the tower of Norton Robotics, a young girl was kidnapped. More specifically, Cassandra Norton."
"How unfortunate," Pinton said as he poured and sipped another drink, he then turned to me. "But what does that have to do with me?"
"WinterWhite," I said simply, my Ghost appeared out of thin air and came to float beside me. Once settled at my side he projected a blue image from his eye, the image was of the situation back at Norton Tower. The image showed the bodies of the kidnappers that I had managed to take down sprawled all around the Nortons Suite. "The kidnappers were armed with armaments from your company, so I was wondering if you were willing to explain yourself."
Mr. Pinton was silent for a moment and rubbed his chin.
"I have no idea how they got those weapons, I receive and make hundreds of deals a day and…" He suddenly stopped short as I withdrew my sidearm and began to finger the trigger menacingly. He swallowed and then proceeded to continue, much more honestly this time I might add. "I received a shady deal a week ago, I didn't know who it came from. The Glimmer was good however, so I couldn't resist. The order asked to deliver the shipment to the Easter part of the Outer Slums of The City. Maybe you can find a clue there."
I smiled under my mask and holstered my sidearm, turning away to leave.
"Thank you, Mr. Pinton," I said. "You've been very helpful."
The Outer Slums, probably the crappiest place in The City, there aren't any high skyscrapers or glorious towers out here. Rather, it's a mixture crapped apartments and poorly constructed warehouses with the different sectors often ruled by the local gangs.
Yes, even after The Collapse things like gangs and crime and general existed, I guess it's one of those things you can never really stamp out.
Regardless, it looks like I'm going to have to take a little visit there in I ever want to get my payment.
The Eastern sections of the Outer Slums are ruled by a gang known as the City Devils or something like that. Their fierce and secretive if I recall correctly, so I'm going to have to go in careful. Real careful…
I sat atop the ceiling of a random warehouse as one of the City Devil Sentries rounded the corner of the street. He wore black leather and was armed with an old pulse rifle, he was older and balding on top. Despite this, he still looked like he could be a real bruiser in a fight.
I waited for about half a minute, until the point where he was positioned right below me. At that moment I jumped down, landing on top of him and forcing him to the ground. He dropped his pulse rifle and it skittered away a few feet pathetically. I now had one foot planted in his back, keeping him on the ground, while I held my scout rifle to his head.
"Who are you?" the thug asked.
"That's not important," I growled. "What is, is the information you're going to give me if you want to live. Now, are you going to cooperate?"
"Well, you have a gun to my head, so what choice do I have?" he replied.
"Smart," I said. "Now, a delivery of weapons was sent to this area a while ago from Pinton Arms, who placed that order?"
"That would've been my boss," the thug answered. "We needed the gear for a big job he had in mind."
"What kind of job?"
"I don't know," the thug seemed to answer honestly. "Some sort of kidnapping, it just got pulled tonight if what I hear is true."
"Where would you be holding the person you kidnapped?" I asked, keeping the excitement from my voice.
"Probably at our hangout, the old apartment complex, near the wall. They'll be there until we can get a ransom note out to the person who the boss wants to pay."
"Thanks," I said. "You've been very helpful." I then slammed the butt of my rifle into his head, knocking him out cold. WinterWhite then appeared beside me and looked to my then to the thug.
"What now?" he asked.
"We go get young Cassie," I replied. "But I don't think I can do it alone, I'm going to need some help." Suddenly, the idea of the perfect person came to me and I grinned under my helmet. "How do you feel about making a phone call?" I inquired.
Cayde-6, Hunter Vanguard and self-declared five star comedian, stood in the Hall of Guardians. Deeply engrossed in the current meeting before him, well actually, in all honesty, Cayde wasn't paying a speck of attention. He droned off somewhere near the beginning, right after Zavala had initiated the conference. He was now passing the time by entertaining himself with one of his frequent daydreams of dressing the other Vanguards in the most ridiculous outfits he could conjure.
"Cayde…"
Top hat, Mustache…
"Cayde!"
Cayde shook himself out of his imagining and turned to his Ghost who had just spoken.
"What's up Cayde Jr.?" Cayde asked casually, looking to his small companion. A lot of Guardians and people in general thought it prideful that he'd name his Ghost after himself. But Caydes question was, who WOULD'NT want to name something after him.
"I'm receiving an incoming transmission from Cidvis," Cayde Jr. said.
"Well, I better answer then, now shouldn't I?" Cayde said, glad at the chance to escape the meeting. He stood and began to make his way out of the Hall of Guardians and kept on moving despite the looks received from Zavala, Ikora and several other attendees of the meeting.
"Transmission, gotta take this," he said, giving them no time to reply. He left the Hall of Guardians, making his way past Lord Shaxx the Crucible Master and Eris Morn. Finally exiting into the cool night air and gaining an excellent view of the city beyond.
"Alright, put him through," Cayde said as they reached the open air.
Cayde Jr. paused for a moment and then begin to speak, except in the voice of Cidvis. A talented Hunter and close friend of Cayde.
"Cayde, you there?" the voice of Cidvis asked.
"Ya, I'm here Cidvis, what's up?" Cayde replied.
"Well, you know that job I left on a few hours ago?"
"Ya," Cayde said. "The Body-Guarding assignment?"
"That's the one," Cidvis confirmed. "Well, to make things quick, things went a bit sideways. I'm now out here in the Outer Slums trying to rescue the person I was supposed to protect."
"Ok?" Cayde asked. "And what are you calling me for?"
Cayde couldn't say why, but for some reason, he felt that if he could see Cidvis' face, he would've been smiling.
"When's the last time you left The Tower?"
Hey Guys! Sorry that took so long to update, the end of school and just general craziness have kept me from writing. I've been trying to play catch up as a result and am now finished with the second chapter! Hope you enjoyed, let me know if I can improve in anyway and tell me what you liked about it!
Thanks for Reading!
