“Hey Haru,” Zoe said in greeting when the other courier answered her call. She was sitting in Dee’s Diner, which was a 24-hour breakfast place on Columbus Ave, nursing a cup of coffee.

“Hi Zoe. You’re up late, aren’t you?” Haru replied.

“I guess.”

“Is there something you need?” Haru asked.

“Yes. Remember that deal we discussed earlier today?” Zoe replied. “Well, I suppose it was yesterday now.”

“Yeah. My Uncle wasn’t happy about the price at all,” Haru said. “He cursed for several minutes about it.”

“So, I guess he turned it down.”

“Ha! That’s one way of looking at it,” Haru agreed. “Why are you bringing it up? Want to offer a cheaper price?”

“Is your uncle honorable?” Zoe asked instead of answering Haru’s question. “I’ve always read that was important to the old yakuza.”

“Yes, and take this warning, don’t ever question his honor again,” Haru replied smiling to take the sting out of his words.

“Ok. I apologize,” Zoe said.

“Ok,” Haru simply said. “What’s this about?”

“Actually, I was wondering if you would ask if your uncle would be willing to provide me some security instead of money,” Zoe replied. “I would need them starting tonight for a couple of weeks.”

“He would probably accept that deal, but if you’re in trouble you should go to the police,” Haru said after a moment.

“You know the police are basically glorified security guards and don’t really protect people,” Zoe countered.

“That’s true,” Haru shrugged. “And you can’t afford to hire a private guard.”

“Not one that would actually do the job they’re hired to do,” Zoe agreed.

“Alright. Give me a few minutes and I’ll find out if my uncle will accept your new terms,” Haru said.

“Ok. I’m going to have a late or early breakfast then,” Zoe replied. Haru hung up laughing. Zoe waved to the waitress, and she started walking over as Zoe started prepping to slice the Bratva network again.

*

“Zoe, my uncle accepts your deal and will have two Soai-kai members ready for you in the hour. Daiki Aoki is one and Daichi Ota the other. They just need to know where you want them,” Haru said after Zoe answered his call. She started carefully slicing the Bratva network.

“Not those two,” Zoe grumbled as she recalled those names and her one meeting with them. She made minute hand movements in MR to keep people from staring at her.

“You’ve met them?”

“I have.”

Haru laughed. “They’re available and sober, so they get the call.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, Uncle will have three others for you too. Besides, Daiki and Daichi will do what they’re told without issue,” Haru replied.

“Ok. I’m heading to my boathouse to get some things,” Zoe said sending Haru the address. “They can meet me there and I’ll have the slice done in a few hours.”

“Alright. They’ll call you when they arrive at the boat basin,” Haru said before hanging up.

*

Zoe heard sirens as she arrived at the boat basin. Looking up, she saw smoke coming from the marina. She parked in the parking garage and started walking.

“What the heck is going on?” Zoe muttered to herself as the sirens got closer. She slowly made her way into the marina heading toward her boathouse as the crowd of gawkers thickened. “Oh no.”

The smoke was coming from her pier, and she just knew the fire was coming from her houseboat. Zoe used her Eagle Vision’s zoom but couldn’t see anything because of her height. She just wasn’t tall enough to see over the crowd. Zoe sliced the marina’s camera network, and a sob escaped her as her boathouse exploded.

“Whoa!” the crowd shouted. The fire from the explosion started to spread to Zoe’s neighbors’ homes. Zoe turned to leave when her Angel screamed a warning as hand grabbed her upper arm.

*

“Zoe! It’s been too long,” a man said. Zoe’s eyes widened in alarm as she gazed up at Blake Conner’s six foot plus frame and cold grey eyes. Before Zoe could scream, another hand covered her mouth from behind. Blake nodded. “Good job brother.”

“Does Uncle Nathaniel really want this one that badly?” the second man asked as he took control of her. Zoe recognized the voice as being Blake’s brother, Simon. People started muttering and pointing at them. Blake saw this and frowned.

“Yes. Let’s go,” Blake said showing Zoe the pistol in his waistband. “Zoe, it would be best if you quietly came with us.”

“Nod your head if you understand,” Simon said giving Zoe a shake.

“Fuck!” Blake and Simon shouted as Zoe’s Angel unleashed Shocker on the two brothers. All three of them hit the ground and people quickly gave them room. Some asked them if they were alright while others just stared and possibly recorded what was going on.

Zoe got to her knees and tried to hit both with Glue Trap. It failed since neither of them had implants. “Shit!”

She got to her feet and tried to hit both with Shocker again. It failed and her eyes widened in understanding. Her Angel had actually hit her with the first Shocker attack and the current had transferred to both men.

They started to move, and Zoe pulled her P750 out and shot both with the stun rounds she had loaded in the clip. People screamed and started running. Zoe started running toward the parking garage as quickly as possible while trying to erase the camera footage.

“There she is!” a voice yelled as she reached the parking garage. “She’s in the parking garage.”

“I see her!” another called out.

“Get the van,” a third shouted as Zoe reached her GT4 and put on her helmet. She quickly started her bike as one of the men ran toward her. She sped past him and out of the parking garage.

*

“Daichi, where are you guys at?” Zoe asked instead of greeting the yakuza soldier after answering the call.

“We’re stuck in traffic behind emergency responders at the intersection of W 79th St and West End Ave. Why?” the yakuza soldier replied irritably.

“I’m heading your way fast and being pursued by a green van,” Zoe replied.

“You’re still riding a GT4 right?” Daichi asked suddenly all business.

“Yep. It’s blue,” Zoe answered.

“I see her and the van,” Daiki said. “Turn onto West End and we can stop the van with the car.”

“Good idea,” Daichi replied. “Ms. Blanco, did you get that?”

“I did,” Zoe said.

“Is there anything else we should do with the van’s occupants?” Daiki asked.

Zoe didn’t immediately answer. She quickly considered asking them to deal with the church’s men by any means they wished. She shook her head.

“Ms. Blanco?” Daichi prompted as Zoe cut in front of a car.

“Just stall them,” Zoe answered. “I don’t want their blood on my hands.”

“Have it your way,” Daichi replied. “The boss will have someone get in touch with you in the morning.”

“Thanks,” Zoe screamed as she cut across lanes and onto West End Ave. A few seconds later, the yakuza blocked traffic and the van. Horns blared.

“Good luck,” Daiki said before ending the call.

*

Zoe watched the boat basin fire from the Riverside Guest House in West New York, New Jersey. The hotel was located at 7000 Boulevard E. She had monitored the police bands the entire trip in addition to setting up a script to move her money to other accounts. The script would move her funds a half dozen times to ensure that the church wasn’t monitoring her accounts. Zoe sighed and closed the curtains.

“This really freaking sucks,” she said. She had nothing now but what money she had, her bike, and the clothes on her back. Even with Jimmy’s gift, the money wouldn’t last for long. “I might have to sell my baby if this drags out.”