Page 10

10

TEXT CHAT

PAST

Star: What do you know of Prince Edward of Midlothian?

Conor: Is this a random question, or does it have a point? I’m trying to hack into that bank account you sent me yesterday.

Star: Can’t you multitask?

Conor: For a standard bank account, it has a lot of protection. Especially considering it’s not based in Switzerland.

Star: Ah, the Swiss. I love their intricate blending of abiding and ignoring laws to do whatever the fuck they want for whoever’s willing to pay a high enough price.

Conor: And people think they’re neutral.

Star: That’s the best part. LOL. Hiding in plain sight.

Conor: I have to focus.

Star: Focus later. I think I have a way of accessing the accounts I need, just bear with me. So answer my question.

Conor: God, you’re bossy.

Star: You’re Irish. You’re used to bossy women. It’s hardwired into your DNA that you react when a woman bosses you around.

Conor: Oh, I react. I just can’t react how I want to through a computer screen.

Star: That again?

Conor: Lol.

Star: You’re proving it’s true that men are obsessed with sex.

Conor: I AM a man.

Star: I know. You can’t help it. Still. Try.

Conor: LMAO. You’re the one who lets me think about you in the tub. I think I’m controlling myself very well for a man whose BFF is his right hand.

Star: Why not your left? I thought you were a southpaw.

Conor: I’m ambidextrous.

Star: Really?

Conor: Yes, another secret only you know.

Star: Why is it a secret?

Conor: I’m a man of mystery.

Star: You’re an odd duck is what you are. Not sure if you’re a man of mystery…

Conor: My ego will never heal from that cutting slight.

Star: You need to stop watching so much Bridgerton , dude.

Conor: YOU told me to watch it!!

Star: I didn’t think you’d get into it.

Conor: Like you didn’t.

Star: Nah. Too many crusty genitals for my taste. That dude’s hot though. The duke.

Conor: I agree. I hope he’s the next Bond.

Star: When your brother IS a Bond, how can you even like that shit?

Conor: You’re a Bourne. I like that too. I don’t discriminate.

Star: I’m more of a Black Widow but without supernatural talents. Damn, I’d have managed to cause some shit if I did.

Star: The main issue, of course, is that they put that actress chick in such a girly outfit. Total BS.

Conor: That actress chick just happens to be Scarlett Johansson.

Star: That’s her name?

Conor: Lol, yes.

Conor: You’re hotter than her though. ^^

Star: Is that a compliment?

Conor: She’s like the hottest woman on the planet to most men. So, yes.

Star: Hmm. Okay. Thank you.

Conor: You’re welcome.

Star: I suppose you’re hotter than the duke too.

Conor: Thank you!

Star: You’re welcome. Now that we’ve gotten that off our chests, can we talk about Prince Edward of Midlothian?

Conor: *sighs*

Conor: You want to talk about a crusty old white guy?

Star: I do.

Conor: I know he’s got a gambling problem.

Star: How do you know that?

Conor: I own shares in a casino in Macau.

Star: Lol, shut up. You don’t.

Conor: I do.

Star: You do not.

Conor: I fucking do!

Star: Why?

Conor: Because.

Star: WHY?

Conor: Because it’s a great investment?

Star: Isn’t that Triad territory?

Conor: They owed me a favor.

Star: What did you do? And, hell, WHEN did you do it?

Conor: I know it comes as a shock to you, but I did have a life before I knew you.

Star: Spill.

Conor: Only if you spill in return…

Star: Deal. When, why, what, and how?

Conor: I leveraged some information about four months or so before you came along and headbutted through my firewalls.

Star: Half the story much? And I didn’t headbutt anything. I slipped inside like a ninja.

Conor: You left a mile-wide gash behind you. Nothing about your entry or exit was discreet.

Star: Filthy. Lies.

Conor: Filthy. Truth.

Conor: Anyway, I thought you wanted to talk about crusty old white guys.

Star: I did, but now I’m curious. Back to the topic at hand. What information did you leverage?

Conor: The Sparrows were on the periphery of my attention for a while, I think. I’m pretty certain this guy was shafted by them. He proclaimed his innocence and I managed to come across the CCTV footage that confirmed his alibi.

Star: That was handy.

Conor: :P

Star: Don’t show me your tongue. Waggle it so I understand. Did you make a deep fake?

Conor: Sort of.

Star: I didn’t know you had those types of skills.

Conor: There’s plenty you don’t know about me lol.

Star: I’m not sure I like that.

Conor: HA! It’s not as if you’re an open book.

Star: True. Was it falsified or not?

Conor: The dates were. I knew he was innocent though.

Star: How?

Conor: Because Da had killed the guy this Triad allegedly had.

Star: Lol! That would do it.

Conor: Right? Anyway, the Triads aren’t like the Russians and the Italians. They stick to their own and they listen to China way more than even the Russians listen to Moscow. I figured it’d be a good thing to have them in my back pocket.

Star: It worked.

Conor: Not really. They gave me the shares instead lol.

Conor: Smart bastards.

Star: How many shares do you own?

Conor: Thirty-five percent.

Star: Yowza. That’s some gift.

Conor: He was serving life with no chance of parole. Plus, he was related to the Dragon Head. They’re like us—the deeper the ties to the leader, the more status you have.

Star: Hmm. Okay. Back to Prince Edward.

Conor: What about him?

Star: He’s on a council of some variation.

Conor: That’s news to me.

Star: Me too.

Conor: What makes you think he is?

*picture uploaded*

Conor: Huh.

Star: Huh.

Conor: You know who these four are?

Star: Sort of.

Conor: Meaning?

Star: I know who three are.

Conor: Give me names. I recognize the one who likes to think he’s the King of Greece.

Star: Prince Ludwig—he’s the one to the left. Prince Edward of Midlothian is on the right. Beside him is Ke Jintao. He’s a vice chairman of the CCP’s National Security Commission.

Conor: Who’s the last guy?

Star: That’s the only one I’m struggling with.

Conor: Where did you get this photo?

Star: You know Bear, Rex’s father, left him a motel room key?

Conor: Lol, I know who Bear is. The ex-Prez of the Satan’s Sinners’ MC. Duh.

Star: Smart ass.

Conor: You know it. His room was filled with Sparrows’ intel, no?

Star: Yes.

Conor: Interesting.

Star: You heard of the United Brotherhood?

Conor: Sounds like a team who’d play Dungeons and Dragons online lol.

Star: I told you not to diss D3

Conor: :)