31

TEXT CHAT

Conor: Hey, random. But you thought the United Brotherhood was a bank, right?

Eoghan: I did.

Conor: Before Finn brought it up?

Eoghan: Yup.

Conor: Where did you come across the name?

Eoghan: Fuck, Conor, I don’t know. The amount of intel I have to wade through on the regular is ridiculous.

Conor: So, it was MI6-related?

Eoghan: All my problems are either O’Donnelly or MI6-related.

Conor: That doesn’t narrow things down for me.

Eoghan: Boohoo, buttercup.

Conor: Fuck off.

Eoghan: YOU messaged ME.

Conor: I just wondered what you might have known about them, that’s all.

**An hour later**

Eoghan: Ran a search on the thread with my handler.

Conor: It shouldn’t be cool that you have a handler.

Eoghan: I can confirm it ISN’T cool.

Conor: I know that. But the lifelong James Bond fan in me doesn’t agree.

Conor: I also know that if I was looking at you right now, you’d be frowning at me.

Eoghan: You’d be right.

Conor: It’s hard being me.

Eoghan: Harder being your brother.

Conor: Yeah, yeah, yeah. What did the handler say?

Eoghan: He told me there were links between the Pauks (I assume you know they’re Russian hacktivists) and the United Brotherhood. I figured The United Brotherhood funded them.

Conor: Shame you don’t have more info than that.

Eoghan: You know me, Kid. I live to be your font of information.

Conor: Jesus Christ, Eoghan. Go for a run or something. You need the dopamine.

Eoghan: I already ran fifteen miles.

Conor: Go and have sex then. The oxytocin will do you a world of good.

Eoghan: Was I right?

Conor: About the Brotherhood funding the Pauks? Yeah.

Eoghan: Hmm. Did you think they approached me to be a member?

Conor: No. I just wondered how you knew about them. Anyway, say hi to Inessa for me.

Eoghan: Will do. Keep in touch or I’ll get on a flight to Dubrovnik.

Conor: Family reunion. Baltic-style.

Eoghan: Uh-huh. Stay alive, deartháir.