Page 8

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TEXT CHAT

PAST

Star: Remember I told you that I promised to reunite every trafficking victim of the Sparrows with their families?

Conor: I do. You rammed the memory home with the image of making the head of the CIA suck off his own dick-less stump. Lol.

Star: I do these things to train your memory.

Conor: So kind. The nightmares were just for shits and giggles?

Star: You got it.

Conor: What about the reunions? That’s a hell of a process in itself.

Star: I know. But I was thinking… I found Katina because I was tracking a cargo ship. The Sparrows had a manifesto of women on board. If they did that for one shipment, surely they did it for others.

Conor: Makes sense. How did you come across the manifesto?

Star: More by luck than management.

Conor: How?

Star: It was a listing on the Silk Road.

Conor: You bought it?

Star: Yeah.

Conor: Who was the seller?

Star: Just some kid who’d hacked a phone and was selling on someone’s ID.

Conor: Did you buy anything else from the same seller?

Star: I bought a username and password for an email account, but it wasn’t an easily recognizable email service and it definitely didn’t work with POP or IMAP protocols.

Conor: So, it led nowhere?

Star: The email was a dead end, but I figured it was because the information was five years old. The cargo ship manifesto led me to Katina, though.

Conor: How?

Star: Her mom was on there. When I found her, she’d already been sold, wedded, impregnated, and had died. Katina was in an orphanage by that point.

Conor: And you rode in and saved her.

Star: Sometimes I think she saved me.

Conor: Did the Sparrows deal in Baltic brides?

Star: No. Sex slaves.

Conor: So why did they sell her then? How do you know there was a sale? Did you find a payment trail?

Star: No. I guess I just assumed. Back then I didn’t know as much about their activities. Plus, Alessa… You know her, right?

Conor: Katina’s sister, of course. Another Sparrows’ victim. :(

Star: Yeah. :/ She confirmed that was what her mom intended. She sent money back home too.

Conor: Doubt the Sparrows gave her anything from that transaction.

Star: Maybe her husband loved her. I got mine to do anything I wanted. By the end.

Conor: Fucks me in the head to think you married your buyer.

Star: I killed him too.

Conor: That freaks me out less.

Star: Good to know lol.

Conor: So you want to find more of these manifestos?

Star: I was thinking that was a start.

Conor: It’s a needle in a haystack.

Star: I know, but we have the original manifesto. I tracked maybe five of the women, but I got sidetracked with Katina and stopped heading down that path and focused on the Sparrows, not their victims.

Conor: Why are you shifting gears now?

Star: You said you’d help.

Conor: And I will.

Star: Plus, I told Dead To Me about this situation.

Conor: Why don’t you call her by her name?

Star: Habit. I’m Lodestar to her and she’s Dead To Me to me.

Conor: It’s such a mouthful.

Star: Lol. More like a bunch of letters to type.

Conor: What’s her real name?

Star: Cin.

Conor: What did you get her doing?

Star: She works with the CIA.

Conor: Okaaay. Is this about the pokers again?

Star: Maybe. She’s more like a satellite of theirs now.

Conor: You want her back in the field?

Star: That’s not doable with her schedule.

Conor: Yes, I’m sure her kill-for-hire business is booming.

Star: Oh, it is. She was complaining about a gift bag shortage or something yesterday.

Conor: That’s such a weird thing to do.

Star: Everyone has their MO. It’s called an MO for a reason.

Conor: I picked up on that.

Star: Cin has family in the field. Family that’s friendly with me.

Conor: Friendly enough to spy for you?

Star: Uh-huh. We served in Afghanistan together.

Conor: Why have you never called on her before?

Star: Because Cin hadn’t told me what went down with her cousin in Baghdad.

Conor: She was in Iraq?

Star: Yup.

Conor: What happened? Was she a sex slave too? (You know, it’s only since you came into my world that these questions have become commonplace.)

Star: (My bad.) And no. She was demoted.

Conor: Why?

Star: She came forward with some information about the mistreatment of prisoners of war under her CO’s custody.

Conor: And they demoted her?

Star: Not technically.

Conor: Meaning?

Star: Meaning ‘demotion’ can come in many ways.

Conor: So… she was given desk duty instead of active jobs?

Star: Yeah.

Conor: And she’s bitter?

Star: Oh, yeah. The Blacks are a family of hardcore soldiers. They’ve served the country for five generations. Don’t even ask them about the Civil War. I swear to fuck they know which of their relatives served where.

Conor: Jesus.

Star: Yeah, it’s hella boring. BUT, they’re fuckers you want on your side.

Conor: And this other Black is on your side?

Star: Yup. If I help her get a promotion.

Conor: How do you do that?

Star: :d Guess?

Conor: Sticking pokers up Reinier’s ass and making him suck his stump?

Star: You’re quick. I’ll give you that.

Conor: My teachers always said I’d go far.

Star: I bet.

Conor: What’s this Black’s name?

Star: Temper.

Conor: She was christened that?

Star: Not everyone’s christened, you Irish heathen.

Conor: So that’s on her birth certificate.

Star: Nah. Her full name’s Temperance but she’s about as temperate as a Category 7 hurricane.

Star: So… with Temper on the case, plus you, me, and Cin too, maybe we can uncover something?

Conor: You’re sure we can trust her?

Star: We can. She hates Reinier almost as much as I do. She’s a better person than me or Cin though. A real soldier.

Conor: Isn’t it unwise to trust her?

Star: She views the current leadership as enemies of the state, Conor. Who better to help us take them down?

Conor: Fair point. Send me the manifesto?

Star: Sure.

Conor: I’d like to look at the info you have for the email and password too, please.

Star: I’ll send it over as well.

Star: Conor?

Conor: Hmm?

Star: Thank you.