Closer To Home: Chapter Three

Drink up baby
Look at the stars
I'll kiss you again
Between the bars
Elliott Smith - Between The Bars

Start Here.

"Get me the Caldari State Police," Hallan sat at a desk in a dimly lit apartment as his vidphone flashed to life in front of him.

"CSP, how can I direct your call?" Came the automated message.

"This is Hallan Turrek," He leaned back and watched the screen flicker as a person answered.

"Hey! Hallan," The girl on the other side of the phone was fairly cheery, and Hallan smirked to himself, "We've got you on cameras at the scene of a crime today at 12:46. I assume that's why you're calling?"

"Yeah, that's it," He chuckled at the look on the girl's face as she read the charges.

"Are you calling as a witness or suspect?" She looked back at him and began that strange smile again.

"Suspect, I'd like to lodge a guilty plea," Hallan reached over to a gun on his desk and picked it up. He ran one hand down the top of it as he spoke.

"That's fine sir, but the bartender you killed was a level three businessman," The girl's smile was unbroken, and he imagined she was smirking a bit now.

"What?" Hallan put the gun down and the smile left his face.

"Yes, I'm afraid he owned that bar, two brothels and ran a weapons depot for the Caldari Navy. The fine for his death is thirteen million credits," A thumbprint appeared in the upper right corner of the screen and Hallan pressed his thumb to it.

"Thank you for your continued patronage Hallan Turrek. If you'd like to look into our group rates I'd be happy to show you some packages,"

"You've been looking at my file haven't you?" He asked, the smile coming back.

"Yes I have sir, and I get the feeling you're not done yet,"

____________________-

"I have the permits already Korvan," Hallan said to the Gallente on the other side of the vidphone.

"You really need me to come all the way over there?" Korvan was fiddling with something off camera.

"I really do, they deal in boosters and it'll be my luck that some idiots got a quickdraw implant and X-booster," Hallan put a hand on his gun again.

The microphone on Korvan's side picked up a muffled scream, a blast, and silence.

"I can make some time for it man but we're even now. You know how much I get paid for this kind of thing on a regular basis?" Korvan picked up a towel and began to wipe the end of his gun.

"Way less than you made on the Kurkanski job and you got me to thank for that,"

"You ever gonna let me forget that?"

"One of these days,"

"Gimme a few hours, I gotta tie up some loose ends here,"

"That's fine, I gotta get some armor out of storage,"

"Low profile Fullerene?"

"Good god yes,"

"Just like the good ole' days," Korvan shifted and set his gun across his lap.

"Yeah, remember Ivar?" Hallan looked away from the vidphone for a moment and laughed.

"Man, you ever think about getting back into the game?" Korvan was grinning as well as he spoke.

"Nah, I got my hands full right now,"

"Goddamned pirate. Heh," Korvan shook his head.

"It pays the bills," Hallan said raising his hands up.

"Yeah, I uh, I gotta go, I'll see ya in a few hours," Korvan stood up and turned.

"Peace man," Hallan pressed a button on the side of the phone and stood up himself as it powered down.