One of Case City’s most skilled assassins, Jackson Cole is a wanted man. After annihilating his latest target, he quickly learns the prominent man’s identity. Now, a perilous enemy seeks revenge, and rival guilds look to take advantage of his vulnerability. For Jackson, it’s become kill or be killed, but will a steady aim be enough to take on the entire city?
It was a Thursday night, and I was at a race put on by the Nut Bones. I was there to see my investment in action and make a head count to get an estimate of what to expect for my cut. I could feel the anticipation as the crowd converged near the starting line, placing bets or edging closer to the action. Above us, a rare clear sky exposed a busy flow of hovers, drones, airships, and stars.
The course: three neighborhood roads, spanning Abrams Street and Gibson, were blocked off for the event. DPS had their bribes and would ignore any calls from residents complaining about the roadblocks or noise. Streetlights chipped to only illuminate what was to be the racetrack cast an otherworldly yellow glow on the faces of everyone gathered.
People shouted out bets and argued over their chosen racer, some of this dissolving into fights, but nothing the Bones couldn’t control. Tricker Play reverberated from a utility roller’s speakers, adding a soundtrack to the chaos. The racers revved up their engines and prepared for the contest. Everyone was determined to have a good time. The Bones’ race was an opportunity for people who couldn’t afford any other form of entertainment. For a gambler, there were just too many options to be deterred.
I estimated at least 3,000 uncs coming my way, which was a decent haul for a bi-weekly race. Three races a week, two on streets that belonged to the guild, this being one of them, it was a good night to get paid. I was with Mason “Switch” Mallory, an old gangster from my neighborhood. Switch had been through it all, from running to clipping, and even had his own crew at one point. Now he was a near total cyborg, limbs layered in flesh-colored cybernetics that kept him dangerous, even now as an old original.
