I got shot in the knee, and you're to blame...

Posted on Thu Aug 6th, 2020 @ 1:14am by Skyplex Administration Scarlett Wilson & Security Johannah "Mack" Shepard & Alliance Alice LeMat

Mission: This Week's Special
Location: Med Center
Timeline: Current

Mack and Alice stood at the nurses desk in the Med Center. Scarlett Wilson was there waiting for them when they arrived. The would be kidnapper from the other day was in a room out of line of site from the desk, with the door closed. Two of Mack's constables stood watch outside the door.

"Okay, so our would-be kidnapper's name appears to be Cai Lei, AKA Leonard Cai, AKA Lenny Cai," Mack was saying. She grinned. "Given the size of the guy, I think it's very appropriate that his Chinese given name means Great Mound of Rocks. We'll see when we interview him if Great Mound of Rocks refers to his intelligence as well as his size and apparent strength. Those last two shouldn't be a problem. He's in restraints, secured to the bed. Miss Wilson, Alice and I will conduct the interview. You are going to listen in through the hospital's audio monitors in the room using this headset. We'll have our encyclopedias out and we'll see any messages you send us, so if you have a question you want us to ask or have something you need to tell us, message us that way. Alice, did your people find anything of interest in his record?"

"Your typical thug for hire." LeMat said. "Has a bit of his pride in his Ponytail; a throwback to a time of Chinese History when long hair was thought to be sacred and a sign of Virility. " He smiled. "For his heritage he is tall, he might be a bit of a big thug and is only for ire; he is not exactly aligned to one group so much as the pay." He continued. "He is a guy who does a job for a paycheck. Let us hope he bloody well has the intuition to ask a few questions that might be worth following?" He gave a sly grin. "He is like our other friend; he comes for a job and then when it gets hard he vanishes."

Scarlett fitted the earpiece as Alice and Mack spoke. "Something strange is up with this guy, people don't just abduct high profile targets on a Skyplex and walk away. Someone with funding is pulling the strings. And those people will likely not like Lenny in there to talk. Get an answer, we may not be able to later."

"It will be done; what is the point of interrogation if we do not get the answers we need?" LeMat contained is joking tone. "I am pretty sure that between Ms. Shepard and I the fact we need that he has will come out." He shook his head slightly. "Mercenaries tend to be a one time shot at getting anything and it is almost never a second chance came along."

"Okay," Mack said. "Let's go."

Mack and Alice went over to the room Lenny Cai was in. Mack's constables let them into the room and closed the door behind them.

"Leonard," Mack said to the large criminal restrained in the hospital bed. "I don't suppose you want to play nice and tell Marshal LeMat and myself who hired you to grab the Blue Sun rep, do you? I mean, I know I'm not your favorite person at the moment, seeing as though I kneecapped you and then kicked you in the head. In my defense, you were being a very bad boy at the time. Now Alice... this is Alice, Marshal LeMat over here, Lenny. Do try and keep up, okay? Alice over here is a gentleman. Hell, he might have very well shot the gun out of your hand and offered you the opportunity to surrender like the gentleman we both know you aren't. So, out of respect for the fact that he would treated you better than I did if you'd run afoul of him and not me, how's about you just spill your guts?"

"What did you get for the job?" LeMat asked calmly. "I like to know he going rate?" He grinned. "After getting caught you will need to get clear and I canot make a coubter Offer if I do not know the Market value?" He lean agains the wall casually. "Might even add a bonus if you give us a hint as to who was stupid enough to make such a brassy move? They want to make a name so you can be their first fan and get something out of it should you play your cards right?"

Scarlett watched the scene taking place in the small room, listening on the open frequency. Part of her knew she really shouldn't know about how Mack and Alice got their information, but Lenny's team had left her covered in fresh guts and temporarily closed one of her favorite restaurants. She could safely say she want in the room with them, whatever transpired.

Lenny sat their, his arms crossed, his pudgy cheeks locked in a bemused expression of not caring. "Ni ta ma de，tian xia suo you de ren dou gai si." (basically screw you all, but much more explicit) he cursed unemotionally.

"Your Lads with the repair order base..." LeMat said calmly. "Might take well to knowing youwere the one that tipped off the shooter last night; ruining the deal that was supposed to go down and that you are here... dèng zi gē zi." (Stool Pigeon) LeMat said. "Seems that confirmed some of our ... suspicions and I will make sure to give you credit." He winked. "Unless you can give me what I need to 'see past keeping a xiǎo yú (small fish) like you?"

"I don't know nothing about no shooter, you can't pin that Gose on me." Lenny said with firm defiance.

"The hint that you might is enough in the correct circles to begin suspician; and you know everyone listens to rumors." LeMat suggested. "It will at least put a dent in your future jobs ; if not here out there." He shrugged. "Or you can get some bank and a safe passage off here , never to return, and no one the wiser."

"You don't get it diàn dēng pào (useless third wheel)." Lenny stated relaxing his posture. "Aint 'bout the next job. 'bout all the jobs. I talk, they know. You lie they know."

"I have done my good cop thing." He looked to his partner. "You knee-capped him, your turn Mack." LeMat smiled. "Do not say I did not give you options."

"Now Alice," Mack said. "He doesn't have to talk to the law, federal or local, if he doesn't want to. He's got rights. Then again, Blue Sun is pretty much above the law, and you, Mister Cai Lei, Leonard Cai, Lenny Cai, did participate in the attempted kidnapping of a Blue Sun agent. So, in theory, they could ask for the opportunity to interview you. How long do you think you'll last after they scoop you up and put the screws to you? Your call, Lenny. Either you cooperate with Marshal LeMat here, or I call my counterpart at Blue Sun, tell them we've hit a wall, and ask if they want to take a crack at you. What do you say, Lenny? Talk to us? Or talk to Blue Sun?"

LeMat lean on the wall as though he had all the time in the world.

Lenny shook his head. But said nothing. He seemed to be rather directly weighing his options of dealing with the little fish in the pond or the predatory shark circling the skyplex. "It was just a job for hire. Never worked with the crew before. I got a wave, said to meet at section 17A on Deck 8 and we would get our instructions. They wanted the lady, nothing else mattered. Apparently the who thing was set up and we just had to do our part. Then you came in blasting and we needed to improvise. Bloody waste."

"They supplied your support personnel, right. It would have gone so hard had you brought your own team?" LeMat suggested. "Anything you want to tell us about the; and I use the words lightly, Local Talent?"

"I aint never seen any of these guys before. We all just slipped on board the station as part of crowd of folks here for the distribution. We met at the location. I was support fire, and well you know the rest." Lenny stammered out.

"How did you get the advance and traveling money." LeMat asked, knowing it had to be through a 'burner account' but still might give a lead. "DOn't tell me you were dumb enough to come in on your own and expect full compensation on completion?"

"I don't know, Marshal," Mack said. "I mean, his name does translate to Great Mound of Rocks. Maybe ole Lenny here is actually that dumb. Is that the case, Lenny? Were you that dumb? Are you that dumb? See, Lenny, we're offering you a way out of this mess. Federal time is better than being handed over to Blue Sun, right? The Marshal, here, he can get a federal prosecutor to arraign you before a federal magistrate, who will likely order you held over until your trial. You're a tough guy, Lenny. You can handle federal time. But Blue Sun... Lenny, they don't have to play by the rules. They have all kinds of toys and drugs to play with. Do you really want to find out what Blue Sun Security's version of 'picking your brain' looks like? Make the right choice Lenny. Or don't. Your call."

The massive pile of muscle that was Lenny started to sweat. "No feds. The company has too many insiders. I wouldn't last a minute. I'll tell you what I know, but I want a small ship and a ticket to as distant a nowhere as it has fuel for. Savy?"

"That," Mack said. "Is entirely up to Marshal LeMat and his superiors. It's beyond my jurisdiction."

"You tell Ms. Shepard and I will go arange you a ship that will get out as far out of my jurisdiction as I can get you." He lean forward. "Stealing of women is the bloody lowest of the low." He made eye contact clear . "If I set eyes on you in my jurisdiction again... you might see trial." He grinned. "And you go to teh top of my Bounty list, money or not." Backing away he nod an acknowledgement to Shepard. "You better give her everything to her satisfaction or I put the ship back and you deal with the rumors I telll about how helpful you are."

LeMat left the small room to find Wilson.

"Get me one of those One Way clunkers; space worthy enough for ine jump and we preset the course to a habitable place but long way from here." He requested quickly. "Standard informant fee and the ship wshould be one that we keep working but not really work renting ot selling as it has not much more long hauls. Something pieced together, shipyards are full of low budget things we can let go of for solid leads." He met her eyes. "Could you arrange that Miss Scarlett?"

Scarlett had been watching the interrogation with interest. The balance of benefit and danger bringing Blue Sun to the station was always on her mind. Apparently others had similar concerns. She listened to Alice;s request, and pondered who owed her favors down on Deck 4. "I'll see what I can find. I might know a couple possibilities." She pulled out her bulky cortex unit and started typing away on a wave. "We are pretty far out on the rim already. Can likley get him a shuttle to Whitefall, Aker's Bluff or Perdition. Of course we could just set his guidance system to fly him into Reaver Space and let him take his chances." She scowled momentarily at after the binged cortex, then typed furiously away. "uh huh." THe device binged again. A satisfied smile came across her face. "You cost me two months dock fees LeMat, but I can get you a mid-range shuttle that might pass inspection to legally launch."

"If he gets us a lead on who else involved; would you call it a small price?" He grinned. "I will make sure we get something useful or he walks home." He assured her. I will not give him something for nothing."

Scarlett nodded. Yeah, if we can root out something far worse than him, its worth it. Do what you can."

"I can get it to pass." He smiled. "In the early days you think my Racer was anywhere near where she is now?" He winked. "We will get the goods we need or I will let him rot and spread rumors while he is cornered." A grin. "I have been told I am a very motivational speaker upon interrogation."

Scarlett smiled kindly at the Marshal. "Go get em and I will back you up however i can."

"We'll have to wait until the docs clear him to travel," Mack said. "But I'm betting he's going to find away to make that happen ASAP."

"Only if the man can walk." LeMat shrugged and moved out to Mackenzie and the perp's room.

Walking in with that sly grin he looked at the guy and then to his 'Partner' in all this.

"I got you walking papers and a way out." LeMat said and had a hand on his right belt away from but closer to his revolver than some might like. "But you better have something for me and the Kind Lady here or I will use you as bait; when they come to silence you I get them. " Pulling out a small empty compact revolver and tossing it to the man. "That will kelp even odds but you get the bullets if you impress me and the Lady? If you are real good I will escort you to the shuttle and ave your Keester off my Skyplex."

Lenny sat motionless as the pistol fell in front of him. "You got my ticket, so what you want to know? I got hit up on a wave through a freind that there was a job on the Skyplex. They got me passage so I jumped on the ship and headed here. Didn't meet anyone else until I got here. Seems the guy with the scar had been here a few days before me. He was in charge of the operation. I was support cover. I dont know Gose about him. But he was chatting up some serious players on a wave. Made him edgy. I'm not paid to have ears, but they wanted the Blue Sun Lady alive. In fact we didn't get paid if something happned to her. So real kid gloves. We planned to hit her up somewhere quiet. So when we saw them headed for the Asian food place, we made out move. Seems place was run by a local Tong so they could take the hit. We sweep in grab her and then all hell was supposed to break loose as we dusted out of here. Of course your Lady there blew that all to hell."

" Exit route and where you supposed to dust off from?" LeMat asked. "And the Locals; get enough small fish you get a decent meal." he took out pad and paper. "No free ride here, make it worth it. The leader description and all you know as well, shuttle are not cheap. you're getting better than my first ship as a marshal."

Lenny looked at the pad and paper. "Feel free to take notes. I aint signing nothin. I know we were supposed to do the job and follow the big guy to the ship. If things went poorly we were supposed to regroup near docking bay 23. I don't know the name of no ship, cause I never made it on it. As to Scar, he was just a guy. stocky, big scar on his face. You likely know more from your DNA scans you took from his body than I do."

indeed the DNA test did come back showing him as a Allister Yangze, age 38 from Silverhold. Ex-browncoat special services. Held on war crimes after unification as many former Browncoats were. Kept a steady rap sheet since the war as an enforcer and gun for hire. Of course Lenny didn'e know any of this.

"I dont know your locals. In fact once I get off this piece of Gosa, I'm happy to never set foot here again. We didnt have any trouble getting our man into the restaurant. I expect somebody owed Scar a favor or he paid a bunch of money. They practically handed us the uniforms to get in."

"Lenny," Mack said. "You can do better than that. You're going to have to go all in one way or the other. Try to play both sides of the street here and you make enemies on all sides."

"Old saying; walking the middle of a road is the best way to get run over." LeMat shrugged. "You are the one caught; if you want to remain that way and see if we can keep you safe on Skyplex or not then by all means keep up as yo are. One last chance to make the bargain work of it goes back and you can hope your Business associates do not rat you out to save face or come clean with us about who worked this job. Don't care about past, just on the Skyplex Job Blue Sun are not ones to see what their temperament is?"

"What do you want me to tell you?" Lenny blurt out with some aggrivation. "We were working with some one at he restaurant. I dont know who. Some lady let us in through the back. I took up my position and kept the customers covered while Scar went after the target. Bang! Pow! Everything goes to hell and I'm shot in the knee. I know we wasn;t working for no Tong. They just helped for cash. Folks that put the team together had connections. They booked ships to get us to the station and to get the target away. They had interests in what business Blue Sun was doin. Aint no whack job that gonna go right up on Big Blue, I think they was after leverage, cause some mid level babe aint worth it. You get it?" Lenny started making faster movements with his arms and body. "They gonna hear all dis, and they gonna look for me and for you and your lady. I need out of here. Right now!"

"Soon, Lenny, very soon," Mack said, her tone encouraging, but firm. It was clear she wasn't going to let up until she got every p. "We're getting somewhere now. Just a few more questions. We now know that your contact at the restaurant was a woman. You claim you don't know her name. What did she look like? Asian? Euro-centric? Black? What color were her eyes? Was she short? Tall? How long or short was her hair? Did she have any distinguishing marks? Did she seem like she was in position of authority? How was she dressed? Like kitchen staff? Like a chef? Like a waitress? Could she have been the manager? Did she say anything that stood out in your mind?" Mack looked Lenny in the eyes. "We'll get you out of here, Lenny, I promise, but only after we have everything we think we can get from you. So take a deep breath. Don't worry about the future. It's not here yet. Stay in the present and do your best to recall the events you were most recently involved in."

Lenny flung his arms back. "I'm trying to tell you. I don't know the chick that let us in. Looked like a cook or something, had her hair up in one of those things you know." He rubbed his temples with his pudgy fingers. "She was definitely asian, but had bright green eyes, yeah I remember that, cause it looked cool. She didnt say nothing, just walked us to the employee dressing room and left. There were four uniforms for the restaurant. We dressed this kid that signed on, no idea what his name was, but he was young, like 20. Sent him out to check on the dining room and report back. Nobody talked to us and when we got set to do our thing, the folks in the kitchen just moved out of the way. We left a gunner in there to watch the door and we went in to bag the Target. She was sitting with some ref head lady. She looked nervous, but before we know what happening you came bursting in and the redhead tossed up the table."

"Good, Lenny, good," Mack said. "Now, you're telling me this green-eyed female cook wearing a hairnet was Asian... what kind of Asian? You're Chinese, Lenny, don't give me crap about how all Asians look alike. Could she have been Chinese?" That would be the most reasonable explanation, but Lenny was Chinese. If the cook had been Chinese, wouldn't he have just said she was Chinese? "Or could she have been something else?"

"Look lady, everybody is a mix of everything these days even among us Asians. I got some Thai, Nepalese and if you listen to my Grandmother a little Dutch. Only highborns on Shinon trace a straight line for themselves back to Earth-that-was. But you ask me this lady was mostly Chinese with a little Mongolian around the eyes. And yeah, I likely got the job because I'm Chinese. Their was talk of some sort of interaction with a Tong. I ain't no Tong guy. Im an Independent Contractor. But apparently Scar thought it was good that I looked Tong."

"Last questions," Mack said. "What size was she? Tall? Short? Fat? Thin? Cuddly? What? And lastly, did she have any scars or markings or tattoos that you saw?"

Lenny twisted his neck to the side with a loud pop. "She was average, 5'4", quite thin for a cook. No visible markings, but if she was Tong she would have a crossed set of Axes on her wrist. I did not notice."

Mack nodded. "That's all the questions I have," she said. "Alice?"

"I think we can work with that." LeMat grinned. "Shuttle wil be waiting, Mack, get him ready to go I'll prep the shuttle and make sure it works." He nod "Thanks Lenny, I will not be looking you up lest you come back here. You have my word." Knowing once LeMat gave his word, he did not change it.

Lenny seemed relieved to know the interview was over and he was getting on his shuttle and getting out of there. "Don't worry I won't be back here. Good luck with it all."