Meet At Joe's

22 Back to the Russian Hideout with More News

POV: Gretel

The henchmen returned and although they didn't have Galt, they did have some interesting news.

"Boss, we found Lupin. He was in the bar when he got a phone call and headed out in a hurry. We followed him to where he met up with a guy parked off the side of the road on Highway 50. Based on descriptions we picked up from some of the developers, we're pretty sure the guy he met up with was the real John Galt. They took off through the woods on foot. We followed them at a distance until it was obvious where they were headed. Boss, you'll never guess where they were going."

"I 'm not in the mood for guessing games," the boss growled.

"You know that cabin the Zephyrs use off that secluded road off 50 on the other side of Zephyr Cove?"

The boss was clearly surprised. "Are you telling me Galt is somehow in cahoots with those human traffickers? Do you think that gang is planning on expanding into our area? We've always had an understanding with them. We stay out of the sex trade, and they leave cybercrime to us." Boris began stroking his chin and then shared his thoughts aloud. "Their leader Zane and I have discussed using his porn sites to circulate malware. Maybe he has decided to cut us out and is working with Galt instead. I think we may need to make a call on our friends." Boris went back to stroking his chin. He was no doubt figuring out how to capture not only Galt, but also his previous business relationship with the Zephyrs.

"Do you want me to get them on the phone, boss?"

"No, I think that this calls for a surprise in person visit. Maybe we'll catch them in the middle of negotiations with Galt. We'll take that girl along as a peace offering. Maybe in exchange for Galt?"

"What do we do with our Galt?"

"We'll take him too. Maybe bringing the two of them together will help us sort this out. If we no longer need him, maybe the Zephyrs will have a use for him."