All Shadows Fall
17
" I didn't know if you'd show up." Said Vlad. He had left a message at the number he'd given Cliff to ' Meet me at the beginning.' And now, he was seated at the same booth of Club Horizon, the place where they had met. Vlad wore all black, save for the white sling that kept his arm immobile. A Morley's Smooth cigarette hung from the side of his mouth.
?Cliff was dressed in army fatigues and wore a black long coat. He carried a pitcher of beer in one hand and an extra long straw in the other. Whatever injuries he had accrued over the last few days weren't visible. " Ya didn't have ta worry about dat. I wasn't gonna go too far wit out knowin what exactly went down in Redmond. "
?Vlad nodded and invited Cliff to sit. He took a few cautious sips at his drink, a vodka martini, and collected his thoughts. Several moments passed before he decided to speak. " We were set up, plain and simple. Cutter knew that he couldn't get away with kidnapping the girl unless he had some patsies to take the rap for him. That's where I get a little fuzzy. I know that he knew that you wouldn't go for selling out a teammate so he brought in Koto to help sell you out. He brought me in because it would have been more plausible to have two scapegoats instead of one. "
?Cliff finished Vlad's train of thought. " So yer wondering where Shimmer fit into all of dis?"
?Vlad nodded." I never knew which side he was playing for. He seemed pretty broken up about Cutter being killed by those cops. And, I'd heard that he and Shimmer had been working together for a while. I thought they were friends."
?" Dey were friends. Best buds 'cordin ta Shim. I joined em a coupla jobs before dis one. Shimmer was always a lot like me. He wouldn't betray a friend or leave a teammate behind."
?" So he was playing for our side. I guess he died never knowing that his best friend tried to sell him down the river. Maybe it's better that way."
?" Here's ta ya Shim. Rest in piece chummer." Cliff clicked his pitcher with Vlad's glass and then sucked down a few gulps of beer through his straw.
?" To Shimmer." Vlad took a drink as well.
?" So how bout da rest of it?" Said Cliff suddenly.
?" What do you mean?" Vlad replied.
?" I stuck around Vlad. I saw you come out of dat building. Those Centurion guys are de ones dat bandaged ya up." Cliff clenched his fists reflexively.
?Vlad watched the Troll for a moment, judging the emotions in his eyes. Cliff was angry but he was confused too. They both were. " Truth?" Vlad asked.
?" Dere ain't no kind of explanation than de truth." Cliff stated.
?" OK. I set them up. Cutter, Koto, those two fake Lonestar cops, all of them. I was hired to do it."
?" You were hired ta set me up?" Cliffs fists clenched again, and Vlad drew his hands back off the table putting them in front of himself pleadingly.
?" Yes Cliff but I didn't do it. I got the others but I didn't get you."
?" Why?" Cliff asked.
?" Because… Drek I don't know why Cliff! Everything got all fragged up in my head after I saw that little girl die. It was like I didn't really know who I was or what I was doing. I was ready to die myself, and die without having anyone in the world care. It's like Koto said, I was worrying about who would come to my funeral. Right then, you were the only person I could think of who looked at me as a friend. I don't know why that meant anything, I mean the job has always come first for me and the rest never really mattered. But all of a sudden, I couldn't convince myself to do it. Maybe it was because you didn't deserve to go down like that. Or because I know you wouldn't have done it to me."
?Cliff grinned. He reached over and clapped Vlad on his good shoulder.
" Said it before, but I'll say it again Vlad. Ya make a good friend." ?
" Thanks." Said Vlad with a smile. " You do too."
The two of them let the gravity of those words settle in quietly. They averted their eyes from each other, instead focusing their attention on the energy of the dance floor. The lithe redhead was there again. This time she was wearing a green tube skirt, and those same black gloves. When she beckoned for them to join her on the dance floor Vlad pointed to his sling and winced. She frowned plaintively and threw him a wink.
" So what happened to da others?" Cliff turned back towards Vlad, and resumed their conversation.
" Koto was taken into custody and those two cop wannabe's got geeked in the gunfight. Cutter…" Vlad fell silent.
" Where's Cutter now?" Cliff asked, taking another sip on his straw.
" He got lucky and pumped a round into me after I went invisible. I was hurt too bad to go after him. He slipped the Centurion people too. Clean getaway." Vlad sighed.
" He'll be back, Vlad. He'll come lookin fer us." Cliff warned.
Vlad lifted his drink with his good arm and clicked it to Cliff's pitcher for another toast. " Nope. Not if we find him first."