7
Pott contacted me at the museum. Bobo wanted to meet me at high noon at a sketchy internet café on Polk Street. It was a popular place for hackers to hang out. Two years ago, I would have refused to show my face in a place like this for fear of being called a Worm.
Just before noon I changed into my gym clothes, ran 3 miles to the coffeehouse, and stopped for a bottled water. Bobo waited in the back of the café. His carrot red hair cut lop-sided like grass on top of his head. His skin looked pale and he dressed in black. He wore a heavy silver chain connecting his wallet to his belt loop.
“Greetings, Maverick,” he said, revealing a jagged row of greasy brown teeth. “You look gorgeous as always.”
“Back at you, Bobo,” I said, glancing around the place. “You know why I’m here. What can you do for me?”
“Bold. I like that. You’re just as saucy as I remember, Mav,” he said. “I can end the Pirate Wars.”
“How?” I asked.
“The question, my dear, is not what Uncle Bobo can do for you, but what can you do for Uncle Bobo,” he mused.
“Yes, I’ll barter with you,” I said.
“Maverick, darling, you must know how powerful I’ve become. I’ve worked hard to build up my own empire, a place where anything I touch turns to gold. You, too, could be bouncing on my knee like others you know.”
“You mean Pott?” I said on purpose.
“Pott, ah, dear Pott, he’s a treasure,” Bobo said. “Look, Maverick, I’m prepared to offer the Pirates my services, but with a lofty - and I’m afraid - very personal payment.”
“We’re prepared for that,” I said. “But what can you do, Bobo?”
“You’re prepared to do what I request?” he asked, astonished.
“It depends on how you plan to fix things,” I said.
“My plan, darling, is beyond your grasp. Let’s just say Pirates will go on without saying. Even if it means pirating by new means,” he said, sure of his self-inflicted cockiness.
“What do you want the Pirates to do?” I asked.
“To start - Goldberg, Majors, and Whitcomb,” Bobo said. “I want those three Pirates to be my Hacker slaves. They’ll work on the front lines for me on the Minors Lot Project.”
“You want their 9-5’s?” I asked.
“Those three work for various consulting firms already. They’ll get double their current salary working for me and have VP job titles. The deal is sweet for them,” Bobo replied.
“What else?” I asked, “I know there’s more.”
“You,” he stated.
“Me?” I repeated.
“Yes, you,” he said. “I want you to hack again.”
“No,” I said. “I gave that up.”
“Mav, you’re bold so now I’ll be bold. Either you get your ass back on our side or fuck off,” he threatened.
“Fuck off?” I repeated.
“You said it, baby, I need you and you’re pretty blue eyes to front me on the Minors Lot deal,” he explained.
“Me? Why don’t you use your Supermodel, what’s her name? Oh, yea! Droid! Use Droid!” I said, pissed off.
“Have you ever noticed models don’t talk? Droid is the prime reason. Her foul mouth and aggressive attitude serves its purpose for me in the underworld, but she doesn’t play well with the suits,” he said. “But you, you’re a seasoned bee charmer. I need you to close the deal with Minors Lot’s top exec, Lucky Donovan. I’ve never seen the guy, but he’s supposed to be quite the looker.”
I stood up and walked away. Bobo ruled this territory. He would bully me into doing it even if I refused. He tormented others to get his way, this is no different.
“You think about it, darling,” Bobo called after me. “Let me know.”
“I’ll contact you,” I said.
“You’re a peach, Maverick,” he said, watching me stop dead in my tracks. “Next time you can let her use the front door.”
I sprinted down the street away from him. A million things ran through my mind. I stopped running and collapsed on the sidewalk outside of my building. I didn’t want to get swept back up into this world, but I couldn’t turn on my people. I had to help Felix and the other Pirates, especially now that I knew Felix was in over his head.
