17th Exploit: The Note

A Chapter by Jeffrey J Dotson

After a delightful meal Antonio sets out to finally get this all so important 'phone', as well as some visually digestible clothing, however Clarks plans are just about to come alive

A little over forty five minutes have passed since Antonio and his friends came into Jacobs. Tony entered the restaurant with high expectations, and now leaves it satisfied along with Jason, Jace, Clarice and Sarah. Antonio looked exceptionally pleased with the service, wearing a nice big smile on his face now.

"Man! That might've been the best steak Ive had in my life! It certainly blows Lukes shoe-leather 'steak' out of the water!" Antonio lets out a laugh as Sarah looks almost sad that she has to leave.

"Um-" Sarah twirls her thumbs around. "Are you sure you don't want a ride back to St. Costas? My boss won't be too upset if I'm a bit late. Hes stern but hes a good guy."

"Nah, don't worry bout it." Antonio smirks and throws up a thumb. "I don't intend to go back for a good long while anyways, unless Jace would rather go home-"

"Nah I'm good!" Jace grins. "Scarier moments aside I'm having a lot of fun!"

"Welp, there you have it." Antonio smirks. "I know you're still worried, but don't be. I'll never let Jace come to harm, not while I'm around him. I'll make sure we won't get too lost."

Sarah gives an unconvinced smile, but sighs and shrugs. "Fair enough." Sarah steps forward and gives Antonio a friends hug. "I really am happy to have seen you two after all these years."

"Yeah." Antonio pats Sarah on the shoulder. "Same here."

Sarah kneels down and gives Jace a big hug, just slightly teary eyed. Jace of course is more then happy to hug her back. She shakes Jason and Clarices hands and smiles at them. "It was nice meeting you two as well." She comically glares toward Jason. "Even if one of you is a suspicious pain in the butt."

Jason raises a brow and smirks under his scarf. "Its been a pleasure."

And with that Sarah walks off toward her vehicle. The group, one member smaller now, don't wait long to leave themselves. Clarice seems to be taking the lead, with Jace just slightly behind the others. Antonio nudges Jason and smirks curiously.

"So Jason." Jason lets out a 'hmm?' "Why are you looking into getting this bounty license thing anyways? Besides the obvious reasons."

Jason was tempted to say 'the obvious reasons' and shrug, and usually would say that or 'my reasons are my own' but his growing respect for Antonio urged him to speak a little of his sincere reasons. "Lets just say I'm trying to one-up someone I'm not fond of. At all." Antonio raises a brow. "Have you ever heard of Margaret Stone?" Clarice slows down. Antonio almost bumps into her but stops. Jace however isn't as attentive and bumps right into Tony and falls back onto his butt. Clarice has clearly heard the name before, Antonio of course has not.

"Margret Stone." Clarice speaks. Jace stands back up and dusts himself off while looking embarrassed. Jason turns his head to face Clarice. "He's often considered the most heroic and charming man to regularly participate in bounty hunting in all of this nation. He only goes after higher bounty rewards, and is a valued asset to not only King Morte but several of our neighboring Nations as well." Jason looks as though hes about to vomit in anger. The ever sharp Clarice can't help but notice Jason's change in demeanor, even under his sunglasses and scarf. "You say you want to 'one-up' him right? So you aren't one of his fans I take it."

Jason is quiet for a moment. He crosses his arms and lowers his head. "...My business is my own as far as hes concerned." He realizes this contradicts his previous willingness to talk of Stone, but that was with Antonio. He still knows little of Clarice. Jason clears his throat. "In any event I'm hoping to become a bounty hunter, just assume its for competitive reasons m'lady." Jason looks back over at Antonio. "So, since you are asking I assume you're interested in getting a license for yourself too?"

Antonio lifts his left fist with his hand balled. "Sure, I mean why the hell not?" Jason looks happy to hear it. Antonio however seems to be getting impatient. "Hey hey, don't leave me stuck here man bump the fist."

Jason, not too aware of the gesture and certainly not used to it being offered to him, laughs nervously and bumps his fist into Tony's. Clarice is still curious about Jason's relation with Stone but sighs and changes subject.

"Antonio." Tony turns his direction to Clarice. "Have you gotten a phone yet?" Antonio scratches his head and shrugs. "We're going to fix that then. Here in the concrete wilderness a phone is an indispensable tool-"

Someone driving by yells out of his vehicle at Antonio. "YOU LOOK LIKE A JACKASS!!!"

Antonio comically looks horrified. He once again looks down at his tacky clothing and whimpers. "Clothing that doesn't look like this is indispensable too..." Jace and Jason laugh at Antonio's expense.

"You're certainly right, those look terrible on you." Clarice almost cracks a smile. "There's a place right up the street that'll help us with both."

"You know-" Jason speaks. "you've got to remember these two come from a small village that knows little of technology, or at least how to use it."

"I know, Ive been there." Clarice nods her head. "All the more reason to get them a phone before their ignorance kills them."

---

One could see the great Tai Tower poking up above the buildings from where Sarah was now, which is roughly fifteen minute drive from her location. She's driving down one of the quieter streets, hoping to avoid the heavy traffic of the highway and get to headquarters sooner rather then later. Indeed it wasn't too far a drive from Jacobs.

The moment she stops at a red light a rough looking truck with a rusted brownish look around it nudges into the back of Sarah's car. Its paint job is mostly chipped away and its passenger is actually missing, but aside from the door, or lack-there of, the window's are heavily tinted. This is a GAC model. The truck pushes forward a tiny bit and the guy behind the wheel begins to honk his horn madly.

"What the-" The truck begins to push the car forward. Sarah notices there aren't very many bystanders around and the traffic here is practically dead. Her suspicion shoots through the roof as she pops the glove compartment. "Alright buddy, you want to mess with me?"

She swings her door open and gets ready to step out, but immediately throws her leg back into the car as the truck drives past it. Her car door is ripped off its hinges and the truck quickly parks. Sarah is caught off guard by the action but immediately focuses her mind on dealing with the culprit, until she catches his face. She immediately recognizes the aggressor as Zaine and is once again off guard.

"HUH!?!"

Before Sarah can regather herself Zaine aims his palms toward her and dark clouds launch from them and engulf the two. He lunges forward while Sarah is still at an absolute loss of what's going on and stuffs a chloroform soaked rag in her face. Sarah tries to fight the urge to pass out but it's no use, and just as soon as Zaine knocked her out he has her in his truck. The smoke seems to disperse quickly as well, and Zaine floors it with Sarah hunched over his arm. He has a nasty smirk on his face.

"And here I thought you'd make things a little more difficult!" Zaine laughs as he recklessly turns into an alleyway, hoping to throw off any prying eyes to the kidnapping. His truck sputters as he brings it to a stop. He pulls out his phone, the back cover having a stylish design of a broken branch with a red and yellow tinted design smoke screening it. He calls Clark.

"Yo boss man Ive got 'er. Now you can get 'em that note. I'll be set up in the spot we agreed on in no time." Zaine smirks. "Today's gonna be a good day for both of us!"

---

Sitting just three inches from Antonios face, with just a window between the two, is a white jacket. Pristine, relatively flashy with a blue trim and a second light green trim beside it, ore rather slightly bleeding into it. Its a zip up and has an dragon design swirling into itself on the right chest area with the head poking past the zipper. The back of the jacket has the blue and green trim separating and darting off in symmetrical zags before conjoining in the center. Antonio's eyes are lit up, as if he's found a true love. The price tag next to the jacket, 599 buci, bugs Jace a little.

"That." Antonio exclaimed. "That jacket just speaks to me!"

Jace face palms. "Its six hundred buci, and we still need to get phones-"

"Don't worry bout that little buddy, we've got the money from before remember?"

Jace sighs angrily. "But a chunk of that was for charity to compensate for how we got it!"

"But...!" Antonio pries his face off the window and looks back. Clarice is just shaking her head quietly and Jason is scratching his horn."

"Its not like it's limited time." Jason says as he shrugs. "Just remember the jacket when you get some spending cash and grab it then."

"Normal apparel should suffice."Clarice says. "Its just fabric, nothing to lust for."

"Of damn it fine." Antonio grunts in defeat as he takes a few steps back. "I'll just get a shirt and some pants."

"And after that we'll cross the street to the Z Rover electronics store. I don't think either of you need anything too expensive." Antonio thinks as Clarice continues. "You at least don't really seem to care about electronics or specs."

"The hell's a spec?"

Clarice sighs. "Specification. Its the qualities and such of an item."

"Oh, you mean how that jacket has 'specs' that scream 'go ahead and take me Tony?'"

Jason pats Antonio on the shoulder. "Let it go for now my man." Antonio sulks. Jace has a smile on his face.

"Well either way what are we waiting for? Lets get things moving!"

---

Twenty Seven Minutes Later

Antonio, no longer wearing the horrid polka-dot shirt or barely fitting pants and now donning an emerald green shirt, almost the same color as his hair but a pinch darker, and dark white pants that go down to his ankles, just a bit baggy, holds his new Stanzuun Universe, an older model then the one most people have. Protecting it is a tinted blue shell with a wild boar design on it. Antonio scratches his head, utterly confused about how to work the thing. Jace on the other hand seems to have gotten a hang of it rather quickly, and from what can be seen on his screen has already added Clarice to his contacts and is working on adding Jason.

"Oh what in fathers name!" Antonio angrily exclaims. "How in the hell do you work this thing?! Is it broken already?!?"

Jason sighs and hides a chuckle under his scarf. "We'll guide you through it on the way." Tony glares at Jason.

"Don't think I can't feel your pity!" Antonio's eyes lower to Jace, who looks on top of the world. "How did you figure it out so fast?!"

Jace smirks and gives a cocky look back at Tony. "Its really a no brainer." Antonio groans. Jace laughs and looks back at his phone. "Maybe I was just lucky?"

Not too far from the group, parked in front of a park, is Bo and his vehicle still tailing them. He's speaking on his phone to Clark.

"...so the mercenaries part is done?"

"Apparently the napping went without a hitch, now its your turn. Whenever you get the opportunity deliver them the message, try to make it within an hour, and remember-"

"Only Antonio will be the visitor, under threat of Sarah's life. Ive already written that down."

"Good, good just making sure." Clark laughs, pleased with Bo's diligence. "You're gonna have to remind me to tell your division boss to give you a raise!"

---

Half an hour later

The group of four find themselves standing in front of a beige house, just a house shy of being in the middle of a cul-de-sac. The windows shine and the yard is well hidden under a small wall of bamboo. There's a rather large tree standing past the the bamboo planted roof of the house. The yellow leafs wave elegantly through the wind. The grass is just a shade bit overgrown in the front. This is where Clarice call's home.

"I guess I shouldn't have expected subtlety." Antonio says with a hint of smugness.

"Hmph." Clarice crosses her arms. "If one isn't willing to put effort into making their residence visually comfortable then they're no better then a sloth." Antonio nervously laughs.

"That's not what I meant."

"What do your neighbors think of living by such a busy 'attraction'?" Jason inquires.

"More teasing?" Clarice says. A slight smirk crosses her lips but it's fleeting. "My neighbors admire my efforts, and I their diligence in keeping their lawns from overgrowing." Clarice uncrosses her arms and looks back at the three. "Would you like to see the interior of would you prefer to continue gawking?"

Jason almost answers but he immediately turns his direction around. Both Clarice and Antonio both shift their attention likewise, turning their eyes toward the air behind Jace's head. A rock with something tied to it is inches from slamming hard into the side of Jace's skull. Clarice draws her sword, Jason grabs Jace's arm and forces him out of its projection and Tony catches it. There's enough force in the rock to send ripples of impact through Antonio's arm.

"..!"

"Wah!"

"Who the Hell-"

"..."

Clarice eyes down the street. Her attention immediately focuses on the ZC Nolands billboard a mile and a half away. No one looks to be there at this moment, but she knows for a damn fact that that's where the rock came from. She doesn't give any attention to the TC vehicle not so far from the billboard.

"Jace-" Antonio speaks with a serious tone. "-are you alright?"

Jace is at a complete loss concerning the situation, unaware he came a literal stones throw away from getting a concussion, if not worse, and is more upset then he is frightened.

"I'm fine, but what the hell was all that about guys?" Jace says as he notices Clarice sheathing her blade. Jason eye's the paper on the rock curiously.

"That looks like a note." Antonio looks at the rock and note as he grows restless. "Someone want's our attention by the looks of it." Tony removes the the note and casually crushes the rock.

"Well, lets see who the deadman is." Antonio says with not a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He unfolds the note and begins to read it out loud, awkwardly. "'Grass Head'-" Antonio sighs. "'-Its high time you pay up, and since you won't take responsibility easily I'll just force you and add interest. I have insurance to ensure you'll do the right thing this time. Your friend Sarah-'" Antonio's brow wrinkles as he grows more angry. Jace gasps as he hears the name and Jason's eyes grow sharp. "'-works for the Tai Corp, however she's on the more expendable side of the spectrum. Her life is-'"

Antonio grits his teeth. He resists the urge to tear the sheet of paper in half. "'-her life is in your hands now.'" Antonio and Jason begin to grow tense. "'You will show your smart mouthed mug at Sait Avenue, in Turin. It aught to be near you now, and you'll know you're close when you see a bunch of abandoned apartments and long deserted caution tape. I do take checks, but if it bounces, we'll see if Sarah bounces from ten stories. Yours truly-'" Antonio's eyes slightly widen in anger. Jason lowers his head, and is angered as well. Jace is horrified by what he's hearing.

"Well-" Jason begins to speak, but Antonio stops him.

"There's more." Jason looks down at the paper while Tony continues to read. "Post Script: If your thunder bug friend or anyone else decides to show their face besides you we'll just kill the b***h on the spot." Jace falls onto his butt and begins to gasp. Jason's fist shakes and sparks sputter from his arm.

"That f*****g coward."

Antonio rips the paper in half and seethes. "I'll take care of everything here and now."

"This screams of a trap." Clarice says as she closes her eyes.

"I don't give a crap. This b*****d thinks he can target me through my friends so casually?! I'll make him cry for death!"

Clarice sighs. "Think straight. If you give in to wrath then it maybe Clark's win, depending on what he has up his sleeve." Clarice opens her eyes. "Do you even know where Sait Avenue is? Have you considered this to be a bluff to see you react?"

Jason's hand opens. "I have doubts about it being a bluff." He clenches his fist once again. "Whoever threw that rock threw it hard enough to kill Jace. Antonio knows this as well, as do you I'm sure." Jason raises his head up and crosses his arms. "Both Tony and I know how petty this Clark is. He'll go through any length to get what their way, regardless of how it might go against his jobs gears. I have a slight feeling Clark's problem isn't TC's, so he's going to do his best to get his issue dealt with as fast as possible." Jason shakes his head. "The only problem is his status with the company. Regardless of the reason, TC will wake up if we go after him directly. This could get very dangerous very fast..."

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