Jagger frowned, and I knew that bargaining expression too. It meant a deal-breaker had just been laid on the table. “With all the secrets of the Outlaws? No.”
“Reconsider.”
“Personal assistant to the enforcer?” Jagger asked. “Dangerous job for a kid who would also be a hostage. I’m not a babysitter to keep a pup alive.”
Marconi shrugged slightly, but as a bargaining gesture, not speaking the truth. “All of life is dangerous, and I have many sons.”
Lucretia shot daggers at her husband, but he kept talking.
“All are capable in a fight, in a negotiation, on a bike. However, all of them, especially Enrico, are precious to their mother. You will heal Enrico and return him. If he does not return in one piece as outlined”—he shrugged again, that sparkle bright in his clever eyes—“I will declare war on the Outlaws and personally on the enforcer to the vice president,McQuestion.”
Laying out the Outlaw command structure and using the pseudonym “McQuestion” indicated Marconi knew a lot about the Outlaws. “You will also take one of my sons and train him at your side. Those are my conditions for my help.”
Jagger sipped, closed his eyes in happiness at the taste. Opened them and focused on Marconi.“These are conditions I will take upline. The hostage will wear an Outlaw Morphon instead of his own. If he dies by his own stupidity, in an accident, in any way that I can’t control, there will be proof. And there will be no war, no repercussions for any act of God or boyhood stupidity.” He shrugged. “All boys have stupid moments.”
Marconi said, “He can call home. Talk to his mother. His brothers and sisters.”
“Supervised calls. Trip home for Christmas if you pay for transportation costs.”
“Agreed. And I will provide funds to supplement his food for one year.”
Jagger grinned again, showing strong teeth, finally getting deeply into the bargaining. “Foodandwater. Weapons, ammo, bike, gas, and repairs. And one pound of roasted coffee beans, unground, this brand, every quarter. And, of course, McQuestion may have conditions as well.”
The Marconis looked at each other, their eyes saying so much. “Deal,” they said together.
“Deal,” Jagger said. They clicked glasses. “Which kid?”
“Jacopo.”
The boy serving the espresso nearly dropped the carafe. His eyes went wide. “I will bring honor to my family and to the Charleston chapter.” They were formal words, similar to one of the vows new Outlaws swore before they were confirmed. The kid should be too young to be a made-man, but the war had changed everything. I received my battlefield Outlaw patch and tattoo at age twelve. Jacopo was being offered a great honor and responsibility—and being placed in danger. He was all in. I had a feeling he was a full chapter member. Marconi clearly had big plans for this kid.
Jacopo turned to Jagger. “I will bring honor to the enforcer of McQuestion.”
Marconi said, “You will go with your brother to this woman’s med-bay and confirm your brother’s safety. Then you will join the enforcer.”
Bugger. I figured I had a good chance to keep the sick kid blindfolded for the ride to the scrapyard, but keeping a healthy one in the dark was a lot harder. Marconi would know where I live. Mateo would have a meltdown.
Jagger frowned. “You ride?”
Jacopo’s white teeth flashed. “I’m the best on a bike in the entire family. I’m next to Mina with knives and weapons. I have the highest IQ.”
“And the least modesty of all my children,” Lucretia said, her words dripping sarcasm.
“You patched?” Jagger asked.
The room went still. I caught a flash of Spy’s face overhead. She was staring at Jacopo as if she wanted him to pet her. Or as if she wanted to eat his dead body. Hard to tell which.
Jacopo glanced at his parents and his father gave a scant nod. His mother frowned. “Yes. In the interests of full disclosure, my first two kills were from a night that armed intruders tried to get in the house. I was ten.” Jacopo’s face went hard, and it was clear he was no longer bragging. He was stating facts about something that had marked him deeply. “Our babysitter was killed when they entered from an upstairs bedroom window. She fought hard, and it bought me the time I needed to make it downstairs to the gun safe. Papa didn’t know I knew the combination. One intruder died on the stairs. The other one made it to the main level.”
Lucretia and Daniel’s fingers touched and laced together. The memory was painful to them all.
“Weapons?” Jagger asked, gently.
“Nine mils. I wasn’t a good shot. They had to patch up the walls. In the last five years, I got better.” Jacopo’s face was a stone, and he looked older than his fifteen years. “Now I don’t miss. Ever.”
Isighed and held the tiny cup in my gloved hands, sipping, thinking. He was fifteen and busting at the seams with piss and vinegar like some super teenage ninja who I had to protect from my own queen nanobots.God help me.Things were getting complicated.
The evidence I had with Mateo and Cupcake suggested that being inundated with Berger chips didn’t destroy the nanobots, but the overload of info did rewire the victims’ brains, giving them an increasing freedom of choice.
