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My leg was stiff, and, to add to it, the air whistling through the entrance and exit bullet holes on my pants' leg was a bit annoying. Still, I stumbled quickly through the streets to get back to my hotel room to get some unperforated pants among other things. There wasn't time to waste.

I casually looked around to make sure I wasn't being followed - maybe a little paranoid but I'd just call it cautious. I then clicked on my communicator. "Dip, I need you to find any juicy rumors about Senator Gredler that are circulating."

"Interesting. You usually don't care much about who you are contracted to kill."

"Well, this one was different to begin with and getting... more different."

"I have information about Diane Thompson if you want it."

"Yeah. Read off to me the main points."

"Please clarify."

"Where is she from, how old is she, long as she been in the police force, any cases she has worked on that stick out..."

"Stick out how?"

"Arrested someone of a high profile, any shoot outs. Dip, can't you figure out what data sticks out?" The sentients I passed by didn't pay me any attention; it's common for people to walk around talking to no one. It's really hard to act insane enough for people to notice in a modern city.

"She is from Nar Valdum city. She is thirty-four years old. She has been a part of the police for more than twelve years, and she has been involved in four shootouts I have found out about. Killed a sentient in one, killed one sentient and wounded a second in another. Inflicted no injuries in the others, but received a bullet to the shoulder in one while her partner was shot multiple times and killed."

Hadn't seen her with a partner. "How long ago was that?"

"About two years. The assailants were caught and are currently serving life sentences in prison."

Wow. Dip answered my next question before I could ask it. Maybe he was getting smarter. "Send me all her case data so I can look over it."

"There is something else that seems to stand out though it does not have to do with her police work, Rico."

"What?"

"When she was thirteen, her parents were murdered in front of her."

I couldn't help but smile. "Now that's juicy. Tell me more."

"Suspects were never caught. Suspicion they were killed on the orders of the Randatti criminal syndicate. They are the rival of your employers, correct?"

I ignored the question; this was just too good. "Send me all the information on that." I figured I'd be spending all my time in my hotel room reading until my date with the emotionally scarred detective with a long time chip on her shoulder. "Good find, Dip. Having one's parent killed in front of you tends to be a defining moment."

"Were your parents killed in front of you, Rico?"

"One of them." Whoops.

"Did you kill that parent?"

I just laughed. "I'm starting to like you, Dip."

"I am glad, Rico. I have some new conclusions to ask you about."

"Don't have time for it, Dip. Too much going on with this job. Come to think of it, I have another task for you. Keep watch for mentions of an assassination attempt on Senator Gredler... outside of a terrorist attack, that is. You'll probably have to hack into some official channels for it."

"Are you suspected, Rico?"

"They seem to know something is coming."

"I will need to factor that into the probability of escape plans being successful."

"Yes you will." Didn't look like this was going to be a run in, shoot everybody, and run away type of job... not if I cared to live.

Which I do.

"Rico, why the interest in the detective? Based on data of celebrities known to be attractive, I have given Diane Thompson a 78% chance of being considered attractive."

"Thanks, but I think I can determine that myself." Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw someone watching me. I really did not like this situation I had been put in. Not having any weapons really made it worse, but I was almost to my hotel. "I'm meeting her for dinner, Dip."

"Since they may be looking for an assassin, is it safe to have close contact with a police officer?"

"Not for her."

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