[Ten Hours Later]
The neon lights of the Blue Hole flickered while casting vibrant purple and blue hues across the empty dance floor.
Honestly, Lynx never liked this place. The showy glamour, the fake smiles, and constant distractions always put her on high alert whenever she came in here. The bar was just another example of why she hated this godforsaken colony. It was just another symptom of the world of luxury that was built on the suffering of the broken.
The woman's fingers still shook from the withdrawal episode she had a few hours earlier. However, that didn't matter right now, Lynx still had a job to do-one that couldn't be ignored any longer.
The documents from Isaac Korrin's mansion were now firmly in her possession. She had completed the job she was hired for, but, as always, there was more at stake than just the money. And another angle that could be worked if you knew how to play your cards right. And with those cards came layers upon layers of danger. Along with rats that always seemed to lie in wait around the nearest corner.
Lynx took a moment to check out her surroundings. The club was usually a playground for the normal residents of Utopia's middle area to cut loose and party. A place where people like her came to indulge in their desires before having to go back to the grind of everyday life. Although the people here wore expensive outfits and fake smiles, they never succeeded in burying their secrets beneath a veil of luxury. And just like the rest of them, in this moment, Lynx herself would need to become an expert at pretending.
'He should be here any minute now.' The woman thought to herself as she double-checked the pistol that she was currently hiding in her jacket. She knew Milo's rules when it came to carrying weapons inside the building, but safety was a top priority at the moment.
After some careful planning and an impressive bit of finessing on her part, Lynx had managed to set up a private meeting with Isaac Korrin. Obviously, something like this was a risky move, but it was one that needed to be made. The woman knew that Korrin's arrogance would work in her favor, especially since it was clear to her that he didn't actually see her as a real threat. Or at least, not the most important threat to his livelihood at the moment. That pleasure was reserved for whoever ordered the mission in the first place. Now, with a copy of the stolen files hidden on her person, it was time to turn the tables. This wasn't a meeting to beg for her life or make some deal. She was here to take what was rightfully hers.
Minutes later, right on time, Isaac Koring walked through the front door of the bar. Tall and impeccably dressed, Korrin had the aura of a man accustomed to controlling every room he stepped into. Especially with the tough-looking bodyguard that he had walking behind him. However, Lynx wasn't intimidated. Beneath his polished exterior, she could see the predator lurking. He had been hiding in plain sight for far too long.
"You must be Lynx." Korrin greeted the blue-eyed woman with a fake smile. The man's voice was smooth, dripping with the kind of condescension that came from someone who thought they had the upper hand. A fact that rang true considering how he unceremoniously sat down directly across from the woman. "Well, little miss mercenary...I trust that you've come to your senses."
"No, I came here to negotiate." Lynx responded, her voice sharp as a blade, though calm. She wasn't dumb enough to relax just yet. Instead, she scanned the room, alert for any possible threats. She knew Korrin didn't trust her, and she didn't trust him either. This was going to be a battle of words and wits, each of them trying to outplay the other.
Korrin's smile faltered slightly. "Negotiate? You have the files. What more could you want?"
Lynx paused, choosing her words carefully was critical right now. "I'm a hired gun. What I want should be pretty obvious."
Lynx then pulled the folder out of her jacket and held it up next to her face. The documents-Korrin's precious secrets-were firmly in her hands. She could feel the power in them, weighty and dangerous, pressing down on her fingers.
Korrin's gaze flickered, but his smile returned, more forced now than it was a second ago. "You think you can make demands? To me? Little girl...you're a thief, just a hired hand. I could have you killed, make you disappear, and no one would ever know what happened to you."
Lynx didn't flinch. She's heard far worse threats from much scarier people before.
"You could try." The woman replied, her voice level. "But we both know you're smarter than that. You need me alive. At least until you figure out who ordered the job." She let the words linger for a minute before speaking. "I know about the trafficking ring, Korrin. I know what you've been doing, how people vanish without a trace."
For a split second, something dark flashed in Korrin's eyes. However, the man was quick to regain his composure. He then leaned back in his chair, laughing in a forced, dismissive way. "The trafficking? That's just business. Utopia's a paradise, but it's also a place where you can buy anything. People make deals. We all have a price. And I just so happen to be good at giving certain people what they want."
Lynx narrowed her eyes. The documents she had taken were both a smoking gun and a map to Utopia's darkest secrets. A map connecting the most powerful players in the colony to a network of human rights violations and exploitation. She had known Korrin was a key figure, but seeing the full extent of his involvement sent a chill down her spine. She wasn't just fighting for her life at this very moment; she was fighting against the very system that held everything in place.
"You think I'm just going to walk away without anything in return for keeping your face out of the news?" Lynx asked, her voice low and dangerous. "I'm not just some pawn that you can get rid of? No, Korrin. This is bigger than you. This is bigger than Utopia."
Korrin leaned forward, his expression now cold, calculating. "You're a smart one, Lynx. But you're playing a very dangerous game. My people control information, we control Utopia. There's nowhere in this colony you can go where I won't find you. If you try to expose me, you'll regret it. You're already in too deep."
The tension in the room thickened, and Lynx knew she had to act now or risk losing everything.
"You're right." The woman said, her tone hard. "I am in too deep. And that's exactly why you're going to make a deal with me."
She once again held the folder out in front of her, the contents of the documents beginning to spill out of the side.
"I want four million credits, right now. And I want you to erase all evidence of me and this job from your records."
Korrin's eyes burned with anger, but he controlled himself. "You think I'll just give you whatever you want?"
"Yes, I do." Lynx replied coolly. "You'll give me enough money to keep these files from seeing the light of day. And in return, I'll make sure no one knows you're the mastermind behind one of the biggest human rights violations in modern history. You're also smart enough to know that if I don't walk out of here with what I want, then my people will have this information all over social media before you get back to your mansion."
For a moment, Lynx wondered if she'd pushed him too far, but after a long, heavy sigh, Korrin nodded. "You're clever, Lynx. Too clever for your own good."
"Then we have a deal?" She asked, her gaze steady. She wasn't looking for mercy. She was looking for leverage.
"We do." Korrin said, his voice thick with reluctance. "But know this, bitch! If you ever cross me again, there will be no mercy."
With a quick snap of his finger, Korrin's bodyguard, the Angel, if Lynx had to make a guess, produced a credit chip with the money she wanted on it. Obviously, the thing was spiked with a virus, but Jack was great at bypassing things like that. So, she had nothing to worry about.
Both parties then cautiously exchanged their goods with one another by sliding both the file and the credit chip across the table at the exact same time.
With her new earnings in hand, Lynx rose from her seat and swiftly exited the booth. The woman didn't even bother to glance at Korrin as she walked out, her mind already working. The deal was struck, but the knowledge of what she had uncovered-and the new enemies she had made-was heavy on her.
As she exited the Blue Hole, Lynx allowed herself a brief, grim smile. She had walked away with her payment. She had gotten one over on Korrin and gotten him to give her exactly what she wanted. But in doing so, she'd made a dangerous enemy-someone who could reach much farther than the colony's glittering skyline.
Fortunately, Korrin didn't know about the backup copies of the documents she had made ahead of time. Or that Lynx had already handed one over to Milo, just before the meeting. Which meant that she had already completed the mission and received her payment. This also meant that if things went south, she had a fail-safe. The truth would come to light. But for now, she was content with the knowledge that Korrin would never know how close he had come to losing everything.
For now, though, Lynx walked away with her payout and a grim realization: sometimes, even when you win, you still lose. But either way, she was now a very rich woman.