The Councillor’s Call ((this is a story based on the relationship between Zampano and Councillor Trey of the Zion Council, if you haven't seen the backstory then its on the General NR thread, if it still exists. Or on the Oriens Veritas website. Small event planned for this evening.))
A Conspiracy Revealed
The phone calls hadn’t stopped all morning, every one the same; No ID, no answer when picked up. Zampano was getting annoyed at the distraction, he picked up the phone and was about to throw it into the waters when it rang again.
“Goddamit” he muttered before answering, for a moment there was nothing but silence.He was about to hang up when he heard someone’s breath, rapid and nervous on the other end
“Hello? Who is this?” he asked into the phone, but there was no answer. Suddenly the line cut off.He slid the phone back into his pocket and glanced at the time, it was nearly dawn, nearly time for the meeting with his mentor.For so long Trey had been silent, Zampano had thought that the new allegiance to the Machines had been the cause but it was unlike Trey not to communicate with him at all.Slowly he turned from the waters edge and began to walk towards the hardline.
******
“Marcus, make sure the area is clear. Do a sweep for any exiles.”
“Sure Zamp…..ooook, nothing major, a few low life gang kids but nothing from the major leagues”
Zampano tossed his fedora on to the stand that stood in the corner of the entranceway to the familiar club.He had never been here this early in the morning, but little was different, the familiar throbbing music, the smell of beer and smoke.He took out a cigarette and struck a match along the wall, before igniting the cancer stick and inhaling its coded fumes.He made his way down the stairs, sensing a familiar presence nearby in the club.He walked towards the bar, towards the aged councillor, and sat down on a stool.The councillor did not notice him at first, his senses dulled by the many years he had spent outside the matrix, but with the turn of his head he smiled.
“Zampano! I did not see you come in…it is good to see you” he greeted, standing to shake Zampano’s hand.
Zampano smiled back “It is good to see you as well Councillor”
“No need for formalities Zampano, to you it has always been Trey”
Zamp nodded at the barman, he was almost a regular here so the barman knew his drink, Whisky on the rocks, best code in the matrix.Trey laughed as he saw the glass slide to Zampano
“I see you’re still on the whisky then.” He said as he picked up his own glass full of rum.
Zampano took a sip, the smile diminishing on his face. “I told you not to meet me here. It’s too dangerous trey.You know if the Librarian finds out then you’ll end up in a wooden box back to Zion.”
“I came here for a reason Zampano, if the reason did not justify the risk then I would not be here” Trey answered in his usual philosophical tone
“and the reason?” Zampano asked, eager to understand the risk Trey was taking.
“I’ll come to that, but lets catch up for a moment first shall we? So your working for mr mech now?”
Zampano nodded, “We do what we must to reach our goals”
The two spoke at length for sometime, laughing and joking with each other about the deeds and events that had befallen Zampano since their last contact.As the midday sun crept over the club the atmosphere turned back to business….
“Zampano, I need your help” Trey said sternly
“What is it? You can always rely on me” Zampano replied
“I need….” Trey paused, taking another sip of the rum, for courage, before answering “I need you to remove someone for me”
“Remove? You mean kill?” Zampano quizzed him
“Yes”
For a moment Zampano was silent, considering the implications of his possible responses.
“Who?”
Trey smiled “A young exile by the name of Delial, she works for the librarian and has been looking into my past, looking for a weakness to bring me down”
“You want me to kill a bluepill? Could you not handle this through Commander Lock and Tyndall?”
Trey laughed “This matter is rather sensitive, I could not risk them being involved. I need you to do this for me old friend”
Zampano frowned, something wasn’t right. Trey’s laugh had been a nervous one, his pulse was quickened and his eyes avoided Zampano. Despite his doubts, Zampano knew Trey was lying to him.Suddenly his phone rang again, he opened it up and held it to his ear.Trey eyes opened wide, as if he were scared of what may lay on the other end of the phone.
“Zampano?” A voice whispered
“Yes” Zampano replied, careful not to reveal any details of the conversation to Trey
“This is Delial” the voice whispered again “I need to meet you, I have something for you”
“I see. Call me back in half an hour. I am a little busy at the moment” Zampano said cautiously before placing the phone back in his pocket.Trey was tense, his fingers gripping the glass rigidly.
“who was that?” he asked, trying to hide his nervousness but failing. He had forgotten the acuteness of Zampano’s senses.
“Agent Gray” Zampano lied, hoping to get a reaction from the man that sat next to him.Trey relaxed “oh, that’s good Anyway as I was saying….”
“As you were lying you mean” Zampano interrupted, his voice annoyed and stern.
“lying Zamp? I would never lie to…”
Zampano turned his head to trey “When were you reduced to this Trey? To lying to me for your own purposes?”
Trey lowered his head, before raising it again with a maniacal smirk on his face, he laughed “Reduced? What point is there to seeing when all you see is a lie…remember that Zampano? You have never known truth.”
Zampano stood up, angered by the sudden change in the man before him…or perhaps it wasn’t sudden. Perhaps now Zampano could see trey for who he really was, now that his senses were at their greatest, his perception had changed but Trey had always been the same.
“I will not help you, not if you continue with this. I will not play your games” Zampano said coldly
Trey smirked “Games, an apt word my boy. You have long been a part of the game, it seems now that the pawn rebels against its king” Trey stood up taking a pistol out of his pocket and pointing it at Zampano “You will help me”
“Again you underestimate me” Zampano replied, his hand grabbing Trey’s wrist and taking the gun from him before tossing it to the other side of the room.“Goodbye Trey”
Trey growled, his face twisted in anger. “You’ll help me Zampano or you will die, I will make certain of that. I have men on the surface that will destroy the onesismus”
Zampano’s mind raced “hit squads” he muttered “You? You sent those men after the Moriai?”
Trey did not answer, he merely smirked. Zampano turned towards the stairs “I don’t know you anymore. Do not contact me again” he said coldly, though the emotion showed as a tear rolled down his cheek from behind his shades.
Trey threw the glass across the room but Zampano easily dodged it
“Then you will die, as will that **bleep** Delial. You cannot change the rules of the game Zampano, you cannot call checkmate…only I get to do that!”
Zampano left without turning his head back, the tears continuing to roll over his cheek.He wiped the tears away and picked up his phone. “Marcus get me out of here”
