Besides, Zodiac and my father have a long and unpleasant history. My father would sooner set him on fire than assist him in any way. It’s why he stopped trading with the previous Gemini before his death.”
“Good. I don’t want anyone who has any kind of loyalty to Zodiac. I’m only interested in making a deal with someone who I trust to have my back and vice versa.”
“And you think my father might be able to help you with that?” He quirks an eyebrow at that.
“No, I think you might. Harris Holdings and Conglomerate are one of the world’s biggest arms dealers,” I hold my hand up when he appears about to interrupt, “sourcing their supplies almost exclusively to the government. But we all know the government are cheap bastards, which is why I’m sure your military-grade weapons tend to end up on the black market. I know the previous Gemini bought a bulk of these and sold them to motorcycle clubs down the West Coast. Now normally, having stuff end up on the black market wouldn’t be a major issue for a company your size, it happens. Everything can be bought and sold for the right price. However, with gun crime at an all-time high, with mass shootings taking place in schools and malls being splashed across the news every day, your company is seeing a stark decline in its shares.”
He sits forward now, that relaxed attitude of his completely gone, revealing the sharp and shrewd businessman instead.
“You seem to know an awful lot about me, and yet, I know nothing about you. Tell me, Gemini, are you here perhaps as a Trojan horse? Did Zodiac decide to send in a pretty face before his army strikes?”
“I’m a street kid, Mr. Harris, who has honestly been chewed up and spat out more times than I care to admit. Zodiac wants me to be his puppet, pulling my strings while I do his bidding. Unfortunately for him, he chose the wrong girl. What I want is to be free, and to do that, I need more power than he has. That’s where you come in. I want to broker a deal where instead of selling your shit on the black market, you sell it to me lock, stock, and barrel. I have a dummy corp set up that for all intents and purposes is a gun supplier. I just won’t have the government breathing down my neck like you do. The company will be legal and will have legitimate business deals running through it, but it will also act as a front for some, shall we say, less than stellar buyers I may have interested. The benefit for you is that you’ll still get paid, but any of the bad press and publicity will be traced back to my company, not yours.”
He leans back in his chair, considering my offer. “My father would likely be more than happy to strike that kind of deal with you, as long as you have the revenue to put your money where your mouth is.”
“I don’t want to make a deal with a man who will likely be dead in a year. Sorry if that seems harsh, but his health problems are well-publicized. Of course, so are his somewhat less than pleasant opinions on the opposite sex. It’s you or not at all. I have two others lined up to speak to after this meeting, should you decide to decline.” I shrug, lying my ass off. I mean, I do have a plan B, but it will take me far longer to bring Zodiac down.
“How do I know this is a legitimate offer and not some scam?”
“You don’t, but I have more to lose here than you, and despite what some people might think, I don’t actually have a death wish.”
“Maybe not, but you sure do have some brass balls.” He shakes his head. “You know Zodiac will kill you if you cross him. He won’t care that you’re a woman.”
“Trust me, you aren’t telling me anything I don’t already know.”
His eyes narrow at my words, but before he can say anything, I hurry on.
“What do you say, Mr. Harris? Want to break out from Daddy’s shadow?”
He growls and stands up, stalking toward me. I don’t cower from him, even as he leans down over me. “Just because I’m not the same particular brand of evil as Zodiac doesn’t mean I’m a good man. If you push me, I’ll push back, and I’m not