[Mercy Merchant]

Jess links you with an order and sets a delivery location, but does not say more than that at this time.

The shower is indeed refreshing after that experience.  After restocking, you make your way to the other side of the neighborhood and into the territory of a go-gang that rides a stretch of the highway near here.  As you walk the streets, you see lots of people going about their business, but no gangers hanging around. 

[Ennui]

I ask around in the commercial areas, spreading a little nuyen around, about the gang, it's members and any hangouts they may know about.

[Mercy Merchant]

The gang calls themselves the Aces and it seems that most of them are currently out on a stretch of the nearby highway.  They apparently live in a ramshackle former warehouse just over there.  You are told that someone should be in if you really want to go there.  Four different people warn you to stay away from some razor girl named Jessie, who seems to be positioned quite high in the gang despite arriving not two months ago.

[Ennui]

We go check out the warehouse.  Shelly will have a drone give us intel on the defenses and approach openly but cautiously.  Once a guard comes to challenge us I will offer the same deal as I did to the gangers.  Samples of cram bliss and ex for an intro to whoever can make the deal.

[Mercy Merchant]

The warehouse appears to be part garage and part living space for the gang.  Shelly's drone puts an eye in the sky for you and what it sees on its sensors is routed to your internal 'link.  Two large garage bay doors are open to the evening air and you can hear the noises of a working garage even before you get to the front and some sort of metallic music competes with the banging of hammer on metal coming from inside.  The bright light streaming from the open doors means that you do not need the specialized drone sensors to see the three toughs hanging about outside the garage, smoking and sharing a brew.  That is perhaps not all they are sharing as you also note that a scantily clad young woman is curled into the arms of one of them, letting his hands massage a barely covered breast as she runs a hand down his thickly muscled arm.   

You are still a good thirty feet from the three when they straighten and the one with the girl sends her off down the street with a swat on her butt.  None of them make any more threatening gesture than spreading apart, but you can tell that they seem to be alert to your coming.  By the time you get to fifteen feet, one will raise a hand.  "That be fragging far enough for now, friends.  What business do you have in Aces territory?"

[Ennui]

I come bearing gifts.  Perhaps a business deal.  I have product samples for you and your gang.  All I want is an intro to either your boss or someone high enough up the chain to make a deal for distributing this product.  I show off the pills.  Care to try some?

[Mercy Merchant]

One of the toughs takes a step closer to you but the one who had spoken earlier puts out a hand to stop him.  "Hey.  You want your guts strung up on that wall there.  You know what Jessie said."

The thug stops moving but snarls at the other one.  "Yeah.  I remember.  I also remember what it was like before her.  Lots more fun."

"But now we are making some serious nuyen."  He turns back to you.  "You have to talk to the boss about that and the rest of the gang is out right now.  There is a bar just across the street where you can wait.  Probably about an hour."

[Ennui]

Sure I can wait.  What did Jessie say?  You can't take presents?  I have plenty of samples and they are for everyone.  I'll still have plenty to show your boss.  I offer one last time then head to the bar to wait for the boss.

[Mercy Merchant]

"Nah, it has to do with drugs and drek like that.  Something along the lines of being gutted where we stand if we get fragged up on guard duty."

The bar is about half full of locals, most of whom are watching a skinny girl take her clothes off on a small stage.  Her dancing seems a bit..................well, uninteresting, but several men are tossing scrip on the stage in an attempt to buy a look at everything she has.  A cute waitress comes over to the the three of you, a serving tray in one hand and a smile on her face.  "What can I get you?  Booth or table.  Near the stage or something more private?"

[Ennui]

Well then here...  For afterwards, send them my way when they get back if you wouldn't mind..

At the bar I indicate we would like a booth and order a round of drinks while we wait.  Shelly will keep an eye outside for when the gang gets back and I will peruse the astral while we wait and make small talk with my friends...maybe buy a lap dance for Corbin if anyone strikes his fancy.

[Mercy Merchant]

The cute waitress will lead you to a small booth that is off to one side.  You can still see the stage but are pretty much out of the way.  She shows you a small console that has several buttons.  One calls her if you need anything, another raises a sort of privacy screen that allows you to look out but keeps others from seeing in, and a third that brings up a selection of porn films on a small screen at the table.  She takes your orders and comes back with the drinks.  "You got here at the right time.  The local gang is off terrorizing the highway or this place would be jumping.  Actually, there seems to be less terrorizing and more order sine that new girl took over the gang a month or so back.  Anyway, have fun.  Call me if you need a second round or if you want some company for a bit.  I am available for about another twenty minutes, then I need to do my turn on the stage."  She smiles at all of you and leaves.

Corbin watches her go and whistles softly.  "Not the woman you brought home, but nice looking.  Can't wait to see her on the stage."

[Ennui]

Hmm, this may be good news or bad.  New management and more order is conducive to business, but it seems my intel is out of date and this Jessie girl is an unknown quantity, but I've dealt with unknown quantities before.

I nod at Corbin, she's cute.  I'll get you a lap dance when she's done on stage.

We watch for a bit and once the waitress is done on stage I call her over and buy Corbin a lap dance.

[Mercy Merchant]

The girl leaves and about twenty minutes later walks onto the stage from one of the wings and is introduced as Kandy and the DJ asks the crowd to show its appreciation as Kandy unwraps herself.  The girl is a different cut from the other three you have watched since entering the bar.  They wiggled against the pole and stripped down in the first song of a three song set, but Kandy dances, using the pole as a prop but not relying on it.  She also keeps most of her clothes on through the first song and is still not completely naked at the end of the second song.  The anticipation from the onlookers was clear as they tossed handfuls of scrip on the stage.  When she finally stripped off the last bit of clothing the whole place whooped and men surged to the stage to get a good look at her. 

She smiled brilliantly as she bent over to pick up the money and give the people the looks they had been waiting for.  After staying long enough to wind up the crowd for the next girl, Kandy leaves the stage and returns to walk the floor while serving drinks.  Most of the people do not seem to recognize her in the dim light, their eyes already focused on the girl that has just walked onto the stage.  Kandy comes to your booth and smiles at you as she asks if you need anything.

[Ennui]

Well done.  You have a much better stage presence that the other girls.  My friend here would like a lap dance...assuming you do that here.

[Mercy Merchant]

Kandy nods.  "Of course we do that here.  25 if you are paying in scrip or 12 if nuyen.  Let me hit the button that sends up the privacy screen.  We don't want anything to distract the other customers from the stage."  She leans over and presses a button on the console and a shimmer appears in the air in front of the booth that allows you to see through it but keeps others from seeing in, or so you have been led to believe.  Another button and some music comes from the several speakers in the booth.  After getting paid,  Kandy stands in front of Corbin and begins to sway to the beat.  Even in this smaller area, you get the feeling that she has some dance experience as she twists and moves her arms to the rhythm.  As she begins teasing your friend, you can see that he is tenting in a show of how aroused he already is.  She slowly removes her clothes, exposing a very nice body a bit at a time, alternating that with either turning to place her well-formed ass against his hips and the bulge there or actually bending over to stroke him while her breasts are within range of his mouth.  She looks up at him during one of these interludes and says, "For 25 more you can touch."

Corbin gurgles out a yes and reaches up to fondle her as her hand goes out to you for payment.