Rina leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised as she allowed tension to breathe.
Then, with that same dry sarcasm of hers, she tilted her head.
"So… Viper. Is that a girl's name or boy's name? Or are we dealing with some snake-person creature I have to be afraid of?"
The man blinked, caught off guard.
"I—I don't know. No one knows. Could be either. Could be both."
Rina smirked.
"Right. Mysterious. Love that."
She drummed her fingers on the table, eyes narrowing slightly.
"And this Viper… what's their worth? Big deal, or just another street dealer hyped up on their own ego?"
The man hesitated.
No… they're serious. Everyone knows. Viper does the most difficult runs. Augs, guns, whatever you need. If you can afford it… they'll obtain it."
Rina's smile faded, her tone shifting.
"And this serum… there's more of it, huh?"
His eyes dropped to the table.
".Yeah. That was just one vial. They have more. lots more. And it's spreading fast. You caught me, but. I'm only a small part."
Rina leaned forward again, her voice lowering.
"So. if I let you go away from here and 'forget' this conversation. where would you go next?"
The man tensed, seeing through her trick.
But Rina was already smiling.
Because she knew
This wasn't over.
It was just getting started.