by Seuzz
Vincent thought his heart was about to crack. But with one
last effort, he and Tito lofted the improvised body bag and its contents into
the dumpster, where it landed with a resounding boom. "Jesus, that was one
heavy mofo. You gonna tell me now how you managed to piss him off?"
"I didn't," Tito said, and bent over to rest his
hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. "He's my retirement
package."
"Say what?"
"Yeah." Tito straightened up. Even in the early
morning dark, in an unlit alley, Vincent could see the streaks of sweat on
Tito's face. "That's my new face in there. My permanent one. His data
file's waiting for me back at -- "
"That fuckin' ni -- ?
Tito." Vincent seized the hair at the top of his friend's head.
"You're brown, but you ain't brown enough to pass for one of my peeps."
Tito slapped him away. "You don't listen closely, do
you? I told you that sculpting into another race is hard. I didn't say it was impossible.
That kind of radical sculpt is for one-time shots only, like final sculpts."
Tito panted a couple of times. "So you understand what I'm saying,
right?"
"That you got a bad result on your last test. I'm
sorry, man."
"Don't be." Tito jerked his chin at the rusted-out
dumpster. "I've been jonesing after that mofo's girl for a coupla years
now, been hoping for a positive test so I could retire into her bed."
"Jesus. But now my question is, if this is Company
business, why didn't you get a disposal team to handle this job? Why'd you call
me out when I'm supposed to be on vacation?"
"Are you pissed at me?"
"No. I just want to know -- "
"But Ryan was pissed when you left to meet me, wasn't
he? Oh, I bet he was, I bet he went into a sulk the minute you -- "
"Oh, fuck you, that isn't any of your business."
"I know it's not my business, I'm just saying. Christ,
Vincent, I know he's adorable, but you spoil him, and you know it. I bet
everyone he sleeps with spoils him."