Fracture Rating (Anarcho, #1)

By Lawrence Caldwell

Theeeey’ve done it again! Max and Staxx have just hit the Tower Plaaaza just minutes ago, breaking CEO Tanaka Koji’s safe and baling with what’s estimated to be at least two point three biiiiillion in cash—not to mention the prrrriceless personal relics worth at least a second veritable fortune on the blaaack maarkeeet!

Hooowwww do we know it was theeem? They left us clues! “Take it to the max” and “Staxx of cash” left behind, written atop a priceless Remvira painting in lipstiiiick from Koji’s bathroooom no doubt!

“I don’t know...” Tanaka says as he scratches his head in evident disbelief while he nurses a broken lip. “One moment I was looking over the quarterly reports and then next thing I know I’m—I’m face down—eating tile and forced by two men at knife and gunpoint to open my safe!”

It’s quiiiite a shocker for us over here, too! In case you don’t know, Tanaka Koji is the billionair heir and infamous playboy of the Tanaka Dynastyyy. They say his family’s worth at least four-hundred biiiillioooon and theyyy donnn’t skimp on SEEEECUUURITYYY!

Soooo..... what does daad think about allll this?

“I want them stopped!” Tanaka senior comments as he shakes a fist. “I am putting up a five-hundred million dollar reward for anyone who supplies information leading to the capture or death of those two thugs!”

Weeell, there you have it, folks! Straight from the uuunicorn’s mouth! Again! that’s a whopping five-hundred million dollar reward for any tips that lead to the capture or death of those pesky thieves, Maaax and Staaaaxx!

Any tips of information can be sent via public or in-home holo net devices by going to the page displayed—and don’t forget to—

Staxx shut off the holo screen. “May called. She wants us to do another job. Tonight.”

“You know we can’t. We got another one of our high and mighty overlords to visit at his luxury penthouse.”

“That’s what I told her, too.”

“Then stop yapping and let’s kick some ass!”

“You know, Max, for such a small guy, you’re really intense. Don’t you wanna have some fun?”

“Oh... we’re gonna have some fun, Staxx. We’re gonna have some fun...”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lawrence Caldwell
• Release date: Mar 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005868222

Lawrence Caldwell

Lawrence Caldwell is believed by some to be a wandering samurai, or a vagrant, or possibly a ninja—though perhaps in his infinite mystery, he’s none of these things. Whichever the case, he wanders home as Odysseus did after the great Trojan War in some realm unbeknownst to our world. And—by direct theft of a quote from a certain dwarf named Varric Tethras—he "occasionally writes books."

Book preview

Prologue—Tower Plaza

Theeeey’ve done it again! Max and Staxx have just hit the Tower Plaaaza just minutes ago, breaking CEO Tanaka Koji’s safe and baling with what’s estimated to be at least two point three biiiiillion in cash—not to mention the prrrriceless personal relics worth at least a second veritable fortune on the blaaack maarkeeet!

Hooowwww do we know it was theeem? They left us clues! Take it to the max and Staxx of cash left behind, written atop a priceless Remvira painting in lipstiiiick from Koji’s bathroooom no doubt!

I don’t know… Tanaka says as he scratches his head in evident disbelief while he nurses a broken lip. "One moment I was looking over the quarterly reports and then next thing I know I’m—I’m face down—eating tile and forced by two men at knife and gunpoint to open my safe!"

It’s quiiiite a shocker for us over here, too! In case you don’t know, Tanaka Koji is the billionair heir and infamous playboy of the Tanaka Dynastyyy. They say his family’s worth at least four-hundred biiiillioooon and theyyy donnn’t skimp on SEEEECUUURITYYY!

Soooo….. what does daad think about allll this?

I want them stopped! Tanaka senior comments as he shakes a fist. I am putting up a five-hundred million dollar reward for anyone who supplies information leading to the capture or death of those two thugs!

Weeell, there you have it, folks! Straight from the uuunicorn’s mouth! Again! that’s a whopping five-hundred million dollar reward for any tips that lead to the capture or death of those pesky thieves, Maaax and Staaaaxx!

Any tips of information can be sent via public or in-home holo net devices by going to the page displayed—and don’t forget to—

Staxx shut off the holo screen. May called. She wants us to do another job. Tonight.

You know we can’t. We got another one of our high and mighty overlords to visit at his luxury penthouse.

That’s what I told her, too.

Then stop yapping and let’s kick some ass!

You know, Max, for such a small guy, you’re really intense. Don’t you wanna have some fun?

"Oh… we’re gonna have some fun, Staxx. We’re gonna have some fun..."

Chapter One—Hitomo Luxury Suites

John, Kyle said.

Yeah?

Did you zap the loot?

Of course I did. You don’t think I’d forget, do you?

Of course not. I’m just checking.

They were in the basement of the Hitomo Luxury Suites. The entire building, a modest forty-seven floors, was theirs to do as they pleased. The structure was owned by a shell corp well hidden from John and Kyle’s personal ownership.

Some of the floors were occupied by real tenants. The floors John and Kyle wanted for their own personal use were tenanted by on-paper individuals, but in reality, no one lived on those floors.

For now, the sub-basement was in use by the two men. They had deactivated the elevator and blocked off the stairs. The only way in was through a secret lift Kyle had installed when the building went up.

Kyle left the holo vid room and went into the garage where they had the money and other loot in bags. It was a good thing the dollars weren’t in paper cash, otherwise they’d have needed a truck to haul it all. A few data chips was all it took. The rest of the room was used to store the relics for Koji’s safe.

Kyle chuckled. Dumbass.

Say, Kyle, John said, scratching his head. You really think this loot’s worth what they said on the holo net?

I sure do, he said. He laughed. Did you see the look on their faces?

John chuckled.

So you said we were gonna have some fun?

Yeah, Kyle said, glancing up at John. He shrugged irritated. Don’t you remember that stupid-ass meat guy?

Oh right, John said, picking up two of the black duffle bags and following Kyle out of the lower floor