There's a voice from the corner of the room, breathy and sensual and something that the user no doubt paid top-dollar for, coming from the elven princess in a chainmail bikini. It says Government pig, statist jackboot, get the fuck out.
It feels good to be a government jackboot.
That said, Sergei may be a unreliable informant, but burning him when we're working on a shoestring budget probably isn't a good idea. We'll need everyone we have if the threat we're facing is enough to make the agency look like small fry.
Also, I do love the writing! It really captures the right atmosphere for the setting.
[X]The Agent: You're the stereotype that software engineers tell their kids about, in a black suit and shades and completely nondescript. Your face is a blend of people, changing constantly and unable to be tracked by recognition software. One moment you're a bland white male, the face that the geeks at Meade call Smith. Another moment, and you're a smiling caricature, a television anchor's deepfake. You're not someone to be ostentatious, and for as long as you could, you've used the Agency 'face' instead of something more fixed.
[X]Analyse the Data: The data on that chip is something that's related to the mafia, not just a desperate ploy to throw you at the Triads. Take it back, check it, and talk to the Triads – they're unsavory bastards who are
also a natsec threat, but not as immediate of one. You can use them to track down this FSB/Tambovskaya team. Maybe this time you can do without a heavy team and gunship support, even.
