Chapter 146: Reeling In the Mark
Jill’s Bar.
Rowan Arnold was a mid-level manager at Mason Industries. His favorite way to unwind after a long day was to grab a few drinks at this inconspicuous little bar tucked away on the corner. A simple escape to dull the corporate edge.
When Gene established S.W.O.R.D., the robotic army once stationed inside the Mason Industries Tower had been either relocated underground or sent to S.W.O.R.D. headquarters. Most of the remaining "staff" in the tower were now Red Queen clones.
These clones were indistinguishable from real humans. They came with full memories, forged identities, embedded loyalty protocols, and highly specialized knowledge. In many ways, they blended in even better than the robots they replaced.
Arnold was no exception.
He had a beautiful wife, "Five-Zero-Zero," an adorable daughter, and a job anyone would envy. Life didn’t get better than this.
As usual, tonight he found himself at Jill’s Bar.
Meanwhile, Jessica Jones sat inside, waiting for her mark to take the bait.
She was dressed to kill tonight. A sleek, form-fitting outfit hugged her curves in all the right places, while her long, jet-black hair tumbled freely over her shoulders. Every pair of eyes in the bar couldn’t help but turn toward her. Jessica didn’t need much to catch attention—her beauty did most of the work effortlessly.
Like sharks scenting blood, men swarmed her—one after another, moths to a flame.
"Excuse me, gorgeous," one man said, leaning over and sliding his drink across. "Care for a drink?"