Chapter 3: Neon Auction
The invitation was printed on foil-etched card stock, tucked inside a hollowed-out drone casing. The words shimmered:
"A Night of Secrets. Bidding Begins at Midnight."
Location: Underground. Literally.
Sgt. Salty held the card up to the light, then passed it to Zinshed.
“This auction’s not just secret,” he said, “it’s theatrical.”
Zinshed sniffed. “Only people who sell illegal biometric data on neon USBs print invitations like wedding vows.”
Rico, aka Skate Rat, leaned back in his chair and grinned. “Told you. These people don’t mess around. Last year someone bid 100K in crypto for a hacked Tesla autopilot chip — just to make his dog walk itself.”
Salty slipped into his undercover jacket — white, collar popped, sleeves rolled. “Alright, Skate Rat. Time to earn your doughnuts.”
The Entry
The auction was located beneath a forgotten shopping mall on the edge of Coral Bay.
A disused cargo elevator, disguised behind a flickering soda machine, led them into a cavernous neon-lit basement filled with high rollers, shady moguls, and way too much cologne.
Salty and Zinshed walked in slow, eyes scanning.
Black market tech buzzed across velvet tables: encrypted satellites, retinal ID swappers, even rumoured ex-military invisibility panels.
Zinshed elbowed Salty. “There’s the host — Vega Zorza. Black market baron. Wears sunglasses at night because ‘his future’s that bright’.”
Salty chuckled. “Let’s make his future a little... dimmer.”
The Contact
Rico, now sporting a snakeskin jacket and acting far too confident for a teenage hacker, approached the check-in table.
“Skate Rat,” he announced to the hostess. “VIP. Lot 22. Accompanied by Muscle A and Muscle B.” He gestured to the two detectives.
The hostess frowned. “Do either of your bodyguards bite?”
Zinshed cracked his knuckles. “Only when provoked.”
Salty smirked. “Especially during auctions.”
They were let in with minimal fuss. The room pulsed with synth music and tension.
The Auction
The bidding began.
Lot 14: Voiceprints of five federal agents.
Lot 15: A hacked AI therapist that blackmailed its own clients.
Lot 16: A full list of offshore shell companies tied to half the city’s elite.
Salty leaned to Zinshed. “We’re not just witnessing cybercrime — we’re watching someone host a digital apocalypse.”
Lot 22 was up next.
Rico stepped forward. The item: a quantum key generator capable of unlocking anything with a chip — banks, satellites, voting systems.
Vega Zorza raised his arms. “Bidding starts at one million crypto.”
The crowd gasped.
Rico tapped his earpiece. “Showtime?”
Salty nodded. “Do it.”
The Flip
Rico pulled out a small disc from his jacket — not the real generator, but a decoy wired with a flash pulse.
“Before we bid,” Rico said loudly, “I just want to know — which of you fine people sold out Sector 9’s refugees to buy your third yacht?”
The crowd gasped again.
Salty hit the detonator.
The flash pulse burst across the hall — light, sound, and instant chaos.
Zinshed flipped the nearest table. Salty tackled Vega mid-cigar puff.
“Miami Metro Task Force!” he shouted, badge flashing.
Weapons appeared, deals crumbled, and people scrambled like rats in a club with the lights on.
The Aftermath
Three hours later, the basement was crawling with backup.
Dozens detained, multiple arrests, and every item on auction secured.
Zinshed sipped coconut water from a confiscated minibar. “Rico did alright.”
Salty nodded. “He’s got potential. Reckless, twitchy, dramatic… he’ll make a great detective one day.”
Rico approached with a self-satisfied grin. “I told you I could play the part.”
“You played it too well,” Zinshed said. “The decoy also fried the coffee machine.”
Rico shrugged. “Collateral damage. Worth it.”
To Be Continued...
With the auction down and the city’s darkest players now in handcuffs, one thing was clear:
Sgt. Salty & Sgt. Zinshed weren’t just style over substance.
They were neon justice —
and the night was still young.
🔖 Hashtags for Blog & Socials
#SgtSalty
#NeonJustice
#MiamiViceVibes
#UndercoverAuction
#SkateRat
#JaguarDetectives
#StylishCrimeFighting
#RetroFiction
#BlogFictionSeries
#SaltyAndZinshed
No comments:
Post a Comment