30. The Rip

Angie departs the airport through a staged media corridor as Porphyre and Sense/Net security hurry her toward a rooftop helicopter. In the quiet ascent, she resolves to contact Hans Becker through his Paris agent and to finally address her relationship with Robin, determined to act after the haze of detox.

In flight over the Sprawl, Angie reflects on Bobby’s draw to the matrix and asks Porphyre why Bobby left. Porphyre offers only the rumors: Bobby’s ambition, discomfort with Angie’s fame, and his sense that “Angie Mitchell” and the Net were not the same as Angie herself.

The helicopter lands on the Envoy’s roof, where Angie plans to meet Robin and instructs Porphyre to give them space. Before they can disembark, a person in an orange security parka slips into the cabin, fires a near-silent weapon, and Porphyre collapses. The intruder presses a greenish device against Angie’s midsection, immobilizing her despite her seatbelt.

The woman checks Porphyre’s pulse, worries about his earlier drinking, and admits she has sedated him. When Angie asks if she is Net security, the woman bluntly says she is abducting Angie. She claims both of them are targets, says she was meant to set the grab up next week but moved early, and references the name “3Jane,” insisting they leave immediately.