The gang leader stood there with the kind of patient expectancy that suggested he knew his second proposal would get my full attention. The sunset was casting long shadows across the work site, and in the distance I could hear the various teams continuing their network activation work with surprising efficiency.
"Before we discuss another deal," he said, "I should probably introduce myself properly. My name is Gabriel."
I couldn't help but notice the irony. "Gabriel," I repeated. "That's a religious name. Archangel Gabriel, messenger of God in multiple faiths."
He smiled with what appeared to be genuine amusement. "My mother was very devout. She had high hopes for what I would become." The smile turned slightly bitter. "I don't think gang leader was on her list of acceptable careers."
"Probably not," I agreed, though there was something about his self-awareness that made him more complex than the typical criminal stereotype I had expected.
