"Oh, it's gotta be personal," she says, transparently smug. "These assholes make everything personal because they know they're nothing but middlemen. Their customers have them by the balls, their suppliers have them by the balls –– literally all they have is whatever makes them money as fast and as painless as possible."

And god, is war profiteering ever a good one for that. Even better on the top end.

She grins and invites him to brag as she puts the coins in his hand:

"Were you right?"