《Cyberpunk 2080》


 Prologue

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 Chapter 1

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 Chapter 2

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 Chapter 3

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 Chapter 4

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 Chapter 5

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 Chapter 6

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 Chapter 7

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 Chapter 8

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 Chapter 9

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 Chapter 10

    After carefully reading the letter, it became clear that the individual who sought shelter had a loving wife and child.


    It was heartwarming to see that despite their current situation, their family bond remained strong. I hoped that he listened to his wife''s advice and returned home safely.


    Placing the letter in my back pocket, I proceeded to scour the area for any clues that could lead me to the individual.


    As I searched the room, Suzi spotted something strange on the wall. the word "Icarus" painted in large letters.


    Curiosity piqued, she inquired about its meaning, asking, "Wasn''t he that Greek guy?"


    To which I replied, "Yeah, he was. His father fashioned wings out of feathers and wax for him. Then, the boy flew too close to the sun, causing his wings to melt. And then tiss... No more wings. No more Icarus... My best guess? Could be the alias of someone."


    The meaning behind the word painted on the wall was still unclear, but it was a piece of the puzzle that we could not ignore.


    We continued to search the room, hoping to find more clues that would lead us to what the hell was going on here. But our search was put on pause as in the distance I could hear the sound of cars getting closer and closer to our location.


    Out of curiosity, I asked if the others could hear the sounds of cars, and they confirmed.


    Suzi took out her laptop and used her netrunning skills to locate the source of the noise and determine the direction the cars were headed. Suzi discovered that our uninvited guests were four armored trucks heading towards us, and she suggested that we leave immediately.


    It was clear that these people were not friendly, so the three of us decided to evacuate. As we were leaving, Suzi instructed me to prepare Delamain to come pick us up.


    Max phones Delamain


    Max: ¡°Del it''s Max listen I need you to get the car ready we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±


    Delamain: ¡°Certainly Mr. Carver. My sensors have detected hostile enemies heading in your proximity. I suggest that you keep low as I have detected that they are fully equipped in body armor and guns.¡±


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    Max: ¡°Thanks for the tip.¡±


    Delamain: ¡°I have detected sarcasm in your tone.¡±


    Call Ended


    As we stepped out of the house, the convoy of trucks arrived, and I quickly took cover to observe what was happening.


    My eyes scanned the area, and I noticed that each person who got out of the trucks was donning identical outfits and carrying assault rifles with handguns holstered, just like Del had informed us.


    What was peculiar was that they were all acting like military personnel, but they weren''t wearing Kang Tao, Militech, or Arasaka armor. It begged the question: who were these people?


    I instructed Henry and Suzi to wait while I approached the group to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    ¡°Listen up! Our orders are simple. We are to roll up on that whistleblower son of a bitch Kyle Richards. Codename Icarus. Intel suggests that he¡¯s been seeking refuge here for the past few days. The plan of action is simple, we¡¯re to split up into four groups, and each group will be given a specific area to search, if you end up finding the S O B, I want you to inform me of his location before you proceed to capture him as he¡¯s no use to us dead. I repeat we are not ordered to kill him. Wolf has made that very clear that he doesn''t want Kyle dead. Any questions?.. Good, let''s move out men! HOOAH!¡±


    They began splitting up into four groups and began their sweep of the area, with strict orders not to kill him. It was clear that Kyle had done something that had pissed them off.


    I quickly returned to Henry and Suzi to inform them of the situation. We needed to lay low and keep quiet. These people were not in the mood for conversation, and if they caught us, it could end bloody.


    Henry took charge, and we stealthily moved from cover to cover, avoiding the soldiers searching the area.


    We were getting closer to the Delamain when a soldier spotted it and yelled out.


    Delamain called me, asking if it should deploy combat mode. I instructed it to wait until we were in the car and get to our location then activate combat mode.


    Seconds later, chaos erupted as Delamain revved its engine and rushed towards us, getting pelted with gunfire. I readied my weapons and told Henry and Suzi to get in the car while I provided covering fire.


    Henry was quick to shut me down grabbing my arm and saying. ¡°Are you fucking crazy? Are you looking to get flatlined? Here''s what we¡¯re doing, we¡¯re getting in that Delamain and getting the fuck out of here understand?¡±


    Within a few seconds, the Delamain arrived. While still being met with constant machine gun fire, Henry began ordering us to get in the car and keep our heads down until Delamain activated combat mode.


    With all of us in the car, Delamain shifted into combat mode and sped away, dodging bullets and weaving through the chaos. It was a close call, but we made it out alive.


    We return to the conflict with the unnamed group where we see two soldiers watching the Delamain speeding away in the distance.


    "What should we do about them, sir?" A soldier asked.


    "Don''t worry about them... We have something that they kindly left behind for us." The other soldier said holding a piece of paper that was left on the floor.


    He lets out a chuckle before ordering his men to regroup as they head back to base.

 Chapter 11

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 Christmas Flashback

    Let''s travel back to 2077. It''s early December in Night City, and we find ourselves in the company of Max, Henry, and Luca. They have just returned from an 8-month stay in the Badlands, and we catch up with them as they sit in a diner.


    Max is gazing out the window, patiently waiting for his food, while Henry is greedily devouring his stack of fluffy pancakes covered in maple syrup. Luca, on the other hand, is watching the news, silently hoping that the NCPD isn''t on the lookout for them. The diner is bustling with activity, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingers in the air.


    Suddenly, the waiter arrives with Max''s order, a strange concoction of pancakes and a slice of ham drenched in maple syrup. Luca looks puzzled and asks Max ¡°What the hell¡¯s that?¡±.


    Max, with a grin on his face, tells Luca ¡°What? We¡¯ve spent the last 8 months consuming nothing but shit with bits of sand, let me enjoy this.¡± Max takes a big bite, the flavors explode in his mouth, as he savors every moment.


    Max, feeling anxious, asked Luca about the latest news. He was worried about being followed and didn''t want to check his back constantly.


    Luca reassured him that nothing about them was in the news, which was a relief. However, most of the news was about Arasaka, which was not surprising given their recent activities.


    Luca turned away from the television and asked Max about their chances of sleeping in their own beds tonight.


    They had been staying in one-star hotels since their return to NC, fearing that the NCPD was watching their homes. Max agreed that it was a valid concern and finished his meal before getting up to make a call.


    Luca suggested calling Tom, as he knew that they were in the badlands, to find out if it was safe to return home.


    As he walked outside to the payphone, Max couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease. He hoped that Tom would have good news for them and that they could finally get some rest in their own beds.


    Max: ¡°Tom. It¡¯s Max¡±


    Tom: ¡°Ah, perfect timing. I have good news for you.¡±


    Max: ¡°What is the good news?¡±


    Tom: ¡°Well it¡¯s two things. The first is that you aren¡¯t on NCPD¡¯s radar anymore meaning you, Luca, and Henry can sleep in your beds tonight. But don¡¯t get it twisted! There still keeping tabs on the family.¡±


    Max: ¡°Funny. That¡¯s the reason I called. I don¡¯t think we could take another night in a one-star hotel. What''s the other thing you had to share.¡±


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    Tom: ¡°Well as Christmas is fast approaching Tony wanted to get everyone together for a festive party. But don¡¯t worry it¡¯s a few days away but there are some things you should know.¡±


    Call Ended


    Max walked back into the diner and proceeded to tell Henry and Luca that they could finally go back home, and that Tony had planned a Christmas party in a few days.


    However, there was a catch. Tom had mentioned that although they were free to go home, the NCPD was still monitoring them. Max warned his friends not to do anything stupid that could get them into trouble.


    Luca was a bit taken aback when Max looked at him while saying this. He asked Max why he was looking at him, to which Henry replied that if anyone was going to do something stupid, it would be Luca. Luca tried to defend himself, but he knew that Henry was right.


    Max then proceeded to share the rest of the details that Tom had shared about the party. He warned them not to get too crazy and to bring someone along with them.


    Henry started laughing and said that Luca and Max wouldn''t be going to the party. Max was curious about Henry''s comment and asked him why.


    Henry explained that Max and Luca didn''t have a girlfriend, whereas he did.


    ¡°You two would rather spend the night with a joytoy than a proper woman.¡± He said.


    Max didn''t like Henry''s comments, as Henry used to spend his nights with joytoys too, but times had changed.


    Max did have feelings for someone, and she had feelings for him too, but it was a complicated situation. She already had a boyfriend, but she still loved Max.


    Max decided to change the subject and offered to drive his friend''s home. He got up, paid the bill, and left the diner with his friends.


    After dropping off Henry and Luca at their homes, Max was finally able to walk back into his apartment. He walks to his record player, turns it on, and heads upstairs for a shower.


    The warm water was a sense of relaxation, something that he desperately needed. Once out of the shower, he walked downstairs and looked out of a window, losing himself in the city¡¯s ambiance.


    The cars on the highway constantly moving, the advertisements on buildings changing, and the occasional sound of an aircraft going past the sky bring back a sense of nostalgia.


    While looking out the window, Max started to think about Mia and wondered how she was doing as the last time they spoke was eight months ago.


    But before he could text her, Henry texted him.


    Henry


    ¡°Hey, can we talk?¡±


    Max


    ¡°Sure what is it?¡±


    Henry Calls Max


    Max: ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Henry: ¡°It¡¯s Jenny, she¡¯s pissed off with me.¡±


    Max: ¡°Because you¡¯ve been gone for eight months.¡±


    Henry: ¡°Not just that. She feels as though we¡¯re constantly in danger. I don¡¯t know what to do bro.¡±


    Max: ¡°Give her time. Imagine how you would feel if she had to leave, and you wouldn¡¯t see her again for eight months. Make sure you bring her to the party, it would be a nice thing to do seeing as though you haven''t spoken to each other for eight months.¡±


    Henry: ¡°I know. I know. What about you? Who are you bringing?¡±


    Max: ¡°Look, don¡¯t tell Luca, but I was thinking about bringing Mia. I know she¡¯s with James, but there''s something about her that I can''t put my finger on.¡±


    Henry: ¡°Well she technically loves you more than James but that¡¯s a conversation you need to have with her. I got a go bro take care of yourself.¡±


    Call Ended

 Christmas Flashback Part 2

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 Christmas Flashback Part 3

    Max and Mia arrived at The Velvet, a bar that Max, Henry, and Luca had recently inherited ownership of. They parked the car near the entrance and got out. As they approached the bar, they could hear the sound of Christmas music and laughter coming from inside. Tony, who had organized the party, spotted Max and started making his way towards him.


    "Max! Come here you! Come here." Tony yelled out before giving Max a warm hug. "Genius you are! Genius."


    Luca and Henry were also there and greeted Max with a smile. Just then, the door opened again, and in walked Dave with a woman no one recognized. Max welcomed Dave with a "Merry Christmas" while Tony asked about the woman''s identity.


    "It''s my wife," Dave replied, surprising Tony. "Oh, your wife! Well, congratulations," Tony said.


    Dave then took Tony''s hand and led him outside to show him something. As they stepped out, they saw a bright pink Chevillon Thrax Jefferson parked on the road. "Isn''t she gorgeous, I bought it for my wife. I love that car," Dave said to Tony, who was now visibly angry.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing.¡±


    Dave was confused by Tony¡¯s comments.


    ¡°What did I tell you? What did I fucking tell you! Didn''t I tell you not to buy anything for a while!¡±


    ¡°It''s a wedding gift, Tony. I just got married, it''s under her mother¡¯s name it''s fine.¡±


    ¡°Davey, are you nuts?¡±


    ¡°What''s the problem with it, Tony?¡±


    ¡°What''s the problem with it? We got NCPD all over us and you buy a fucking car, I just got my sons back and you want them in jail is that what you''re trying to do.¡±


    ¡°It''s under her mother¡¯s name it¡¯s a wedding gift. i just got married.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck who the name¡¯s it''s under didn¡¯t I say don¡¯t buy anything, don¡¯t get anything, nothing big. What''s the fucking matter with you.¡±


    ¡°What you getting angry for Tony?¡±


    ¡°What am I getting angry for, you going to get us all pinched. Cause you don''t fucking listen¡±


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    Dave started apologizing to Tony, while Tony was still berating him by asking what the matter with him was.


    Dave and his wife walk away from Tony to which he turns to Max and talks about Dave behind his back calling him nothing but a fat fuck.


    The door creaked open once again, Tony''s eyes widened with rage as he saw John and his wife enter the room. The woman was draped in a luxurious white fur coat, which only fueled Tony''s already seething anger.


    Without a second thought, Tony stormed towards the couple and bellowed,


    "Ha! I can''t believe this. What are you stupid? Excuse me miss, take it off."


    In a flash, Tony had snatched the coat from the woman''s shoulders, leaving her shocked and bewildered. John and his wife were equally stunned and demanded to know what the problem was.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to get anything big? Didn''t I tell you not to attract attention? One buys a fucking 30,000 car, and you buy a fucking 20,000 fucking coat. Get rid of it. I don¡¯t care if you get your money back, I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t get your money back, I don¡¯t care who the fuck you give it to, I don¡¯t care where the fuck you get rid of it just get rid of it. Right here! Right now! Now! Go! Get rid of it!¡±


    John followed Tony¡¯s orders and forcefully pushed his wife outside.


    ¡°Un fucking believable. You''ve been back for a few weeks and they two pricks want you in prison come on I need a drink.¡±


    Max stood there shocked, this was the only time he had seen Tony this angry, not wanting to get on his bad side tonight Max followed Tony to the bar and ordered a shot of whiskey.


    ¡°Sorry about that Max. It''s just that I¡¯ve not seen you three in some time, and I don¡¯t want you lot to end up in prison because someone didn¡¯t listen to the simple fucking instructions that I laid out.¡±


    The party was in full swing, with Max and Mia dancing together while Henry and Luca danced like fools. Tony and Tom watched on, happy to see Max, Henry, and Luca back in Night City.


    As the night progressed, Tony pulled Max, Henry, and Luca into a nearby office to distribute their share of the heist. The heist had been a success, and they had managed to steal around thirty million Eurodollars. Their share of the money would be approximately six million each.


    ¡°Merry Christmas boys,¡± Tony exclaimed, handing each of them their portion of the money.


    Luca was thrilled, picking up his stack of money with a grin. ¡°Oh ho ho. Christmas came early boy''s ha ha,¡± he said excitedly.


    ¡°Come here boys,¡± Tony called out, and all four of them gathered together in a massive hug. ¡°I love you boys, you know that, right?¡±


    Max and Henry collected their share of the money, both feeling grateful and relieved that their eight months in the Badlands were worth it.


    ¡°Enjoy yourselves boys, but I know you already know this. Don¡¯t buy anything too extravagant, alright? Don¡¯t do what Dave and John did. Just enjoy yourselves, and I''ll be with you in a second, I need to have something taken care of.¡± Tony reminded them.


    The three walked out of the room only to see that James was at the bar looking at Mia.


    This wasn¡¯t good as the three knew that James wasn¡¯t invited to the party.


    ¡°What do we do Max,¡± Henry asked knowing that things were about to take a turn for the worst.


    Max tells Henry and Luca that he will deal with him as after all, it''s his fault, but before he can confront James, Henry tells Max to not repeat what happened on his eighteenth.

 Christmas Flashback Finale

    Max walked back to Mia and told her that James was there and if the worst should occur that he had her back.


    James saw Max and took this as his opportunity to call Mia out.


    ¡°Oh, you would rather be with Max than me you bitch.¡±


    Max didn¡¯t appreciate James¡¯s comments towards Mia.


    ¡°James. I think it would be best for everyone if you went home. You''re causing enough of a scene.¡±


    It was clear that James had already been drinking as he was stumbling over his words. "Don''t... Don''t talk to me like I''m a little boy. You... You... You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like finding out your girlfriend is cheating on you with someone you hate.¡±


    Max approached James and told him again to leave but James wasn¡¯t leaving, Max didn¡¯t want to use violence to get James to leave.


    ¡°James. It¡¯s Christmas I think you should be spending time with your family instead of ruining ours.¡±


    James shoved Max. ¡°Don''t ever talk about my family! You son of a bitch!¡±


    Max looked back at Luca and Henry. ¡°To confirm you saw him push me first.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Henry and Luca said at the same time.


    ¡°Good. Then you brought this on yourself, James.¡± Max grabbed James¡¯s shoulder and started dragging him to the door, he opened the door with his other hand and with both hands threw James outside causing him to tumble onto the floor.


    Max wasn¡¯t done as he grabbed James by the hair, readied his fist, and delivered him a threatening message. ¡°If you ever think about ratting us out to NCPD, Arasaka, or any other fucking group. I will personally fucking kill you.¡±


    Wanting to make sure he understood the message, he gave James a powerful punch to the face knocking him out cold.


    He looked at James¡¯s unconscious body before being interrupted by Henry and Luca.


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake Max! I told you not to do anything stupid.¡± Henry said thinking that Max killed James.


    ¡°Relax Henry he¡¯s alive, I didn¡¯t kill him...¡± Max responded before quietly saying. ¡°Not yet anyway.¡±


    Henry heard Max¡¯s last comment.


    ¡°I suggest you do something about the body unless you want him to freeze to death,¡± Luca said while checking to see if James had a pulse which thankfully, he did.


    Max with much distaste knows that he needs to do something about James otherwise he will freeze to death if left out on the streets.


    Max started asking for help from Henry and Luca, but they weren¡¯t going to help him with James. This annoyed Max and he started asking why they wouldn¡¯t help him.


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    Henry responded by saying that they weren''t the ones who knocked James out.


    This wasn¡¯t the response that he was hoping for as he thought that Luca and Henry were his friends and would help him regardless of the situation.


    ¡°We are your friends Max. But you need to understand that your actions have consequences.¡± Luca said.


    With Henry and Luca not helping, Max grabbed James¡¯s shoulders and started dragging him to his car before a voice could be heard causing the three of them to jump.


    ¡°What the fuck are you three doing!?¡±


    Tony was standing at the door confused as to why Max was carrying a body and how Luca and Henry were watching.


    ¡°Is someone going to explain to me why Max is currently dragging a dead body?¡± Tony looked at Henry and Luca. ¡°And why you two are just watching on.¡±


    The three of them were frozen in place, they didn¡¯t know how to explain what happened.


    Eventually, Max was the one who started recapping the events that transpired, which only confused Tony.


    ¡°So let me get this straight. Mia was dating James but was secretly cheating on him with you, he then found out and started causing a scene which led you to throw him outside to which you knocked him out. And so he doesn¡¯t freeze to death you¡¯re taking him to a hotel room.¡±


    Max nodded his head confirming what Tony said.


    ¡°Right, here¡¯s what you''re going to do. For a start put the body in that car.¡± Tony pointed at a four-door car. ¡°Henry, Luca you two will help him. Then once the body is in the car, I¡¯ll have someone drive him to a hotel where he can sleep it off. You three get back inside.¡±


    Tony walked back inside while Max, Henry, and Luca followed what Tony asked them to do before joining him back inside the bar.


    Hours pass of joyful celebration as people are leaving the bar, Max asks Mia if she wants to spend the night at his place again, but she declines the offer saying that she can''t as she has something else planned.


    Max decided to offer her a lift back home, but she again declined the offer, this confused Max and asked Mia what was wrong as she wasn¡¯t normally like this.


    ¡°Mia, is it because of James?¡± Max asked wanting to know the reason she¡¯s declining his offers.


    Mia looks away from Max and delivers some heartbreaking news to him. ¡°I... I¡¯m leaving Night City.¡±


    Max was shocked by this news, out of all the people he knew that would leave Night City, Mia wasn¡¯t one of them.


    ¡°Wow... Where do you plan on going?¡±


    Mia turned her head back to Max. "Atlanta.¡±


    ¡°Then let me at least drive you to the airport.¡± Max insisted.


    Mia finally accepted his offer and the two left the bar and got in Max¡¯s car but before leaving he handed over some money.


    ¡°Here. It should be enough to buy yourself something nice, once you get to Atlanta.¡±


    Mia was shocked by his generosity as she thought that he would be angry at her for wanting to leave Night City but instead, he was happy for her.


    The two drive to the airport but before Mia goes inside, she asks Max to come with her.


    ¡°We could leave NC together. We could start a new life. Just the two of us.¡±


    Max knew that he couldn¡¯t leave Night City even if he wanted to.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. There¡¯s something about Night City that keeps me from leaving this place. Even if I wanted to leave I couldn¡¯t, as no matter how hard you try to leave NC it always finds a way to drag you back in, but you have the chance to leave. Take it, Mia.¡±


    The two kiss one last time.


    Max stands by his car watching Mia walk inside the airport, each step getting further and further away from him, ending the bond that they two shared.


    Max got back in his car and began driving around the city as a way for him to clear his mind.


    During the drive he spots a beautiful mansion for sale that overlooks the entire city from the hills of Westbrook, he makes a mental note of the place as he feels it is time for him to move out of his apartment in City Center.


    With the late-night drive over Max returned home and proceeded to look out his window and began to think about the last words he said to Mia, it''s there he realized that he would be spending the rest of his life in Night City whether he liked it or not.

 Chapter 12

    The room was filled with silence as no one knew what to say


    ¡°Look it''s getting dark I would recommend that you lot head home and keep your heads down for a little while.¡± Before we could leave Reese had something else to say. ¡°Remember information like this, is going to cost you.¡±


    ¡°How much¡± I asked


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your damm eddies. Have you forgotten how we Knight Riders paid each other?¡±


    I forgot all about our unique currency system. We use gold coins as a sort of second currency, which can only be used at certain places affiliated with Afterlife These coins however aren''t easily accessible, as the only way to earn them is by completing jobs that a fixer gives you who is affiliated with Afterlife.


    When it comes to purchasing goods or services, the number of coins required varies depending on what you are buying. For example, if you want information about something, it will cost you one to five coin maximum. However, if you''re looking to buy guns, the cost will depend on the type and number of guns you need. In my case, because Eve and Ivy were custom-made for me it cost me an extraordinary amount of coins.


    It''s important to note that these coins have no value outside of Knight Rider¡¯s and the Afterlife.


    ¡°Your guns, give to me then,¡± Reese said calmly, acting as though Eve and Ivy didn¡¯t have any value,


    This pissed me off, ¡°No way. If you think I''m going to give these!¡± I pulled up the two handguns ¡°You are gravely mistaken pal! Look I don¡¯t have any coins on me at the moment because why the hell would I walk around the streets of NC with gold coins, but I''m sure I have some lying around in my apartment¡±


    Henry pulled out a gold coin and handed it to Reese. ¡°Here, take it¡±


    ¡°Henry bailing you out again Max... You never change Max, you never change. I suggest you lot take my advice and go home.¡±


    With the payment sorted we decided to take Reese¡¯s advice as it was getting late and judging that fact since we got involved in Patriot¡¯s business it would be best to lay low for a while as they would probably be searching for us.


    But let me tell you something I wanted to punch that prick so bloody badly, what he said about how I never change surprises me, as Reese is still the paranoid freak he once was when I first met him. Henry could see the amount of anger I was feeling.


    ¡°Max. I know how badly you want to kill Reese, but you can¡¯t. Remember the rule ¡°No Knight Rider kills another without severe consequences. Come on let''s go home.¡±


    The anger needed to be let out, the only closet thing I could find was Reese¡¯s trashcan. I looked at the trashcan channeling the anger before running towards it and then.


    BANG!


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    The trashcan went flying across the street along with whatever rubbish Reese had thrown away. But that didn¡¯t help with the rage, it made it worse. Not wanting to be in this street anymore I told Henry and Suzi to get in the car and the Delamain to take us to our designated homes.


    As the Delamain left, Reese was standing at his window and had seen Max kick over his trash can, he pulled out his phone and made a call to someone.


    The road trip back was awkward, I was in an inferno rage, and Henry was concerned that I would lose control. As for Suzi, she did look like she wanted to say something but felt that it wasn¡¯t the appropriate time.


    Henry¡¯s house was first, he got out of the car and said his goodbye but it''s something he said that stuck with me it was.


    ¡°Max. Don¡¯t lose it. Don¡¯t become that monster you keep inside. I''ll text you tomorrow, I expect you to respond.¡±


    He was concerned about me as he should be, he''s been my best friend since we were four, he knows better than anyone in Night City and he knows how much carnage I can cause. Only if I let myself get consumed but the monster inside of me.


    Delamain arrived outside of my apartment complex. Before heading to my apartment, I told Delamain to take care of Suzi for me, and with that, I said my goodbyes and headed for my apartment.


    ¡°Home sweet home,¡± I said, stepping inside my apartment.


    I could still feel the rage building up inside, I knew that kicking over Reese''s trash can didn¡¯t calm me down in the slightest. I began to look around and noticed my guitar lying against my amp for the guitar.


    ¡°Sure, miss letting loose with my guitar. But is it worth getting a noise complaint tonight?¡± I thought to myself before eventually saying, ¡°Fuck the noise complaint and fuck the neighbors as well. Those bastards have been blaring the loud shitty music for the past fortnight. And don¡¯t get me started on the constant arguing of the family next door as well.¡±


    I picked up the guitar and turned on the amp, setting it to the highest volume.


    As I held the guitar tightly in my hand, I braced myself for what I was about to do. I took a deep breath and allowed my emotions to spill out through my fingertips as I played the first notes, softly and slowly.


    The sound of the guitar was raw and emotional as if it was telling a story of its own. With each passing moment, I felt the tempo and volume increase as I poured more of myself into the music.


    The sound of the guitar was so epic and intense that I could feel the music through my body, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before the entire neighborhood would hear it. But I didn''t care. I was just trying to calm myself down and the guitar was the only way I knew how.


    As the ending was getting closer. I got lost in the moment and grabbed the top of the guitar with both hands and began to smash it against the floor, over and over again. The sound of the guitar breaking apart was almost as powerful as the music itself, and I felt a sense of release with each hit.


    Finally, I threw the remains of the guitar against the wall, watching as it shattered into a million pieces.


    As I stood there, breathing heavily, laughing to myself, I knew that I had found a way to express myself in a way that words could never do justice.


    My phone began to ring, I thought it would be a noise complaint I was expecting. I picked up the phone and began expecting the worst.


    Max: *Breathing heavily* ¡°Hello.¡±


    ???: ¡°Max. Is that you?¡±


    Max: ¡°Yeah it is. Who is it?¡±


    ???: ¡°It''s Rita. You remember me, right?¡±


    Max: ¡°Oh...Uh...Yeah, I remember. Do you need me for something?¡±


    Rita: ¡°No. I was just checking to see if this was your number.¡±


    Max: ¡°Oh...Ok...Umm...Do you want to come over to my place for a while?¡±


    Rita: ¡°Aww. That¡¯s very sweet of you Max, but I¡¯m rather busy with the Mox at the moment. Maybe another time. See you around Max.¡±


    ---Call Ended---


    Glancing at my phone I noticed that it had just passed 12 o''clock and I was exhausted and was ready to call it a day.


    Laying in my bed, looking up at the ceiling, I began slowly closing my eyes and eventually falling asleep.


    As Max drifts off to sleep he begins having a flashback to memories he had while part of the Almano Crime Family.

 Dream Flashback

    I was startled by a sudden kick on my leg, interrupting my thoughts. "Max...", I heard Tom say, "Sorry if this is boring for you Carver, but we have some serious business to go over."


    I shifted in my chair, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, Tom. Had a late night," I replied.


    Tom was the one in charge of our finances and the business within the family. Since the three of us became made men, we''ve mostly been taking jobs from him.


    "I can tell. Back to the reason why I called the three of you here. I need the three of you to have a chat with Raul and Iker," Tom said, getting straight to the point.


    Luca, the son of Tony Almano, was quick to react angrily, "What! No way. Why do the three of us need to talk to them?"


    Tom began rubbing his forehead, clearly irritated. "Because Luca you leadhead, your father has something big planned, and he would like the three of you to make sure our affairs with the Valentinos are in order financially."


    I could sense the tension in the air. Henry, always the voice of reason, asked the obvious question.


    "Hang on if it''s financial, shouldn''t you be doing this Tom?"


    Tom looked at him sternly, "You''re right, I should be dealing with this, but in case you three forgot, you''re made men now. Tony expects you to still do what he is asking. I have something else important needing my attention."


    I was intrigued. "Like what?" I asked curiously. Tom began to explain why he wasn''t dealing with The Valentinos. It turned out that Tony needed his help with other important issues that had been going on within the family.


    "If there are no more questions, I suggest you three make your way to the meeting," Tom said, concluding the conversation. Before we walked out of the door, Tom instructed me that James should have a car ready for us to take.


    The three of us exited the room and went our separate ways. I went to collect the car from James while Luca and Henry waited outside.


    Entering the workroom, I could see the car that we would be taking but it''s missing its tires. I began looking around for James but there was no sight of him.


    I entered his office and, not surprisingly, I could see James, someone who knew how to piss me off, franticly putting his pants on, and alongside him was Mia, his input who was secretly in love with me.


    ¡°Again. Really. Remember what I said would happen the next time you tried this shit?¡±


    James began stumbling over his own words, trying to find any excuse to defend himself.


    ¡°Look Max I never got a notice saying that you were on your way here. The car¡¯s ready anyway, why do you need to see me?¡±


    ¡°Car¡¯s ready James, yeah sure it is,¡± I responded sarcastically.


    I moved away from the door allowing James to see that the car was missing its tires. ¡°Yeah, because a car can function without its fucking tires! You fucking gonk! Now go get the tires and put them on the car you little prick!¡±


    James rushed out of the room to do what I instructed.


    Mia added her input. ¡°You''re being too harsh on him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being too harsh!? Your one to talk, if I remember correctly, you¡¯re the one that can¡¯t decide if you want to sleep with James or me.¡±


    I walked out of the room and began waiting for James to put the tires on the car, minutes passed James finally had the car ready, even though it should have already been ready in the first place.


    Outside Luca and Henry were standing outside in the cold, freezing air waiting for Max to show up, to pass the time Luca pulled out a cigarette and started smoking.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you smoked?¡± Henry said shocked.


    Luca replied, ¡°Look I don''t do it often. Do me a favor and keep it between us, please. I don''t want my father to find out¡±


    Shortly after Max arrived in the car. This caused Luca to stand on the cigarette putting it out and hiding the evidence.


    ¡°About god damm time,¡± Henry said while getting in the car.


    ¡°What the hell were you doing?¡± Luca asked.


    I apologized for the late arrival and started explaining why I was late and how James didn''t have the car finished.


    Luca remarked that he was surprised that I didn¡¯t kill James. To be honest, if given the choice I would one hundred percent kill James as he¡¯s nothing but a liability. Henry tried his best to defend James saying how he¡¯s great when it comes to cars, he just needs to keep his head out of Mia¡¯s ass.


    Luca then chimed in with his input saying how we would. Me and Henry were confused by what he said, Luca began going on about Mia¡¯s ass which was a conversation I didn''t need to hear about.


    ¡°Jesus Luca, can you go five minutes without talking about women?¡± I said, trying to stop the conversation from going any further.


    We parked the car outside the restaurant where we were told to meet the Valentinos.


    I knew that the Valentinos weren''t the type of people to start a fight in a public place, but I was still wary. We approached the restaurant and spotted Raul and Iker sitting at a table waiting for us. We made our way over to the table and introduced ourselves.


    "Mind if we join you?" I asked, trying to sound as friendly as possible.


    Raul got up from his seat and shook our hands. "Ah, good to see you Max, Henry, and Luca. Please take a seat but before we discuss business. Are any of you packing iron? If so, please give them to my colleague here and you will have them back once we have gone over the detes."


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    We did as he asked, taking a seat at the table and handed over our iron. I could feel the tension in the air as we all waited for someone to speak.


    Finally, Henry broke the silence. "The reason why we are having this conversation is because the Don has some big plans coming up and he would like to make sure that our finances are in order before going forward with the plan."


    Raul proceeded to question Henry about what the Don''s plans were. I could see the hesitation in his eyes, and I knew that we shouldn''t reveal too much information about our plans to The Valentinos.


    "No, we cannot tell you what the Don has planned," Henry replied.


    "Why?" Iker asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.


    Luca spoke up. "Because it isn''t your business!"


    I could feel the tension rising between us and The Valentinos after what Luca just said. I knew that we needed to defuse the situation before it got out of hand, plus we''re unarmed now.


    "Luca is right," I said, trying to sound as diplomatic as possible. "The Don''s plans are confidential and are only to be shared with those he trusts. No disrespect of course."


    The tension in the air dissipated slightly, and I could see that Raul and Iker were starting to relax. We continued our discussion, making sure to keep the conversation focused on our eddies and not the don¡¯s plans to end the war with 6th Street.


    In the end, we were able to come to an agreement that satisfied both groups, we got up, picked up our guns and left the restaurant feeling relieved that the meeting had gone smoothly all be it with some slight concerns when Luca decided to open his mouth.


    We got back in the car and headed back to the estate, to relay the events that took place with The Valentinos with Tony and Tom.


    We arrived back at the family estate and parked the car in the garage. As we stepped out of the car, I noticed James working on a different car nearby. It seemed like he had taken my advice about Mia as she wasn''t around.


    However, I knew exactly where she would be if she wasn''t with James, she was either waiting for me in my office or near my place.


    James noticed the three of us and shouted, "Oh, you''re back. How''d things go?"


    "Fine," I yelled back before tossing him the keys.


    The three of us made our way to Tony''s office where we were greeted by Tom and Tony himself. Tony was glad to see that we were unharmed and asked us about our meeting with The Valentinos.


    Henry briefed Tony on how the conversation went smoothly, except for a slight concern when Luca said something that could have ruined the entire meeting. Tony was glad to hear that there would be no issues with the Valentinos.


    However, he then brought up a more pressing matter. 6th Street had been causing problems for the family business for several years now, and Tony had a plan to end the feud. He proposed that they cripple 6th Street financially and publicly, without resorting to violence.


    Me and Luca were eager to get into a fight with 6th Street, but Tony believed that ending the feud without any bloodshed would be more beneficial for us. Tom would check that everything was in order, and the plan would commence in a few weeks.


    With the meeting wrapped up, Tom left to check over the plan but as we were about to leave, Tony stopped us. "Boys, I wanted to let you know that it''s mine and Vanessa''s wedding anniversary tonight, and she would like the three of you to come visit for dinner. Would you be interested?"


    We happily accepted Tony''s invitation. It was a kind gesture, considering how Tony and Vanessa had taken both of me and Henry in. Plus, I didn''t have anything planned later in the night.


    ¡°Well that your plans gone Luca.¡± Henry said in a joking manner.


    ¡°How so?¡± Luca asked, curiously, as to what Henry meant by saying that.


    ¡°It''s just that you tend to go out at night and normally I''m the one who has to pick you up and drop you off at home.¡± I said, defending Henry¡¯s claim.


    Our conversation was interrupted by someone informing me that someone was waiting for me in my office, I said my goodbyes to Luca and Henry before making my way to my office.


    Inside my earlier suspicion about whether Mia could be waiting for me turned out to be correct as she was sitting in my chair waiting for me.


    ¡°What do you want Mia? I¡¯m not in the mood for games.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Why not Max?¡± Mia responded in a flirtatious manner.


    I let out a sigh. ¡°Because I have plans with Tony tonight. Sorry if you were wanting to have some fun. Why don¡¯t you ask James seeing as though he is your input after all?¡±


    Mia began approaching me placing her hands on my shoulders. ¡°James is sweet but he¡¯s nothing like you Max. What time do you have to be there?¡±


    ¡°Just after seven o''clock.¡±


    ¡°Then we have about three hours. Should we do it here or at your place?" She said with her hands wrapped tightly around me.


    ¡°Your damaged goods lady.¡± Those were the last words I said to Mia before I lifted her and placed her on top of the desk.


    Lost in the moment I know that I shouldn¡¯t. But there¡¯s something about her that keeps me coming back and vice versa there¡¯s something about me that keeps her coming back.


    ¡°That was fun.¡± Mia said, regaining her breath. ¡°You sure you can''t cancel your plans tonight?¡±


    ¡°No, I can''t... but if it¡¯s a short dinner, then I''ll call you.¡±


    I kissed Mia goodbye and left the compound and went home to change and get ready for dinner with Tony and his wife.


    When you think about a house that the don of the Almano crime family would have, you instantly think of a massive mansion, but you would be wrong as Tony lived in a cozy little family home. The reason why he decided to live there was he felt cozier and would associate the place with work hence the reason we have a family estate that was meant to be used for living was instead turned into a place where we work.


    KNOCK! KNOCK!


    Vanessa opened the door looking beautiful as always.


    ¡°Oh, Max. Come here¡± Vanessa went for a hug. ¡°How are you? Come in come in.¡±


    I let her know that I was doing fine and complimented her appearance.


    The door opened again and in steps Luca and Henry.


    Vanessa hugged Henry before embarrassing Luca, treating him like a little boy again.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Tony?¡± I asked


    ¡°He¡¯s away getting a bottle of wine. He won''t be long.¡± Vanessa responded with.


    We went into the living room and started to have a small conversation to pass the time until Tony arrived.


    Suddenly the door swung open, with a lot of force.


    Walking into the house was Tony, his hand covered in blood, clenching his stomach tightly before falling on the floor.


    Luca and Henry rushed towards him and proceeded to pick him up and sat him in the living room.


    ¡°Jesus Tony, what the hell happened?¡± I asked, determined to find out who did this.


    Tony said that some 6th Street punks who didn¡¯t understand that there was a cease-fire going on right now were responsible for the gunshot.


    I wasn¡¯t going to let some 6th Street punks get the satisfaction that they shot Tony. I started giving out orders.


    ¡°Right, Henry, Vanessa you take care of Tony, Luca me and you are going to get the pricks who did this.¡±


    ¡°Hang on a second! Who said you''re in charge!¡± Tony responded by demanding that I know my place.


    ¡°With all due respect. You¡¯ve been shot by people who don¡¯t respect you and it''s our job to make sure that people respect you.¡±


    Me and Luca made our way to the front door.


    ¡°Max!.. Teach those basterds a lesson in respect.¡± That was Tony giving us the green light to get our revenge.


    Me and Luca got in my car and made a quick stop at Frank¡¯s to pick up some weapons, Luca helped himself to pump shotgun, whereas I grabbed a submachine gun.


    Locked and loaded we headed for 6th Street turf.


    ¡°How long is it going to take for you to get ready.¡±


    Luca clocks his shotgun. ¡°I''m always ready.¡±


    We got out of the car and walked towards some 6th Street punks listening to music and binge drinking.


    Luca and I started to open fire on all 6th Street goons, Luca¡¯s shotgun ripped open bodies sending blood, guts, and bone fragments everywhere, my submachine gun while not doing the amount of damage Luca was doing it was able to rip through the bodies of those far away, the road was getting covered with bullet shells and blood and guts. The sound of the bullets could be heard all over Night City. Once the massacre was finished, I left and note on a wall using the blood from 6th Street that read.


    ¡°Fear the Almano Crime Family.¡±

 Chapter 13

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 Chapter 14

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 Chapter 15

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 Chapter 16

    We sat down at a booth not too far from the bar.


    "So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" I asked, curious about what Henry had to say.


    "I did some digging on the Patriots, and I have to tell you that we should listen to Reese''s advice and stay away from them."


    "I''m not surprised you''re taking his side," I responded.


    "Max, I''m serious. They''re bad people."


    I got up from my seat. "Well, I better get some new upgrades then." Henry grabbed my arm, stopping my movement. I could tell by the look in Henry¡¯s eyes that he didn''t want me to get involved with the Patriots.


    I understand his concern, but I reminded him about the letter and how I wasn¡¯t going to let a family suffer because of the husband''s actions.


    While Max and Henry were debating getting involved with the Patriots, at the entrance of the Afterlife, Emmerick stopped an unknown person from entering the Afterlife.


    ¡°Hold on. You got business here?¡±


    The stranger claimed that they were friends of Max and Henry. A suspicious Emmerick called Max, saying, "Max, I got a live one here claiming that they''re friends of yours.¡±


    I replied, ¡°Keep them there; we¡¯re on our way.¡±


    Henry was curious about what was going on. I explained to him that there was someone at the entrance who was claiming that they were friends with me. A slight hint of nervousness tingled down my spine as I felt that the Patriots were coming to kill me.


    Thankfully, the person at the entrance waiting for us was Suzi. I told Emmerick, "It''s fine; we know her."


    We walked back inside Afterlife with Suzi and sat back at the booth. I asked Suzi what purpose she had coming to the afterlife; to Henry''s demise, it was about the Patriots.


    Suzi said, "I looked more into the whistleblower Kyle Richards, and here''s what I''ve found."


    Suzi pulled out her laptop and proceeded to show Max and Henry the information that she had found: ¡°As you suspected, he is a married man, as here is a picture of him with his wife and child. Also, take a look at this.¡± Suzi loaded up a video of Kyle leaving the broken-down house where he was staying for a while, and 20 minutes later, the three of us arrived at the house.


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    ¡°But that¡¯s not all,¡± Suzi said before showing us the location where Kyle lived with his wife.


    ¡°I suggest that we head there before the Patriots get there.¡±


    We took a moment to gather our thoughts and process the wave of information Suzi dumped on us.


    I replied, "Okay, so it''s a race to the house then. Let''s delta!¡±


    We got up and walked towards the exit, but before leaving, I signaled Alejandro to come with us as he proved himself with the netrunner gig, there was an issue as I only had a two-seater car and that wasn''t going to fit everyone.


    Suzi suggested that we take the Delamain again, but I had a better idea. I told the three of them that I wouldn''t be long and would arrive back in a car.


    As Max left Afterlife, Henry¡¯s brain clicked on where he was going. ¡°Oh, shit." This prompted Alejandro to ask why Henry had that response.


    Henry replied, ¡°I know where he¡¯s going.¡± Alejandro prompted Henry to continue, ¡°He¡¯s heading to Ruby¡¯s an old input that Max had. The two had a weird relationship, being very competitive and very fucking weird. Although things ended badly between the two of them, Last I heard, she became addicted to chrome.¡±


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    The door was opened by a fiery red-haired woman with a red left eye and a purple right eye, clearly chromed out in cyberware. Max stood at the door, arms wide open, expecting a hug from Ruby.


    ¡°Come on, Ruby, bring it in.¡±


    Ruby looked at me, disgusted by my comment, acting as though what happened between us never happened.


    ¡°You have some nerve showing up at my place, expecting me to hug you after what happened between us.¡±


    I replied, ¡°Look, I¡¯m only here for a quick favor, then I¡¯ll be gone.¡± Ruby slapped me across the face, leaving a hand mark on my cheek. ¡°Guess I deserve that,¡± I said while caressing my cheek.


    It was clear from the way Ruby was acting that whatever happened between us had left a severe impact on both Ruby¡¯s physical and mental health. I decided to cut right to the chase and asked to borrow her car. Ruby, wanting me out of her apartment, pointed towards the coffee table and said that''s where I would find the keys.


    With the keys acquired, I left the apartment, got in Ruby¡¯s nice red four-seater car, and headed back to Afterlife.


    Honk! Honk!


    Henry, Suzi, and Alejandro got in the car, and the four of us headed for the home of Kyle Richards. While on the drive, Henry asked if I went to Ruby¡¯s place, to which I responded, ¡°Does it matter if I went there?¡±


    ¡°Given what happened between you two, I''m surprised that she even let you take her ride,¡± Henry said.


    I told Henry that now wasn''t the best time and that I would tell him another time.


    Upon arrival at the intended house, it became apparent that we were not the first ones to arrive, as the front door had been kicked open. This prompted everyone to draw their weapons, including my beloved Eve and Ivy, Henry''s compact submachine gun, and Alejandro''s heavy revolver.


    We got ourselves in position and walked inside. Stepping inside, the hallway was torn apart, and the floorboard at the front door generated a squeaky sound when you stepped on it. Colored glass was visible from the broken vase, and photos of what seemed to be Kyle and his family were in a display left on the floor. We began making our way to the living room, which had the furniture moved about what was most alarming: a piece of fabric caught on the door hatch.


    ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± Suzi asked.


    ¡°Patriots, it''s got to be,¡± I replied.


    Just then, the sound of the squeaky floorboard. I instructed Suzi and the others to get down and hide while I checked out the uninvited guests.

 Chapter 17

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 Chapter 18

    Suzi was looking around, puzzled, as we arrived at Lizzie''s. A bright pink neon lady holding her leg up in a sexual way caught her attention. "This is Lizzie''s?" She said.


    I explained to her that it was a BD club owned by the Mox. We stepped inside, and a woman in a blue shirt stopped me at the entrance. She wanted to talk to me about something, but I told her I was busy and that I would check out their BDs another time. Surprisingly, the woman introduced herself as Jill and informed me that The Mox was willing to offer backup if I ever needed it, as a thank you for helping them organize a cease fire with the Tyger Claws and Crimson Blades. I thanked her for the offer and regrouped with Henry and the rest.


    As we looked around, I spotted Slippery Sam sitting on his own, his eyes fixated on a hologram of a woman dancing. I told Henry and the others to wait by the bar while I went to talk to Sam.


    "Max! It''s been a while since we last talked. How''s life?" He said with a smile. "Fancy a drink?" I declined his offer, as I was solely focused on getting the contact and getting out.


    The way he was sitting made me want to kill him right here, his arm resting on the top of the seat, his eyes still fixed on the hologram of a woman dancing with his other hand in his pocket, doing god knows what in there.


    ¡°I know how badly you messed up on the previous gig I gave you, so this one should be a lot easier to follow.¡± Sam pulled out a data shard. ¡°On this, you will see the location and what you need to do. It''s a simple search and find; you won''t run into any trouble.¡±


    I slotted the shard into my phone. I looked over the gig and noticed something shady that I had to question.


    ¡°A briefcase full of eddies! That''s what I''m collecting! What''s the catch?¡±


    Sam took his fixation off the hologram, looked at me, and said, ¡°No catch. Don''t you trust me, Max?¡±


    No, I didn¡¯t trust him; in fact, if I had any sort of common sense, I would have told him to shove the shard up his ass and then shoot him in the head, but given the fact that I never completed his earlier contract, I had no choice but to do this.


    ¡°Do feel free to have Henry tag along as well, seeing as though you two are chooms or maybe a bit more.¡± Sam turned his attention back to the hologram.


    His comment suggesting that me and Henry were more than friends made me want to rip out his throat.


    I walked back to Henry and the others and laid down what was going to happen. First, I gave Alejandro the detes of Vincent and told him that while me and Henry were busy, he should go do some gigs. As for Suzi, I asked if she was willing to help out with The Mox. She may not be able to fight, but she does know her way around computers.


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    With everyone going to do their separate things, Henry and I left Lizzie''s, but instead of getting back in the four-door car, I gave Henry the shard that contained where we needed to be and told him that I would meet him there while I gave Ruby her car back.


    Henry asked why I didn''t have one of those self-driving functions in my car, to which I responded by reminding him that the feature was discontinued in 2078 because of the food market incident. In summary, someone plugged into the car''s system and forced the car to drive through a food market.


    Several people were injured, and some sadly lost their lives.


    Max and Henry went off their separate ways. Back at Lizzie¡¯s. Jill noticed that Suzi seemed bored and asked her if everything was alright.


    However, Suzi was too busy working on her laptop and didn''t pay attention to Jill''s words. Jill tried once more to get Suzi''s attention, but her attempts were in vain. Finally, Jill decided to close Suzi''s laptop, which only made Suzi more annoyed, as she was in the middle of something and didn''t want to be interrupted.


    Suzi snapped at Jill, asking her what she wanted.


    Jill explained, ¡°You seem bored out of your mind. And your so-called ¡°friends¡± left you behind. I just wanted to see if you were alright.¡±


    Suzi quickly defended her friends, saying that Max was like a big brother to her and that he might seem cold and heartless on the outside, but he was caring and nice on the inside. As for Henry, Suzi saw him as a friend who was always willing to share their thoughts and opinions with each other.


    Jill was still curious why Max and Henry had left Suzi behind, and Suzi explained that they had a biz that required only the two of them. Jill then suggested that Suzi could spend her time in the basement, where there was a lot of computer equipment that she could use.


    The two headed to the basement, where Suzi was amazed by the amount of hardware that was stored there. From the looks of it, it seemed like the equipment hadn''t been touched in months.


    ¡°It was equipment that an old BD editor used when she ran with us before eventually packing up and leaving NC,¡± Jill explained.


    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Suzi asked.


    Jill didn¡¯t understand what Suzi was talking about and reassured her that there was no catch. She wanted to make sure that she was fine. ¡°Put it like this. Max helped my people; I¡¯ll help his.¡± Jill said before leaving Suzi on her own.


    Switch Back to Max


    I parked Ruby¡¯s car in the parking lot. I wanted to knock on her door and tell her that her car is back safe and sound, but I felt it would be best if I just gave the car back and left, as she was still pissed off with me. I got back in my quadra and called Henry.


    Max


    ¡°On my way, where are you?¡±


    Henry


    ¡°Good, I''m still on the train.¡±


    The train¡¯s tannoy could be heard in the background.


    The next stop is Rancho Coronado.


    Max


    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake! Who sets up a deal there, out all places in Night City?¡±


    Henry


    ¡°I take it you still hate this district.¡±


    Max


    ¡°Hate it!? I fucking despise it!¡±


    Henry


    "Look, I know it''s where your mom and dad live, and I also know it''s where you and Luca obliterated 6th Street, but keep your head on; I don''t want this gig to fuck up like the last one.¡±


    Max


    "Sorry, it''s just...never mind, I''ll pick you up at the station.¡±


    Call Ended

 Chapter 19

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 Chapter 20

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 Chapter 21

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 Chapter 22

    With Sam now dead, I felt somewhat happy that he was dead. As I was driving along the empty street, suddenly the peaceful silence was shattered by a loud and thunderous explosion that reverberated through the air. I immediately hit the brakes and looked around, trying to identify the source of the explosion. I turned to Henry and asked if he had heard it too. He nodded and speculated that it could be the start of the sixth corpo war.


    Feeling anxious, we resumed our journey to Henry''s house, hoping that the explosion was just a result of gang warfare and not the beginning of a full-blown war. After dropping Henry off, I made my way back home, my thoughts still preoccupied with the explosion.


    However, my journey was interrupted when I was stopped by the NCPD, who were locking down each district while they were investigating the cause of the explosion. The officer knocked on my car window and asked, ¡°What business do you have in Westbrook, sir?¡±


    I explained that I lived there and was in a hurry to get back home.


    Noticing the condition of my car, the officer inquired about what happened. I hesitated for a moment, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. Eventually, I told the officer, "Oh, it was a street race that caused the damage. The other racers seemed to have formed a pact and went after me.¡±


    There was a long pause before a different cop intervened: ¡°Al! Hurry up; we don''t have all night!¡±


    "Sorry, sir, you can go now.¡±


    I passed the badges and continued my journey back home for some much-needed rest. Outside my apartment complex, I parked my car, got out, and proceeded to make my way to the elevator. Inside the elevator were a man lighting a cigarette and a lady with her daughter. As the elevator began moving, the television screens switched to N54 news.


    ¡°We now turned our attention to the comments that Mayor Peralez has shared with the people of Night City.¡±


    ¡°Citizens of Night City, as you might have heard, there was an explosion in Watson that has caused people to believe that a sixth corpo war has started. But I can confirm that the explosion was nothing more than gang violence. Thanks to our brave officers in the NCPD, they can confirm that the explosions were in the hands of the gang calling themselves the Crimson Blades. Because of their actions, I have decided to place not just Watson but all of Night City into lockdown. The duration of the lockdown will be three weeks at a minimum. I have also taken the liberty of allowing NCPD officers to use higher-caliber weapons in order to combat these gangs. I will now accept any questions at a later date. Thank you.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The man with the cigarette in his finger comments on the mayor''s comments, saying, ¡°Ever since he became mayor, this city¡¯s gone to sh*t."


    The elevator stopped, letting the woman and her daughter exit to the left, leaving me with the man with the cigarette. The elevator stopped on my floor. I exited the elevator, got back in my apartment, and called Alejandro, asking him if he was responsible for the explosion.


    Max: ¡°Alejandro? What the fuck happened?¡±


    Alejandro: ¡°Max!? Did you know your friend Vincent has ordered bombs!?¡±


    Max: "Firstly, he¡¯s not my friend, and second, what do you mean he ordered bombs?¡±


    Alejandro: ¡°He ordered bombs that were taken by the Crimson Blades, and I was tasked to retrieve them, only for the bombs to have a timer, causing me to run away before they exploded.¡±


    Max: ¡°Where are you right now?¡±


    Alejandro: ¡°Currently in a motel, I can¡¯t go home as the badges have locked down Watson.¡±


    Max: "Well, just stay there for the time being. I''ll call you in the morning.¡±


    Alejandro: "Okay, stay safe, hermano.¡±


    Call Ended


    Knowing who was responsible for the massive explosion, I headed for some much-needed sleep. As I was getting undressed, I pulled out the business card that Karim had given me. On the card was his number and where I would find him. I decided to deal with that in the morning.


    The next morning


    The bright light from the sun slashed across my eyes, causing me to wake up. Getting out of bed, I immediately texted Alejandro and told him to stay in the motel and keep a low profile until the lockdown was lifted, as he wasn¡¯t in the same district as me.


    After texting Alejandro, I headed for the shower to freshen myself up. The warm water hitting my body was nice and relaxing; it almost made me fall asleep again. Finished with the shower, I dried myself off before getting dressed, putting on a red t-shirt, black pants, white shoes, and my favorite jacket.


    As I put my jacket on, a business card fell out of the jacket pocket. Taking another look at the business card, it was the one that Karim gave me, so I decided to call the number.


    Karim: ¡°Hello! This is the number for Karim Hakim. I¡¯m afraid Mr. Hakim is a very busy man and can''t take your call at this moment. Please leave a message after the tone.¡±


    I hung up the call, not wanting to leave a voice message. With all of Night City placed in lockdown, I couldn¡¯t go anywhere, meaning I was stuck in Westbrook. Whether I liked it or not, I turned my attention to getting my car fixed, as I couldn¡¯t drive around Night City with a broken windscreen as well as major bodywork damage. Thankfully, I knew a really good mechanic who could fix my car. I got in the car and headed for the mechanic.


    Parking the car inside, I greeted the mechanic, ¡°Hey Ryuji, I need you to fix my car.¡±


    Ryuji began looking at the sheer amount of damage the car had taken. ¡°You really did a number on the car, huh? It''s not going to be cheap, and it will take a while to fix... I can fix it for $15,000.¡±


    That was the news I wasn¡¯t hoping for.


    ¡°Can you do 10,000?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tell you what. I¡¯ll do it for $12,000, and in return, you do me a favor. Sounds fair, right?¡±


    "Sure, it gives me something to do while I wait. What do you need me to do?¡±

 Chapter 23

    Ryuji looked nervous to tell me what he wanted me to do. I reassured him that I wouldn''t judge him for whatever job he wanted me to do.


    Ryuji finally spoke about what he wanted me to do. ¡°Clouds. I need you to head to the clouds."


    ¡°The dollhouse?¡±


    "Look, a friend of mine went there, and I haven''t heard from him since then, and I''m worried in case something bad has happened to him, so could you please check it out?¡±


    I expressed that I needed more information.


    ¡°My friend started going to Clouds eight days ago, and ever since then, he¡¯s been acting really strange. I tried asking him if he had family working there and was trying to get them to quit, but he just remained silent.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how am I going to recognize him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s medium height, not got a lot of muscle, short black spikey hair... Oh, the skin in between his thumb and index finger is a tattoo of a dragon.¡±


    ¡°That should be enough.¡± I left Ryuji with my car while I headed over to the clouds. All I knew about Clouds was that it''s a dollhouse and the incident that transpired there in 2077.


    Arriving at Megabuilding H8, the place was heavily watched over by Tyger Claws. I walked into the elevator and pressed the cloud button on the elevator¡¯s display.


    Getting out of the elevator, I was greeted by a neon sign saying clouds, but the door was labeled "closed.¡±


    I thought that they would be open 24/7, but it turns out I was wrong. With no other option, the nearby bench was calling my name, so I decided to take a nap, as there was nothing else at the moment that needed my attention.


    Some time later


    I woke up still feeling tired and with bad neck pain. I looked over at the door and noticed that the closed label was gone, suggesting that it was open. I make my way inside, walking past pictures of male and female dolls before arriving at the front desk.


    ¡°Welcome to Clouds. Where we know what you''re looking for. Would you care to place your hand on the scanner?¡±


    The receptionist was blue-haired with tattoos all over her arms, in the style that Tyger Claws has.


    Before placing my hand on the scanner, I had a few questions that I wanted to get off my chest about this place.


    ¡°So, how does this work? You give me a menu, and I get to pick whatever one I want.¡±


    The receptionist replied back, "No, the scanner creates a profile that will find you the doll you are most compatible with.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, placing my hand on the scanner.


    ¡°This will be a live session, so please keep in mind that events may take a certain turn. But don''t quit if you feel uncomfortable; you may miss out on something truly remarkable. In case you¡¯re uncomfortable with what may happen next, you will have a safeword that will interrupt the session at any given time. So? What will be your safeword?¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    I struggled to think of something generic until it hit me: ¡°Afterlife.¡±


    ¡°Now bear with me a moment. Scanning your personal profile... You should see compatible dolls on the monitor to your right.¡±


    The monitor displayed the names and faces of each doll, slowly disappearing one after the other until I was left with one. Someone called Persephone


    ¡°Interesting...¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re matched with Persephone, who¡¯s a VIP doll. Could you give me a moment?¡±


    The receptionist left to make a call, and a short while later she returned, ¡°Sorry about that. We¡¯ve never had this sort of issue before, but you¡¯re free to continue. Now for the payment. And you''ll venture off into the clouds.¡±


    I handed over the number of eddies that were required.


    ¡°Thank you. Here is your VIP card. Persephone awaits you in booth V5. Please remove your hand.¡±


    I removed my hand and started to make my way into the VIP area before the receptionist yelled out,


    ¡°Ahem. We have a very strict no-weapons policy here at Clouds. Please deposit any and all hazardous items with me.¡±


    With much hesitation, I handed over Eve and Ivy to the receptionist.


    ¡°Thank you. We hope you enjoy your stay.¡±


    I approached the VIP door, and after a quick scan, I was granted access to the VIP room. Walking upstairs, I spotted the room labeled V5.


    Before I entered the booth, I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what lay ahead.


    As the doors opened, a black-haired woman with red lipstick and brown piercing eyes was lying on the bed with one hand on her head and the other on the bed sheet.


    ¡°Hi. I''m Persephone. And you must be...Leo?¡±


    ¡°Max. Just Max; no one ever calls me that name.¡±


    Persephone began slowly approaching me.


    ¡°So, Max, you¡¯ve had one busy life so far. A former member of the Almano crime family, Knight Rider, a key figure in the Arasaka bank heist, is now mixed up with The Patriots.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± I asked,


    Persephone started walking around me, lightly caressing parts of my body. ¡°At Clouds, we know everything there is to know about you. Your deepest desires, who you are, and what you are seeking... Come. Join me on the bed.¡±


    I followed her instructions and lay down beside her.


    ¡°You need to relax; take time for yourself. When was the last time you truly relaxed?¡±


    I couldn''t think of the last time I relaxed. All I''ve mostly done was either killing or acting out in a fit of rage.


    Persephone continued in her calming yet soothing voice, ¡°I want you to close your eyes and relax. Eliminate all thoughts of killing and anger from your mind. Focus on my voice. Let my voice suppress all the anger you have been building up.¡±


    While she was saying this, I felt a hand around my stomach, then slowly moving down.


    ¡°Hang on! As much as I appreciate what you''re trying to do, I''m not here for sex.¡±


    Persephone was understanding, reassured me that she wouldn¡¯t do anything without telling me, and asked if I would close my eyes again.


    ¡°Why do you kill Max? What is it that you enjoy about it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something that I''ve done all my life, even as far back as my Almano days.¡±


    ¡°You must come to terms with the fact that not all solutions require killing. There are fates worse than death. Has there been times when you felt as though you shouldn¡¯t have killed them?¡±


    ¡°What are you, my therapist?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m here to help you. The darkness you have building up inside you needs to be contained; that is what I intend to do. I want you to be the best version of yourself.¡±


    ¡°But how can I be the best version of myself after all that I¡¯ve done?¡±


    ¡°The people you put in your life have been key in helping you.¡± Persephone looked at my hand and noticed the ring on my finger.


    ¡°You still carry that ring your grandparents gave you?¡±


    ¡°It''s the only members of my family that looked after me... My mother and father were too busy arguing then to take care of their own son.¡±


    Persephone started playing with my hair, ¡°That''s good. You''re eliminating the bad people in your life and keeping the good in your life.¡±


    As I lay on the bed, I almost didn''t want to get up. I wanted to lay here and just listen to Persephone talk to me. But I had a job to do.


    ¡°Afterlife¡±

 Chapter 24

    The lights flashed on, and Persephone, once lying on the bed, shot up and began asking what happened and if she had done something wrong.


    ¡°No, no, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong; in fact, you helped me out a lot. I had quite a lot of things going on inside my head that I needed to get out of, so thank you for that. But I need to ask you about someone.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen someone with short black spikey hair around here?¡±


    Persephone¡¯s mind drew a blank: ¡°Are they a customer or a doll?¡±


    Even though that was a question that I needed answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know; that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you.¡± I gave more details on the person I was looking for: ¡°Medium height. He has a tattoo of a dragon on his hand.¡±


    Persephone''s mind clicked and suggested that she did see someone with a dragon tattoo, although the person that she was referring to was a Tyger Claw.


    I was starting to lose my patience; it was clear from her body language that she knew who I was talking about. ¡°Surely you must have seen someone that matches the description? Look, I''ll even sweeten the pot and give you a five-star review.¡±


    Persephone gave in and said, ¡°Fine. I did see someone who matches your description, but they did go into booth V2. If you want more details about your man, you¡¯d best head over there.¡±


    I thanked Persephone, left the booth, and headed for booth V2. The booth¡¯s door opened, and inside was a strange sight: a man handcuffed to the bed. I looked at the man, confused if he handcuffed himself or if someone else handcuffed him to the bed.


    ¡°What the hell''s going on here? Why are you handcuffed to the bed?¡±


    The doll was confused by my questions. ¡°Wait a second... I¡¯m sorry, but who are you? My usual client at this time had a thing for handcuffs, and judging by your reaction, I take it you''re not my client.¡± The doll said,


    ¡°Clouds aren¡¯t joking when they say that they will fulfill your deepest desires,¡± I said sarcastically before asking the doll about the man I was looking for.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone¡ªsomeone who I believe to be a client of yours. A medium-height man with short black spikey hair has a dragon tattoo on his hand, more specifically the skin in between his thumb and index finger.¡±


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    The doll¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°Shin? Why are you looking for him?¡±


    It was a long story, one that I wasn''t going to tell. I decided to just shorten the story and say that his family was worried about him and wanted to know where he went at night. The doll was understanding and very disturbingly revealed that he was the client who has a fetish for handcuffs before continuing to say that Shin wanted the doll to quit his job at Clouds and come live with him.


    ¡°And do you want to leave Clouds?¡± I asked, wanting to make sure that the doll wasn''t being forced to leave against his will.


    ¡°Yes! I hate working here. The constant paranoia of being replaced frightens me, and some of the things that clients want to do with me are outright creepy. There was one time when a client wanted to¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know!¡± I said, stopping him mid-speech.


    The doll continued, ¡°Fair enough, but I would love to leave Clouds with Shin, as I love him. I was hoping that he was coming to get me out of here today, but seeing as though you have shown up means he isn''t coming for me.¡±


    The door opened. I turned around and noticed that the man who opened the door was the man I was looking for. I tried my best to explain the situation, saying that I wasn¡¯t a customer, but in fact, while looking for him, Shin wanted to know why I was looking for him and who told me about his secret relationship.


    ¡°To skip over the details is your choom. Ryuji asked me to look for you; he was worried that you had gotten involved with the Tyger Claws.¡±


    Shin let out a massive sigh of relief, thinking that I was there to kill him. Shin asked if I should keep quiet about everything that just transpired. I agreed as I could tell that this was my queue to leave, but annoyingly, Shin asked for one last favor.


    ¡°Could you please help me get Dale out of here? It shouldn''t be hard; I¡¯ll even pay you.¡±


    I thought about it for a second and untimely decided to help, seeing as though I was this far in the rabbit hole. Shin smiled before revealing his plan: ¡°What I need you to do is cause a distraction so I can get Dale out of here.¡±


    I asked if Shin had any suggestions on what type of distraction I should cause.


    Shin suggests that I act like a drunken client, as not only will everyone focus on me but also security will have to intervene and remove me from the building.


    After much hesitation and internal debate, I reluctantly agreed to go along with the plan. I began to walk with a noticeable struggle, my movements unsteady and labored. My words became slurred and incoherent.


    Gradually, I amplified my performance, faking a sudden loss of consciousness, but ensuring that it was loud and eye-catching enough to attract attention. As expected, security rushed towards me, their grip firm as they took hold of my arms and began to drag me towards the reception area before throwing me into the lockers.


    I got up, remembered to grab my guns from the locker, and left Clouds.


    Outside I saw Shin and the doll waiting for me.


    ¡°That was great, I love acting like a fucking idiot.¡±


    Shin didn¡¯t realize that I was being sarcastic, he handed over a good amount of eddies but I insisted that he kept the money as he''ll need it more than me as I wouldn''t be surprised if Tyger Claws came after him now.

 Chapter 25

    Before saying our goodbyes, I suggested the idea of taking the doll to a ripperdoc to check if it had a tracker in its software. It wouldn''t take a long time before anyone at Clouds noticed the doll was missing.


    Shin agreed, and the two got into his car. Before driving away, he said, "You''re a good person, sir. You didn''t need to help me, but I''m thankful that you did, and I appreciate you letting me keep my eddies. So long, stranger."


    I waved goodbye as I watched the car drive away from Megabuilding. With the clouds now over, I headed back to Ryuji''s to check on the progress of my car. Opening the door to the garage, I could see Ryuji''s feet underneath my car, still working on it.


    Ryuji could tell that it was me just by my shoes, ¡°Hey! Max. How did things go at Clouds?¡±


    I decided not to tell Ryuji some of the truth but leave out key details as I wanted to keep my word with Shin: ¡°Turns out your friend was a customer at Clouds. I did try to see if I could find him, but I couldn¡¯t. All I could find was your friend meeting with a doll.¡±


    Ryuji wiped off his fingers. ¡°At least he¡¯s not in trouble with the Tyger Claws... Your car is almost ready; I just need to check over the engine, and that should be it. If you want to, take a seat in my office while I check the engine; it should be a ten-minute job.¡±


    I walked into his office and noticed the couch by the window looking rather inviting. I laid down and rested my eyes.


    Ten minutes later


    After taking a brief nap, I experienced an unusual dream. I found myself surrounded by darkness, and suddenly a familiar voice, which I recognized as Persephone''s, called out to me. As I moved towards the sound, I saw her beckoning me to join her, reaching out her hand.


    Startled, I awoke from the dream, feeling disoriented and trying to comprehend its meaning. Before I could gather my thoughts, Ryuji called out my name, letting me know that the car was ready to go.


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    I was amazed by the excellent work Ryuji had done. The previous damage to my car was completely repaired, the bodywork looked as good as new with fresh paint, and even the windscreen was fixed. As I got into the car and started the engine, a satisfying roar filled the air, bringing a smile to my face.


    Ryuji then mentioned that he had replaced the old engine with a new, faster one for no extra cost. I expressed my gratitude for his exceptional work and left the auto shop.


    Driving away, I eagerly anticipated the new engine''s performance as I left the shop behind. I found myself pondering over what to do next. That''s when I remembered an old fixer I knew.


    I drove down to the infamous Jig-Jig Street, a notorious location known for its shady dealings and Joytoys. I made my way to the pachinko parlor. As soon as I walked in, I spotted the very old yet still capable Wakako Okada on the phone, but she gestured to me that she''d be with me in a minute.


    I patiently stood by the door and waited for Wakako to finish her call before talking to her. Finally, Wakako hung up and greeted me with a smile. "Ah, Carver, it''s good to see you again," she said.


    I returned the greeting with a bow and complimented her on her ageless appearance.


    "Charming," she replied. "But I take it you didn''t come here for chit-chat?"


    I explained my predicament to Wakako. "Due to NC being placed under lockdown. I''ve got nothing to do until the lockdown is lifted and I''m in the market for a gig.¡±


    That''s when Wakako pulled out a photograph of a man with short black hair, a scar across his right eye, and a bandage wrapped around his left ear. She handed it to me and told me that I''d be working with someone and that she''d be in contact with me soon. When I asked about the man in the picture, she simply said, "You''ll find out in due time."


    As I pressed for more information, Wakako remained tight-lipped. With no other option, I thanked her and left. I made my way back to my apartment, deep in thought. As I gazed out of the window, I couldn''t help but reflect on my life so far.


    The death of Sam, my involvement with the Patriots, a brief encounter with Ruby, and now the lockdown in NC¡ªeverything seemed to be connected in some way. I thought back to what Persephone said and how much she impacted my life. Even though it was a short conversation, I had a strange thought in my mind to go back to Clouds and listen to her again. I was very quick in shutting down those thoughts.


    Finally, I lay down on my bed, closed my eyes, and tried to clear my mind.


    The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing; looking at the phone, it was an unknown number.


    Max: ¡°Hello?¡±


    ??? ¡°Are you Max Carver?¡±


    Max: ¡°Yeah... Who is this? What do you want?¡±


    ???: ¡°Lele Park! Be there in fifteen minutes.¡±


    They hung up, not letting me get the last words in. With no other option, I got up quickly, got dressed, and headed for Lele Park.

 Chapter 26

    When I arrived at Lele Park, the place was redesigned; before, it was an open outside area, but now it''s an indoor shopping mall. My eyes widened at the sight of the bustling crowd, even though it was still early in the morning. I scanned the area, trying to locate the person who had arranged the meeting, but with no luck. The sheer number of people made it impossible to find my contact. I continued to search, scouring shops, bars, and even the hotel, but still couldn''t spot the person I was supposed to meet.


    Feeling frustrated, I headed to the bar and took a seat. I hoped that the person I was looking for would eventually show up. After waiting for about ten minutes, I felt a nudge on my shoulder. I turned to see a woman with bright cyan hair with pink streaks sitting next to me at the bar.


    I was taken aback by her abruptness and commented, "A bit rude for an introduction."


    She turned her head and introduced herself as Cynthea. She expressed her displeasure at having me tag along with her to find the target. She then asked me to follow her to her car and wanted to know how much I knew about the person we were after.


    "Almost nothing. The only piece of intelligence I got was this picture," I replied, showing Cynthea the photo.


    Cynthea explained that the man in the picture was David Kane, who used to have a wife and a daughter. She then went on to reveal that his wife had died of an incurable illness three years ago, and his daughter despised him.


    Cynthea continued, "Dave had joined the 6th Street gang when they were at their lowest point; they were struggling to make money, and the constant attacks from some Italian mobs made their lives a living hell."


    My eyes widened at the mention of the Italian mob. There wasn''t any doubt in my mind that the Almano crime family was responsible for the attacks. I decided to play dumb, as there was a strong likelihood that I might have encountered Dave at some point.


    ¡°I mean, imagine being in his daughter''s shoes for a second. Your mother, who loved you and cared for you, is dead from an incurable illness, and your deadbeat father is a gang banger who kills people and claims that they are doing this for you. No wonder she hates him,¡± Cynthea expressed.


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    ¡°So why do we need to go after him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ever since 6th Street fell, he¡¯s been doing odd jobs for different gangs, and this has annoyed a few people, more specifically Tyger Claws. Who wants someone to bring Dave in for questioning? And that''s where we come in. I have a meeting with some Tyger Claws who plan on giving me the location of where Dave is."


    We spotted Cynthea''s car, which was adorned with the same vibrant and striking colors as her hair. She asked if I was comfortable riding with her or if I preferred to meet her at the venue. As I had no idea where the destination was, I decided to accompany her in her car.


    Getting in her car, I couldn''t stop looking at the uniqueness of Cynthea''s hair color. I asked her if she had recently dyed it or if it was natural. She revealed that her hair was enhanced with cybernetic upgrades, just like Ruby''s.


    While on the drive, I asked why she wasn¡¯t happy that I was working alongside her. Cynthea revealed that she has a trust issue and doesn¡¯t like working with people, and the fact that Wakako had asked me to watch over her annoyed her. I expressed that I would let her take charge and that I''d only get involved when things get messy.


    We arrived at the docks near Jig-Jig Street, and as we walked around, we kept an eye out for the Tyger Claws we were supposed to meet. The rain had started to fall, and we noticed a group of men in suits huddled under umbrellas, trying to stay dry.


    As we approached them, one of the Tyger Claws looked over Cynthea''s shoulder and spotted me. "Ah, Cynthea," he said. "And you''ve brought a friend with you."


    Cynthea introduced me as an extra gun, but the Tyger Claw immediately knew that I was something special.


    ¡°I''m afraid your friend here is something special. That young man owes us a favor, and we¡¯re cashing it in.¡±


    I walked past Cynthea and proceeded to ask why I had to get involved in this.


    The Tyger Claw explained, ¡°We originally wanted you to do this, but you¡¯ve been pretty difficult to find these past few days. Remember, we kept our word on upholding the truce with the Mox; it''s now up to you to hold your word and help us with this minor problem we have.¡±


    Reluctantly, I agreed to keep my word. The Tyger Claw handed me an envelope with the details and then drove off. Cynthea and I walked back to her car, still in shock about what had just happened.


    "So, when were you going to tell me that you owed the Tyger Claws?" Cynthea asked.


    "You never asked," I replied.


    Cynthea didn''t seem too pleased that I had kept this from her, but I explained the meeting I had weeks ago between myself, the Tyger Claws, and the Crimson Blades. I had managed to convince the Tyger Claws to lay off the Mox for a while, and in return, I had promised to do a favor for them. Now, it seemed like that favor was finally being called in, and I had no choice but to follow through.

 Chapter 27

    As I tore open the envelope, my heart rate quickened with unease. Inside, there was a folded piece of paper and a photo attached to it with a paper clip. The piece of paper had an address scrawled on it. But the photo attached was what really caught my attention. The photo was of a young girl sitting on the metro, looking innocent and unaware of the fact that someone was watching over her. Cynthea recognized it immediately.


    ¡°That¡¯s Jen,¡± she yelled, her voice shaking with emotion.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Jen?¡± I asked, my mind still reeling from the shock of the situation.


    ¡°Dave¡¯s daughter,¡± Cynthea replied, her voice urgent. ¡°They''re planning on using her as ransom, and the address must be where Dave is located. Come on, we can bring him in before the Tyger Claws kidnap his daughter.¡±


    Without wasting another moment, Cynthea started the car, and we sped towards the address, our minds racing with fear and determination. Time was of the essence, and we knew that the fate of an innocent life hung in the balance.


    We arrived at the address given; the address was a small, run-down house. I ran to the door and started bashing it, trying to get the attention of whoever was inside.


    ¡°Open up! We need to talk to you!¡±


    Whoever was inside clearly wasn¡¯t interested in talking. Cynthea looked around the house and looked through the window leading into the living room. She wasn¡¯t able to see anyone inside and began thinking that they had been sent to the wrong place in order for the Tyger Claws to capture Dave¡¯s daughter.


    I tried the door again, but this time I mentioned the girl. This time someone responded, telling me to fuck off or else I''ll be shot. I brushed over the comment and kicked the door open.


    The door swung open, allowing the man inside to open fire. This caused me to dive inside and take cover behind a wall.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°We don''t have to make things difficult, Dave! Just hand over your gun and come with me... Trust me, you don''t want to make this even harder than it already is! Given the fact that your daughter could be in danger!¡±


    Dave responded by unloading his gun to where I was seeking cover before swearing uncontrollably, claiming that if anything bad happened to his daughter, then everyone I loved would suffer the same fate. I again brushed off Dave''s comments, as he was clearly in a fit of rage, was solely focused on killing me, and wasn¡¯t worried about Cynthea sneaking up behind him.


    I knew that the coast was clear once I heard the gun stop firing and a thud coming at the end of the hallway.


    ¡°You know he could have made things a lot easier if he was willing to talk,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good idea on being the bate. Maybe it was a good idea for you to tag along.¡± Cynthea replied.


    ¡°Whoa, wait a second, I had the situation all under control. I was waiting for the right moment to strike.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway, as he¡¯s, our target. Put him in the trunk, would you?¡± Cynthea instructed.


    ¡°Yes, mam,¡± I said before saluting her.


    She laughed at my comment and headed back to her car, leaving me with Dave¡¯s unconscious body. I grabbed his shoulders and started dragging him to the car¡¯s truck. While dragging his body, a vibrating sound made its appearance. I checked Dave¡¯s pockets and pulled out his phone, the person calling Dave was a number that wasn''t saved on Dave''s phone.


    Intrigued, I answered the call. On the other line was a man with a deep, raspy voice.


    ¡°Dave I¡¯ve been thinking about how we can get back at the Tyger Claws.¡±


    I tried my best to copy Dave¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh yeah, what were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Not over the phone. Meet me in twenty minutes at the war memorial.¡±


    The stranger hung up after that. The idea of going to meet this strange man was in my mind, but I felt more compelled to just get the gig done and be done with the Tyger Claws.


    I continued to drag Dave¡¯s body to the car and proceeded to drop his body in the trunk.


    Getting back inside Cynthea¡¯s car, she was quick to comment on the fact that I was taking my time. I began telling her about the phone call and the fact that one of Dave''s friends wanted to meet him at the war memorial and that it would involve Tyger Claws.


    Cynthea asked for my option, to which I said that we should just finish up with the gig, get paid, and never have to worry about dealing with the Tyger Claws again. Besides, I already have enough to deal with, and I wouldn¡¯t like to add Tyger Claws to my ongoing list of problems that I need to get involved with.


    We agreed that it would be better if we handed over Dave to the Tyger Claws.

 Chapter 28

    As Cynthea prepared to start the engine, she quickly took out her phone to contact her Tyger Claw representative and inquire about the location where they would be delivering the body. The conversation between the two was brief and one-sided, and I could only hear Cynthea murmuring "yup" a few times before she hung up the call.


    After the call, she started the car''s engine and began driving towards the place where we were supposed to deliver Dave''s body. I was curious about the location, so I asked Cynthea about it. She told me that we were heading back to the docks.


    As we drove towards the docks, I could sense that Cynthea was nervous. Perhaps it was because she had never done anything like this before, or it could be due to the fact that Jen''s life was in danger.


    I tried to calm her down and said, "Don''t worry, everything will be fine."


    Cynthea apologized and explained, "I''m just worried that they have involved an innocent girl in all this mess."


    To ease her concerns, I explained, "The Tyger Claws are the most feared gang in Night City for a reason. They are ruthless and will stop at nothing to get what they want. They are known for involving innocent people to achieve their goals."


    Cynthea then asked me, "What are the other reasons why Tyger Claws are so feared?"


    I replied, "For starters, they are the oldest gang in Night City, having been around since 2020. They have been constantly on the rise ever since and have had a significant influence on the city''s underworld. They are also notorious for their brutal methods, and my advice would be to avoid getting on their bad side, or you might end up like our friend in the trunk."


    As we headed towards the docks, there was an eerie silence in the air. Half of our task was completed; all we had left to do was deliver the unconscious body of Dave.


    Cynthea then started asking about what we were going to do about the stranger that was called Dave.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I said, ¡°As it currently stands, we¡¯ll hand over Dave to the Tyger Claws, and whatever happens after that is none of my business. I¡¯ve got enough on my plate as is.¡±


    ¡°And what''s so important that you can''t help me see this through to the end?¡±


    ¡°A lot, and let''s leave it at that.¡±


    Cynthea insisted that I spilled the detes on why I had more important things to do. I again asked her to leave it, but it was clear that she was going to continue asking me until she got an answer.


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    ¡°Come on, what else have you got?¡± Cynthea asked again.


    ¡°Okay! As it currently stands! I¡¯ve got the Patriots to deal with, some rich guy who¡¯s eddies I need to give back, and now this shit with the Tyger Claws! So, excuse me if I''m more interested in getting this job finished! Then playing fucking NCPD and investigating some random girl who I''ve never seen!¡±


    I apologized for yelling in Cynthea¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of shit going on, and I would really like to get this gig done and move on with my life.¡±


    The rest of the journey back was silent after that.


    As we arrived at our destination, I noticed a car parked nearby with its trunk open and two men standing next to it.


    I pointed to the car and whispered, "That''s them." We approached the car, and I carefully picked up Dave''s body and placed it in the trunk. The men nodded their heads in acknowledgment and slammed the trunk shut. One of the men bowed his head and spoke in Japanese, thanking us for our cooperation and promising that we would receive our payment soon.


    As the two men drove off, leaving Cynthea and me alone at the docks, she asked me what had just happened. I explained that we had completed our mission and that I was going to grab something to eat before going to bed.


    Cynthea wasn''t sure what to do next; she said she would look for fixers who needed help. As she walked back to her car, I wished her well before I started to walk away from the docks.


    I made my way to a nearby street food vendor selling Chinese food and ordered beef noodles with spicy sauce. I savored each bite as if it were the last meal I would ever have. Once I finished, I walked to the nearby bus stop, got on the bus, and took a seat.


    As the bus started moving, I watched the television screen that was updating everyone in NC about the lockdown and when it would be over. ¡°And now some good news. Due to the results that have been conducted during the lockdown, Mayor Peralez has made the announcement that the lockdown will be lifted tomorrow at 9 am. More details will follow after a word from our sponsors.¡±


    The announcement was met with cheers on the bus, and I could overhear some elders talking about how nice it would be to go back to their homes. Others began calling their friends and started organizing plans in the morning. One even yelled out loud, ¡°That''s my mayor! That¡¯s my mother fucking mayor!¡±


    My phone started to ring; it was Karim. I picked up the call.


    Karim: "Hello, if I''m not mistaken, you are the man with my money, correct?¡±


    Max: "Yeah, I originally called you a few days ago, but I was met with an answering machine.¡±


    Karim: "Apologies; I¡¯m a very busy man. Would you be able to come over tomorrow and hand over my money? In return, you will be rewarded for collecting my money.¡±


    Max: ¡°Sure.¡±


    Once the call with Karim was over, my phone started ringing again, this time with Henry. I answered the call and asked Henry what he wanted.


    Henry: ¡°Lockdown¡¯s finally getting lifted; you got any plans for tomorrow?¡±


    Max: ¡°Yeh. I¡¯ll be meeting with Karim and handing him his money back.¡±


    Henry: "Okay, I¡¯m probably going to meet up with Reese and help him out with some gigs.¡±


    After finishing the call with Henry, I realized that I had reached my destination. I quickly got off the bus and started walking towards the elevator. I entered the elevator and pressed the button to reach my floor.


    As the elevator doors opened, I walked toward my apartment and unlocked the door. Feeling exhausted, I walked towards my bedroom and flopped onto my bed, letting out a deep sigh of relief. Finally, I could rest and enjoy some much-needed sleep after a long, chaotic day.

 Chapter 29

    Usually, the sun or my body causes me to wake up from bed; this time, however, I fell out of bed, hitting my knee on the floor. The pain was the reason I woke up. I picked myself up off the floor and headed for the shower to wake myself up. Once out of the shower, I got dressed before leaving my apartment and headed for the nearby food stall to grab a bite to eat.


    After having a bite to eat, I got in my car and headed for City Center to meet with Karim. Because the lockdown was lifted, the traffic was a nightmare. Police checkpoints were set up outside of each district, making it a pain to get anywhere.


    Finally, out of the traffic, I was able to get to Karim¡¯s penthouse, where he was staying. I used the intercom and told Karim that I was on my way up and that I had the money that he desperately needed back. Only to be met with silence.


    When I stepped into Karim''s penthouse, I couldn''t help but notice the extravagant decor that accentuated the luxuriousness of the place. Every piece of furniture and decor item seemed to scream wealth and extravagance.


    From the plush velvet couches to the shimmering crystal chandeliers, everything was carefully selected to showcase Karim''s affluence and status. However, what caught my attention the most was the detailed model of Night City situated right in the middle of the living room. It looked like a miniature city, with every intricate detail carefully crafted.


    I couldn''t help but marvel at the level of precision and attention to detail that had gone into making the model. The only noticeable difference between the model and the real city was that Pacifica had been redesigned with new towering buildings.


    Before I could take a closer look at the new Pacifica, Karim showed up behind me.


    ¡°Hey man, wassup? Wassup? So glad you could make it, man. Seriously. Fucking A.¡±


    ¡°Good to see you¡¯ve recovered.¡±


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    Karim was confused by my comment before remembering being beaten up by Sam.


    ¡°What? Oh yeah, ha-ha. So, you have my money?¡±


    I handed over the briefcase to Karim.


    He opened the case and looked at the eddies. ¡°Oh ho ho, this is good.¡±


    I asked about what my reward was, only for Karim to get distracted by a song that started playing on the speakers.


    ¡°Your reward? Oh man, oh, I love this song. You know this song?¡± Karim started singing the song ¡°Saudi Money. We¡¯re getting Saudi money.¡±


    Karim started dancing to the song''s beat and proceeded to ask me if I danced.


    ¡°Only with women pal. Now what¡¯s my reward?¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Right. You, my friend, have a new contact. Me!¡±


    To be honest, I was expecting Karim to hand over some eddies as a thank-you. But I decided to go ahead and ask Karim what he needed me to do. Before Karim spoke, I couldn¡¯t help but ask about the strange noises coming from upstairs.


    ¡°Are you watching an erotic BD up there?¡±


    Karim was quick to defend himself. ¡°What! No! It¡¯s real women! Hot ones. Not cheap. Trust me, bro. You want to join in?¡±


    I declined his offer. He was trying his best to seem cool, but in reality, it was evident that he grew up in a wealthy environment, and as a way to rebel against his father, he moved to Night City and is trying to make a name for himself. I asked Karim what it was he wanted.


    "You see this city? I own it. Everything. Seriously.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I replied.


    ¡°No. Not yet. But one day. I have big plans for this city. I¡¯m going to be building penthouses, condos, and luxury apartments. Serious shit man.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this got to do with me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I need you to shut my father up.¡±


    I stopped Karim from continuing, ¡°Hang on, I ain¡¯t flatlining your father.¡± I said.


    ¡°What? No! I don''t want you to kill my father! I need you to collect a limo for him. And I found the perfect one. It¡¯s a beautiful vehicle. Sexy. The shop you will find it has it displayed by the window. And that will shut him up. Besides, it shows I''ve got good connections. Shows him the respect that he deserves.¡±


    ¡°So, you want me to get a limo, and that will make your father happy? You better be the real deal.¡±


    In a way to show that he¡¯s the real deal, he picked up a stack of eddies and tossed it to me as a down payment.


    "Look, man, you and me¡ªwe''re like brothers now, and we¡¯re going to take over this city. Now go. I''ll text you more about the limo when you get there. If you excuse me, I have some important business to attend to.¡±


    I walked to the elevator, but before the door closed, I could hear Karim yell out, ¡°Ladies! Prepare to feel the wrath of the all-mighty Karim Hakim! Wooo!¡±

 Chapter 30

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 Chapter 31

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 Chapter 32

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 Chapter 33

    Once out of the train, I headed for Karim¡¯s luxury penthouse. Exiting the elevator, I saw Karim, who was busy with a phone call.


    ¡°Tell him I don''t care. Tell him that Karim Hakim is speaking.¡± Karim waved his hand to me, signaling that he''d be a few minutes.


    ¡°No, you tell him that. That name does mean something in this city!¡±


    Karim started to receive another call.


    ¡°One second. Excuse me. Hello? Hello, who is this? Papa! How are you, Papa? Don''t worry about how much it costs. Consider it a gift. No, no, you didn¡¯t pay for it; I did. Well, technically, I didn''t, and you didn''t. Papa, it¡¯s complicated. I miss you, papa. I do. Yes, I''m close to finalizing the deal; you''re going to be so proud of me. Well, fifteen million is a little bit too much to spend in a month, but it was worth it. Huh? No, no, no, papa, those are not prostitutes! They are the top-range models! Papa? Hello? Papa?¡±


    Karim laughed before turning around, ¡°How¡¯s it going, man?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on trouble with you, father?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a very considerate man. He does not understand how hard I''m working.¡± Karim walked to his gaming console and started playing it. ¡°He thinks my life is full of partying, drugs, and sex.¡±


    I asked him to repeat himself as the noise coming from the speakers linked to the console was deafening. I could hear the sound of car engines and robotic techno music, then Karim talking about his father.


    ¡°Could you maybe lower the volume!?¡± I yelled out.


    Karim finally turned off the console and reaped what he said; only this time I could hear what he was saying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work my fingers to the bone. Take last week, for example. I was busy test-driving new sexy cars; I was so exhausted I went to the purple lounge to relax. You ever been?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Karim chuckled, ¡°Oh-ho-ho. You''ll love some of the best drinks and the women. Oh, the women, I tell you, those women are simply wonderful.¡±


    I could paint a clear enough picture in my mind of what the purple room was just by Karim¡¯s description alone.


    ¡°I''m a workaholic. A workaholic brother. Now I need to visit Mazzin and his brother for a business meeting. I mean, I love those guys, but god, it''s exhausting.¡±


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    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°These guys never stop going on about their money." Oh, look at the money here, the money there. "You know what they are, Max? Oh, what''s the word I''m looking for there?... Tacky! I mean, I love those guys, but coming on.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, guess I''ll see you later then.¡±


    Karim stopped me from leaving.


    ¡°Oh no, no, no, no. You''re coming with me, baby. You need to act like we are friends. Shit, we are friends! Make out shit¡¯s going down. Going down, brother. Come on, let¡¯s bounce.¡±


    We started walking to the elevator before Karim stopped again.


    ¡°When I say let''s bounce, I don''t mean literally bouncing around.¡±


    ¡°I know what it means.¡±


    ¡°It''s a term from the street meaning you need to walk; it¡¯s similar to roll. You know, let¡¯s roll.¡±


    We started walking again while talking about the street meaning of walking. As we stepped outside, a sleek and luxurious car awaited us.


    "Normally we would be taking the aircraft, but it''s in the shop for repairs, I was busy with. In fact, let''s not talk about it." Karim explained.


    Our journey took us to the outskirts of North Oak in Westbrook, and as we arrived, my attention was immediately captured by the imposing gated walls surrounding the villa. The security measures were evident, with cameras and menacing machine gun turrets mounted on top.


    Karim confidently approached the gate and entered a combination on the keypad, which led to the doors opening to reveal a stunning villa that I could only have dreamt of living in.


    Crossing the threshold, I noticed meticulously manicured grass on the right, with vibrant flowers adorning the edges. At the same time, on the left, a vast swimming pool offered breathtaking views of Night City.


    "Look at this! Like I say, Max, they have no taste!" Karim exclaimed.


    With a knock on the front door, we were greeted by Mazzin, and the two embraced warmly. Inside, the luxury continued to astound me. Mazzin proudly displayed a golden coat hanger, a mere glimpse of the blatant displays of wealth that surrounded us.


    The walls were covered with pictures of Mazzin posing with stacks of money in ornate golden frames, and exotic animal fur served as luxurious carpets. Golden cups and cup holders, a colossal TV in the living room, and a pristine white leather sofa completed the lavish scene inside the villa where we were invited to sit.


    ¡°So how are you, Karim? We haven''t spoken in a few weeks, not since the party we had here where you famously.¡±


    ¡°Let''s not continue with that!¡± Karim yelled, interrupting Mazzin.


    Mazzin turned his attention to me, ¡°Okay... Who¡¯s your friend?¡±


    ¡°This is my business associate, Mister, um, mister.¡±


    I quietly whispered to Karim my last name, Carver.


    ¡°Butcher!¡±


    I was confused about how he managed to mess up my last name.


    "Nice, how much money do you make, Mister Butcher?¡± Mazzin asked.


    ¡°I make around twenty-eight million an hour.¡±


    Both were stunned. ¡°REALLY?¡± they said at the same time.


    ¡°No, you idiots. I''m a merc. A Knight Rider to be more specific.¡±


    Mazzin was confused about what a merc was. I explained that I basically do gigs for people, and in return they pay me. I felt it would be best if I left out all of the violence stuff.


    Mazzin turned his attention to the main reason why Karim and I were here: ¡°So I won''t lie to you, Karim, but your plans in Pacifica are not only a waste of money but also silly. Do you really think that will impress your father?¡±


    Karim started to agitate, ¡°Keep my father''s name out of your fucking mouth. I¡¯ll have you know that my father will be arriving in the city in a few days, and once he arrives, he¡¯ll be so impressed with what I''ve done.¡±

 Chapter 34

    Mazzin laughed, ¡°Do you think he will? I think he¡¯ll be very disappointed that you¡¯ve spent all your time and money here with drugs and joytoys.¡±


    ¡°And what about you? Look at the amount of money you¡¯ve spent! You have no taste! Do you know who you and your brother are? Tacky! Speaking of which, where is your brother?¡±


    Karim looked around, wondering about Mazzin''s brother''s whereabouts. The question hung in the air. ¡°He¡¯s busy test-driving a new custom golden car that we¡¯re planning on purchasing; he won''t be long,¡± replied Mazzin, trying to reassure Karim.


    In the distance, the front door opened, and a man in a freshly ironed suit entered the room, shaking hands with Karim before sitting down next to Mazzin. ¡°Never mind, there he is,¡± Mazzin said with relief.


    ¡°Apologies for the delay, gentlemen; I was busy finalizing some business,¡± the man explained. "By the way, brother, we should have the new car delivered to us in a few hours, and our latest BD movie is in the final stages; we¡¯re just waiting for the green light from Lizzy Wizzy¡¯s representative to use her music,¡± he continued, sharing the good news with his brother.


    ¡°Great news, brother. Oh, let me introduce our guest. This is Karim¡¯s business associate, Mr. Butcher,¡± Mazzin said, making the introduction. He then whispered something to his brother; I couldn''t make out what he was saying. All I could assume was that it wasn''t anything pleasant about me.


    Karim, frustrated by the constant banter between the two brothers, asked if they could refocus.


    Mazzin looked at Karim and said to him, ¡°We called this meeting because we have a proposal for you, Karim. Leave Pacifica alone! You don''t know what you''re doing; let me and my brother deal with it. If you accept, we¡¯ll give you a seven percent cut of any money we make from the city.¡±


    I decided to interrupt Mazzin, ¡°And you do? No offense judging by your place, the cars, and the fact that your brother mentioned Lizzy¡¯s music, which isn¡¯t cheap to acquire; you are looking at a good few million to get Pacifica, but back to the point. You''ve come to Night City and spent your money on anything expensive without having any knowledge of this place. If anyone knows about Pacifica, it¡¯s me, and I''ll tell you this. It''s a warzone; it has been like that for years, and it will continue to be a warzone for the rest of time. So, my advice? Go buy another fancy Herrera or Rayfield or whatever the fuck you like and fuck off!¡±


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    "Aww, shit, son, you two got your asses kicked!¡± Karim said before slapping my hand, excited by what I said.


    "I never asked for your input," Mazzin retorted coolly, "and why would I take advice from a mercenary like you? How much would it take for you to leave?" Mazzin sneered, opening a cabinet filled with a substantial number of eddies.


    With a chuckle, I responded, "You can''t buy me out. I have something called loyalty, and that''s not for sale. We''re done here." As I made my way to the exit, Karim trailed behind me.


    "Karim! Consider us now at war!" Mazzin''s angry proclamation echoed through the room.


    Despite the tension, I couldn''t help but stifle a laugh at Mazzin''s words. The idea of him and Karim going to war was almost comical; it would likely be a battle for supremacy in wealth rather than a physical confrontation. It was difficult to imagine either of them wielding a weapon, let alone engaging in a fistfight.


    As we headed back to the car, a sudden hail of bullets rained down on us, prompting me to dive inside and draw out Eve and Ivy, anxiously scanning for the source of the attack. Unsurprisingly, it was Mazzin, brandishing a golden DS1 and aiming directly at the car.


    ¡°What the fucking hell¡¯s going on!¡± Karim said he was trying to process the situation.


    ¡°Seems Mazzin was serious about going to war. Fucking floor, it, pal!¡±


    The vehicles hastily accelerated away from Mazzin¡¯s opulent villa, deftly maneuvering to evade the barrage of gunshots unleashed by Mazzin himself and the automated turbines stationed around the property.


    ¡°What the fuck was that? I mean, what the fucking fuck is that? If those two want to start a war with me! Karim Hakim, then let them! I''ll show those bitches who I am.¡±


    As we pulled up outside Karim''s penthouse, the anticipation was noticeable. Karim was the first to open the car door, and as he stepped out, he paused to take a few deep breaths, his exhales slowly taking in the air as he attempted to calm the nervous energy that seemed to surround him.


    ¡°Thank you for your help today, Max; I''ll transfer over some money as a thank you for coming with me. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I must go and bang some women for a few days. I mean, look over some business meetings. I''ll call you when I need your assistance. When I meant your assistance, I meant a job I need you to do. I don''t need your assistance banging beautiful women.¡± As Karim opened the front door, he turned and said, ¡°Oh, before I forget, I had someone to collect your car.¡±


    Karim casually threw my car keys in my direction, but his throw lacked accuracy. The keys landed next to Karim. He apologized for the throw and walked inside. I strolled over to where they landed, bent down to pick them up, and then made my way back to my car.

 Chapter 35

    I looked around the car to see if any of Karim¡¯s henchmen had taken anything or changed anything with the car. I started the engine and floored it. I headed for Afterlife, and I was in the mood to do some gigs.


    Once I arrived at Afterlife, I walked down the stairs, passed by Emmerick, and made my way to the bar. The bartender saw me sit down at the bar and walked over.


    ¡°The usual Max?¡± The bartender asked.


    ¡°No, just get me a soda.¡±


    The bartender returned with a can of cherry soda.


    ¡°Any gigs available?¡± I asked after taking a sip.


    ¡°That depends. What are you in the mood for? There¡¯s a search and grab that you can do, or if you''re feeling adventurous, some investigation work needs doing.¡±


    ¡°Tell me more,¡± I asked.


    ¡°The search and grab is nothing special; some guy was playing cards and lost something he shouldn''t have, and if he doesn¡¯t get it back, he¡¯s a dead man. There is investigation work that needs doing is something that the NCPD put up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a new low even by the badge standard,¡± I said before letting the bartender continue.


    ¡°What the NCPD needs to be done is someone to look into a drug-related issue. Both gigs will pay well.¡±


    I thought about what one I would rather do, as both did sound interesting; I was mainly thinking about what one could do without having to kill anyone.


    ¡°Max.¡±


    I looked to my right and saw Reese, who was now sitting next to me. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a gig, I can hook you up with one.¡±


    I wasn''t in the mood for whatever Reese wanted me to do; the best chance it would involve me having to kill someone.


    ¡°No offense, Reese, but I would like to go one day without having to kill someone, so why don''t you get someone else to do your dirty work? Better yet, why don''t you go do it yourself?¡±


    I sat up from the bar and asked the bartender to send me more details about the search-and-grab gig before leaving Afterlife.


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    Once in my car, I received a text that contained more information about the gig and the item I would be retrieving.


    ¡°The item you will be retrieving is a tooth that the gonk needed to keep safe for someone but decided to use it as a bet in a card game, and now the person that needed the tooth wants our client dead. What you need to do is grab the tooth and deliver it to a deposit box; once in the box, we¡¯ll handle the rest. As for your payment, you will receive four thousand eddies.¡±


    The rest of the text contained the location of where the client lost the tooth. I started the car and headed for the location; the location itself was a butcher''s shop in Pacifica. Walking to the shop, it could easily be seen by the way people were looking at me that I wasn''t welcome here.


    Entering the shop, there was raw meat dangling on a hook and cooked meat wrapped up in paper and placed in a bag with people''s names on the bag, ready for collection.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± one of the workers asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just got a question to ask,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then ask your question.¡±


    ¡°You have a tooth in the back?¡±


    The worker slammed down the butcher knife, ¡°Where did you find out about the tooth?¡±


    ¡°The gonk put up a contact for someone to get the tooth back.¡±


    ¡°If you want the tooth, it will cost you.¡±


    ¡°Name your price.¡±


    The worker asked me to follow him into the back room. We walked into the back room, and the workers walked to the fridge, pulled out a bottle, and asked if I wanted some. I declined the offer and asked if we could get back on track.


    ¡°The tooth will cost. If you can get us a piece of cyberware, we¡¯ll give you the tooth.¡±


    Intrigued, I asked more about the cyberware they needed.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious." The worker went to grab a piece of paper and said, ¡°Here. This is where you find the cyberware.¡±


    I took the note from the butcher and exited the shop, feeling a mix of anticipation and curiosity. As I stepped outside, I carefully unfolded the note and my eyes fell on a phone number. Calling the number on the note I was met with a cryptic message on the other line, ¡°GM Mall. Five minutes. Be there." The call abruptly ended, leaving me to digest the enigmatic request.


    Realizing that the GM mall wasn''t too far, I quickened my pace and soon found myself sprinting towards the designated meeting place. Upon arriving at the mall, I scanned the surroundings, trying to spot the individual who had issued the cryptic directive.


    Wandering through the bustling mall, I suddenly collided with someone who hastily passed me a small case. Before disappearing into the crowd, they uttered a warning: ¡°Remember, you never saw me, and this interaction never happened.¡±


    Intrigued, I cautiously opened the case and discovered the cyberware that the butcher had tasked me with retrieving. Leaving the mall, I retraced my steps back to the butcher''s shop.


    He looked inside and smiled. He walked into the freezer and came back with a glass jar with the tooth inside and handed it over.


    Taking the glass jar, I thanked the butcher, left the butcher''s shop, made my way to a nearby deposit box, and handed over the glass jar. Once the glass jar went in the deposit box, I texted Afterlife and let them know that the item the client wanted was in the deposit box in Pacifica and ready for collection.

 Chapter 36

    It had been a few minutes since I received a text from Afterlife confirming the completion of the gig and the transfer of the eddies into my account. As I got back into my car, another text came in, this time from Suzi.


    Suzi


    "Max. Get to Lizzie''s as soon as possible! I¡¯ve texted Henry to come over. I would advise you to text Alejandro."


    The message took me by surprise, prompting me to get in the car and head for Lizzie''s. While driving, I called Alejandro.


    "Ah, good to see you haven''t forgotten about me. How can I help you?" Alejandro answered.


    "I need you to get over to Lizzie''s; don''t ask questions; just get there. I¡¯ll see you soon," I informed him before ending the call.


    Upon arriving at Lizzie''s, a worker directed me to the basement, which was where I was needed. Following their instructions, I navigated through Lizzie¡¯s and found my way to the basement. Descending the stairs, I entered a room where Jill, Rita, and Suzi were patiently waiting for me.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, eager to understand the urgency of the matter.


    ¡°We¡¯ll tell you when everyone else arrives,¡± Suzi replied.


    Soon after, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, indicating Henry''s arrival. We exchanged a fist bump before patiently waiting for Alejandro to show up.


    ¡°Did you even text him?¡± Suzi asked.


    ¡°I called him. Don''t know how he''s taking this long to show up.¡±


    More minutes would pass until we could hear the footsteps approaching us and the voice of Alejandro getting closer and closer until finally, he arrived.


    ¡°Ah. Sorry for the long wait. I was busy with some other stuff.¡± Alejandro said.


    With all of us here, Jill began to explain the reason she asked Suzi to call us: ¡°Yesterday some Crimson Blades thought they were clever and attacked and killed five of our girls, with another two being held captive. I dread to fear what those sick Crimson fucks are doing to those poor girls. Normally I would get some of ours to handle this, but Suzi insisted that you three deal with this.¡±


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    ¡°Where are they being held?¡± Henry asked.


    Suzi pulled up a digital map of Night City on her portable device. She pointed out an old sewer pipe on the display and confidently asserted, "That''s where the Crimson Blades are holed up with the girls."


    "They used to have a hideout there, and the best way to approach would be through the sewers," Suzi added, her eyes fixed on the map.


    Just before we prepared to set out, Jill had a request to make.


    "It''s not that we don''t trust you; it''s just that I''d feel better if Rita and Suzi went along with you," Jill stated earnestly.


    Given Me and Rita had already worked together; I had no qualms about Jill''s request. Suzi, on the other hand, would keep us updated and alert us if any backup made an appearance.


    "Alright, we''ll get it done. But we''ll need one of your cars," I stated firmly.


    Jill nodded in agreement.


    "Good. Henry, you''ll go with Alejandro and Suzi. Rita, you''re with me," I directed, establishing our team configurations.


    As the five of us departed from Lizzie''s establishment, Henry, Alejandro, and Suzi each headed to their respective vehicles, while Rita joined me in mine. I gestured to Henry to take the lead, indicating that I would closely follow his vehicle. While we drove the pipe, Rita asked how I was doing.


    I replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just been busy these past days with gigs. But it''s nice to see you again. How about you? How have you been since we last spoke?¡±


    ¡°Same as you. Busy with the Mox.¡±


    It was silent after Rita finished; it took a while before I ended up saying,


    "Look, I''m going to be honest with you. Ever since that night we shared things have been a bit awkward between us. I guess what I''m trying to say is I don''t want things to be awkward between us.¡± I said I was trying to find the right words to use.


    "Max, things aren¡¯t awkward between us. I mean, yeah, we fucked so what. You''re a good-looking kid; it was bound to happen anyway.¡± Rita replied confidently.


    I laughed and smiled, ¡°And you¡¯re a very attractive woman.¡±


    ¡°Now you''re trying to be romantic, but maybe we should have this conversation later.¡±


    ¡°How about over dinner? I know a good Italian place we can go there later tonight. Once we''re finished this gig of course.¡±


    Rita thought about my offer for a few seconds before accepting it. Part of me felt she was going to laugh and brush off my offer and change the subject.


    Henry had stopped their car and got out alongside Alejandro and Suzi. I stopped the car, and the two of us got out and rejoined Henry.


    ¡°This is the place; I¡¯ll stay in the car. Max, call me on the holo so I can keep tabs on where you guys are.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± I established a holo link with Suzi before she gave us the green light to make our way to the Crimson Blade¡¯s hideout.

 Chapter 37

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 Chapter 38

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 Chapter 39

    Rita and Alejandro ran over and started unlocking their chains before freeing them from their cells. While they did this, I got on the holo with Suzi and said, "Suzi, we¡¯ve found the girls! Get the car ready; we won''t be long.¡±


    ¡°Well, you better be quick. A truckload of Crimson Blades is on their way.¡± Suzi replied.


    ¡°Thanks for the heads up.¡± Once the call between us was finished, I pulled Henry over and told him that we were fighting our way out.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°We! "My friend," I said, pulling Eve and Ivy from my holsters before proceeding. "Are going to prove covering fire for Alejandro and Rita."


    Henry smiled. I informed Alejandro and Rita that their job would be to watch over the girls while we handled the Crimson Blades; they nodded their heads in agreement.


    We walked up the stairs and began making our way back slowly. We opened the door and began opening fire on Crimson Blades. Henry began spraying wildly, with his machine gun hitting a few Crimson Blades as I constantly moved from left to right, making it impossible for any of the Crimson Blades to shoot me.


    One Crimson Blade rushed at me with a hatchet. I dodged to the left and grabbed their left arm and pulled their face towards my knee, breaking their nose in the process; once they fell on the floor, I wasted no time and fired my gun, shooting them right in the head. We looked around, trying to see if any Crimson Blades were waiting to jump out at us.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Wait! Where are we going?¡± One of the girls asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking you back to The Mox. Don''t worry, you¡¯ll be safe there. I promise.¡± Rita replied to the girl.


    We continued taking the same route we took to get into the building; it wouldn¡¯t be long until we were under fire from another group, Crimson Blades.


    This time I using my sandevistan to easily take care of the Crimson Blades. Before I activated it, I said to Henry, ¡°Provide me some covering fire. I¡¯m going to use my sandevistan.¡±


    Henry nodded his head in agreement. I waited for Henry to open fire, and once he started firing at the Crimson Blades, I activated my sandevistan and ran to the right side and opened fire. I dived to the right while diving I opened fire on the Crimson Blades. They did have a chance to react once they relised what was going on they were already dead.


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    I deactivated my Sandevistan.


    "We can keep moving," I yelled to the group as we cautiously entered the next room. The main room was dimly lit, and as we stepped in, we were suddenly pinned down by a hail of bullets from the Crimson Blade backup. We quickly sought cover behind the minibar and returned fire whenever we could.


    "Can''t you activate your thing again?" Alejandro asked, his voice strained over the sound of gunfire.


    "I can''t," I replied, trying to catch my breath. "It''s on cooldown for another thirteen seconds."


    ¡°Well, how are we going to take care of them then?¡± Alejandro pressed.


    As I scanned the room, my mind raced to come up with a plan that wouldn''t put the girls in danger. We couldn''t afford to stay pinned down and wait for them to exhaust their ammunition. Then, an idea struck me.


    I hastily grabbed my knife and cut a piece of fabric from my shirt. Snatching a nearby bottle of alcohol, I dribbled a bit of vodka onto the fabric.


    ¡°The hell are you doing?¡± Alejandro asked, sounding concerned.


    I explained, ¡°When I was a kid, my grandad used to show me these old war and gangster movies that his father showed him, and in one of these movies, they used this method to create a flame grenade.¡±


    I waited for the opportune moment and hurled the makeshift Molotov cocktail towards the Crimson Blades. Once the bottle smashed, we could hear the screams of the Crimson Blades, who were set on fire.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    We peeked out from the bar and started firing all of the remaining bullets in our guns at the Crimson Blades, catching them off guard yet again. Once they were killed, it was the final stretch home. We reached the sewage pipe and began walking towards the metal grate.


    Alejandro, Henry, and I grabbed the metal grate and prepared to lift it open for Rita and the girls.


    ¡°Ready! Three... Two... One... Lift!¡±


    The three of us got the gate open and allowed the girls to safely get out before Rita grabbed onto the gate, allowing one of us to get out before repeating the step until all of us were out of the sewage pipe and back on the streets.


    ¡°Take a breather if you need to. We may be out of that hell hole, but we aren''t done yet.¡± I said while catching my breath.


    Rita came over, ¡°What¡¯s the next move?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m thinking is have Henry and Suzi take the girls back to Lizzie¡¯s while I''ll follow close behind and take care of any followers.¡±


    ¡°Is everyone going to fit in that car?¡±


    ¡°Well, there is a Crimson Blade car that we could take if necessary. But I think everyone should manage to fit in the car.¡±


    After the conversation, we walked back to the cars. The girls got into the Mox¡¯s car along with Suzi and Henry. Before we set off Alejandro asked Henry if he could use his submachine gun and to open the boot of the car so he could provide covering fire if needed.


    ¡°Okay? Just be careful with my gun.¡± Henry asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry amigo, your gun¡¯s in good hands,¡± Alejandro said before hopping into the boot of the car.


    While that was going on myself and Rita got inside my car.

 Chapter 40

    Henry gave the green light and stared at the car¡¯s engine and began driving back to Lizzie¡¯s while keeping the car at a steady pace, not wanting Alejandro to tumble out of the car.


    ¡°What¡¯s the chance that he falls out?¡± Rita asked.


    ¡°Not that high.¡± I replied before continuing, ¡°Could be worse; you could be on top of the car chasing after someone while having to avoid not only cars but people shooting at you as well.¡±


    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve done that?¡±


    ¡°A few weeks ago. Not going to lie about it, but it was fun. Stupid but fun.¡± I admitted.


    As we left the area, I could spot in the mirror two cars following us. I got on the holo with Henry and told him about the cars behind us and that if things get crazy, he should take a different route back to Lizzie¡¯s. I watched the cars waiting to see if they would take a turn in the road or if they were about to engage in a fight.


    Annoyingly, it was the latter, as one of the windows rolled down and out came the torso of a Crimson Blade, who started taking potshots at us. I rolled my window down and started blind firing back at the car before moving out of the way so that Alejandro could open fire on the car.


    He started firing at the front window; this caused the driver of the car to start swerving the car around trying to avoid the bullets coming out of Alejandro¡¯s gun.


    Wanting to get in on the action, I slowed the car down and told Rita to take the wheel while I climbed over to return fire on the two cars. Poking my head out of the passenger window, I started firing at one of the car¡¯s tires.


    The left front tire popped, which stopped the car, leaving us one left to deal with. They started firing again; they mostly focused all of their attention on the car Henry was driving, not the one I was in.


    As they constantly fired upon the car, the worst occurred. We could hear the scream of someone yelling out in pain, followed by seeing Alejandro getting shot in the right arm.


    ¡°Fuck! Max! One of the girls got hit!¡± Henry said on the holo the nerves was clear in his voice.


    ¡°What! Where? Where was she hit?¡±


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    ¡°In the neck! Fuck, bro, I think she¡¯s flatlining! You got to get rid of that car for us!¡±


    In the heat of the moment, I started climbing out of the window.


    ¡°Max!? Max, what the fuck are you doing!?¡± Rita yelled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, just focus on the driving!¡±


    Climbing onto the roof of the car, I waited for the precise moment to jump onto the Crimson Blades. As I jumped on top of the car, I wasted no time and climbed to the front of the car and started shooting at the driver and the passengers.


    With the driver and passengers dead, the car started to lose control. The car was weaving left to right and was going full speed. I needed to think of something fast, as I wasn¡¯t going to die here.


    I gazed across at Rita, and in a fleeting exchange of glances, we silently formed a plan. I swiftly made my way back to the top of the Crimson Blades car, jumped across to mine, and gracefully landed on the side of my vehicle. With all my strength, I pulled myself back inside.


    Rita looked at me with both concern and anger in her face. ¡°That¡¯s fun to you!?¡±


    ¡°It can be,¡± I said while getting my breath back.


    Looking back, I could see the car crashing into the wall before setting on fire. With the Crimson Blades off our backs, I asked Henry how they were getting on.


    ¡°Alejandro¡¯s fine He claims it''s nothing but a flesh wound. As for the girl, I¡¯m not sure. Alejandro¡¯s trying all that he can to stop the bleeding, but I don''t think she¡¯s going to make it.¡± Henry explained.


    ¡°Shit. How close are we to Lizzie¡¯s?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not far. Fuck I don''t think she¡¯s going to make it. She fading fast.¡± Henry replied.


    We managed to make it back to Lizzie¡¯s. I quickly got out of the car and rushed over to Henry and helped him with the injured girl while Rita and Suzi ran inside the bar. We brought her inside and asked for medical assistance.


    ¡°Quick! We¡¯ve got an injured one! We need help.¡± I yelled.


    Jill heard all of the commotions and rushed over and asked me what happened.


    I started to recap all of the events that happened. ¡°We found the girls, and whilst we were on the way back, we got attacked by some Crimson Blades, and one of them was lucky enough to get a lucky shot that hit Alejandro, which he says he¡¯s fine with, but the bullet also hit that girl. I don''t think she¡¯s going to make it.¡±


    Jill thanked me for getting the girls back before she rushed over to the injured girl. Amidst all the commotion and panic, I went to check on Alejandro, who was already helping himself to a drink.


    ¡°I take it your wound isn¡¯t anything to worry about,¡± I asked in a joking manner.


    ¡°Ha-Ha. Yeah, it¡¯s just a scratch. What about her? Is she going to make it?¡±


    ¡°Honestly. Not sure. Of course, I want her to make it, but I''m not sure.¡±


    There was a break in silence before someone yelled out, ¡°Shit! She¡¯s flatlining!¡±


    We ran over and saw someone jacked into her systems and was constantly updating her heart rate,


    ¡°40...39...28... We need to do something people!¡±


    All we could do was watch on as they tried everything they could, but it was for nothing.


    The girl died a few seconds later. Everyone was shocked; nobody knew what to say or what to do.


    Behind me, I could hear the door getting slammed open then the voice of two familiar people.

 Flashback 2

    ¡°Max Carver! Henry Thompson!"


    Detectives Richard Philips and Oliver Park.


    "NCPD! You''re wanted for questioning! Hands behind your back!"


    The cold metal of the handcuffs clicked shut around my wrists as we were led to the NCPD precinct. Inside, the bustling atmosphere was a chaotic mix of officers chatting, paperwork being shuffled, and the unmistakable aroma of freshly brewed coffee. I couldn''t help but wonder what had landed us in this predicament. Was it something from our past coming back to haunt us, or had we unwittingly stumbled into trouble during our recent escapades?


    "Oli, you take care of Henry. I¡¯ll interview the pretty boy," Richard instructed as we were escorted into separate interrogation rooms.


    "Aww, you''re making me blush," I quipped in response, hoping to mask my unease with humor. As Richard started firing questions at me, my confusion grew. "What happened on that yacht, Max?" he demanded.


    I furrowed my brow, genuinely puzzled. "What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to make sense of the accusations being thrown my way.


    "2076! The yacht party that took place in the Pacific Ocean! We know you were there," Richard pressed on, his tone unwavering.


    Glancing off into the distance, Max seemed lost in thought, as if grappling with memories that threatened to pull him back to a time and place long gone.


    2076


    Pacific Ocean


    Near the borders of Panama


    3:58 PM


    A young Max is standing on a luxury yacht looking out over the Pacific Ocean while holding a glass in his left hand. The yacht was surrounded by people who were wearing pearly white clothes. They were mostly drinking or busy dancing to electronic music that would hurt your ears.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been in that same spot for a while,¡± Henry said to him before asking if he was okay.


    ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m a thousand miles away from home, in the middle of the ocean. I¡¯m listening to music I can''t stand and I¡¯m surrounded by people who are off their faces on either drugs or sex. All in all, I''m doing fine.¡±


    Henry laughed, "Oh, that¡¯s funny.¡±


    "Seriously, who¡¯s idea was this? I hate the ocean. I¡¯d rather be home.¡±


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    ¡°Hang on, you feared of the ocean.¡±


    Max quickly turned his head. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about telling anyone!¡±


    Henry started laughing, ¡°Holy shit, you''re scared of the ocean. Ha-ha... Come on, I need a refill.¡±


    The two walked into the bar and made their way to the counter to order a refill of their drinks. As they waited, they couldn''t help but notice Luca showing off his dance moves to impress a woman.


    "He needs to work on his dance moves," Henry remarked to Max.


    "Yeah, it''s like he''s trying to be the next George Ridge," Max replied with a chuckle.


    Before long, Luca approached the two. "I hope you''re not drinking," he teased.


    Max and Henry were momentarily taken aback. "Ha-ha. I''m just kidding! You should''ve seen your faces," Luca said with a grin.


    "Real funny. Can someone tell me why we''re even here?" Max inquired.


    "Does it matter? Just take in the atmosphere. It''s perfect," Luca responded.


    "I don''t know about you guys, but I need to find a place to rest. My head is killing me," Max stated as he excused himself and left Henry and Luca behind.


    As Max walked through the bustling crowd, Luca called out to him, "I''ll send someone to keep you company, Max!"


    Max raised his hand in acknowledgment and made his way downstairs to the bedrooms. He opened the door to an unoccupied room, laid down on the bed, and immediately closed his eyes, seeking relief from his pounding headache.


    Hours passed until Max would wake up by falling off the bed. Picking himself up off the floor, Max opened the door, looked out to the hallway, and noticed someone searching each room.


    Walking out to the hallway, the man turned around and pointed his gun at Max.


    ¡°Get down! Fucking on the floor now!¡±


    ¡°Okay! Hang on!¡±


    The man walked over to Max. As the man got closer Max moved to the side and proceded to grab the man¡¯s head and smashed it against the wall, disorienting the man. Max then punched the man in the face and quickly grabbed the gun from the floor and fired two bullets at the man killing him.


    ¡°The heck is going on.¡± He asked himself.


    More footsteps could be heard coming closer. Max aimed the gun down the hallway, but thankfully it was Henry and Luca.


    ¡°Jesus. I almost shot you.¡± Max said aiming his gun away from the two.


    ¡°Glad to see you still alive,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°What the heck¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Pirates,¡± Henry replied quickly.


    Max was confused. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°They were waiting for us once we reached the docks. Come on, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    The trio rushed outside and took cover behind the stairs as pirates started opening fire on the trio. Max poked his head out and started returning fire before ducking back down to reload. This allowed Henry and Luca to open fire.


    The yacht was starting to be redecorated with bullet holes and shells. The trio moved up and went inside; once inside, they had to return fire from some pirates who were inside the yacht. Max saw a dropped assault rifle on the floor and rushed over and started opening fire on the pirates, killing them.


    Moving forward, they noticed how the pirates got on the yacht. A throwable ladder was found on the side of the yacht. The trio used the ladder to get off the yacht and onto the docks; once on the docks, Luca spotted a car and suggested that they take the car to get out of there, but there was one issue that had been lingering, Max.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°The people who were with us at the yacht. Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°Luca they were innocent people.¡±


    Henry joined in with the conversation, ¡°What do you suggest we do?¡±


    ¡°Given that we didn''t see any of them, they must have been taken somewhere. We should try and find them.¡±


    Luca was starting to get annoyed. ¡°And how are we going to find them, Max? It''s not like there¡¯s a clue here that will lead us to them.¡±


    A red piece of cloth that was stuck on a metallic frame.

 Flashback Part 2

    Henry cast a determined glance, indicating his willingness to search for the missing individuals. However, Luca remained reluctant to assist. "No, I''m not doing it," Luca asserted.


    "Why not?" Max asked.


    "No offense, but our lives are way more important than those of strangers. We should focus on getting ourselves out of here and get Tom to take us back to NC."


    ¡°Luca. In case you¡¯ve forgotten, there was someone very fucking important on that boat who (if we don¡¯t find.) will get us in a lot of trouble."


    Luca¡¯s brain started to click, ¡°Shit! I forgot she was on the yacht."


    The person in question that Max was talking about was M?nica Monteiro, the wife of a very wealthy businessman who had recently become the target of a kidnapping attempt.


    Max quickly pieced together what was going on: ¡°This wasn¡¯t a random attack. This was planned. Come on, we¡¯ve got to find her."


    The trio quickly ran up the stairs. Henry noticed the ferry terminal with bloodstains that could be seen on the window-framed doors.


    The three ran to the building after Henry told Max and Luca. Getting inside the building, they dove for cover as pirates started firing at them. They waited until the pirates had to reload their guns before returning fire. Peeking their heads out, Max started to spray with his assault rifle while Henry and Luca used their pistols.


    Once they were dead, the trio dashed over to the fallen pirates, their eyes scanning the lifeless bodies for any usable equipment. They quickly began rummaging through pockets and bags, determined to find whatever ammunition they could salvage. Luca, glancing at his handgun with dissatisfaction, decided it was time for an upgrade. He found a sturdy shotgun slung across one of the pirate''s shoulders, and grinning with newfound confidence, he exchanged his handgun for the more powerful weapon.


    With their pockets filled and weapons secured, the group hurried to the elevator, their footsteps echoing in the dimly lit corridor. As they reached the control panel, Luca pressed the button, and they watched impatiently as the elevator doors began to open with an agonizing slowness. The sound of gears and machinery filled the air, creating an uneasy tension.


    Henry¡¯s gaze shifted toward an unassuming door on the side that led to a narrow staircase spiraling upwards. ¡°What if we take the stairs instead?¡± he suggested, his voice laced with urgency as he considered the potential benefits of avoiding the delay of the elevator.


    Luca frowned, reluctant to leave the safety of the elevator, but then decided to swap weapons with Henry in a demonstration of trust. ¡°If you want to take the stairs, then take this,¡± he said, handing over his shotgun to Henry in exchange for the powerful AR rifle. The weight of the weapon felt reassuring in his hands.


    Before Henry could push the door open to the staircase, Max activated a holo link with Henry so they could keep informed about what was going on. Once the connection was established, Henry took a deep breath and sprinted up the stairs, hoping to gain the upper hand on whatever awaited them above.


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    Meanwhile, Luca and Max stepped into the elevator just as the doors slid shut, their hearts racing with anticipation. Luca pressed the button for the second floor, and as the elevator began its ascent, they exchanged tense glances, each silently bracing for the challenges that lay ahead. The metallic hum of the machinery was a stark reminder that time was of the essence.


    Henry opened the door to the first floor and began blasting pirates away with his shotgun. Leaning against the wall, one pirate threw an incessant grenade at Henry¡¯s feet. In an instinct, Henry picked up the grenade and threw it back.


    As the grenade started to fly back, it exploded in midair, causing a wall of fire to split Henry from the pirates.


    ¡°Aw crap! Max?"


    ¡°What is it, Henry?"


    ¡°The first floor is on fire. They''ve got incendiary grenades; where are you two?"


    ¡°Luca¡¯s just left to search the second floor; I¡¯m currently waiting for the elevator to reach the third floor."


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll finish up here, then meet up with Luca."


    The elevator reached the third floor, and Max had to keep his back to the elevator as pirates had been waiting for Max to arrive.


    Max leaned his body to the left and opened fire on the pirates. He unloaded all of the bullets in the magazine before leaning back to reload the rifle, slotting in a new magazine. Max crouched down, leaned to the left, and opened fire again before having to get back in cover as his gun started to jam.


    ¡°Damn it! Not now, you piece of shitgun!¡± Max said to himself.


    Max stood in the dimly lit elevator, the air thick with tension as he listened intently to the sound of approaching footsteps. The unmistakable clatter of boots echoed off the metallic walls, signaling that the pirates were getting closer. Heart racing and adrenaline pumping, he had no choice but to prepare himself for the looming confrontation as Henry and Luca were busy with their fights.


    The pirate aimed the barrel inside the elevator, his finger twitching near the trigger. In a split-second decision, Max lunged forward, gripping the heavy barrel with both hands and thrusting it downward just as a deafening gunshot erupted, the bullet ricocheting harmlessly off the floor.


    Seizing the moment of surprise, Max delivered a swift, powerful punch to the pirate''s head, sending him staggering back. The pirate crashed into his comrades, causing them to lose their balance and momentarily create chaos in their ranks. With no time to waste, Max sprang into action, his instincts kicking in as he rushed into the fray.


    Each movement was a dance of precision and power. As one pirate began to rise from the floor, Max anticipated their recovery and was ready; he unleashed a flurry of kicks, his feet connecting with rapid accuracy. The force of his strikes sent the pirate crashing back down, leaving him dazed and disoriented.


    Without hesitation, Max turned to the next pirate who dared to stand, his relentless assault continuing with a swift combination of martial arts moves that he had learned from watching kung fu movies as a kid.


    In the confined space of the elevator, Max¡¯s resolve shone bright as he fought with a fierce determination, determined not to go down without a fight. With the pirates down and out, Max showed no mercy. He picked up a dropped and unclaimed assault rifle and taped all of the pirates on the floor, killing them.


    Max continued his way through the third-floor shooting and any pirates that stood in his way. As he searched for where the missing people could be, he couldn¡¯t find anything. The feeling that they had the wrong place began to creep into Max¡¯s mind. He searched around again and noticed a door that led to the outside. He opened the door, and what he had seen would stick with him for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Jesus Christ!"


    Outside were the dead bodies of the people who attended the yacht party. The once green floor was now covered in bloody footprints and pools. As Max moved closer to the bodies, he could see the many visible bullet holes in the victims.


    Luca and Henry arrived; they shared the same reaction as Max.


    ¡°Fuck man. This is brutal. Things weren''t supposed to go like this.¡± Luca said.


    Max continued looking at the bodies and noticed one of the victims was M?nica. A sense of failure could be felt inside him as he looked to the ocean.

 Chapter 41

    As Max looked out at the ocean, and his body and mind were transported back to the interrogation room he was currently sitting in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again! What happened at that yacht party, Max?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°Why do you care anyway? It¡¯s out of your jurisdiction.¡± I replied.


    ¡°It was! Out of our jurisdiction, but when a wealthy businessman makes major moves in Night City and wants to find out what happened to his wife, then it becomes a major fucking issue for us. So, tell me. What the fuck happened on that yacht!"


    The interrogation door opened and instep someone who was wearing a black suit with a white shirt. I could tell by Richard¡¯s reaction that he was someone higher up in the NCPD.


    ¡°Detective Philips I request that they let my client go.¡± The man asked.


    A quiet fuck creped out of Richard''s mouth. He walked over and unhandcuffed me and allowed me to leave. I walked out of the interrogation room with the strange man. In the hallway the stranger said,


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Mr. Carver. I trust that nothing serious happened in there."


    ¡°Graves? I thought you were busy with the Patriots."


    ¡°We were, but something''s come up at our end, and we¡¯ve handed the investigation back to you. Before we continue, I think we should get your friend. Do you agree?"


    "Yeah..."


    The two of us made our way to the second interrogation room, our footsteps echoing in the sterile hallway of the precinct. Inside, we found Henry seated with a cold expression, facing Oliver across the table.


    Graves told the same information he''d shared with Richard. Just like Richard, Oliver had no choice but to comply. With a resigned sigh, he reached for the handcuffs that restrained Henry, carefully undoing them and letting him leave.


    ¡°What the heck¡¯s going on?¡± Henry asked, confusion etched on his face as he looked between us.


    I felt just as bewildered. All I could do was follow Graves, grappling with the uncertainty of our circumstances and waiting for him to reveal why he had arranged for the two of us to be released.


    As we stepped outside the NCPD precinct, the cold, heavy rain and fast winds hit my face like icy daggers piercing my skin. Graves pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. He lit it, the flame briefly illuminating the lines of stress on his face, then took a long drag, exhaling slowly as if gathering his thoughts.


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    After a moment, he reached into his pocket again, retrieving a small folded note. He handed it over to me. I unfolded the top part and was greeted by a series of meticulously scrawled numbers.


    ¡°Aw, how sweet of you. You¡¯re giving me your number. As flattered as I am, you''re really not my type,¡± I remarked, my sarcasm a shield against the tension that hung in the air.


    Graves¡¯ demeanor shifted instantly; irritation crept into his tone as he replied, ¡°Take this seriously, Mr. Carver.¡±


    ¡°Well, what the heck do you want me to do with these numbers?¡± I shot back, waving the note slightly as if to emphasize my bewilderment.


    He took another drag of his cigarette, the smoke curling upward. ¡°I assume the two of you know a netrunner. Have them decipher the location hidden in those numbers. Once you¡¯ve pinpointed the location, you are to investigate it.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. Can you not give us any more details? This sounds way too sketchy,¡± I protested, my unease growing at the vague instruction.


    Graves released a puff of smoke, his expression hardening. ¡°Fine. If you recall, we took over the investigation into Mr. Richards and his whereabouts. However, something unexpected has come up on our end that requires our immediate attention. Therefore, we¡¯re handing the investigation back to you, and those numbers are the last lead we uncovered.¡±


    With a swift motion, Graves extinguished his cigarette underfoot and turned towards a blacked-out SUV parked nearby. He slid inside, the tinted windows obscuring his expression as he glanced back at us, adding, ¡°I¡¯ll be sending someone to check in on the investigation.¡±


    The engine roared to life, the vehicle pulling away swiftly, the cold air wrapping around us like a shroud as we stood there.


    ¡°Oh, thanks. Don¡¯t even give us a car or anything.¡± I said angrily as we had no way back to Lizzie¡¯s.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should have a self-driving system in your car.¡± Henry said


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood for a debate on having a self-driving system in your car. We hitched a ride back to Lizzie¡¯s; once we walked inside, the warm air of the building was nice. We could see in the distance Suzi and Alejandro watching over the injured.


    Alejandro quickly spotted us. ¡°Hey! Max! Henry! Glad that you two are fine.¡±


    Suzi asked what the badges wanted with us. I replied back that it wasn¡¯t anything serious, just something that we had done years ago. I explained that Henry and I can¡¯t stay long as we needed to do something.


    I gave Suzi the note Graves had given me.


    ¡°Can you find where this place is?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Does the sun shine? Of Course I can.¡± Suzi walked over to her laptop and began finding the location me and Henry needed to go to.


    Seconds passed until Suzi called me over; she turned over her laptop and showed us the location of a hotel.


    ¡°That was fast.¡±


    As I and Henry made our way out of Lizzie¡¯s, Suzi asked for the reason why she needed to find a budling. She had that doubtful look in her eye; she was going to find out sooner or later. I needed to find a way to prolong the search.


    ¡°It''s nothing that you need to be concerned about. It¡¯s just a gig from someone me and Henry knew back in the day.¡±


    She believed us for now.


    We walked outside and got into my car. I started the engine and headed for the location.

 Chapter 42

    As the relentless downpour hammered against the windshield, creating a symphony of raindrops, Henry turned to me with a furrowed brow and asked, ¡°What was it that Richard wanted with you?¡±


    ¡°He asked me about the yacht party we had years ago. I assume Oliver asked you about the same thing.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yeah, exactly. It¡¯s all a bit strange, isn¡¯t it? Why would it be brought up now, after all this time? I thought you, me, and Luca agreed to never talk about that day again,¡± he said, his voice tinted with confusion.


    I don''t know why, but I couldn''t stop thinking about what Richard said about a wealthy businessman''s sudden interest feeling ominous.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder who the strange man looking into the yacht party was. At first, I suspected Mazzin¡ªI thought he could be digging into my past as a way to learn more about me¡ªbut then another name surfaced, sharper and more unsettling.


    Rodrigo.


    Rodrigo was M?nica¡¯s husband, and the thought that he might be seeking answers about his dead wife sent a shiver down my spine. It felt like my past was coming back to bite me, and there wasn''t anything I could do about it.


    Just as I was lost in that thought, Henry broke my thought with another question, his voice steady but probing. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Suzi the truth about what we were doing?¡±


    I sighed, feeling the weight of my choices. ¡°She¡¯s going to find out eventually. Besides, I have this gut feeling that things are about to get messy,¡± I answered, my tone laced with caution.


    As we arrived outside the hotel, the storm continued to unleash its fury, rain and wind combining to create a chaotic scene around us. I quickly checked my gear, ensuring I had enough ammunition for my guns, the cold steel reminding me of the precarious situation ahead.


    Pushing through the heavy glass doors into the hotel, we were greeted by an unsettling silence that surrounded the lobby. The light from the overhead lamp was warm and bright. The atmosphere felt normal for a hotel. I looked around when something caught my eye¡ªa small notebook piled precariously on the front desk.


    Hopping over the counter, I flipped it open, revealing a neatly organized list of all the guests checked into the hotel, complete with their room numbers and planned duration of stay. As I scanned the names, one in particular jumped out at me.


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    ¡°Jade Richards. Room 313. Staying for three weeks. The note mentions a young girl accompanying her,¡± I murmured.


    Henry and I walked over to the elevator, got inside, and pressed the button for the third floor. As the elevator slowly approached the third floor, I pulled out one of my handguns, unsure if there was going to be someone waiting for us once the doors opened.


    As the elevator doors slid open with a soft hiss, a heavy silence enveloped the hallway. The loud, mechanical ding of the doors closing echoed loudly. We stepped into the dimly lit corridor, the faint smell of cleaning supplies lingering in the air.


    Reaching room 313, I gave the door a gentle push. It swung open with a soft creak, revealing an apartment that appeared to be frozen in time. The only sound that filled the space was the muffled voice of N54 news reporting about the weather.


    ¡°And now the weather,¡± the anchor announced with a calm tone. ¡°The storm that has swept across the streets of Night City will continue to intensify, with authorities warning that several roads may be closed due to overwhelming winds and significant standing water. Meteorologists estimate that this violent storm could persist for the next five to eight days, with the most severe conditions looming on the horizon. Earlier today, Mayor Peralez addressed the public regarding these dire circumstances.¡±


    The screen transitioned to a live feed featuring Mayor Peralez, his expression grave and urgent. ¡°I urge all citizens of Night City to remain indoors and maintain a sense of calm,¡± he implored, his voice steady but firm. ¡°This storm is expected to escalate, and I must insist that anyone near the harbor evacuates immediately. The high-speed winds pose a substantial risk to homes and lives. If you have any business in those areas, I strongly advise you to leave now. Once more, I emphasize: stay inside and remain calm.¡±


    As the broadcast returned to the anchor.


    Determined to find any trace of Jade, we began to search the apartment. In the kitchen, dirty plates lay scattered in the sink, remnants of a meal long forgotten¡ªyet the food appeared to have been prepared recently, its smell still lingering.


    Henry ventured into the bedroom while I continued my search throughout the living space, my eyes scanning for any signs of life or clues about Jade¡¯s whereabouts. The apartment was sparsely decorated, with little personal touch¡ªjust furniture that matched perfectly but told no story of its occupant.


    After several minutes of searching, Henry returned to the living room, disappointment etched across his face. ¡°No luck?¡± I asked, hoping for any shred of information.


    ¡°Not really. The only notable find was a collection of clothes packed away in the dressers. If they made a run for it, it seems they left behind more than just their possessions,¡± he replied, a hint of concern in his voice.


    ¡°Keep searching in here,¡± I said, before adding. ¡°I¡¯ll head out to see if the neighbors have noticed anything unusual. Someone had to have seen her.¡±


    Before leaving the apartment, Henry had one last thing to say: ¡°Keep in touch on the holo.¡±


    I left the apartment and went to knock on apartment 314¡¯s door. I waited and waited, but no one answered. I moved on to the next apartment and again had the same outcome. It was strange it was if the place had become ghost town.


    ¡°Henry, there¡¯s nothing here no noise no people nothing. It''s as if everyone skipped town, I''m on my way back something is up.¡±


    Walking back to the apartment the elevator doors made the ding sound.

 Chapter 43

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 Maxs Nightmare

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 Chapter 44

    My eyes widened as a blinding light flooded my vision, a surreal radiance that enveloped everything around me. Before I could fully register what was happening, a wave of nausea overcame me. I shot up from whatever I was lying on and began to vomit onto the hard floor, completely disregarding my surroundings.


    ¡°Whoa, easy there, Max. You''re safe; breathe." Nigel¡¯s voice pierced through the confusion, laced with concern. ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡±


    I coughed violently, struggling to shake off the disorientation. ¡°It was her,¡± I managed to gasp, wiping the sick off my mouth with the back of my hand. ¡°She slipped me something.¡±


    Nigel''s brow furrowed as he leaned closer, urgency in his tone. ¡°Wait, slow down. Who are you talking about?¡±


    Trying to gather my bearings, I attempted to swing my legs over the side of the table, but they felt like lead weights, trembling and unresponsive.


    Defeated, I sank back onto the table, my heart racing as I took in my surroundings. No longer was I in the bar of the hotel, but back in the blinding interior of Frank¡¯s shop with Nigel watching over me.


    ¡°How did I get here?¡± I croaked, confusion clouding my thoughts.


    Nigel sighed, peeling off his rubber gloves. ¡°Henry dragged your lifeless body in here, he kicked open the door and yelled at Frank to help him,¡± he explained, his voice low. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I had to force-feed you a piece of lamb to wake you up.¡±


    That explained the awful churning in my stomach.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been out for a few hours,¡± he continued, fixing his gaze on me. ¡°Now tell me, what was the last thing you can remember?¡±


    I tried to sift through the fog of my memory. Slowly, scenes began to unfold like a movie reel. ¡°Henry and I went to a hotel for a gig,¡± I started, my voice shaky but steadier now.


    ¡°Once there we were looking around for this woman who we needed to find. After looking around I decided to leave Henry on his own and search elsewhere. Before I knew it, I had a gun barrel pointed at my face then before I knew it, I found myself in the hotel¡¯s bar, sitting with an evil twin. She must have slipped something into my drink when I wasn¡¯t looking. That¡¯s all I remember before everything went dark.¡±


    ¡°That would explain the strange substance I found in your body. You''ll be glad to know that the substance wasn¡¯t lethal, but it could have been if it was a high enough dosage.¡±


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    Nigel walked over to his sink and filled up a glass of water. ¡°Here, it should get the taste of lamb out of your throat.¡±


    I drank all of the water in the glass before getting up on my feet. ¡°Where¡¯s Henry?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s outside with Frank.¡±


    I left the room and met back up with Henry, who was twiddling with a coin. The sound of the door opening diverted his attention from the coin.


    ¡°You doing okay?¡±


    ¡°Apart from my past coming up to bite me back, I say I¡¯m doing fine,¡± I said acting like nothing happened.


    ¡°What happened to you? When I found you, you were out cold. That isn¡¯t like you.¡± Henry asked with concern.


    I asked Henry if he remembered Eva.


    ¡°Yeah, I remember her. The two of you had this weird sort of rivalry going on.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say she got the better of me.¡± I left the conversation at that.


    Henry turned the conversation back to the gig.


    ¡°About Jade, I wasn¡¯t able to find anything of interest. My guess is that she got paranoid about staying in the same place and left with her daughter. Also, you''re not going to like this, but Reese is outside.¡±


    Out of all the people in the world, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to him; he was the last person I wanted to see at that moment.


    I glanced out of the window, the rain drumming against the glass, and spotted him standing beneath a nearby building, seeking refuge from the downpour. The sight of him only heightened my irritation. Taking a deep breath, I reluctantly opened the door and stepped outside, letting the cold rain drench me.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the irritation bubbling beneath the surface.


    He remained where he was, sheltered from the rain, his expression unreadable. ¡°What have you found?¡± he called back, his tone urgent.


    The relentless rain muffled his words, making it difficult to grasp the meaning behind them. I squinted against the rain and waved him closer, asking him to repeat himself. But, of course, he stayed put. With a resigned sigh, I trudged my way to him, stepping carefully through puddles that had formed on the pavement, and leaned in closer to catch his words one final time.


    ¡°The investigation. What have you found out?¡± His voice now cut through the rain, clearer yet tinged with impatience. I could hear Reese''s voice echo in my mind, adding to my frustration.


    ¡°I don''t know what investigation you''re talking about,¡± I shot back, feigning ignorance, hoping to dismiss him.


    ¡°Look, Graves turned this investigation back over to you; the least you could do is fill us in on what you know.¡± His tone was becoming more insistent, and I could see his frustration written all over his face.


    I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued despite my annoyance. ¡°You''re the guy Graves sent to check up on me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re avoiding the question, Carver. What have you found out?¡± His eyes bore into me, demanding an answer.


    A mix of anger and exasperation washed over me, causing my tone to shift. ¡°Nothing! We found nothing! There was no one there, and her apartment was empty. No one knows where she ran off to.¡± My voice cracked slightly.


    Reese''s expression shifted, and I could tell that my words were not the news he had been hoping for.


    He took a deep breath, visibly processing the information I had just shared. ¡°You better find her and fast,¡± he finally said, his urgency escalating. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch soon to check on your progress.¡± With that, he stepped back into the shadows of the building, leaving me standing there, drenched in the rain.