Chapter 35: Part 32
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***
- Good girl, what have you got?
- I'm in the system...
Judy was focused. And I can tell you that since the sex, our relationship has clearly become more intimate, and she's even more attentive at work. Well, she's not really attentive, because she's never let herself relax before, she's become more meticulous, I'd say even intrusive. And now she's not letting up on the action.
- You said that already... about fifteen minutes ago.
- Well, I'm sorry I thought I'd double-check. After all, it's a job from Bestia, who you blew for a pretty penny. So I prefer to be safe. Especially my skills are far from those of the same Lucy....
I sighed.
- I'm not in a hurry, I'm just clarifying.
- Yeah, yeah... it's just that something's bothering me.
- What is it?
- I don't know... everything seems fine, but something...
- It's a gut feeling, isn't it?
- You're not gonna laugh, are you?
- Why would I laugh? We're solo and if we have a bad feeling, we better listen to it, we'll live longer.
Judy spent another twenty minutes reconnoitring, but still hadn't found what it was that made her so nervous about this job.
- I'm starting...
- Okay, but be careful....
I nodded my head and moved towards the back entrance of the building. I decided not to use the demon, especially since Judy was already on the building's network and she opened the door after literally a couple of minutes of waiting.
- Thank you.
I made my way into the building and walked slowly down the corridor.
- Watch out, there's a security post just down the hall.
- Roger that...
I activated my sandi and walked quickly down the corridor past the security post Judy had warned me about. Once I was in the next place I couldn't see, I switched it off.
- What's next?
- You need to go through the main room on the ground floor. There you'll come to a staircase, go up and then another open room.
- Right...
I activated the sandi and walked further down the corridor, before coming out into a common room with desks. And that's when I realised what was bugging Judy. Maybe she's just not that sharp, but I noticed that all the workers there had concealed weapons.
Fucking hell.
I even went round some of the workers to see what they were doing. And it turned out that none of them were working, they were just pretending, in fact I started to realise what exactly was going on here.
I think they're trying to check me out or set me up.....
I found myself on the stairs and switched off the sandi, keeping a close eye on what was going on around me.
- Okay, when you get off the stairs, take a right and go to the end of the hall. The office with the transparent walls.
I sighed.
The walls are transparent, too. Fuck.
- How many of them are on the first floor?
- I see ten.
I nodded my head and activated the sandi, and walked calmly to the first floor. Leaving someone conscious... It's too dangerous to leave someone conscious. I still have to drag the main guy out of the building.
I approached the first man and gently struck him in a way that knocked him out but didn't kill him, thanks to the Arasaka Academy that had trained David's past.
Then there was the second, third... anyway I carefully knocked everyone out and only then switched off the sandi hiding behind one of the tables.
- Already?
- Yeah.
- Why did you knock them all out? You think they were interfering?
- They all have concealed weapons. I suspect a setup by Bestia.
- Hmm.
Judy didn't say anything to me, but after a little rest I reactivated the sandi and made my way into the office, from which I was attacked by a man with a knife who was moving slower than I was, but still moving. Another one with a sandi...
And this wasn't in Bestia's data....
To knock the hand with the knife, which is moving towards my throat, to duck a little, then with a step to stamp his fist into the sun. Take a step to the side, step around him, and bring the blow down on the back of his head. Except I see he's not knocked out.
Just dropped to the floor, trying to inhale, before bringing the blow down on the back of his head again.
That's it... knocked him out...
Sandy passed out and breathed a sigh of relief.
- What's up on the ground floor?
- They got agitated, because of the noise, go away....
I nodded my head and picked up the body, before making sure that the type's face matched Sandy's and making sure that he was my target, I went with him to the window, which I kicked out with my foot, and then, putting the carcass on my shoulders, jumped out of the window.
The landing was a little hard because of the extra weight, and I even felt my bones cracking, but that didn't stop me from continuing my movement and moving away from the window. Although there were still windows in the office, but at least I wouldn't be immediately spotted....
I was moving away very quickly, I even had my sandi on, and only switched it off when I was hidden behind one of the buildings.
- Girls, can you pick me up?
- Three minutes.
The girls drove up on Tortica, I just injected the guy with sleeping pills, then loaded him into the boot and got into the car myself.
- What's going on?
- They're shouting, they're looking for him, they don't believe you jumped out of the window with him, I didn't believe it myself, he's a heavy lad....
- Well, it's not something you can repeat every day.
And having said that, I dialled Bestia's number.
- Quiet?
- Mission accomplished. We have the target. Where to?
- I'll drop a dot. Any problems?
- Apart from the fact that all the workers had personal concealed weapons, and also none of them worked, but only pretended to work, then no, there were no problems.
- Ahem...I get it....
- Waiting for the address.
I interrupted the connection and after a minute I got the address where the unconscious body should be delivered and I called it to Panam, who had to turn sharply to another street because the address was at the other end of the city.
- So...
I closed my eyes.
- ...working with Bestia is going to be difficult.
- You think this was a setup?
Judy looked at me closely, and Panam gave me a few questioning glances.
- I don't know, but it's too suspicious. Of course I won't make any accusations, but I mentioned it in conversation. I think she'll realise I'm considering the possibility that she leaked the information.
- You think she'll make excuses?
- No...
I shook my head.
- She's not gonna make excuses. It's not her style, but to find out who exactly leaked the information, or who provided incomplete information, she will try. Unless she did it.
- And how are we gonna find out?
- I'll get Regina to hear what's going on in their circles. It's kind of creepy working with a fixer you don't trust at all.
- Well, yeah, you're on it now?
- Well, how much further are we?
- About twenty-five minutes.
Panam glanced at her watch and nodded her head.
- Then yes...
And after saying that, I dialled Regina.
- Quiet... didn't expect to hear from you today. You're supposed to be working with Bestia today.
- I'm on my way to the rendezvous point. But I actually have a favour to ask of you. Can you hear what's going on in your circles?
- Hmm? Why, is something wrong?
- Let's just say I didn't like what happened on the mission, and I don't know if it was Bestia's retaliation for the money I charged her, or if someone screwed her over with the information...
- And you want to find out what's what?
- Yeah, I need to figure out if I can work with her or if I'm gonna get stabbed in the back.
- You do realise it's not gonna be free.
- Naturally.
- OK, I'll listen, but I can tell you that Bestia's not the kind of girl who'd give up a solo because of a grudge. Especially since I went through my channels to see what happened with you guys... she was really wrong. So I wouldn't worry too much.
I nodded my head.
- All right, well, you'll get back to me when you have some information?
- Sure.
- I'll see you then.
The connection cut off and I was ready to have a dialogue with my girls again.
- Well, Regina will check it out through her channels, but she advised me not to think about Bestia. She doesn't think it's her style.
- Well...Regina I believe....''
Panam nodded her head.
- ...she's been in the business a long time, knows her colleagues very well. So I suggest you don't worry about it.
I shrugged.
- I don't mind. But it's something to keep in mind. The fixers aren't omniscient, and somehow I'd relaxed and thought it wouldn't happen again. If I hadn't replaced my muscles, I might have died. And I couldn't have used the sandi that many times, and for that length of time.
- That's right... I'm thinking of replacing my deck, and adding chromium to help me work as a runner, and in working with braindance.
- And you're going the same way?
Panam sighed at Judy's words.
- Come on, you could use some chromium, too. At least replace your optics and put in a reflex regulator. Do you have any idea how you're gonna drive after that?
- The same way...
I shrugged at Judy's words, and she gave me an angry look. I pretended not to notice.
- ...but if you get a car upgrade, then you'll be happy.
- Is that how you want me to get chrome?
I shrugged.
- Honestly? I'm fine with it, I just thought I'd add to what Judy said.
- I'm fine with it, too. I'm just looking at all the possibilities.
- What are you talking about?
- Well, David buying the Hippo has made it possible for us to comfortably join your clan. It's still a work in progress, but at least he's laid the foundations for that future. What I'm suggesting is that we think about a future where, for whatever reason, we stay in Knight City or go to another city.
- И?
Panam threw a frown at Judy.
- And I'm not sure we won't encounter an enemy that's a hundred per cent superior to you in driving. No, the fact that we haven't had any wheel-to-wheel gunfights so far is definitely a good thing.
- Well... there was one...
Panam shrugged.
- ...before you joined us and we had no problems.
- That was then...
I joined the conversation.
- ...But haven't you noticed that this is the second time we are facing a sandhi opponent?
- Do you think that's going to happen again?
- Probably...
Judy nodded her head.
- Our levels are rising, our reputations are rising, our quests are getting harder....
- Yeah...I'll think about it....
Panam sighed and we drove on in silence. And when we reached the point I put the unconscious body in the boot of another car and we drove home.
- And what are our plans?
- Plans?
I shrugged.
- Since we were free so quickly, I plan to make a passage between the flats and maybe even build a wooden ladder. It's rudimentary for now, but it's reliable.
- Hmmm... then I'll do the brans... I've got a couple of orders from Helms.
- I'll do some work on the car.
It wasn't hard for the Pans to think of something to do, either. And that was that.
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