Chapter 79: Part 69
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- So, what are your plans next?
Vee grinned sadly.
- Don't you believe that I just want to live out my remaining days?
- Do you?
I looked questioningly at the girl and snorted and shook my head.
- Not for a second.
- And you're willing to help me?
I shrugged.
- Within reason...
- Reasonably? What do you consider reasonable?
- You tell me what you need, and I'll tell you whether I'll do it or not. Although... I'll warn you in advance... no hitting on corporations like Arasaki, Militeh and Kantao. and a few other corporations like that.
- I see...
Vee closed her eyes.
- So, are you two going to have your own conversations?
- Well...
Vee shrugged embarrassedly.
- Let's get out of here...I still have to clean up after you.....
I shrugged and went out, noticing Misty slipping quietly into the clinic.
- I told you...
Vic couldn't finish, as he realised who exactly came to him.
- I'll help...
I didn't hear what happened next. Me and slowly limping Vee went outside.
- I need information.
- What kind of information?
- The chip... who created it? How do I get it out and do it without dying?
I sighed.
- I take it the easiest option is out?
- Easy?
- Well... that jacket that's no longer a jacket, but true to his jacket past... give him the footage from your optics and....
- So you believe I didn't kill that old man?
I shrugged.
- You're not stupid... that's not the kind of order you'd take... at least not against Arasaki. You have too good an idea of what that corporation is capable of.
- Hoh...thanks for your faith...and yes, I did give the data to that Goro...but do you want to know the truth?
- Well?
- I don't believe him...
I grinned.
- ...Yeah, yeah, you can laugh, an ex-corporatrix doesn't believe an ex-corporatrix. Except... I talked to Vic... there's no such thing as a personal bodyguard in a corp like this having chrome that isn't standard issue. He'd have been written off a long time ago...
I took a good look at V.
- That Goro's a bit of a mystery, isn't he? Already at the level I was at... the presence of left chrome was not exactly frowned upon, but reasonable people with such chrome were considered less trustworthy, and my boss... he had no right to have chrome installed outside the regulations.
- So this Chinaman, who's Japanese.
- Yes... He was sent here on purpose... all I can count on is Hanako's kindness, and she's famous for her kindness....
- Her kindness?
- Yes... she'll take me off the firing list when she gets word that her father was killed by her own brother. But that's only from Arasaki's publicly available lists, and the liquidators' exchanges on behalf of the corporation. But her brother... He's probably using his personal assets to... incapacitate me. After all, I broke his game...
I sighed.
- Okay. So the intel.
- Yeah... all about those chips...
I covered my eyes and quickly made a request for Bestia and Regina sending them messages before opening my eyes again to look at Vee.
- Well, I've sent the requests... I think it'll take a couple of days for my fixers to see if they can dig up anything on this information....
- Regina and Bestia, huh?
- Hmm? I didn't tell you about Bestia, did I?
- DeShawn told me... when we were sitting in Postmortem discussing the order. He made a good point about TiBag... not finding the information... screwed up....
I nodded my head understandingly.
- You're a dark horse.
- In our profession, you can't do without it.
- You're right...
She smiled sadly.
- Well, I've called a taxi... I'll get some sleep and then I'll start searching for data... and I'll start with Parker... do you know where I can find her?
I shrugged.
- Where? I'm not in touch with her...and neither is Judy...it's been a while since she's had a normal conversation with her....
- I see...too bad....
V and I stood around for a while and when the taxi pulled up, she got in.
- 'Okay... thanks for your help and anyway...'
She grinned.
- If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have avenged DeShawn's betrayal....
I raised an eyebrow questioningly.
- The first shot from his revolver wasn't very successful, ricocheted off the blubbery armour, and I managed to activate the claws on my hands and snatch his cock... the asshole was standing too close....
She laughed, though the laughter soon turned into a painful cough. But soon she calmed down and looked at me.
- I really got a good beating after that, and a second shot in the head....
She pulled out the bullet pendant Misty had given her when she left Vic's clinic.
- ...was more successful. But in the end, I'm kind of alive. And he's dead.
I shrugged.
- You take care of yourself.
- Yeah.
The taxi door slammed shut and soon V was no longer with us.
- David...
As soon as the taxi and Vee were out of sight Judy was beside me and grabbed my hand.
I inhaled slowly and after a long exhale looked at my girl.
- You're worried about her...
- Yes...
- And you want to check and make sure your ex is okay?
- Yeah.
- So give her a call.
- I--I thought you'd be against it.
- Judy, I can't say I'm thrilled that you're worried about your ex-wife, who when I was here, you didn't have a relationship with in the slightest. But I'm not gonna stop you from finding out what's going on with her. And if I have to, I can even help you...
Judy kissed me gratefully on the cheek, then pulled away and her eyes lit up....
It took a couple of minutes for the girls and me to get to the car.
- She's not answering...
- She doesn't want to talk to you?
- No... I don't know... I'll call a couple of other people I know.....
Meanwhile, Panam started the car and we headed towards the flat.....
- Panam stop!
Panam reacted to Judy's words but since we were in the middle of the road, it took her a little while to stop as she had to pull over to the kerb.
- Is something wrong?
- Yeah... I spoke to a couple of Cloud Dolls... they weren't keen to talk about what happened, but they told me that she was beaten up by some customer yesterday... at least that's what they said....
- Right, so into the clouds?
- Do you mind?
Judy looked at me with apprehension and excitement.
- Let's just say I'd mind if I had to go up there as a client, but as Tychonia...''
I shrugged.
- I'll sneak in, give you access, you'll find out and....
I shrugged.
- we'll decide what we're gonna do.
- Okay, that's what we'll do.
I sighed.
- Yeah, but first we have to eat.
- А?
- Judy, you may not have noticed, but we're all very hungry. So we could all use a snack. Besides, we don't have to go anywhere. I mean, we always have a supply of food in the car that I've prepared.
- Well.
We all turned towards Becky in sync.
- Don't tell me you ate it all and we have to choke on store-bought food?
The girls were synchronised in their emotions of disbelief and rising righteous indignation.
- Of course not! Just kidding!
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, including me. Still, we were all used to eating well and were wary of eating from a street food tray... Well, for us, it's comparable to eating from an animal tray. Becca, on the other hand, while we were fairing from such a joke of hers moved into Judy's lap, folded her seat and quickly reached into the boot... from where she pulled out containers of food and handed everyone their own container.
- So?
We looked at each other after we had eaten and Becca hid the containers and re-folded her seat and sat on it.
- Clouds?
- Yeah...
I nodded at Judy's question.
- ...Give Panam the address, have him drive us to the point. And yes, you all stay in the car and I'll get in.
- Just be careful, the Clouds are under Tiger Claws, and they're kind of connected to Arasaka.
- Yeah...
I sighed.
- ...Don't worry, Judy, they won't even know I was there...unless I stumble on something extraordinary...But anyway, if anything, I'll go out and work for someone else...or just find another way....
- Okay...
Judy nodded, and I leaned back in my chair.
- And yet Judy is too kind...
- We're not all villains, not even you Becca...
- А?
Becca looked at me in surprise.
- Bae...you think we don't know you're helping your brother?
- Are you following me?!
- Not at all...
I shrugged.
- ...it's just that the city, despite its size. It's small... so I've instructed the girls to keep an eye on everyone you care about. To intervene if anything happens. Me and Panam have no one in this town, Judy, she's got no one in Knight City either, and now she's got some kind of attachment--
- Hey! It's not an attachment, it's just--
- Just?
Panam gave her friend a sly look.
- Maybe we have one place to vacate...
- No! You don't have anything to spare! It's just that I remember that she was different once... and I want to honour those memories by helping Evelyn, if she needs it....
- So here it is.
I grinned and continued on.
- Kiwi has no family in town either, and neither does Lucy... That leaves only you, Becca, who has a brother in town. Though as far as I know Lucy and Kiwi are still looking out for Mayne and Dorio....
- We do... it's not that complicated, they all three work together, except that Dorio and Mayne live a very cramped life, Pilar... well he's a bit more free-spending, which means he has a different income....
- Yeah, I send that cretin some money... and some ready meals from the eateries so he doesn't die... he's the only close relative in this town....
- Now, even you Becca are not a villain...so calling Judy too kind in our eyes is wrong.
- All right, all right! She's not too nice! Happy?!
- Yeah.
A ragged chorus of voices echoed back to our gun maniac, and fifteen minutes later we did pull into the car park of the mega-tower that housed Clouds...
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