章 46: Chapter 46

23:23

The city was like an angry hive someone had tossed a firecracker into. Police sirens wailed through the streets as honking cars clogged intersections. Vendors, tourists, homeless folks, and random onlookers gathered in every nearby spot with a view of the building, hoping to catch a glimpse of the chaos.

By then, I'd already seized control of the AV garage systems, locking the gates and burning out the mechanisms. I overloaded ad displays, creating a thick cloud of smoke to further block access.

Thirty seconds later, it was clear Abernathy wouldn't be escaping through the garage.

"I see two armored AVs," Panam's voice crackled through. "Arasaka."

Perfect. The AVs were inbound, but no one had entered the garage. That meant one thing: they were going for the roof.

Switching to a camera on the neighboring building, I scanned the penthouse. Reinforced shutters now covered the luxurious windows. Together with bulletproof glass, they formed an impressive barrier. Above, a swarm of drones patrolled the area.

Lucy should've taken care of them by now. Why were they still active?

Opening a secure comm channel, I altered my voice from metallic to natural and asked, "Luce, you good?"

"Yes and no," she replied. "I've got Watchers and some corpo goon on my tail. They're pissed about the grid stunts."

"Send me your location. I'll back you up."

"No. I've got this. But the drones and AVs are yours. I already launched the kamikaze AV. Just give it a target."

"Got it. Stay safe."

Damn. Another deviation from the plan, though not catastrophic. If the Business District grid was under Netwatch protection, Lucy was in serious danger. I just hoped she could handle it. Thinking about what might happen otherwise... No, not now. Focus.

Enemy drones. Target acquired. Time to play.

Unfortunately, I can't take all of them down from this distance. It's just too far. Alright... Overload, then another overload. I slowed the quickhack deployment on purpose to delay setting off any alarms. Switching to another camera to clean up the other side.

The first drone sparked and nosedived straight into the gridlocked streets below, where a firefight was already raging. Just another spark of chaos in the wildfire.

Enemy drones jerked in unison, immediately adjusting their formation. They hugged the building, unleashing a barrage of inaccurate fire on my cameras. I managed to take down two more. That's five out of ten.

The enemy AVs were about 30 meters out now, closing in for a landing.

"Panam, you ready?"

"Nope, just stepped out for a coffee," she quipped nervously. "Of course I'm ready."

"They're landing now…"

The AVs touched down on the penthouse's sprawling rooftop, crushing sun loungers and potted palm trees without hesitation. Eight Arasaka soldiers in full tactical gear poured out immediately.

"Two snipers," I relayed to Panam, sending our drones, hidden atop a nearby building, into the air.

Four standard "Wyverns" and four kamikaze units packed with explosives.

"I see the target," Panam said. "Or... fuck, I think I do!"

The penthouse doors slid open. First, more Arasaka security in full armor spilled out—six of them, including a sniper and a netrunner. Then the target emerged. Probably Abernathy. Probably, because three massive bodyguards in heavy gray armor carried what looked like a portable bunker—a black metal shell. All I could see of the target were her legs in sheer stockings. Damn. A sniper round might penetrate those sheets, but who knows where Susan's head was inside. She was likely crouching, maybe even wearing a helmet. That, combined with reinforced bones and the bunker, could dull even Panam's high-caliber bullet.

The only option was to hit her leg, make her fall, and then finish the job. But that was a hell of a gamble. The legs were moving constantly, with guards all around.

Time to deploy the drones and give Panam an opening.

"Sending out our drones," I warned as Abernathy's procession crossed the open area near the pool.

They had to cover a wide, exposed stretch to reach the AVs, and that's when our drones made their move. The enemy guards reacted instantly, just as you'd expect from trained operatives. Gunfire erupted, but three guards kept their focus on other sectors, while the ones carrying the bunker kept moving.

A shot rang out!

Blood and fragments of metal sprayed as one of Abernathy's guards lost his head—helmet and all. Even that couldn't save him. Panam was clearing the path.

The bunker wobbled and slowed.

A flash of fire erupted as one of our drones detonated, fried by an enemy netrunner. They had two of them—one that arrived with the AVs and another that came from the penthouse. Both were in fully sealed armor.

A second shot.

Another guard took a headshot, but the reinforced helmet, cranial implants, and the angle of impact somehow kept him on his feet. Even with half a skull, he kept moving—probably running on a Berserker.

"Fucking hell!" Panam cursed over comms while I maneuvered the drones through the chaos.

Four of our Wyverns fired back, but it wasn't an even fight. The enemy still had five drones, highly trained guards, and top-tier gear. All I needed was for just one kamikaze drone to hit!

A third shot.

The wounded guard was finally down, and the bunker dropped like a turtle shell, shielding our target.

One of the enemy snipers zeroed in on Panam, firing back. Three drones peeled off, heading toward her position. Another explosion lit up the sky, this time near the AVs, as one of the kamikaze units was intercepted by an Arasaka operative using a Sandevistan.

Shit!

I adjusted the remaining drones, sending three Wyverns to shield one kamikaze, while the other bomb drone shut down its turbines momentarily to alter its trajectory. Bullets flew wide, even the turret on the AV missed.

Panam had one shot left before she'd need to reload. I had to expose the target.

One by one, the Wyverns were shot down—enemy bullets, netrunner scripts, even a missile from the penthouse's defense system, though it missed its mark and detonated mid-air.

I forced the third kamikaze to self-destruct. The fiery explosion momentarily blinded the guards. Shrapnel peppered the Arasaka soldiers, hammering against the bunker's sides. Then, from over the rooftop's edge, the fourth drone emerged. It managed to fly five more meters before getting hit, detonating close enough to kill or maim two guards. But the real win? The explosion flipped the bunker.

Scanning... There you are, Susan.

Abernathy was in a sleek black suit, wearing a heavy bulletproof vest and a massive black helmet that completely covered her head. No half-measures here. For all her flaws, Susan played it safe.

A shot.

Fragments of her helmet, a few drops of blood, and—

In the final moment, one of the Arasaka operatives activated his Sandevistan, grabbing Abernathy and pulling her out of the line of fire. The shot grazed her, but it wasn't fatal. The soldier, carrying her in his arms, leapt aboard the AV. The rest of the security team quickly followed—two more assault troopers, the netrunners, and a sniper. The doors slammed shut, and the vehicle began to lift off.

"Fuck!" Panam spat. "V, I'm out. They're closing in on me. Drones incoming!"

"Delta out," I replied curtly.

Even with my current emotional filters dampening my responses, anger was leaking through. There was one last chance: the kamikaze AV.

Our vehicle was already in the Business District, its sleek frame gliding past gleaming skyscrapers, heading for destiny.

"V," Lucy's voice broke in. "I lost my tail, but they're actively triangulating our location. Two, maybe three minutes, and they'll send in a strike team."

"Copy that."

23:34.

Panam was scrambling down the fire escape. The Arasaka AVs were gaining altitude. I needed them to fly far enough from the skyscraper's air defenses.

"Panam, grab a vehicle and follow the AV's route," I instructed.

"Got it."

Between the chaos with Maelstrom, Animals, and the cops being too distracted to deal with snipers on rooftops, Arasaka's forces were closing in. Five minutes, tops, and this area would be crawling with security.

I switched to our kamikaze AV's feed. The onboard camera showed crates of industrial explosives and bricks of C4 we'd bought in Dogtown.

"Air vehicle 452s45," came a transmission from one of the Arasaka combat AVs. "You are dangerously close to corporate transport. Change your trajectory immediately, or we will be forced to open—"

He didn't finish. I fired up Lucy's program. The engines on our AV roared to full throttle. Under turret and drone fire, it raced toward the target, weaving through the cityscape. Glass from the nearby skyscraper rained down in shards—everything except the reinforced windows, which cracked but held. Bullets peppered the kamikaze AV's hull. No biggie. Even a direct hit on the industrial explosives wouldn't trigger them. Detonation would only occur after a powerful electric pulse, setting off a chain reaction.

"Panam, heads up!" I warned.

The AVs closed in, and then the biggest explosion of the night erupted. Between two skyscrapers, a fiery orb lit up the sky. The shockwave shattered hundreds of windows, showering streets, alleys, and service courtyards below with a crystalline rain.

Shattering glass, screeching alarms, wailing sirens. The city roared in pain and outrage.

One escort AV lost control, slamming into a building and getting stuck. Abernathy's AV was dropping fast, trailing smoke but refusing to blow. Damn thing was tough. Gotta hand it to that cursed Japanese engineering.

It finally hit, smashing into a bunch of parked cars wedged between two skyscrapers. Tipped over, crushing a delivery van. A few explosions followed, flames licking at its hull. For a beast like that, it was just scratches. Let's hope the inside wasn't so fireproof.

"Panam, I'll give you the coordinates of the crash site. Can you confirm?"

"I'll try," she replied. "If I don't get clipped on the way. The corpos are swarming."

"Don't forget the evac point," I reminded her.

I switched to the nearest camera by the crash site. Static. Someone had taken it out. Pulling up other feeds didn't help either. My attempts got stonewalled by layers of corporate ICE, hastily erected by enemy netrunners. Both online and IRL, corpos were swarming. The whole damn imperial army of Arasaka's Night City division was descending on the Corporate Plaza.

Finally found a working feed—but it was far out, too distant for any script attacks. I zoomed in as much as I could. The AV's door groaned open. Black smoke poured out. Perfect. Burn in hell, please. Burn and spare me the trouble, dear Susan.

From the smoke, an Arasaka netrunner flew out, like someone had hurled him with a vengeance. Then came an SB soldier, hitting the pavement hard. The runner was already on his feet and bolting—not in the Net but on foot, disappearing into the nearest alley.

Three more bodies tumbled from the wreck. One of them was Susan.

Alive?

Yeah. Looked unconscious. Her helmet was gone, though.

A figure emerged from the smoke—an SB soldier, big guy, using his Sandevistan to drag the others out. His silvery armor was charred, helmet wrecked by shrapnel. He ripped it off, revealing a face I knew too well. Damn it, David. Should've never taught you that shit.

Martinez was yelling something, then ran to Susan, lying limp on the asphalt. He cradled her head, rummaging through a medkit. Pulled out an injector, aimed for her neck—but didn't make it in time.

Her neck turned into a bloody mess.

David hit the Sandevistan again, scooping up Abernathy and vanishing into the maze of cars, leaving a trail of blood behind.

"Bingo!" Panam's voice crackled through the comms, high on adrenaline and triumph. "But I gotta bail! It's a shitshow here!"

"Get the hell out!" I barked as I started jacking out of the Net.

A few jumps, a couple of protocols, and I was climbing out of the plastic sarcophagus's coolant bath. No sooner had I regained my senses than a loud explosion shook the room.

"You're just in time," Lucy said, already fully geared, pistol in hand.

"Time to party!" Rebecca cheered, hoisting a light machine gun.

"No! Time to GTFO!" I shot back.

More blasts echoed in the corridor—charges we'd planted going off. With any luck, they'd collapse parts of the hallway, slowing down the Arasaka cleanup crew.

While Lucy pried open a maintenance tunnel hatch, I armed a detonator.

"She dead?" Rebecca asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "Probably."

Panam had aimed for the neck since David's arm and armored body blocked her head. Damn. Should've told her to target him first, but there wasn't enough time. A shot to the neck… Blood was everywhere. Probably hit her spine. She should be dead, but my gut's still churning. Gotta wait for the official death notice.

We slipped through the tunnels without a hitch. A few parting explosions and 40 liters of fuel scrubbed our trail clean.

Four hours later, the three of us were slouched on a couch in front of the TV. Panam had to hit up a ripperdoc—she'd taken a couple of drone rounds as souvenirs from the op. Other than that, no casualties.

Onscreen, a slick anchor in a futuristic silver suit greeted viewers.

"Good evening. I'm Arif Iqbal, and you're watching WNS News. Breaking coverage. The city center is engulfed in chaos and flames. What began as a normal night transformed into a full-blown battle between law enforcement and various criminal factions. Who's behind it? According to online reports, the attack was orchestrated by the Crimson Harvest, a terrorist group previously responsible for targeting Biotechnica facilities across Europe. The Harvest has already claimed responsibility for the incident on their website."

"What the hell?" Rebecca blurted. "That was all us!"

Gotta hand it to the terrorists. Always ready to take credit for someone else's mess.

The anchor kept talking:

"This attack was clearly meant to strike fear into the hearts of Night City residents, but it only highlighted the bravery of our police force and Arasaka's security personnel. Thanks to their swift actions, civilian casualties were minimized."

Yeah, yeah, keep fondling those corpo nuts. But spill it already—what about Susan?

The anchor paused, eyes flickering as if processing incoming intel.

"Unfortunately, we must interrupt this broadcast. We'll return in five minutes. Stay tuned."

"Well, shit!" Becca and I exhaled in unison.

Our line of work? Nerve-wracking, ungrateful, and downright soul-crushing at times. But hey, someone's gotta take out those corporate bigwigs, right? If not us, who else? Certainly not their own backstabbing colleagues.