Day 85.

  Johnny’s mellowed out since our conversation. I’m still not fully convinced by his agenda, though – part of me thinks he’s bound to relapse at some point. But I might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

  Rita and I dropped off the Porsche at Judy’s house for safekeeping, since it’s pretty out of the way and I know she’ll take good care of it. Apparently she’s quit the smut industry entirely after leaving the Mox, taking up freelance work for tech companies instead. Far less lucrative, but her services aren’t going out of fashion anytime soon. Same with Rita. She stuck around for a while, just to hang out and spend a lovely morning. Judy will probably drop her home later on - I shouldn't linger, myself. Not with everything going on.

  We had a chat today about, well, everything. No, Moto, scratch that. Dammit, I said backspace it. Fuck, is my Agent acting up again. Stop recording. Fine, you get the force off button.

  We all had a deep conversation about, well, everything. The Relic and what it means for our future. How Johnny will play a role in this relationship. And what’ll happen when – not if, but when – the worst comes to pass for me. Part of me screamed to pull the emergency brake on this whole relationship in general, knowing that it’d likely be for their best interest. But Rita and Judy had a point of their own – I’d already inserted myself into their lives, and they were in mine. Nothing will change that, nor should it. We will enjoy what little time we have together, and they will take comfort in knowing that they made me happy and I made them happy.

  It was a lot more amicable than I was expecting from a pair of women whom I knew to be so full of life and warmth. Every moment I spend with them just makes me so thankful that I didn’t give up after Jackie’s funeral. I was right there. And it was terrifying. To this day, I have no idea what force of nature brought me back… I just remember a blood red haze in a lightning storm, and holding Yorinobu’s tanto to my belly. Yet I didn’t do it. Why not – who can say?

  Then there’s the enigma of Johnny. At first, yes, I’m certain that he wanted me dead. But his actions for the past couple of months have not been those of a suicidal man. Aloof and spiteful, sure, but not that of soulless malice.

  I wonder what his wartime history was like. He’s alluded to it several times now, but I never really got much out of him. Of course, there’s not much I talk about either, particularly about the end of the Unification War. I could only assume he was much of the same concerning his time in Nicaragua. I still remember him telling me the story behind his dog tags.

  Would Jackie have liked Johnny? I doubt it. I feel like Johnny would just remind Jackie of all the horrible shit he used to do when he was working for the cartel. Though I feel like Johnny would’ve liked Jackie, his free-spirited nature especially. I visited Jackie’s epitaph at the Columbarium again. It’s not where his ashes are, of course, but it’s nice to see my brother get the recognition he deserves.

  –

  “I bet Judy and Rita would’ve loved Jackie as well, come to think of it…” I spoke longingly, my Agent recording everything from the passenger seat, “He always had that attitude about him. I know Misty would adore them both as well. Heh, I imagine she already knows about them both. I should probably stop in and see her soon–GGAAAHH!!”

  A blinding, searing pain just shot through my head, like someone just drove a flaming railroad spike into my neck – what the fuck is that?!

  I slammed on the brakes and smashed my face into the steering wheel, my body loosely falling out of the door and shivering and convulsing– “GGGNNNRRGHH! STOP IT!–”

  “V?” a woman’s voice suddenly spoke and – and, what the fuck?! It was… it was like a light switch had suddenly flipped… I… Where am I… “V, can you hear me?”

  What?! Who the hell is this? “Mmrrghh…” I slowly got up, incredibly dizzy and disoriented.

  “V, I’m contacting you via the Relic. Might have a little discomfort at first, but it’ll pass–”

  “A LITTLE?!” I screamed at the mysterious woman, “I almost had a fucking car accident! Who is this, how did you contact me?!”

  “Good, it worked…” What worked?! “My name is Song So Mi… You can call me Songbird, though. I read up about you. Know about your situation. Your… problem. And I can save your life.”

  I slowly climbed back into my car, finding myself parked on the sidewalk with a bunch of bystanders all looking at me. Course, I was just outside the Afterlife without even thinking, just lazily driving around… Johnny, I swear, if you brought me here on purpose… But more importantly, this woman, this… Songbird. What the fuck was going on?! “Johnny, you hear her, too?”

  “Yeah,” he nodded, appearing beside me, “And I don’t like her one bit.”

  “Me neither…” I grumbled. Something feels wrong here. “Alright, Songbird. First thing’s first. If you read up about me, you should know that I don’t tolerate bullshit. Several people know about the Relic. High-level people, each with their own shitty ideas. So you’ll have to get to the back of the line and wait until your number is called.”

  “V, this is serious!” she sneered insistently, “I wouldn’t have contacted you this way otherwise. But I’m out of options as well, and I need your help.”

  “Yeah, that’s great, but I missed the part where that’s my problem,” I grumbled, starting up Miyoko again and putting it in neutral.

  “It will be your problem shortly,” she said with a definite shift of tone, “Arasaka’s sent a team after you.”

  That’s… alarming. I removed Izanami from its sheath, placing it in my lap. “What?!”

  “Two SUVs are moving down Goldsmith, I’ll call back when you’ve taken care of ‘em.” The connection suddenly died…

  Goldsmith… that’s behind me…

  Shit… She’s right… I see them. Alright, Miyoko, we have bigger problems to worry about.

  –

  V buckled up her racing harness and slammed the Skyline into first gear and took off like a rocket, the S20 straight-six screaming in protest as the rev counter exceeded 8,000 RPM. The fender mirrors revealed nothing but a blinding light emanating from the two Emperors’ full-beam headlights as they closed the distance, already going some 140 kilometers per hour through traffic. V threw Miyoko straight back on the street, using the cars behind her to hopefully slow down the SUVs enough to allow her car to gain a bit of momentum. Arasaka's wet team replied by simply smashing anything out of their way - these people mean business, she thought to herself as the silhouettes closed in on her.

  Pedestrians desperately scrambled out of the way as V crossed back onto the sidewalk and shifted up to second, Miyoko’s rear tires trailing smoke in its wake. One of the SUVs came running up onto the curb and slammed into the rear bumper, partially caving it in and rattling V’s teeth as she frantically fought for control.

  Gunshots rang through the cityscape like fireworks. The second SUV blew past her while the driver and passenger alike riddled Miyoko with lead, shattering the windshield and windows. V clutched onto the leather-bound steering wheel with an absolute iron grip, raising Izanami with her left hand and trying her best to deflect any shots aimed at her head.

  The three of them blew through multiple poles and street furniture as V scrambled for third gear, getting her car up to speed enough to out-drag the Emperor behind her. The massive grille resembled a mobile fortress, a fist about to crush her vehicle in an instant had it not been for her extensive modifications to its crash structure.

  They blew past another block, headed toward the Riot club on the other side of the bay with V’s car scraping the underside along the pavement, shearing part of the exhaust system open. Her rear differential took a massive bite out of the curb as the car launched itself upwards, lifting the wheels off the ground for a split second while the Emperors gained on her again, utterly unaffected by the street furniture and curbs alike.

  Despite her speed, however, the trucks were simply that much faster. The Emperor on her left veered in front of the pair of them, forcing V into a pincer. The massive steel bars lining her engine bay and trunk kept her car from folding in half, instead turning into the truck and pinging off like a wrecking ball impacting a blast door. Her stiff racing suspension bounced along the rough sidewalk surface, Miyoko unable to find any traction as the Emperor from the rear found its target.

  Miyoko caught air as the full-size SUV plowed into its side, V nearly thrown clear of the car if it wasn’t for her harness keeping her secured in her seat. She impulsively clutched onto both Izanami and her steering wheel for dear life as it flew through the air, the monstrous V8 engine on-board the Emperor growling just one meter from her face, begging for blood.

  Miyoko landed with a sharp, violent thud, the truck continuing on past and spinning out the Skyline with a clip to the right-rear fender. The antique vehicle rotated clockwise and slammed the driver’s side into a concrete barrier inside of the Riot club’s loading dock, utterly destroying what little panels remained untouched. The concrete shattered into small fragments in the flickering headlights, producing a cloud of dust and rocks littering the interior and hood. V fired up Izanami, coughing and hacking the gravel out of her lungs as she unbuckled herself and climbed out of the windshield frame and got into position.

  A team of four approached her, two from each vehicle – Shinkuro, the Deep Black, Abernathy’s crack-team from Spec Ops. They would be Izanami’s first victims.

  V’s hands were practically vibrating with boiling fury as her sword shot sparks from its blade, arcing into the ground and barricade next to her in a dazzling display, like a wild animal asserting its dominance before a great duel. The team prepared their weapons, leveling and opening fire with SMGs and rifles at the same time. V adapted a low stance, minimizing her target profile and gripping the weapon tightly, torquing its massive weight effortlessly with her powerful forearm muscles.

  The tremendous force of Izanami’s momentum threatened to throw her off-balance as she deflected round after round, twirling the weapon like a huge electrical baton. Each bullet bounced off with a deep, resonant clatter, wholly ineffective against the increased mass of the nodachi in comparison to Shinden. V stammered a bit at first, expecting more recoil behind each gunshot she deflected, before quickly adapting and guiding the rounds with laser-like precision to the first of the four soldiers. Her suit-clad body poured a combination of red and white syn-blood, collapsing onto the floor with a satisfying thud, riddled from head to toe with projectiles.

  The sole remaining gunner fired upon V with a handgun before she unceremoniously placed a round directly in his arm, traveling all the way up the length of his bicep and compromising his aim. Forced into hand-to-hand combat, he temporarily distracted her while the two soldiers from the first SUV moved in on her right.

  A woman, no older than 19 years of age and riddled with the finest cyberware her parents could likely afford, charged her from behind with a standard-issue military katana while the two others approached from the front and left. V instantly spun in-place and decapitated her, the electrocuting effects of Izanami causing her head to quite literally explode in a shower of red mist. V was astonished at the sheer effectiveness of it, bordering on overkill against such a target despite it wearing her down.

  Their surprise flanking maneuver lay in ruins. Abernathy assured them that she was merely one woman with an ancient, broken sword. Yet this weapon was neither of those things. Sparks danced around the blade as errant pieces of dust were zapped into oblivion by the ridiculous levels of charge it boasted. This was, without question, an extremely specialized, bespoke weapon. And overlooking that fact will cost them their lives if they’re not absolutely on their A-game.

  The two remaining guards kept their distance from her, sizing her up as she stepped back, adopting a one-handed high guard and backing up to her car. To her amazement, one of the men, clad in all-black from head to toe, produced a pair of electrified Mantis Blades, matching pound for pound, so he thought.

  V instantly turned her attention away from the partially incapacitated soldier, charging up her weapon as the man slowly paced around the SUV, looking for any sign of an opening on the samurai. Her fingers slowly adjusted their grip on Izanami, still learning exactly where her hand was most comfortable on the unfamiliar ergonomics. She gently lowered the weapon until the blade’s electricity found its way to ground for a split second, discharging some of its energy with a gunshot-like bang as she lined up for a strike.

  The soldier eyeballed the weapon, knowing exactly what she was doing – she was placing the weapon at her side in preparation for an uppercut strike. He nodded to his partner to commence the attack and charged her at once, placing one of his Mantis Blades low in anticipation of the coming strike and throwing all his power into his left hand blade. Yet he failed to account for one crucial factor – V’s reach advantage.

  She drew Izanami into a devastating diagonal slash, the weapon easily overpowering his Mantis Blades and sawing clean through the first before neatly carving a line all the way up his torso, exiting out the top of his head. He didn’t so much as whimper – simply slump over, instantly dead from the discharge of the weapon frying his nervous system more quickly than his brain could possibly register what had happened. He never stood a chance.

  The man hesitated for a second as V held her sword high, gently lowering it back down to eye-level. He was certainly no slouch, capable of bench pressing upwards of 300 kilos thanks to his cyberware. But that didn’t matter in the slightest here – he knew, right then and there, that he was utterly fucked. Not by V, but by Abernathy for sending him on what amounted to a suicide mission.

  He shook violently as she stared deep into him, passersby maintaining their distance at all costs. Not even the police wanted to get involved, with a cruiser parking up before speeding off when they saw the woman’s head violently exploding into a shower of chunks barely resembling flesh. His fists danced around a bit as he gulped, his body no longer breathing but instead desperately, frantically gasping for air. V didn't want to draw any more blood, certainly not from someone who was scared and helpless. But she would defend herself and her beloved vehicle to the death if need be regardless, as she has done several times in the past.

  Then something unexpected happened – V shut off her weapon. He didn’t see her hit a switch. It simply… turned off, as if by magic or something. Sensing a bit of weakness, he instantly charged her, his body seemingly overcome by some sort of misguided, irrational survival instinct. V instantly shut him down, rotating her sword on its axis and throwing all her weight into a final, definitive strike.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  The flat of the weapon landed across his chest as she ducked underneath his punch, obliterating much of his ribcage even through his hardened body armor. It felt to him like he just got struck by a car, forcing him to collapse, breathless and whimpering in agony.

  –

  “Come here…” I grunted as he writhed around on the ground… Fuck, I’m gonna have to carry him, aren’t I… No, I can’t. Alright, lesson learned, V. Always save the skinny woman if you’re planning on interrogating someone. “Come on, up, up, up…” I said with a bit of encouragement as I struggled to get him off the ground… Somehow he actually managed it, too. Damn… Tough bastard.

  “Mmmrrhnn…” he bellowed as he tried sucking in air as best as he could while we made our way into the loading dock of the Riot club, walking past Miyoko.

  God dammit… Now I’m gonna have to call Delamain. I hate working with Delamain… Not to mention that I’ll have to probably wait for ages for Miyoko to be done. That paint didn’t actually come stock, it’s from an R35 GT-R, and those are even harder to find. “God dammit… can’t you people ever be considerate enough to just ask me to come out of the car first…” I mumbled in frustration as we made our way up the stairs. This used to be a more courteous job… “Alright, you can lay down here.”

  “Mmhh…” he collapsed on the floor, still clutching at his chest. Come on, I even turned off the power for him… did Izanami really hit that hard? I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised. This thing somehow managed to saw through a Mantis Blade without breaking a sweat… that’s not just impressive. That’s downright unheard-of. I guess that’s what happens when a weapon vibrates so quickly that it becomes superheated. It must act like a little saw when it’s powered… Hmm. How very interesting.

  “Alright, here’s how this is going to work. I’ll ask simple yes or no questions, and you’ll answer them with a nod or a shake. Do you understand?”

  “Rrrghh…” he grumbled, nodding his head. Alright, now we’re getting somewhere…

  “Okay. First question – were you sent here to kill me?”

  The man slowly nodded, pointing to a pocket in his jacket… Hm. A shard…

  “What’s this…” I muttered as I retrieved it, walking back to my car and loading it into my Agent. “Let’s see what you got…”

  –

  Priority: P0

  Location: Night City

  Target: Tokai, Valerie “V”; alias – birth name classified

  Occupation: Soldier (former), mercenary

  Known Accomplice(s): Amendiares, Rogue (DNP)

  Equipment: Katana (broken), small arms

  Corp Code(s): 160, 189

  Objective: Elimination

  Warning: Under no circumstances to be engaged in single combat. Considered armed and extremely dangerous. See file no.: NC770416

  –

  “What’s that?” Johnny asked me.

  “It’s a kill order… It says that this team was sent to eliminate me. The codes denote that it’s Abernathy and her department who issued the command, but I don’t know a 160. I was in a different department… Someone else sent this. Someone other than Abernathy, I mean. This was a top-down issuance…”

  “A top-down?” Johnny raised an eyebrow, “Meanin’ you’ve officially rustled the mother hen’s feathers. Congratulations. Welcome to the club. Question is, who is it?”

  I took my time walking back to the ailing hitman, thinking long and hard about that question. “It wouldn’t be Yorinobu, that’s for sure…”

  “Mm, agreed. Not his style.”

  “Not to mention that he’s been the only one who’s actually open and honest with us,” I thought out-loud with a slight grin, “I mean, think about it. Alt wants me Soulkilled. Takemura fucked us. Hanako is playing to Arasaka’s interests– wait. Hanako…”

  “Hanako…” Johnny repeated in his deep, gravelly voice, “Fuck would be the point of that? I mean, I’m agreein’ with you, somethin’s off about her. She’s gonna lie to our face, it’s as natural to any corpo in her place as takin’ a shit.”

  “Because she doesn’t care about us, right?”

  “All she cares about is the Relic,” Johnny finished my statement, “Don’t matter to her how she’ll get it.”

  “Which is why we’ll probably be killed the second it’s extracted…” I glanced back over to the soldier, still laying down. Breathing normally, at last… Alright, let’s finish up here.

  I walked over to the poor bastard and studied his body language – he’ll be fine. Just a bit shaken up. “O–Orders…”

  “I know,” I said to him as I looked outside, “Department head Abernathy’s always had an axe to grind over me. In any case, I’m in a bit of a hurry. So just answer me one question before I go…” Izanami fired up, the sword humming to life behind my head. Electrical sparks flicked off the tip with a satisfying crackling noise. The guy looked like he was about to piss himself… “Did you speak to anyone else besides Abernathy regarding your assignment?”

  I could see it in his face – what little was exposed, anyway. His mouth sunk down and he prepared himself to meet his maker, like the rest of his fallen team. He didn’t know anything. He was just a cog in the machine, same as the rest of us. He silently shook his head to say ‘no’ before it sank down again, punctuating his statement with an implied ‘please…’

  “Good enough for me,” I replied with a shrug, “I’m sorry you had to be a part of her schemes. Good luck.”

  I I crudely reattached the rear bumper with some paracord and climbed back into Miyoko. It took a while to get the thing started, the engine shouting at me with a squealing belt and a strange hissing noise coming from somewhere behind me… fucking fantastic… I think this is the worst anyone’s done to my car yet. Props to them – they did catch me off-guard. “Believe me now?” Songbird re-invited herself to the party as I drove back down the street, flooring it to get away from the scene as quickly as I could. They'd converge any second now.

  “How’d you know?” I asked her, throwing the car into second and rejoining the highway traffic. Best if I stayed outside of the city itself right now, even if it meant taking the long way around.

  “Your name popped up on Arasaka comms chatter for the past few days. People were hunting you. Waited for one of ‘em to locate you, then used their coords to triangulate yours.”

  Impressive, I’ll give her that. It also means she has access to satellite arrays. Interesting… “Okay, tell me something I don’t know, like how you managed to break into an encrypted comms channel,” I demanded, “Spec Ops? Counterintel? What?”

  “I’m not a member of Arasaka, if that’s what you’re implying,” she replied frankly, “I don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll keep this brief. I have something that can help you, but I need you to go somewhere so we can meet. Somewhere you’re not gonna like.”

  “Shoot.”

  “How much do you know about Dogtown?”

  Not a word was spoken. I just pulled over to the hard shoulder, got out, and pinched my nose in frustration. Dogtown… Is she serious?!

  “V, talk to me.”

  “I see. My miracle cure you’re promising me is a bullet to the head. I’m not interested,” I sneered at her as traffic blew by me.

  “Okay, I’ll tell you what – just come by and meet me by the refugee camp outside the main gate. And you’ll see that I’m not lying – I really can help you.” She sounded desperate… Desperate people are dangerous people. I don’t like this.

  “You do realize who I am to these people, right?” I raised an eyebrow, “An Arasaka agent going to Dogtown is suicidally idiotic. And you still haven’t told me anything about what this ‘miracle cure’ is. All you’ve done is demonstrate the ability to hack into a secure channel and tap into my Relic. How do I know you’re not the one who sent that ambush against me in the first place?”

  “Because I need you, V. And you need me – you’re dead either way. I swear to you, I can help change that. But you’ll have to take it on faith for now. At least until I can prove it in person. What do you say?”

  “Mmmrgh…” I grumbled, “How much time do I have?”

  “Until dawn tomorrow, before the morning rush,” she said calmly, “Should be plenty of time to prep.”

  “And you better know I’ll use every second. If this is a trap, I’ll blow that wall apart myself.”

  “Wouldn’t expect anything less.” She sounds way too casual for what she’s asking… “See you soon, V.”

  “What the fuck’s Dogtown?” Johnny asked me as I got back in the car… Oh boy… this is bound to take a while to explain…

  I headed south along the highway towards Pacifica. Couldn’t risk stopping anywhere with Arasaka who-knows how close to me. “It’s a relic of the War. A sovereign state in Night City.”

  “Thought Night City was a sovereign state already?”

  “It is. Dogtown, well, is… something else…” I mumbled as I upshifted to fifth gear, the engine growing agitated again, “Think of it like an enclave. A city within a city. It’s about eight blocks of Pacifica carved out and lorded over by one man: Colonel Kurt Hansen.”

  “Hansen…” Johnny repeated.

  “This is ancient history, by today’s standards… Back in April 2070, my unit was tasked with guarding the beaches of Coastview… Well, not really guarding. We were sentries, meant to act as advance warning. We held the city, but troops were closing in from the south and east. So we guarded the western flank – an easy job, they said. One which won’t likely see any combat at all, they said. That is, until Hansen showed up. He led a whole battalion off the coast, flying in with AV and armored support, forcing us out… slaughtered our entire southern armored corps in the process… About half my unit died in the evacuation…”

  “Fuck…”

  “We made our way to the airport and stayed there until the end of the war because these fucking people cut us off from the rest of society. June 12, Kujira pulled up and everything ended overnight… Except Hansen. He stayed. Openly defied the President’s orders. Just… stayed. With all of his soldiers. And he constructed Dogtown within the old walled city of Serenisands. Its main gate is about 25 meters of reinforced concrete, doubled-up. Good luck penetrating that with even the hardiest Panzer company. Trust me – we tried.”

  “Right, so basically, this Songbird chick wants you to walk in front of a main gate housing a bunch of vets who made killing ‘Saka a sort of sport?” he said skeptically, “And what’s she hope to get outta you, a good-lookin’ corpse?”

  “No idea… But there’s a good reason why I stayed the hell away from that place besides its origins.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Gut feeling, I guess… We could get intel anywhere, at any time. Arasaka had no blind spots. None. Except Dogtown. No one ever told me why, and I never thought to question it while I was working… just assumed that we never had any need to go in there again. But something about it always struck me the wrong way… no one spoke of it. Not Arasaka, not Militech. It’s like it didn’t exist…”

  “You think someone’s hiding something?”

  “Something big. God knows what. I came to that realization about a year ago… Ever since then, just looking at it gives me this unsettling feeling.”

  “Mmm…” Johnny’s hum betrayed deep introspection. Something disturbed him, too, I could tell. “Well, if there’s one thing I learned from my time in the service, it’s to always trust your gut.”

  “My gut is telling me not to go in there. Under any circumstances. Something feels wrong.”

  “So what’re you gonna do?”

  “I don’t know…” I thought out loud, “But whatever it is, I’m going prepared.”

  I pulled up to the parking lot, gazing upon the looming shadow of the stadium before me. Its entrance loomed in the foggy night like a great fallen leviathan, the construction cranes jutting out at odd angles like jagged bones. If war was a place, its name would be Dogtown.

  Nanosurgeons are a rare technology these days. Like most analogue tech, it’s long-been superseded by pseudoembryonic cell building supplements. Lower maintenance and less expensive, but also less effective. I get the feeling that my nanosurgeons will be worth their weight in gold here.

  This isn’t going to be a typical job. Something seems off with this woman, what she’s saying. It’s clear that she’s looked into my history a little. Likely she knows roughly about my past, the things I’ve been through up to this point. It’s a safe assumption that she knows I’m skilled – certainly skilled enough to hold off an Arasaka wet team.

  Her tone didn’t scream ‘deceiver’ to me, though. Nor did it scream ‘trustworthy,’ either. I didn’t know what to make of it, and that scared me more than anything else.

  Okay. First thing’s first. Let’s find this mysterious woman and see what she has in store. I best go in quickly… Fuck. I just had to pick today to wear my fitted shirt. Yes, it was bullet-resistant, but the “Arasaka” badge would get me killed if I’m not careful. They will never let my car inside in a million years, at least not without a permit of some sort. But at least the parking lot is under their protection, so no one was about to steal Miyoko anytime soon.

  Funny… despite coming closer to the gate, it didn’t seem to grow, instead remaining just as massive and imposing as it was from across the street. No wonder why we couldn’t break the structure. Hansen might as well have been on Mars with the Militech colony with what he was working with here.

  “Outta my fuckin’ way!” a clearly rookie NCPD officer screamed as she tried to run in through the gates, only to be stopped dead in her tracks by the posted guards.

  “You and what army?” the woman on the left mocked her, waving her rifle in the badge’s face as a second one came running up.

  “Hey, stop!” the other cop shouted, “It’s Dogtown. Got no place there!”

  “But he’s gettin’ away!” the rookie protested, panicked and shaking.

  “And I give zero shits,” the Dogtown guard snickered with her synthesized voice, “Go back to the city, pigs.”

  “Come on, Broseph’s on me,” the veteran cop demanded, “Dogtown’s sovereign territory. Can’t go in there. Our hands are tied.”

  “Listen to your partner, makin’ a lotta sense…” the guard said slowly, as if she was talking to a child.

  “Fuck!” the rookie screamed as she walked back to the car… Gotta love Dogtown…

  “Who’re those people?” Johnny asked me as we walked past them, my sword cloaked on my side.

  “BARGHEST,” I explained, “Hansen’s personal army. Most of them are runaways, bullies, vagrants, that sort. At least from what I’ve heard. In reality, well, they’re like any military. Just people looking for a cause worth fighting for, like the rest of us.”

  I noted a massive armed presence not just atop the gate itself, but walking around, up on the ramparts – everywhere I looked, a BARGHEST soldier stood guard. And typically these border guard types were the less experienced among the ranks of Militech forces. Of course, there is strength in numbers, but I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that there was a literal army of seasoned veterans waiting just beyond that gate. God only knows what this woman wants. But I suppose there’s no better place to fall off the radar than here.

  “Hey! ‘Saka!” a guard shouted at me as I walked along, “Where do you think you’re goin’?!” Here we go… Think fast.

  “I’m a refugee,” I answered bluntly, “I have weapons for sale. Where can I go to check in?”

  “Dealers gotta wait in line like everybody else,” he answered more calmly, “Get your shit and head to the right. Our boys’ll pack it and clear it for entry.”

  “Understood.” I turned around on the spot and headed back to the car. “See that, Johnny?”

  “Yeah… guys in the billboards. Snipers positioned in the watchtowers. Count at least a dozen dudes comin’ in and out… You sure about this?”

  Might as well share my thoughts some more. “Normally I’d be against this sort of affair. Look, I’ve been stabbed in the back too many times to trust anymore. Hell, my trust in you is teetering on a knife-edge. But you know what? We don’t have a choice.”

  “Sure we do. Hell, just head back to the airport–”

  “No, Johnny. They found me. Somehow. They’ll find me at the airport, I guarantee it. As long as I’m in Night City, I’m a target. We need this. At least until the heat dies down.”

  “Yeah, cause we don’t have enough problems on our plate. Now we gotta add this BARGHEST group to our list of shit to deal with?! C’mon, V. Look, I know I made that speech before. But how many dumb decisions you gotta make ‘fore you realize that fire can burn people if they get too close.”

  “Hey, if you have another idea, I’m all ears,” I told him definitively, “We can’t leave the city, Arasaka controls the border crossing. We can’t stay in the city. We sure as hell can’t be seen with any friends or my girlfriends. So now what?”

  “Mmmrgh…”

  Now… I eat. Then sleep. Songbird said we wait until dawn. So that’s what we’ll do. I need to be in peak condition for this, absolutely no question about it. Just wait until the next shift change, then follow the rules and get my gear through the front door. We got this.

  –

  “Why do you think he did that?” I asked Johnny, propping my leg up on my car’s A-pillar, some broken glass errantly falling into the interior.

  “I think he got sick and tired of listening to someone else dictate to him how to do his job, so he said ‘fuck it.’ Kinda wanna meet this Hansen guy now…”

  “Yeah, I thought you might,” I replied with a slight chuckle, “Something tells me our paths are likely to cross.”

  “Oh? What, got your crystal ball back up and running again?”

  “No, just… well, let’s review. I’ve met almost the entire Arasaka family, sans Michiko. I’ve met the Queen of the Afterlife and went on a mission with her. Did countless gigs for various clients – Padre, Capitano, Dakota, Regina, Dino, Mr. Hands, the fucking Mayor… Hell, at this rate, I’m gonna need more than one piece of paper to mark down everyone I’ve encountered over the past couple months.”

  “Mmh… It’s been a wild ride, though, hm?”

  “Yeah… That it has, I gotta admit.” I glanced down at my watch… 3 in the morning. Shift change… People shuffling around. Perfect time to infiltrate. Alright, game-face on.

  I hopped off the car and opened the trunk, retrieving absolutely everything I thought might be remotely useful. Cell regeneration packs, blood clotting agents, bandages, splints, foam sealant – everything.

  “What’s the plan, gonna solo the whole motherfucker or what?” Johnny glared at me, arms crossed.

  “If it comes to it, yeah,” I grumbled as I loaded Yorinobu’s weapon’s magazine. One hundred rounds… What a pain in the ass. But well worth it in close-quarters situations that warrant something capable of putting lead downrange.

  “Well alright, then. Long as I know what we’re gettin’ into. I’ll start with the funeral arrangements.”

  I quickly took out my phone and rang up Delamain, closing my trunk and taking one last look at my car. “Delamain,” I said as the AI answered automatically.

  “V, how may I be of service today?” Delamain’s courteous as ever.

  “My car was involved in an accident and needs to be repaired. Can you send a tow truck out to my location?”

  “Certainly. Is your vehicle covered under our extended warranty package? It includes–”

  “No, thank you.” Fucking advertisements…

  “Very well. What is the location, make, and model of the vehicle?”

  “Petrochem Stadium parking lot, it’s a 1971 Nissan Skyline GT-R.”

  “Acknowledged. Because your vehicle is over 25 years of age, you are eligible for historical registration–”

  “Just pick up the car, Del.”

  “Affirmative. Good day to you, V.”

  Other provisions, let’s see… Agents are likely frowned upon here. This crew doesn’t seem like the type to let in advanced recording equipment. But I should keep it in my backpack… How many emergency rations… Fuck it. Just take 20,000 calories’ worth. That should keep me running for however long this lasts. Get my mask and compression gear, too… Alright, that should be everything.

  And, lastly, my beret… Different nations have different colors associated with their fighting forces. Green for the NUSA, blue for Europe, red for the United Kingdom, black for Japan. I used to think of myself as Arasaka’s property, once upon a time. They say jump, and I’d say how high. I’d like to see them come and try to reclaim me in here…

  “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.” Psalms 22: 15-20.

  Watch over me, Jackie…