Chapter 45

"Girls, I don't doubt your professionalism one bit, but I just have to ask..."

Now we were sitting next to Behemoth, and I was cooking another masterpiece on the fire, at which all the Aldecaldos who happened to be nearby were squinting. I was never greedy, though, and I always had enough to spare, so that many of the nomads circling around our shelter would be able to taste another of Martinez's dishes.

"...are you sure it's an accident?"

"Uh-huh...

Judy nodded her head.

"Yeah, we're sure."

Lucy was a little more elaborate in her reply.

"Okay, uh. So it was an accident."

I nodded my head.

"Did you doubt it?"

"Well. paranoia, it doesn't bother me, and the fact that we've had a known fixer with a bad reputation before, so yeah, I see a catch in everything. I even looked at every assignment from Regina and Bestia under a microscope for a possible setup from this man."

"Paranoid..."

"Judy snorted."

"Well, I understand him."

"Okay, did you get the address of the Stilettos' base?"

"They have a few bases, but we got all three addresses. So maybe we can put together a raid and, uh."

"No..."

I shook my head.

"...there will be no raids, there will be three raids from Tychon's group and this time, I'll need all of Becky's noise-making skills.

"Oh. can I have some fun?"

"You can... while you're making noise at the entrance, drawing attention to yourself, I'll go quietly and let our rangers get to work hacking into the systems. Unless, uh."

I tapped my spoon thoughtfully on the wok...

"...Of course it will still need to be explored, but I think we'll need to get a couple more people involved so Becca won't be alone at the entrance..."

"Okay, let's discuss this later, but in the meantime. is it ready yet?"

Becca approached the pot, and I grinned and nodded, taking it off the fire. Other members of the Aldecaldo clan appeared beside us, but I naturally served double portions to my girls and myself first, and only then did I begin to treat those who had come for a snack...

For a while we just ate ...

I enjoyed the way everyone around me reacted to my cooking. And of course, I was especially pleased with the way the girls from my team were happily eating the pilaf I had prepared for them.

And only after about half an hour did people start to leave. Everyone who had gotten a portion came up to me and thanked me, and also threw quite a lot of money on my account. And no, I did not demand it, such a custom appeared by itself, just one of Aldecaldo's azzes once noticed that I cooked from natural products, and they cost a lot of money and it would be a swine not to pay...

I didn't try to refuse, of course, because it was true, and I was really thinking that it was too wasteful to cook like that at Aldekaldo's. But I was not going to stop, because I needed to make connections, because there was a chance that one day I would leave Knight City with this clan and continue my life as a clan solo...

"So, where are their bases?"

"Two in the Badlands, one in Knight City..."

"You got the plans for these bases..."

"Naturally..."

My Runners looked a little smug. Well, they had every right to be, and when they threw me the data about the Stilettos' bases I plunged into studying them...

"So?"

The first to notice that I was back in reality was Becca, who was sitting across from me at the table. I'd spent about two hours making a rough plan, but it was only a first approximation, a plan that still needed to be finalized. So I was surprised that she was still sitting at the table.

"Becca, what are you doing here?"

"Well, what am I supposed to do? Shoot cans? Well, it gets uninteresting after five times... I'm a master shooter, even if I usually prefer to use guidance systems, ricochets and sometimes smart weapons, I'm still a master shooter. A master marksman and putting aside all those fancy gimmicks to shoot at stationary targets isn't hard for me. So, uh. I'm just enjoying the quiet. You don't get that in Knight City. And the air's not that clean either."

"Clean?"

I grinned.

"Come on, you know what I mean. There's a lot less pollution from the exhaust, yes, there's not enough greenery to make the air really pleasant to breathe, but even so... with the population density here, it's a lot more breathable."

"Couldn't agree more..."

"So, have you made a plan yet?"

"To a first approximation..."

I nodded my head.

"Shall I call the others?"

"No. I need to get some information from you first."

"From me?"

"Yeah... who would you rather work with in a diversionary group?"

Becca covered her eyes.

"Dorio and Pilar... maybe if Mayne's okay, he could be used as a sniper. He'd be extremely deadly with a normal optic and a good rifle for anyone who decided to stick their neck out. And as a sentry to warn of approaching reinforcements for the enemy..."

"Then call them..."

I covered my eyes.

"Tentatively, I'm willing to pledge ten grand per brother for a distraction at one Stiletto base."

"Ten?"

"You don't think it's enough?"

"Uh, no... a lot."

Becca shook her head.

"Usually for such distraction assignments no more than five to seven grand per brother came out... of course there are still bonuses, but in fact..."

I grinned.

"Well, I'm not going to skimp. So they can also expect a share of the spoils."

"Pfft... David, you're too kind..."

"Becca, I certainly realize that solo is not sugar, but I'm not going to undervalue an order. That would be bad for the reputation. We're considered a fairly well-to-do team, so we shouldn't skimp on non-fixer assignments.

"Okay, uh. now."

Becca blurted out for about ten minutes, after which she focused her gaze back on me.

"They'll be here in an hour..."

"Okay..."

I covered my eyes and just at that moment Lucy climbed out of the Hippo.

"Girls, our sleeping beauty is awake!"

I grinned at such naming of myself. And when familiar faces appeared from Behemoth and from the garage made under the awning, I nodded, pointing to the table.

"So, first of all, we're gonna have a few people joining us for the destruction of the Stiletto bases... some of you know these people very well."

"Don't tell me you called Dorio and Pilar..."

From the sound of her voice, the kiwi grinned. As far as I know, she was saving up money to rebuild her face, since she had nothing but chrome under her mask. It was good that she could eat regular food due to the special structure of the mask's chromium and larynx.

"Not only them, but I invited Maine. Becca said he might be a good sharpshooter..."

"Well, uh. yes, it will. and he'll feel needed."

Kiwi was forced to nod her head.

"Next, I can tell you that our rangers will have to split into two groups. One to cover the diversionary maneuver, the second group to hack into the Stilettos' networks and siphon data and money from these networks."

Lucy, Judy, and Kiwi looked over at each other.

"How exactly you will share is up to you, you know each other's capabilities better and realize in which direction you will be more useful..."

"I'll be covering..."

Judy didn't think too long and immediately gave her answer.

"The girls will help me write a couple of demons, just in case, and I'll be fully armed and able to deal with the ranchers that will interfere with our brave soldiers. Especially since I'll be ready for them..."

"Okay..."

I nodded my head.

"...so Lucy and Kiwi will be working with the data from the stylites... I think it's best if you stay here. at the camp."

"Hmm?"

"Let's get your ice baths ready so you can work with a full load of chrome. I don't know how much work there will be, but I think it will be a lot."

"Well... it's not unreasonable."

"By the way, how are your decks doing?"

"It's okay... we've all changed them recently..."

"All right, then we'll wait for the support team while I plan the first attack. I'll start planning the others, too."

And I covered my eyes again, now planning my actions in more detail. Not the final plan yet, but not the first approximation...

I opened my eyes when a chrome-slimmed Mayne, along with Dorio and Pilar, came down to the table.

"And what did you need that you're willing to pay us a tenner?"

Mayne looked at me seriously. And I realized that even though he had lost his chrome, he hadn't lost his weight. He hadn't broken down, and in front of me he was still the same big guy, albeit in his soul. Yeah, I don't feel very good about him, but, uh. I guess it was a subconscious reluctance to get involved in canon events... I just didn't want to get involved with them and die at the hands of Smasher...

And in order to make sure that didn't happen... well, not exactly, but in order to more likely avoid such a turn of events, it was necessary to break the events of the canon as radically as possible. Which I did...

"Ten grand per brother."

I corrected Mayne and he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I thought Becca embellished the situation a bit..."

"No..."

I shook my head.

"What's more, there are three jobs to be done at the moment and for each one I'm willing to pay ten grand per sibling, per assignment."

"Don't put honey in your ears, say what you need to say..."

"We'll need a distraction."

Mayne frowned.

"Distractions?"

"Yeah, uh. three attacks on Stiletto bases so far... you'll have one ranger with you, Judy."

I nodded at her and she raised her hand in greeting to Mayne and the others and showing exactly who I was talking about.

"I'd like to..."

"No... the kiwi interrupted Maina."

"Believe me, Lucy and I will be more in demand in the line of work we'll be doing. And Judy's a little inferior, but even so, she's more than competent as a ranger and can do what's necessary to support you."

I nodded my head.

"So you'll have Judy with you. And it's in your best interest to create the most natural looking assault possible... The Stilettos have to believe that you're going to storm in, that you're ready to break in, and that it's only by some miracle that they're keeping you from blowing their defenses."

"Just acting?"

"It has to be extremely convincing. because the main attack will be on me, Lucy and Kiwi... and your actions will determine whether or not you get a bonus as part of the spoils..."

"Bonus?"

Mayne arched an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh...

"What do you expect? You think you can get a lot of connections?"

"I think two ranners with my help will be able to hack them all and zero out their personal accounts, as well as accounts that will be accessed via comps and decks... So I'm counting on some pretty decent sums of money, as well as possible addresses of where they keep their goodies..."

I look carefully into Mayne's eyes.

"And you're gonna share that with us?"

They grinned, but I shook my head.

"You're gonna get money. either way. Yes and the percentage will depend on your effectiveness as a diversionary group. So it will depend on what you can do as a diversion."

"Okay... I'm gonna need a sniper rifle. a good rifle, as well as intelligence."

"Data will come later, I'll go scouting myself, plus buy info from Regina..."

"Better at Bestia's..."

At Mayne's words, I only shook my head.

"Bestia periodically works with the Stilettos, so it's best not to touch her... maybe leak the information and the Steelers will be prepared..."

Then there was a discussion of the plan in third approximation, already taking into account Mayne's opinion... taking into account his experience. taking into account Pilar and Dorio's experience...