Chapter 80

The gunfire had stopped, and judging by the splinters and cameras, there were no enemies left in the camp, so I just stood up and opened the hatch, which wasn't hard to do, and squatted down with my hands clasped together, putting them up to make it easier for Iris to get out.

"Thank you..."

She nodded and put her foot on my hands then I lifted her up from where she could easily get out. After that I jumped up myself and due to the synthetic muscles I just jumped out.

"Is that your car?"

"Yeah..."

Iris nodded and walked quickly over to her car to look at it. I just slammed the hatch shut and stepped back against the nearest wall, and just a couple minutes later the car with Panam and Lucy pulled up, and Becca came up as well.

"What do you think?"

"Good for you. I guess now we'll take the occasional high-profile case, but I still prefer to work quietly... Snowflake must have made another profit hacking into the place before the fuss started.

"Well, that's our style."

Lucy shrugged.

"...which is what you've made it. You're the one who's always saying, "Hack everything, make more money..."."

I shrugged.

"I'm not judging, I'm praising. The light of your work has increased our group's profits tremendously."

"Pfft. you praise me, not her."

"Why should I praise you?"

I shrugged.

"You went out and just shot..."

"How can you do that?!"

Becca lowered her gaze to the floor and I activated the sandi and was immediately in front of her, turning it off I gently lifted her face and kissed her. Gently...

Becky's eyes widened dazedly, but that didn't stop her from engaging in the kiss and turning it into a more passionate and greedy one.

"You're good."

I said that as soon as we broke the kiss.

"I'm proud of you."

"Heh-heh-heh-heh... hee-hee-hee-hee...

Becky got a moronic grin on her face.

"So... I think Quietus broke the Bookcase."

I grinned at Panam's slightly envious remark. Lucy, however, was also looking at Becca with a touch of envy. So I had to, though why did I have to?

So I happily kissed Lucy and Panam as well.

"So, uh, is your car okay?"

"Yeah. (chuckles)"

Iris nodded and patted her van on the side.

"Car's fine, we're good to go."

"All right, uh. you follow us, we need to hand you over to Dakota."

"Or maybe..."

"Iris. just give it a try. No one can make you work for her forever, just give her a chance..."

"Okay..."

I was given a slightly displeased look. The girl was clearly not happy that I was insisting on the necessity of cooperation with the fiksr. The girl was clearly not happy that I was insisting on cooperating with the phixar, but she didn't say it out loud, and most likely the corpses that were lying in the street and that were clearly visible to her contributed to it.

"All right, saddle up."

I got into the car in my rightful front passenger seat, Becca behind me, and Iris climbed into her car and we drove to Dakota's, to whom I'd dropped a message that Iris had been rescued and was on her way, though still not very eager to work for the fixer.

It took us about two hours to get to Dakota's base, simply because Iris's van couldn't maintain high speed and go off-road, so we had to loop the roads, which wasn't very convenient. As our car had the ability to go off-road, which we are happy to use when traveling through the wasteland.

Still, roads are not everywhere, and it is also the roads that are most convenient to monitor...

Our car pulled up next to Dakota's hideout and I quietly got out of it noticing Iris's van parked behind our car in the parking lot.

"Okay, well, I'm off to turn myself in to Dakota, and you can go ..."

I nodded at the bar that was open.

"...to wet your throat."

"Uh-huh...

Panam was not very happy with my words.

"They can do it, but me?"

"And you can. I can drive on the way back, too. Maybe I'm not so good as a driver, and at such speeds as you, I can't drive off-road, but on the roads...

I shrugged.

"...or off-road, but at a slower speed. That's well within my capabilities.

"You're not kidding, are you?"

"No..."

"Thank you!"

Panam smiled happily, after which I still went in the direction of Dakota's "office", more specifically the garage in which she was sitting.

"Dakota..."

"Quiet..."

"I brought rice, but..."

"I'll negotiate with her myself. And of course, I'm not gonna hold her by force. How would you like to make a little more money, by the way?"

"Hmm?"

"Clear out the remaining Stiletto points... It won't eliminate the danger of renegades, but it will make life in the Badlands a lot easier. And the roads will be a lot safer for a couple months."

I shrugged.

"I don't have anything against it."

"All right, well, uh. I'm just dropping off the details of the order."

I immediately got a notification from Dakota and nodded.

"But I'll do that tomorrow. cause I've got the girls getting a little chill. at your bar."

"I'm in no hurry..."

Dakota shrugged. And I opened the message from Dakota, which was succinct and simple. I destroy the stiletto camp and send a confirmation, and I get paid for it. That's it...

"All right, well, I'm gonna go, uh."

I turned around and headed for the exit.

"...Iris, Good Luck to you..."

"Thank you."

I left the garage and went directly to the car, where I sat behind the wheel and leaned back in my chair with my eyes closed. After sitting like that for a while, I dialed Kiwi.

"Uh, David?"

"Kiwi, hey, how's it going in there?"

"It's okay... Judy and I are quietly breaking down the defense. so far there's nothing unexpected, but we're keeping our eyes open."

"Good job. We're done for the day, I'll get our ladies home soon."

"I take it they decided to get high?"

"Well. it's not that they've decided, it's more like I've given them permission. and I doubt they'll decide to get really drunk, but yeah, they'll definitely be a little drunk."

"Well. let's get some for us, too."

"Okay..."

I opened the window and leaned out of the car slightly.

"Panam, get Kiwi and Judy something to their liking!"

"All right!"

And I immediately went back to talking to my blonde who still prefers to wear a mask. In the Badlands, though, it's even justified enough.

"Panam I warned you, she will buy you something to suit your tastes."

"Okay. I have a question, by the way."

"Uh-huh?

"What are our plans tomorrow?"

"New mission. it's not safe to go into the city yet, so we're gonna raid the Steelers' bases."

"And with the same lineup again?"

"Do you have another suggestion?"

I grinned, though, I realized that Kiwi and Judy wouldn't want to sit in camp all the time and they might try to push the idea of taking one of them on a mission on me.

"Well. you can change ranchers."

"I don't mind, draw amongst yourselves which one of you will replace Lucy tomorrow and the other will go the day after tomorrow."

"Okay..."

She nodded.

"How's it going in general?"

"Nice and quiet. You know, I'm starting to enjoy this kind of life, especially when it's comfortable enough. The quiet, the absence of constant noise outside the window..."

"Well. there is noise outside the window."

I grinned at Kiwi's words, even though I knew exactly what she meant.

"You know exactly what I meant, right?"

"Got it."

"Well, then there's no need to play the ignorant idiot..."

"Oh, come on."

I grinned.

"We, as city dwellers, think of the wastelands as quiet, but the nomads don't. In fact, the city is just louder to them..."

"Well. I can't argue with that. I guess in a couple years I'll feel that way myself, but not now... Right now, the wastelands are quiet and desolate to me."

"Okay..."

I watched the girls come out of the bar and decided to wrap up the conversation.

"Panam, Lucy and Becca left the bar, I think we'll be there soon."

"Copy that. Over and out."

The girls soon reached the car and climbed in. Becca wanted to sit next to me, but Lucy put her hand on her shoulder and gave her a seat. As soon as the girls were settled in their seats, the car started smoothly.

"So?"

"What?"

"What's our next move?"

"What's next?"

I shrugged and briefly recounted the conversation with Dakota, as well as the conversation with Kiwi.

"Tsk... So I'm still in the clan tomorrow?"

"Yeah. (chuckles)"

"Well. well... I'll find something to do, though I'd like to get out and get some exercise. It's a little different riding a motorcycle. the orders are better to keep me energized."

"We're being tailed..."

I said those words about ten minutes after we got on the freeway. I glanced at the girls, making sure that they were in good condition and that the booze hadn't affected them too much. Becca had already pulled out her guns, as had Lucy and Panam.

"Why don't I drive?"

Panam looked at me doubtfully but I just shook my head and jerked the steering wheel sharply, I activated the sandhi at minimum speed and when the car turned one hundred and eighty degrees I shifted the gear to reverse in time and then opened the window in the door on my side and took out the gun and pointed it at the car of the pursuers.

The pursuers' car veered sharply to the side and began to slow down.

Is it just me?

Uh, no, uh. I followed that car closely and I was sure it was following us.

"You decided not to let us have any fun?"

I could hear the resentment in Becky's voice.

"No, uh. just to see if I can turn around like this, and a little threatening. I wouldn't shoot the pursuers for too long, leaving that to you, but to signal you... That was my intention."

"Pfft!"

I turned the car around again and we continued on our way.

*** On behalf of the driver of the pursuit vehicle. ***

The girl sitting behind the wheel of the car that had recently chased the car of David Martinez, also known as the solo nicknamed Quiet Man, clutched the steering wheel with great force.

She was shivering...

There was no way she expected her actions to be reacted to in this way...

All she wanted to do was find out where they were based and talk to her again-- Judy. to apologize. to ask for help, since the Tiger Claws had opened a full-scale manhunt for her, and V says bodyguards should be paid separately...

Damn greedy mercenary...

Damn David, who'd taken Judy away from her, who'd been such a comfortable and obedient girl. And she had it all under control, she was going to show up in her life, stir up her feelings, press on a couple of pain points she knew, make her think she was to blame for their past breakup. And then to forgive her, finally breaking her will and getting the obedient girl in her hands...

"Fuck!!!"

The girl slapped her hands on the steering wheel, then again and again and again until the intense irritation began to release her.

"I'll get to you... Martinez."