Part 56

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- So you're out of the game for now?

Bestia called me when I was already home, and I could hear the concern in her voice. It wasn't that she was worried about me, but overall... if you ignore our first meeting, our relationship was pretty even.

- Well, I won't be doing any combat operations for a while. But my team will continue to take technical questions and ice-making, or orders to hack some technical stuff. Let me just get some sleep, cos this is a tough one.

- Okay.

I could hear the satisfaction in Bestia's voice.

- Is that why you're calling?

- Not really, I'm calling to warn you.

- I'm listening.

- DeShawn is very interested in you and is buying up information on you and your team, and Faraday... I guess both of them have already received information about your temporary incapacity, and I think they may try to poach your subordinates.

- Well, you must realise that's not an easy thing to do.

- Yeah, but they're not me, they can take advantage of your weakness.

- Who says I'm weak?

My image arched an eyebrow questioningly.

- Dear Bestia, just because I will refrain from combat operations for my own safety and the safety of my team until the Reaper has fully restored me... Doesn't mean I won't be able to fight back against insolent upstarts who want to force themselves on me. Yes, my reaper will grumble, but in general.....

I shrugged.

- I get your point, and I didn't doubt you. But warning one of the solos with a team I really enjoy working with was still worth it.

- Thank you... you're a real comfort to work with too.

- Yeah, and you prefer that Regina to me anyway... that underage girl.....

I snorted.

- Bestia, don't talk down to your colleague... especially with your income, you could look twenty, and so could Regina, but it doesn't fit your image of strict fixers of the highest level. But you both feel... well, considering everything I've learnt about you, you feel about twenty-five years old... And a girl is as old as she feels....

- Flatterer.

- You take care of yourself.

- Hmm?

- DeShawn is always a problem, remember his last case, I mean the one that failed... And now, to get his reputation back, he needs a big case... a very big one, and he hired....

- Yeah, yeah, I know who he hired.

- Yeah.

My image nodded.

- ...I can't say anything bad about Vee, her skills are high enough, but her chrome is average, it's dangerous to go to the big leagues with that. At least for the really high-profile cases this fat nigger is known for.

- И?

- And he's bound to get a lot of attention... And as far as I know, he likes to do general planning in the Afterlife....

- You're worried about me, that's nice.

- Of course I'm worried, I'm not ready to take the position of the King of Postmortality and work as a fixer... I still have a reputation to build and build for such a move.

- You cheeky bastard!

You could hear the admiration in Bestia's voice.

- That's where we stand... okay, ciao, I've been banned from working for a couple of days, and then I'll call you and Regina and let you know that I'm ready to take technical and runner orders.

- Okay, bye...

The connection broke and I was still able to focus my attention on the girls, who were all in a small crowd and clearly going to cook. And that was unexpected and quite intriguing....

The main question I was thinking about was: to let them know that my conversation was over?

I sat in the chair for another seven minutes and then I smelled something burning and got up from my seat with a sigh.

- What are you doing?

- You are going to burn everything....

I shook my head and walked over to the kitchen corner, taking a good look at what they were doing.

- Come on, go wash up, I'll finish it....

- But...

Even Kiwi looked a little unsure.

- Girls, I'm not lying here with no arms and legs, am I? I'm fine.

- Yeah, he's fine.

Judy gave me a sceptical look.

- ...he's missing an arm and a leg, and he's fine....

- И? It's not a big deal these days, so go wash up.

They tried to resent me, but they gave in and I got on with the cooking. It allowed me to relax and take my mind off my heavy thoughts.

- What were you thinking about?

Kiwi stood behind me and watched me closely. Apparently she decided not to fight with the girls for the right to take a bath first and talk to me.

- Just... I think it all came at a very good time....

- Timely?

- Yeah.

I shrugged.

- ...think about it. Every mission we take, we're trampling more and more on the corporations' feet. Yes, we don't act against them directly, but we cut their contacts with gangs... They've always been happy to use gangs convenient for blackmail to do certain jobs. And here... we are far from even cutting out the usual Scavengers, but our style of work makes many of them shiver in fear... And it's not just Scavengers, but other gangs as well.

- Yeah, and we also went after the most arrogant of the junior staff...

- Exactly. Another six months to a year and we'd be under a lot more scrutiny. And I'm not sure we'd have survived if we'd faced it head-on. Mystique isn't the only Legend who might not be dead... Smasher, he was thought dead for a couple of years after the Arasaki Tower explosion, but then he suddenly reappeared and started taking orders from corporations, mostly Arasaki, of course.

Kiwi nodded understandingly.

- And now that I've been run over, I can say with certainty that I'm going to bore myself and bore you....

- А?

- Let's upgrade our skills. Your chrome is top-of-the-range now. Not experimental, of course, but top chrome, not all elite solos have such chrome. Sure the Legends probably have something more... but you're not going to get into a direct confrontation, and I have my Sandi to deal with that. But the skills...

I looked at Kiwi.

- So your debts to me will only grow, as through Bestia and Regina I will find you various mentors who will be willing to sell you some of their knowledge. Though here...

I scratched my cheek thoughtfully.

- ...probably lessons from the Raner are not a good solution, I'll probably buy training chips, your skills are quite good, we'll add fundamental knowledge. Plus you'll all be taking self-defence courses from me.

- Actually, there's no one among us who can't fend for themselves....

- Kiwi, if we stayed at the gang level... and I wouldn't say a word, you girls are perky, but we're talking about much higher stakes here....

I shook my head.

- Also, I think you'll all be taking sniper courses, although Panam will probably be our main sniper, she's not involved in the mission at the moment. Judy and I will make her a drone with a good rifle, and she'll be up there working on any enemies that might be in my way. She'll be good for extra cover for you wounders.

- And Becca?

- What about Becca? She's a master of her craft, unlike all of us... no, she'll be good at close combat, maybe I'll train her in covert operations to use her as number two and support in case of emergency. But overall, as embarrassing as it is to admit, she's the best trained of us all.

- So these are our immediate plans?

- Well... almost.

- Almost?

- Yeah, first thing tomorrow morning, I'll contact Regina, get her to get the client to pay. Then I'll contact Saul, because we can't empty the cops' warehouses with a small group, and I'd like to get the Aldecaldos further away from Knight City, because it's stupid to work with Basilisks and Manticores in such close proximity.

- He'll be hard to deal with... but like I said, his days as clan head are coming to an end. He's too focused on Biotech. Even though no one in the clan wants anything like that anymore. He's still got plans for it. But getting a new technique.....

Panam was completely naked while wiping her hair with a towel.

- Anyway, as soon as the people know what we can get, even those who doubt or just keep silent will be against it. So soon you'll be the head of the clan....

- Fuck that...

I shook my head.

- I don't want that kind of happiness.

- You don't have a choice... people won't understand if you'll be a left-hand man even after such a fitting, which has nothing to do with the clan.

- A ride? We're not giving all this to Aldecaldo for free...

Kiwi looked at Panam carefully.

- I know it, they know it, and no one expects it for free, but tell me, what's more important to you, another zero on your account, or having an operational base guarded not by Legends or Elites, but by solid middles. Considering what our Behemoth has become, living in the clan will be quite comfortable, albeit a bit cramped.

- It wouldn't be cramped.

I shook my head.

- I'd already thought about buying a couple of good tents and attaching them to the sides of the Behemoth. It would be a sort of tent flush against the Behemoth. This would greatly increase the overall living space. Thus in the Behemoth itself it will be possible to leave only wardrobes and workshops, well, and a bathroom, but all the bedrooms will be moved to the tent part.

- Hmm... interesting solution....

- Well, or we could consider another option...

- Another?

- First of all, let's see what there is in the warehouses, maybe there will be another Behemoth, it can be converted and docked with the existing one. Then no tents will be needed, just a small awning as a roof next to the dwelling.

- Hm...

Panam looked at me thoughtfully.

- And perhaps the question of energy will be solved....

- Hmm?

- You must have forgotten that it's forbidden for private citizens to own Manticores. They can only be dismantled for spare parts, but they can be used to modernise the Basilisks and provide the camp with energy, because unlike other vehicles, they have very reliable nuclear reactors. Even one of them can supply Aldecaldo's domestic needs for a year on a single 'refuelling'.

- Ahem... And you don't want to be the head of the clans yet?

Judy came out of the bath in her underwear, she, unlike Panam, was in no hurry to get too close to her friends. Maybe she was just afraid that her yuri tendency would wake up and make her pay more attention to them than to me.

- Well...

I shrugged.

- ...I'm not denying the possibility of moving to the clan. That's what my ideas for improving the clan's living conditions are related to. After all, having the ability to drill a well and pump water out of it, as well as the presence of a reactor will make life much easier, allowing, to place the base a little further away from the city, and therefore it will be partly safer.

- Only if the car park is hidden.

- Who's stopping you from doing that?

I shrugged.

- Okay, I think we can finish this conversation for now, now we'll get some sleep and after receiving our reward we'll go and look at the access points, quietly prepare everything, so that Saul only had to bring people who will take out all the equipment and spare parts.

The girls nodded, and Kiwi was about to turn around and go to the bathroom, but I gestured with my hand to stop her.

- Wait, since Becca and Lucy are with us....

It was at that moment that Becca and Lucy arrived, dressed in light dressing gowns.

- ...I must warn you all, DeShawn and Faraday have taken an interest in us, and Bestia warns that word of my condition has leaked out and they'll know about it soon enough. So let's be careful.

- Good...

The girls nodded, and Kiwi made sure that was all I had to say and went to the bathroom, while I just silently continued cooking....