If NCPD Doesn’t Care, I Will

 [David: Boss, we've got the person. On the way to the location you gave us.]

[Leo: Encounter any trouble?]

[David: Some, but it's handled.]

[Leo: Good work.]

Leo had already brought the person to River's safehouse, a shabby and unused little shack on the edge of Santo Domingo.

After inspecting the surroundings and network conditions, Leo sent River a message:

[Leo: This place isn't bad. When are you coming?]

[River: I've found the cop you mentioned. I'll be there soon.]

[River: You're the first to say it's nice. NCPD doesn't have the budget—I paid for all this myself. It's ugly, but it's definitely secure.]

[Leo: I meant secure.]

In the dimly lit living room, a bruised and battered Tyger Claw member knelt, his cybernetic implants trembling due to malfunctions.

Evan sat stiffly on the couch, barely daring to breathe.

Meanwhile, V rummaged through the fridge, pulling out a pack of Rainbow Scorpiontails and tossing it to Jackie, who popped one open and started handing out drinks. Taking the energy bar Leo had given him, Jackie began munching away.

Leo gestured to the Scorpiontails for Evan before grabbing one for himself. "Here, have a drink and take a break."

"Th-thank you…" Evan was clearly famished, having lost his legs and endured both blood loss and hunger. He grabbed whatever was on the table and devoured it like a starving man.

"Now, tell me. What were you doing in Kabuki, and how'd you get involved with the Tyger Claws?"

"I run stall 13, selling, uh… normal Braindance equipment. I have a license. You can check with the city registry…"

"I don't care about that. What were you doing for the Tyger Claws?"

"I…" Evan hesitated, as if reluctant to admit it. "I delivered goods for them. Also, I… supplied them."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "One of those 'don't ask, don't tell' deals?"

Evan nodded silently.

"And then Officer Anna came after you?"

"Yeah." Evan nodded again. "Boss, I swear, I didn't mean to… But the Tyger Claws said if I didn't cooperate, they'd wreck my stall and make sure I couldn't survive in Night City."

"Enough with the excuses. I'm not interested." Leo shook his head.

He'd seen too many small-time players like Evan.

Leo then turned to the Tyger Claw enforcer. "And you? Were you involved in the street kidnappings?"

He deactivated the lock on the enforcer's implants, causing the man to collapse.

Moments ago, his malfunctioning cybernetics had kept his damaged body suspended in a state of torment—caught between unbearable pain and complete exhaustion.

Now freed, his body relaxed slightly, though his face remained twisted with fear. If his tear ducts still functioned, he'd have cried rivers.

But his reprieve was brief. As he tried to regain his composure, he realized his head was once again locked to the ground. Terror surged through him.

V, watching the scene unfold, remarked, "Sometimes, I think NetWatch's crackdown on netrunners is justified."

"There aren't many netrunners who can do this," Leo replied.

"True, true. You're a beast, Leo." V patted Leo's shoulder with a grin.

Ignoring V, Leo unlocked the enforcer's restraints once more. "Alright. Talk. If you don't, you know what'll happen."

The enforcer's terror-stricken brain screamed for mercy. "I-I was involved! I helped the Tyger Claws transport 'dummies'…"

"Dummies?"

"That's what the gang calls the kidnapped people… I'll tell you everything!"

"Then start talking."

Knock, knock, knock.

A knock at the door interrupted the interrogation. Leo gestured for silence.

Evan tensed up. "Who is it?"

"Our client."

Click.

The door opened, revealing River, accompanied by a stern-looking Black female officer in uniform.

At the sight of them, Evan tried to jump up, but with no legs, he barely managed a feeble lurch. His expression was a mix of fear, anger, and despair, as if ready to leap out the nearest window.

Meanwhile, the Tyger Claw enforcer seemed to relax slightly, as if relieved.

"Shit, it's the cops!" Evan muttered, scanning the room in desperation before collapsing into the couch, his face ashen. "It's over…"

It was clear the female officer was none other than Anna Hamill, the one who'd arrested him and promised safety in exchange for his testimony.

Anna's face was full of fury. "You know it's over, huh?"

Evan, equally enraged, snapped back, "You're asking me that? Screw you! I trusted you, and you sold me out?!"

River stepped between them, gesturing for calm. "Wait a moment. Anna, we found the messages you sent Evan. Why didn't you protect your witness?"

"My witness?" Anna's tone was icy. "Sure, he gave me some info, but he's not worth protecting. If you knew what I've seen, you'd want every last one of them dead too."

"That's not the point," River said firmly. "The point is, we're cops. You abandoned your witness."

Anna scoffed but offered no further retort.

Silence fell over the room, broken only by the roar of an approaching engine.

Leo placed a calming hand on Evan's shoulder. "Didn't I tell you? I'm not really with the NCPD. At most, I'm just a contractor. If the cops won't handle it, I will. Now, take a look at who's here."

"…Evan?"

A woman rushed in—Martha—her face a mix of relief and anguish as she saw her legless brother. She ran to him and embraced him tightly.

"Martha… you didn't run into trouble, did you?"

"The Tyger Claws tried, but the mercs you hired handled it. I didn't know you had friends like that. Looks like your time on the streets wasn't wasted."

Tears streamed down Evan's face. "Sis, I… I lied to you. I'm just a… just a loser who got screwed by the Tyger Claws…"

"Doesn't matter. You're alive. That's all that matters."

David, clutching his side, leaned against the doorway with Lucy's help. He gave Leo a thumbs-up, his face pale but wearing a proud smile.

[David: Boss, I did okay, right?]

[Leo: You did great. This one's wrapped up.]

Leo sent V another message.

[Leo: Transfer 20,000 eddies for the mercs. They did well—give them a bonus.]

[V: Tsk.]

[V: Fine, but it's on me this time. Not charging you for it.]

[Leo: Make it 30,000. Might need them again—it's an investment.]

V rolled his eyes.

In the end, the payout far exceeded the client's budget, but no one thought it wasn't worth it.