Chapter 119

We organized the beds quickly, even Becca and I, though we did it much closer to the pier than the others, Panam went to one of the highest points of the port. Normally it would be impossible to get there, but not when there was a sorceress around who could open a portal by covering its visual effects with an illusion.

And as we settled into our seats, we began to wait...

Naturally some of us had to leave constantly to get food, but in general we spent the next ten days in prepared positions.

Triss even began to grumble, "How come, so much time in ambush, wouldn't it be better to use it for better training?

But when, in the evening, a perfectly ordinary crew scurried about, without any official request, and then we discovered a ship approaching... that's when it became clear we'd been holed up for a reason. Smasher or his assistant had contacts with one of the workers and had just gotten direct orders from either them or his superiors. Instructions that didn't go through normal channels of communication. And something we might have missed if we hadn't been here.

The ship was slowly approaching the harbor, and we were already fully focused and waiting...

Panam even streamed me and Becca a picture from the scope of her rifle, and I liked what I saw. The Smasher had gotten more imposing, but the weak point was still there, at the base of his neck. Which meant snipers could still shoot him from a distance. And that was good, but at the same time I felt a kind of disappointment that he couldn't figure out how to kill him, didn't cover his weak spot... and now standing exactly on the side of the ship, making a perfect target...

That's ridiculous!

Almost as funny as the Malstremawks, who were still trying to pretend that nothing had happened, when they were being pressed on all fronts in Regina and Wakako territory, and Bestia had joined in on the good cause. They were critically short of funds, and so they began to suffer irrecoverable losses...

We learned all this by watching the news on the net, and we were more than happy with this turn of events, especially since our accounts had become much more impressive. Of course we didn't manage to steal everything from this gang, but I think two thirds of their finances...

"Five minutes until the ship arrives..."

Becky's voice snapped me out of my musings and I got closer to the pier where the ship was heading, snipers are good, but they can't always solve a situation, and we need to do everything for sure this time.

So I'll have to get on the ship...

"I can work..."

"Wait for it."

I told Panam to wait, and the other girls didn't get the command to work, so I waited, watching Smasher and not realizing what was bothering me. I could already get on the ship, just jump to the side of the ship, by digging my fingers into it and climbing up, and the girls could already destroy Smasher, but...

Bang, bang!

A very loud shot, not unlike the sound of our rifles, rang out over the harbor, and in the five seconds it took the Malstremawks to comprehend what had happened, the harbor was filled with movement... Smasher's head was blown off by the shot like an overripe watermelon on which a bat had been dropped...

"What was that just now?"

Triss was in extreme shock at what had happened.

"It was someone else... Well, the ship jerked violently, it looks like the engines were abruptly switched to a different mode. I'm on Ebunica."

"It's dangerous!"

"Do I have a choice?"

"But Smasher. we have time to think!"

"Scribes, explain it to them..."

"Are you that way?"

"Yeah..."

I sprinted and used all my strength to push off the pier and fly toward Ebunike. And I did make it, the ship wasn't that far away so I was lucky enough to get my fingers on the side of the ship, but it was high enough that it didn't leak inside the ship.

Sandi was already on and I immediately pushed myself up and to the left along the side of the ship so that in the next moment I could catch myself on the side of the ship and with a sharp jerk throw myself on the deck, rolling behind one of the containers.

"I'm in position..."

I told the girls that I was already on the ship and that I was fine, and a few men in Arasaki uniforms and weapons came on board. I told the girls that I was already on the ship and that I was fine.

"Tell Smasher there's a rat on the bot."

Hearing these words from one of the operatives, I couldn't help myself.

"Fuck..."

Good thing he only did it on our internal comms.

"What's wrong?"

"Smasher's alive. Looks like it was just a puppet that the shooter destroyed, only to make everyone mad. It seems I'm alone with this Borg..."

"Come back!"

Panam was extremely serious, but when else might I get a chance to destroy this iron rotten thing?

"I'm sorry, but no..."

I shook my head, even though she couldn't see me right now and I had my avatar turned off.

"...but don't worry, I'm not going to risk my life unnecessarily. After all, I'm a scout, not a stormtrooper. So I'll be discreet and safe."

"If you die."

Panam's voice didn't bode well for me.

"We'll find a way to get you back, and then we'll make sure you never, ever, go anywhere again."

"I hear you."

"Don't you dare die..."

Triss decided to be the last to speak up.

"...You haven't made me yours yet, you've only talked about it. So trust me, if you die, it's going to be VERY bad for you..."

I grinned.

"I gave you the right call sign after all, Witch as it is. Such promises from your lips get me from my fingertips to my hairline."

"Hey!"

Triss was clearly perturbed by my owls, but said nothing more, and I finally moved forward to the bow of the ship, deciding to start my initial inspection from there.

Containers displayed on the ship created a kind of maze, which could be very convenient to keep under the scope, but in the case of me it is useless because the sandi plus the cloaking system is just an incredible cheat!

Step by step...

Extremely slowly, as to me, but incredibly fast compared to other passengers of this ship, I advanced on its deck looking in every corner of it and when I made sure that the deck itself was clean I decided to enter the interior of the superstructure.

But that's easier said than done and I soon discovered that all the doors are very reliable and most importantly have no electronic component. Only screw-based locks, like in those movies where on the door lock there is a wheel that you have to turn to make the massive lock open or close.

Fucking...

"Have we sailed far enough?"

I froze when I heard that metallic voice and gave myself a little wince, then activated my optics in X-Ray mode and shone them through the walls of Ebunike's superstructure. Hmmm... There were two signatures on the floor above in the superstructure. One was clearly human and the other Borg. There's no mistaking it.

"Yeah, now Sniper won't be able to work with enough accuracy and he certainly won't be able to hit a head with that caliber."

"Okay... But I'll still wait until we've sailed a little farther."

"Who do you think it is?"

"My money's on Bestia... or the solo she hired. Although Tikhonya may have tried, but I had time to study the data on him, he usually works for sure, although he may have gotten overexcited since he had no orders of this kind."

"And that rat signal?"

"Now, this could be Tycho. Probably either decided to check the order fulfillment, or if he wasn't the shooter, just to see if I really did pull back the chrome."

I quickly looked around and noticed the ajar porthole where the sound was coming from.

"And why are we talking quietly here then?"

"Let the mutts show that they're on my ship for a reason and are good for something other than bitching about my every move."

"Do you think they'll even be able to find him? As far as I know, Tihonja's very good at stealth and order fulfillment. All he leaves behind is a mountain of bodies."

You could hear the excitement in the voice of the Borg's interlocutor.

"That's good..."

Smasher's voice oozed contentment.

"All right?"

"Yes... all these pieces of useless meat are tied together by a network that's Arasaka's design. If one of them dies, the others will know about it immediately, and there are bombs hidden inside their bodies, so death will lead to an explosion, and our rat will glow..."

"Then we wait?"

"Yeah..."

The conversation stopped, and I wondered how I was going to get in. It was either break the window or try to get through the window where I could hear Smasher and his companion's voice.

I took another look at the superstructure and realized that the porthole through which Smasher's voice was coming was the only one, except that the Optics, which I had turned on again, told me that the Borg was standing a little away from that very porthole and in a position from which it would be easy to attack him. As I moved away from the outhouse, I realized that the window itself was barely open, so my appearance would be noticed.

Considering the Jap who was only slightly behind me in speed we can conclude that Smasher must have something similar, or maybe even something more advanced, since he's a Borg and doesn't have to worry about the meaty parts of his body.

With a sigh I stepped a little to the side and with an elbow smashed the Illuminati then put my hand inside and opened the lock to open the window itself. Naturally this was all done with the sandi on full blast.

But I didn't go inside, and instead stepped aside to watch Arasaki's guards rush to the scene. I could make out what they were muttering into their walkie-talkies.

"A rat broke one of the portholes and opened it, most likely it's in the annex."

Walkie-talkies, Carl! In the age of CHROME!!!

"Idiots!"

Smasher's voice must have been heard all over the ship.

"He's somewhere near the porthole! If he's who I think he is, he wouldn't have gone in! He would have waited for a more opportune moment, so leave one idiot near the porthole and the rest of us to search the area!"

Yeah, he's got a tin throat. although. he's a damn Borg, he doesn't care how loud he shouts, but he could have used a radio and not use it, just shout at the whole ship...

Hmm... and he was worried, he'd shifted his position in the cabin to keep the door under control.

"Do you really think he didn't get into the superstructure?"

"You want the truth? I don't give a fuck what he did. you can expect anything from that motherfucker! That bitch is Major League! Even though he didn't take orders of this complexity, the fact that he works, the fact that he assesses the risks and knows who not to go up against..."

Hmm. no more yelling, and it's a very flattering assessment from such a legendary figure, I didn't even want to reset it. Well. a little bit. just a little bit... But it's still nice to hear it from him, it means a lot to be recognized at this level, and if I can call Bestia and Regina friends, and they are fixers who want to earn more money, then Smasher is my enemy...

From him, such a characterization is beyond flattering.

With a sigh, I walked around the outhouse one more time before stopping again in the same spot.

There seems to be no choice at all... However, now it's not so risky, there's only one Arasakovsky agent next to the porthole, and he's standing in front of it, but next to it. So I was able to slip through the open porthole without any problems.

"Tihonja, how are you?"

"Good girl? I thought we were out of touch."

I really thought so.

"I've got the amplifier hooked up, we've encrypted the channel, but we shouldn't talk too much."

"Okay, uh. I'm fine, I'm working."

"Waiting..."

And I continued on through the interior of the ship, and I had to admit, it was pretty barebones. I was expecting someone, either Smasher or his sidekick, to make the place look as fancy as video game villains like...

No, I don't think I'm in a video game, but Smasher reminds me too much of the cartoonish assistant to the main villain. You know, the dumbass who always gets the job done and always loses. And it doesn't matter that the Borg have almost no failed orders, it's the associations themselves that matter, which are different for everyone.

Hmm... then who's the main villain?

Yerinobu?

Somehow it doesn't reach...

I reached the room where Smasher and his assistant were.