Chapter 23

Susan Abernathy. Forty-two years old. Born October 29th, her medical file informed me. Next, details on her security: four bodyguards around the clock, in twelve-hour shifts."The job has to be done by outsiders," Jenkins continued. "Pay them with cash only."Cash was good. That was one resource I wouldn't be short of."Hope all your time playing cowboy on the streets wasn't for nothing. Get people you trust. Got it?""Sure. I'll take care of it.""Then I expect good news soon. Take my AV to make it harder for them to track your movements. Don't let me down."I took the cash. My biomonitor showed my pulse was up—a slight twinge of nerves. I hadn't expected this so soon. The priority now was to get out of the tower as smoothly as possible, though the level of danger wasn't clear yet.In the memory I'd seen of the future, Abernathy wasn't in a hurry to kill V. She only wanted him gone once Jenkins was already out of the picture. She'd sent a few thugs his way who backed off after minimal resistance.But she'd already tried to kill me through Okamura. Two failed attempts and that mess at the factory? No way anyone would think of me as just some harmless office worker. I'd have to expect a more… thorough approach."V!" A cloyingly familiar voice greeted me as I left Jenkins's office."Still here, Frank?" I asked, surprised. "Didn't they send you to Cape Town?""Flight was pushed back a couple of days." The corp shrugged. "I heard a rumor you were transferring to security.""Nah, that's nonsense." I waved it off, scanning Frank's every move for anything suspicious. "They asked, but Jenkins counts on me too much to leave him hanging.""Loyalty? That's great. No, really. Though, I'm not sure Jenkins is exactly the person…"I started inching toward the AV hangar, but Frank stuck with me."Sure, he's successful, like all psychopaths," he went on, "but lately he's been going off the deep end. I know you're not fond of Abernathy, but at least she keeps it together.""And you know what else she keeps in her hands, Frank?" I cut in. "Your balls. And one day, she'll squeeze them in a way you won't like. Later, Frank. I've got things to do.""All right. Just… don't disappear, V."A chill crept down my spine at his last words. Did he know something? Spying for Abernathy? Who knew. I was already at the hangar. Authorization granted, and the door opened… only to reveal—"Sorry, Mr. Price," a security tech in a red-and-white suit blocked my way. "All AVs are grounded for the next few hours due to a virus alert. Diagnostics in progress. You'll have to take a car."Coincidence? Yeah, right. This was no coincidence. They'd cut off my easiest exit from the tower.I left the hangar, my heartbeat pounding. It felt like I was under siege, and in a way, I was. Inside the tower was still relatively safe, but I couldn't stay here forever, and killers might already be waiting outside.I descended two floors. Better to stay away from counterintel for now. I found a quiet corner in one of the break rooms and counted the cash. 45,800. This might be the last payout Arasaka ever gives me.Then, I messaged Lucy through an encrypted line."They'll try to kill me today. Meet me where we last saw each other. Get there fast. Be careful."Maybe hiring someone from Afterlife was the answer. I might not make it in time, but I doubted they'd try to gun me down in the hallways. I started setting up another call, but just then, I received a corporate alert:"Vincent Price, report to the office of the Director of Special Operations, Abernathy."So that's how it is... Guess hiding wasn't an option. A while ago, I'd reasoned Abernathy wouldn't try to kill me in her own office. That's probably true. She wouldn't kill me directly. More like knock me out and throw me out of the city. To the dump, maybe.It was now or never.I moved towards the elevator, blending in with the crowd from other departments, eyes peeled for any lurking agents waiting to pounce. So far, so good. So far, I'm still alive.Publicly causing a scene would only invite trouble. God forbid, I start shooting or something. It wouldn't ruin Abernathy's career, but it would make things messy. No, if they want to kill me, they'll do it "off the record"—in a private office, a dark alley, or my apartment.As I made my way down, I transferred all my money except twenty grand to Lucy's dummy account, keeping just enough for a taxi and essential expenses. It should be enough. Either top-tier Delamain service or an armored combat taxi for client protection would do. I went with the first, taking the full VIP package for six thousand. If I recall, this top-tier service can even outrun an Arasaka chase squad.The sun was already setting, and the city's lights were flickering to life. But I wasn't here for the neon sights.The car arrived quickly—three minutes. With my heart pounding, I slipped out of the tower. Security at the exit didn't stop me. Good. Almost there. The car was right ahead—a robotic taxi waiting in the dusk. Then, a white shadow blocked my path."Leaving work early, Mr. Price?" asked Lucas Costa."Leaving? I wish," I forced a nervous chuckle. "Nope, this is an urgent field trip.""Your car is waiting." Lucas gestured toward a black Arasaka SUV.The Brazilian's face was unreadable behind black sunglasses, with an icy calm. Not a hint of emotion."No, no," I grinned awkwardly, stepping back. "Not that urgent. I need to keep this under wraps.""Then we'll rent a car," Lucas nodded.I kept inching toward the Delamain, but Lucas wasn't backing off. Damn it."No need. I already called a cab. Wait for me by the tower. You can take me home tonight.""As you wish, Mr. Price."Finally, he let up. Phew. So, he's not with Abernathy, at least. I quickly got into the taxi. Only after hearing Delamain's voice did I feel some semblance of relief. We're still in the game.The car smoothly pulled away, taking me further from the tower's looming silhouette. Will I ever go back? Hopefully not anytime soon. Right now, the only thing waiting for me there is death. Possibly a painful one. Just in case, I tried calling Jenkins. Silence.Arthur's probably dead already—or wishing he was as electric jolts course through him.I checked my equipment: Arasaka JKE-X2 Kenshin "Apparition," Yukimura, two EMP grenades, light armor, reinforced suit, two spy cameras, a drug injector, and self-revival stimulants. Solid setup. Glad I kept it on me.Wasn't there an old Japanese saying? Even if you only need a sword once in your life, it's worth carrying.I filled the injector with a neural shock antidote and slipped it into a special thigh pocket on my suit.A secure message came from Lucy: "V, we're almost there. Don't go back to the apartment! There's an unmarked car waiting. Go straight to the meeting point."Thanks for the heads-up, but I had no intention of going back. That apartment's not mine anymore, and neither is the corporate gig."Arthur, dammit…" I muttered, smirking at Delamain's bald hologram. "Couldn't hold off a few days, huh? I planned on a quiet exit."My heart raced, adrenaline pumping through my veins."Are you nervous, Mr. Price? Anything I can assist with?" Delamain asked."Put on some music. Something with some kick. You know… like Maelstrom's 'prime track for the slaughter.'""I'll find something fitting."A second later, the cab's interior filled with bass guitar. I checked the Kenshin again—a gift from Jenkins. Didn't use it on Okamura, but maybe today I'll test it on a few colleagues. With any luck, Lucy will just get me out quietly.I set a few evasive maneuvers for Delamain. No one seems to be following… Just a little longer, and I'm free!As the car slowed to a stop, I slipped grenades into my jacket pockets and darted into the narrow passage between buildings, scanning my surroundings. Night had fallen. Overhead wires buzzed, reminding me of that medic guy, his last path, cut down by an invisible assassin in an alley.No! This won't end like that. Today isn't the end—it's the start of my new life. Arasaka was just training—a purgatory between the cyber-hell and the real world.I stopped at the spot where Lucy and I met last time. There was an alley to the left and a wall protruding behind me. Good. I set up two spy cams and turned my back to where I'd come from.Seconds ticked by slowly, painfully. Fingers clenched the electromagnetic pistol.About a hundred meters away, gunfire erupted. Several rounds, an explosion, then more shots. The action's on the other side of the street. Could be my black soul they're after, or just another Night City brawl?Suddenly, a message flashed on my biomonitor:

"Warning: Access codes don't match," it read in red text. "Remote implant deactivation declined."

Ha! They'll have to try harder. All this chrome's mine.I switched from myself to the cams and back. Then…A tall, white figure appeared in the alley I'd come from. Hello again, Lucas. His words from yesterday echoed in my mind.'Employees don't transfer departments often, but it happens…'That line clawed at my brain. Run? No. I watched him over my shoulder through the camera.Lucas moved soundlessly, stepping through the dark alley in his white suit like a ghost. His hand reached for his gun.Execution shot to the back of the head? Simple but effective. Just like I taught David.One more step and he'd be around the wall. That's when the shot would go off. Through the camera, I scrambled his optics, jammed his implants, and launched a short circuit. Snapped back to myself, activated Kereznikov, and lunged left around the wall, tossing an EMP grenade past the corner.One, two… Blue flash. The smell of ozone. Nowhere for Lucas to go in that alley, especially with his systems fried. I popped back around, meeting him head-on. He trembled, his gun firing blindly at the wall.Gripping the Kenshin with both hands, I aimed, squeezing the trigger. In an instant, three tungsten rounds struck the corpo in his head. Point-blank.The black glasses shattered. Bullets shredded the armored skull of the Brazilian. I kept firing—three more shots. Sparks, blood, bits of his face scattered.I didn't stop until the magazine was empty. Adrenaline surging, it felt like my first kill all over again."Son of a…," I finally breathed out as my former bodyguard and failed assassin froze on the asphalt, a gaping hole where his face had been. "So that's how it is? Folded under Abernathy like a bitch? Wanted to take my spot? Well, you took it, alright—dead in my place."I swapped magazines, glancing around. It seemed Lucas's remark in the car hadn't been about me after all. Our cool-headed Brazilian had decided to trade the streets for an office. Guess his contract was about to end. All it would take was zeroing out a guy whose chrome was on the chopping block. Piece of cake. One hit, and the cushy seat in counter-intel was his. Too bad it didn't pan out.Lucy's call came in, a local connection, so she had to be nearby. "V! You there? Was that you shooting just now?" "Yeah, all good. That earlier, that was you guys?" "Yep. That car left your place and headed your way. We gave them a warm welcome." "You with Rebecca?" "And then some. Almost there. But be careful—one of the mercs got away." "Got it. I'll be waiting."I slipped back into the alley, retreating to the shadows to wait for Lucy. Kereznikov was making me a little nauseous, though I handled it better than before. I jabbed an injector to ease the symptoms, loading a third of what was left in the device.So, Lucas Costa and some mercs. Abernathy decided to avoid CorpSec for my zeroing. She probably worried they'd just recruit me instead. So she went around them. Lucas didn't count. She probably just flipped him. Once, he'd saved me from a Sixth Street hit, thanks to an Okamura contract, and now he was dead trying to zero me for her. Sweet little Sue again. Corp life is full of strange, often lethal twists.Someone landed to my left, jumping from the fire escape. I turned, expecting Lucy—she loved her entrances. Instead, I saw another familiar face. Miriam Levy, live and in person. Unforgettable. Red visor-glasses, a matching jacket, her face wrapped in green synthetic leather, complete with extra armor plating.For a moment, I almost welcomed a familiar face. But a split-second later, an uneasy thought blazed through my mind.I hadn't hired her today. She shouldn't even know my face.Miriam chomped on a red gum stick, blew a bubble, then spat it out. Her jacket bore signs of gunfire. "Warm welcome," I remembered Lucy's words. "But careful. One of the mercs got away.""Name's V, right?" Miriam smirked.I remembered how Levy, with one burst of her Sandevistan, had shredded four Maelstrom Claws. Top-tier. Could I buy her off? Was there a chance...?Miriam didn't even wait for an answer. Her blades were already out. Time warped as I hit Kereznikov; she activated Sandevistan.Soul rip, implant failure, soul rip, synapse burn.My moves took time—time I no longer had. Her mantis blades glinted, and I fell back, trying to dodge the attack line, but it was no use.Pain felt different in slow motion. The first sweeping strike just grazed my neck. Miriam had meant to take my head but rushed it. No worries—she had time and speed to spare.I threw up my left arm to gain a sliver of a second. Her blade sliced off a couple of fingers on the backswing, then cleaved into my forearm. My jacket, armored suit, bones—nothing held. Blood spattered slowly, drops drifting in the stillness. I put my mangled limb between us, but her blades tore through the armor, grazing ribs.She was faster than me. Stronger, too. A chrome demon from the Afterlife. Four, maybe five strikes, and all I'd managed was to bring my right hand in line. Not extended. Aiming from the hip. I squeezed the trigger, feeling the Kenshin's "Apparition" tremble in my grip.Flash.Maybe she could've dodged, but she didn't bother, intent on finishing me off, counting on her armor to handle the bullets. But each charged shot tore chunks from her synth body and clothes.Surprise.Linked to my biomonitor, the weapon's mod disabled all safeties when my life was on the line. Charged shot packed twice the power.Miriam didn't like my pistol. She jumped back, chrome legs twitching, her lower jaw blown off by a bullet. I aimed and fired, but Levy dodged with ease.All she had to do was wait for Kereznikov to shut down or circle me. Easy, but split-second timing is everything. Time trickled into the balance, tipping just barely in my favor.Miriam lunged left. Swing. A blade sliced my shoulder, and then—A scream. At first slowed, then as Kereznikov ran out, I heard her scream in real time as the virtual tendril tore at her digital essence. Then implant failure. Chrome lagged. The second soul rip would be even worse.I lay on my back, firing from the asphalt in a puddle of my own blood. Apparition shuddered in my hand, spitting bullets at insane speed. They left a shimmering trail in the air, or maybe that was my optics failing from blood loss.I hit her with two more glitches and melting of her implants. Kept firing as long as I had the strength to hold the gun. At first, my shots hit her head three times, but then my arm grew heavier, the pistol unbearably leaden. I landed a few rounds in her torso, tried for the leg. My vision blurred.The last thing I saw was Miriam Levy falling. The last thing I heard was her death scream.Then murky blackness.'Not bad,' I thought before I blacked out. Not bad for a guy mostly without chrome to take down a monster like that in close combat. Even if it cost me an arm. Now my only hope was Lucy. And the medics she'd drag me to.A few times I thought I came to. Someone held an inhaler to my nose, gave me injections, shouted something. I thought I saw Lucy's face. Or maybe it was just a sliver of a dream.When I came around, I was on some table. My head was finally clearing. A thin red line trailed down from above, blood bagged and fed into my remaining right arm. A transfusion? Great.The fog was lifting, and then a familiar face leaned over me. Not Lucy, but another. Wide face, simple, attractive enough. Gloria Martinez. Why her?With difficulty, I managed to move my lips and mutter, "G-Gloria?""Quiet. You shouldn't be talking."But I couldn't stop myself."What are you… Gloria…" I squinted. "Why? Am I in some free clinic? I've got money, dammit!"Another face came into focus from the mist—a familiar one, but not a woman's."My clinic is very much pay-to-stay," said Viktor Vector, adjusting some equipment. "And Gloria's right, V. Shut up and sleep while we're here trying to put your arm back together."I suddenly remembered my last encounter with the ripperdoc.'Love conquers all ages and occupations,' Viktor had said back then. 'I figured I was too old for that stuff, but recently found myself dating again.'Jackie had sent David to Viktor's clinic a month ago, maybe longer. I suppose Gloria could have gone to him for some advice about her son's health. Well, I needed to focus on my own survival, not other people's love lives."Forget the arm…" I managed to croak. "Just cut it all off… and install a port… Chrome me up."