Chapter 5: Part 5
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***
When I got into the flat, I looked around.
There didn't seem to be anyone else there. Which was good on the one hand, but on the other hand it was unclear, because I was being followed... or did they decide not to go for more brutal methods like searching?
Shaking my head, I quickly undressed and showered before falling into bed. I'd called Regina on the way over and she was cool with the fact that the task wasn't quite done yet. As she admitted, she'd thought I'd be kicked out of the bar, but when that didn't happen, she realised that I'd found common ground with the Helms.
Well.
I can't say I got on with all the Helms, but I got on with one in particular.
Falling asleep I woke up early in the morning, right on my alarm clock, and after a shower I got dressed and left my flat.
I rang Judy when I was halfway to the bar and she was glad to call and said she'd meet me. Except as soon as I drove up I realised she just wouldn't. There was a Tiger Claws car parked exactly in front of the bar entrance and one of the gang was hovering over the security guard who had let me inside the bar yesterday...
- You're a fucking doll! I'm gonna fuck you and then I'm gonna party at the club! You're all skanks and you should be between a real man's legs!
I had the gun in my hand, and when I got close to the gang rep, it went straight to his groin.
- Che...
But he couldn't say anything when he saw my kind smile.
- Listen, far from being a gentleman of honour, why are you bothering my friend? She is obviously not very happy with your company... and yes, tell your chumbas not to get out of the car and do not reach for guns, they may kill me, but I'll blow your pod off so that no implant afterwards will not be able to reattach. Comprende?
- Y-yes.
- Are you ready to turn around and walk out of here right now?
- Y-yes.
- Then go.
I took the gun away from his groin, but I didn't put it away and he slowly backed up and got into the car and leaned out of it.
- I'm gonna find you, bitch!
- I'm not hiding... new solo, call sign Tychonya and it looks like I'll start taking orders for Tiger Claws soon....
I shook my head.
- I remember you!
The car sped off, and only then did I holster my gun.
- Thank you.
The girl gave me a friendly smile.
- You're welcome, I'm David, by the way.
- Vicky...
She grinned.
- ...And they're waiting for you.
- Mm-hmm... see you later.
I made my way to the bar and bumped into Judy.
- That was cool.
- Thank you.
I grinned, and we went into her fiefdom.
- You know, I thought a lot about what you said last night... you know, after you left.
- And what did you come up with?
- I want revenge and I even sent a request to a lawyer and you know, he didn't even send me a cancellation as soon as I got the letter. So now I'm waiting to hear back...
- Good for you. You can forgive only those who are close to you, and the rest....
I shake my head.
- ...the others have to be taught not to hurt you.
Once we got to Judy's fiefdom, we got to work, and we didn't bring up any hard topics. We just talked about our hobbies. I told about David's hobbies before I got into it, that I'd pushed black brens at the academy, and I didn't mind watching them myself. Judy offered to look at her work, you know, the non-porn stuff.
So I said yes, but only after the job was over.
This time we worked until lunchtime, after which Judy gave me glasses and a chip and I disappeared into the world for the next half hour. All because the realism of Judy's brane was unbelievable.
David was a guy with a lot of experience, but his memories of the brains said that despite the high realism, there was always a sense of... impropriety, but Judy's brains didn't have that. She gave me first a braine of a concert of an old band, Samurai, and I immediately realised that she was a master...
There was no technology in those days to record brans...
- Man, Judy, you're a wizard!
I stared at the ceiling of the basement for about ten minutes before I finally managed to voice the thought.
- Oh, come on.
- No, seriously...
I shook my head.
- ...I'm afraid to imagine how many films and music tracks you processed to get the effect just right... It's like I was at the concert myself!
- I'm glad you liked it.
Judy scratched the back of her head shyly.
- I'd say enjoyed is a bit of a misnomer.
- Yo, Judy!
Blinking in surprise, I saw the petite one from next door enter Judy's fiefdom as if she'd known her for a long time. But what was even more surprising was that she was dressed in tight knickers and bra, open jacket and high boots. So her whole body, mature enough for such a small girl, was clearly visible.
- Do you have a boyfriend? You're a girlie girl, aren't you?
- Don't be ridiculous, Becca!
Judy stood up and walked over to the little one and hugged her, lifting her off the floor and giving her a few spins on her axis.
- It's good to see you...
The little girl was placed on the floor and now I could see a genuine smile on both girls' faces.
- Me too mate, me too.
- ...As for David, he's a solo who the shemales hired to help me fix the equipment.
- Does he know his way around pro equipment?
- Nah...
Judy shook her head.
- ...but while he was fixing the server and the old computers, I was able to fix the core equipment. We were just finishing up, so I let him check out my Samurai Brain.
- It's cool!
- Well...
I grinned.
- ...Now that we're done, I should probably get going.
- А?
Judy looked a little confused.
- Judy, if you have my number, give me a call. I'll help you with the tech and the arseholes.
- Okay.
- Hey, what are you doing, chum, are you leaving already?
- Well, I'm not going to interfere with the girls' conversations...
I shrugged and walked past Rebecca.
- Wait, plague! I'm actually here for you.
- Yeah...
I nodded my head.
- Your stalking was hard to miss, but I have nothing to say to you....
I waved my hand and walked on. Easily avoiding the petite girl's grasp I climbed the stairs and passed through the bar where I noticed all the girl's crew, except for the blonde. Which meant I was scheduled for another meeting... well, or the girl decided not to join the wait at the bar.
- Regina, hi, I'm done.
As I left the bar I contacted the fixer.
- Yeah, the Helms just texted me. They're happy with the result, so you'll get two grand in two days.
I nodded my head contentedly.
It was less than what I'd got on my first assignment against the Scavengers, but on the other hand it was a life-threatening situation, and if it hadn't been for Sandevistan I'd have had a good chance of getting stuck in there, maybe even dead. The Scavengers are losers, but even they stand a good chance against a solo loner if he doesn't have the right weapons. And I didn't.
So two grand. Assuming it's only lunchtime.
- Regina, I can still take the assignment... I'll have lunch and be fully prepared for labour and defence.
- Pfft! What a pioneer.
The image of Regina grinned and shook her head.
- Any preference?
I wrinkled my nose a little.
- If there's a scavenger or animal sweep, I'd love it. I just need some cash to go to a proper ripper. I've got a sneaking suspicion the last one wasn't a very good one.
- Hmm... Well, there's nothing on Animals in my neighbourhood, but against Scavengers.....
The image of the girl thoughtfully nodded her head.
- There is one underground base of these freaks, where they work, that's on its destruction order I have.
- Well, come on, che... I'll eat and go to take the Trashmen to the rubbish.
- Here you go.
I got the job description and nodded my head.
- Thanks, Regina, I won't let you down.
- I hope so...
The girl's voice went from friendly to professional.
- ...I gave you a very large advance on the job.
- All right, Regina, I'm off to lunch and work.
- Come on, I'm waiting for the report.
The connection was cut and I walked quietly down the street to the nearest diner, where I got a decent hafchik and sat down at a table. The table was free, but as soon as I took it, a blonde woman sat down to me just five minutes later.
- И?
- А?
- I said, what do you want from me? You're friends with that girl who looks like a little girl, aren't you? I sketched out the rest of them, the ones who followed me, but I'm too lazy to list them. So something about you following me....
I shrugged.
- Well... it's just that we're interested in a certain girl... Gloria....
- Martinez?
- Yeah.
- Tall, red hair, worked as a medical technician?
- Yeah. (chuckles)
- I don't know her.
The girl blinked and then frowned five seconds later.
- Are you kidding me?
- Yeah...
I nodded my head.
- ...she's dead. So you don't have to look, the urn is in my new flat, waiting for me to find a beautiful place to scatter it.
- And you.
- Her son.
- Son?
- Yes.
- How did she die?
- Animals got into a gunfight on the motorway, then she was taken to a Reaper, who seemed to be able to stabilise her... but not for long, as it turned out. And she died. So there you go.
I shrugged.
- And you know about her case?
- How? I went to the academy until recently, and all I know is that she worked her arse off. So she could pay her way through the academy.
- I sympathise.
- Yeah.
I nodded my head and finally got up from the table.
- Wait!
- What?
I looked at the girl.
- Can you meet with Mayne?
- Who's that?
- That's my boss.
- Nah...
I shook my head.
- ...I've got work to do right now. Then I'll have to rest and work again... I don't have time for meetings with left-wing minds.
Having said that, I left the coffee shop and went to work after all....