Thirty minutes later, I pulled up to a building that looked like every other piece of shit in Night City.
A multi-story apartment block that hadn’t seen a proper renovation in decades.
Not even a coat of paint from the city.
I smirked, walked a bit further, ducked into an alley, and pulled a bandana over my face.
Then I slipped through the backyards until I stopped right next to a window that connected to the apartment adjacent to my target.
A quick flick of the knife, and the old window frame popped open.
Two minutes later, I was inside a ground-floor apartment.
I moved quietly and noticed a TV playing in one of the rooms.
I peeked inside.
Some girl was getting herself off with a vibrator while watching porn.
I shrugged, closed the door behind me, and crept to the hallway door.
I eased it open and slipped out, pulling it shut again.
A few steps down the hall, and I was at the target apartment.
Knock knock.
Knife ready.
“What the fuck do you want?!”
The door swung open fast, but I was standing to the side.
It didn’t stop me from driving my knife up through his chin, straight into his brain.
I caught him as he dropped, lowered him to the floor inside the apartment, and stepped in.
I quietly closed the door behind me.
Quick search.
I took his weapon, wiped my knife on his jacket, and moved down the hall to the nearest room.
The bathroom.
Light was on.
One Scav.
Whatever he was doing, I didn’t care.
Knife through the temple.
Twist.
Catch the body.
Lay him down gently.
Nothing on him.
With a sigh, I dragged the first body into the bathroom and checked the toilet.
Empty.
Then I moved to the next room.
“Fuck, he’s taking forever…”
“Shit, you wanna get up and check on him?
Maybe he’s jerking off on a corpse by the door!”
“Gross, man.”
“Exactly.”
“Fuck…
but we gotta check.
Remember that solo who wrecked one of our bases recently?”
“Tch.
They were all high as shit anyway…”
While the two Scavs were chatting, I crept up behind them.
Knife in each hand.
Two quick thrusts straight into their temples.
Their heads thunked together.
I pulled my knives out, wiped them on their jackets, and searched them.
A few hundred eddies in cash, a pistol, and a rifle.
I tossed the weapons into my bag, which I’d set on the floor to keep from rattling, and moved to the next room.
Inside, there was a ripperdoc setup.
This was where they extracted implants from bodies.
But right now, the doc wasn’t working.
He was sitting on a stool, high as a kite, watching a braindance.
I crept up, knife through the temple.
Quick search.
I grabbed his ripper glove, went back to my bag in the other room, and stowed it.
Then I moved on.
The third room had a surprise.
A collapsed floor leading to a rough-looking staircase going down.
I weighed my options, then went back to the ripperdoc’s room and searched it.
Found a couple of implants ready for sale.
“Fuckin’ scum…”
I returned to the hole in the floor and looked down.
Quiet.
The tunnel went about two hundred meters and opened into a basement absolutely packed with chrome.
“Regina, I’ve got a question.”
“What is it, Tikhon?”
The fixer answered immediately.
“Switching camera feed…”
When she saw what I was seeing, she let out a low whistle.
“…There’s a hole in the floor, a tunnel leading to a basement.
I know this isn’t exactly legal, but we didn’t steal any of this.
Got a quiet driver who can move it all to a proper ripper?”
“Hold on.
Let me check who’s available.”
Regina saw the opportunity and ran with it.
Her image froze for a couple minutes.
“Alright.
I’ll be honest, I don’t want to share this, but no ripper in town will touch this stuff without paperwork.
Black market’s out too.
But nomads will buy it.
I reached out to Dakota.
Her contact will be in touch soon.
Tell them where to pick it up.”
“Got it.”
No questions.
Not my place to ask about payment.
Regina’s reputation speaks for itself, and I knew she wouldn’t screw me over.
A minute later, my phone buzzed.
“Tikhon here.”
“Pfft.
Dude, you could’ve picked a better handle.”
“And who am I speaking with?”
I’m from Dakota.
She said you’ve got a ton of chrome?”
“Yeah.
I cleared out a Scav den, and it turns out there’s a hidden stockpile.
Sending you the location.”
“Got it…
Tikhon.”
She smirked as she said my callsign.
“I’ll be there in twenty.”
The call ended.
I did another sweep of the basement.
One working entrance.
The other exits were sealed from the inside.
Satisfied, I went back up and took a position by the front door.
Ten minutes later, I heard heavy footsteps in the hallway.
I waited.
BANG!
The door flew open.
But they didn’t see me.
Two people pushed deeper inside.
Another guy checked the bathroom.
He never made it out.
Sandevistan.
Knife.
He dropped before he could warn the others.
I rolled out of the bathroom, pistol already in hand.
One shot through the eye.
Two more to the back of the heads of the remaining Scavs before they even knew what hit them.
Each of them had a rifle and a few spare mags.
I stuffed everything into my bag.
“Tikhon?”
I took the call from Panam the moment it came through.
“Yeah.
One sec.
You in the yard?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.
I hope you’re not alone?”
“No.
I’ve got a couple of people from my clan with me.”
“Good.
I’m opening a window.
I’ll show you where to load up.”
“What?”
“Scavs figured out something was wrong.
I’ll guard the entrance from inside.
You handle the wheel.
Your people handle the chrome.”
“Got it.”
I opened the window.
A few seconds later, a truck backed up to it.
“Hey.
Name’s Mitch.”
“I’m Scorpion.”
“Tikhon.”
They grinned and nodded.
I stepped aside and let them in.
“Alright.
This tunnel leads to the basement.
All other entrances are sealed.
It’s safe.
But work fast.
I’ll cover you in case more Scavs show up.”
“Understood.”
The loading went smoothly.
Quiet.
Fast.
Half an hour later, I climbed out the window and slid into the passenger seat next to Panam.
Mitch and Scorpion were already in the back of the truck.
“Hit the gas!”
“Easy.”
I put a hand on her shoulder.
“What?”
“Don’t draw attention.
If you peel out now, people will remember this truck.
Drive normal, and nobody looks twice.”
“He’s right, Panam.
Take it slow.”
“Fine.”
Her voice had a hint of disappointment.
She glanced at me and shook her head.
“Why us?”
“Hm?”
“The chrome.
Why the Aldecaldos?”
I shrugged.
“You got lucky.”
“Lucky?”
“I haven’t been a solo for long.
Regina’s the only fixer I know.
She’s tight with Dakota, and Dakota recommended you.”
“So just luck?”
“Right…”
Once we were out of the city, I called Regina.
“Boss.
We’re out.
Should be smooth from here.”
“Got it.
My people checked the site.
Job’s done, as always, quiet.
The stockpile is a bonus.
Less profit for those bastards.”
I nodded.
“Once you’re done with the Aldecaldos, you’re off for today.”
“Understood.
One question though.”
“Yeah?”
“I heard about a ripper.
Good guy.
Viktor Vector.
You know his address?”
“Of course.
Viktor’s clinic on Urrmland Street.
He’s one of the best regular people can afford.
Hell, even compared to other rippers, he’s top-tier.
Corp docs might outclass him, but that’s it.”
“Got it.
Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
The call ended, and I rode in silence until we reached the Aldecaldo camp.
I helped unload the chrome and carried it to their ripper.
He scanned each package, grinning wider with every box.
“Fifty?”
He looked at me, eyebrow raised.
“I’d love to…”
I shrugged.
“…but I don’t know this stuff well.
Send the list and your price to Regina.
She’ll decide.”
“You don’t trust us?”
Panam looked offended.
“Have you been in Night City long?”
“What?”
“Just.
You’re too naive.”
I shrugged.
“You seem cool.
I’d grab coffee with you.
Maybe something more.
But right now, we just met.
You don’t know me.
I don’t know you.”
I glanced at Mitch and Scorpion.
“They seem decent too.
Maybe I’d have a beer with them.
But I don’t drink, so they probably wouldn’t enjoy it anyway.”
I smirked.
“Anyway.
That’s all subjective.
This chrome came from a fixer’s job.
She knows I found it.
She gets her cut.
The weapons I picked off the Scavs are mine.
But stuff like this?
Safer to move through a fixer.
Better rep.
Less chance of getting screwed.”
“Right…”
Panam seemed to calm down a little.
A few minutes later, Regina transferred my payment.
I nodded to the nomads, sighed, and started walking toward the highway to call a taxi.
“Hey.
Need a ride?”
Panam caught up and tapped my shoulder.
“Sure…”
I shrugged.
“…but are you sure?
You’ll have to drive back to your family after dropping me off.”
“Well…”
She gave a sad smile.
“…I don’t get along with Saul.
He’ll be happy about the chrome, but we’ll fight if I stick around too long.”
“Saul?”
“Yeah.
Clan leader.”
She nodded.
“He’s not a bad guy, but he’s a bore.
All he talks about is signing a contract with Biotechnica.”
I snorted.
“Same here.
He’s been obsessed with it ever since we got here.”
Panam shook her head and walked me to her car.
She gestured at it proudly.
“Meet my car.
This is the Beast.”