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***
The gunfire had stopped, and judging by the splinters and cameras there were no enemies left in the camp, so I just stood up and opened the hatch, which wasn't hard to do, and squatted down with my hands clasped together, putting them up to make it easier for Iris to get out.
- Thank you...
She nodded and put her foot on my hands then I easily lifted her up from where she could easily get out. After that I jumped up myself and due to the synthetic muscles I just jumped out.
- Is this your car?
- Yes...
Iris nodded her head and quickly walked over to her car to inspect it. I just slammed the hatch shut and stepped back against the nearest wall, and just a couple of minutes later Panam and Lucy pulled up in the car, and Becca came up as well.
- How was that?
- You're good... I guess now we'll take the occasional high-profile case, but I prefer to work quietly... I bet Snowflake made a profit again by breaking in before the fuss started.
- Well, that's our style...
Lucy shrugged.
- ...which is what you've made it. You're the one who's always saying, 'Hack everything, make more money...'.
I shrugged.
- I'm not judging, I'm praising. You're making a lot of money for our group.
- Pfft... you praise me, not her....
- Why should I praise you?
I shrugged.
- You just went out and shot....
- How could I do that?!
Becca lowered her gaze to the floor and I activated the sandi and was immediately in front of her, switching it off I gently lifted her face and then kissed her. Gently...
Becky's eyes widened in a daze, but that didn't stop her from engaging in the kiss and turning it into a more passionate and greedy one.
- You're good.
I said that as soon as we broke the kiss.
- I'm proud of you.
- Heh heh heh...heh heh heh....
Becky's got a stupid grin on her face.
- So... I think Tycho broke the Bookbinder.
I grinned at Panam's slightly envious remark. Lucy, however, was also looking at Becca with a tinge of envy. So I had to, although why did I have to?
So I happily kissed Lucy and Panam too.
- So, is your car OK?
- Yeah.
Iris nodded and patted her van on the side.
- 'The car's fine, we can drive out.
- Good... you follow us, we need to hand you over to Dakota.
- Or maybe.
- Iris, just try. No one can make you work for her forever, just give her a chance...
- OK...
I was given a slightly disgruntled look. The girl was clearly not happy that I was insisting on the need to co-operate with the fixer. However, she did not express her claims out loud, and most likely it was due to the corpses that were lying in the street and that were clearly visible to her.
- All right, let's saddle up...
I got into the car in my rightful front passenger seat, Becca got in behind me, and Iris got into her car and we drove to Dakota's base, where I'd dropped a message that Iris had been rescued and was on her way, but she still wasn't too keen on working for a fixer.
It took us about two hours to get to Dakota's base, simply because Iris's van couldn't maintain high speed and go off-road, so we had to loop the roads, which wasn't very convenient. As our car just had the ability to travel off-road, which we are happy to use when travelling through the wastelands.
There are not roads everywhere, and it is also the roads that are the most convenient to keep an eye on....
Our car stopped near Dakota's hideout and I got out of it quietly, noticing Iris's van parked behind our car in the car park.
- Okay, well, I'm off to turn myself in to Dakota, and you can go....
I nodded at the bar that was open.
- to wet my throat.
- Yeah.
Panam wasn't very happy with what I said.
- They can do it, but me?
- You can too. I can drive on the way back too. I may not be as good a driver, and I can't drive as fast as you off-road, but on the roads...
I shrugged.
- ...or off-road, but at a slower speed. That's well within my capabilities.
- You're not kidding, are you?
- No.
- Thank you.
Panam smiled happily, and then I went towards Dakota's office, or rather the garage where she was sitting.
- Dakota.
- Quiet.
- I brought Iris, but--
- I'll make the arrangements with her myself. And of course, I'm not gonna hold her by force. How would you like to make some more money, by the way?
- Hmm?
- Clearing out the remaining Stylet points... It won't eliminate the danger of renegades, but it'll make life in the wastelands a lot easier. And the roads would be much safer for a couple of months.
I shrugged.
- Nothing against it.
- That's good... throwing in the details of the order.
I immediately got a notification from Dakota and nodded.
- 'But I'll get to that tomorrow... because I've got the girls decided to relax a bit... at your bar.
- I'm in no hurry...
Dakota shrugged. And I opened the message from Dakota, which was succinct and simple. I destroy the camp of stylites and send confirmation, and I get paid for it. That's it.
- Okay, then I'm off.
I turned around and headed out.
- ...Iris, good luck to you...
- Thank you.
I left the garage and went directly to the car, where I sat behind the wheel and closed my eyes and leaned back in the seat. After sitting like that for a while, I dialled Kiwi.
- David?
- Kiwi, hi, how's it going in there?
- Yeah fine... Judy and I are quietly breaking down the splinter defence... so far nothing unexpected has been encountered there, but we're keeping our guard up.
- Good job. We're done for the day, I'll get our ladies home soon.
- I take it they decided to get high?
- Well... it's not that they've decided to, it's more like I let them... and I doubt they'll decide to get really drunk, but yeah, they'll definitely be a little tipsy.
- Well... have them bring us some too....
- Okay.
I opened the window and leaned out of the car a bit.
- Panam, get Kiwi and Judy something to their liking!
- All right!
And I immediately went back to talking to my blonde who still prefers to wear a mask. However, in the wastelands, it's even justified enough.
- Panam I warned you, she'll buy you something to suit your tastes.
- Good...by the way, I have a question.....
- Yes?
- What are we doing tomorrow?
- New mission... it's too dangerous to go into the city, so we'll raid the Stiletto bases.
- With the same team again?
- Any other suggestions?
I grinned, but I realised that Kiwi and Judy wouldn't want to stay in camp all the time and they might try to push me into thinking that I should take one of them on a mission.
- Well...you can switch ranners.....
- I don't mind, play a game between you to see which one of you replaces Lucy tomorrow and the other one goes the day after tomorrow.
- Okay...
She nodded.
- How's it going in general?
- Quiet and good... You know, I'm beginning to enjoy this kind of life, especially when it's comfortable enough. The quiet, the lack of constant noise outside the window.
- Well... there is noise outside the window.
I grinned at Kiwi's words, even though I knew exactly what she meant.
- You realised exactly what I meant....
- I do.
- Well then, don't play the ignorant idiot.....
- Oh, come on.
I chuckled.
- It's us, as city dwellers, who think the wastelands are quiet, but the nomads don't. In fact, the city is only louder to them....
- Well... I can't argue that point. I guess in a couple of years I'll think so myself, but not now... Right now the wastelands are quiet and desolate to me.
- Okay...
I watched the girls leave the bar and decided to call it a day.
- Panam, Lucy and Becca have left the bar, I think we'll be there soon.
- Copy that. Over and out.
The girls soon reached the car and climbed in. Becca wanted to sit next to me, but Lucy put her hand on her shoulder and she gave way. As soon as the girls were settled in their seats, the car started up smoothly.
- So?
- What?
- What's next for us?
- Next?
I shrugged and briefly recounted the conversation with Dakota, as well as the conversation with Kiwi.
- Tz... so I'm staying in the clan tomorrow?
- Yeah.
- Well... okay... I'll find something to do, though I'd still like to get out and get some exercise. Riding a motorbike is a bit different... orders are better at keeping me toned up.
- We're being tailed.
I said those words about ten minutes after we got on the motorway. I glanced at the girls to make sure they were in good condition and the drink hadn't affected them too much. Becca had her guns out, as had Lucy and Panam.
- How about I drive?
Panam looked at me doubtfully, but I just shook my head and jerked the steering wheel, I activated the sandy at minimum speed and when the car spun round a hundred and eighty degrees I shifted into reverse just in time, then opened the window in the door on my side and pulled out my gun and pointed it at the pursuing car.
The pursuers' car sharply went sideways and began to slow down.
Did you see that?
No... I was following that car closely and I was sure it was following us.
- You're not gonna let us have any fun, are you?
I could hear the resentment in Becky's voice.
- No... just to see if I could turn round like that, and a bit of a threat. I wouldn't have shot the pursuers for too long, leaving that to you, but to signal you... That was what I was determined to do.
- Pfft!
I turned the car round again and we continued on our way.
*** On behalf of the driver of the pursuit car. ***
The girl behind the wheel of the car that had recently chased the car of David Martinez, also known as Quiet Man, gripped the steering wheel with great force.
She was trembling...
She had never expected her actions to be reacted to in this way....
All she wanted was to find out where they were based and talk to her again... to Judy... to ask for forgiveness... to ask for help, since the Tiger Claws had opened a full-scale hunt for her, and Vee said that a bodyguard should be paid separately....
Greedy bloody mercenary.
Bloody David, who took Judy away from her, who was such a comfortable and obedient girl. And she had it all under control, she was going to appear in her life, stir up her feelings, press on a couple of pain points she knew, make her think she was to blame for their past breakup. And then forgive her, finally breaking her will and getting the obedient girl into her arms....
- Fuck!!!
The girl slapped her hands on the steering wheel, then again and again and again, until the intense irritation began to let her go.
- I'll get to you again...Martinez....