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***
About a week had passed since Proxy had appeared at the Aldecaldo camp. OWLs had been warned of possible problems, but he was as determined as the girls not to leave the place. He only worked out a new patrol pattern with me, and we reinforced it considerably.
In this case, the girls and I are very much on the base of the operative, as well as those in the clan, who already got copies of these bases. I also sold these bases to Bestia and Regina, who, to put it mildly, did not expect such a step from me. Apparently, both of them knew that I had bought the bases, but the fact that I would start not just to study them, but to hack and sell them....
We also cleaned out five more Stiletto bases.
The work is essentially routine and did not take us much time, yes we damn from one base to another got longer than on the bases themselves were!
In general, everything went its way, the girls, according to them, have almost finished the next training base and I was almost calm ...
The call interrupted my work on repairing a rare revolver. I got the order through Bestia.
- Hello, Regina.
- David, I have an assignment for you.
- You do?
- It's gonna be on Wakako's turf first, but it's all set up with her. In fact, she's the one who gave me the assignment because she wants it done quietly. And she doesn't know any better than you. But you don't work with anyone but me and Bestia.
- Well, actually.
- I know about your affair with Dakota, you traitor.
There was a slight sneer in Regina's voice.
- Regina, I'm sorry!
My authara folded her hands in a gesture of prayer.
- A demon clouded my mind and I didn't know what I was doing!
- Demon? What kind of demon?
- Hmm...
I thought about it for a moment.
- Probably of profit and boredom.
- Hmm?
- You and Bestia told me to stay out of the city, and you couldn't get any orders outside of Knight City. So I jumped at the chance for a little diversion.
- So it's our fault?
- Yeah.
I chuckled.
- Tsk... lousy....
Regina shook her head.
- All right, enough of this bullshit. Anyway, we need to rescue one underground arena fighter.
I blinked in surprise, and since Regina was silent I decided to make a small comment.
- Should I put his opponent in the hospital?
- No...
- Well...
I shrugged.
- ...I don't work against children and civilian women, so kidnapping a wife and children is out. And you don't do that kind of work as far as I know.
Regina nodded her head.
- So what do you need me to do?
- It's pretty simple, he's a prisoner... he should have lost the last fight, at least according to Tiger Claws' plan, but he wouldn't take the money and sent them away. In general, he beat his opponent, who was a dark horse and on whom powerful people were supposed to raise money, like a god to a turtle.
I nodded my head understandingly.
- In short, the guy crossed the road not only who should not have crossed the road, but also where it should not be done exactly ....
- Exactly.
I sighed.
- The place?
- Little China, one of Tiger Claw's dojos...
- Okay, the rest is in the letter?
- Yes... Good luck to you and be careful.....
- Is there something I don't know?
- I'm not sure of the information yet...
- Regina.
- Anyway, there's a girl looking for solos to go up against you. She's offering good money, but she's only asking for middles who, when they find out that they'll have to work against you, quickly refuse.
- I see.
- You sound like you know something.
- Parker?
- So you know her.
- Yeah, she's Judy's ex and she's tried to drag her into a very bad story for the last time. And apparently she's not happy that Judy has her own family with me in charge.
- Right.
I got a text message and I opened it immediately.
- Okay, I got the details. I'll look into it, and we'll be off to fulfil your order.
- Mm-hmm.
The connection was interrupted, and I plunged into studying the order, while sending it to all the girls. Soon we were gathered in front of the hippo in a sort of rest and eating area.
- So our reclusiveness is coming to an end?
Lucy looked thoughtfully at the sky.
- Apparently so...
I sighed.
- We'll have to make vigilance absolute, though. Let's live by the principle of constant vigilance!
I shouted it so loudly and so unexpectedly to the girls that they jumped out of their seats. I just grinned at them.
- David!
Panam, as she was sitting, or rather standing next to me, unleashed a punishment on my head in the form of a fist digging into my head.
- All of you, all of you!
I pretended to cringe in fear and pain and soon Panam had already stopped her 'torture' by sitting back in her seat again.
- But I wasn't kidding about the new concept of our life, because not only Arasaka Corporation, for whom we are essentially bugs, can put sticks in our wheels. And since they haven't done anything for a week, it's doubtful they'll start doing anything. With their capabilities, we could be wiped out almost immediately...
- Who else?
- Parker's the one who won't let up.
- Parker?
Judy looked at me in surprise.
- Yeah. Regina said she's trying to hire a solo against us. So far, she's working with the mid-levels, and they're already aware of their capabilities... well, most of them, so they won't go after us. But she should switch to newbies or go for serious solos....
I sighed.
- I see...
I noticed the look in Judy's eyes, and I didn't like it.
- Judy, what are you up to?
- Huh? Nothing. I--
- Don't lie to us.
Kiwi looked at Judy with judgement.
- Exactly.
The rest of the girls joined her and me in wanting to know what Judy was up to and she had no choice but to tell us.
- Yeah just thought...we need to deal with this issue...loose ends.....
- Are you sure?
- Yeah.
There was a look of determination in Judy's eyes.
- ...I should have left her when she disappeared after the Arasaki fuss, but I have...
Judy sighed.
- ...she and I were happy...well, I used to think so. And for the sake of all that we once had, I brought up the issue of finding her and saving her... But... Now... Now.....
She shook her head.
- ...now I realise I shouldn't have done it.
- Judy...
I stood up and walked around the table behind her and put my hands on her shoulders, then they slid to her collarbone where they crossed, hugging her and pressing the back of her head against my stomach.
- You don't have to regret what you did... and you don't have to think that we won't support your decision about Parker. You just think again about what you want...
- Are you talking me out of this?
Judy lifted her face slightly to look up and meet my eyes.
- No, I'm just reminding you once again to evaluate your moves and their consequences. And not just in terms of what they will entail, but also in terms of how you will feel right here....
I'm touching her right breast with one hand.
- In her tit or something?
Becca snickers from her seat.
- Well...
Judy lowered her gaze to my hand and then put her hand on mine and slowly lowered it. As she did so, I noticed a faint smile appear on her lips.
- The heart is right there...
I shrugged.
- Maybe. But touching your breasts is much nicer, especially if I hadn't put my hand on your chest, but on your heart, you wouldn't be smiling right now. But this way...
I held her a little tighter against me.
- You relaxed a little.
- Yes... you're right... I did relax a little, but the issue still needs to be addressed... I'll put you on the conference call, but you don't need to interfere with the conversation....
- Okay.
We all nodded and a call came through, which we answered, and a dozen seconds later Parker answered the call.
- Judy! I'm glad you decided to call me yourself! That tyrant is away now and you can speak freely?
- Parker...I'm not in the mood to talk to you and I would have loved not to have dialled your number. But you made me do it.
- Judy, come on, I'm doing this for you, for us.
- You're doing all this for you, and we've established that. Just like we've established that I don't have feelings for you anymore and that I only asked you to be rescued as a memento of the past.
- Judy, I don't--
- And now I find out that you're trying to hire a solo to take out David and probably the rest of the team...
- No! Just him! I just want to set you free!
- I don't need to be freed! And you don't seem to understand ordinary words...
There's steel in Judy's voice.
- ...then I'll speak from a position of ultimatums. Leave Knight City. Get out of this town and never come back. Don't ever seek to see me again, don't try to harm my family, and don't try to contact any of them... You have three days. If you don't disappear, I will personally kill you.
- Judy.
I could hear the confusion and distrust in Parker's voice.
- I've already told you everything. Get lost or I'll make sure you never get in our way again.
- I... understand...
Parker's words were obviously very hard, but I couldn't hear the sincerity in them. Judy just dropped the line and ended the conference between us.
- I doubt she's--
- She won't leave...
Judy grinned sadly while interrupting Panam who was trying to make the same point.
- Just couldn't not give her a chance?
Lucy looked at her friend understandingly.
- Yeah...
- Well... we'll support you either way.
Becca gave a friendly smile and took out her gun and examined it closely.
- And when the time comes we'll...
- No...
Judy interrupted her.
- ...I'll do it myself. I'll have to finish this myself. I've relied on you for too much of this. At the very least, I have to finish it myself.
- That's what family's for.
- To solve problems?
- No, silly.
Becca got up from her seat and came over to Judy and me and hugged us both from the side.
- To share not only the joys, but the sorrows as well. Not only to enjoy her lightness, but to help each other through the hard times.
- I...
- Just shut up and accept our care and help.
Panam grinned and came over to us and hugged us too... soon all the girls were already enclosing Judy and I in a cocoon of hugs in which we stood for about five minutes....