The Nomads got a big haul from this wave of battles.
That night, they fought three battles. The first was a raid on Stone Ridge Mountain and the Stone Ridge Tunnel. The entire battle lasted no more than 30 minutes, resulting in the death of 35 Wraiths and the defeat of a military-tech city patrol unit. They seized a large cache of guns, ammunition, and grenades.
The second battle was a raid on the Wraiths' camp. Initially, they hoped to wrap things up in 10 minutes, but the involvement of the Minataur Mech dragged the fight out for 40 minutes, causing the third battle to overlap.
The third battle was against the Militech forces. Altogether, from the moment the firefight began with the Wraiths to when the Miliech soldiers were completely wiped out, the whole ordeal lasted one hour and twenty-two minutes.
By the end, they had seized two lightly damaged Behemoth armored vehicles, one Ragnar armored vehicle, three other heavily worn Ragnar armored vehicles, and two Basilisk hovercraft with damaged engines.
In the Wraiths' camp basement, they found a warehouse full of military biscuits—not tasty but very filling—and high-energy military drinks, loaded with sugar but very little water.
There was also an endless supply of military weapons, ammunition, and high-tech junk.
Of course, the most eye-catching item the Basilisk.
The Wraiths' camp was still burning when the Nomads began to rest, move supplies, and tend to the wounded.
The casualties: Cedric and two Red Ocher rookies, blown to pieces by a rocket.
Eleven seriously injured, hanging on by a thread, but with timely blood transfusions, their lives were spared for now. However, even if they survived, they'd be left with major physical disabilities.
Fortunately, in this world, such disabilities aren't the end of the line, as there are always treatments available.
As for minor injuries—everyone was hurt to some degree, though not critically.
Amid the flickering firelight, Leo sat across from Meredith. Most of her long golden hair had been burned off, and her clothes were in tatters, exposing half her body, revealing the large gaps in her skin where her cybernetic implants were located.
Her left arm was completely broken, her legs reduced to stumps with a large gash on her left thigh.
The implants in her body were excessive, a typical corporate style—excellent for survival, enough to handle low-level thugs, but insufficient against top-tier mercenaries and military-grade weapons. After all, she was a former agent, where keeping a clear head mattered more than risking uncontrollable augmentations.
If Leo hadn't kept her alive, she'd already be dead.
Apart from Leo, only Navi and Saul remained—they had something secret to discuss.
Leo walked up and injected Meredith with a serum.
"Ahh," Meredith exhaled deeply, coughing up a mixture of electrolytes and blood.
She looked up at Leo and asked, "What do you want?"
Leo shook his head. "The question is, what do you need? You're done for. You were sent on a PR mission by your company, and your team was wiped out.
You tried to take another gamble, falsifying information within the company and dragging the border troops into this. But what happened?
The border troops were wiped out. So, my first question: How long before the border commander reports this?"
This time, Leo was smart. Before waking Meredith, he had hacked into all her cybernetic implants and was constantly monitoring her vitals.
Using a combination of truth-serum technology and interrogation, it was something he hadn't done in a while, but he hadn't forgotten how.
Feeling the burning pain and nausea in her body, Meredith's psychological defenses had naturally been breached.
Cyber-augmented agents, especially those at her level in the company, relied on hormone-control devices to stay calm at all times. But even that was a form of dependency.
Leo placed a mirror in front of her.
In the reflection, she saw her current state—half-naked, burned, her hair blackened and scorched, some of it burned off entirely.
Ugly, exposed, and helpless—she only needed one shot from the Nomads, and she'd be done for.
In reality, even if the Nomads spared her, her life was over.
So why hadn't they killed her?
Her mind raced, and she quickly arrived at a logical conclusion: There was still an opportunity for cooperation.
She didn't need to think too deeply. Every extra second of life depended on her next words, and she had to tell the truth.
Leo's first question clearly showed that he had more than just violence in mind.
"You should leave quickly," she said. "The company's troops will arrive in less than an hour. A squad will survey the area, recreate the battle, and submit a full report and summary."
That was the truth, but Leo noticed some details.
"So, a preliminary report has already been sent? Then you're of no use."
"Wait! No, that's not it! The preliminary report will be sent in 10 minutes, but such reports are considered highly subject to revision! The higher-ups won't make decisions based on it!"
Leo ignored her, activating the Yinglong smart link, letting his gun self-check, the barrel slowly rising.
Without cybernetic support, most people would find it difficult to stay rational or think quickly in such situations.
Meredith continued, "I can help you! I still have company-level access! I can help you hack the border station, or anything else you need!"
The barrel pointed directly at the terrified woman, but ultimately, Leo didn't fire.
He confirmed that Meredith had lost her ability to think clearly. It seemed that, for the sake of her career as an agent, she hadn't used any extreme drugs, and her neuron activity was still relatively normal.
Without her cybernetics, in the face of mortal danger, she was no stronger than an ordinary person.
Leo put away his gun.
"Load the goods. Take her to the car."
Meredith spilled everything.
As Leo suspected, she had falsified documents within the Militech company, leading to the current situation.
Reflecting on it, she collapsed emotionally—she thought her life was over.
Inside the car, Leo suddenly asked, "Do you think we look like lizardmen?"
"What does it matter! You've wiped out over a hundred Militech troops in one night and stolen millions in gear!"
"It matters. Answer me."
A gun to her head was the best sedative.
Meredith slumped. "No, but it doesn't matter anymore."
"How does it not matter? What if I told you I had intel on the lizardmen?"
Leo's words caught Meredith's attention. If he really had intel on the lizardmen, then maybe she wouldn't have to take the fall!
At least she wouldn't be dumped into the ocean.
"You see, we didn't exactly meet on friendly terms. You were just doing your PR work, following orders.
While on duty, you ran into the Wraiths, who hijacked a MoorE-Tech convoy.
So, you sought help from the Alacadoes tribe, who are most familiar with the Wraiths, and then traced them back to the lizardmen.
This explains why they hijacked a bunch of bio-lab junk—because the lizardmen needed it!"
Saul and Navi's expressions shifted. The story seemed plausible.
But the motives and reasoning Leo was presenting felt... off?
In another Nomad vehicle, Jackie was munching on biscuits, replenishing his energy while V sat nearby, watching the automated Basilisk drive itself.
Though they lost Westgate, this car didn't seem half bad.
As soon as they heard Leo planned to keep her alive, they knew someone was in for a rough time—no surprises there.
"Lizardmen disappeared from Night City and went to the Badlands, somehow teaming up with the Wraiths. You hired the Alacadoes tribe to investigate, and now, here we are.
The border commander made a tactical error today, and the lizardmen and Wraiths took advantage of the chaos to escape."
Meredith, Navi, and Saul leaned in, asking, "Where did they go?"
Leo replied slowly, "The Wraiths hijacked the Basilisk, crashed through the border wall, and a group of mysterious figures escorted them to the Mexican border. That's what the Wraiths' database says."
The group exchanged glances.
Meredith quickly interjected, "That sounds too fake! The Wraiths and the lizardmen—"
"It's not fake," Leo shook his head. "The leader of the Wraiths has highly advanced cybernetic arms. Any idea where he got them?"
Leo showed a photo.
To be fair, Bowman's arms were indeed advanced, even more impressive than the ones Jackie used.
Meredith hesitated for a moment. "A full bionic arm, part of a bio-dynamic system launched over 20 years ago. Where did he get it?"
"Impressive. I couldn't figure that out. Your company sure knows its tech. Now, this should be useful, right?
I also tampered with the database. Thanks to that idiot never uploading his data, no one will notice the forged digital signature."
"Fine, but crashing through the border wall... the border wall is still—"
Meredith's face changed. The border wall was intact, which meant Leo intended to...
She glanced at the direction the vehicles were heading. Although the convoy had taken a detour, they were indeed moving toward the border wall!
"You see, if this story holds up, you'll be a hero. The only person taking the blame is that foolish commander who, due to prejudice and preconceived notions, messed up and let the Wraiths escape.
Now, tell me about the automated structure of the border patrol. That way, we can help you intercept the Wraiths—
Maybe we can even help you get the Basilisk back."
After hearing this, Meredith cautiously asked, ". . . And the Lizardmen?"
"They ran off. How the hell would I know? I'm feeling pretty unlucky about it myself!
Who knows what kind of experiments the biotechs are running, with company dogs constantly chasing my ass."
Leo spat on the ground.
As if he really didn't know.
V and Jackie, watching, gave him approving looks: "You, man, it's a waste you're not a braindance star."
After that, Leo glanced at Meredith and said, "Aren't you gonna say 'Thank you, Burger King'?"
With a gun pointed at her, Meredith forced a complicated smile and said, "Thank you, Burger King."
(End of chapter)