"You're here."
"I'm here."
Kai considered making a comment about how his employer shouldn't have come, but he doubted a corporate lackey like her would understand that kind of dramatic dialogue. So, after a simple greeting, he kept his mouth shut.
This was his second time meeting his employer. Their first encounter had been brief, and back then, all he noticed was her overbearing presence. Now, however, he had more time to observe her.
During their first meeting, she had been wearing makeup, looking quite attractive, though Kai hadn't paid much attention. He was too distracted by the promise of a 100,000 eddies payout. Now, upon closer inspection, his employer appeared to be around 23 or 24 years old. She had prominent facial features—high brows, deep-set eyes, short black hair, and dark pupils. Her skin was slightly tanned, and when examined closely, her face bore clear Southern European traits—specifically Spanish or Italian. In other words, she had that classic Latin look.
Kai wasn't great at distinguishing white people's faces, but he could categorize them by ethnic traits. That said, her distinctive appearance wasn't particularly unusual in Night City.
America was a nation of immigrants, and Night City was a melting pot of races from the West Coast. Running into a corporate worker with Latin features was hardly surprising. Hell, even bumping into someone claiming to be a Mohican Indian descendant wouldn't be weird here. The so-called "Mohawk" hairstyle—once unique to their tribe—was all the rage in Night City.
His employer seemed to be waiting for something. Even after Kai arrived, she made no move to act. She stood at the entrance of the No-Tell Motel, blending into the background. Without her makeup and corporate suit, she was just another woman in a black jacket. Aside from being more attractive than the average street girl, she didn't stand out.
On the other hand, Kai's mercenary look drew plenty of stares. Some women initially considered approaching him, but upon noticing the woman beside him, they quickly gave up. The ones who did start walking over were swiftly discouraged by the cold, unwelcoming glare from his employer.
A silence stretched between them for a while, until she finally spoke. Maybe to break the boredom, or perhaps to let her bodyguard get to know her better.
"My name is Blanca. You can call me that during this mission."
Blanca. A common Spanish name, meaning "white" or "pure." Kai recalled a 13th-century French queen from Castile who bore the same name.
But looking at the woman dressed head to toe in black, he couldn't help but think—what an ironic name.
"For the upcoming mission, your only job is to keep me safe. Don't ask questions, don't get involved. If you hear something, forget it. Can you do that?"
Kai simply nodded, keeping up his usual silent demeanor. Unlike Oliver, he wasn't one for small talk.
But while he stayed quiet, Blanca didn't. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other as if to ease some nervous energy, she continued:
"There should be about ten of them. If negotiations fail, I'll give a signal—I'll run my hand through my hair. The moment you see that, take out the guy I'm talking to. Then, cover me while we leave. Understand?"
"Got it."
Kai committed the information to memory.
Enemy: 10 people. Signal: hair flip. Objective: protect NPC (employer). Reward: 50,000 eddies.
Easy enough.
He had no intention of asking why a corporate employee had to handle negotiations alone and hire a mercenary like him for protection. It didn't matter whether Blanca had no one in her company she could trust or if this was just personal business unrelated to her employer. Kai didn't care.
All he cared about was how many enemies there were, whether he could kill them, and how much he'd be paid.
…And maybe one more thing: where the enemies were.
As Blanca watched Kai's calm, composed demeanor—like he didn't even register the fact that they were about to go up against ten people—she was about to go over some additional precautions. But before she could speak, a black Archer Hella EC-D I360 rolled up in front of them.
Archer Hella EC-D I360: The first model of the Hella series. It was so durable, easy to repair, and affordable that it nearly bankrupted Archer. This taught the company a valuable lesson—products could be well-made, but not too well-made. Originally released in 2023, this car was now outdated, but many owners kept modifying it. Even today, it was still a common sight on Night City's streets.
Much like Oliver's Archer Quartz EC-L R275, this was a Archer product—popular among the middle and lower classes for its durability and affordability.
As Kai and Blanca watched, the back door of the Hella EC-D I360 swung open. The seat was empty, positioned to face them—an unspoken invitation to get in.
Kai noticed Blanca's breathing grow a little heavier.
So, this was their ride.
Well, better than cramming into a two-seater. Every time he rode in Oliver's car, he had to squeeze in next to Jackie—who, after upgrading his body armor, made it even more unbearable. Kai had been dreading their next ride together.
Blanca stepped forward, and Kai followed closely behind. As they settled into the car, Kai glanced toward the driver's seat—and was met with the unsettling sight of a head turning toward him, glowing red in the dim light.
Or rather, eight cybernetic eyes flashing red as the driver turned to look at them.
Kai sighed internally.
Maelstrom again.
These cybernetic freaks never seemed to quit.
He had killed so many of them already. Couldn't they have a different enemy for once?
Of course, nobody knew what was going through Kai's mind.
After confirming their identities, the Maelstrom driver turned back, and the car began moving—heading straight for Watson's North Industrial District, the heart of Maelstrom's territory.
Looks like Blanca had more than just one problem with Maelstrom.
(End of Chapter)