"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO ONE'S LEFT?!?!"

I jerked my head back from a Brick screaming in my face, not because I was intimidated but because he was just so damn loud. After flatlining Patricia, we drove back to Totentanz and made a beeline for Brick to tell him what happened. Obviously, he was not happy.

"Inquisitors were waiting for us at the ambush point. Don't know how they found out, don't care. The fact is that they killed all your guys and started a fight with Patricia when we got there. The silver lining is that we eliminated the Inquisitors and Patricia. So, job done."

Brick raised his hand and aggressively jabbed his index finger into my chest, pushing me back a step.

"Job done? JOB DONE?!?! I lost my guys and Patricia's pack of backstabbing maggots. The Maelstrom is fucking GUTTED! I sent you so that this wouldn't happen. YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS UP!!!"

Rage coursed through my body, and it took everything in me not to grab onto Brick's finger and snap it off. It was a miracle that I had any semblance of calm left in me after what had happened. First, Brick insults V by completely ignoring his debt to her, then he takes advantage of us and sends us out on a dirty hit. Not to mention getting jumped by Inquisitors, and now he has the galls to tell me that this is my fault. Honestly, I'm fresh out of fucks to give, and I was jonesing to take a bite out of the Maelstrom.

Slapping Brick's hand away, I stared into the center of Brick's cluster of red eyes because I didn't know exactly where to focus. I then jabbed my finger into his chest before snapping back.

"I ain't doing shit for you. You wanted Patricia dead, V and I killed her, and now we get the parts. That's the deal. Either you give us the parts, or we take it from you. You're choice."

Brick's posture stiffened before squaring his shoulder and puffing out his chest. In the corner of my eyes, I could see V's hand move to her holster, ready to draw and start blasting away at a moment's notice. I also held Sandi's activation, fully expecting this to turn violent. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your view, Brick realized that he couldn't afford another fight.

Brick's lips curled, and he bared his teeth like a rabid animal before snarling out where we could find what we came here for.

"Garage second floor. It's covered up with a black sheet in the northwest corner. Now get out of my sight, and never let me see you again."

"Likewise, Brick, likewise."

Turning around, I started walking out of Brick's private lounge, not forgetting to flip him the bird before leaving. Not wanting to spend a moment longer than necessary, we hurried into the garage and located the Surveyor parts. After sending some pictures to Panam and confirming that everything was good to go, I drove the van over, and we loaded it into the back.

"One. Two. THREE! Urghh. Oof."

The thing was made entirely of metal, so it was extremely heavy. If it wasn't for the enhancements available in this world, I don't think two people would have been able to lift it. Thank goodness the van was good to go after jumping the battery. The parts the nomads used while upgrading my car and the emergency jumper seemed to have been, at the very least, EMP-resistant. It makes you wonder how often this type of stuff occurs if mundane things like a jumper battery have EMP shielding.

After everything was tied down and secured, we packed back into the van and got the hell out of dodge. Once we were out of Watson and sure we weren't being tailed, V sighed and slouched into her chair while stretching her legs.

"Fuck. That could have gone better."

I grunted in agreement before rolling down the windows to hang my arm out of the window and turning on the radio. I kept changing the stations, flipping through Electropunk, Lazrpop, and Chrome Rock, until I settled on a Classic Rock station. Well, it wasn't classic rock as I know it, since I think this music was from the 20s, but it was similar to what I used to listen to back in my world.

"What do you think was going on back there with the Inquisitors. Think Brick was trying to set us up?"

That was one of the first questions I asked myself after the situation calmed down, but I couldn't find an angle that made sense.

"Don't think so. Brick doesn't get anything out of zeroing us, especially in such a roundabout way. Plus, the Maelstrom and Inquisitors are natural enemies, so this being a freak accident of timing makes more sense than him wanting to set us up for something."

"I guess. If Brick wanted us dead, he'd probably just done it while we were in the club. Still, doesn't make the situation any better. Those Inquisitors fuckin' creep me out, choom. Especially those last two. They'd rather blow themselves up than run away and fight another day. Just don't get it."

"Who knows, maybe these people were in a legitimately worse place than being in a literal cult. An organization provides structure, safety, and a sense of belonging. It's the same reason so many young kids get tangled up with gangs."

"I feel bad for those people. Doesn't change the fact that I want to never see them again though."

"Fair."

Letting the conversation naturally peter out, I focused back on the road, we quickly exited the city limits and drove toward the Aldecaldo camp. Not long after making it into the badlands, we pulled onto a small offroad path, and the nomads' camp hoved into view.

Panam already knew we were on the way, so she was standing at the entrance with Mitch, Scorpion, and Teddy sitting on a forklift. Once I parked the van and unlocked the rear doors, Mitch and Scorpion loaded the turbine parts onto the forklift. When I got out, Panam came over and threw her arms around my neck before pulling me into a kiss. I wrapped my arms around her back and let myself enjoy the moment. Being so close to Panam did help relieve some of the frustration, and I think she could feel something was off.

"Everything alright? You seem tense."

"Yeah. Considering it was the Maelstrom, it probably could have gone much worse. Let's go inside so V and I can get some food. I'll fill you in while we're eating."

Fighting is like any other physical exercise, so you don't go into it on a full stomach. We weren't necessarily guaranteed to get involved in a skirmish, but it was the Maelstrom, so V and I were expecting it to be the case. And since we hadn't eaten dinner yet, the two of us were absolutely starving at this point.

When we got our food at the dinner on wheels, me and V tore into our meal like a ravenous animal. I regaled our recent encounter with the Inquisitors to Panam between bites of synth meat burgers and handfuls of fries. We finished eating around the same time I told Panam everything that happened.

"Fuck Brick and the Inquisitors. Glad that you came out of it alright, though."

"Yeah. Things got dicey, but it could have been way worse. Good thing I got those mods done to the van when I did. V and I would have been turned into Swiss cheese without those bulletproof panels. Speaking of, the vans going to need a once over."

"Sure, why don't you and V get some shut-eye while I get some of the guys to look it over?"

Looking at my phone, I saw it was already 2 in the morning. My mind was tired, my body was sore, and I just had a hearty meal, so I was ready to crash into a bed at any moment. I took Panam up on her offer and got off my chair before giving her a kiss on the cheeks. She slapped me playfully in faux annoyance.

"Keep your greasy lips to yourself. Now go get yourself to bed. I'll join you later. Come on, V. I'll get someone to set up a tent for you."

We left the bar/grill built on the trailer and headed our separate ways, me to Panam's bed and the girls off to get V situated. Once I got inside Panam's private tent, I set an alarm for a few hours later and hit the sack. The second my head hit the pillow, I was knocked out cold and sleeping like a baby.

The next thing I knew, I was getting woken up by the jarring sound of my alarm. I must have been exhausted because it felt like I had just shut my eyes and was woken up not a moment later. Panam had found her way into bed sometime after I fell asleep and was nestled into me. Her warmth, the gentle hazelnut smell, her fantastic ass pushing against me. She was just so perf-

Before I could finish the thought, Panam's hand came swinging back and hitting me in the face.

"Urghhhh... Basil, turn off the damn alarm..."

Chuckling internally at Panam's annoyance at waking up, I grabbed my phone and turned off the alarm. When the device was no longer yelling at us to get up, Panam groaned again before flipping around and latching onto me like a spider monkey and resting her head on the crook of my shoulder. More than happy to cuddle, I wrapped my arms around her and slipped one of my legs between hers.

When we first got together, the two of us weren't quite sure what the relationship would develop into. Casual wasn't the right word. Maybe cautious? Over time, we got closer to each other the more time we spent together. I honestly can't imagine what life would be like without her. Which is why it sucks that it's been rare for us to share a moment for the last few days.

After Vic cleared me, I started working myself back into the rhythm of things while Panam had to return to the Aldecaldos. With their main competition eliminated, it wasn't like she could just stay with me in Night City. This was a prime opportunity for them to capitalize on, and Panam had to ensure that her family was situated to gain as much as possible.

"I love you, Panam."

I kissed the top of Panam's forehead after confessing before going back to staring at her face. A smile spread across her face, and her eyelids fluttered open so I could admire her gentle brown irises. She craned her head up until she could smooch the tip of my nose.

"Love you too."

Even though I've heard her say it countless times at this point, every time we reaffirm our feelings for each other, my heart skips a beat. But as much as I want to spend the rest of my life wordlessly wrapped up in our little love nest, there are things to do. And I also wanted to know how things were going for her and the Aldecaldos.

"How's the clan doing recently? Coping well with the Shivs gone?"

"Yeah. For the first time in a while, pretty much anyone who wants a gig can get one. Still, it's not the best way to make eddies, but it's consistent and gives us the cushion to relax a bit. Of course, once we get the Surveyor up and running, we'll have a chance to really turn things up a notch."

It's nice to know things are going well.

"As much as I'd love to lie here forever, V and I got things to do."

Panam lazily waved me off and turned around so she could continue sleeping. Giving her ass one last good slap, I got out of bed and dressed. Once outside, the sunlight that was sneaking past the slits in the tent hit me in full force, and I took in the dry desert air and my surroundings. It was 9 in the morning, and Aldecaldos were moving about, either getting ready for their day or already working on whatever they had planned.

Seeing that the restaurant was open, I marched over and asked the cook to make two sandwiches. There were only two days left before the meeting with Michiko, and the only things left on the agenda were for the Nomads to fix the Surveyor and for V and I to gather all our witnesses. V answered the call as I thought about what order to pick everyone up in.

"V here. What's up?"

She sounded groggy. I probably woke her up.

"Hate to be the person who says, 'get out of bed', but, get out of bed. We need to pick up Evelyn and Hellman, and you need to contact Takemura."

"Yup, yup. I'm up. I'll call Takemura right now and see where he's at. Just tell me when you're here."

"Alright. Meet me at the dinner trailer. I'll have breakfast ready."

"Thanks, Basil. Later."

"Hey, Basil. What can I fix you for breakfast?"

The Aldecaldo waitress walked over after I sat down, asking me for my order.

"Morning, Chrissy. I'll just have a breakfast burger and two sides of sausage."

"For the drink?"

"OJs fine. And can I get a breakfast burrito with a side of fries to go as well?"

"Sure thing. Coming up in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Chrissy."

As I finished my order, my phone rang and the overlay showed that it was Rogue calling me. A call I was waiting for. I had kept Rogue in the loop about our dealings, and paid her some Eddies to dig into Michiko further. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I felt like I was forgetting something incredibly important about her.

"Hey, Rogue. Guessing your calling about Michiko?"

"Well it definitely isn't a social call, we're not close like that."

"In that case, it would have been nice if it wasn't the day before our meeting. What took so long?"

"Better late than never, Basil. And the information I dug up required some vetting, it'll definitely change how you approach Michiko. Flicking you the detes now."

I approved the secured transfer and a whole bunch of text files and pictures of headshots quickly loaded in.

"Looks like you were busy. Talk me through what you found."

"I'm always busy. What do you know about Michiko Arasaka after 2023?"

"Not much more than what you could find on the net. Just that she met with the president and that she was able to stay a N.U.S. citizen afterwards. She the graduated college before opening up Danger Gal detective."

"Pretty good summary, but that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what she's been up to. Why do you think Kress let Michiko stay in the states after the NC holocaust?"

"Well, I figured it was because she was a kid and it was a good PR move. Makes the N.U.S. seem magnanimous and not just a pack of wolves with a hard on for revenge."

"Publicly, that'd be right, but what most don't know is that Michiko also cut a deal with Kress during her little visit. I hope your sitting down for this."

That doesn't sound worrying at all.

"Danger Gals is huge. Hundreds of detectives, almost two thousand support staff, and a client list only packed with the social elites. Hell, they even had their own TV show for a while. And the most impressive part? It took them less than a decade to become the premier detective and security firm. An effort mostly accomplished by splashing astronomical amounts of cash that allowed them to get the best gear, chrome, and personnel eddies can buy. It's not a stretch to say that the money from her initial backers is the reason why Danger Gals is so successful today, but who would be willing to fund tens of millions of eddies for a fledgling neocorp?"

Oh shit. That's right. 

"The gov is bankrolling Danger Gals."

"Ding ding ding. Got it in one."

"Fuck. How sure are you about this."

I couldn't see Rogue on the other side of the call, but I could practically see her role her eyes at that question.

"It's me we're talking about, I'm sure. I was tipped off by one of my mercs used to be a detective, and obviously, I looked into it myself. Danger Gal has done their fair share of corporate espionage, but never against Militech or the gov, originally. And the money doesn't lie, quite of few of those black ops are paid for with government slush funds, especially the ones carried out against Arasaka."

I can't fucking believe I forgot about this piece of lore. That's why looking into Michiko's history felt so off, especially around the parts where she returned and started working for Arasaka more.

"Shit. How strong's the relationship?"

"Here's some good news and the only reason why I didn't start this call by calling the meeting off."

I felt a flash of irritation at the gall that Rogue has to think she can call MY plans off, but quickly suppressed it. That was weird, was I always this easily incensed? And even if she was out of bounds, she does have useful information that I need.

"There's a reason why I said that they originally never targeted the gov or Militech. It seems the relationship has soured slightly, because there have now been ops against N.U.S. officials and Militech execs. It's always covered up as a private contract, and mostly been cases of corruption or degeneracy, which garner public support whenever exposed."

As I was on the call, Chrissy walked back over with my breakfast. I motioned to her that I was on the phone and she understood, putting everything down in front of me before smiling and walking away. After taking a bite from my breakfast burger and sipping some OJ, I asked Rogue if she thought Michiko was trying to distance herself from Militech and the government.

"You think Michiko's trying to hurt the gov and Militech's public image in a way that makes it hard for them to lash out?"

"Seems like it. If you ask me, there's a good chance she's trying to break free from her handlers."

"Think she's legit trying to break away? Or is it just all a facade?"

"Can't say for sure. She says all the right things in public, but that ditsy socialite look is just a persona. Gut instinct tells me she's trying to get away from it all."

If true, it definitely changed the calculus quite a bit because now the questions becomes if she is still the best option considering what I learned. As I was thinking about this, I spied V walking toward the restaurant from the corner of my eye.

"Thanks for the info, Rogue. I gotta go, I'll stay in touch."

"Sure. Keep me updated."

After I hung up I dug into my meal while thinking about the revelation about Michiko and if/how it would impact my plans. Realistically, she's still my best option. Hanako was simply too willing to let Saburo take back control for her to be worth working with. Yorinobu might want to start war immediately, but there's no doubt in my mind that Saburo's view of the world makes him no better. I needed someone that wanted Yorinobu out, and also have a personal stake in keeping The Emperor dead. Michiko, being a reformist, still fits that bill. Yeah. Seems like Michiko is still the way. Just have to be more careful now and make sure that we suss her out properly.

By the time V got here, I was finishing the last bite of my breakfast. Getting up, I grabbed the to-go bag from the counter and tossed it at V, who caught it before opening it up to see what's inside.

"Got you some grub you can eat while we're driving into NC. Gonna need to fill you in on some detes Rogue sent me as well. Good to go?"

"Yeah, and thanks. So, who's car are we taking?"

What?

"What do you mean, who's car are we taking? It's not like you parked here, so the van, of cour-"

Oh, that's right, the van's getting repaired right now. V, seeing me freeze, shot me an incredulous look.

"You forgot that your van was getting fixed, right?"

I facepalmed myself after realizing that I had forgotten something so obvious.

"I forgot that my van was getting fixed."

V laughed at my expense.

"Hah! Dumbass. It's probably fine. I'm sure the Aldecaldos have a spare car lying around somewhere."

I didn't like being called a dumbass, but it was in good nature and just some ribbing pals do, so I let it go. And she was right, there probably was something that no one was using that we could nab for a few hours. Not wanting to disturb Panam, who could still be sleeping, I called Mitch to see if he could hook us up.