Chapter 107

I was all prepped. I had found the little Scav den that Padre sent me the info for, in the basement of an abandoned building on the west side of Heywood.

 

I had broken their security. Pinged into their network, tracked their movements in real time as I hung out in the abandoned backlot of the building.

 

The only signs of use were tire tracks and the fact the old gate had a long curving path through the dirt showing it was still opened from time to time.

 

I was stacked up on the side of the back door, one hand reaching for the doorknob that I already ensured would open, and the other on my rifle. Ready to breach and begin killing.

 

Then I got a call.

 

I almost flinched. Took a single breath, in and out, and checked the caller ID. With a silent hiss of irritation I answered.

 

*Jun, I’m a bit busy.*

 

*Imouto. Drop what you are doing. Something has come up.*

 

I look at the moving figures through the walls outlined in digital glows.

 

*Bit busy, here Jun.*

 

*The Maelstrom have reached out to the Tyger Claws about the attack.*

 

I blinked. I hadn’t forgotten the Maelstrom fucker that sniped at Jun and I. But I had put them on the back burner to focus on the Scavs.

 

*What?*

 

*The fuckers… The Maelstrom aren’t happy about the chance of the war starting again so soon. So they reached out. They want a meeting to discuss the attack. They are apparently saying it wasn’t them…* Jun made a noise of frustration that actually came over the call.

 

But he wasn’t even finished.

 

*But they are saying they have information on who ordered the hit.*

 

I hesitated. The Scavs were right there…

 

But this was more important.

 

*Where?*

*You remember The bar? Fujimura is meeting the Maelstrom there. Fujimura said you don’t have to be here, but I know you.*

 

*I’m on my way. I have some questions needing answers as well. Thanks Jun.*

 

I was gone in a flash. Back over the abandoned lot. Over the wall with just a double hop to clear the barbed wire at the top.

 

I was slamming myself into the Quadra and taking off as fast as I could.

 

Answers on who had actually tried to kill me? Tried to kill Jun?

 

That was worth letting these Scavs live a little longer.

 

—–

 

When I pulled into the little market that held Fujimura’s bar. I was surprised to see Jun already out in the parking lot waiting for me.

 

He didn’t look happy.

 

I stepped out and I could tell my appearance surprised Jun.

 

Oh right. My outfit was pretty militarized.

 

I pulled my techgogs up out of my eyes as I walked up to him. Although I still had my Copperhead in my hands.

 

I wasn’t intending to show up casually after all.

 

Jun didn’t say anything as I approached, and I could tell he was partly furious and partly sulking.

“Fujimura kicked you out?”

 

“No!” He snapped back, but then went silent.

 

Yep.

 

“Hard to keep your cool around them huh?” I asked and Jun’s glare at me told me I had hit the nail on the coffin. “Yeah. Just seeing their stupid optics irritates me too. What’s really going on Jun?”

 

“They aren’t taking responsibility for the assassination. Blaming it all on the sniper. Saying the piece of shit reached out to the Scavs about our home’s location without permission. They’re saying the Sniper was actually working with the Scavs entirely. So he was no longer Strom.”

 

“Yeah? Fuck that. They attacked our home… Twice.” I hissed out.

 

“That’s what I said.” Jun said, sounding kinda normal actually as he smirked at me. “Fujimura-sama asked me to leave after I said that to their face.”

 

“Sure.” I nodded. I’m sure there weren’t any threats of violence or my gonk brother trying to strangle the Maelstrom involved in any way.

 

“Alright. I’m gonna go get some answers.” I said and Jun didn’t stop me, instead he just started walking to the bar. Creating a path through the crowd, although considering how armed I was, they were already splitting for me anyways.

 

Jun stopped at the entrance with an irritated grunt but he leaned his back against the wall of the building at the top of the stairs.

 

Ah right. He wasn’t allowed in.

 

I eased up my rifle, making it obvious I wasn’t literally holding my finger on the trigger as I sauntered down. Into the bars gloom.

 

Instantly I had eyes on me. The bartender. Men hanging out at the bar. Or in the booths along the walls.

 

Not all of them TC either.

 

Maelstrom optics locked on me, their twitchy owners already looking ready to start firing.

 

I took a few steps down, and forced myself to stay calm when it was obvious I wasn’t going to be allowed to pass into the back considering how insanely on guard the Strom were acting when I moved.

 

I stopped at the bar instead. Unclipping my Copperhead from my rig I placed it on the table moving casually so the Maelstrom I was standing next to would stop reaching for that pistol.

 

“Hold on to this for me.” I asked the Bartender who nodded slowly and took it to hide it behind the bar, and then I moved toward the back.

 

The small stairs leading up to the back area with the darkest most private booths were guarded on one side by a man I vaguely recognized. He was one of the Kamikazi Borgs. One of the men I had worked with on that gig so long ago.

 

Well sort worked with. They had run ahead like assholes.

 

The other was a big Maelstrom monster. Probably half a ton of pure chrome as he looked me over with his nine eyes.

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“Private meeting.” He grumbled out, sounding more like an engine off its timing than a man.

 

“I’m aware.” I said, but the Strom shifted, putting himself in the way.

 

The TC guard tensed, but didn’t make a move to stop him.

 

Either he wanted to see how it went, or he just didn’t want to create conflict between the two factions.

 

“I said private. You ain’t on the list.” He rumbled at me, but I barely slowed.

 

I inhaled and exhaled through my nose for a moment. My first reaction was to give the fucker an ultimatum and then go through him if he tried to stop me, but this wasn’t my place. My gig. I might have been involved, but this was Fujimura’s place, and while I didn’t really feel like I owed him anything.

 

Jun still worked under him. I should still be polite to my brother’s boss…

 

Polite-ish anyways.

 

“You just going to stand there, or are you going to tell this lugnut I can go through?” I asked, looking to the TC guard.

The asshole just shrugged.

 

“Pfft. Like I give a shit what this fucker says. You ain’t on the-Hey!” He grunted as his eyes suddenly went dark.

 

He made two swipes at me, which I easily avoided and just walked around him.

 

That was probably going to cause some kind of trouble later, but that was future Motoko’s problem. I heard a crash behind me but I didn’t bother to turn to look. I walked up the steps and over to the only booth that was occupied.

 

Fujimura. Another man I recognized from the Kamikaze gigs. Across from two Maelstrom.

 

A big guy and…

 

My eyes flashed as I scanned her just to be sure.

 

“Natalie Desanto AKA GearSlot.” I Introduced myself to the group by calling out one of them.

 

The woman was put together, chromed out and looking pissed and dangerous, nothing like what I had seen from her the last time we met.

 

“Motoko Kusanagi. AKA Ghost.” She responded back instantly.

 

I actually felt like blinking at that. That was the first time someone outside the net called me that. Did she look into me to get that name, I wasn’t exactly well known in the city. Maybe something on my NCPD rap sheet had update?

 

Now I was kinda curious. I would have to check my rap sheet later.

 

“The fuck is this Fujimura?” The question came not from the Maelstrom man who was looking on with a face I couldn’t pull any emotion from. It was so destroyed. But the Yakuza looking guy sitting next to Fujimura. The one that it only took a moment to gather was someone higher up the totem pole than Fujimura himself.