The continuous stream of water falling from the smog-filled sky out the window was a nice counterpoint to the steady drip of blood falling onto the floor from the dead guy next to me. I had a few minutes to kill as I waited for my codecrax spike to infiltrate dead dude’s database in the usual slash and grab that would leave nothing behind when I left, including traces of who took the data. 

Leaning against the desk, not wishing to take over the blood-soaked chair, I sent a quick update to my handler to let him know the job was nearly done with no problems and I would have the data the client needed in a matter of minutes. It took only a moment for him to write back with words that turned my nice easy creds into a migraine. 

Clint needs the body too, ups your pay but its non-negosh.

It is times like this where it would be nice to let off some steam with a nice string of loud cursing. I had had to climb up four stories outside the building after spiking the one camera, which was merrily playing a loop of nothing happening to get up here. If I was lucky then they wouldn’t have found my spike, if I were even luckier, they wouldn’t realize dude was dead till hours after I was gone. Now I somehow had to sneak past a well-manned hideout while carrying a dead guy dripping the entire way. Why the fuck would anyone want a corpse, sickos. 

Fine, but my pay had better be at least quadruple or I will bury them.

My handler knew that wasn’t a threat but a promise. I might not have been the most well-known solo in the city, but I was well known enough to have earned that much respect. All I got back was a thumbs-up emoji, the dick.

Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as it might seem. I didn’t like using my nicer toys for such a low-paying job, but I had them for situations just like this one, it was still a pain in the ass though. Eyeing dead dude, I pulled a few anti-grav nodes out of my stash and started placing them around the parts that would be more noticeable as they sagged then stuck a cloaking module on his back and front, the two places that would be most easily seen. They weren’t as good as proper invisibility spheres, but those things were fucking expensive. 

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

My braingear jingled a merry chime to indicate its task was complete and I took a moment to check that indeed, there was nothing on the guy’s system, cleaner than he bought it I would bet. Pulling my spike I turned on the anti-grav and hauled the corpse to the window that was less likely to enlighten the entire building that someone had broken in to blow their boss’ brain out.

Moving so that I could see the spiked camera, I double-checked that my spike was still active then eyed the grounds to make sure nobody had decided to become responsible and patrol the back that of the grounds that abutted one of the numerous trash heaps that sprinkled our fair city. As it happened it’s a good thing I checked as behind one of the random containers that littered the place a guy decided to relieve some stress in his pants. Cursing softly I tried to see if there was a way to launch dead dude so that at least I could get him out of the way to sneak around the guy currently engaged in enthusiastic self-pleasure. Of course, that is when my luck ran out. 

“Yo Gigi, been pingin at chew for like, hours. What you doin up there asshole, we got marks comin. We doing this shit or what?” 

How the fuck did I not hear this guy coming? I wondered as I muttered, “Fuck it.” Under my breath and launched dead dude out the window, more or less in the direction of the junkyard. I would probably be hiking over trash for the next few hours to get to the body, but at least I could get out of here without having to haul it around like some new necro-fashion. 

I watched for a moment as the body sailed over the lot and directly towards the junkyard even as the guy at the door started hammering at it. 

“Gigi you shit, finish up already an lemme in ya dick. Yer the one who hates bein late to this kinda shit.” 

Shaking my head I could only wonder how dead dude managed to run a business with such helpful lackeys as this preem example even as I swung myself over the window ledge and began scurrying down, just in time too as I heard the door open as I tucked myself under one of the ubiquitous rusting and clearly non-functional air conditioners peppered around the building.

It didn’t take too long to get to the ground, although I paused now and then to make sure the guy jerking off was still busy before tucking myself behind the nearest cover and making my way to the hole in the fence that lead to the junkyard, no doubt they would be thrilled to learn their fence had a me sized perforation when they got to discover it. Behold how few fucks I had to give.

Now to find my new corpse.