As Cynthea prepared to start the engine, she quickly took out her phone to contact her Tyger Claw representative and inquire about the location where they would be delivering the body. The conversation between the two was brief and one-sided, and I could only hear Cynthea murmuring "yup" a few times before she hung up the call.
After the call, she started the car's engine and began driving towards the place where we were supposed to deliver Dave's body. I was curious about the location, so I asked Cynthea about it. She told me that we were heading back to the docks.
As we drove towards the docks, I could sense that Cynthea was nervous. Perhaps it was because she had never done anything like this before, or it could be due to the fact that Jen's life was in danger.
I tried to calm her down and said, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Cynthea apologized and explained, "I'm just worried that they have involved an innocent girl in all this mess."
To ease her concerns, I explained, "The Tyger Claws are the most feared gang in Night City for a reason. They are ruthless and will stop at nothing to get what they want. They are known for involving innocent people to achieve their goals."
Cynthea then asked me, "What are the other reasons why Tyger Claws are so feared?"
I replied, "For starters, they are the oldest gang in Night City, having been around since 2020. They have been constantly on the rise ever since and have had a significant influence on the city's underworld. They are also notorious for their brutal methods, and my advice would be to avoid getting on their bad side, or you might end up like our friend in the trunk."
As we headed towards the docks, there was an eerie silence in the air. Half of our task was completed; all we had left to do was deliver the unconscious body of Dave.
Cynthea then started asking about what we were going to do about the stranger that was called Dave.
“Nothing.” I said, “As it currently stands, we’ll hand over Dave to the Tyger Claws, and whatever happens after that is none of my business. I’ve got enough on my plate as is.”
“And what's so important that you can't help me see this through to the end?”
“A lot, and let's leave it at that.”
Cynthea insisted that I spilled the detes on why I had more important things to do. I again asked her to leave it, but it was clear that she was going to continue asking me until she got an answer.
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“Come on, what else have you got?” Cynthea asked again.
“Okay! As it currently stands! I’ve got the Patriots to deal with, some rich guy who’s eddies I need to give back, and now this shit with the Tyger Claws! So, excuse me if I'm more interested in getting this job finished! Then playing fucking NCPD and investigating some random girl who I've never seen!”
I apologized for yelling in Cynthea’s face. “I’ve got a lot of shit going on, and I would really like to get this gig done and move on with my life.”
The rest of the journey back was silent after that.
As we arrived at our destination, I noticed a car parked nearby with its trunk open and two men standing next to it.
I pointed to the car and whispered, "That's them." We approached the car, and I carefully picked up Dave's body and placed it in the trunk. The men nodded their heads in acknowledgment and slammed the trunk shut. One of the men bowed his head and spoke in Japanese, thanking us for our cooperation and promising that we would receive our payment soon.
As the two men drove off, leaving Cynthea and me alone at the docks, she asked me what had just happened. I explained that we had completed our mission and that I was going to grab something to eat before going to bed.
Cynthea wasn't sure what to do next; she said she would look for fixers who needed help. As she walked back to her car, I wished her well before I started to walk away from the docks.
I made my way to a nearby street food vendor selling Chinese food and ordered beef noodles with spicy sauce. I savored each bite as if it were the last meal I would ever have. Once I finished, I walked to the nearby bus stop, got on the bus, and took a seat.
As the bus started moving, I watched the television screen that was updating everyone in NC about the lockdown and when it would be over. “And now some good news. Due to the results that have been conducted during the lockdown, Mayor Peralez has made the announcement that the lockdown will be lifted tomorrow at 9 am. More details will follow after a word from our sponsors.”
The announcement was met with cheers on the bus, and I could overhear some elders talking about how nice it would be to go back to their homes. Others began calling their friends and started organizing plans in the morning. One even yelled out loud, “That's my mayor! That’s my mother fucking mayor!”
My phone started to ring; it was Karim. I picked up the call.
Karim: "Hello, if I'm not mistaken, you are the man with my money, correct?”
Max: "Yeah, I originally called you a few days ago, but I was met with an answering machine.”
Karim: "Apologies; I’m a very busy man. Would you be able to come over tomorrow and hand over my money? In return, you will be rewarded for collecting my money.”
Max: “Sure.”
Once the call with Karim was over, my phone started ringing again, this time with Henry. I answered the call and asked Henry what he wanted.
Henry: “Lockdown’s finally getting lifted; you got any plans for tomorrow?”
Max: “Yeh. I’ll be meeting with Karim and handing him his money back.”
Henry: "Okay, I’m probably going to meet up with Reese and help him out with some gigs.”
After finishing the call with Henry, I realized that I had reached my destination. I quickly got off the bus and started walking towards the elevator. I entered the elevator and pressed the button to reach my floor.
As the elevator doors opened, I walked toward my apartment and unlocked the door. Feeling exhausted, I walked towards my bedroom and flopped onto my bed, letting out a deep sigh of relief. Finally, I could rest and enjoy some much-needed sleep after a long, chaotic day.