The constant rain, procession of umbrellas, arcades making a beeping sound, patrons cheering and giggling as they get their drinks. Salary men sighing as they enter the doorways of their favorite bar or diner. Gaston entered this arcade, smelling that air-freshener smell. He bought five tokens from the cashier, sauntering through the arcade games before finding himself in one of those motorcycle racers that every arcade had.

  “Reg, you always do enjoy these games. Bit outdated.”

  “Back then we all dreamt of playing this shit. We’re so backwater that all these amazing tech and we had no idea. Are you going to play, G?”

  “Not really, but I might as well,” Gaston inserted the arcade tokens in the coin slot. He pressed enter on the board in the middle before playing a race. “Wanna place a match? It hasn't been long since we got to play.”

  “Dunno, just want to play and recall some awful-good memories, you feel me?”

  “That reminds me. How are my nieces?”

  “Done fine. They are getting some good grades. My amor meu is fascinated by how smarter the kids are today. They are doing well. It's a shame that I can’t celebrate the holidays with them. My Clem is boiling, probably.”

  “Still willing?”

  He raised a finger, “This one last time. After this, I’ll get rid of the heat on my back by taking the first flight I could.” He pulled a drive out of his pocket.

  Gaston took the drive, inserted it on wrist’s port. “Guess we aren’t using shared-drives eh.”

  “FD’s are isolated compared to the shared-drives. You get that close to them ghost-runners and you’d have your profile, ID, and some of the packages installed on your wrist stolen in a heartbeat.”

  Gaston scanned the details. “So it wasn’t a bullet?”

  “It ain’t. Constable might be alive. Deets there should have everything. Oh damn, you are rolling this game over.”

  Gaston nodded slightly. Barely moving on the motorcycle while keeping himself in first place. “Hmm, looks like things really are complicated.”

  “It is. These are them we are talking about. It’s honestly a miracle that you get something from these guys. Tough nut to crack. Even tougher when they know that every state in the world who has enough resources is trying to track them down and crack their skulls. It’ll be a race, and there are awful folks who are looking for them. And she’s around as well.”

  “Hild?”

  “How did you figure it out?”

  “Only three women in the world, you use that voice for. Clem, Janna, and her of all people.”

  Reginald tapped his fingers on the handle bars. “She’s been taking jobs and been pulling a lot of things. She goes by Sable nowadays, and lately she’s been interested in finding these nutjobs and of course… the bastard who ripped her heart out… My friend, you really are crazy. Then again, you’ve been raised with Janna so who am I to judge?”

  Gaston kneaded his forehead. “High chance she’s following this trail, then?”

  “Probably. And you better prepare yourself since this time she abandoned most of her European contracts. Girl’s always been a daredevil, never liked playing in that field. Never liked getting something stolen from her. Janna talked to you about her run-in with the she-devil?”

  “Don't talk about it at all. That eye is bothering her and I gotta cozy her up when she hates it.”

  Gaston stared at the screen dully, “Is this going to be about how I fucked up?”

  “G, you’ve been meeting with dangerous folks. Folks who’d tear your limbs apart and then think that you’re their savior. You ain’t exactly, saintly either, but you got a knack for meeting dangerous folks. Birds flock together, that kind of thing. There is a much more reasonable reason, however.”

  “Is that the scientific thing you sent me before I came here?”

  “Yup. And sometimes science doesn’t lie. The strong attracts, Gas.”

  Gaston’s retina flickered before the only thing that could be seen was his normal eyes.

  “I tend to believe these days that it’s just a coincidence.”

  Reginald eyed him seriously. His face stiffened like he wanted to truly know what Gaston felt.

  “This relationship of yours, with Janna. It ain’t healthy.”

  “She’s like a sister to me.”

  Reginald did not speak for a while. “I ain’t preaching, G. But if you make your own choice, I hope it’s something that doesn’t break us four up.”

  “I hope so, Reg. I really hope so. Anyway, make sure to watch your back for Hild. She’s not the only one who is looking after the trail. There are many who are as well, and one thing these professionals don’t take kindly are folks who work for the UEDF. I have fixers around the country. They’ll help you.”

  Gaston leaned back on the motorcycle racer. “What price did they want?”

  “Information. Sweet deets that are far more valuable than creds, dollars, and yen.”

  Gaston nodded. Reginald got off the racer and shoved his fists in his trench coat and then pulled on the brim of his hat. There was no one inside the arcade other than a few handful of souls. Reginald’s body started to blend in with the arcade.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “Wish I had that.”

  “Now, don’t be too greedy. You already are so blessed.”

  “Thanks for this, Reg. If things work out here, let’s have a drink with Clem as well.”

  Reginald’s eyes widened. “Neat, the kiddos will be happy to hear that. They’d probably want to see Janna more than you, though.”

  Reginald’s appearance slowly faded as if he didn’t exist. Gaston heard the tiny footsteps but chose to ignore it. His retina glowed. He scanned the flash drive again.

  Lady Mao was the first contact. Located in Yokohama’s Chinatown. Gaston finished the race first before he went back to the streets. He blended in with the civilians before heading to Shinagawa Station. He bought a ticket, entered the carriage, and waited until the train reached Ishikawachō Station. He got off the train, traveled on foot to the location.

  Yokohama’s Chinatown was like a maze. Streets flanked with tall buildings creating this street canyon. He entered a pedestrian street and entered a small street with a roof, filled with shoppers and stalls. Gaston followed the street and then entered this alley where most of the folks were calling out on customers and he spotted concealed bars. Finding the right location. Gaston entered this passageway until he saw a concealed restaurant that was guarded with two brawny men. They wielded multi-function weapons on their hips.

  “Bakeneko,” Gaston said to them. The two took a step to the side. Gaston entered the restaurant and immediately found the eyes of multiple people on him. Mahjong, poker, chess, and even Weiqi were being played on their tables.

  He went straight to the counter where he said. “Bakeneko.”

  The man behind the counter motioned him inside the kitchen. Then he went around this staircase heading up the second floor of the building. It was far more isolated, filled with gangsters who were far more dangerous-looking than below. Gaston found himself standing straighter than usual, his posture a bit leaned forward.

  He placed both hands on the table of the elderly lady in the center of this room.

  “It’s nice seeing the Madam of this place. Hiding in plain sight as always?”

  “I can speak the international language. The Chameleon told me that Diable is coming. You must be him.”

  “Here to talk about business. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  She stared straight. Her implanted eyes were bio-made. Clearly one of the expensive ones that Gaston had seen. Even the folks in the Babaika Lions did not have retinas. Gaston thought it might have cataracts. Not to mention she looked like she has plastic skin, probably around one-hundred plus old already.

  “He told you what I wanted. Unless you want to stick to this business.”

  “The information was paid with information. All of you, get out. I will have talk with Mr. Diable here.”

  “Mao-sama, this is,” one of her associates stared at Gaston.

  She waved him off. “Business must be done. These words are not for all of your ears. Only between me and the client. Go.”

  The associate wanted to speak. But Lady Mao’s eyes made it clear. The associates and soldiers left the office. Lady Mao motioned at the stool. Gaston pulled the stool and dragged it in front of Lady Mao. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs.

  “Younglings these days, so reckless, no?”

“Perhaps, strong limbs and an invisible shield that catches a few bullets tends to do that.”

  “Too true. Arrogance can only take you so far. Those who have tempered their hot heads are the ones who stay in business. Chameleon brought interesting details. Alas, I still must ask. How were the African states?”

  “Still a battle royale of the biomass versus the people. Did you have interest in the followers of Legba?”

  “Once, there was an Eastern European contact who had asked for information regarding certain locale manufacturers.”

  “Implants? Ah, probably artificial organs?”

  “Plastics. Terrible quality. But there were flash-clones of real quality.”

  “Must have found the info from him, huh.”

  “Yes, that is why you are here,” she joined her fingers and produced a flash-drive.

  Gaston took the FD with his fingers and inserted them. His bracer ran scans on the FD before he synched the data in his AR-headset. Then projected the data on the flat of the table.

  “Interesting, you actually thought of him well.”

  She raised her chin. “There are only a few who are truly incorruptible. And especially those who last this long without being… lost. Nonetheless, he is a far man, who knows that law comes with compromise.”

  “And so the bakeneko jumps over the corpse of Constable Yu.”

  Lady Mao smiled. “I’m glad that you are well-learned. It will be easy for Sir Diable to reach the place. I must advise however that there are listeners who are constantly listening.”

  Gaston spread his five senses, forming them into one. There was a certain quietness in the room that he didn’t notice. From the looks of it there was this humming.

  “Strange method,” Gaston said.

  “They are constantly pinging. Continuously creating a net that catches certain keywords. These people call us the ‘confessors’ for they think that it is their right to judge us through their laws.”

  “And these emitters are disturbing them?”

  “Silencing them. It makes them deaf.”

  “Did he?”

  Lady Mao smiled. “There are many professionals who are as capable. Constable Yu is among them and he has made a deal with the yokai and from now on… with the Devil.”

  “Generous.”

  “The Chameleon brought gifts, and truthfully. There are many of us who are willing to break the legs of the thieves who robbed us of credits.”

  Gaston leaned on the table. “How much stake did you place?”

  “Enough to buy four boats.”

  Gaston whistled. Lady Mao leaned on the backrest of her chair. She clipped the tip of her tobacco and lit it. “We are not friends with these people. No one else is willing.”

  “Hard to find people who are willing to live in flesh-worlds overrun with the belua.”

  Lady Mao took a drag with her cigar. “There is more. Lovelace has given this.”

  It was a package-installer in the form of a data drive. Gaston took the package and directly installed it on his bracer. It contained a software and firmware update.

  Gaston’s face became grim. “So Lovelace is involved now. Looks like this isn’t just a secret. Looks like the UEDF itself isn’t willing to bend over, either, huh.”

  Lady Mao nodded. “And Yamato’s sons will not forgive either.”

  A BEHEMOTH that was promising wealth for those who have stake on it. And numerous professionals who are willing to cut their throats. And a man who made a deal with the Yokai to vanish from the eyes and ears of the listeners.

  They knew that this was coming, and yet the Cult was confident enough to still do it openly. It made Gaston even warier. Knowing that they had the confidence to do so and so far they were being smart.