Still no motorcycle. Jackie's red bike had been out of commission for a long time.
The sun dipped toward the west, but the big guy didn't keep them waiting. Before the last light disappeared, a dust-covered car rumbled their way.
"Where's Jackie's ride? He practically cuddles that thing in his sleep," Arthur asked curiously as he spotted the vehicle from a distance.
"That bike? After the wreck... it's not running anytime soon," V explained. "Hopefully never again. It's not exactly safe."
She pursed her lips as she said it. That run-in with Adam had scared the hell out of everyone—Jackie had seemed just a breath away from death.
Truth be told, aside from special cases, motorcycles weren't really suited for people like them.
"Hey! Chooms!
Got some news you'll never believe!"
Jackie's booming voice filled the shabby hall even before he'd finished shoving the door open.
He stomped inside, the trademark tuft of hair on his forehead pulled taut.
"The heir to Arasaka Corporation just landed in Night City—probably after fighting with his old man. Just your average father-son blowout, nothing special.
But!
Our little prince brought a treasure with him."
Crowd or no crowd, Jackie's presence always meant noise.
Arthur had no clue who this Arasaka heir was, but he sure as hell wasn't about to rob a child. "If that toy excites you so much... say the word. I'll buy you one myself.
...
Out of my own pocket."
Jackie blinked, then waved his hand. "Even if he's the Arasaka heir... trust me, that guy could be our grandfather. From what I've heard, Yorinobu Arasaka was born at the start of this century. And Saburo Arasaka? The guy's pushing two hundred."
Nobody lives two hundred years. Arthur frowned and glanced around—but the others didn't contradict it.
V shrugged and added, "Saburo Arasaka fought in World War II. And I mean fought, not born then.
Funny, huh? An old bastard that just won't die. Luck's on his side—even Silverhand's nuke didn't kill him."
No one seemed to be lying. Arthur's disbelief deepened...
If it were true, Saburo Arasaka was practically his contemporary—just a decade or so after his own death.
A strange feeling crept over him, but he pushed it aside.
"Alright, alright... forget their ages. What about this job?
There's no shortage of treasures in the world, but most don't mean jack to us."
Arthur's raspy voice finally cut to the point.
"Sure. Word is, the intel on Yorinobu came from some woman... Who knows? Plenty of big shots have been ruined by women.
Anyway, someone brought it to a fixer. And guess who..."
Jackie's grin stretched nearly ear to ear, his excitement spilling over.
"Dexter DeShawn. Biggest fixer around a few years back. Any merc who worked with him ended up like this—" He jabbed his thumb upward.
"That fat guy's got serious pull. Sure, he disappeared for a few years—people say his last job went sideways. But in our biz, accidents happen all the time."
Jackie kept rambling, but the others weren't exactly thrilled. Finally, he noticed. "Hey, come on. Trust me. He's a big deal."
Arthur shrugged. "Never heard of him."
Not happy with that, Jackie turned to V—who only shook her head, expression flat.
Thankfully, Rebecca gave him some support: "Dexter DeShawn. Yeah, there was chatter about him a few years back. Lots of merc news."
Jackie nodded, encouraged—until Rebecca's next words froze his grin.
"Big guy, built heavy. We never dealt with him. Maybe Maine knows? He was the one running things back then.
Eh, forget it. He probably doesn't either. Whatever it was, he'd have told us."
Jackie scratched his broad forehead but pressed on. "Guess it makes sense. You guys started later. Not knowing about him's normal.
Point is, trust me. This deal's solid. DeShawn's rep speaks for itself."
"Alright..."
In the lobby, V motioned them deeper inside. "Give us the details. Then we'll see if it's worth it."
...
"That girl lifted a Braindance and now she's clutching it like it's gold.
If we step in, DeShawn'll tell us exactly who it belongs to."
Under the dim light, Jackie finally laid it all out. Truth was, they didn't know much. DeShawn liked to keep plenty to himself.
Arthur's cowboy hat rested on the table. As he spoke, his fingers drummed against the metal surface with a dull thunk-thunk.
"Tell him this intel's not enough for us to decide. If he won't give more, let him keep his little secrets and walk."
V nodded in agreement. With Arasaka involved, the risk outweighed the so-called offer.
As for Rebecca... well, she rarely had a say in planning.
"I'll tell him. We'll have word tomorrow."
Jackie wasn't about to argue. No matter how much he admired the fixer, he wouldn't throw the crew into a suicide run.
"Or maybe one of you should talk to him? Just to make sure.
...
Feels like you don't trust my judgment."
V rose to her feet, shutting down the flat discussion. "Cut the crap. If this DeShawn guy won't spill more, the deal's off."
...
(60 Chapters Ahead)
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