Vehicle Interception
[Jackie: Took one out, came from Zurich.]
[Jackie: Hmm… He disconnected from their combat net before he joined the fight. No traces left.]
A bit disappointing. That meant no easy way to track the rest through the network.
They'd have to rely on the battlefield instead.
The first clash was followed by a second, then a third.
With the right cyberware and user, an Anti-Material sniper rifle's range depended only on the bullet's solid propellant.
Normally, its effective range was about 2000 to 3000 meters. The recorded max kill shot was over 10,000 meters.
That's why Leo had set the main defense line on Woodhaven Street, beneath the Petrochem Dam, cutting the defense area in half.
That infamous sniper kill was against an armored unit. Both the gun and the shooter weren't ordinary, and Leo doubted the enemy could pull off anything that ridiculous—but they still had to prepare for a 6 to 7-kilometer engagement radius.
Maine's squad managed to grab one, but the rest of the zones didn't have such clean results. 6th Street wasn't capable of such precise kills.
Centered on Woodhaven Street, there had already been 9 engagements within a 7km radius. 7 turned into high-speed chases. Maine ended one. The enemy ended one.
Several locations also reported info-net equipment destroyed, but no infiltrators caught.
On Leo's city map overlay, several red sniper points lit up—potential enemy vantage points. These locations were all still within that 6–7 km zone, so the chances of actual snipers were still low.
Overall, the situation was manageable. So far, more enemies had exposed themselves than stayed hidden.
The next step: herd the enemies into one direction, then unleash his trump card: Jackie and V.
The pursuing 6th Street gangers suddenly saw a new HUD pop up in their cyber-eyes, augmented-reality overlays showing their flank directions.
Outside Redshirt Camp, Leo watched as two upgraded hoverbikes rolled out of the garage. AI would auto-navigate them to boarding points.
[Leo: Bikes en route to you. New model. See for yourself.]
[V: Got it. What, you're just sitting in your netrunner nest now?]
[Leo: I'm hunting snipers.]
A slick robotic tentacle stretched out from behind him, wiggling its claws excitedly in front of his face.
BOOM!
A speeding car was struck by a grenade. A fireball swallowed it instantly. When it flew out of the flames, it was nothing more than a burning heap of scrap.
A 6th Street gang member, ablaze, was flung out and smashed to the ground, screaming in pain.
WHOOSH!
A doorless Mizutani Shion zoomed past and drifted hard into the next corner!
In the driver's seat, a woman with her lower face replaced by a heavy-duty respirator aimed a blazing machine gun out the window!
But even with that massive gun, her return fire felt like drizzle under the enemy's suppressive fire—
"This place is crawling with firepower! We should've brought more guns!"
"Maybe we should call the cops?!"
"You moron! We're illegals here!"
"Reload! Cover me!"
The man in the driver's seat jerked the wheel. Sparks exploded from the brake discs as the car drifted again!
BANG!
In the middle of the drift, the man turned to face the chasing enemies!
A few rounds ricocheted inside the vehicle. Metal pinged everywhere. The man dropped the wheel and grabbed the machine gun beside him—
Meanwhile, the woman leaned in with one hand on the wheel, jamming the gun stock between her seat and the door, reloading with her other hand—
The 6th Street gang chasing them launched a rocket during the reload, firing just as both of them looked up in shock!
With their neural augmentations, they completed a series of actions in split seconds. Perfect teamwork caused the vehicle to twist and juke violently—
The rocket missed by just 30 centimeters!
BOOM!
The explosion nearly flipped the car. But the man's elite control skills kept it upright on one side! The car skidded violently in an S-curve on just two wheels. The woman slammed the reload home, popped her head out like a tank gunner, and opened fire!
"Holy sh*t!"
The 6th Street pursuers were stunned. A hail of bullets ripped through their windshield, instantly killing the driver!
The car plowed into a storefront.
BOOM!
The woman slammed her fist down. "HAHA! That was f***ing awesome! I finally get why everyone wants to come to Night City!"
Her hype was interrupted by a sharp voice on the comms:
[Morton: Watch the intersection—someone's gunning for you!]
The raised half of the car suddenly dropped. It spun out violently—
The woman was thrown by inertia, her scalp grinding sparks off the pavement!
A nearby surveillance drone caught footage of 6th Street's defeat. David, about to engage these mercs, steeled himself.
[Lucy: These mercs are way too dangerous. Not your average fighters.]
[David: I'm not average either. Trust me.]
[David: Weren't we only 70k away from a ticket?]
[Lucy: 60k. Honestly, we could take our time.]
[David: That's too slow. If I didn't run with the crew, we'd never earn that kind of cash in this lifetime.]
David flexed his arm while driving.
His combat cyberware was preheating. The bionic muscles warmed up, syncing with micro clicks and tension.
After a pause, Lucy's soft laugh echoed in his comms.
[Lucy: Hahaha…]
[David: What's so funny?]
[Lucy: Just remembered the first time I saw you on the subway. You were such a clueless punk.]
[David: So what if I was? I'll get you to the Moon, no matter what. It's just one damn ticket.]
[David: And once we're there, we can hit Europe's forests or even Atlanta. The Moon isn't our only shot.]
[Lucy: I still think the Moon sounds better.]
[David: Then the Moon it is.]
BANG!
The Mackinaw's door opened. David let go of the wheel. The car surged forward, now controlled remotely by Lucy.
But the intersection ahead was completely obscured. Even David was starting to feel the tension—
Their plan was to T-bone the sports car.
The enemy had heavy firepower, so timing had to be perfect—hit them exactly as they crossed.
One second… two seconds…
Three!
David kept his eyes glued to the corner. But even as they shot past the wall, no car appeared. Only the rising engine roar—
Then suddenly, the enemy's car burst sideways from the street. Even with Sandevistan reflexes, David felt like it appeared from thin air.
The car had already dropped from its two-wheel tilt and landed squarely—but it was spinning. This altered the impact angle—
BANG!
The hit wasn't dead center. Instead of slamming into the side, the Mackinaw struck the car's rear quarter.
What shocked David even more—he thought he saw the passenger's scalp dragging sparks across the asphalt.
The Mackinaw, caught in the spin, was turned around by the sports car's momentum. David raised his pistol and leaned out the window—
Both vehicles were spinning in opposite directions. Eventually, they'd face each other head-on.
David's heart pounded.
Having Sandevistan just got you in the door for fights like this—
Their speed outpaced normal humans, but compared to spinning cars, it was all down to technique, gear, and sheer willpower.
David saw the mercs in the other car struggling to line up a shot, but their speed worked against them. More inertia meant slower aim.
This time, he pulled the trigger first.
BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!
The bullets flew. The Mackinaw stopped spinning first. The sports car spun three more times before coming to a halt.
Both of the mercs, hit by bullets, lost control and were dragged under their own car.
In that moment, David emptied the mag. The rounds hit their necks and heads.
Maybe his Unity pistol couldn't pierce full armor—but the enemies were already under extreme G-force. The impact alone could cause concussions or disorientation.
And at high speed, a split second of confusion could be fatal.
A few bullets even pierced their necks.
David leapt out. Blood dripped from his nose and forehead. His head had slammed against the car. The nosebleed came from burst capillaries under stress.
His enemies:
The woman was crushed under the tire, her body mangled.
The man was wedged under the chassis, half his torso torn.
The man pointed shakily at another car. His ruined eyes and fried optics showed no emotion.
But somehow, David understood.
He holstered his gun and shook his head. "I don't shoot people who can't fight back—but I'm not promising she'll live."
The rising roar of engines echoed down the empty street. He got his next command:
[Burger King: Set up the blockade. We're closing the net.]
David picked up the machine gun on the ground, gave it a quick check—
Still good.
[David: Copy.]