Chapter 253

Hi I have another fanfic on my profile now. it is called "Naruto: The Flame That Reshapes Fate" I hope you will check it out! Got about 26 chapters already. 

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Leo exchanged glances with V and Lucy. Then he picked up the shard and slotted it into his tactical visor. A waterfall of data immediately began cascading across his vision.

"There's no mention of Hellman on any official public list," Rogue said, "but his name does appear in Militech's classified files."

"Militech? He defected to Arasaka's archrival?" V was surprised.

"Not just Militech," Leo continued grimly. "Kang Tao also expressed interest. The data in Hellman's head is just too valuable for the corps to ignore. But for reasons unknown, he ultimately chose to collaborate with Militech over Kang Tao."

Leo's tone turned serious. "Militech's headquarters is in Washington, D.C. If Hellman's now working with them, they'll absolutely try to extract him as soon as possible."

Washington, D.C.—the capital of the New United States. In America, 'Washington' could mean either the state in the northwest or the federal capital. To avoid confusion, it had to be 'Washington, D.C.' when referring to the capital.

"That's right. In fact, they're thinking exactly that. Night City is Arasaka's turf. Militech's influence here doesn't come close. If Arasaka finds out that their relic lead has defected to Militech, they'll absolutely try to retrieve him."

"Or if they can't retrieve him, they'll kill him and destroy his neuralware—whatever it takes to make sure Militech gets nothing useful."

Leo understood now why Rogue had come to him. He wasn't a scientist—he didn't know the first thing about relics. But Hellman did. As the relic project lead, he would know everything. Rogue wanted Leo to extract Hellman from Militech.

Leo nodded. "So when's the transfer scheduled?"

If Militech had already moved Hellman, they'd have no choice but to go to Washington, D.C. to retrieve him. That could potentially be as hard as trying to assassinate the NUSA president. But since Rogue had this intel, it meant Hellman was still in Night City.

"Day after tomorrow," Rogue said, glancing at him.

Lucy brushed the bangs from her forehead, tucking them behind her ear. "Is the intel reliable?"

It wasn't that she didn't trust Rogue—just that someone of Hellman's caliber was completely out of reach even when she'd been at Arasaka. This wasn't just a gang conflict like with the Clemente family; this was trying to steal from a corporation's mouth. Militech knew Hellman's value, too. That made Lucy cautious.

Rogue seemed to see straight through her.

"You've got the face of a sweet girl, but the way you guard your man, you're like a tigress. What do you think I do for a living? Militech's made up of people. And people will always sell out their corps over money and unfair treatment."

"Don't go thinking everyone working for a corp is noble and loyal. Nobody's here for some great cause—it's always about the money. And the money from the corps? Usually not even enough."

Rogue could understand Lucy's distrust. If their roles were reversed, Rogue wouldn't trust her either. But this time, it was about her old flame Johnny—so she was throwing cash at the problem. With enough money, someone always talked. No amount of security could silence everyone.

Leo trusted Rogue. He knew she wouldn't hand him fake intel, especially not when it affected her own interests. He wasn't caught up in whether the intel was genuine—he was more concerned with the logistics.

"If you know when Militech is moving him, then I assume you also know what their convoy looks like?"

That was critical. Only with details on their convoy could they plan a proper strike.

"Militech plans to hide Hellman in one of their freight convoys. Normally those convoys carry cargo, but this time the cargo is human. The other trucks will be loaded with drones and security bots."

On Leo's visor, an image displayed three trucks and two off-road vehicles. The off-roaders would take point and bring up the rear, while the trucks carried drones and automated security units.

"They're bringing that much heat just for one guy? They must really value Hellman." Leo felt a headache coming on.

Taking out the entire escort wasn't the problem. It was the noise. The chaos would definitely rival what they'd caused back at Konpeki Plaza. Night City was Militech territory too—if they kicked up too much of a ruckus, reinforcements would pour in.

Back at Konpeki, Arasaka's silence had been due to Yorinobu not wanting to escalate things. But Militech wouldn't be so accommodating. If they realized Hellman had been extracted, they'd turn the city upside down.

Rogue caught his unease. "What are you thinking? Do you think I'd have you hit them inside the city? Take a look at this."

Even Rogue wasn't crazy enough to go toe-to-toe with a corp in their own backyard. She had no intention of letting the job go down in Night City.

Leo's visor shifted to a satellite map showing the vast desert south of Night City.

"Jackson Plains. A narrow corridor beyond the city's reach. Militech can't cover that area—it's their blind spot."

"I'll have Emmerick lead a squad to back you up. But that won't be enough. You'll need a local. A guide who can tell you the best ambush points."

Leo immediately understood what she was implying. "You mean a nomad?"

If anyone knew the terrain, it was the nomads. A face flashed through Leo's mind—McCoy. But he quickly shook it off. McCoy might not be available. His crew had joined Snake Nation.

One, Snake Nation might not release him. Two, the fewer people who knew, the better. This was high-risk. Leo didn't want unnecessary leaks.

Then he thought of that sun-kissed woman who had stormed out of Rogue's booth a few days ago.

"Looks like you've figured out who I mean," Rogue said casually.

"That woman—Panam Palmer?"

"I'm surprised you know her."

"I don't. I just saw her once when I came here to talk business with Dexter. I remember you were the one who found her last partner."

"You've got a good memory. Yeah, that's her. But her luck's been awful. Her last partner ran off with her cargo and her wheels. She's on her own now."

Leo's eyes widened. "You knew her partner was shady, and you still set them up?"

Rogue chuckled, unbothered by the implied accusation in Leo's tone.

"She asked me to find her a partner. But you know how nomads are seen in the city—thanks to the Raffen Shiv, most people think they're just bandits. Who's going to team up with a nomad?"

"I knew the guy was sketchy. I warned her not to spill everything upfront or he'd rob her blind. But she didn't listen. Thought I was just an old hag sticking her nose in."

"Didn't listen to her elders, and now she's paying for it. But no matter what, she's a nomad—she knows the area inside out, and without a car or cargo, her only choice is to take this job. She's got no other option if she doesn't want to starve out in the desert."

Nomads were just regular folk in nomadic tribes. Raffen Shiv, however, were bandits and raiders. But city folk often couldn't tell the difference—and many scholars and experts for whatever reasons even published smear articles against nomads.

Naturally, the city's opinion of them was poor.

Leo couldn't fully blame Rogue either. Panam needed work, but her options were limited. Few wanted to work with nomads. Rogue had done what she could—just not out of charity. She was a fixer, not a saint. That's how things worked in Night City.

In fact, compared to most fixers—Dexter, Faraday—Rogue was already pretty fair. Most fixers only worked with people they knew. They couldn't risk noobs ruining their rep.

Leo interlaced his fingers. "Do you know why she's even in the city looking for work? Did her family fall apart too?"

Rogue had said city folk didn't like nomads. But the truth was, the feeling was mutual. Nomads rarely came to the city for anything other than delivery jobs—let alone to look for work.

"No, she left on her own. Something to do with the clan's future, nomad ideals, or whatever… honestly, I stopped listening halfway."