Capítulo 44: Esto es una prueba

There were 27 mercs in total, but compared to the Arasaka security personnel, they were actually outnumbered.

"Thirty-seven Arasaka security officers, plus 27 mercs... that's 64 people in total. Are we going to war or running an escort mission?"

"If it were a war, this wouldn't be enough people."

Oliver responded casually to Jack as he stepped out of the warehouse, glancing toward the heavily guarded vehicle about 200 meters away, surrounded by Arasaka's security.

"That the client's ride? Looks kinda familiar."

"Oh. My. God."

Jack finally saw the car, and his jaw nearly dropped.

"A Rayfield Caliburn Guinevere?! I know that car! I remember watching the release event when it dropped... man, I was drooling over it."

"And now?"

"Still drooling."

"Heh."

Carl chuckled, locking his gaze on the luxury vehicle as a flood of information filled his mind.

Rayfield "Caliburn Guinevere"To car enthusiasts, the name Rayfield alone is synonymous with wealth.The Caliburn Guinevere in particular is worth more than the GDP of some island nations.The engine rivals that of professional race cars, and the interior is as luxurious as a five-star hotel suite.Using CrystalDome tech, the car doesn't even need windows—passengers can see outside from within via advanced digital displays, providing maximum security.And if you ever see one on the streets, don't even think about testing your Lexington against its armor—this beauty is built with military-grade plating.

"How much do you think that car is worth?"

Carl turned to Oliver, Jack, and Mann, curious to hear their guesses.

"Ten million eddies?"

Oliver threw out a rough estimate, but Jack, clearly more knowledgeable about cars, answered without hesitation.

"22.5 million eddies."

(For reference, the 2010 Koenigsegg CCXR cost around 26 million eddies.)

"That number sounds like a goddamn fantasy."

Carl stared at the car, running the numbers in his head. If you sold that thing, you could buy more top-tier cyberware than you'd ever need.

"Stop thinking about that kinda stuff."

Mann, surprisingly the most level-headed among them, remained calm. He'd been in the merc business longer than any of them and had seen his fair share of luxury rides.

Though, he had to admit—this was the first time seeing a Caliburn Guinevere in person.

But he'd learned something over the years. The more insane the mission looked, the more likely you were walking into a death trap.

"You know what I'm thinking right now?"

"What?"

"We're all dead."

"Why the hell would you say that?"

Carl turned back, confused.

Mann sighed, staring at the extravagant vehicle.

"If someone who owns a Caliburn Guinevere—someone rich enough to have this many Arasaka security guards—is still hiring disposable nobodies like us for extra protection... you tell me what kind of danger we're about to walk into."

Carl narrowed his eyes, thinking for a moment before dropping a single word that made Mann, Jack, and Oliver's faces instantly pale.

"ACPA."

"ACPA?!"

Oliver's expression twisted as he stared at Carl.

"Why the hell would you even suspect that?!"

"I've got... a few clues."

"How sure are you?"

"Fifty-fifty. Could be right, could be wrong."

"That's as good as saying nothing!"

Despite his frustration, Oliver knew Carl wouldn't say something like this without solid reasoning. A 50-50 guess from Carl was never a blind shot in the dark.

If nothing happened, great.

But if something did happen...

Then their enemy was almost certainly ACPA.

Oliver had joked before that ACAPs were corporate money sinks, but that didn't mean they weren't incredibly dangerous.

He knew—because Sixth Street had a few light ACAP units hidden away.

He'd also heard stories from veteran Sixth Street mercs who had faced them on the battlefield.

They might be well-equipped mercs, but compared to an ACPA?

That was like comparing humans to tanks.

"No point overthinking it. We took the job—so let's do it. Our ride's here."

Jack pointed as several sleek vehicles approached them.

A fleet of empty Villefort Alvarado V4F 570 Diplomats rolled up and parked in front of them.

[Villefort Alvarado V4F 570 'Diplomat']

A massive, luxury-class vehicle designed for power and presence.

In Night City, cruising in an Alvarado wasn't just showing off—it was a statement.

For many, this car was the ultimate symbol of wealth and status.

"Man, I always wanted to ride in one of these as a kid. Every street kid dreams of it—feels like hitting the jackpot. Now I'm just hopping in one as part of a job."

Mann shook his head as he watched the other mercs getting into their assigned vehicles.

"Are we really gonna roll through Watson in a full convoy? This shit screams 'attack me'. If you ask me, just let the Caliburn gun it to max speed and rush straight through—problem solved in ten minutes."

"Yeah, and then what? Let some hacker hijack the traffic lights, reroute the road signals, and steer us right into an ambush?"

Oliver snorted, opening the car door.

"If the client's this rich, why not just take an AV and fly across the city? No traffic, no obstacles, no bullshit. AVs even have countermeasures against hacking now, right?"

"Only against basic hackers."

Jack chimed in as he watched Carl settle into the passenger seat.

"You think whoever's out to hit this target can't afford a top-tier netrunner? Hell, they probably already have one lined up. The second we take off, they'd override the controls and send us crashing straight down."

A Rat Among Wolves?

"Carl, what do you think?"

"I think with my eyes open."

Carl leaned back, staring through the windshield.

"If I had to guess, I'd say there's an inside man among the security detail."

Jack and Oliver exchanged looks.

"An inside man?"

"Yeah. If this target was truly safe, why the hell would they bring in a bunch of untrustworthy mercs into the mix?"

Carl tapped the dashboard, letting the car's autopilot take over.

"Mercs only care about one thing—eddies. If they're pulling in a bunch of us, that means they can't even trust their own people."

It was obvious now.

There were traitors in Arasaka's security ranks—probably multiple.

That's why they had to muddy the waters by hiring external mercs.

And yet, something still didn't add up.

How the hell was a company as powerful as Arasaka unable to root out a few spies?

Unless...

Those spies were placed there on purpose.

If this was truly about "Sakura", then the situation was far worse than just an escort mission.

This wasn't just corporate espionage.

This was a trial.

A test of blood and fire.

Carl exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Some people... are obsessed with the sight of cherry blossoms after the storm."