Chapter 181: Confirming the Trail

"NCPD!"

Johnson slammed the car door shut, stepping out with his Lexington in hand. He gripped the gun with both hands, aiming it at a Tiger Claw thug prowling the alley with a menacing glare.

"Drop your weapon."

"Shit, it's the NCPD sticking their noses where they don't belong."

The Tiger Claw, who had been searching the streets alongside his crew for the mercenary who had attacked them, scowled as he spotted Johnson's gun trained on him. Despite his frustration, he reluctantly lowered his own firearm.

Getting into a standoff with the NCPD was bad business. If things escalated and he got caught openly shooting at the cops, his higher-ups wouldn't hesitate to skin him alive.

"Officer, I'm just taking a little stroll. What's the problem?"

"Whether there's a problem or not, I don't know. But walking around with a gun that's already had its safety switched off? That's a violation of Night City Regulation, Article 17, Clause 8. Which means you're under arrest."

"Bullshit regulation. Half the people on the street are walking around with safeties off. Why don't you go arrest them? You just looking for trouble?"

The Tiger Claw started to catch on—this cop wasn't just passing by. He was here to stir shit up. He subtly lifted his gun back up, just a little.

"Listen, officer, let's be smart about this. No need to cause a scene. How about I pay a fine, buy you a nice dinner, and we both walk away like this never happened? We're in the middle of something important here."

It was clear that he assumed Johnson was just another NCPD looking to shake him down for a bribe.

"Not sure if I'm smart or not, but you just committed another offense—attempting to bribe an officer. My system already recorded it. You're coming with me."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me."

Not taking the bribe? What, was it too low?

"How about 200 eddies? That's enough for you to enjoy yourself for a night, right?"

"Drop the gun. Hands up."

"300?"

"I'm not repeating myself."

"You dense motherfu—"

The Tiger Claw's patience snapped. He had been willing to play nice at first, even offering a bribe, but this cop just wouldn't let up.

Did Johnson really think he was scared of a Lexington? His subdermal armor could eat a few bullets easy. He'd only held back out of respect for the badge, but if Johnson wanted to take things there, then fine—

Just as he was about to lift his Yukimura handgun, a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder.

?!

When the fuck did someone get behind me?!

Instinctively, the Tiger Claw turned his head—just in time for a tightly clenched fist to meet his face.

Thud.

"Johnson, that's another one for you."

Karl made sure to pull his punch, keeping the guy's head intact rather than splattering it against the pavement. The Tiger Claw crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"That makes three now, doesn't it?"

Karl grabbed the unconscious Tiger Claw member from the ground, connecting his Quickhack cable to the man's neural port while dragging him toward the NCPD Cruiser parked at the alley entrance. Opening the trunk, he tossed the gang member inside before letting the data flow.

"Andy seems to have made it to this area. He was ordered by higher-ups to search around here."

"The target's location is getting closer and closer," Johnson remarked, holstering his gun and glancing at the now-packed trunk. "Andy's options are running out."

"I'll take it from here, Johnson."

Karl retracted his Quickhack cable.

"So far, we've only been taking out lone Tiger Claw members, keeping their higher-ups from realizing I'm involved in this. But now, we're at the limit of how much an enforcer like you can operate unnoticed. If your cruiser keeps patrolling around, they'll catch on soon enough."

"Then it's all on you now. If you need backup, just say the word."

Johnson nodded, stepping over to slam the now-overflowing trunk shut.

"My officers are already patrolling nearby to prevent chaos. If things go south, I can roll in with reinforcements immediately."

"No need."

Karl double-checked his Terminus and smirked.

"I'm a professional."

With that, he exited the alley and reached out to a free squad member.

Karl: T-Bug, did you check the data I sent you? Do me a favor—track the target's exact location in this area. I'll split the eurobucks with you.

T-Bug: For a solo gig that only pays 10,000 eurobucks? Not worth my time.

T-Bug: But I already locked onto the target. He's hiding in an underground parking garage. I'm sending you the address.

Karl: Damn, that was fast. As expected from you, T-Bug.

T-Bug: Cut the flattery. If you really want to thank me, bring Qiuqiu over. I'll mod it and use it as a remote hub. That way, next time you're out in the Badlands, as long as Qiuqiu is in the car, I can assist you remotely.

Karl: Alright, I'll drop it off later. Speaking of which, we've never actually met up in person since you joined. Want to have a team dinner when I hand over the dog?

T-Bug: Sounds good. Set a time with those two idiots who can't even name a dog properly. I need to tweak Qiuqiu's systems a bit more. I'm out.

Karl: Take your time.

With the call over, Karl checked the address T-Bug had sent.

Surprisingly, it was closer than expected—only four or five hundred meters away.

At that range, any gunfire would be easily audible, yet there wasn't a single shot.

Which meant…

The Tiger Claw hadn't found Andy within this shrinking perimeter yet.

"Perfect. That means I won't have to account for extra enemies in the equation."

Holding Terminus, Karl made his way to the underground parking lot. It was attached to a nightclub still under renovation, meaning there weren't many parked cars.

After hacking into the parking lot's security cameras, Karl ran a Quickhack to take control of all surveillance feeds.

A figure crouched behind a Villefort Columbus V340-F Freight van—likely one of the workers' vehicles.

The size of the Columbus made it difficult to get a clear view in the dim underground lighting, but checking it out in person would settle things.

Karl disabled the parking lot's access scanners before stepping through the vehicle entrance. As his silhouette appeared over the ramp leading inside, he noticed movement on the security feed.

The figure hiding behind the Columbus had shifted.

.

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