Matéo stood speechless for a moment. In his mind, coming to a bar and not ordering alcohol was like being a fish out of water. Still, Lizzie's Bar did offer more than just booze, so he soon set down the iced cola Leo had asked for.
Leo took a gulp of the chilled cola, feeling the crispness spread down his throat. Perfect.
He placed the glass back on the counter. "I'm looking for Evelyn. You know where she is?"
"She's in the basement with Judy."
"Thanks, Matéo." Leo reached for some money, but Matéo shook his head. "Don't bother. This one's on me. After what you did for Mox, a free drink is nothing."
…
Judy's editing setup was down in the basement, an area usually off-limits, but Leo was no stranger to the Mox. No one tried to stop him as he headed downstairs. The moment he got close to the door, he heard heated arguing inside.
Leo paused, wondering whether to enter now or wait until it was over. But before he could decide, the door swung open. Judy spotted him standing outside. She froze, then glanced back at Evelyn, who was sitting in a chair.
Slowly, Judy's eyes went wide. "So you're the merc Evelyn hired…"
"Leo, hey!" Evelyn's expression brightened into a dazzling smile.
"We're leaving, Judy."
Leo noticed Judy, still fuming like a cat with its fur on end. He looked from her to Evelyn, who was smiling sweetly. "Leaving for where?"
Evelyn tried to slip an arm around his, but Leo calmly stepped back, avoiding the contact. Her face twitched with a brief flash of awkwardness before she smoothed it over with a practiced, sultry grin. "It's not convenient to talk down here. Let's head to a private booth upstairs."
…
They headed back upstairs to a small, unoccupied booth. The holographic projector in the table displayed a virtual dancer, curvy and scantily clad, swaying in the air. Evelyn settled onto the sofa in a sensually suggestive pose.
"Come on in," she teased in her throatiest voice. "Don't keep me waiting."
Leo shut the booth door behind him, then deliberately took a seat on the sofa opposite hers. Evelyn was still decked out in heavy makeup and eye-catching attire, a look guaranteed to make most men's hearts pound. Unfortunately for her, Leo wasn't most men. He neither liked nor trusted Evelyn, and her style did absolutely nothing for him—especially since he knew her scheming went deeper than any typical hustle.
Evelyn pouted at his distance. "Why sit so far away? We have important things to discuss. This booth's soundproofed, but not perfectly. Don't you want to keep our talk private?" She rose and came swaying over, settling herself on the same couch right beside him. Before she could get any closer—
The door burst open.
"Judy?!"
Evelyn looked genuinely startled. Judy stomped inside like an annoyed teenager, squeezing her way between Evelyn and Leo and practically shoving Evelyn aside. Evelyn scowled, while Judy wore the same irritated expression she'd had downstairs.
Leo, watching this little drama, decided not to rush into asking for intel. "What's going on here? Why are you two at each other's throats?"
Judy spun around and shot Leo a question of her own. "Leo, do you even know why Evelyn hired you?"
"To get Arasaka's biochip," Leo answered plainly.
Judy's eyes went even wider. "You know it's Arasaka's. And you're still willing to do it?"
Turns out the argument below stemmed from a braindance Evelyn had asked Judy to analyze—a recording from the top-floor suite of Konpeki Plaza, Arasaka scion Yorinobu Arasaka's personal suite. Once Judy saw what it was, she started panicking.
In her mind, only a lunatic would dare plan to steal from the Arasaka prince. She'd told Evelyn off, but Evelyn refused to back down. Judy had never imagined the merc she brought in was Leo himself—someone the Mox deeply respected.
She had dashed upstairs to intervene, worried Leo might waltz into a deathtrap without realizing it. And it shocked her even more to learn that he did realize it. He just didn't care.
Leo gave Judy a small grin. "Everyone says Arasaka's too big to mess with, but I've decided I'm messing with them anyway. Nothing's changing that."
Evelyn pressed her hands together in a plea. "C'mon, Judy, there's no need to worry. You know Leo—you trust him, don't you? If you can't trust me, trust him. He took out that Jotaro problem for the Mox without Tiger Claws even figuring it out. With him on board, it's the perfect setup."
Leo's expression darkened momentarily. He didn't like Evelyn putting him in the hot seat, singing his praises as if he were a shield. The higher she lifted him, the more it might hurt if things collapsed. He kept silent, though.
Judy's eyes flickered with hesitation. And Evelyn, seeing her waver, pressed on, "You've been wanting to leave Night City for a while, right? After this job, you'll have enough eddies to go anywhere you want. Trying to save up by editing BD's here in Lizzie's basement would take forever. Let's face it."
That hit Judy right where it hurt. Once upon a time, she'd had hope for Night City, but the city had crushed her spirit over and over. Now she just wanted out, as far away as possible.
She exhaled slowly, eyes shut. When she opened them, she looked at Evelyn in resignation. "Fine. But for God's sake, Evelyn, no games this time. Don't try to be clever behind our backs."
Evelyn's lips curved in triumph. Judy was caving. She stood between them, feeling more like a third wheel than ever, while Evelyn turned her focus back to Leo. He rose, looking ready to leave. "So I guess I'm not needed here while you two figure things out?"
"Hey now, handsome," Evelyn said, eyes gleaming. "We're finished. Let's talk about us."
Between them, Judy felt awkward. She'd seen her share of scenes like this—Evelyn was an expert at seducing men—but it still felt uncomfortable. Leo ignored Evelyn's flirtation and cut to the chase.
"First, a question. Dexter claims you contacted him because you want the Relic, right?"
"Mm-hmm," she purred.
"Is it really worth the risk? Or, to put it differently, will it really earn enough to justify going toe-to-toe with Arasaka?"
Ever since the Relic project became public knowledge, TV programs across the city debated it hotly. Public opinion was divided.