Inside the building, Sidorova and Chimerkovsky raced downstairs.
Sidorova gritted her teeth, her face full of rage.
"Chimerkovsky, you were right—Fort really is a worthless piece of trash."
Neither of them knew what had happened earlier, nor could they see outside. They assumed Chief Fort was cleaning up loose ends.
Chimerkovsky checked his weapon as he ran. "Arguing about who was right or wrong won't help now. The most important thing is that we get out of here immediately."
"I'll go gather everyone," Sidorova said.
Chimerkovsky grabbed her arm before she could take off, shaking his head. "No. Let them draw the fire. While they're busy, we'll slip out the back. I always knew this day would come, so when we first moved in, I stashed a getaway vehicle by the rear exit."
...
Outside the factory, through his scope, Leo put a bullet in the last Scav's head. Linari stood up from her prone position, too excited to bother brushing off the dirt. She held up the Nekomata rifle Leo had lent her, practically buzzing with excitement.
"Leo, this is so much better than that Lexington."
He nodded, not at all surprised. "Of course."
Underfunded and ill-equipped, the NCPD only issued Lexington pistols for standard duty. Even among kinetic handguns, the Lexington's firepower lagged behind other models like Unity, Liberty, Tamayura, or Yue. It didn't hold a candle to Leo's custom revolvers. Hence most officers mocked the Lexington as little more than a squirt gun. As soon as they had the chance, many would buy heavier weapons with their own paychecks.
"All done," Linari announced.
"No," Leo replied, shaking his head. He'd just done a scan and found two survivors. "Two of them slipped out the back."
He summoned his Fenrir bike, which roared up promptly.
"Hop on."
With Linari settled behind him, Leo twisted the throttle. The engine snarled, and they sped off. It didn't take long to spot a van fleeing from the rear exit.
"They're on our tail already?!" Sidorova kept her composure this time, eyes narrowed. "Just one bike? Don't tell me the entire factory was wiped out by these two?"
She leaned toward Chimerkovsky, who was driving. "Stop! We'll take them out."
He refused flatly. "No way. For all we know, they have backup behind them. It's not worth the risk."
Their argument raged on as the motorcycle drew closer. Linari lifted the Saratoga kinetic submachine gun Leo had given her and fired a burst. Shooting from a speeding bike wasn't exactly stable, but enough rounds hit the van to shatter windows and spark off its frame.
Sidorova, riding shotgun, braced her weapon in the window to return fire. Leo immediately pulled the trigger in response. She let out a shriek and jerked back inside, blood pouring from several severed fingers.
"Damn it!"
Normally calm, Chimerkovsky lost his temper at the sight of Sidorova hurt. He spun the steering wheel, swerving the van around to slam into the bike.
"Die, damn you!"
But the Fenrir was far more agile than a van, and Leo's driving easily surpassed Chimerkovsky's. At the last moment, Leo jerked the handlebars, avoiding a collision by a hair. They zoomed past each other, giving Linari a perfect line of sight.
"Crap—" was all Chimerkovsky managed to think as Linari's next burst of fire struck him head-on, riddling him with bullets. He slumped over the wheel, and the van careened into a roadside barrier with a crash before stalling.
Leo eased up on the throttle and pulled over. Linari kept both hands on the submachine gun as she dismounted, approaching the crashed van with caution.
"Watch yourself," Leo reminded her. "Somebody might still be alive."
She nodded but didn't look back. At that moment, the van door flew open and a figure lunged straight at her—Sidorova. With Chimerkovsky dead, she had only minor wounds. Wrath contorted her features like a demon's. She wanted vengeance for Chimerkovsky.
Linari didn't fire. She tossed the gun aside and squared up, ready for close combat. In one swift motion, she kicked the knife from Sidorova's hand, followed by another kick that snapped the woman's jaw upward. Dazed, Sidorova couldn't defend herself as Linari unleashed a flurry of rapid kicks, lightning-fast and brutally precise. Finally, Linari spun in midair, her right leg sweeping Sidorova's face and sending her hurtling across the road, tumbling a dozen meters until she lay still.
Breathing heavily, Linari placed a hand over her racing heart. The fight had drained her. Leo strolled over, giving her a quick round of applause. "Nice footwork. Where'd you learn that?"
"My mom was from Sairis. Before she married my dad, she was a world martial arts champion." Linari checked Sidorova's pulse, confirming the death. "We should clear out of here."
...
Leo drove Linari back to her building. She hopped off the bike and turned to face him. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For everything you did."
He shrugged. "No need. Taking out Scavs is every citizen's duty—it's just trash disposal."
She burst out laughing. "You teased me for being so upright, but listen to you now."
Leo suddenly paused. "Wait."
"Hmm?"
"You're not planning to dig up more dirt on Fort, are you?"
Linari blinked. "Would you stop me?"
He shook his head. "No, but be careful. Night City needs people like you."
She nodded. "I will."
He went on, "Also, if you gather enough evidence, don't use it right away. Contact me first. I might be able to help you get more mileage out of it. And if you ever run into something you can't handle, call me. Don't worry about bothering me."
As a merc, Leo usually charged for his services. But for someone like Linari, he was willing to make exceptions. After all, everyone wanted more good people in the world.
Linari nodded again, then waved. "Got it. Thanks, Leo. I'm heading up—good night."
He watched her enter the elevator, then took off on the Fenrir.
The moment he got home, his phone buzzed. Rogue told him all the materials he needed had arrived and that Emmerick and Crispin would deliver everything, including the extra tools he requested. Because the load was significant—and because it would look suspicious having them come in and out of his place—Leo asked to borrow one of Rogue's safehouses. A top fixer like her had multiple safehouses across the city. Emmerick and Crispin would bring everything there.
Before heading over, Leo made a quick call to Jackie, V, and Lucy, telling them he needed a week to prepare for their upcoming plan.
Even if Dexter and T-Bug came up with a plan during that week, Leo intended to wait until he finished his own preparations before dealing with them.
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