The man in the white robe glanced at the shattered mirror placed in the corner of the wall. But the reflection in the mirror wasn’t just his—it also showed Leo, following close behind like a shadow.
Ssshhh—
The white-robed man suddenly slammed one foot against the ground, skidding several meters before stopping. He turned around, drew the katana at his waist, gripped it with both hands, and took a textbook chūdan stance. A cold bead of sweat slid slowly down his cheek. He knew very well that against someone implanted with Sandevistan, running was futile. The only way to survive was to kill the opponent.
Fortunately, while Sandevistans had effects similar to stopping time, they weren’t without limits. The Sandevistan had severe side effects. Most people could only use it a few times before hitting their limit. Moreover, it couldn’t be used continuously—this was common knowledge. After one use, it required a cooldown period before it could be activated again.
So, the man in white was betting—betting that Leo was still in cooldown.
Without wasting a single word, he raised his blade overhead and lunged forward. Wind whooshed past his ears as his body crossed several meters, bringing him face-to-face with Leo. A fierce gleam flashed in the man’s eyes as his blade turned into a cold arc and slashed down hard.
Splurt—
Blood splashed. But it wasn’t Leo’s. The strike landed on nothing. In the blink of an eye, Leo had vanished from where he had been. The man felt a sharp sting on his neck and instinctively reached up. When he pulled his hand back, it was drenched in red.
Pffft—!!!
A column of blood erupted from his neck—not water from a fountain, but something hot, thick, and red. He turned his head with difficulty. The agile body he’d once been proud of now moved with unnatural slowness. He reached out toward Leo, who stood several meters behind him, as if trying to grab something. But after struggling for a few seconds, his arm fell limp, and his body collapsed into the filthy, stagnant water.
With a flick, Leo shook the blood from his blade. Then he dialed Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, how are you all doing?"
"We’re in Trauma Team’s AV right now, en route to their hospital."
Jefferson and his wife were both platinum members of Trauma Team. That made sense. It was exactly why Leo had chased after the assassin instead of staying with them because he knew they’d be protected.
Now, hearing Elizabeth’s voice, Leo finally relaxed.
"Mr. Leo, what about the assassin?"
"He’s dead."
"You’re not injured, are you?"
"I’m fine."
"That’s good. Please be careful."
After a few more brief exchanges, Leo ended the call.
He exited the alley from the other end and walked into a bustling night market. Grilled food stalls of various styles lined both sides, with a path down the center for pedestrians. The market was lively, crowded with people. Many had stopped at the food stands. The smoky aroma of roasted meat filled the air.
As he walked toward the market’s exit, Leo dialed the number Elizabeth had given him for the NCPD detective. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. His right hand shot backward like lightning, grabbing hold of a wrist and reaching for his belt.
A boy in his late teens stumbled out of the crowd, his other hand still halfway to Leo’s pocket. He stared for a few seconds, making the boy tremble uncontrollably.
"I’m River Ward. Who’s this?"
Leo let go of the boy’s wrist and snapped, "Scram."
The boy bolted like he’d just been pardoned from a death sentence.
"Scram? Never heard of that name."
Leo blinked. "...Are you a dad or something?"
Then, brushing it off, he added, "No. You heard wrong. Just call me Leo. I’m investigating Lucius Rhyne’s death."
"Why? You’re not with NCPD."
"Jefferson Peralez hired me."
"A mayoral candidate investigating his predecessor’s death? Interesting. If they hired you, that means they trust you."
"They trust you too. Jefferson said as long as I mention his name, you won’t turn me down."
"Jefferson’s a politician, but not like the others... fine. Actually, I was just heading over to Capitán Caliente."
.................
.......
.
Capitán Caliente was a fast-food chain selling things like chicken, burgers, fries, rice bowls, egg tarts, and soda—basically high-calorie food. It was located in Haywood’s Glen area, under the Hanford Overpass, just across the river from Santo Domingo’s Arroyo district.
Leo stepped inside. It was lunchtime, and every seat was filled. Loud music blared from the speakers. Leo recognized the track immediately—it was "PonPon Shit" by Us Cracks, a Japanese-Korean virtual idol group popular in Night City, blasted from the speakers—one of their signature tracks known for drawing massive crowds and packing stadiums during live shows.
Despite the volume, no one seemed to mind.
Leo scanned the room and quickly found the person he was looking for. River looked exactly like he had in the braindance footage: still wearing the same trench coat, necklace, and a single earring. But he wasn’t alone. Sitting across from him was an Asian man wearing sunglasses, his jacket was open, and hanging from his neck was an NCPD badge with a digital ID display. He looked to be in his forties and was nearly bald.
"Looks like someone’s here for you."
"Yeah, not sure what they want."
Leo walked over and looked at River. "You River Ward?"
River returned his gaze. "That’s me. You’re Leo, right? This is my partner, Detective Han."
Leo gave Han a quick glance, then looked back at River. "Want to talk somewhere private?"
"Han’s one of us. No need to avoid him—say what you need."
Han gave Leo a once-over and turned back to River. "You really going to work with a merc?"
It was obvious from one look that Leo was a cyber-merc, no doubt about it. Han wasn’t sure what River was up to—his partner was sitting right in front of him, yet he’d gone outside to bring in a merc. Did River think Han’s salary was too high or what?
River went straight to the point. "I haven’t figured out the plan yet. For now, I just want to know if there’s any new info on Rhyne’s death."
Han’s expression immediately changed.
"You’re still digging into that? Didn’t the chief already tell you to drop it? Don’t make him say it twice—you know he hates repeating himself."
Clearly, Han knew something.
"If you don’t give a damn, at least take advice from a friend, okay? Let it go."
But River didn’t seem to care at all. "I’m just sitting here, drinking coffee, listening to gossip."
"Whatever," Han grumbled, seeing he couldn’t persuade him. He stood up. "I’m out. Gonna pick up my daughter."
Before leaving, he tossed one last line over his shoulder. "Find a quieter corner, at least. Walls have ears."
After Han left, River gestured for Leo to sit. "Okay. Let’s talk."
"Seems like your partner doesn’t think much of mercs."
"Don’t mind him. Han doesn’t like anybody—except his daughter."
"Ah, a daughter guy." Leo nodded thoughtfully.
Having a daughter—having a family—meant having weaknesses. No wonder Han’s expression had changed so fast when Rhyne’s case came up again.
Though NCPD pay didn’t match corporate security, it was still better than most jobs, and at least it was stable.
"Back to business." Leo remained standing. "Your partner wasn’t wrong. The acoustics here aren’t great." He glanced around. "You have a car?"
Night City technically had public transit, but it was garbage. The maglev was always delayed or didn’t come at all. No buses. Cabs were way too expensive for average people. In this city, no car meant no mobility. Even the broke found a way to get one—no matter how many hands it had passed through.
During ops, NCPD usually provided vehicles. As a detective, River ranked higher than regular officers. There was no way he’d walked here.
"My car’s outside."
The two walked out of Capitán Caliente and headed for River’s vehicle.
A light drizzle was falling outside. Parked in the lot was a Thorton Mackinaw MTL1 pickup.
The Mackinaw was a versatile utility vehicle: durable without being clunky, affordable but reliable. It handled well on both the crowded streets of the city and the surrounding deserts. The only downside was that it couldn’t go fast.