Susie took one look at the items scattered across the floor, then sat back in her chair and dialed a number. Before the person on the other end could speak, Susie jumped in first.
"Regina, I have a job for you. I'm willing to pay top dollar—money's not an issue—but I need this done right. Bring me the very best mercenaries you can find."
…
*El Coyote Cojo.*
Chihiro was behind the counter, wiping it down with a cloth, when she looked up and saw Leo walk in from outside.
"Hey, Leo. You're here early."
Leo nodded, glancing around. El Coyote Cojo was quiet in the morning, with hardly any customers around. Other than Chihiro working behind the bar, the only other person present was Ryoko, who sat in a corner reading.
Leo went over to Ryoko first and took out a piece of chocolate. The little girl's eyes lit up. "Leo!"
He placed the chocolate in her palm and patted her on the head. "How's your reading coming along?"
Ryoko froze for a second, right when she started peeling off the wrapper. "There's a lot I don't really understand."
"Take your time, and don't stress. No need to push yourself."
Ryoko broke off half the chocolate and held it out to him, her face glowing with a sweet smile. "Leo, let's share. Half for you, half for me."
Impressed by how considerate she was, Leo accepted it without hesitation. "Mmm. Sweet. Tastes great. Thanks, Ryoko."
"Heh heh. You're welcome."
Ryoko wrapped up the remaining half and slipped it into her pocket. "I'll save this piece for Mom."
Chihiro watched her daughter with fondness in her eyes.
Leo went back to the bar and sat down. "Jackie isn't awake yet?"
"That's right. Jackie came home really late last night—something about helping an old buddy in the Valentinos." Chihiro automatically reached for a liquor bottle but stopped, recalling that Leo didn't drink. She paused and asked, "So, Leo, should I get you another cola?"
"Yeah, thanks."
She quickly brought his drink. Leo sipped his cola while watching a rerun of the previous night's Night After Night on TV. The host, Ziggy, dressed in his signature gold-tone jacket, faced the camera and launched into his monologue:
"Night City, Night City—good evening, everyone! Welcome back! Tonight's guest is the NCPD spokesperson, Inspector Sarah Krakowski. Welcome, gorgeous—thanks for joining our show."
A long-legged Krakowski stepped into frame from off-camera and sat on the couch. "Hello, Ziggy. It's an honor to be here."
"How was the trip to our studio? No run-ins with robbers or biker gangs, I hope?"
She laughed. "No, no… The city's getting safer by the day. This year's homicide numbers have dropped from last year's shocking 7,103 cases down to—"
Krakowski was clearly reading from a press release. But when she saw the figure on the page, she abruptly stopped talking. It was obvious she hadn't actually reviewed the script in advance. Ziggy, a seasoned host who hadn't simply risen through connections like some other host, immediately caught her slip and went on the offensive.
"Hold on, hold on. If you say the streets are safer, what's going on with all those recent kidnappings in Watson?"
Krakowski looked startled. "Wh-what?"
Seeing her confusion, Ziggy pressed the advantage. "Lately, people have been disappearing all over Watson—Little China, Kabuki, the Northern Industrial District. Kidnappings everywhere. So what happened? Who's behind it, and what's the NCPD's response? Got any plan in mind?"
Krakowski clearly hadn't expected that question. She stammered, "U-um, as the NCPD, we're responsible for ensuring the personal and property safety of every citizen within Night City limits. But… but in Watson…"
Ziggy couldn't hide his impatience. He stood up, walked around the desk, and stood in front of her. "Sarah, Sarah, my dear, please—stop reading the NCPD handout. The audience just wants some honesty here."
"Have you identified any suspects? Are you going to boost nighttime patrols in Watson? And let's not forget the big one: NCPD stocks are in free fall, diving into the abyss. Got any plans for that?"
Krakowski gave up on her press release entirely. But at that moment, her mind went blank—like thick paste. She had no idea how to respond. She stuttered, "Th-this… it's just a technical adjustment… No need to panic… As for those kidnappings, we… the NCPD will do our best…"
Ziggy left her to stumble over her words and returned to his seat, signaling the camera to focus on him again. "Well, it looks like our lovely guest is out of things to say. Not really her fault; the NCPD dropped the ball. You want my advice? If the NCPD can't help, maybe you should help yourselves.
"Until the cops catch the perp—or, realistically, until the perp just gets bored—please avoid going out at night unless absolutely necessary. If you must go out, bring friends. And whatever you do, don't walk, even if it's just a short distance. Drive.
"Cars, friends… what else? Oh, right, I conveniently left something out. If you're sharp, you've already figured it out.
"That's right—weapons.
"Praise the sacred Second Amendment. Hallelujah! Which leads us to Arasaka's newest smart pistol: the HJKE-11 Yukimura.
"Back in the day, soldiers had to train for months before they set foot on a battlefield—imagine that. Now, with a smart pistol, you can lock onto targets automatically and fire homing rounds. All you need is the right implant. The 'smart revolution' began with the Yukimura, developed by Arasaka in the 2040s.
"No matter how terrible your aim—Stormtrooper-level stuff—you can still hit your targets 100% of the time! Even thirty years on, the Yukimura is still considered one of the greatest handguns ever made. It has two firing modes—fully automatic and three-round burst—so you can adapt to any situation. Plus, its ample magazine capacity means you can keep shooting if you run into multiple scumbags at once.
"The 'Yukimura' smart pistol. You know you want one. So why wait? Pick up the phone and order now. Oh, and if you mention Ziggy Q and Night After Night, you'll get a 10% discount!"
…
The show ended, and the channel cut to a noisy commercial block. Chihiro, still wiping down the bar, couldn't help commenting, "That host sure has guts. He says anything he wants, doesn't care about the NCPD's reputation at all. Isn't he afraid they'll come after him?"
Leo chuckled. It made sense that Chihiro didn't realize the deeper politics behind these shows; the whole setup was complicated. "All these stations in Night City have a big corporation backing them. Compared to a corp, the NCPD is nothing. Even if Commissioner Jerry Fort is annoyed, there's nothing he can do about it."
Leo finished the last of his cola, set the bottle down, and admitted that the sudden segue into an advertisement caught him by surprise. It was a perfect example of mass consumerism at its finest, sticking an ad wherever it would fit.
Just then, his phone rang. It was Regina.
"Hey, Leo, you up? I've got a gig for you—a big one. High risk, but the pay matches the danger. You in?"
High risk, high pay… He wondered if it involved butting heads with Arasaka. In Watson, the only 'big job' with major risks that came to mind was something related to Arasaka Waterfront.
"What's the job?"
Regina rarely used words like "high risk" and "big job," so it had to be something serious. Leo hesitated, not wanting to accept a contract he couldn't fulfill. A single failure would damage his reputation—and a mercenaries reputation was tied directly to how much they could earn. Up to now, he had never failed a mission, and he didn't want this one to be the first.
"We've been working together a while, and I love that you're so cautious. Plenty of folks talk a big game but can't deliver jack. This one's too complex to explain on the phone. The client wants to meet you in person at Lizzie's Bar."
Lizzie's Bar? Mox territory. So the client might be the Mox.
Regina's next words confirmed his suspicion. "I don't know if I mentioned this, but it's Susie Q—boss of the Mox—who needs your help. She's in a hurry, so drop by as soon as you can."
"Got it. I'm on my way."
Ending the call, Leo left El Coyote Cojo, summoned his Fenrir motorcycle, and headed to Lizzie's Bar in Kabuki, Watson. It was still early, and the bar exterior was practically deserted—nothing like its vibrant nighttime scene. He parked Fenrir in a designated space and locked it. Then he walked to the entrance of Lizzie's Bar and knocked.
No response.