A few nights later, in Watson's district.

 

 

 

I finally had some contracts on offer. I wasn't going to spit on them, even if it meant doing them past midnight. I needed the money to get a real estate property. And some wheels too, because although night-time strolls were nice, I lacked mobility.

 

 

 

See that building with the illuminated façade right behind me? That was one of the places where the fixers operated, distributing and paying out contracts to Night City's various mercenaries. Eleanor the contractor, reporting for duty.

 

 

 

The local fixer was Regina Jones, a former journalist who turned into a freelance operative. From her building, the view of Night City's corpo district was stunning. I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would.

 

 

 

"So Eleanor... Are you new in town? What are your skills?"

"Kind of, yeah. Infiltration and extraction over the last decade."

"Good, then you'll have no trouble retrieving the stolen files from the Maelstrom. They have a warehouse north of Watson, in the industrial corner. 5,000 eddies."

"Sounds fair, I'll be back before dawn. "

 

 

 

It didn't take me long to find the warehouse where the Maelstrom gang was holed up. Mostly maniacs close to cyber-psychosis, they were quite dangerous. That's why I'd come armed, just in case. I didn't want to end up being stripped of my chrome and tossed into the sea.

 

 

 

I took the back alley and climbed through a first floor window. Security was low, with no guards and cameras limited to the main areas. I aimed my pistol towards a noise coming from a nearby electronic device.

 

 

 

My hearing was spot on. One of the Maelstrom guys stood in the office next door, browsing on his tablet. With these lunatics, best not to risk it and simply shoot them right in the head.

 

 

 

The office had a locked door that I opened with a hack. It led into a corridor stocked with various warehouse supplies. I remained cautious, ready to strike back in case of any threat. The closer I got, the more I felt the heat and the noise from the data center, presumably holding what I came for.

 

 

 

The server room was guarded by a female Maelstrom who heard me coming. Unfortunately for her, I already had a clear shot in sight.

 

 

 

I moved to the control unit screen. Once the files were located, I could download them and leave. A fairly easy job, if you ask me.

 

 

 

Rather than backtrack, I took the quick way out: the window closed from the inside. I landed behind the warehouse, right next to the alley I had taken to break in. However, don't be fooled, not every merc job was as smooth sailing as this one.

 

 

 

A few days later, I might have been caught by the Maelstrom. Almost stripped naked and thrown into a bathtub of ice water. Yep, you guessed it, my implants were useless in that state. That was the step before they grabbed my body parts.

 

 

 

I was dragged from my unconscious state onto the ground by the massive Maelstrom, who crushed my belly to wake me up.

"Rise and shine, merc! Not so tough now, are you? We've got a score to settle."

 

 

 

"Make it hard for her, I'll be next door when you're done playing."

"Count on me boss, she's going to suffer."

My stomach and leg were twisted in pain, and my body remained crippled by the bath I had just been plunged into. Despite all these disadvantages, I had to get out of here.

 

 

 

"You look like crap. Ready to get your ass kicked, bitch?"

"Bring it on! I will beat the shit out of you!"

"I like it when they're aggressive. Especially when already battered and mostly naked."

 

 

 

"Eat this, you freak!"

I rose quickly to my feet and delivered an uppercut that clattered her mask. With my wet hand, she received a well-deserved jolt of electricity. That's what you get for underestimating me.

 

 

 

The bathroom led into a wider room, with another minion and the massive Maelstrom, seated in an armchair. Between the two was the exit to my abduction, a perfectly clear doorway into the urban jungle of Night City.

"Where do you think you're going, merc? You won't escape from here alive. Get her!"

 

 

 

The technician tried to stop me, but all he got was my bare foot in the face. What did he expect? With his skinny build, he didn't stand a chance, even without my implants.

 

 

 

As for the giant three times my size, it would have been suicidal to confront him in my condition. So I had to be cunning. I swiftly slipped between his legs when he tried to grab me.

 

 

 

The outside looked onto a balcony of one of Night City's many buildings. I didn't think twice and jumped over the railing to the level below. On the way, I delivered a blow to the giant's crotch. Hence my smirk.

 

 

 

I went straight to the ripperdoc, just to be sure I didn't have any damaged components or serious injuries. Viktor was the one who helped and stitched me up a month ago.

"You're in the clear, Eleanor. Your implants are working properly and your bruises will heal in a a couple of days. You'd better keep a low profile, the Maelstrom won't forget you so easily."

"Damn, thanks Vik, you really are the best. Do you have any some extra clothes I could borrow?"

"Sure, I'll get them for you in a moment."

 

 

 

After getting dressed, Viktor invited me to watch a fight on TV.

"You see, El, you can make money by fighting. You told me you were pretty good at martial arts, right? These televised matches can bring big eurodollars. Especially in your case, you're an outsider going up against the biggest brawlers in Night City. If you qualify, of course. You have to beat a bunch of other fighters to compete on the air. Think about it, okay?"

 

 

 

Once the fight was over, I headed back out to my dingy motel. If these fights could earn me enough cash to rent a decent apartment and buy a car or bike, I might consider doing it.

"Thanks again for your service doc! I'll be back soon to get some sparring tips from Coach Viktor."