"We're a team, a family," Heather said, leaning in. "I can't just stand on the sidelines while everyone else is having a good time. Besides, without me, Jackie, David, and Maine wouldn't coordinate very well. With you here, Dog Brother, I feel safe, too."
Dog Brother gestured with his chin. "You're just going to ignore that phone call? Dexter DeShawn, the Relic. He knows your real name, knows about your mom."
"The date on the chip is for tomorrow," Heather replied, taking a sip from her drink. "It's fine. We'll finish the mission with the crew, then I'll go see him. DeShawn can wait a day."
"I don't know," Dog Brother said, shaking his head. "And Faraday... he always looks so sinister. I don't like him, and I don't want to work for him. I'm not sure this is a good idea."
"Hey! Chill out!" Heather said, her voice a little too loud. "Don't be so indecisive!"
Faraday, seeing that no one had any further objections, finalized the last details with Maine, then got into his car and drove away.
It didn't take long for Jackie to get along with Maine's crew. They were all cyberpunks who valued loyalty, and as long as they weren't fighting over resources, they quickly found common ground.
Rebecca, the young Netrunner, held a can of beer, burped loudly, and poked David. "How about it, little brother? Big sis will look out for you. Tomorrow, during the op, just hide behind me." She giggled, poking his chin with her finger.
David's face flushed. He turned his head away, embarrassed. "Don't underestimate me. I've been with Jackie for six months. I'm not the same David who could get bullied by Katsuo Tanaka anymore."
Rebecca, a little drunk, swayed and leaned her full weight against David, cheek to cheek, her face a little too close to his. "What Tanaka? What Katsuo? That wimp from Nisshoku Island? You still let yourself get bullied by a wimp?"
Dorio reached out and pulled the drunken Rebecca away.
Meanwhile, Maine and Jackie clinked their glasses, drinking heartily, their heads together as they talked.
David kept glancing at Luna, a look that Heather, sitting nearby, noticed. Her face was flushed from the drinks, and she leaned over, poking David with her elbow, a mischievous smile on her face. "Don't be a wimp. If you really like her, go talk to her. Everyone's a little tipsy—it's the perfect opportunity! What's the point of just staring?"
David's expression was a mixture of panic and internal struggle. He chugged the rest of the canned beer in his hand, stood up abruptly, and strode forward, his movements stiff but full of purpose.
He stopped directly in front of Luna, who widened her eyes in surprise. David stood ramrod straight, like a new recruit, his chin tilted up 45 degrees.
"Hello, Luna!" he announced loudly. "I'm David! Can we be friends?"
Heather, who had been sipping her drink at the table behind him, spewed it all out in a burst of laughter. Beer splattered all over Maine and Jackie's faces.
"That kid David is so adorably silly," Heather mumbled to herself, still chuckling.
Maine and Jackie, their faces covered in beer, didn't seem to notice. They just kept bragging about their old stories.
Falco and Kiwi, on the other hand, clinked their glasses gracefully, a sharp contrast to the noisy celebration around them.
Dog Brother, sitting in the middle of the table, looked around skeptically. "Are these people going to be okay? We've got a big job tomorrow, and they're daring to drink like this tonight. What kind of terrible drinking habits are these?"
Heather burped, her face flushed and her words slurring. "Hiccup. It's not just beer. You're such a buzzkill. We're all just happy we clicked."
They didn't stay up too late. To prevent any problems the next day, Falco booked five rooms at the nearby Keep Quiet Express Hotel, and everyone went to sleep.
The next day at 10 AM, Dorio woke everyone up.
Everyone had their weapons ready. They grabbed a quick bite and set off together.
David and Jackie rode in Heather's car. Heather yawned. "Haaah. David, which room did you sleep in last night?"
David fidgeted nervously, and Jackie grew impatient.
"What's wrong with you?" Jackie said, shaking his head. "You're embarrassing all the men of Santo Domingo. Are they all as indecisive as you?"
David spoke softly. "I slept in Luna's room last night, but she was already gone when I woke up this morning..."
"Holy crap!" Heather and Jackie said in perfect unison.
Jackie began to smirk. "So, did you two... you know?"
David recoiled. "What? What's 'you know'?"
Jackie slapped him on the back of the head. "I'm asking if you succeeded? Did you get her?"
David frowned in displeasure. "Am I that kind of person?"
"Idiot!" Heather and Jackie said together again.
"Even if nothing happened, you two had some intimate moments thanks to the alcohol," Jackie continued. "Did you and Luna have any interaction during breakfast?"
"Now that you mention it," David said, "I don't think I've seen Luna today."
"Oh, you're right," Heather said. "I haven't seen her either."
Dog Brother, as usual, sat in the passenger seat with his feet propped up on the dashboard. "Happy winter travels, little ones. We've reached the drop zone. Now it's up to Maine and his Sandevistan. I'm so envious."
As if on cue, Maine's voice came through on the comms. "Little A, Luna's out of contact. I don't know where she went at this critical moment. Today's hacking operations will be on you and Kiwi."
"This Luna is so unreliable," Heather sighed, a hint of frustration in her voice. "We stayed in a hotel together to prevent something like this, and she still messes up."
"I don't know what happened, honestly..." Maine said, his voice trailing off.
Heather got out of the car, pulling out a pair of binoculars to scan the distance. "A grand scheme," she said, more to herself than to anyone else. "So many people are getting ambushed. I don't know whether to call those nomads brave or just plain foolish."
Dog Brother scoffed. "Oh, you think their first wave going in is foolish? So, are you guys, the third wave, the last one? What if you're just the fourth wave, sent in as meat for the grinder?"
"Oh, come on," Heather said with a slight wave of her hand. "Where would a fourth wave come from? We're the last wave, and we're here to get that military secret."
Kiwi's voice came over the comms. "The Arasaka convoy is here, 10 o'clock."
Everyone looked. The convoy was far away, but they could still make out the dark shapes and the distinct Arasaka tristar logo. It was a line of armored vehicles and bulletproof SUVs, with a large truck in the middle.
The first wave of nomads drove their modded cars, sticking guns out of the windows and spraying bullets, but it was useless. Not a single round could penetrate the Arasaka vehicles or their bulletproof glass.
The guns extending from the Arasaka SUVs and armored vehicles were much more effective. Countless bullet holes appeared on the nomads' cars. Blood splattered across the windows, and the cars swerved, clearly out of control.
"I hope we don't end up like that," Dog Brother said quietly. "Look, the second wave of people is starting to move."