Jackie Welles didn't get it. He'd only been flirting with Misty next door for a few minutes—so how the hell did the Sandevistan end up inside David by the time he came back?
What in the name of Night City did he miss?
"Jackie, I've got the Sandevistan now," David said with that sheepish grin of his. "From now on, when I'm working with you, I won't be the one slowing us down anymore."
Jackie blinked. "Hold up. That's not the point, chico. The point is, how the hell did that Sandevistan get installed on you? Wasn't it supposed to be for Maine?"
Viktor Vektor didn't even look up as he cleaned his surgical tools, his deep voice calm but firm. "Because Maine's body can't handle it right now. If I forced the install, he'd either flatline on the table or go cyberpsycho on the spot."
Jackie jabbed a thumb at his own chest. "Then what about me, viejo? If Maine can't handle it, I could've taken it. I was right next door—you could've at least asked!"
Viktor shot him a look, one brow arched. "Jackie, you're not much better off. Half your chrome is a mismatched pile of bargain-bin junk, and you barely maintain it. The Sandevistan would chew you up before you could even flex."
He shrugged. "Besides, the operation's already done."
Jackie froze for a second.
Man, I was here first...
David, now dressed and freshly patched, walked up and said earnestly, "Jackie, I know that military-grade Sandevistan costs a fortune. Don't worry, I'm not gonna stiff you. I'll pay you back, every eddy."
Jackie blinked, realizing how his earlier tone might've sounded. "Hey, that's not what I meant, chico. Forget the money."
He grinned, clapping David on the shoulder. "It's just chrome, man. You're one of us. No tabs between crew. If you can use it then use it well. Just don't hold me back next time we're on a gig."
"Yes, sir!" David said, straightening up with that eager fire in his eyes.
Viktor finished packing up his tools and handed David a small case. "Here. Tranquilizers and inhibitors. Don't push the Sandevistan more than three times a day. Go over that limit, and your body's gonna melt from the inside out."
He added, "If the side effects hit too hard, take one of these. But don't overdo it."
David accepted the meds carefully. "Thanks, Vik."
Maine, who'd been silent this whole time, walked over and slapped David's shoulder like a steel slab. "Kid, my Sandevistan's yours now. So from today on, I'll be pushing you harder than ever. Get ready."
David grinned. "Yes, boss!"
…
A few days later.
Lizzie's Bar.
As the neon of Night City bled into the night, Neo and Jackie Welles pushed through the buzzing crowd outside Lizzie's. This wasn't a drinking visit—it was business. And tonight's meeting was with none other than Evelyn Parker.
"Evelyn, long time no see. You've gotten even prettier," Jackie said with his usual easy charm.
At the bar counter, Evelyn Parker was already sipping a drink, sleek and sharp under the neon glow.
"Jackie," she said coolly, "we saw each other just a few days ago, remember?"
Jackie chuckled. "Hey, that was an accident."
Evelyn's eyes went cold. "You call that an accident? You people needed to hit a ripperdoc's clinic with heavy ordnance? Should I be thanking you for letting me live?"
A few days ago, Evelyn had been getting some maintenance work done at a ripperdoc's place when, out of nowhere, a squad of mercs stormed in. They'd come armed with grenade launchers.
One round turned the front of the clinic, and half the interior, into burning rubble. Through the haze of smoke and fire, she'd seen him—Jackie Welles, standing right there among the mercs.
When the dust settled, the mercs stripped the place clean. Every implant, every eddy, every scrap of chrome they could grab.
Including the Sandevistan inside Evelyn's bag.
Ever since Neo had handed her that piece of high-grade chrome, it had been nothing but trouble. For a doll like her, the last thing she needed was a military-grade implant. Her body was tuned for performance and pleasure, not combat reflex boosts.
Worse, a Sandevistan wasn't easy to sell off. Too hot. Too traceable. A single whisper about one for sale could draw every scav, merc, and corpo shark within a mile. So she'd kept it close, thinking that was the safest option.
Until it wasn't.
Now, her prize was gone, her clinic was ash, and the bastard responsible was right in front of her, grinning like an idiot.
Jackie rubbed the back of his neck, wincing. "Yeah, Maine's got a bit of a temper. I told him a gun would do the job, but he wanted to make an entrance, so... grenades."
Evelyn downed the rest of her chilled tequila in one smooth gulp, sighing. "Forget it. Night City's a dump anyway. You almost got me killed, took my Sandevistan, and now I've got to hire you for a job. What a goddamn joke."
Jackie raised his glass to her with a sheepish grin. "Then let's drink to irony."
As he took a swig, Evelyn's gaze slid past him, locking on Neo.
"Mr. V, don't you have anything to say for yourself?"
Neo met her stare without flinching. "Say what? I wasn't part of that gig. Didn't even know about it till after it happened."
He shrugged slightly. "So, all I can say is... I'm sorry you got caught in the mess."
Evelyn's jaw tightened, but she didn't argue. "Fine. I didn't call you here to fight anyway. I've got a special job that needs your crew's touch."
She paused, setting her empty glass down with a soft click. "One more thing—this job doesn't just go through me. The other handler is Dexter DeShawn."
Jackie's eyebrows shot up. "Holy shit. Dexter DeShawn? The Dexter DeShawn? The guy's a legend in this city."
Neo's voice stayed calm. "Who's the client?"
Evelyn leaned in, lips curving slightly. "Militech."
Then she pushed away from the bar, grabbing her small designer bag. "But before we get to the details, there's something I want you to see first."
She walked toward a side door hidden in the shadows. "Follow me."
Neo and Jackie exchanged a quick glance, then followed her through the maze of corridors beneath Lizzie's.
After a few turns, they entered a dimly lit basement filled with holo rigs, cables, and the faint hum of neural servers.
Evelyn gestured grandly. "Let me introduce you to someone—Night City's best braindance editor."
A figure turned from the console, her tattoos glowing faintly under the blue light.
"Judy Alvarez."