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"Hello? What's up?"
Rogue's voice rang in Jax's mind, cool and detached. Jax took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the bioluminescent containers nestled beneath the layers of leafy greens. "We were hit by Raffen Shiv. Nightwalkers."
"I wouldn't stoop to hiring them to tie up loose ends, if that's what you're implying," Rogue said immediately.
Jax nodded, leaning against the dented side of the car. "I didn't say it was you. And it wasn't Babos... at least, not directly. But it's his fault. The team he sent out before us? They were captured. The Raffen squeezed them for the route and the cargo details. They hit us with a dozen vehicles and heavy ordnance."
"What about the cargo?" Rogue's voice sharpened. She was a Fixer; the bottom line always came first.
"We lost one unit. But that's the interesting part," Jax said. "We zeroed ten of them. When their reinforcements showed up, they didn't even try to avenge their dead. They just grabbed that one refrigerator and vanished into the dust. Jackie's asking why they're suddenly so easy to talk to. What do you think?"
Rogue was silent for a few beats. On the internal video feed, she crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "...Have you opened the remaining boxes? Tell me what's actually in there."
Jax looked down and snapped a high-res photo. Beside him, Maine and Jackie had pried open the second unit. It was the same: a bed of fresh vegetables acting as padding for high-tech Arasaka bio-containers.
A flash of genuine anger crossed Rogue's eyes as she viewed the image, but she quickly suppressed it with a sigh. "Alright, get back to the city. Since a unit is missing, I'm docking thirty thousand from the reward. I'll deal with Babos; he owes me an explanation for this mess."
"Is that all?" Jax asked, his voice flat.
"What else do you want?" Rogue sneered. "You think I pulled a fast one? This gig was logged as a standard perishables run. Babos and the Aldecaldos made a side-deal I wasn't privy to."
"Unaware? The Queen of the Afterlife?" Jax challenged.
Dorio, standing nearby, visibly winced. She looked at Jax as if he'd just decided to play Russian roulette with a fully loaded cylinder. He's questioning Rogue. Is he suicidal?
"My reach is long, kid, but this is outside the walls. It involves a Corporation," Rogue's words came out like rapid-fire. "You think Nomads just stumble upon Arasaka bio-containers? This looks like a back-alley handoff between the Aldecaldos and Biotechnica. I'm not even sure Babos knew the full scope. You want an apology? You want an explanation?"
"Jax, as a mercenary, judgment is survival," Rogue continued, her tone softening slightly. She was reminded of her own younger days, dealing with clients who lied through their teeth.
Actually, she was curious. She wanted to see if Jax would play the "good soldier" and take the seventy thousand, or if he had the iron in his blood to push back.
"I need Babos's personal link," Jax said.
Rogue let out a sharp laugh—part irritation, part genuine pride. "You've got guts. I'll give you that. Link sent. If Babos hid the risk to lower the payout, he broke the fundamental laws of the Afterlife. You squeeze him. I won't stop you."
"What's the plan?" Maine asked, stepping toward Jax as the call ended.
"Maine, Kerfu was just the start," Jax said. "If we take the seventy thousand and walk away, we're telling every Fixer in the city that we're easy marks. I want them to know that if they lie to us, it's going to cost them everything."
"I'm in!" Jackie barked. "I spent too many years being 'honest' and 'loyal' just to end up eating sand. Let's make this bastard bleed."
Jax dialed the link.
The video connected to a stout man in a tailored suit, his hair slicked back with corporate precision. "Who is this? How did you get this line?"
"Are you Babos?" Jax asked.
"I don't know you," Babos narrowed his eyes. "Get off my channel."
Jax sent the photo of the Arasaka container.
Babos went pale for a split second before his face hardened. "I specifically told the Aldecaldos the boxes weren't to be opened. That's why you got the 'gift' of the vegetables. You planning to blackmail me? You do this, and you'll never work in this city again."
"Blackmail? My crew was nearly zeroed because you're a liar," Jax said. "The Raffen Shiv killed your first team and ambushed us for this 'vegetable' shipment. Your security is a joke, Babos."
Silence. After nearly a minute, Babos spoke through gritted teeth. "Fine. Bring the remaining two units back. I'll add an extra two hundred thousand. That's more than enough for street trash like you."
Jax laughed. "Two hundred thousand for two boxes? No. That was the old price."
"What?" Babos's face turned a mottled purple. "Two boxes? You lost one? Do you have any idea what's in there?! Who that's for?!"
"Shut it, corpo pig," Jax snapped. "Rogue knows you cheated the contract. She's already looking at you. If we walk away now and sell these to a competitor, what are you going to do?"
"You—"
"Listen to my suggestion," Jax interrupted. "I can get the third box back from the Raffen. But the price of the job just went up. Six hundred thousand additional."
"Six hundred thousand?! You're robbing me!"
"I am," Jax smiled. "Don't like it? I'm sure Militech would pay double for Arasaka's dirty laundry."
"Fuck you! Fuck you!" Babos screamed.
"Try it again," Jax narrowed his eyes. "Every insult adds a hundred thousand to the bill."
"Fine! Seven hundred thousand!" Babos shrieked, his small eyes darting around. "Just get the unit back!"
"Transfer the money to Rogue's escrow now," Jax commanded. "When she pings me that the eddies are secure, I'll go get your box. If the money isn't there in ten minutes, I start smashing containers."
Babos slammed the connection shut.
Jax looked at the crew. "Check your ammo. We're going back into the sand."
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