"This belongs to the Counter-Terror Tactical Unit!"
Orianna's face twisted with fear. The box she had nearly taken just moments ago now filled her with dread.
Everyone in Night City knew what the Counter-Terror Tactical Unit was. Their gear? Not something you just picked up like a delivery.
What she thought was a simple job—just picking up a package—had turned into a mission that could get them killed.
"This is a damn suicide mission!"
Gilay was even more shaken. He jumped to his feet. "Orianna, we're out. We're not touching this. Colmec threw us straight into the fire!"
"What are you so worked up about?"
In contrast to the panicked pair, Aison Brane, sitting calmly across from them, remained composed. His voice was cold. "You think if you bail now, you'll get away?"
His words froze them in place.
Without sparing them a glance, Aison turned toward the window, staring out at the Badlands landscape.
"Those lunatics don't care if you were deeply involved or just brushed against the job and ran. You know their methods. They'll hunt down every last person connected to the operation and gut them. No one escapes."
His calm, chilling explanation silenced Orianna and Gilay.
He wasn't wrong.
In any other job, walking away might have been the smart move. But this was the Counter-Terror Tactical Unit—the cyberpsycho elite. Expecting mercy from them was a joke.
Gangs would kill over stolen property. The TCU? They'd probably hunt down the roach that scurried across their stolen gear and deep-fry it for fun.
"Still, running is better than holding onto this thing and getting flagged as priority targets," Orianna countered. "Even if we're caught later, the one carrying the box gets hit first. We might have a head start."
"And after they're done with the 'priority target,' you think a TCU netrunner won't come fry your brain? Don't be naïve, Orianna."
Aison's grin stretched wide, revealing rows of golden teeth. "Why are you so obsessed with the dead end? There's a way out in front of you. Why not take it?"
"The moment you dropped that box in front of us, the way out vanished!"
Gilay growled, keeping his voice low to avoid drawing attention. He looked like he wanted to slam his fist into the table, but held back.
"Everyone involved is marked. It's only a matter of time before we're all dead."
"Do I look like someone ready to die?"
Aison's smile widened grotesquely, almost splitting to his earlobes. The skin stretched at the corners of his mouth, revealing bloody tissue underneath.
"Relax. None of us will die—not if the package is delivered to the right hands."
"To the right person?" Orianna frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"A city councilman," Aison said smoothly. "He's the one Colmec's delivering this to. You two are just the couriers. You're not supposed to know anything. Just do the job."
He leaned in slightly. "So move, mercs. The clock's ticking. Either the TCU gets to you first and kills all of us… or you make the delivery and bring this whole thing into the light. It's a race. Your speed decides which."
Orianna processed the implications fast.
This TCU gear—someone in the City Council wanted it. And once the Council was involved, even the Counter-Terror Unit had limitations.
The TCU answered to the Council—but not automatically. They only responded when formally deployed in emergencies. Outside of that, they could choose to ignore orders.
Likewise, the TCU couldn't take action against city officials without formal authorization. Even if a councilman took their property, unless caught in the act, the TCU had to hold back.
So if the councilman got the package, and stayed protected within the Council's political games, the TCU couldn't touch him. And if they couldn't go after him, they had no grounds to go after the couriers either.
Even a cyberpsycho task force couldn't legally kill civilians without cause. If the recipient wasn't punished, the ones who delivered the goods had to be safe too.
All of that clicked instantly in Orianna's mind. But one thing still didn't sit right.
She narrowed her eyes at Aison. "If you knew all of this, why get us involved? Why not deliver it yourself? You're not crippled. If you don't want to die, doing it personally would give you the best odds."
"Because I want to see your skill, Orianna."
Aison let out a dry, wheezing laugh. "I really wanted to see what you could do. To see if you're as good as… that person. I was willing to risk everything for it. I paid Colmec enough to buy both your lives and his—just so you'd be the one to take this job."
Psycho.
That was the only thought in Orianna's head.
Just to "see her skills," he dared mess with the TCU? Used Colmec—who'd sell out his own grandmother for the right eddies? What connection did she even have with this lunatic? Why did he act like he knew her? Why was he so obsessed with seeing what she could do?
"Do I know you, you crazy bastard!?"
"This is our first meeting," Aison replied calmly. "I simply wanted to."
And he didn't give her time to ask more.
Glancing at his watch, he dropped another bombshell.
"The missing TCU equipment was supposed to stay off the grid for four hours. But I thought that was too long. So I scheduled a call to go out in twenty minutes—to politely inform them that their 'property' has gone missing."
"You—!"
Gilay had had enough. He went for his gun—
But Aison moved faster.
In a blur, a gleaming golden blade was at Gilay's throat.
Even with his heavy subdermal Titan plating, Gilay froze. The blade may not pierce his skin, but his instincts screamed.
It was too fast—so fast it didn't even feel real. He hadn't even blinked before the old lunatic had the weapon at his neck.
"Kill me if you want. But the timer's already set. If you're going to waste time fighting me, be sure to factor that in, kid."
Aison withdrew the blade and casually sat back down. He checked his watch again.
"You now have nineteen minutes and fifty seconds."
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