Friday Night Firefight - A Cyberpunk 2077 Isekai

Friday Night Firefight - Chapter 59

Good evening, Night City! Tonight's body count lottery is blazing with over forty fresh bodies! Santo Domingo was the star of the show, as a rathole motel turned into a full-on bloodbath. Word is the latest victims of the gang war between 6th Street and those new up-and-comers are piling up faster than chrome on a Maelstrom borg. Multiple 6th Street gonks got flatlined outside the motel. And the buzz on the streets? The Pack's flexing hard and 6th Street's getting desperate.

That's your night update, chooms. Stay sharp, stay breathing, and remember – Night City never sleeps...even if you probably should.

I killed the engine and sat for a moment, just staring up at the massive concrete slab of a building in front of me. It looked like someone had decided halfway through all the construction that it wasn't worth finishing. Cinder blocks, exposed rebar twisting out like metal skeletons, cracked windows everywhere. Real Rancho Coronado chic.

Gunner had texted earlier, letting me know this was the spot where the remaining 6th Street lieutenants were holed up. They'd heard about the hit on the DewDrop Inn, and now they were all here, trying to figure out what the hell to do next. My job? Walk in, pretend to be Pablo, and sell them on a lie long enough to set them up for a fall.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror. Diego and Zion had done a good job on my face – a black eye, split lip, and a few scrapes that looked like I'd barely survived an ambush. It hurt, but that was the point. Had to make it look like I'd fought my way out of a Pack trap. The real Pablo Silva? He was locked away, under heavy guard, and tanks to Sandra hacking his Agent, he couldn't send out any distress calls. Everything he got went straight to me, which meant I could keep up the charade. Not exactly a foolproof plan, but it was all we had. It was also risky as hell.

When I first showed Diego, Deng, and Zion the face implant and turned into Pablo in front of them, their reactions were priceless. They freaked out, bombarding me with questions about how the hell I got it, who made it, and if they could get one too. Anna had stepped in, saving me from the interrogation by reminding everyone we were on a timer. We had Rick Morton to deal with, and once word got out about The Pack's move, things would heat up fast.

With a final glance in the mirror, I stepped out of the car and made my way up the crumbling concrete steps. The building was a ghost of whatever it was supposed to be. Apartments? Offices? Hell if I knew. Walking hurt a little. My ribs were protesting with every move. Diego and Zion hadn't pulled their punches, and it showed. I had to look like I'd barely made it out of the raid of the DewDrop alive, but that didn't stop me from complaining about how hurt I was.

I passed by a few guards, all armed to the teeth, their eeys flicking over me before they stepped aside. They recognized Pablo and didn't try challenging my place at the meeting. Inside, the lieutenants were all gathered around a table, talking in low, angry voices. Rick Morton, Will Gunner, and a handful of other 6th Street bigshots. As soon as I stepped in, the room went deathly quiet. Eyes locked on me, sizing me up. I scanned the faces and froze for a split second when I recognized one – a light-skinned black guy with a gold dome of cyberware on his head and glowing red eyes. He looked like he was trying too hard to be intimidating, but it wasn't working. I couldn't place where I'd seen him before, but something about him tugged at the back of my mind.

Gunner's gaze locked onto me, suspicion written all over his face. He shot me a side-eye like he was already wondering how the hell 'Pablo' had slipped away from The Pack. But Rick? Rick Morton wasn't wasting any time.

"Pablo!" Rick barked, storming toward me, his eyes blazing with anger. "Where the fuck have you been?"

I kept my expression tight, playing up the bruises, the exhaustion. "The Pack hit us at the DewDrop," I rasped. "They came in heavy, out of nowhere. Must've been damn near their entire crew. I fought my way out, but...it was close."