Cyberpunk 2077: V

Chapter 75: Urge

"Not the time, V," Jackie hissed, reaching out to shove V away from him. She'd started leaning towards him, hand held out, heart in her throat, lips opening to ask if he was okay. She flinched back, startled.

"Lock in, remember? Lock. IN!" Jackie hissed again. And then in his eyes V saw something. 

Desperation. Trust. Hope. 

Trust and hope that she was going to get them, get HIM, out of there. 

Alive.

V's Focus welled up in her throat, choking out the panic. She swallowed, feeling her expression settle back into a flat, cool mask.

"Stay here," she whispered. "Need to find the auth."

Jackie nodded, then gestured that he was going to hide behind the large concierge desk. V turned on her heel and began slinking through the other part of that section, towards what looked like a similar area to the one they were currently in, except it looped into what V surmised were rental offices and concierge stations.

"ATTENTION! CODE RED HAS BEEN INITIATED THROUGHOUT KONPEKI PLAZA! PLEASE REMAIN IN YOUR ROOMS AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED BY STAFF!"

This area was darker, more red, but it was interspersed with gold light here and there. As V slunk between some boxes of office supplies and support pillars, she saw a holographic display farther up ahead. It was a large Arasaka logo, floating, turning ever so slightly, casting the golden-orange glow over everything. V slipped up to a partition that went all the way up to the ceiling and peeked around the corner.

She twitched when she saw movement. Tuned in. 

A creak of synthleather and ballistic weave. 

She licked her lips. Metal, rubber. A newer uniform. 

Then came the thump of combat boots. The movement, the figure, was an Arasaka special forces soldier. He was holding an assault rifle, up at the ready, steadily tramping down the black- and red-lit hallway.

Flicking her eyes to the right of the partition, V saw that it melded into the wall, banking left, then right. V followed along the smooth gold metal to see steps leading down into a side area, flanking huge windows that revealed the dark lashing rain. This side of the partition wall, when V looked around, she saw had been separated into a seating area of sorts off from the hallway, with marble steps flanking either side of the floating, glowing Arasaka symbol. At the top of the staircase closest to her stood the Arasaka soldier.

He was facing away from her, paused, his ready posture relaxing slightly as he appeared to start searching through the glass in front of him, peering into the center atrium she and Jackie had just snuck through.

V scanned the area she could see. No cameras, no other movement.

Crouching, she practically slithered up the steps on all fours.

She slowly stood just behind the Arasaka soldier. He didn't notice her. She didn't leave a reflection in the glass. The soldier didn't seem to sense her standing barely a hand width away from his back. He just stood there, peering through the atrium window. After a moment, he let out an irritated huff and held a hand up to his helmet, towards the ear area. He spoke in English.

"This is Erikson. I don't see any of the hotel security staff at their stations in Atrium 3B, and I don't see team 2, either. I checked the general freq as well but didn't hear any chatter. Do you want me to proceed?"

He paused. Listening.

"Roger, I'll head back. Out."

Just as he lowered his hand, V reached out and tapped his shoulder.