Cyberpunk: I'm Not a Scavenger - Chapter 16: The Gig: A Lifetime's Work (Patreon)

[Gig: A Lifetime's Work]

[Old Benito is a mechanic who's run an auto repair shop on Vine Street in Vista del Rey for more than thirty years.

He's an ordinary man who takes work from anyone, whether it's the Valentinos, 6th Street, or the Tyger Claws. Their money spends the same, doesn't it?

But last week, while rushing to finish an urgent job for the Valentinos, he left a Quadra belonging to 6th Street sitting untouched for four or five days. When they came to pick it up, it still wasn't fixed.

The 6th Street boys didn't do anything to him. They just made a few threats.

Old Benito panicked, though. He was foolish enough to call the Valentinos and say, "Some 6th Street guys are making trouble. Come help me hold them off."

Now the young hotheads from both gangs are facing off outside his shop, and neither side will back down.

The shop has been closed for almost a week because of this, and Benito and his elderly mother are still living inside.

Listen, kid. It's a matter of pride. Neither gang wants to back down, but no one's looking to start a war over a car repair.

This won't be easy. You need to get both sides to leave without spilling blood or creating new grudges, so poor old Benito can open his shop again.

But I believe you two can do it. God bless you, son.]

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the pitifully thin atmosphere above Night City. Megabuildings and layers of elevated highways broke it into fragments, leaving only a fortunate few able to enjoy the sun at all.

Old Benito's repair shop was shut tight. Outside, two groups faced each other in a tense standoff.

On the left stood the Valentinos, Mexican-American gang members covered in Christian tattoos and extravagant gold jewelry. Across from them were the quintessential American rednecks of 6th Street, dressed in modified military uniforms and armed with standard-issue Militech weapons. The gang was made up of veterans.

The two groups held opposite sides of the entrance, trading threats and trying to intimidate each other into submission.

Just then, the shop's side door flew open with a kick.

A young woman wearing a cheap corporate uniform charged into the crowd, ignoring Old Benito's desperate attempts to stop her.

Pantheon and Jackie had barely parked their car when they heard her furious voice ringing out.

"José! Tommy! Have you two watched so much porn that a virus has fried your brains?

"Why the hell have you been blocking my father's shop for an entire week? What did he do? Betray a gang? Suck Saburo Arasaka's dick? Does that warrant all this?

"Must be nice being you. No jobs, no work, just drinking and chasing girls all day. And whenever you get bored, you can pick on ordinary people like us!"

The blistering tirade immediately caught Pantheon's attention. He climbed onto the roof of the car for a better look.

The woman was a gorgeous Latina with striking features and breathtaking curves. Her clothes looked cheap, but somehow they suited her better than anything worn by models who'd undergone dozens of cosmetic procedures.

These gangsters weren't usually afraid of anything, yet one woman had berated them so thoroughly they couldn't even raise their heads. Naturally, Pantheon was curious.

He leaned toward Jackie and asked, "Who's that girl?"

Jackie rested against the roadside guardrail, searching his memory.

"Oh, I remember. That's probably Old Benito's daughter, Lisa. She grew up around here. I heard she made it into college and got herself a corpo job.

"Everyone in the neighborhood says Benito raised a great daughter. Wonder which bastard told her what was happening."

"Lisa, you've got it wrong! We're protecting Benito!" José of the Valentinos protested, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"Lisa, it was the Valentinos who broke the rules first," Tommy of 6th Street said, pointing accusingly at José with an ingratiating smile. "We just came to demand an explanation. We would never do anything to Uncle Benito."

"An explanation? You've frightened my dad so badly he hasn't opened his shop in a week!"

Lisa's eyes were slightly red, but she forced herself to stand firm.

"I remember you promising to protect me and my father when we were kids. Is this your idea of protection? I don't care about your damn rules. You're all leaving today!"

The atmosphere grew even heavier. José and Tommy exchanged helpless looks.

The old days were gone. Their friendship remained, but they could never return to the way things had been.

Now that their gangs' reputations were at stake, anyone who backed down today might find himself feeding the fish tomorrow.

On the 6th Street side, an older red-haired woman leaned against the wall with her arms folded. Watching the two men get dressed down left her looking openly contemptuous.

She straightened and spoke with an air of authority.

"Lisa, rules are rules. Your father left our men waiting four or five days. If we don't get an explanation, what will people think of 6th Street? We take one step back today, and tomorrow everyone will be walking all over us!"

Several burly gang members beside her voiced their agreement, though they kept their eyes lowered rather than meet Lisa's gaze.

Lisa had grown up on these streets alongside José and the others. Of course she understood how things worked. And someone who'd made it from the slums into college could hardly fail to recognize the real cause of this standoff.

Vista del Rey had traditionally been Valentinos territory. Ever since the Night City government assigned the district to 6th Street, clashes had become constant.

The Valentinos would never willingly abandon it, but 6th Street refused to give ground. They'd already fought openly and behind the scenes more times than anyone could count. This was only the latest excuse.

But Lisa couldn't allow the fighting to continue at the expense of the father who'd raised her. The gangs had enough resources to weather a dispute. Her family was already close to breaking.

She had to throw herself into the middle of it and shake things up. Otherwise, they had no chance.

For the moment, the standoff remained unbroken.

Pantheon saw that the argument had gone as far as it could. Time for him to make his entrance.

After briefly agreeing on an approach, Jackie led the way, with Pantheon following close behind. They strode toward the gathering as though they owned the street.

Some of the younger gang members recognized Jackie and parted to let them through.

"Hey! José! You asshole! Picking on a girl now, are you?"

Jackie's shout hit the tense crowd like water thrown into boiling oil. He grinned and greeted old friends as he moved through them.

"Jackie! What are you doing here?" José brightened as though he'd spotted his savior and grabbed Jackie's shoulders. "I thought you quit the gang to become a merc. You back already? Need your car fixed?"

"Amigo, we're here on business." Jackie shook his head and smiled, gesturing toward his companion. "This is my partner, King. Padre sent us."

Pantheon gave a small nod, remaining silent to look every inch the mysterious professional.

King was a codename he'd only just invented. His powerful heartbeat had reminded him of an old acquaintance, making the choice obvious.

The mention of Padre brought mixed reactions. Lisa looked delighted, while José and Tommy visibly relaxed. A few veteran gang members, including the red-haired woman, looked displeased.

In Heywood, Padre's name carried weight all by itself.

As the district's most influential fixer, his contacts and resources made him someone no gang could afford to offend casually. He'd always tried to maintain the local balance of power, so sending people to resolve Benito's troubles was already a clear statement of his position.

But it wasn't enough to end the matter.

If everyone backed down the moment Padre's name came up, it would look as though they were afraid of him. His involvement merely gave them a way to save face. Actually resolving the dispute was up to Jackie and Pantheon.

The red-haired woman sized them up, her attitude a little less hostile.

"And what does Padre want us to do?"

Pantheon didn't hesitate. Borrowing the fixer's authority, he laid out his terms.

"Benito's an honest man. He never intended to offend anyone. He just panicked and made a mess of things.

"Padre doesn't want anyone hurt or bleeding over this, but he doesn't want either side leaving unhappy, either.

"You're all people with reputations. Making a spectacle of yourselves over something so small would be downright embarrassing."

Quite a few people nodded in agreement. Others remained unconvinced.

"Easy for you to say," a burly 6th Street member grumbled. "If we just back off, how are we supposed to show our faces on the street?"

"Then we'll settle it the street's way. The strongest fists get the final say," Pantheon shot back. "Two contests. Whoever wins gets to call the shots. How's that?"

Both sides fell silent and communicated through exchanged looks. Before long, they'd reached an understanding.

The red-haired woman gave a cold snort.

"Fine, then. You think 6th Street is afraid of a challenge?"

José nodded from the other side. "The Valentinos accept, too."