Cyberpunk: I'm Not a Scavenger - Chapter 51: Aldecaldos (Patreon)

When Panam’s “warhorse” rolled back into camp, several nomads working on their vehicles set down their tools and greeted her warmly. But their expressions turned wary when they noticed the second vehicle following her.

If Panam hadn’t been such a familiar face in the clan, Pantheon probably wouldn’t have been allowed in so easily.

City dwellers looked down on nomads, dismissing them as thieves, bandits, and savages. Nomads had just as little respect for city folk, whom they saw as swindlers and pampered rich kids. In fact, “Nomads” had originally been a derogatory label. They usually called themselves “Itinerants.”

“Panam, were you in town looking for work again? Who’s this?”

The question came from a middle-aged nomad in olive-green coveralls, who looked Pantheon up and down.

“Hey, Mitch. This is King, one of Night City’s top mercenaries.”

Panam clapped Pantheon on the shoulder as she introduced him.

“He’s my partner for this job. Don’t worry, you can trust him.”

Even with Panam vouching for him, the others stayed on guard. They had been burned too many times before. Mitch clearly trusted Panam’s judgment more and greeted Pantheon with a cheerful smile.

Pantheon had expected this reception and come prepared. Ignoring the stares of the others, he walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk.

Clatter!

The instant he opened the trunk, the precariously balanced pile of parts spilled out. Along with car parts and water-filter cartridges the clan desperately needed, there were several well-maintained Power rifles, crates of ammunition, and bloodstained cyberware implants.

To assemble this little gift, Pantheon had been forced to revisit his old profession. The nomads swallowed hard as the parts rolled to their feet.

“A little something for our first meeting.”

Pantheon picked up a rifle and tossed it to Mitch.

“If everything goes smoothly, there’ll be an even bigger gift when we’re done.”

The contract only required them to retrieve the main cargo. It said nothing about anything else. So nobody could blame Pantheon for using the rest to win a few friends.

Mitch caught the rifle, worked the bolt with practiced ease, and grinned at its crisp mechanical click.

“Nice piece. You’re pretty generous.”

He handed the rifle to someone else, crossed his arms, and leaned against the truck.

“Panam, don’t tell me you sold yourself to get all this.”

“Fuck off.”

Panam swore at him with a laugh, then explained why they had come.

“The Wraiths hijacked a corporate shipment and went into hiding. We need your help finding them.”

The moment Mitch heard they were going after the Wraiths, he burst out laughing and agreed before Panam could finish.

Every tribe and clan had its rules, but there were always people who refused to follow them. Outcasts expelled from their clans had kept to their old ways and gradually banded together under the name Raffen Shiv. The Raffen Shiv roamed the Badlands, ambushing unsuspecting travelers, corporate convoys, and even other nomad camps.

They were responsible for much of the bad reputation nomads suffered. The Wraiths operating on Night City’s outskirts were one of their offshoots.

“Come on, let’s talk inside.”

Mitch led the way eagerly. One quick-thinking nomad had already returned with cold beer. Pantheon accepted a bottle and gave the man an approving smile. This kid had potential.

After hearing Panam’s account, Mitch sent for Old Hawk. Saul, the clan’s leader, arrived with him.

“Panam, you’ve finally done something worthwhile this time.”

Saul added a few more remarks, then noticed Panam losing patience and turned toward Pantheon.

“Mr. King, these supplies mean a great deal to us. Thank you for your generosity. The clan will do everything it can to help with this operation.”

Saul spoke gravely, making no effort to hide his hatred for the Wraiths. There was no settling the feud between the nomad clans and the Wraiths. They might not even be needed in the fighting, but they could certainly help clear the battlefield afterward.

Old Hawk, meanwhile, searched his memory before speaking slowly.

“There’s a mine near the I-7 junction. My parents worked there when I was little. It runs deep and has all kinds of branching passages. If the Wraiths hole up in there, finding them won’t be easy. And there’s a small water source deep inside. It’s a strong defensive position.”

Everyone frowned as they listened.

“Are there any other exits to the mine?”

Old Hawk thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“There was only one exit back then. But after all these years, who knows?”

Silence fell over the tent. Even Pantheon wasn’t sure how to proceed.

“Could you show us where the mine is? Whatever happens, we need to see the place for ourselves.”

...

“This should be the area Old Hawk mentioned.”

Panam studied the road as it came to an end, switched off the engine, and climbed out.

Pantheon narrowed his eyes at a barren hill in the distance, its outline resembling the back of some enormous beast.

“Hide the car. We’ll walk over there. If the Wraiths are using this place as their hideout, they’ll have prepared for intruders.”

Besides Pantheon and Panam, Mitch and the others had come along as well. Living alongside the Wraiths in the Badlands, they knew far more about the gang than Pantheon did.

“Wait, look at the ground.”

Scorpion suddenly stopped the group and pointed to an inconspicuous mark on the ground. He crouched and examined it with a finger.

“Fresh. Less than half an hour old. They’ve got patrols out.”

So the mysterious hooded man knew a thing or two after all.

Pantheon nodded and scrambled up to higher ground to scout ahead.

“No point looking. They’ve already spotted us.”

Mitch sighed as a Wyvern emerged from behind the hillside.

Instead of attacking, it circled above their heads, almost as if mocking them.

Pantheon wasn’t about to put up with that.

[Dead Eye]! [Edgerunner]! [Quick Start]! [Zero-Frame Start]! [Quick Draw]!

His Wingman was in his hand in the blink of an eye. He raised it and fired three rapid shots.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The smug little Wyvern came crashing down before it had even finished showing off.

“Man...”

The others heard the drone hit the ground before they had time to react.

“They’re up ahead! Move!”

Panam followed Pantheon instinctively. After the battle at the gas station, she had come to trust his abilities and obeyed without hesitation. Mitch and the others quickly followed suit.

Once they crossed the ridge, they spotted an opening in the steep slope opposite them, hidden beneath camouflage netting and loose rocks. The ground outside was littered with tire tracks and footprints. It looked as though the Wraiths had withdrawn completely into the mine.