[David: Big bro, we got the person. We're heading to the location you gave us.]
[Lier: Did you run into trouble?]
[David: A little, but we've taken care of it.]
[Lier: Good work.]
By now, Lier had brought everyone to River's safe house, a shabby little place no one used on the edge of Santo Domingo.
After checking the surroundings and the network, Lier messaged River:
[Lier: This place is pretty good. When are you coming over?]
[River: I found the cop you mentioned. She'll be here soon.]
[River: You're the first person to say this place is good. NCPD doesn't have the budget, so I paid for everything myself. It's ugly, but it's definitely safe.]
[Lier: I meant it's safe.]
Hiroto from the Tyger Claws knelt in the living room, his face bruised and swollen. His malfunctioning cyberware still trembled.
Ivan sat ramrod straight on the sofa, barely daring to breathe.
V pulled a pack of Rainbow Manticores out of the fridge and tossed it to Jackie, then kept rummaging. Jackie cracked one open and started handing out drinks, then took the High-Energy Biscuits Lier had given him and began chewing.
Lier pointed Ivan toward the Manticores and grabbed a can for himself. "Drink up. Take a break."
"Th-thanks." Ivan was starving. His leg had been cut off, he'd lost blood, and he hadn't eaten. He grabbed the food on the table and stuffed it into his mouth, looking like a Badlands Cook.
"Tell me what you were doing in Kabuki District and how you got mixed up with the Tyger Claws."
"I had stall number thirteen. I used to sell, uh, regular braindance equipment. I'm licensed. You can look up the number at City Hall."
"Forget it. I don't care about that. What did you do for the