"You guys already took out Faraday?" Early in the morning, in the Tavernier Suite, Karl was sitting on the couch waiting for V—who was on br
"You guys already took out Faraday?"
Early in the morning, in the Tavernier Suite, Karl was sitting on the couch waiting for V—who was on breakfast duty today—when he received a message from Maine's crew.
A few days ago, they had gone to Dogtown to hunt Faraday. After days of tracking, they finally found him early this morning and put him down for good.
Thinking it over, Karl sent a message back.
Karl: "I actually went to Dogtown too when you guys were after Faraday. Didn't spot you or him though. Was hoping we might run into each other. So you've been tracking him there the whole time?"
Maine: "You must've gone to that Sapphire lounge, huh? Everyone in Dogtown was talking about KK showing up there. No way Faraday or us were getting invited in. We were just combing the streets."
There was a pause before another long message came through.
Maine: "Faraday was hiding out in a Scav nest. Took us forever to find him. The Scavs in Dogtown are built different—way tougher than the city ones. I nearly got clipped by some ripper freaks harvesting kidneys. But we finally dragged that bastard out and finished him. He didn't even believe it was happening until the end. Honestly, if I didn't care about looking professional, I'd have spit on his corpse."
Karl: "Glad it ended well. So you're done there? Heading back to the city?"
Maine: "We've been going back and forth for resupply—Dogtown's not exactly cozy. After today, we're done with that place for a while. Not somewhere you wanna linger."
Karl: "On the bright side, you took out the guy who nearly got you killed. Once the word hits Afterlife, your crew's gonna earn some serious cred. Faraday might've been a snake, but he was a longtime fixer. Taking him out clean, with solid justification? You'll be heroes to half the mercs he's burned. Might even make some of the shadier fixers think twice before screwing around."
Maine: "Bet Oliver's one of those mercs cheering us on. You free tonight? Let's grab drinks at Afterlife—or Wild Dog, whatever. It's been a while since we all got together. Shame Brown and the others are stuck guarding that popstar Kiri. Otherwise, we'd have the full crew."
Karl hesitated for a second, then answered in a discreet way that wouldn't compromise any contract details.
Karl: "Got something going on. No free time lately."
Being mercs, Maine understood right away.
He knew Karl well enough—if he wasn't giving details, it meant he was on a job.
Maine: "Stay safe then. I'll back off. Say hi to Jack, Oliver, and V for me. If you ever need anything, call me. I'll drop everything and come running. You've helped us a ton—we owe you. Let us repay it."
Karl: "Count on it."
Just as he finished typing, Karl sensed someone approaching. He put his phone away and looked up.
It wasn't V with breakfast—it was Sesen, wrapped in a robe.
"Morning, Mr. Sesen."
"Morning, Karl."
This was day four of the bodyguard job. Aside from that one hiccup on the second day, everything had gone smoothly. Karl's team had protected Sesen throughout his meetings across the city without issue. By now, everyone was used to the rhythm, and mutual impressions had formed.
Karl's team thought Sesen was a good client—reasonable, respectful, and not the kind of corpo who acted superior. Working with him was easy.
On the flip side, Sesen had come to admire the team's professionalism. In his experience, Jack and Oliver were as skilled as any squad leaders he'd ever employed. And with Karl and V on board, Sesen genuinely believed they could fend off even someone like Adam Smasher, Ken Ichiro, or Goro Takemura.
He'd initially planned to hire Adam Smasher himself, but Michiko Arasaka had already booked him. In hindsight, maybe that was for the best. Karl's team had more heart, more energy—and the food was actually good.
Spending time with them made him feel younger, rekindling a drive he thought long buried.
But that chapter was coming to an end.
Originally, Sesen had intended to stay in Night City a bit longer—to prepare for contingencies in case he needed to move against Michiko. But her influence was spreading fast, and now troubling news had arrived from Japan. He had to return and enact a plan he'd been holding back.
"I'll be leaving Night City earlier than expected. The morning after tomorrow."
His words at breakfast caught everyone off guard.
"I'll make sure your payment's complete. But something urgent's come up—I have to head back for now. Shouldn't be more than a few months before I return."
He looked across the table at them all.
"When I come back… can I count on you to protect me again?"
Though surprised, Karl answered without hesitation.
"Of course."
He met Sesen's gaze—one filled with a subtle but unmistakable determination.
Then Karl added, with a faint grin:
"As long as the pay is good enough."
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