“Data sufficient. Bonus added,” confirmation message arrived and extra money brought smile to my lips.

I was so ready to take a much needed break. The jobs I pulled after the academy were not exactly easy. Nothing was anymore. Turns out, disabling the perimeter defences landed people in lists of most wanted. Not the warm and fuzzy ones.

What an overreaction! Nobody died. Nor had even been threatened. This could simply be treated as a drill if not for the nervous types.

As a result, I did not end up visiting any clinics. Had to source medicine from questionable alleys. At least they worked. For a while it didn’t seem like they would.

“Sensitive job. Triple pay,” a following message announced. Same guy.

Odd. He ought to have a lot at his disposition already. The commissions have been a little atypical too. Branching out into those other cities?

Travelling was egregiously dangerous, as well as a somewhat restricted affair. To avoid scrutiny, I had to secretly board transporters way out there in the wilderness, then find alternative ways back into the human bastions. All whilst avoiding getting eaten by exotic fauna – or shot.

Some days I missed being on good terms with reliable identity forgers. Alas, that avenue would be pointless anyhow. My faces and the build were widely known now. I hadn’t languidly explored the news, but it was best to assume the worst. By now even the lousiest militiaman would have pieced together the surveillance recordings into a seamless timeline of their incompetence.

Unimportant details. I was promised triple. Maybe I can rest after just one more job.

“Particulars?” I sent.

“Sensitive. In person.”

“Ahh-h,” I exhaled a disappointed croak and tiredly plopped backwards on my frayed mat. There is no triple pay. Probably not even a bonus.

Demand was all too telling at this point of our business relationship. Especially coupled with the last task that intended to march me through all the checkpoints. Some agency was sat on this guy’s nape this very second.

This was such a good regular, too! Why can’t these people have a basic level of adequacy and not get caught?!

No, can’t think like this. Moneybags doing an awful job of keeping their affairs secret made my life simpler, too. I just regretted it wasn’t me who’s found something shady up their ass and passed it along to interested parties. Kudos to whoever that did though, and may they break their necks. Damn competitors.

“Advance,” I idly sent my demand without ever planning to follow through.

“Transferred.”

I frowned at the only source of light. Surprising. And not.

For all intents and purposes, the money was still fully theirs. The account has been created for this sole purpose and was in the client’s name. After all, a shady broker couldn’t have such an easily traceable ledger or declare the income from espionage. Not one as fresh as me. I had to visit the bank and, quoting the unreasonably long digits, request a cash withdrawal whilst pretending the account was my own.

Currently? A precarious affair. All locations had to be under heavy surveillance. Ensnarement a hireling was trickier to pull off when it was but a simple businessman. Government, however, had all the manpower to sit on every branch and also the ATMs.

They must really want me. To risk all that money, as well as organise a stakeout that probably spanned several cities. They couldn’t possibly know where I am. My bet – they still assumed the previous location.

Regardless of all that, I had absolutely no intention of letting them keep what’s mine.

Down in the slum’s snake ways, I’ve gathered up some desperate waifs. Normally, the trick was to find someone who wouldn’t immediately run off with the haul – but in this occasion, that didn’t even matter. I just wanted to irk the powers-that-be. With some luck, a speedy vagrant or two might even succeed to relieve the government of some funds. Survivability against all odds was their sole skill, after all.

After I’ve finished explaining the situation, one of the hoodlums tried to get smart, “And why we gonna stick our necks out for some imaginary cash? Hand that thing over!”

Sighed at the predictability of these people and shot an approaching speaker in the leg, lest the others get similar idea. My oratory abilities have noticeably declined after an injury went untreated. I used a device speak for me now. Electronic prize right in front of their impoverished eyes was understandably hard to resist.

“Coordinate. Strike all at once. Spread them thin,” electronic voice reiterated as I mashed the buttons with a free hand.

Faces around me were tainted with reluctance, but I knew they would go for it regardless of risk. These people have embarked on far worse endeavours for much less. My bounty was near impossible to say no to, as I didn’t risk getting eaten by monsters for pocket change.

“No ID card this time?” a gaunt man asked as though we’ve had dealings before. I hadn’t committed him into my memory, which meant he didn’t do outstandingly well nor badly. Promising. And potentially dangerous to return here in the likely case he gets caught.

This scoundrel wanted to grab an entire thing all at once. My scant contacts aside, this exercise would require entering the bank and not leaving.

I shook the head and he huffed, “Shame. Distraction would be nice.”

So it would. An intelligent hoodlum. Perhaps he wasn’t as single-serving as I had assumed both times. People behind him seemed to hang on the bedraggled man’s every word too. This guy could be a local leader of some sort. I rummaged in my pockets and handed the wretch several of my vials.

“Exp-lossives,” colourless voice hiccupped and I gritted the teeth. Even through electronic means I didn’t always escape my impairment. “Shatter.”

“Thank you,” he said after a stunned moment.

“Weak. Smoke, mostly.”

“Got it. Thank you.”

My eyes stayed on the mystified expression but all I’ve gathered was that it has been a waste of resources. And a bad idea. As if I needed an added charge of munitions distribution when these amateurs will inevitably get caught. I suppose, that sentence can’t get much worse.

Tossed chief hoodlum a dismantled handgun too and left the slum rats to tackle their trapped cheese. I wasn’t going near any of the cash machines personally, so there was time to kill. Days, potentially. Or weeks. Depends how low I needed to lay.

In other words, a break. I could work on reviving my warhorse in the meantime. Operating without it has been challenging.

I was eager to check out the pawnshops. Hadn’t visited any for a while. Did not have the necessary funds for all the right components, but by now I was willing to give lower-end substitutes a chance.

Excitedly scanned a display and found a particular processor still waiting for me. I smiled at it like a friend. The muscle crowding the doorway must have caught that and hideously frowned in response. Terrible customer service here. Regardless, business must be booming – the pudgy sentinel was even larger today. He perfectly filled his role as impenetrable security system. When that food chipper stood at the ingress, the hope of getting out was non-existent.