"Mr. Leo, forgive for being blunt, but have you all gone off topic? Whatever their reasoning, that’s not why I hired you. I only want one thing—have my son and his girlfriend rescued. That’s it."
The discussions in the VIP room ca to an abrupt halt. No one spoke again; everyone turned their attention to Leo and Jackie.
"Mr. González," Leo said, "since this job ca by way of Padre and Jackie, I’m of course willing to help you. But I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like being kept in the dark. If there’s anything you’re hiding, it’s best to tell us now—for everyone’s benefit."
The last guy who kept secrets was Faraday, a fixer from the Pacifica zone who had fled to Santo Domingo. Because of the incomplete intel he fed rcs, not dozens but nearly a hundred had ended up dead. In the end, he himself wound up in a pool of his own blood in so underground parking lot in Santo Domingo.
There are many fixers in Night City, but only a few have an outstanding reputation. rcs might work for fixers, but they’re not their slaves. It should always be a partnership, a contract—not a lopsided hierarchy. If soone thinks they’re above rcs just because they’re footing the bill, it’s only a matter of ti before they get burned.
Leo’s instincts told him Dante González was hiding sothing—sothing important. Plenty of rich tourists go to Tijuana. Why is it only your son who gets kidnapped?
Chances are, Dante had so past grudge with the Salamanca Cartel, and this kidnapping was retaliation. This clearly wasn’t a run-of-the-mill abduction.
He wasn’t so corner-store thug trying to hit the jackpot. He had a responsibility—to himself, to V, and to Lucy.
Dante’s face darkened with visible anger. He stood up abruptly.
"Mr. Leo, I’ve heard of you. You’re a well-known rc out of Afterlife. You’re not a legend yet, but even hearing your na makes the street thugs tremble. But I never expected even soone like you to be afraid of the Salamanca Cartel. What are you scared of? I’m not asking you to go toe-to-toe with them or assassinate their boss."
"I’m asking for sothing small—sothing insignificant. I admit, your analysis was spot on. The Salamanca Cartel doesn’t usually target foreign tourists. Under their rule, they even maintain basic order—better than the xican governnt, at least."
"But the Salamanca Cartel is still a criminal organization. Sure, maybe their leadership has rules and long-term interests they won’t jeopardize. Maybe so of them have college degrees and read books."
"But their mid- and low-tier mbers—especially the street thugs—are just that. Thugs. No different from the junkies and punks you see all over Night City."
"These losers don’t care about any of the logic you ntioned. Most of them can’t even spell their own nas."
"Can you believe it? It’s the goddamn year 2077, and there are still people who’ve never been to school, who can’t read. Hand them a novel and it might as well be written in Martian."
"You think those guys have the vision of Salamanca’s leadership? You think they’ll look at an isolated foreigner and not have any bad ideas? You think they follow orders like trained soldiers?"
"The Salamanca Cartel may have gathered them together, but thugs will always be thugs. They’ll never beco disciplined troops."
Dante’s chest heaved as he finished. He was clearly agitated.
Leo nodded slightly. "You make a valid point. That is indeed a possibility."
"Well then—"
"Unfortunately, if you continue to avoid telling us the truth and try to play gas with , there’s nothing I can do to help you."
Dante’s eyes bulged. He opened his mouth, seemingly about to curse, but then stopped—restraining himself. Silently fuming, he turned and stord out.
"Mr. González? Mr. González!" Jackie looked at Leo, offered an apologetic glance, then stood up and chased after him.
After both n left, V and Lucy finally turned to Leo. Neither had spoken up earlier, but now that it was just the three of them, V asked, "Leo, how do you know the Salamanca Cartel is targeting Dante specifically?"
"I don’t," Leo said calmly. "But my instincts tell this isn’t as simple as Dante claims and that is enough for ."
Lucy asked, "Why does it matter so much? If he just wants us to rescue his son, then we go to Tijuana and get the kid out, right?"
"No, Lucy. It’s not that simple. The reason I need to understand the real story is so I can assess how difficult the rescue will actually be."
The two won exchanged a look—both wearing the sa expression that said, "I didn’t get that—explain."
Leo smiled and clarified.
"If what Dante says is true—that just a couple of street thugs kidnapped his son—then I don’t believe he would have co to us through Jackie."
"He’s wealthy. Are you telling a man like that doesn’t have private security? His son and his son’s girlfriend went on vacation to a foreign country like xico—a country controlled by cartels—and he didn’t think to send a detail with them?"
Lucy still looked confused, but V, raised on the streets, was already beginning to understand.
"I get what you’re saying, Leo."
Lucy cut in, "Don’t leave out. What’s the point?"
Leo continued, "Dante’s rich, so he definitely sent bodyguards with his son. Lots of wealthy foreigners vacation in Tijuana. How do you distinguish a rich tourist from an average one? Aside from the clothes and the car, the big clue is the presence of security."
"The Salamanca Cartel’s low-tier goons may be poorly educated, but even they know what a bodyguard ans. Seeing a foreigner flanked by professionals would make them think twice."
"Thugs may be ignorant, but they’re not brainless. Even animals have a sense of fear toward predators. Thugs bully the weak and avoid the strong—it’s in their DNA."
Thanks to Leo’s breakdown, Lucy finally understood. If Dante’s story were true, and it was just lower-level gang mbers acting on impulse, there was no way they would have dared kidnap a foreigner protected by private security.
Thugs are cowards. If they could challenge real power, they wouldn’t be simple thugs at that point.
What Dante had said earlier—none of it added up. He had been intentionally avoiding the real issue: why his son had actually been targeted by the Salamanca Cartel.
Lucy now saw why Leo had gone on what initially seed like an unnecessary tangent.
But a new concern occurred to her.
"What if Dante never cos clean?"
Leo smiled, picked up a can of soda from the table, and took a sip. "Then there’s nothing we can do. Even if Jackie brought him to us, all I can do is express regret. You two wouldn’t want to work with a client who hides important facts, would you?"
Leo figured Dante was hiding a vendetta with the Salamanca Cartel. That grudge had likely gotten his son caught up in all this.
And Dante feared that, if Leo and the others learned the truth, they might refuse to take the job.
And if it really was too much trouble, they might. But if Dante kept hiding it entirely? Then it was a hard no.
Leo had no interest in being played for a fool.
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