Gearbound: Cyberpunk 2077-Chapter 222

Fingers didn't look a day over forty, but his appearance redefined the word "creepy." Thin, short, and wiry, he looked like one of those doll-like henchmen from a dark fairy tale. Around his neck hung a collar-like ornament, and he wore nothing but a flimsy vest—if it could even be called that. It was practically just fishnet.

Sure, Cloud's girls wore fishnet outfits too, but the difference was they actaully looked good in it. Here it looked.....out of place.

Leo sat down in the chair across from Fingers. V and Lucy stood behind him, while Jackie stood guard at the office door with his arms crossed.

Judy paced nervously back and forth.

"You're looking for that girl—Evelyn Parker, right? Pardon me for asking, but did Woodman send you?"

Evelyn was one of the premium dolls at Clouds. Under normal circumstances, someone like Fingers wouldn't even dream of touching her. So when Leo's crew came in asking for Evelyn by name, Fingers could only assume that Woodman had changed his mind and wanted her back.

But he had already… done what he'd done.

Seeing Fingers' eyes darting suspiciously, Leo didn't bother playing games.

"That's none of your concern. All you need to know is, we have nothing to do with Clouds."

"Oh, right, almost forgot to mention—Woodman's no longer in charge at Clouds. He's not feeling well. I don't think he'll be handling any business ever again."

Fingers stiffened slightly and studied Leo again. But his gaze was like a thick fog—impossible to read.

Fingers sighed. He didn't know exactly who these people were, but anyone able to run a clinic on Jig-Jig Street needed at least a decent sense for danger. And right now, that sense was screaming at him. He could tell which people you could mess with, and which you absolutely couldn't.

"Poor girl… I really wanted to help her. But you can see for yourself—this place isn't exactly state of the art."

"You said you couldn't help her. Why not? Be specific."

"If I knew how, she'd be standing here smiling right now," Fingers paused, then continued, "Her chip's command register was completely burned out. I tried replacing it, but no luck."

"A Netrunner did it? Using some kind of custom malware?"

"That's possible."

"And then? What did you do with her?"

Fingers shifted uncomfortably. "She stayed here for four days, didn't move at all. Spent the whole time locked inside her BDs. When I realized I couldn't fix her, I patched her up the best I could and made a call to my fixer."

Jackie couldn't help but snort with laughter. "You? You've got a fixer?"

Of course Fingers had a fixer. Everyone did. People like him—those who constantly ran into trouble—were a fixer's bread and butter.

Leo didn't say a word. He just gave Fingers a look, signaling him to keep going.

Finger's face flushed slightly, but he didn't argue.

"I called my fixer, and that same day, two people came and took her away."

"Who did you call? Who's your fixer?"

"Okada Wakako. Queen of Westbrook."

Jig-Jig Street was right next to Clouds, and part of Japantown. So it made perfect sense for Fingers to call a local fixer. Wakako wasn't a good person, but as long as you didn't cross her and were willing to pay, she could be… reliable. At least, for cases like Fingers.

For people like Diana, who Biotechnica had to silence, Wakako wouldn't lift a finger.

"And what did you say to her?"

"I told her I had a broken doll—equipped with a full Clouds behavioral chip and top-shelf braindance implants. Everything was in great condition… except the command register. I figured that would still make her worth something."

"You said two people came to get Evelyn. Where'd they take her?"

"I don't know. They weren't the chatty type. I'm not stupid. I know when to keep my mouth shut."

As soon as he finished speaking, Judy—who had been quietly listening this whole time—snapped like a feral cat.

"Not stupid? You seriously think that? You think these girls come to you because you're good-looking? Or kind? They come here because they have no other choice. Deep down, they despise you. They see you for the miserable bastard you are."

Her words were harsh.

Even someone like Fingers, who was used to crawling through Night City's trash heaps, couldn't remain unaffected. But maybe because of the threat Leo and his crew posed, he swallowed his pride and brushed imaginary dust from his thigh to mask his emotions.

Leo continued. "You remember what those two looked like, don't you?"

"They were the kind of people nobody dares look at straight. One of them had a full beard."

"And when they were taking her, they didn't mention where they were going or what they were planning to do?"

"They mentioned black BDs. Something about moths and skulls. Said she'd be a good fit. I can guess what kind of people Wakako sent—probably a crew that shoots illegal braindance smut. They wanted her to be an actress."

Fingers swallowed hard. "That's all I know, I swear. I really don't know anything else."

Judy glared at him furiously.

"And you just handed her over like a plastic doll, didn't even think twice?!"

Fingers looked guilty, but he also had his excuses.

"What else could I do, girl? Let's be real—I can't take care of a broken doll. Even if I wanted to, I don't have the means. And how was I supposed to know you'd come looking for her? If I'd known, I'd have kept her. You know I would've."

Judy fell silent, that burning weight in her chest hard to describe. But it sat heavy all the same.

"I need air."

She turned and headed for the door. Jackie, standing nearby, stepped aside to let her pass.

Fingers lowered his head, clearly unsettled. He tried to appear calm, but the way his leg kept twitching gave him away. He was terrified.

Leo gave him one last long look, then stood up.

The sudden motion startled Fingers so badly he fell out of his chair and landed flat on his ass.

But to his surprise, Leo didn't touch him.

Instead, he gestured to the others to leave and walked out with V, Lucy, and Jackie.

"...Huh..."

Fingers was overwhelmed with relief. It was like a wave of euphoria washed over him—he felt as if he'd just dodged a bullet.

But he was also confused. He had thought Leo would at least rough him up. Maybe even kill him.

So why didn't he do anything?

…

Outside the operating room, the dolls waiting in line were still sitting on the lounge couches. When they saw Leo and his crew exit, they instinctively made room, avoiding them entirely.

"Leo… are we really just gonna walk away like that?"

Jackie turned back and spoke into the squad comms. Judy wasn't on this channel—it was just the four of them.

So he wasn't worried she'd hear.

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