Harford.
Not exactly a common surname—at least not in the modern New United States. But ask anyone in the military tech industry, and they'd instantly think of one man:
Lucas Harford, CEO of Militech.
A corporate titan. One of the most powerful figures in the world.
Karl had been right. The reason Lucius Raines no longer feared Arasaka? He had someone backing him. But no one would've guessed that the man pulling strings behind Night City's mayor... was Militech's CEO himself.
Unlike his predecessor—now-president Rosalind Myers—who tried to subjugate Night City with brute force, Lucas Harford took a different approach. He preferred soft infiltration. Another corporate war with Arasaka? Not worth the loss. Compared to that, buying off a mayor was a bargain.
Raines, increasingly frustrated with Arasaka's dominance, happily changed sides. Now a triple agent—once aligned with the Free States, then Arasaka, and now Militech.
It didn't matter who held the leash, as long as he stayed mayor. Arasaka wasn't bad, per se, but at the end of the day, he was a North American man—and Militech gave him more room to breathe.
After reporting the day's incident to Lucas Harford, Raines got exactly what he wanted.
Harford promised another massive campaign contribution—enough to crush his rivals in the media and dominate the polls.
It was just what Raines had hoped for. After a few well-practiced words of gratitude, he ended the secure call, made through a Militech orbital relay.
The cloud of today's "incident" was gone. He was once again the confident, bloated mayor beloved—or at least tolerated—by the public.
Time to enjoy the night.
He left the club's private, soundproof communications suite—custom-built for sensitive discussions—and headed to a room reserved under Wilton Holt's anonymous membership card. Even if it were exposed later, nothing would trace back to him.
Inside, he found the braindance chip already prepared—meant to help him unwind before the night's planned entertainment.
But he didn't plug it in immediately. He was still riding the high from the call. That kind of donation opened up all sorts of possibilities. He needed to think—how best to use the money, what he might owe in return.
He lit a cigar.
Militech's support wasn't free. There would be expectations.
And now, it was time to pull the Badlands from NCPD jurisdiction.
Militech already held sway over Night City's outer zones. If Raines surrendered the Badlands too, their corporate perimeter would be complete. Arasaka's last North American stronghold would be encircled. If war came again, it would be the first to fall.
A favor like that? Militech would be pleased.
Raines puffed calmly on his cigar—completely unaware that someone was watching from the ceiling above.
"He's still not using it? Seriously? We rushed to rig that BD with a kill virus, and now he's just sitting there smoking?" Oliver grumbled from the surveillance car, eyes locked on the feed streaming from a teammate's cyberoptic. "He's already in post-nut clarity mode before even starting. Is this guy broken?"
"What if he never plugs in?" Oliver went on. "The whole thing's supposed to look like a heart attack from BD-induced shock. But if he skips the BD, and the sex doll shows up, he finishes his fun, wipes her memory, and that's it. Mission blown."
Karl cut in, voice calm. "If he won't do it himself, we'll help him."
Their objective was clear: Holt had delivered Raines to the Red Queen's Race. Now it was up to Karl's team to ensure the mayor "died of a heart attack" after using a corrupted BD.
And if he refused to cooperate?
They'd act.
They were already inside. The suite's soundproofing was top-grade. No one would hear a thing.
No need for theatrics. Karl preferred simple solutions.
"Hello."
Lost in thought, Raines suddenly heard a voice—one that shouldn't be there.
He instinctively turned toward the source—then froze, eyes wide.
The ceiling panel had been pried open. Under the club's moody red lighting, a figure dropped down, its silhouette tinted a dark crimson.
Who the hell—?!
But instincts overruled curiosity.
Raines bolted toward a nearby chair—beneath it, a panic button.
"Ah, ah, not so fast."
Raines moved with surprising speed for a man his size—but not enough. His intent was too obvious.
"Jackie. Restrain him."
"You're not even gonna bother doing it yourself?" Jackie muttered, stepping forward.
In a flash, the man was at Raines' side. His massive hands clamped down on the mayor's shoulders—like iron chains.
Raines couldn't move an inch.
Shit.
He knew those names. He knew those voices.
Jackie... and—
"Karl?!"
He shouted in disbelief, but his voice couldn't breach the suite's acoustic seal. It echoed hollowly, unheard by anyone outside.
"Oh great, nice job, Jackie," Karl said dryly. "I had a face mod on. Way to shout my name."
"You said my name first, asshole."
"Did I?"
Karl didn't care.
His disguise flickered off. His real face returned—and Raines' horror deepened.
Karl picked up the BD chip from the table and gave him a calm, practiced smile.
"Brace yourself. Just a little pain. It'll be over before you know it... Mr. Raines."
He didn't need the mayor to plug it in.
Forced insertion worked just as well.
-
-
-
🔥 Cyberpunk: The Relentless
📢 Chooms, Jack In! 📢
Cyberpunk: The Relentless has 500+ chapters ahead available on Patreon! 💾🔥
Night City doesn't wait—and neither should you.
🛑 Also on Patreon:
Star Wars: The Rise of Mandalore
Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort
Dragon King of Ice and Fire
Cyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a System
My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator
My Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew?
The Rebirth of Harry Potter
Star Wars: Relics of the Past
R18: Reincarnated in Her World
🔗 www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus👤 SrMagnus🐦 https://x.com/SrMagnusBook
⚠️ Power Stones decide update priority.