IDKjust
patreon
Chapter 257 c
🕑 Added 2025-05-30 15:05:04 +0000 UTCChapter 257 c
The rest of the Raffen Shiv instinctively took cover behind vehicles or other obstacles. Though they weren’t professional soldiers, they had been in plenty of firefights on the Badlands—against corp convoys, border patrols, and nomads alike. Anyone too slow to react had long since ended up dead.
“Shit, we’ve been ambushed.”
“Did the client sell us out?”
“Maybe yes, maybe no.”
“We need to get out of here.”
“No. There’s only one enemy—take him out.”
The one who said that had barely finished his sentence when his head exploded in a spray of blood.
“From that direction! Open fire!”
One pointed toward where the shot had come from, and several immediately rose and returned fire in that direction. Bullets streaked through the night, bright arcs slicing the darkness like glowing whips, kicking up clouds of dust.
“Move!”
While a few kept up suppressing fire, others rose from cover and tried to flank the sniper from another angle. But halfway through the maneuver, a barrel extended from a nearby rooftop.
In the next moment, gunfire erupted—smart rounds tore through the air, hitting their targets with surgical precision. Those advancing Raffen Shiv didn’t even have time to scream before collapsing into corpses.
The rest were thrown into a panic.
“There’s more of them?!”
Gunshots echoed through the night as the Raffen Shiv kept falling one by one, never even laying eyes on the enemy. Finally, one broke under the fear and pressure, screaming as he flung open a car door and scrambled inside.
“I’m outta here! I’m not dying here!”
Once one bolted, the rest followed. The ones still hiding behind cover saw their comrades retreating and panicked—scrambling to get into the vehicles as well.
Gunfire continued throughout, leaving even more bodies in its wake. Eventually, the remaining Raffen Shiv all piled into the vehicles.
“Drive! Go, go, go!”
The engines roared to life, and the convoy tore out of town in a frenzy. But just as they were about to cross the town limits, a sudden EMP pulse erupted from the ground, sweeping in all directions. Onboard dashboards and electronic systems crackled with sparks, while the Raffen Shiv inside slumped like drunks, paralyzed in place.
The vehicles veered off-course, crashing haphazardly into roadside structures and coming to a stop.
At the town's edge, Leo appeared on the road, holding a Nekomata tech sniper rifle, calmly taking aimed shots at the paralyzed Raffen Shiv inside the cars. The Nekomata’s firepower was far more than enough to penetrate their unarmored vehicles—these weren’t military-grade after all, just lightly reinforced junk.
And with the Raffen Shiv stunned by the EMP, unable to even twitch, they were sitting ducks—Leo dispatched them one by one with ease. Soon, every last one lay dead in the car. The fight was over.
Still, Leo swept his tactical goggles around to scan the area. Only when he was sure there were no survivors did he send the all-clear signal to the others.
V and Lucy emerged from their respective ambush positions. Panam climbed down from the rooftop where she’d been posted. The moment her boots hit the ground, she beelined straight for her vehicle, yanked the dead Raffen Shiv out of the driver’s seat, and dropped into it with a satisfied sigh.
Leo slung his Nekomata over his shoulder and approached. “Satisfied now?”
As he spoke, his eyes briefly drifted to the multiple bullet holes in the vehicle—clear evidence of where the Nekomata had hit. But he pretended not to notice and looked back at Panam.
Sitting at the wheel, hands gripping it tightly, Panam held her breath for a moment, then suddenly said, “I’m telling you, this isn’t over.”
Leo frowned. His first reaction was that Panam was about to go back on her word. But he quickly realized that wasn’t her style. It wasn’t just about trust—she was a nomad. Unless she planned on heading back to Aldecaldos immediately, she’d still need to make a living in the city. She couldn’t afford to cross someone like Leo lightly. There was no point, and only downside.
He decided to stay patient and asked, “Not over? Didn’t you get your stuff back?”
“But that bastard Nash never showed up. He hid.”
Seeing the clenched fury on her face, Leo understood instantly—Panam was the type who didn’t believe in letting grudges wait till tomorrow.
“You want us to go all the way to Nash’s hideout and finish the job? That wasn’t part of the deal. We agreed to help you get your wheels and cargo back—nothing about revenge.”
Panam knew she didn’t have the high ground here. The original terms hadn’t included anything about going after Nash. But she’d assumed he’d show up for the meet with the buyer. She hadn’t expected him to pawn the job off on others.
She threw a quick glance at Leo, trying to hide her guilt, but still said loudly, “So if it’s not in the contract, you won’t do it? Just help me kill Nash.....Please”
V and Lucy stayed quiet, both looking at Leo, waiting for his response. For them, it didn’t really matter. After everything they’d been through—taking down Arasaka’s spec-ops squads included—some Raffen Shiv were barely worth mentioning. So other than wasting a bit of time it didn't matter to them.
Leo looked hesitant, as if torn. But in truth, he’d already made up his mind to help Panam. The reason was simple—same as what V and Lucy thought. A gang like the Raffen Shiv posed no threat to them. They could be wiped out with minimal effort. He just wanted Panam to feel like he was doing her a huge favor.
Seconds ticked by as the scent of blood drifted through the wind. Panam’s eyes stayed locked on Leo, heart pounding like a drum, anxious for his answer.
Just when she was about to ask again, Leo finally spoke.
“Where’s their hideout? How far?”
Panam lit up. “Not far. Just around the bend. There’s an unfinished highway nearby—we take that, and at the end there’s a tunnel. They’re holed up in there… and thanks.”
The last word came out awkwardly. Clearly, she wasn’t used to saying it.
They moved out immediately. Leo, V, and Lucy got back into the Delamain cab, while Panam took the off-roader she had reclaimed from the Raffen Shiv. It was a solid vehicle. Cars built for the Badlands had to be modified for harsh terrain, and Panam had clearly put time into hers—armor plating on the exterior, full desert mod package.
While it didn’t quite compare to a Militech-grade armored SUV, it was high-tier protection for the Badlands. She’d even mounted a rapid-fire autocannon on the roof. Compared to the patrol turrets they’d seen at the border, this one packed a lot more punch—enough to rip through building walls like paper. Against it, a human body was just a ragdoll.
The only reason it hadn’t become a problem during the fight was the EMP Leo had set beforehand—had it been active, it might’ve given them some trouble.
Panam’s vehicle and the others left behind by the Raffen Shiv were still there, but at Leo’s suggestion, she called Mitch and Scorpion to come retrieve them—along with the bodies. The Raffen Shiv’s cars weren’t great, but nomads could make use of anything. As for the corpses, the implants still inside them would fetch a price, even if the Aldecaldos had no use for them directly.
This wasn’t scavenger behavior. Scavs hunted the living, even cut deals with ambulances to hijack patients bound for the hospital. These Raffen Shiv were already dead—better their gear go to the Aldecaldos than rot in the sun or get picked apart by random looters.
Besides, Leo trusted the Aldecaldos would cremate the bodies after removing the implants. That was far better than leaving them to decay in the open.
Comments
Gabriel Teets
So adding another girl for Leo affection huh well I do like panam
