The Fall of Icarus (Cyberpunk)

The two guys didn't keep me waiting for long. Ten minutes later, they were standing next to me with slightly flushed faces. Clearly, the guys were in a hurry, but that was even better. Every minute counts now, and who knows what could happen to Sue in this short time. The Maelstromers are quick to act, and their patience is not endless; not everyone can tolerate the mentor's whims…

"I see you're ready. Did you inform Kiwi?" I peel away from the wall of the house, crossing my arms over my chest.

"We forgot!"

"Alright, I'll send her a message so she doesn't worry." I quickly compose a message, asking her not to be concerned, and after sending the crucial lines of text, I turn my gaze back to the guys. "So, here's the plan... We infiltrate the docks' territory discreetly, I'll hack into the local surveillance system and set up a route for you. We search for Sue's possible whereabouts, and if we find her, we try to rescue her. My task is to keep the gangsters from noticing you. If any unclear situation arises, don't panic and hide. I'll come for you, and we'll escape together. If we can't rescue the girl on our own, we'll have to go to Wakako Okada. I've got her number, and I'll contact her if necessary."

"Why don't we just ask her for help right away?" Han asked.

"Because in that case, there's a chance they'll use Susan as a human shield. Rescue operations are considered the most challenging for this reason." I briefly explain the reasons for my decision to spare the kids unnecessary questions.

To be honest, I wouldn't have taken them with me if I didn't realize that I couldn't handle this alone. The docks are almost three kilometers away, and it's easier to get there on foot. By six o'clock in the evening, the city was filled with cars stuck in endless traffic jams, stretching from one end of the city to the other. With our speed, we would reach the desired location in about half an hour. Taking the subway wasn't an option for the same reason, and I didn't want us to lose each other in the crowd of people rushing home.

We had to move at a slow jog, which wasn't too strenuous, and the trained kids were handling this kind of physical exertion just fine. On the way to the port, we managed to encounter numerous gang groups patrolling the area diligently. Apparently, something very serious was about to happen, and it would happen in the coming days, if not sooner.

I didn't want to get involved in this kind of skirmish, and most likely, that's exactly what it was. But we had no choice at the moment. The life of the mentor, who had truly become dear to me, was at stake. Given my current situation, I owed her entirely, and I wanted to repay that debt, even if Susan insists that she doesn't owe me anything...

"What are we going to do next?" Shiro leaned against the wall, hiding in the shadow of the building. The boy, like his brother, was now catching his breath after our little marathon. 

"I'll find a safe spot and try to access the local surveillance system. Even if the cameras have security, it's unlikely to be as strong as the city's defenses. You two should rest and recover your strength for now."

The guys nodded in agreement and sat down near the wall, staring blankly into the distance. They were clearly deep in thought, and I didn't want to disturb them. To start, I attempted to launch the "request" script, which would send to my wrist device the location of all available access points transmitting information in real-time. I launched the script through the nearest antenna-transmitter, located on the roof of the neighboring warehouse.

After a dozen seconds, the device received data that I didn't quite like. There were about 30 live signatures in the warehouse area, indicating a large guard presence. Susan had clearly done a number on the Maelstrom's legs, or so you'd think, given the horde of cutthroats guarding her. There were twenty-one cameras set up around the area, which I could freely connect to; I just needed to perform a remote hack, which I got started on.

"Piece of cake," I smiled, cracking the security system in just a couple of seconds. "Now, let's see..."

Activating the visor on my glasses and cross-referencing with the satellite map of the area to plan a rough route. The thugs had spread out quite carelessly across the area. I immediately found a couple of spots where the guys could easily slip through, but one notable gap caught my attention. It was a hole in the fence through which Han and Shiro could easily crawl. It was located behind the warehouse complex and was the least guarded. There were two cameras there, but that wouldn't be a problem. I'd just run a looped feed, thus allowing my friends to pass by unnoticed.

After scanning all possible cameras, I found the car we were looking for on one of them. It was parked inside warehouse number "4", which was the furthest from us. The girl was most likely held there, in one of the utility rooms. Of course, there's always a chance that there's a hidden room inside, but I was hoping for less drastic measures of detention. Along the way, I had to mark each target, attaching a tracking beacon to them, to monitor the movement of opponents through the map. I'd have to keep a lot of information in mind, but I had to cope, no other way.

"Guys, are you ready?" I interrupted the session briefly, addressing the silent brothers. 

They nodded, slowly getting up from the ground.

"Great, let's start with a briefing. I'll lead the way first, and only then do you move forward. Only after my command, understood?" I saw another nod and continued. "All in all, these creeps are pretty relaxed, which means they're not expecting guests right now, and that works in our favor. Your bracelets support a secure communication channel and also serve as a kind of relay for me, simplifying hacking. If you find yourselves in a place without cameras, you'll have to be much more cautious. My capabilities will be quite limited in that case... Now, let's get to work, it's time to act..."