PROLOGUE PART 2:
JACKIE WELLES
The 'Caravan' at the so called 'Farm' was an absolute shit sty. Covered in empty bottles and discarded food packaging and empty crumpled cups. Everything was on the floor thrown wherever they could be bothered to get rid of it. She was guessing no one lived here at present as the door was on the floor with the rubbish. She had a quick look around and noticed a bundle of notes which she pocketed. As well as a ammo container full of shotgun ammunition. But that was about it.
She looked down at the seated man. V looked him over carefully studying the man. Her eyes immediately went to the gold plated pistol he was lazily holding onto. It wasn't pointed at her so that at least was a good start. Jackie Welles was every bit the typical solo mercenary and gang goon. He was sat on a filthy caravan chair bench with his left leg rested upon a black box in front of him. The box was undoubtedly the cargo they had been contracted to deliver. The man was square jawed with a cleft in his chin. He appeared to be around late twenties at a guess.
"Oh was worried I'd have to turn to farming. Eh. Sure hope you're here for me." The big man said jokingly before she had a chance to speak.
He wore a black Edgerunner jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows revealing a colorful tattoo on his left forearm and the back of his left hand. He wore numerous gold bracelets on his wrist. V reckoned he would be about six foot six when he was fully stood upright and maybe 280 pounds of solid muscle. He obviously spent a lot of time keeping himself in shape and his rough hewn features reminded her of ancient warriors she had seen in history books.
His face was heavily cyber-augmented with lines of tech dividing up his face and adding to his rough good looking appearance. Jackie wore black leather pants with some depiction of a holy figure on his left leg. He wore brown leather boots and a low cut black top with a design on it and showing the top of his bare chest. Jackie wore gold chains around his neck hanging loosely down onto his chest. Lastly was that hair style. This time he looked like some oriental warrior with his hair tied up into a tight ponytail and shaved around the sides and back. He rested his right arm on the back of the chair bench. His finger was on the trigger but the pistol was pointed downwards into the bench.
"Are you Jackie Welles?" V asked feeling a slight bit intimidated by this massive hunk of muscle and flesh. But he made her blood rush and the moment she spoke she reddened.
"Er, Jackie, por favor." He replied in a friendly manner sensing her slight unease.
"I'm V." She stated with a slight smile.
Jackie looked her up and down taking in the sight. She was attractive no doubt about it but too threatening looking to be beautiful. She looked the serious type and like she knew what she was doing and wouldn't suffer idiots wasting her time. She also reminded him of those old moody goth chicas' with all the black makeup. But that was slightly overstating her appearance, it was more subtle than that. He immediately thought of Misty his long time friend and recently acquired girlfriend. She would probably like her and already want to give her a Tarot reading for what her future holds. But he was getting ahead of himself as he often did.
"It seems you have cargo that needs to be moved." V said in a serious no nonsense tone. She wanted to get started and get paid.
"Well where I'm from you share a bit about your soul before you talk biz eh. It's kind of like a custom or just good manners, you know?" Jackie answered.
"You're a man of principle then." V queried.
"You need a backbone chica. At least you'll have that left when they've taken everything else." Jackie's mind wandered slightly to darker things and those that took everything they could from anyone who wasn't strong enough to hold onto it.
"Why don't we start with you then." V replied with a hint of curiosity as she began wondering what the man's story was.
"NC native right here. Got Heywood in my blood." Jackie said with a great deal of pride. It was obvious that short statement meant a lot too him and she figured him for a man who treated friends and family with a lot of love and respect.
"Never been to NC. That doesn't mean much to me." She replied. immediately her thoughts were off with the Bakker Nomad Family the ones she had left to follow her own dreams and where else to follow those dreams than The City of Dreams, Night City.
"Imagine a place where everyone is like your bro or sis, or a distant cousin at least." He explained like he knew she would feel the same as him.
"Ah I think I understand. You don't have to like each other but it is family." V answered carefully.
"That's Heywood. That and everyone's packing iron." He stated like he was saying everyone wore clothes it was that matter of fact and left her wandering if the City of Dreams was all it was made out to be. She hadn't seen many cities as a nomad and here she was going to perhaps one of the largest most overcrowded crime ridden cities in America where everyone was armed and human life meant nothing.
"I guess you could say I'm from my own Heywood." She answered cleverly bringing a smile to Jackie's face.
"You and me. We're gonna get along fine." Jackie said assuredly pointing at V. Jackie kicked the black box forward several inches with his left leg.
"The cargo." He said pointing at the box.
"What's inside?" She questioned curiously.
"You sleep better the less you know. Got no idea myself and that's a good thing." He stated like he was speaking from experience.
"You don't know what we aim to smuggle? These are stolen corporate goods." V asked surprised by his admission that he knew nothing of their cargo.
"Stolen? Nah. Some gonk lost the crate. Some other gonk found it, passed it on. Now it's here. Y'know butterfly effect or whatever."
"And there's no one looking for this crate?" She questioned suspiciously.
"Ain't a problem if they look. Only a problem if they find it before it crosses the border, no?" Jackie answered. He seemed to know his business. Only time would tell she thought.
"Let's load it in the car." V replied eager to get back on the road and into Night City.
"You got it." Jackie stood up straight and just like she had pictured him he was a big man. He lifted the cargo effortlessly and walked to the opening where the door should have been.
She was in serious need of a bath once she got to the city after standing in this infested shit hole who could live like this. Even the least proud nomad would have thought twice before entering this place.
"Started thinking you might not come." Jackie said as he left the caravan.
"I got held up. And you weren't exactly easy to find." V explained.
"Ah, I decided to lay low you know. The sheriff looked like one grouchy motherfucker." Jackie replied.
"Yep. Myself, I couldn't wait to get out of that crappy little town." Thinking of her visit to the town and her lack of modesty while there. She smiled to herself may it be the first encounter of many if the tales about this city were to be believed.
"Same as every other little crap hole town in the Badlands. Sheriff always plays the hard ass, fucking jokers." Jackie said thinking back to past run ins with the local law.
V walked up to the rear of the car and opened the trunk for Jackie to put the cargo safely in place.
"Ugh, what a fat ass." Jackie said as he struggled to fit the box in the back. When it was secured Jackie walked around to the front and got into the passenger side making himself comfortable.
"So, we headed out?" Jackie asked as V sat in the driver seat and readied herself.
V steered the car down the old dust path until it reached the main road. She accelerated and they were off to the border crossing.
"Do you have the manifest from the transport?" V asked.
"Course I do. What the fixer didn't give you the job detes?" Jackie replied surprised that she didn't have the details.
"He… He did? She replied unsure of herself.
"I was just making sure." V continued trying to explain it away.
"Listen friend. We're both professionals aren't we?" Jackie questioned.
V shrugged off the question and began to show a sign of slight weakness. Maybe she wasn't as sure of herself as Jackie had thought she was and indeed she thought she was.
V took a wrong turning and five minutes later noticed the sign going the wrong way from where she needed to be going. Suddenly she felt under pressure and wasn't handling it all that well.
"We ain't lost are we?" Jackie asked with a slight grin.
"No. I just made a wrong turn." She answered defensively. She turned the car and got back on the right road.
"Hey, you uh sure you moved contraband before?"
"Why are you nervous?" She asked smugly.
"Me? Ja, aa, pour favor. Well uh, maybe a little." Jackie at first denied then a moment later contradicted himself with his admission." Suddenly felt like she was back in the lead and enjoying making him just a little uncomfortable with this line of questioning.
They drove on for another twenty minutes mostly in silence as the realization of what they were doing sunk in and both knew the risks. The border checkpoint could now be seen in the distance as they passed underneath a hovering border patrol helicopter. The signs of security were everywhere as were the long lines of traffic being held up by the checkpoint.
"Hey border crossing up ahead. What now?" Jackie asked seemingly showing he was getting worried.
"Nothin', they'll scan us and check our papers." V explained with an hint of confidence.
"Hoooo…." Jackie sighed a little reassured. "OK".
"I'll do the talking." V reassured him with a slight laugh.
The sign above the border crossing entrance building read 'Leaving South California'. High walls with razor wire on top of them stretched of in both directions for as far as the eye could see into the distance.
Below that sign was a red flashing sign that read 'Customs Declaration'.
V slowed to a halt and waited for the car in front to be processed. A section of road was rasied to prevent anyone from driving through and gun turrets trained their weapons on every vehicle that passed through waiting for the instruction to fire should the need arise. There were border guards everywhere and both were struck by how serious everyone looked. They would have to be on their best and smartest behavior if they were to get through this in one piece.
"Please direct your vehicle to the inspection area." The voice came over the loud speaker as the car in front disappeared into the distance on the road ahead.
"Remain in your vehicle. The security check will begin shortly." The voice on the loud speaker continued as the border guard in front of their vehicle signaled to them to wait where they were.
"I got a real bad feeling about this." Jackie said the nervousness only to clear on his face.
"You know they'll notice if your nervous, right?" V answered trying to calm the big man down.
"You have got to calm down." V stated, her expression and tone growing deadly serious.
"Right, right, yeah." Jackie replied trying to keep himself calm.
"Hand me the manifest. They'll need to see it." Jackie handed V the paperwork and she unfolded it to have a look.
"Let me see. Ah it's marked LOA. Perfect." V said as she read the manifest.
"What's that mean?" Jackie asked nervously.
"Lost on Arrival. It means the cargo was flagged 'to be lost' as soon as it crossed the border."
"Whoa. So they know we're smugglin?' Jackie wondered as he looked for an escape route should the need arise.
"Well they're about to find out." V said calmly.
"The owner of the vehicle in the inspection area will report for further questioning."
"Ugh, chingada madre. What know?" He questioned anxiously.
"Relax it's all in line with procedures. It all part of the plan." V tried to calm him once more.
"Hey, guess you know what your doing, huh? He answered still unsure of himself.
"If we want the customs officer to turn a blind eye to our dubious docs we'll need a sweetener. Do you have the credit chip with the bribe.?" V explained and waited for the cred chip to be handed to her.
"Oh yeah. Heh forgot about that?" Jackie said with a nervous laugh.
"Right. You forgot." V answered.
Jackie moved over to the drivers sear as V stepped out of the car. "I'll keep the engine runnin' in case of a cock-up."
"Do that." V answered back and began walking to the reception area.
'Immigration and Customs Inspection' the sign on front of the reception read. Border guards stood around on duty watching everyone carefully. V walked into the reception.
"If your armed place your weapon here." The South California Border Guard Receptionist said as V walked up to the counter. V took out her weapon and placed it on the counter. The guard wiped his arm across his sweating forehead and said.
"Now please report to room number 2."
V stayed silent and followed his instruction walking around the corner until she stood in front of a small cubicle like room where another border agent waited patiently for the next person in line.
"Please Sit." The agent said as she opened the door and took a quick look around the room. V walked over and sat in the chair facing the agent.
"Papers." The agent stated like it was the hundredth time he had said that same word today.
"Is this routine?" V asked suspiciously.
"It might be. we'll see." The man replied.
"Mhm… What are you transporting?" He asked in a determined tone.
"It's all in there." V replied staying calm and waiting patiently. She didn't want to blow it now.
"Everything?" He questioned.
"If anythings wrong just say so im sure we can figure it out." She replied with a hint of a smile.
"I haven't said anything yet. The question is, should I expect to find anything out of order?"
There's one additional enclosure to the manifest." V said as she slid the credit chip across the table to sit beside the manifest. He placed the manifest over the cred chip and asked.
"Ah yes remind me you drive for which nomad clan?" The agent inquired.
"None, no clan. I drive for myself." She answered seemingly defensively.
"Bold and none too wise." He answered with a slight hint of a warning.
"Y'know whenever I see someone like you, I'm oh so grateful not to be on that side of the table."
"The feelings mutual." V replied with an angry tone.
"Go on now your associates waiting for you in the car." He replied seemingly glad another one was over with.
"Don't forget to take your personal items." The agent finished as she walked out the door swearing to herself at the jackass agent.
"Be careful with that toy." The receptionist agent said as he placed her large caliber handgun on the counter.
"And welcome to Night City." The agent continued.
"What happened in there?" Jackie questioned when V returned to the car.
"I'll tell you soon. We need to get out of here." V replied as she sat in the passenger seat and waited for the border defenses to let them through.
"Yeah, ok." Jackie said with a great deal of relief in his voice that it had worked out.
Jackie waited until it was ready then pulled away from the border crossing. He drove steadily and slowly so as not to attract attention.
Then she saw Night City in the distance. It looked magnificent from this distance avast metropolis of millions of people. Advertisements for all manner of goods were projected over the city in a multi colored display of hundreds of various products and corporations. She had never seen anything like it. The disadvantages of living in the desert her whole life with her nomad family. There was so much to see and undoubtedly so much to do.
"You gonna tell me what happened back there." As the border crossing became just a blip in the rear view mirror.
"A customs dickhead got nitpicky." She explained.
"And that ain't normal?" Jackie's nervousness was beginning to show again.
"Not to that extent." V replied.
"Smellin' trouble round the bend?" Jackie questioned curiously.
"Drive Jackie, just drive." Jackie could see the seriousness in her expression which didn't bode well for either of them he thought.
"Someone's coming our way this does not look good." Jackie said as he noticed the vehicles approaching them.
Several Arasaka vans pulled up in front of them and one female agent said into the loud speaker
"Stop your vehicle immediately."
"Lets get out of here." V said to Jackie with more than a hint of urgency.
"On it." Jackie didn't need to be told twice. He slammed his foot down on the accelerator and they were driving past the Arasaka goon squad.
"You are transporting contraband that is corporate property. I repeat stop the car." The Arasaka female agent said over the loud speaker.
"Damn." V said as her mind flooded with consequences of what would happen if they were caught.
Jackie pulled off the road and headed for some dark built up area on the outskirts of the city. V readied her handgun and leaned out of the window to fire at the pursuing vehicles.
Jackie raced through the dark pathways in between buildings with the Arasaka goons close behind. V took some of them out as they too fired wildly at V's car. One of the lead vehicles was on fire from where V's bullet had struck the engine. Suddenly Jackie drove around a farm tractor that had pulled back onto the pathway and the lead vehicle exploded as it crashed into the heavy roadblock.
A second vehicle was on fire but didn't seem to want to slow down. They seemed determined to catch up to Jackie and V. Jackie turned into a corner and the following vehicle didnt follow them down the same path but drove on. Suddenly the vehicle was behind them again and gaining speed but it was totally engulfed in flame and crashed into a building. The third and last vehicle was now also in flames. Jackie sped away from the van and lost them after a series of sharp turns into dark paths that seemed to be in some giant farming complex.
"We lost em. Jesus not sure my nerves can handle this." Jackie said as he steered the car through the maze of buildings and paths.
"Keep driving we can't stop here." V warned him.
Jackie pulled off the road once they were clear of the farming complex and drove into what looked like a deserted town.
"Place looks deserted. Gonna stop here. Need to sort out a few things before we go on." Jackie said wearily showing the relief on his face now they had lost them.
"Fucking Hell. Motherfucking Cocksuckers." Jackie shouted as he pulled into a deserted garage. He stopped the car got out and pulled the shutter down on the garage.
"They almost tagged our asses. That what you call smugglin', Fuck."
"It was supposed to go smooth no problems." Jackie continued to shout.
"If you think this is my fault at least have the balls to say so." V replied to the yelling merc.
"I don't know yet. Is it?" Jackie answered back.
"Border security tipped off the corporation that we have their cargo." V explained.
"What's the deal with these borderlies flippin' us the finger as they fuckin' please? With no consequences." Jackie raged on as his temper flared.
"He took a risk. He assumed we didn't have a clan backing us and he was right." V said calmly trying to cool the big merc down.
"So what now?" Jackie asked.
"I could ask you the same question. Will you keep whining?" She shouted getting annoyed by the big man's question.
"Uh I ain't gonna lie. I'm a bit light. Can't pay you now. Have something for you once I collect my scrap for this corpo crap we're carrying." Jackie explained.
"Ah and you figured I would just sit by patiently?"
"Actually I wasn't going to pay you at all. Was just gonna bust ass and disappear as soon as we crossed over. But you're all right."
"I appreciate the honesty." V replied wondering where this was all leading.
"Ah thanks." Jackie said. He was starting to like her despite the job going to shit.
"So what's next?" V asked.
"Now we take a peek inside." Jackie said as he opened up the trunk.
"I don't know if your client is gonna be happy about getting an open package. Usually means trouble." V warned him.
"Fuck the client. You gotta start working for yourself sometime no commission, no middlemen. And I need to know what I'm selling if I'm gonna try to find a new buyer." Jackie explained.
"Oh shit. Says Arasaka on the crate. We are robbing some heavy hitters.
"Then maybe we'll make some heavy money." Jackie said his mood lightening as he laughed and opened the box.
"A real iguana. A lesser Antillean I think." Jackie stated proudly.
"Lesser Antil… what?" V asked.
"Yeah watched a thing on TV about 'em. Went extinct like thirty years ago. They're from the Lesser Antilles. Jackie continued impressed with how he had remembered.
"You've come a long way my scaly friend." Jack said to the lizard.
V prodded the frozen beast a few times and questioned Jackie. "Do you think you can make some money on it?" She asked hopefully.
"Sure think it'll make us happy." Jackie answered assuredly as he stood their with his hands on his hips chest puffed out.
"Us?" V asked.
"Yeah, partner we'll go halfsies."
"Any decent fixer will find a loaded gonk interested in a rare gem like this." He could almost see the piles of money as he thought about it and how he would spend it. Some rare Tarot cards for Misty maybe and something nice for his mother.
"It's kind of a shame though I always wanted a pet. Got the name Manny all thought out" Jackie said.
"Hey. By the way have you got any plans for what you'll be doing in night city?"
"Why do ask?" V questioned the smiling merc.
"Cause I got this feeling that you got a lot of time and nothing to spend it on. And NC ain't a city that lets you get by without buddies. But don't you worry let me help you find digs. You gotta live somewhere."
"It's important to have people you can turn to like family. Perhaps you'll find your own in Night City."
"Thanks much appreciated."
"Hey c'mon. It's nothing. We got chemistry you and me. Be a shame to waste it . Partner."
V went to shake Jackie's hand and suddenly the huge lizard was between them.
"Aww. Cuddly little fucker." Jackie said looking at the lizard.
"You know what Jackie you're not all bad yourself."
"Ha-aw you don't mean that chica."
"Ok partner. Time to grab the lizard and scurry out of here." V said as they grasped each others hand firmly. V was fit and strong but compared to this mountain of meat she was like a child. He went easy on her and she could see he was a lot deeper than he appeared to be. She would like to get to know him better over the coming weeks and months. But he seemed more like a big over protective brother than any kind of romantic interest.
They got the lizard back in the box and when they were ready carried on to Night City. She was more than a little excited at the thought of leaving the dusty Badlands behind and starting a new chapter in her life. Twenty three years old and she felt that just now her life was just beginning.
'The City of Dreams. Here I come.'
