Gearbound: Cyberpunk 2077
Chapter 299

"What's going on?"

Leo scanned the surroundings before asking, "Don't you find it strange that every time the Salamanca Cartel is on our trail, they manage to find us so precisely? They didn't use drones, nor did they implant trackers in our bodies—yet they always discover our location or get ahead of us."

Lucy looked thoughtful and replied, "That's exactly what troubles me. I purposefully examined everyone's cyberware implants and found no signs of electronic intrusion. Typical tracking methods didn't apply in any case, so the Salamanca Cartel shouldn't know where we are."

"But they did—and not only that, on each occasion they dispatched killers to our location."

Jackie's gaze first settled on Leo, then shifted to Lucy, and he drew in a sharp breath, disbelief writ large on his face. "Leo, are you suggesting there's a mole among us?"

"That's right."

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"

Jackie glanced rapidly at Leo, V, and Lucy. Their bond—it was unspoken but ironclad. The four of them were more tightly connected than any group could hope to be. Jackie could not be a traitor, nor could Leo. And as for V and Lucy—he would never believe they would betray the group.

Logically, only one person remained: José, the employer's son—whose two fingers had been severed by the Salamanca Cartel. Even under Stockholm Syndrome, he could not possibly be feeding information to the cartel.

That left only Maria.

"Wait," Jackie's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You think she's behind this?"

"What are you talking about?" José seemed confused, while the others caught on immediately.

Leo decided not to hold back further. "José, the woman who's been sticking close to you—your girlfriend—is the mole who's been selling our location to the Salamanca Cartel."

José froze and stared blankly before instinctively turning to look at Maria, who irrationally shook her head, her denial frantic. "What? No! I'm not!"

José interjected, "Mr. Leo, there must be a misunderstanding. Maria couldn't be a mole—she was kidnapped by the Salamanca Cartel, just like me."

Leo responded calmly, "But you lost two fingers, and she wasn't harmed in the same way. How do you explain that?"

José faltered—he had not considered that detail before. The Salamanca Cartel were not merciful—they killed his two bodyguards without hesitation and could have easily harmed Maria if they intended to. And yet, she emerged from captivity unharmed.

A chilling thought began to form in José's mind, but he refused to accept it. He shouted, "There can be another explanation. Perhaps the Salamanca Cartel spared her to use her as leverage against my father. But Maria cannot be the traitor. That is impossible."

"Leo, you don't understand. Maria and I have known each other for years. Back at NYU, during that riot, we sheltered together in a rental and comforted each other. I won't believe she betrayed me—never."

Watching José's hysteria, Leo did not respond angrily but smiled gently and said, "If she isn't the traitor, then there's a simple way to confirm."

"What way?"

"Let one of my teammates check her neural link."

Leo explained that, much like a browser's history, one's neural link records actions. If Maria had transmitted our location to the Salamanca Cartel, a scan of her neural link would reveal it. Corporations often embed safeguards within neural links—encrypted layers, self‑destruct protocols to prevent data breaches. Even without such measures, an expert like Lucy could perform a swift, non‑invasive diagnostic and clear everything up.

"José, my teammate is an electronic warfare specialist and an exceptional NetRunner," Leo continued. "You can trust her—I guarantee she's as capable as anyone your father employs. If your girlfriend is innocent, what do you have to fear? Clearing all doubt will be to everyone's benefit."

José wavered, recognizing the logic but also feeling protective—no one else could perform such a check. He knew Lucy could do it without harming Maria's implant. And they were safe now, under Leo and the other's protection. Resistance would only lead to deeper suspicion.

As José prepared to agree, Maria suddenly sprang into action. One arm wrapped tightly around José's neck in a chokehold, while the other split open—revealing its mechanical structure and a concealed Mantis Blade within.

"Don't move! One wrong step and he dies!"

"Maria? What are you doing?" José shouted, regaining his composure.

He realized what had to be asked: "Is it really you? Did you report us to the Salamanca Cartel? Why? Why betray me?"

Maria's voice was calm as she replied, "I didn't betray you—if anyone did, it was you who betrayed me, betraying my emotions."

"What are you talking about? Did the Salamanca Cartel tamper with your neural link? I don't understand!"

She pressed, "José, do you love me?"

José replied matter‑of‑factly, "Of course!"

"Then why won't you run away with me?"

José froze for a moment, then said, "Why would we run away? I'll inherit my father's business—his tire company will someday be mine. If you like Japan, I can buy you a house in Tokyo; if you prefer Scandinavia, I can buy you a villa in Hans Christian Andersen's hometown."

"I can buy you anything you want—why can't you see that? If we ran away, how would I buy anything for you? How would I give you a happy life? I can't even support myself properly."

José sounded sincere, but María didn't believe him.

"What guarantees can you give me? Just empty promises? Do you really think a few sweet words are enough to fool some naïve girl?"

"José, stop deceiving yourself. All men are the same—they make vows of undying love, but after a few years they go off with someone younger."

"I won't comment on others, but look at your father: he climbed up from Heywood, yet how many wives has he had? The news has even exposed his affairs with many actresses and young models."

José's expression showed a mixture of surprise, shock, and anger at María's disbelief in him.

"That's it? Just because my father had several missis, you think I'll definitely be unfaithful too?"

"What else is there? I am holding his bastard right now—doesn't that prove enough?"

At that moment, Leo, who had remained silent since the incident began, finally spoke.

"Hmm, I see. You didn't trust that he'd stay loyal—especially not with his father's record. You weighed your future with Mr. González. It might have offered comfort, but not certainty. You realized it wouldn't elevate you, and wouldn't open the doors you were aiming for. And since you couldn't accept fading into the background, you decided to gamble everything now, before the chance slipped away entirely."

"But I'm curious—how did you even get involved with the Salamanca Cartel?"

María suddenly glared viciously at Leo. "Why are you asking so many questions?"