Chapter 44
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The Arasaka Tower.
Susan Abernathy had just finished a meeting with the upper echelons and was taking the elevator back to her office as the executive director.
She asked her secretary in a grave tone, "What's the progress on Caitlin's end? I instructed her to report the results before 9:10, why has there been no word?"
The female secretary, with utmost care, reported, "Director, Caitlin hasn't responded with any updates from the field since she left for the mission. Furthermore, just now, the trauma team relayed a message informing us that there's been an anomaly in Caitlin's platinum member biometric signs. It's highly likely that something has happened to her…"
Susan Abernathy's brows furrowed, knowing that if Caitlin had any good news, she would not have delayed in communicating. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Looks like there's been a complication, immediately check the status of Carter Smith's operation for me."
The secretary began to contact the person in charge of interfacing with Carter Smith in the special operations department. After hearing the message, the secretary's face turned pale, sensing that the situation might be quite serious, and immediately reported to Director Abernathy.
"Director, Carter Smith did not lead the team to the field himself. He only arranged a counter-intelligence department's special action squad to collaborate with our mission. Carter himself has finished his workday and gone home. It's possible he's run off after hearing some news."
"Did the special action team return to Arasaka Tower to debrief?"
"Not at the moment."
Abernathy fell silent, meticulously piecing together all the information she knew, quickly realizing that a storm was approaching.
Caitlin's lack of communication indicated that the mission wasn't progressing smoothly. Carter Smith's fleeing could mean he is preparing to evade capture, fearing the leak and consequent blame.
All signs pointed to a mission failure, and Caitlin might have even encountered some misfortune.
Who would dare to brazenly attack an Arasaka special action team? Abernathy's first thought was Militech, but she was not yet sure. One thing she was certain of, however, was that Arthur Jenkins must have had a hand in it.
Her immediate priority was to ensure that this storm would not reach her.
"Hmph, not 'might be'—Carter Smith has definitely fled," she said. "He is a ticking time bomb over our heads now. If captured by the counter-intelligence department, think of the consequences yourself…"
Director Abernathy's implication was clear: if they did not eliminate Carter Smith, they would be the ones removed.
The secretary immediately contacted the person in charge of special operations. "Dispatch all available special action agents to search for Carter Smith right away. If found, deal with him cleanly and report back to Director Abernathy throughout the night."
After assigning their subordinates, the secretary then made a call to a contact in the Animals.
"We got a job for you. The target is Carter Smith, and his relevant data has been sent to you!"
"He is likely at home to pick up his mother. Go to his house. Remember, whether it's a person or items, everything must be wiped out!"
"Go now!"
The Animals' boss said, "Sure, no problem. However, please make sure the payment is made first. It's not much, just fifty thousand Eurodollars to ensure a clean job."
The secretary's expression soured; fifty thousand Eurodollars was not a trivial sum, especially since Carter Smith was not exactly a tough nut to crack.
Indeed, the price was steep, but in light of the urgent situation, and it not being the time to haggle, they had to accept the extortion.
The secretary transferred the fifty thousand Eurodollars remotely. After receiving the payment, the Animals' contact person promptly agreed to the action.
It was only after all the arrangements had been made that the secretary could finally breathe a sigh of relief. A deputy director vanished without a trace while on a mission, and the fate of the three special task forces with them likely grim. Though the specifics at the scene remained unknown, the situation was grave, and any ensuing investigations could implicate Susan Abernathy's superior.
The matter now required a thorough resolution.
Yet without confirmation, her secretary dared not speculate: "Director, we've yet to receive reliable information about the mission's failure. The area should be signal-jammed."
Having reached the director's office floor, Susan Abernathy stepped out of the elevator: "They want to bring me down, but Jenkins is still too green. Just like how I dealt with him back then, I'll handle him the same way now!"
"We underestimated Jenkins this time. No one else would set this trap for me."
The secretary hastened to keep up.
Suddenly, she received more news from the trauma team.
It was bad.
Suppressing her shock and pausing for a few seconds, her voice trembled as she spoke.
"Director Abernathy, the trauma team that arrived on the scene has confirmed the death of Caitlin."
"All three special operations squads that accompanied her are also confirmed KIA, the cause of death is under investigation..."
Susan Abernathy stopped in her tracks, her composure not as steady as before, realizing the situation was more troublesome than imagined.
A failed operation was not a significant issue, as no mission plan guaranteed success.
But the death of a deputy director alongside all three special task forces was a major incident.
It was tantamount to declaring war on Arasaka.
Whoever it was.
Once uncovered, they would face Arasaka's relentless retribution.
Who would dare brazenly attack Arasaka's special units in Night City?
Was it Militech?
Given the gravity, Susan Abernathy couldn't blame Militech without solid evidence.
Arasaka had no intention of waging an all-out war with Militech in Night City.
Susan Abernathy had no time to consider distant matters; her concern was who would be held responsible for the failure of the mission.
If pursued rigorously, even her position as the director was at risk.
"Prepare all documents related to this operation quickly, I'm sending an operation report to the board members right now."
"If I'm slower than Jenkins, then the problem will truly be hard to manage..."
Susan Abernathy keenly sensed that if she didn't report to her superiors immediately, namely the vice president in charge, her faction would be at a disadvantage in the board meetings, leading to a downward spiral.
She must garner the majority support and understanding from the board, to downplay the severity of the situation.
"Jenkins must not succeed..."
The priority now.
First, she had to pin the bulk of the blame on Caitlin while assuming a minor responsibility for poor oversight, proposing a pay cut as punishment to quell the outrage.
At least this way, her foundational support wouldn't be significantly affected.
If Jenkins got ahead by exposing more evidence, suggesting a breach that could escalate to conspiracy and leaks, the president's fury would be enough to spell disaster, not to mention the board members would undoubtedly lean against the counter-intelligence department.
Thus, Susan Abernathy immediately turned back, seizing the moment just after the superiors concluded their meeting, to urgently report in.