Dialogue: The Highwayman

V

1AGuy in the picture – that you?

James

1AWhat the... How the hell'd you get that?!

V

1AFound it – 'longside Josie's banged-up bike. Tryna figure out what happened to her.

James

1AOh, so you a cop? Cut the bullshit, show me a badge.

V

1AI were police, you'd already be on the ground, gonk. Cuffed.

James

1AThe fuck are you talking about?!

V

1AYou know what. You lured her into a trap. Knew your chooms were gonna zero her.

James

1ADidn't have a choice, all right? She crossed a guy at the top. I had to, understand? They woulda zeroed me!

V

2AAh, so you had a choice. Just preferred to save your own ass.

James

2AWhat would you've done, huh? Let 'em wipe you?

2AWhy you think I come back here? Night after night? To admire the fuckin' view? I know what I did. Not livin' easy with it.

V

2ABoo-fuckin'-hoo.

2AGirl bled out, Jamie. Slowly. In agony. Tore her own nails off, clawin' at the asphalt. Picture that. Picture that every time you catch that chickenshit face of yours in the mirror.

2BKnow what... If you'd hazed her – just pretended to be in love so you could use her – you'd just be another asswipe in a town of full of 'em.

2BBut no. You really did love her. And you still helped 'em get her.

2BYou're a real shitbag, Jamie. Even for Night City.

James

2BShut up! Shut up! I'll fuckin' wipe you!

V

2BSure. Just you try.

1ANope. Hundred percent civ here – just tryna put some facts together.

1ASomething happened to her. Something bad, right?

James

1AShit, she... The Tygers, didn't like her, OK? Told 'er to skip town. But Josie... Fuck, Josie didn't listen.

1AWhen they smashed her ride, said she'd pay them back. I begged her not to... But she klepped a bike off some boss. They chased her, there was a firefight... after that, no idea.

1ASo yeah, I'd say somethin' bad happened. Listen... You figure anything out, anything – lemme know, OK?

V

3ABe in touch.

V

4AFound Josie. Dead. And you did it.

4BFound her ride. The one she stole.

James

4BOK, and Josie? Anything?

V

4BNothin' for now. Still lookin'.

4CAny new intel on Josie?

James

4CNothing. Lemme guess, you neither?

V

3BKnow where to even start?

James

3BNo. All I heard was when it got rough, she ran to the metro... Must've gone south, red line from Japantown... but no idea where she woulda got off.

V

3BNot much, but... still somethin'.

Johnny

1ANice. Had somethin' similar, but none of that nomad shit.

V

1AMhm. Lemme guess – big, busty blonde on the side?

Johnny

1AFirst, beg your pardon. And second – brunette.

1AShit... No fixin' this. What's wrecked is wrecked.

Johnny

Bled out... Took a while, though. Tore those fingernails right off on the pavement.

V

Fuck... What a way to go.

Johnny

No way's a good way, V. I'd know.