2. Operation—M$ Dollar Block

When you meet up with Christina, you realize the anomaly is a classic case of cops and robbers working together. Just up the block from where you meet is a drop-off point for the 580s gang. Head there, and Josh tells you to look for a ctOS server box. Find it on the wooden deck near the scaffold, on the block’s northeast side. After reviewing the footage, it seems the cops are running a smuggling racket right under ctOS.

The information is seemingly untraceable, so you need physical evidence; you must steal a car. Josh sets up a mosaic of where the vehicles and gang members have been during past drop-offs. He overlays the mosaic into your NetHack view. Profile the following clues—do this at range from the bridge or by looking closely at every clue. Each has tactical advice to consider as you prepare an ambush to steal the car.

POIs and Objective Points Armored Guards Well-armored foes usually accompany the vehicles to the drop-off and stand at the locations indicated. Shooting this guy with weapons takes a long time due to his armor, so use bombs or tasing. However, it’s usually better to make your presence felt and speed off in the vehicle before these foes get into position. Note the junction boxes near each guard’s position; prep these to explode, unless the box near the mission target car explodes too close to the car, which can fail the mission. Mission Target Steal this car and use it as evidence against the police chief. The vehicle has a hostile occupant. To complete this mission, you need to drive this vehicle out of the restricted area (and lose any pursuers). With this in mind, there are three possible escape routes (see Extraction Points) that you should prepare in advance of the ambush. Do not damage the vehicle if you can help it; popping the tires means you’ll be scraping metal while attempting to outrun foes. Don’t let the vehicle get caught in other explosions during the ambush. And don’t destroy this vehicle with bombs or junction box explosions! Reinforcements Vehicle This SUV accompanies the target vehicle into the drop-off area and carries four hostiles. It’s the biggest threat you’ll face. Ignore the enemies, and they spread out; the foe driving the target car and the four foes in this vehicle spread out to the indicated clue locations on the map. This vehicle is a prime target for a bombing or a junction box proximity trap (use the junction box under the ctOS box in the northeast corner of the drop-off area). Though you might enjoy explosions, catching this vehicle in one, and not the target car, requires you to trigger a proximity trap only after the target car is in place; you don’t want the target car running over a dropped bomb, do you? Armed Escort Three 580s gang members stand around at this location and are well armed and armored. They’re also standing right next to a junction box you can prep as a proximity trap. Or, you can enter the house under construction on the south side of the restricted area and coax them into a firefight. Or, lob bombs from the scaffold deck. Or hide behind the deck fencing and tase each one. However, this ambush doesn’t usually get to the point where this trio is waiting here.

Infiltration Points West Gate: This is a good spot to drive the target car out of. Make a left turn and boost away to a hiding spot before the 580s can find you. Prepare this exit by moving the forklift out of the way and opening the gate. Northwest Garage: Open both the garage doors, and do not prep the junction boxes for proximity traps (in case they damage the vehicle). Then simply drive through the garage and out onto the street to escape. An excellent choice. East Gate: The gate where the enemies enter from isn’t a wise escape route, but it’s better than nothing. Pick this (and make sure the gate is open) only after neutralizing foes or if all else fails.

Paths to Completion

Time to neutralize some hostiles and steal their vehicle. Remember to hold down the Action button to start the ambush! You can achieve this in many ways, but here are some recommendations:

Hard Work Makes Luck

Prepare the area by moving the forklift off the path to the western gate and then opening the gate. Position yourself on the sidewalk, just outside this gate (on the street). Wait for both vehicles to park, using your Quadcopter or the remote cameras to view the vehicles. When the target car is empty, remotely drive it forward, then remotely reverse it so it slows and stops by you. Get in and flee.

Don’t Leave It to Potluck

Remain on the scaffold balcony and start the ambush. When both vehicles are parked and the foes exit them, try any or all of the following:

Activate an electroshock bomb already placed on the ground under where the SUV will park. If it doesn’t park directly over the bomb, lob in another just as the vehicle slows down. Detonate so all four foes are caught and electrocuted. Then tase the target car’s driver and escape via any exit.

The same plan can occur, but with explosive grenades or the grenade launcher. This is far more dangerous—not for you, but the target car, which needs to be kept intact!

Or, you can wait for the foes to spread out, and use a mixture of tasing and junction box traps to remove all foes.

Or, you can hide inside the garage (northwest), then use phone distracts and strangulation to remove the lone guards. Ignore the cluster of foes by the east gate and leave.

I Don’t Give a…

Got a grenade launcher? Or an explosive (or electroshock) bomb? Stand on the northeast scaffold deck overlooking the north-south road to the east of the restricted area, and watch the two vehicles drive to this location. Before the rear vehicle (SUV) makes the turn, punt a grenade into it. Or, trigger a proximity trap with the grenade you already placed in the middle of the road, which ensures the radius hits the vehicle. Do this so the explosion catches the rear of the SUV, so the target car isn’t hit.

As soon as the SUV goes up in flames, stay on the deck, and tase the enemy stepping out of the target car; or shoot him, or drop down and strike him. Then flee in the target vehicle before reinforcements arrive.

Or, you can stay and bombard all reinforcements, and then the police, with grenades.

Operation Continues

Flee the area, using the usual faction-avoidance tactics to escape. Then, drive to the location Wrench indicates.