Bodyguards

There are no permanently safe cities in this game — the only standing protection from being attacked, robbed, or sabotaged is a Bodyguard.

The free starter guard

Every new account starts with 48 hours of free Bodyguard coverage — enough runway to learn the game without getting immediately picked apart by more established players.

Hiring one later

A hired Bodyguard blocks a fixed number of incoming attacks (5 charges) and lapses on its own after 72 hours even if unused, whichever comes first. It's priced as a percentage of your net worth (4% of clean + dirty cash combined), with a floor ($2,500) so it's never trivially cheap and a cap ($250,000) so it never gouges a high roller past reason.

What it does and doesn't cover

A Bodyguard shields you for lying low — going about your business while protected. The moment you go on the offensive yourself (attacking, robbing, sabotaging someone else), your own guard's cover drops immediately. It's not a shield you can hide behind while also swinging; it's protection for staying out of a fight, not for picking one.