CONVOY

Dust lifted off the highway in a thin, choking cloud that cloaked the approaching convoy of armored vehicles.

Behind the escort of Humvees came four colossal haulers. The lorries devoured the lanes, spanning the entire highway as they advanced. A fleet of smaller vehicles with tinted windows flanked them, their presence alone enough to clear the road ahead.

"Quite the honor guard," Remy muttered as the dark shapes resolved into view.

Will's expression tightened, his gaze flicking between the four massive haulers.

"That's not good," he said flatly.

"What's wrong?" Remy asked.

"Why are there four trucks? Which one has the warhead?"

Remy froze as realization dawned.

Nukes were heavy. They'd always known the Revenant would need industrial haulers to move them, and the decommissioned fabrication plants offered perfect cover for transport. There was enough heavy machinery to justify the massive vehicles—but they hadn't counted on decoys.

Will clenched his fist. Things could never be simple.

"We have to get close enough for a signature reading," Becca said.

Will nodded. The Revenant couldn't risk using their cloaking field in the coming clash—there would be a leak. They just needed to get close enough to detect it.

A burst of static cracked through the comms, and Damian's gruff voice came through. "All units, move into position. Prepare for contact."

The troops surged toward the ramp. Servos whined as mechs climbed, metal joints groaning under the strain. Will followed the press of bodies up the incline.

The hastily built structure groaned beneath their weight but held. Soldiers and mech pilots filed up the metal stairs toward the breach carved into the roof.

Will's pulse kicked hard, heart hammering against his ribs. The air felt charged, every second stretched taut. He had to fight the urge to rush ahead.

Instead, he focused on the trucks. He flipped his HUD to the live drone feed, watching the convoy grind closer through the haze.

Pressure built in his chest like a rising tide. The shard in his leg pulsed, and shadows flickered at the edge of his vision. In the half-sight of the shadow world, he caught the writhing silhouettes of dark energy twisting in the distance—threads stretching over the convoy, creeping outward, searching.

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Sweat trickled down his brow; the cooling fans in the mech did little to ease the tension. He drew a deep breath, steadying himself, forcing his field under control. The roiling energy writhed, but he pressed it down, coiling it tight around him, away from the reaching tendrils.

He couldn't afford to be seen. Not now. Not when they were this close.

The trucks lumbered forward, engines growling over the cracked asphalt. Only a few more minutes and they would be in range.

600 meters... 500 meters...

His gaze flicked between them and the buried charges he'd marked on his HUD.

Just a few more meters...

300... 200...

A sharp bang split the air, and the lead truck faltered. Steam hissed from beneath its hood, white plumes curling through the dust.

Will's brow lifted as the convoy slowed. Tires screeched as the escorts scrambled to adjust.

Horns blared in a discordant chorus as traffic backed up along the highway.

"What happened? Why are they stopping?" Remy hissed.

Will watched as the remaining haulers edged onto the shoulder, angling to clear the lane. Angry drivers leaned on their horns while the escorts took up defensive positions around the disabled truck.

"Will!" Becca's voice cut through the comms.

"I know. Give me a second." He opened a private channel. "Damian?"

"I'm on it," his cousin replied, terse and focused. "Hang tight."

Will returned to the drone feed. A few uniformed personnel jumped out and approached the lead truck. After some fumbling, they popped the hood—steam billowed out in thick clouds.

"Did it actually break down?" Becca asked, disbelief sharp in her tone.

"You've got to be kidding me," Remy muttered.

Will's jaw tightened. The convoy was barely a hundred meters from the kill zone. So close.

"What now?" Becca pressed.

He tore his attention from the slithering shadows at the edge of his vision. "We wait. They'll have to move soon. It'll look suspicious if they hold up traffic for one hauler."

Remy exhaled, catching on. If the Revenant didn't detach the broken hauler, the scavengers of the Undercity would notice. Those vultures were bad enough on a normal day; the Revenant couldn't risk drawing that kind of attention.

Command must have reached the same conclusion. Orders came down to hold position.

They waited, shoulder to shoulder on the crowded ramp. The metal stairs creaked under the combined weight of mechs and exo-suited mercs, trembling but steady.

Will cycled through the drone feeds, tracking every angle of the stalled hauler. More workers had gathered, forming a loose ring. Among them moved a single figure who didn't belong—his movements sharp and commanding, every gesture sending crews scurrying. He wore baggy gray overalls beneath a flak vest, his face hidden behind a matte respirator mask that caught the glare of the headlights crowding the road.

Arms clasped behind his back, he surveyed the chaos with a stillness that didn't belong to a mechanic. Will felt a chill crawl up his spine. Something about that deliberate posture set every instinct on edge.

He frowned, steadying his breathing, bracing to slip into the shard's double sight. The moment he began to focus, the masked head turned.

The gaze found him—sharp, precise, cutting through the concrete like a beam. His chest locked.

"Shit," he hissed.

"What happened?" Remy asked, but the question was drowned beneath a surge of comms chatter.

"Unusual readings from the haulers!" someone shouted. "Heat spikes across the convoy!"

Another voice followed, urgent. "Movement at the fabrication plant—confirm visual!"

Will's stomach turned to ice. He switched channels. "Damian?"

Static cracked, then his cousin's voice came through tight and low. "We've been had." He cursed and switched to the team channel. "All units, move out!"

The command barely cleared the line before the world above them detonated.

BOOM.

The blast hit like a hammer, shoving air down the tunnel. The ramp shuddered. Dust rained from the ceiling in choking waves. Sirens screamed over the comms as the shockwave rolled through, devouring every other sound.

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