The warehouse stank of oil, gunpowder, and the faintest trace of burned rubber. Elias crouched near a cracked utility panel, eyes scanning the rows of crates and sagging shelves while Dizzy kept watch near the entry.
They hadn't found the supplier, but the ambush meant someone didn't want them getting close.
"They were already inside," Dizzy whispered, nervously shifting from foot to foot. "You think the Watchdogs planted 'em here?"
"Could be. Or someone else is watching the supplier just like we are."
Elias's hand hovered over his burner phone, debating whether to use one of his limited encrypted contacts. Instead, he opened the system's interface and activated the Crime Map.
******
[Crime Map Activated – Enhanced Mode (Temporary Boost: 15 mins)]
Overlay: Active surveillance nodes detected in nearby blocks.
Unmarked faction presence: 1 (Warehouse perimeter – South)
Watchdog proximity: None within 3-block radius
******
"There's a tail outside," Elias muttered. "South wall."
"Another ambush?"
"No. Just eyes. Let's smoke 'em out."
Dizzy nodded and moved to the back. They lit a makeshift fire using cardboard and an old tarp to generate thick, choking smoke. It billowed through the ventilation, setting off rusted alarms and lighting the area in strobes of red.
Elias slipped out through a side exit, flanking wide around the perimeter. He spotted the silhouette of a figure perched atop a fire escape — long coat, compact rifle, thermal goggles. Not Watchdog standard gear.
He approached silently, his boots careful against the gravel.
Twenty meters.
Fifteen.
The figure turned just as Elias reached for his butterfly knife. Too slow.
"Stop," the stranger said — a woman's voice, sharp but controlled. "You're not Watchdog. I've been watching you for hours."
Elias didn't lower his guard. "Then you know how bad an idea this is."
"Relax," she said. "I didn't pull the trigger when I had the chance."
The woman stepped forward, pulling off the goggles. Her face was partially obscured by a scarf, but her eyes were piercing — dark, calculating. "You're the one claiming Vire Alley, aren't you?"
Elias said nothing.
"I thought so. My name's Nova. I work freelance — surveillance, intel gathering, counter-infiltration. And lately, I've been tracking Watchdog movement near this sector."
Dizzy peeked around the corner, pistol raised. "Yo, we good?"
Elias gestured for him to lower the gun. "She's not with them."
Nova continued, "The supplier you're looking for? He was here two nights ago. Didn't stay long — just dropped a case, met someone, and left. Whoever ambushed you wasn't him. They're scavengers, hired muscle. Clumsy."
Elias narrowed his eyes. "You get a name?"
Nova smirked. "Names cost extra."
The system chimed again.
******
[System Notification: Hidden Objective Discovered – Informant Contact: Nova]
Relationship Tier: NEUTRAL
Optional Mission Unlocked: "Trust Trade"
Complete a favor for Nova to gain access to restricted supplier data.
Reward: +10 Crime Points | Unlock: Nova's Services (Recon, Tracking, Intel-for-Hire)
******
"What kind of favor?" Elias asked.
Nova raised an eyebrow. "There's a micro-server hidden inside a pawn shop down in Midridge. Belongs to a crew called The Greasehand Kings. They've been monitoring Watchdog shipments, including the supplier's routes."
"What's the catch?"
"They don't know I planted it. You'll have to retrieve it without tipping them off."
Dizzy groaned. "Of course it's a stealth job."
Elias ignored him. "Give us the location."
Nova tossed a folded slip of paper at him. "You've got 48 hours. After that, I'm pulling the plug."
She turned and disappeared down the fire escape without another word.
Dizzy looked at Elias. "So we just trust her now?"
"No," Elias said. "We trust the system. And right now, it says she's useful."
******
[Objective Added: Retrieve Micro-Server from Greasehand Pawn Shop – Time Limit: 48 Hours]
Conditions:
- Do not alert Greasehand Kings
- Extract data and return to Nova
Reward: +10 Crime Points | Informant Unlock
Penalty: Greasehand Kings hostility increased
******
Back at their safehouse, Elias reviewed their map. Midridge was deeper into enemy-held territory, where neutral zones were rare and everyone packed heat. They'd need to be fast and silent.
He used 20 Crime Points at the shop before nightfall.
******
[Crime Shop – Tier I]
Purchased:
- [Low-Noise Lockpicks] – 6 CP
- [EMP Pocket Pulse (1-use)] – 8 CP
- [Disguise Kit: Pawnshop Worker] – 6 CP
Remaining: 21 CP
******
"You sure about this?" Dizzy asked.
Elias locked eyes with him. "No. But I'm not waiting for the city to hand me anything. We take what we need — quietly."
Dizzy gave a tired chuckle. "Yeah. Silent moves, right?"
"Exactly."
Still, part of him couldn't shake the feeling that Nova's offer might be a setup — or worse, a test.
And in the depths of Blackridge, silent moves were deadliest of all.