The ride back to East Vire was quiet.
Elias and Dizzy moved through alleyways and back roads, avoiding main streets. By the time they reached the safehouse, the sun had pushed through the smog, casting rust-colored rays over the cracked sidewalks.
Inside, Dizzy dropped into a chair and peeled off his jacket, sweat-darkened and smelling of engine grease.
"We need a win that doesn't end with us limping home," he muttered.
Elias didn't respond immediately. He was still replaying the depot raid in his head—every sound, every shadow, every mistake.
One gang member caught him by surprise. One gunshot too close. One more second and it could've been a bullet in his skull.
Close calls didn't shake him—they sharpened him.
He sat on the windowsill, pulling up the system HUD again.
******
[Status Update: 27 Crime Points Available]
Recommended Purchases (Based on Operation History):
– [Enhanced Surveillance Kit] – 18 CP
– [Tier I Combat Reflex Booster] – 24 CP
– [Basic Armor Implant: Subdermal Weave] – 30 CP (Locked)
– [Intel Trade: Unknown Faction Location] – 15 CP
******
Elias scrolled past the reflex booster. Tempting, but short-term.
He needed eyes on the city more than faster trigger pulls.
He confirmed the purchase.
******
[Crime Shop Purchase Confirmed: Enhanced Surveillance Kit – 18 CP]
Remaining CP: 9
Kit Contents:
– Micro Audio Bugs x3
– Remote Access Pad (Encrypted)
– Disposable Drone Scout (5-min battery)
– Motion Tracker Beacon x1
******
Dizzy peeked over. "We just get another box of magic tools?"
"More eyes. Less noise."
"Damn, remind me never to play poker with you."
They spent the next hour setting up the motion tracker inside the hallway and testing the drone scout in the alley. The tiny quadcopter buzzed like a dying wasp, but it delivered crisp video to the pad as it skimmed over rooftops.
Elias watched the live feed until it caught two Syndicate Watchdogs patrolling three blocks down—one of them nursing a limp. His bullet, no doubt.
The city was awake again.
And it was remembering him.
A knock at the front door brought everything to a halt.
They both froze.
Three knocks. Pause. Two knocks.
A code.
Dizzy raised a brow. "That's... Benny's pattern. From two months ago."
"He's dead."
Elias drew his pistol and nodded to Dizzy, who circled around the side with a knife in hand.
He opened the door fast.
And found himself face to face with a girl no older than nineteen, bundled in a hoodie three sizes too big. Pale skin. Blue eyes. Terrified.
"I don't want to die," she said.
He didn't lower the gun. "Start talking."
"They're watching me. I saw what you did to the Scavs—people talk. Said you're building something. That you don't fold."
Dizzy stepped up behind her, expression unreadable.
"You know the code," Elias said.
"My brother used to run with Benny. He made me memorize it in case things got bad."
"They got bad?"
She nodded. "The Greasehands grabbed him last week. Said they'd keep him alive if I worked for them. Been moving drugs for two days straight."
Elias exchanged a look with Dizzy. It didn't feel like a trap.
Not yet.
"What do you want?"
"A deal. Help me disappear, and I'll tell you something. Something real. They talk around me like I'm furniture. I know where they stash their supply backups. I know the plates of the buyer coming next week."
Dizzy whistled low. "That's not small-time info."
Elias lowered the gun. Not fully. Just enough.
"What's your name?"
"Rhea."
"Alright, Rhea. You're gonna sit down, drink water, and tell me everything. And if you're lying—"
"I'm not."
He stared at her. She didn't blink.
Finally, he stepped aside.
Rhea walked in like someone who hadn't slept in three days.
As Dizzy locked the door behind her, the system pinged again.
******
[Dynamic Event Triggered: Civilian Asset "Rhea" – Status: Unverified Informant]
Optional Outcome Paths:
– Protect and Extract (+12 CP | Access to Drug Route Intel)
– Use as Bait in Gang Ambush (+15 CP | High Risk)
– Eliminate to Prevent Leak (–10 CP | Infamy Increase)
Warning: Choice May Affect Morality Alignment
******
Elias watched her drink water with trembling hands.
The city wasn't just watching anymore.
It was offering him leverage.