Jaeger took the stack and distributed them to the team. Jameson accepted his, running a thumb over the cool surface. The card pulsed once with blue light, recognizing his gloved touch, then displayed his temporary identity: Officer Tanis Vrell, Patrol Unit 8, Cardinal sector, Authorization Level 3.

“How’d you manage genuine credentials?” Scout asked, examining her own card with skepticism.

“Courtesy of the uniforms you are wearing now,” Mikel answered. “Officers die on patrol. Sometimes their deaths aren’t reported immediately.”

Jameson bit back a scoff. “No loyalty to your own men? I wonder what that means for us.”

Mikel turned to fully look at him then, his full unmasked face on display. “My loyalties are no concern of yours. I have skin in this rebellion, and I plan to save it.”

“Where’s the target?” Jaeger intervened before Jameson could snap back.

Mikel turned forward, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror, meeting Jaeger’s reflective faceplate before pulling his helmet back over his head. “She was last seen entering Club Thane in the Entertainment District, approximately eighty minutes ago, with him.”

With him.

Two words that twisted into Jameson’s gut like a serrated blade. He didn’t need clarification on who he was speaking of. The Executioner. The man who had taken Shadera, who was parading her through the Heart like a trophy.

His hand clenched around the credential so tightly the metal edge bit into his palm through the glove. The pain was grounding, a sharp counterpoint to the rage threatening to cloud his judgment. This wasn’t about Serel. It was about Shadera. Getting her out. Getting her home.

“Club security?” Jaeger prompted.

“Standard for Heart elite establishments on the outside,” Mikel replied as he guided the vehicle through the dimly lit maintenance roads that wound through Cardinal’s industrial sector. “Six guards at the main entrance, two at each emergency exit. Inside, though, I can’t help you. Thane uses his own private security and surveillance inside all his clubs and it changes by the hour.”

“Convenient,” Breach muttered.

“The Broker doesn’t take kindly to Veyra inside his establishments,” Mikel added. “So you better be discreet and you better be ready. If he gets his hands on you, you’re going to wish it had been Maximus Instead.”

Jameson stored the information away. He didn’t trust the Captain, but he was as dead as the rest of them if they were caught, and that brought him a semblance of comfort. He forced himself to focus instead on the view through the windshield as they approached the first checkpoint. The thick wall separating Cardinal from the Heart loomed ahead, illuminated by harsh spotlights that eliminated all shadows. Guard towers punctuated its length at regular intervals, each topped with mounted weapons that could reduce their vehicle to ash in seconds.

The checkpoint itself was a fortress within a fortress—triple gates, scanning stations, and at least twenty Veyra officers visible on patrol. Concrete barriers forced all approaching vehicles into a single file, creating choke points where they could be easily targeted if necessary.

Jameson’s mouth went dry. He’d never been this close to the Heart above ground before—he’d been in their tunnels, in their sewers and maintenance shafts, but never imagined he would approach it head on, much less attempt to pass through in the open.

“First check incoming,” Mikel announced, his posture shifting subtly, shoulders squaring as he settled deeper into his role. “No one speaks unless spoken to. Let me handle this.”

The vehicle slowed as they reached the first barrier. A guard approached, hand resting casually on his sidearm. Mikel lowered his window, offering a crisp salute.

“Captain Mikel, Patrol Unit 8, returning from Cardinal sector sweep.”

The guard’s posture straightened at the sound of his name. “Sir.” He inclined his head, mirroring Mikel’s salute. “Credentials please, sir,” he said, gesturing toward the scanning pad mounted on the pole beside the vehicle.

Mikel pressed his card against the pad. It glowed green, accepting his identity without hesitation. The guard glanced at the scan results on the tablet in his hand, then peered into the back of the vehicle, eyes taking in the rest of them.

“Full complement tonight?” he asked, a note of curiosity in his voice.

“President’s orders,” Mikel replied smoothly. “Increased presence in Cardinal following the agricultural incident.”

The guard shook his head, his voice hardening. “About time. Stringing up a few more of those thieves might help the rest remember their place.”

Jameson’s jaw clenched behind his faceplate, but he kept still, kept silent.

The guard waved them through the first barrier, and Mikel eased the vehicle forward toward the main scanning station. Here was the real test—a full vehicle scan that would check not just credentials, but weight, weapons, and any unauthorized technology.

“Remain still,” Mikel murmured as they pulled into position. “The scan is calibrated for Veyra equipment. Anything else will trigger alarms.”

The scanning arch activated as they passed beneath it, bathing the vehicle in pale blue light. Jameson held his breath, hyperaware of every unauthorized item on his person—the concealed knife in his boot, the gun in the small of his back, not standard issue, the communication device embedded in his ear, modified by Boundary techs.

Seconds stretched into eternities as the scan completed its cycle. Then, mercifully, the light changed from blue to green, and the barrier ahead lifted.

“Proceed to final checkpoint,” came a mechanized voice from a speaker mounted on the arch.

Mikel drove forward, his movements unhurried despite the tension radiating from him. The final checkpoint was staffed by higher-ranking officers, those with the authority to override automated systems if they suspected something amiss.

As they approached, a commander stepped forward, hand raised for them to stop. Mikel complied immediately, lowering his window again as the commander approached.

“Credentials,” he said, voice clipped and cold.

Once again, Captain Mikel presented his card. This time, the commander took it, examining it personally before scanning it with a handheld device. He circled to the back of the vehicle.

“All officers, present credentials,” he ordered.

Jameson’s heart hammered against his rib cage as he reached forward with the others, offering his card through the small window that opened in the rear door. The commander collected them all, scanning each one slowly. His helmet tilted slightly as he reached Jameson’s, a gesture that felt like confusion or suspicion.

Jameson’s hand dropped to his sidearm, fingers curling around the grip beneath his seat. If they were discovered now, they’d have seconds to react before reinforcements swarmed them.

The commander spoke into his comms, voice too low to hear. Jaeger’s posture stiffened—the only sign of his readiness to act if necessary. The rest of the team remained perfectly still, waiting for the signal to strike.

Finally, the commander returned to Mikel’s window, handing back the stack of credentials. “Apologies for the delay, Captain. Security protocols have been enhanced due to increased unrest in the rings.”

“Understood,” Mikel replied. “Anything specific I should be made aware of?”

The commander glanced around before leaning closer. “Rumors of an extraction attempt.”

Jameson’s blood turned to ice in his veins.

“For that Boundary whore the President has locked up?” Mikel asked, his tone staying neutral as he pressed for information.

“No.” The commander shook his head. “I’m surprised they haven’t tried to get her yet, though. Unlikely they’d even make it this far, of course. The animals have never managed to breach even the outer perimeter.” His voice lowered. “The rumors are about someone they’ve been calling Python over comms. No one knows who in the Heart that is, but they sound important to the rings.”