Kane leaned against the wall. His right leg suddenly spasmed.

  It wasn't the twitch of muscle fatigue.

  It was neural failure.

  He yanked up his pant leg. The bio-electric arcs on the surface of The Predator had turned from pale blue to a dull, angry red—like glowing wires snaking beneath his skin.

  Kane stared at the crimson arcs, cold sweat dripping onto the floor.

  "Kid."

  Crag stepped beside him, his massive frame blocking out the tunnel light.

  "Your leg..."

  "I know."

  Kane interrupted him, pulling a cheap Neural Suppressor from his vest.

  He had bought this at the black market last time for extreme circumstances. He hadn't used it until now.

  The side effects were glaring—it merely paralyzed the nerves so the pain became undetectable, but the neural load would continue to skyrocket.

  It was like pouring coolant into an engine that was about to blow.

  It treated the symptoms, not the cause.

  Kane stared at the suppressor for three seconds.

  Then, he jammed it into his thigh.

  The drug took effect almost instantly.

  The spasms in his right leg stopped. The agony vanished.

  But Kane knew this was just drinking poison to quench a thirst.

  He stowed the empty syringe and looked up at Crag.

  "I can move."

  Crag didn't speak. He simply nodded.

  Kane reopened the communicator, staring at the message from Felix.

  "Want to live? Come to Exit 3 of The Grey Channel. I'm waiting for you."

  He began to analyze the situation.

  Kunlun Corp had blockaded every exit. If Felix dared to contact him now, it meant the man either had a foolproof plan or was setting a trap.

  Regardless, Kane had no room for choice.

  "Kid," Crag suddenly said.

  "I can reveal myself. Draw the attention of the pursuers."

  Kane looked up at him.

  Crag’s stony face was expressionless, but his tone was dead serious.

  "You’re fast. I’ll hold them back, and you can get out."

  Kane stared at Crag for a few seconds in silence.

  "If you die, who’s going to guard the Stoneborn's Tinder Crystal?"

  Crag blinked, stunned.

  Kane pocketed the communicator and turned toward the depths of the tunnel.

  "Don't say stupid things. Keep up."

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  Crag stood frozen, watching Kane’s back. A rare, complex emotion flickered across his rocky features. He said nothing more, hoisted his shield, and followed.

  Kane tapped a few words into the communicator.

  "See you at Exit 3. But I want to see your sincerity first."

  Send.

  He shut off the device and said to Crag, "If Felix really wanted to kill me, he wouldn't choose Exit 3."

  Crag frowned. "Why?"

  "Because that's the most complex area of The Rat Run," Kane said as he walked. "The terrain is a mess, and there are too many forks. It gives him no advantage."

  "If he wanted to set an ambush, he’d choose somewhere more open."

  Crag thought about it and nodded. "Makes sense."

  Kane didn't speak again, simply quickening his pace.

  The two pushed deeper into the tunnels. They encountered several groups of scavengers along the way. Upon seeing Kane and Crag, these people immediately retreated into the shadows, their eyes filled with a mixture of terror and greed.

  Kane knew that the two-hundred-thousand credit bounty had turned him into prey for the entire city.

  But the scavengers didn't make a move.

  They knew well enough that a head worth that much wasn't something they could claim.

  At a junction, Kane suddenly stopped.

  Crag halted as well, alertly raising his shield. "What is it?"

  Kane didn't answer. He stared at the wall.

  There was a fresh smear of blood on the metal. Beside the blood, a crude arrow had been etched, pointing toward the left passage.

  Kane narrowed his eyes.

  This was Felix's signal. They had agreed on this mark during a previous deal—blood and an arrow indicated a "Safe Passage."

  Kane stared at the bloodstain for a few seconds.

  "Keep up."

  He turned and entered the left passage.

  Crag followed behind, asking in a low rumble, "Kid, was that Felix’s doing?"

  "Likely." Kane didn't look back. "But it could also be a trap."

  Crag was silent for a moment. "And you’re still going in?"

  "Because I have no choice."

  The passage grew increasingly narrow. Abandoned mechanical parts and rusted pipes cluttered both sides, and the air was thick with the scent of machine oil and blood.

  Crag raised his shield alertly. "Kid, something’s wrong here."

  Kane didn't respond. His focus was entirely on what lay ahead.

  At the end of the tunnel, a half-ajar metal door appeared, a faint light leaking through the gap. Kane signaled for Crag to stop. He approached the door silently, peering inside.

  The room was a small warehouse packed with black market goods—firearms, modification parts, and energy cells.

  Standing in the center of the warehouse was a middle-aged man in a black trench coat.

  Felix.

  He had his back to the door, seemingly waiting for someone. Kane noticed Felix’s right hand stayed near his waist, where a modified pistol was holstered.

  Kane stared at the man’s back for a moment, then pushed the door open.

  The metal groaned with a harsh, grating sound. Felix heard it and slowly turned around. An inscrutable smile played across his face.

  "You’re even more cautious than I imagined."

  Felix’s voice was low and gravelly, carrying a tone of appraisal.

  Kane did not relax his guard. His hand remained firmly on the trigger of The Cyclone.

  "Where is your 'sincerity'?"

  Felix smiled and pulled a metal chip from his coat, tossing it to Kane.

  "This is a pass for The Grey Channel. It’ll get you out of Blackrock Town safely."

  Kane caught the chip and glanced at it. It was etched with a complex encrypted symbol—the mark of the black market smuggling network.

  Kane looked up. "This thing is worth a hundred thousand?"

  Felix shook his head. "It’s not."

  "But I don’t want money. I want you to owe me a favor."

  Kane stared at him in silence for several seconds. "You aren't with Kunlun Corp. So, who do you work for?"

  Felix’s smile faded, his eyes turning deep and unreadable.

  "I’m just a businessman. But I can tell you won't be stopping at Blackrock Town."

  "I’m betting you can go much further."

  Kane searched Felix’s face for more information, but found only calm. There were no openings. He finally pocketed the chip and turned to leave.

  "By the way, 'Ghost'..." Felix spoke up suddenly.

  "Kunlun Corp has deployed an elite squad at Exit 3. They’re led by Karl 'The Hound'."

  Kane stopped and looked back. "Why are you telling me this?"

  Felix shrugged. "Because I don’t want my investment to go down the drain so soon."

  "Karl is one of the three aces under Commander Andrew Zoe. His exoskeleton is equipped with a thermal tracking system."

  "That ability of yours to sink into the ground? It won’t work against him."

  Kane narrowed his eyes. "How do you know about my abilities?"

  Felix smiled but said nothing, simply pointing to an old surveillance unit in the corner of the warehouse.

  "I have eyes in every Rat Run in Blackrock Town."

  Kane stared at the camera for a moment, then turned and left the warehouse.

  Crag followed, whispering, "Kid, you believe him?"

  Kane shook his head. "I don't. But this Karl he mentioned... I have to be ready for him."

  The two continued down the tunnel, nearing Exit 3. Kane could feel the effects of the Neural Suppressor beginning to fade. The spasms in his right leg intensified.

  He gritted his teeth, forcing the pain down. Just one last stretch. He had to make it.

  When they were fifty meters from Exit 3, Kane suddenly stopped. He saw several shadows projected onto the tunnel wall ahead.

  The figures were motionless, like predators waiting for their prey to walk into the net.

  Kane gripped The Cyclone and whispered to Crag, "Get ready."

  From the distance, a cold male voice called out.

  "'Ghost.' I’ll be taking that bounty now."

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