Chapter 6: Preparing for the Convoy

  The scavenger camp buzzed with quiet activity as Hayden prepared for the mission. Lyra had provided him with a basic outfit—a reinforced jacket with pockets lined for hidden tools, sturdy boots, and a mask to obscure his face.

  “This isn’t just for show,” Lyra explained as she handed him a small device. “It’s a signal scrambler. Use it to jam the Syndicate’s trackers if you’re spotted.”

  Hayden nodded, turning the device over in his hands. “And the convoy? What am I walking into?”

  Lyra leaned over the table in her tent, gesturing at a crude map. “The convoy will pass through the wasteland ravine just before dawn. Two hovercrafts for supplies and one security cruiser. There’ll be at least six Syndicate enforcers, maybe more.”

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  “Armed to the teeth, no doubt,” Hayden muttered.

  “Of course,” Lyra said with a sharp smile. “That’s why you won’t be fighting them head-on. Your job is to get in, grab the supplies, and get out before they even know you’re there.”

  Hayden studied the map, committing the route to memory. The Codex hummed faintly in his chest, a reassuring presence as he weighed the odds.

  “Your first real test, Hayden. Success will earn you their respect—and our growth begins with trust.”

  “What about backup?” Hayden asked.

  Lyra raised an eyebrow. “Backup? You’re on your own. We don’t have enough people to risk an open confrontation with the Syndicate. If you can’t do this solo, tell me now.”

  Hayden straightened, meeting her gaze. “I’ll handle it.”

  Satisfied, Lyra handed him a small satchel filled with tools—lockpicks, a portable EMP device, and a vial of concentrated sleep gas. “Good luck,” she said. “If you pull this off, you’ll have proven yourself.”

  As Hayden walked back to the edge of camp, the Codex chimed again:

  ?Mission Update: Scavenger Favor: Success increases status within the camp.

  He clenched his fists. He wasn’t just doing this for Lyra or her camp—he was doing it to prove to himself that he wasn’t the weak, disposable pawn Kyra had left behind.