His gaze drops as he reaches the edge of Shreveport. From up here, their hard-earned progress is visible in every reinforced holowall, every enforcer on patrol, every sharpshooter in position, and every drone in formation overhead.
Thishe can count on. A crew and lieutenants who give a damn about their neighborhood.
But it wasn’t always like this.
Back then, Shreveport was just another slum left to rot.
Blood splattered the pavement on every block while gunfire kept him awake at night, and the Butchers—or whoever ran the streets that month—collected fees door to door, pistols at the ready. He would have to run home to beat the warning sirens rigged up by locals. Once those blared, the safest place anyone could be was anywhere but the streets.
His uncle ended that. In Shreveport, at least. And so far, Kane and his crew have held the line.
As long as they can hold off Natural Order.
That thought alone kills whatever comfort the memory gave him.
Jaw tight, he veers toward the market. Normally, he’d swing by for a quick meal before patrol, but today his stomach twists at the idea.
He heads for the district anyway—then pulls up short mid-air.
The heat signatures on his HUD are far too low for this hour.
He drifts closer until the full marketplace comes into view. His shoulders tense.
Streets that should be packed lie empty. Shops that never close in daylight sit shuttered. Near the entrance, a spike in his thermal readout flashes. He angles his bike down, and the cause slams into focus.
His lieutenants stand rigid, facing a crowd linked arm-in-arm across the doorway. Among them are parents of recruits, elderly crew relatives, and long-time allies, forming a human barricade. Fists clenched and jaws set, they chant in unison while the same message pulses from their wristlinks:
[LANCERS NOT WELCOME ANYMORE.]
His teeth clench.
What the hell is this? Why didn’t they alert him about this?
Kane’s grip tightens as he drops out of the sky.
The trio below peer up in sync as the shadow of his HOV sweeps over them. The instant he hits the ground and steps off the bike, they close in, leaving the enforcers to push civilians back.
He doesn’t give them a chance to speak. “One of you.” Hepoints first at them, then to the blockade. “Explain what the hell I’m looking at. Now.”
Wren flinches. Echo’s smile slips clean off her face. Even Coda—streaming in through her hovering drone—falls silent.
Viper’s posture is tense. He steps forward. “Natural Order embedded people among the locals. Converts. They’re spreading rumors that we push military-grade enhancements, forcing cyberware.”
“What?” The growl erupts from Kane, head snapping to scan the gathered protestors. There are too many faces for his overlay to flag them all.
“They’re claiming we force unnecessary combat upgrades, experimental tech,” Wren explains, her tone clipped.
Kane makes a fist. “Since when do they listen to Natural Order’s anti-tech bullshit? Half of them have medical implants and work assists themselves.”
“They’re accusing us of working with VitaCorp…” Wren’s voice lowers. “Because of…Rafael. Some of them swear they’ve seen meetings, supply drops. They brought in a fixer who swears he handled the deliveries.”
Kane’s shoulders stiffen. Whatever’s happening here—whatever the cause—no danger will fall to Rafael, regardless of how they ended. He’ll make sure they know he has no part in this.
Echo clears her throat. “Thing is, boss man…” She takes a breath. “They’re also saying the crew changed after your uncle died. That under him, we respected limits.” Her next words thin to almost nothing. “Some are even alleging you…played a part in Duke’s death. Which I know isn’t true. But old crew members and locals are backing the claims. For reasons I don’t understand.”
His stomach churns. These people knew his uncle, honored him for clearing the Butchers out of this neighborhood. They mourned his death and backed Kane when he took the mantle. Or so he thought.
“We’re tracking these undercover operatives,” Coda cuts in. “Scanning drone footage and matching it against civilian data. But our network is drying up.”