Luna's receiver lost the tracer beneath Sump Gate while Vell was still copying its final turn. The signal had crossed a sealed checkpoint, so waiting until morning would only give Ivory time to move the counterfeit elsewhere.
Yenna folded the district map around the marked route, then headed for the tea room stairs. Her chains stayed beneath her coat, but the people blocking the lower tables moved before she reached them.
They crossed the central district through freight alleys while the calf wound from Jia's blade pulled beneath its fresh wrap. Luna watched the receiver from Blackforge as each update weakened, leaving only depth plus a line beneath the Association service tower.
Sump Gate occupied a square block behind evacuation walls left from the third breach. Guards watched the outer barrier through reinforced windows, while a checkpoint clerk recorded every license entering the service yard.
