The map blinked once.
Then again.
[ANCHOR IDENTIFIED – LOCATION: WARD 6 – SECTOR 9 (RESTRICTED ZONE)]
[KNOWN NAME: NORA JIN]
[STATUS: LEGACY CORE HOLDER – NEUTRALIZED]
Ava read the words twice.
"Neutralized?"
Lucas leaned over her shoulder. "That means flagged and suppressed. She's still alive, but her system's locked down."
"By the Collective?"
"Probably." He pointed to the faded segment on the map. "Sector 9 used to be a clean city. One of the last before everything fell. Now it's blind. Surveillance up. Network locked. One road in."
"And no system use past the wall?"
Lucas gave a crooked smile. "Not unless you enjoy frying your brain like a handheld charger."
Ava exhaled slowly. "When do we leave?"
"We already did," he said. "Your system's been sim-mapping while you slept. William pulled a clean route. We take the back road into Sector 8 and jump the grid from there."
She blinked. "And we're walking?"
Lucas tapped his bracer. A small light flared.
