Chapter 14: The First Deposit
The faint, pre-dawn light had begun to bleed down the subway stairs, turning the absolute black into a murky grey, when the sounds came. Not the skittering of claws, but the cautious, heavy tread of boots on concrete. The scouting party was returning.
Kael, who had not moved from his position, watched as Eli was instantly awake, his hand closing around the haft of his axe. The others stirred, the safe zone's fragile peace broken by a palpable tension. This was a moment of reckoning for them, too.
Three figures emerged from the southern tunnel. They were weary, their shoulders slumped with a fatigue that went beyond physical exhaustion. The lead scout, a lean woman with her hair tied back in a severe knot, met Eli's eyes and gave a slow, grim shake of her head.
The silence that followed was heavier than any noise. The hope that had flickered in Mara's eyes when they entered extinguished, leaving behind a hollow resignation. She looked at Jonas, her hand gently brushing the hair from his damp forehead.
"Nothing," the lead scout said, her voice raspy. "The clinic on Elm was picked clean. Looted before the first night. The… the things… are nesting in the hospital. We couldn't get within two blocks."
Eli's jaw tightened. He looked from the scouts to Jonas, and for a moment, the leader's stern mask slipped, revealing the crushing weight of his responsibility. He was watching one of his people die from a cut, and he was powerless.
It was the moment. The variable was set. The risk of action was now lower than the cost of inaction.
Kael rose to his feet. The movement, silent and fluid, drew every eye. He could feel their wariness sharpen into suspicion. The outsider, the wild card, was making his play.
He ignored them and walked toward Eli. He stopped a few feet away, well outside the range of a sudden swing of the axe.
"The map shows a veterinary office," Kael said, his voice cutting through the depressive silence. "Three blocks southwest of here. Off the main streets. Low probability of being looted."
Eli's eyes narrowed. "A vet? That's a long shot."
"It is," Kael acknowledged. "But it's a shot." He paused, then delivered the second, more critical piece of information. He looked at Mara, then back to Eli. "I have a crafting material. A **[Slasher's Claw]**. The System identifies it as a potential base for an antidote."
This sent a ripple through the group. The System was a personal, often cryptic thing to them. For Kael to share a specific function of a loot item was a gesture of immense significance. He wasn't just giving them a location; he was giving them a potential solution.
Eli studied him, his gaze searching for the angle, the trap. "An antidote. Not antibiotics."
"The corruption from these creatures isn't natural. Their toxins might not respond to conventional medicine." Kael tapped the side of his head. "The System thinks it's a viable path."
The lead scout, Anya, stepped forward. "The vet's on the way to the 'Aerie' you mentioned. We could scout both." There was a new, grim determination in her voice. A thread of hope, however thin, was stronger than no hope at all.
Eli's decision was written on his face. He had no other moves on the board. He gave a sharp nod. "Alright. Anya, take Rik and Leyton. Go. Fast and quiet." He then turned his full attention back to Kael. "And you. You'll guide them with that map in your head."
It wasn't a question. It was the next logical entry in the ledger. Kael had provided the intelligence; now he would provide the navigation. He was being made to invest his own safety in the outcome.
Kael met Eli's stare. This was the test. To leave the safety of the tunnels and venture back out with a team he didn't know, relying on a coordination he despised.
"No," Kael said.
A flicker of anger and disappointment crossed Eli's face.
"I'll go alone," Kael continued, his tone leaving no room for argument. "A Stalker is faster and quieter alone. I will retrieve the supplies. You cannot afford to lose three of your fighters on a 'long shot'."
The truth of his words hung in the air. He was not only offering a better tactical solution, he was absorbing the entire risk himself. It was a massive deposit into the ledger of trust.
Eli was silent for a long moment, the gears turning behind his eyes. Finally, he grunted. "You have until nightfall. If you're not back, we seal the entrance."
It was a fair terms. Kael gave a single, sharp nod. He didn't look at the others. He turned and moved toward the subway stairs, the map already unfolding in his mind, the route to the veterinary office glowing like a golden thread.
He had made his first deposit. Now, he had to ensure it paid out.