Chapter 40 - Kane
A weight presses against Kane’s chest the moment his boots touch the pavement.
Seven years, and this street hasn’t changed at all.
Crumbling row houses line the sidewalk, their bricks worn smooth and their porches sagging with rot. The air carries the familiar scent of fish and brine from the Terra’s docks down the block.
Overhead, one of Coda’s drones buzzes past. Not Cipher’s anymore. But the machine’s underbelly still pulses a familiar green.
This part of Shreveport should feel like home. It doesn’t.
As he passes the next house, Kane’s focus snags on the front steps, and a memory hits of his younger self. He trails behind his aunt and uncle, going house to house with hot meals to make amends after an attack by a rival crew.
Fingertips brush over his, bringing him back to the present. He glances over at Rafael, smiling at his side.
Kane clears his throat and nods toward the end of the block. “This is where I grew up,” he declares.
Rafael’s expression falters. “Wow, really? What’re we doing here? I mean—it’s really interesting to see where you’re from, and I’d love to hear more. But I thought we were going to see Cipher?”
His jaw sets. “We are. They’re holed up somewhere around here, according to Echo’s intel.”
“What do you mean? Cipher used to live here, too?”
“Yeah.” Kane shrugs. “Same streets. Cipher, Dragan. A couple others my uncle recruited. They were close then. Practically siblings.”
Before everything went to hell.
And now they’re in Shreveport. Like nothing ever happened.
“Figures. Cipher always does what they want.” He gestures for Rafael to follow. “Let’s go.”
Three houses down, the marker in Kane’s overlay flashes before locking onto a unit at the end. His steps slow before coming to a stop.
“What’s wrong?” Rafael’s voice drifts in over his pounding heart.
He doesn’t answer at first, double-checking the coordinates Echo sent over on his wristlink.
“Wait…” Kane freezes. “No. That can’t be right…”
A gentle grip closes around his wrist. “What is it, Kane?”
That fateful night flashes back. Echo limping on the pavement. Cipher stumbling out of the medtruck. His uncle sagging in his arms, red soaking his clothes.
Kane goes rigid. “Cipher.” He hisses. “They’re in the lieutenants’ former home base—next to my uncle’s house.”
A thumb brushes across Kane’s palm. “That’s a lot…” There’s no pity in Rafael’s tone, only understanding. “I’m with you.”
The words don’t change the situation. His touch doesn’t either. And yet, the ache behind Kane’s ribs loosens a fraction.
“Stay close.” Kane squeezes Rafael’s hand once before moving on down the street.
When they reach the porch, the former home base looks like any other on the block. Weathered but mostly ordinary.
Too ordinary.
This place used to be wired within an inch of its life. Sensors buried in the walls and jammers humming under the floorboards. No one stepped on this porch without Cipher knowing about it.
He taps the side of his visor to run a scan. Nothing registers. No heat spikes or EM noise. Only a generic security panel by the door.
“Something’s not right,” he mutters.
Rafael steps onto the porch.
“Fuck—wait!”
He lunges after, wooden boards creaking under his boots. His hand is inches from Rafael when hidden slots open on either side of the doorframe.
Glowing devices eject with a click. Cipher’s signature immobilizers. Kane would recognize the circle design anywhere. Another pair deploys near the steps. His arm shoots out on instinct, fingers closing around Rafael’s sleeve.
It’s already too late.
The immobilizers crackle on. Electricity slams through Kane’s body, locking every muscle in place. His vision whites out at the edges. He can’t move, can’t speak. Only his eyes and the corner of his mouth still respond.
Heart hammering, he fixes on Rafael, and his display lights up.
>ID: RAFAEL GUTIERREZ >HR: 110 BPM ↑
“Kane!” Rafael shouts.
“It’ll be okay,” Kane says automatically.
His mind scrambles for how. His scans never picked this up. Cipher must’ve masked the signatures.
Beside the entrance, the security panel flickers on. It’s a vintage hybrid unit with a flat display and physical toggles. A narrow aperture iris opens under the screen, releasing a sweep of light that rakes across them then closes.
Seconds later, a face resolves on the display, features too warped to read.
“Kane O’Connor,” a familiar drawl comes through. “Figured you’d come for me, eventually. I just didn’t think it’d take you this long…”
The hologram’s figure shifts slightly. “…and with a civilian in tow.”
Their voice is rougher than Kane remembers, but he recognizes them instantly.
“Cipher,” he growls. “Release us. I’m not here for revenge. If I were, you wouldn’t see it coming. And like you said, I wouldn’t bring a civilian. I’m here to talk.”
Bitter laughter crackles through the speaker. “Talk? After all this time?”
Already prepared for this, Kane starts to answer. Cipher cuts him off.
“How do I know this isn’t a setup? That you don’t have enforcers waiting on standby? You say I wouldn’t see it coming. Maybe that’s exactly the point. And this whole ‘civilian’ thing?” Cipher’s head tilts. “A—Rafael Gutierrez, formerly of VitaCorp—could be another angle.”
Rafael’s pulse jumps in Kane’s visual feed. Kane isn’t surprised. He knows what Cipher can pull from a facial scan and a V-link scrape.
As he tries to interfere, Rafael speaks up. “I’m…I’m Kane’s partner—boyfriend. We’re not here to fight. He only wants to help.”
Pride flares in Kane, immediately chased by doubt.
Has Rafael said too much?
Cipher steps in before he can decide. “Well, Kane…Your ‘partner’ certainly seems genuine…But sincerity can be faked.”
Kane’s muscles tense until Cipher adds, “However, given Rafael’s clean record and recent ‘leave’ from VitaCorp, I’m inclined to believe you.”
The smile on Rafael’s lips barely registers before the immobilizers retract into the wall with a click.
His body goes slack as he regains control of his limbs, stumbling only a step. Rafael’s hand finds his shoulder, and they both steady themselves.
Cipher clears their throat. “Alright, Kane, I’ll give you a chance to ‘talk.’ But don’t think for a second I’m letting my guard down. One wrong move, and this conversation is over.”
Kane straightens. “Understood. Same applies to you.”
The hologram flickers out. A series of clicks follows, and the front door creaks open. Cipher stands on the other side.
Time has carved lines into their face, let their hair grow long into braids, and replaced the visor with glasses like his own.
But it’s the clothes that catch Kane off guard.
Cipher wears casual slacks and a green cardigan, a far cry from the armored getup they used to wear. His mouth lifts in amusement.
Still, cyberware glints at Cipher’s temples and along their neck, no doubt more hidden beneath their clothes.
Domestic or not, they’re a techie to the core.
When Cipher steps aside, his feed flags the old ceiling sensors, window screens, scramblers in the floorboards.
Bones of their base are here. But the steel is buried beneath antique furniture and knit throws. Not exactly the type of decor he pictured from Cipher.
A sudden glint snaps his focus. Cipher’s hand slips into the cardigan.
The gun comes up fast, barrel leveled at their chests.
Rafael sucks in a breath.
Kane’s arm shoots out over him. “What’s going on, Cipher?!”
“Drop your weapons.” Cipher nods at the ground. Their metrics read steady, as is the weapon in their hands.
His weapons clatter to the floor without protest. Rafael’s safety takes priority.
“He’s clean,” Kane declares. “No weapons. Hardly any cyberware.”
Cipher stares at him, then slowly holsters the gun. “Follow me. We’ll talk outside.”
They don’t wait for an answer, leading Kane and Rafael through a doorway on the opposite wall.
As they move through the house, Kane catches the changes in flashes. Where a holotable once dominated the room, a dining set sits against red walls with pink flowers. The kitchen—once loud with crew voices—is silent, stripped down to bare counters and empty chairs.
The sliding glass door at the far wall whirs open as they approach, revealing a backyard Kane remembers all too well. Where Athena once chanted, and Dragan whipped recruits into line. Now it’s a simple patio beside a garden of flora, spices, and vegetables.
At its center is a stranger in overalls with chin-length blond hair, close to Cipher’s age. While Rafael gawks, Kane’s fingers twitch at his side.
“Stand down,” Cipher hisses. “She’s my partner. Avery.”
Kane blinks. For a split second, Cipher’s drunken ramblings come back to him. They always talked of settling down. He laughed it off at the time.
Avery walks over with a smile. Her gaze flicks between them. “Hey, Sam…who are your guests?”
Sam. Not Cipher. Sam.
A smirk tugs at Kane’s lips. “I’m Kane. An old friend of…Sam’s.” He gestures to Rafael beside him. “This is my partner.”
“Rafael,” he introduces himself with a wave. His focus drifts past the patio. “This garden is…incredible. Like something from V-link or the Premiere Corp Botanics downtown.”
Avery beams. “Thank you. It’s one of the few authentic nurseries in Nova City. Want a tour while these two catch up?”
“No” is halfway out of Kane’s mouth. One look at Rafael’s grin, and the word dies. Kane gives a nod to Cipher.
They exhale. “Fine,” Cipher mutters. “But keep it brief. And stay in sight.”
Once Rafael and Avery disappear among the greenery, Cipher gestures to a small table and a pair of chairs on the patio.
“So, Kane.” Cipher’s fingers tap once, then rest. “What do you really want—if you’re not here to get revenge for Duke?”
The name knocks the breath from Kane. For a moment, everything he told Rafael about ending the war vanishes. He leans forward, voice low through gritted teeth. “You really want to go there? Because you’re lucky—”