By the time Hans returned to Site Three, the first recovery convoy had already entered through the eastern gate.
The two male Medics carried Kimmy directly toward the Field Hospital. Yunera remained beside the stretcher throughout the trip and followed them through the entrance, while Johannes stopped outside with Hans and watched the doors close behind her.
A female Medic emerged several minutes later with the bio-scanner tablet in hand.
"Her condition is stable, Commander. No physical injury was detected, though she is suffering from severe exhaustion. We will keep her under observation until she recovers."
"How long?"
"Unknown. Her vital signs are returning to normal, but we cannot determine how much strain her ability placed on her."
Hans nodded.
"Inform me if anything changes."
"Understood."
The Medic returned inside.
Johannes looked toward the Field Hospital for another moment before turning away.
"She absorbed what remained of that creature. Commander, do you think she..."
Hans remained quiet for a moment.
"She may have broken through. The residual pressure entered her aura, and her ability changed before she collapsed."
"Your soldiers called it psychic influence." Johannes tightened his brows. "Have you encountered it before?"
"More often than I would prefer," Hans answered. "You felt it yourself this time."
Johannes glanced toward the Field Hospital.
"Will Ms. Kimmy be okay?"
"She will be." Hans glanced at him. "What about you?"
Johannes was taken aback. "Me?"
"Those enhanced infected may have belonged to the same SAS field cell. I wanted to know how you felt about that."
Johannes sighed and shook his head.
"I pity them. They were capable agents who could have survived and helped people fight the infected."
"You do not resent the order?"
"Why would I? They were already fallen. Eliminating them was the only way."
Hans nodded.
"I had to ask."
Johannes’s mouth twitched.
"Commander, please. I know what they had become."
"The clean-up may take days. Perhaps you can find their safehouse somewhere in Highcross."
"We will do our best, Commander."
Johannes saluted, then turned away.
Another convoy entered Site Three before he reached the eastern gate. Guardian APCs separated from the recovery trucks once they crossed the Wall, leaving the vehicles to follow the marked lanes toward the warehouses.
Hans headed there with Callum.
The loading yard had grown crowded since his departure. Several trucks waited outside the western warehouse, while soldiers and lifting equipment moved reinforced containers through its open doors.
Priya stood near the first unloading lane with a tablet in hand, checking the markings before directing each vehicle toward its assigned section.
Ordinary supplies continued toward the other storage buildings. Food, clothing, tools, electronics, and medical materials had been separated before leaving Highcross, together with anything reserved for civilian distribution.
The remaining vehicles carried the materials marked for conversion.
Matilda approached from the warehouse entrance.
"Commander."
"How much has returned?"
"The first bank and most of the surrounding stores," she answered. "The second international branch is still being cleared. Its lower vault has several secured sections that require additional equipment."
Hans looked toward the loading yard.
The trucks already inside Site Three exceeded what the earlier Commercial Center had required. Several more waited beyond the gate, and their cargo only covered part of Highcross.
"What about the local bank?"
"Opened. Its inventory is included in the next convoy."
Matilda passed him the recovery summary.
Bullion occupied most of the first page. Gold and silver bars had been stored inside several reinforced containers, while smaller investment pieces, precious-metal coins, gemstones, jewelry, and private collections filled the remaining sections. Corporate offices and high-value stores added more materials after the banks.
Hans stopped reading before reaching the final page.
"How much remains in the district?"
"Enough for several more trips. The compact valuables were prioritized, but most of the useful merchandise will take days to remove."
That did not include the bodies, abandoned vehicles, damaged roads, or the underground sections that still required structural inspection.
"Keep the ordinary supplies separate," Hans said. "Route One and the Colony will need them."
"Already assigned. Priya is dividing the first shipment between Site Three’s reserves and the next supply convoy."
Hans returned the report.
"The Broodmother’s chamber?"
"Restricted. Specter Squad remains below with the Engineer. No one else has entered."
"Good."
They entered the warehouse.
Work lights stretched across the ceiling and exposed several marked rows beneath them. The first international bank occupied most of the nearest section, its reinforced cases placed together beside open containers filled with smaller valuables. Jewelry trays covered several tables farther inside, while sealed gemstone cases and precious-metal collections continued along the opposite wall.
Soldiers were still bringing more through the side entrance.
Hans slowed near the first bullion container. Its lid had been opened for inspection, revealing bars packed into fitted compartments beneath the bank’s surviving inventory labels.
The earlier Commercial Center haul had occupied one large section by the time everything was gathered. This recovery had already passed that amount, and the second bank had not arrived yet.
Matilda glanced toward the remaining space.
"We may need the covered loading section once the next convoy returns."
"Use it. Keep the perimeter closed until the conversion is finished."
"Understood."
A lifting vehicle entered through the warehouse doors and placed another reinforced container beside the first row. Priya checked its number, compared it with the recovery record, then marked it for conversion.
Hans continued deeper inside.
Highcross had required several days of preparation, most of his southern forces, three Strikers, two Falcons, Raptor One, artillery support, and nearly every armored reserve Site Three could release. Hundreds of thousands of infected had occupied the streets, buildings, and underground passages surrounding the banks.
The return now filled the warehouse one container at a time.
Hans looked toward the next lifting vehicle entering through the doors.
"Stop unloading."
Priya raised one hand. The vehicle halted before reaching the marked rows, while the soldiers carrying smaller cases placed them beside the nearest container and moved away.
Matilda looked toward the remaining trucks outside.
"Commander?"
"We will convert the first shipment now. There is no reason to fill the warehouse when more is already coming."
"Understood."
Matilda ordered the unloading crews beyond the marked sections. Priya checked the recovery tablet once more and confirmed that everything inside the first two rows had already passed inventory.
The warehouse doors closed.
Hans approached the first bullion container. Several notifications remained inside his interface from the hours he had spent inside the district.
------
[ Industrial Refinery Complexes daily output received: +400 Gold ]
[ Gold: 13,698 (+400) => 14,098 ]
------
He dismissed the notification.
The conversion interface appeared over the marked rows.
------
[ Convert all marked materials? ]
------
Hans looked across the first shipment.
The nearest international bank made up most of it. Bullion occupied the reinforced containers, while the surrounding stores and corporate offices had added jewelry, precious-metal pieces, gemstones, coins, and private collections to the smaller cases beside them.
"Convert everything."
Green light spread across the warehouse floor.
It reached the bullion containers first, passing beneath the fitted compartments and the surviving inventory labels attached to their sides. The reinforced cases disappeared with their contents, followed by the smaller lockboxes and jewelry trays arranged behind them.
The light continued through the second row.
Gold and silver vanished together. Gemstones followed, then the precious-metal collections recovered from the surrounding stores and offices. Each marked section disappeared until the warehouse floor stood empty again.
The light faded.
------
[ Industrial Storage Yards conversion bonus applied: +40% ]
[ Gold: 14,098 (+315,000) => 329,098 ]
------
Hans kept the interface open.
The first shipment had already produced more than three times the entire return from the earlier Commercial Center. The second international bank remained inside the district, together with the local branch and several reinforced sections that the recovery teams had yet to open.
Matilda waited beside him.
"That was only the first bank?"
"Yes, Commander. The surrounding stores were included, but most of the value came from its vaults."
Hans dismissed the panel.
"Open the warehouse."
The doors moved apart. Priya signaled toward the waiting lifting vehicle, and its operator brought the next reinforced container inside.
"Keep the shipments divided by completed inventory," Hans said. "Once a section is marked, inform me before the next one fills the warehouse."
"Understood," Matilda answered.
The unloading resumed.
Another recovery truck entered the yard while the first empty rows were prepared for its cargo. The district still held several days of work, but the valuables no longer needed to remain inside Site Three long enough for anyone outside his army to wonder where they went.
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