Chapter 25 · Only You Open It

Ryan saw her through the glass before he heard the pounding.

Erica. Face pressed to the inside of the pod, mouth open, no sound getting through. Her fist hammered the curved surface over and over. The pod sat in the center of the cargo container like a giant medical freezer, cables snaking from its base into the floor. Red status lights blinked along the seam.

Derek stood three feet back, blaster raised but shaking. "Don't touch it."

Ryan's leg dragged as he stepped closer. The current in his thigh had gone cold after the last discharge. "How long's she been in there?"

"Don't know. Convoy dropped it two hours ago. Locked the container and left." Derek's voice cracked. "Then I heard her."

Erica's eyes locked on Ryan. She mouthed something. He couldn't read it. Her palm flattened against the glass, fingers splayed.

"Why'd they bring her here?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know, man. They just said someone'd come for the package." Derek swallowed. "They said you'd know how to open it."

Ryan's stomach dropped. He looked down at the pod's base. A handprint port sat next to the main panel, glowing faint blue. Biometric lock.