Chapter 16 · Noah Comes Online

"Choose."

Noah's voice comes through every speaker in the building at once. Not distorted. Not filtered. Just him, clean and cold, like he's standing right behind me.

I spin. Empty hallway. Iris grabs my arm.

"Cade—"

"Elevator B or Stairwell Three," Noah says. "Vera's in one. Iris is in the other. You've got ninety seconds before the doors lock and the fire starts. Same choice you made in Prague. Let's see if you learned anything."

The lights cut. Emergency reds kick in, strobing. Iris's fingers dig into my sleeve.

"He's lying," she says. "I'm right here."

"Not for long." Noah almost sounds amused. "Eighty-five seconds, Cade. Elevator's on your left. Stairwell's on your right. Pick wrong, they both burn. Pick right, one of them gets to hate you for it."

I pull free from Iris and move. Elevator B is twenty feet down the hall, call button already lit. Stairwell Three is closer, door propped with a fire extinguisher.

"Cade, don't—" Iris starts, but I'm already running.

To the stairwell. I shove through and the door slams behind me, mag-lock engaging with a crack that echoes down the shaft.