Chapter 18 · The Order She Buried

"Who signed it?"

Iris doesn't answer. She's standing three feet away, arms wrapped around herself like she's cold, even though the air down here is thick and hot. The gate's still smoking behind me. My palm's blistered where I held it open.

"Iris."

"I don't know what Noah's talking about."

"Don't lie to me." I pull the gun. "Not now."

Her eyes drop to the barrel, then back up. She doesn't move. Doesn't flinch.

"You think I haven't been lied to enough?" I step closer. "You think I'm gonna let you stand there and feed me the same corporate nothing?"

"Cade—"

"Answer the question."

She swallows. "What extraction order?"

"Noah's." I'm right in front of her now. "Seven years ago. Someone pulled him out of Kiev two days before the op went sideways. He says someone signed his name on the order. Someone who knew the mission was gonna burn."

Her jaw tightens. "That's not—"

"Who signed it?"

"I don't know."

I put the muzzle under her chin.

She goes still. Her pulse jumps in her throat.