Chapter 23 · The Mission We Buried

"You're awake."

Noah's voice hits me before I even open my eyes. I'm standing. Elevator doors in front of me. The metal's cold under my palm. The countdown on my wrist burns.

4.

"I died," I say.

"You did." Noah steps into view, blocking the doors. He's holding Vera's gun. "You tore off the monitor. Triggered the reset. Very dramatic."

I look past him. The elevator panel reads 1. We're back at the start. Again.

"Where's Iris?"

"Twelve," Noah says. "Same place. Bleeding out. You've got maybe eight minutes before she's gone." He tilts his head. "Or you could stay here. Talk to me. Let this loop expire."

"Move."

"Not yet." He raises the gun. Not at me. At the panel. "You want to save her, you're going to answer my question first."

"What question?"

"Prague," Noah says. "The rooftop. You said the chopper never came. You said Command scrubbed the exfil."

I don't move.

"I need to hear you say it, Cade. Did you survive?"

The air between us goes tight. I can feel my pulse in my throat. The elevator hums. Outside, through the crack in the doors, I hear boots. They're coming.

"Yeah," I say. "I survived."