Chapter 17 · Untitled Chapter

"You're not going in there alone." Jude's hand locked around my wrist before I could arm the breach charge.

I drove my shoulder into him and slammed him against the stairwell wall. His jacket was warm from the last firefight. Blood still ran from the graze at his temple.

"Let go."

"No."

We had four minutes left in the reset. Maybe five if the blast delay held. The console room waited twelve floors above us, behind two checkpoints Drake had sealed herself.

I twisted free and shoved the muzzle of my gun under Jude's chin. He didn't reach for his weapon. He only watched me with that calm, infuriating face he'd worn since the protocol core had broken open and painted every death time in Grayharbor across the sky.

"You don't trust me," he said.

"You're catching on."

"Then trust the clock."

"What I trust is you staying down here while I get to the console. My people will shoot you on sight."

"Your people are dead."

The words hit harder than his grip had.

"Try that again."

"Three floors down. Drake's squad hit them ninety seconds ago."

"You're lying."

"Check your comm."

I hated that my hand moved.