Chapter 10 · Shaky Truce

"Move. Now!" Sila’s voice cracked like a whip, and her hand slammed into my shoulder, shoving me flat against the damp concrete of the alleyway.

I hit the ground hard, the breath leaving my lungs in a sharp hiss. Above us, the high-pitched whine of a drone screamed through the air, its red infrared beam sweeping the walls just inches from my head. The smell of ozone and wet trash filled my nose. My systems were still glitching from the overclock—every time I blinked, a line of gold code flickered across my vision, mocking me.

"They found us," I wheezed, clutching my chest. "How the hell did they find us?"

Sila didn't look at me. She had her rifle leveled, her finger twitching on the trigger. Her eyes were wide, bloodshot, and swimming with a mix of raw grief and murderous rage. The news about her brother was still eating her alive.

"Shut up and stay down," she hissed. "If you're the one who leaked our coordinates, I'll kill you before the drones do."

"I didn't leak anything!" I snapped, trying to push myself up.