Chapter 23 · Ghost Signal - Chapter 23: Dead Channel

The door hits the wall before I'm off the couch.

Qin's standing there. His face is wrong. Eyes glassed over, pupils blown wide like someone cranked the dial past human. His gun's already up.

"Qin." I don't move. "You wired?"

He doesn't answer. Just tracks me with the barrel. His hand's steady. Too steady. Nobody holds a gun that still unless something else is doing the holding.

"Shit." I shift left. He follows, smooth as a turret. "Who's got you?"

Nothing. Not even a blink.

Zero-Seven's voice cuts in, cool and clipped in my ear. "Neural override. Military grade. He's not in control."

"I can see that." I keep my hands visible. Qin's three meters out. Close enough that I can see the port behind his ear, the little red blink that shouldn't be there. "Can you cut him loose?"

"Not without frying his cortex. Whoever's running him used a hard lock."

"How hard?"

"The kind that leaves permanent damage if you rip it."

Qin moves. One step. Then another. His expression doesn't change. It's like watching a puppet walk.

I back up. My heel hits the edge of the table. Nowhere left to go. "Qin.