Chapter 27 · Ghost Signal - Chapter 27: Don't Pick for Me

The countdown's at eight minutes.

Qin's hand is still around my throat. His grip's loose now, just fingers resting against my pulse like he's checking I'm real. His eyes aren't his anymore. Something else is looking out from behind them, something that knows my real name and the exact angle of every scar on my body.

"Lin Jin." His voice cracks on the second syllable. "You have to choose."

I try to pull back. He doesn't let me. His other hand comes up to cup the side of my face, thumb pressing just under my cheekbone. His palm's cold. That's wrong. Qin runs hot, always has, even in the mountains when the rest of us were shaking under our thermal wraps.

"Get out of him," I say.

His mouth twitches. It might be a smile. It might be Qin trying to fight his way back up. "I'm not in him. I'm borrowed. Eight minutes, Lin. Then the core goes live and the system wipes the lower city clean. You want to save them? Delete Zero-Seven. That's the key. She's the lock on the whole network."

"Bullshit."

"Truth." He leans in.