Chapter 23 · The Hold That Doesn't Open

"Don't let go." Vale's voice comes out flat, no room in it for anything but the order. His hand is locked over the manual release bar and mine is locked over his, and the metal is warm now, warm like it's been fighting him for a full minute.

"I'm not letting go." My knuckles are white. The bar wants to turn clockwise. Someone on the other side of that vault door wants it to turn clockwise. "Who has the third code, Vale?"

"I don't know."

"You said Rhys and you were the only two. You said that like it was fact."

"It was fact an hour ago."

The bar jumps under our hands, half an inch, and I feel it travel up my arm into my teeth. Vale plants his boot against the frame and throws his weight back, and for a second the door groans like something alive that just got hurt.

"She knew about Danny," I say. "That voice. She said his name like she's been reading his file for a week."

"I heard her."

"Then who is she?"

"I don't know, Gia.