Chapter 51 · The Ghost from the Past

"Don't move, Kane. That thing is wearing Rook's face."

Selena's pistol pressed against the side of my head. Her shoulder locked against mine, keeping me between her and the figure at the end of the corridor.

Rook stood under the dead emergency light with his rifle hanging from one hand.

Same crooked grin. Same scar over his eyebrow. Same silver tag bouncing against his chest.

He had died three years ago.

I had watched him die.

"Rook," I said.

His grin widened. "You remember me. That's sweet."

Selena's finger tightened near the trigger. "Step away from him."

"I can't," I said. "My back's against the wall."

"Then crawl."

"You always this welcoming?"

"Only with traitors and corpses. Move."

Rook lifted his rifle. The motion was slow, almost lazy. That was wrong. Rook had never been lazy around a weapon. He used to clean his rifle while eating, sleeping, and once while arguing with a mechanic over stolen coffee.

He should not have been standing there.

His eyes fixed on mine. They looked right, too. Dark brown. Sharp. Alive enough to make my old memories hurt.

"You going to shoot me, Commander?" Rook asked.