Chapter 25 · Spine-Jack Overdrive

"Take your hand off my arm, Rex." Vesper's fingers locked around my wrist as a titanium claw punched through the wall beside my head.

The claw ripped back with a scream of metal. I dragged Vesper down with me, and the next swipe shaved sparks off the pipe above us.

"You first," I snapped. "You're the one driving my arm."

"Because you keep trying to stab the thing with my spine."

"Your spine has the better angle."

"That is not how teamwork works."

The hunter came through the torn bulkhead behind us, all plated shoulders and black hydraulic limbs. Its head had been crushed under a rail-car blast two minutes ago. It had rebuilt itself anyway. Titanium fingers unfolded from both forearms, each one long enough to hook through a chest plate and pull a person in half.

The thing clicked its jaw at us.

My right hand rose before I told it to. Vesper's blade was in my grip, bright and shaking, pointed straight at the hunter's neck.

"Don't," Vesper said.

"I didn't."

"Then stop thinking about it."

"Get out of my head."

"Gladly. Give me back my hand."

I tried to lower the blade. My arm ignored me.