Chapter 18 · Before he could respond, the perimeter alarm shrieked

Before he could respond, the perimeter alarm shrieked. A sharp, rhythmic pulse that made me wince. Kael was moving before the second beep, his hand already on his weapon.

"Damn it," he hissed. "They tracked the resonance spike."

"I told you we weren't safe," I said, scrambling to my feet, ignoring the scream of pain from my leg.

"Shut up and cover the rear," Kael commanded.

We moved through the corridor of the safehouse, a blur of gray concrete and flickering neon. The air grew heavy with the scent of ionized gas. Then, the wall to our left simply vanished. A thermite charge blew a perfect circle through the plating, and three figures in matte-black tactical gear slid through the gap.

They weren't corporate security. These were ghosts—silent, fast, and carrying high-frequency blades that hummed with a lethal pitch.

"Go!" Kael yelled, firing a burst from his pulse-pistol.

I dove forward, my gene-mods kicking in. My vision shifted, the world slowing down into a series of vectors and heat signatures. I slid under the first assassin, my blade finding the gap in his armor at the ankle.