Chapter 13 · The Glitchy Savior

"Don't you fucking move."

Jax's hand slams down on my shoulder and shoves me back against the concrete. Hard.

My knees hit the ground. My vision is still rebooting, all static and red error text flickering at the edges.

"Jax?" I choke out. "What are you—"

"I said don't move!" He drops down next to me, breathing like he just sprinted a mile. His laptop is open, cables everywhere, screen flashing WARNING. "You stand up right now and Olympus will light you up like a goddamn Christmas tree. You hear me? Every drone in a ten-block radius will ping your mod."

I try to push his hand off. He doesn't let go. His fingers are cold and shaking.

"Get off me," I snap.

"No." He leans in, close enough I can see the sweat on his forehead. "You want to die out there? Because that's what's waiting. They rebooted you, Kaelen. You're broadcasting again."

The alley behind the black clinic is narrow and stinking of trash and ozone. Sirens wail three streets over. And above us, I can hear it. That low hum. Drones.

"How long was I out?" I ask.

"Ninety seconds.