Chapter 35 · one called

I rolled, kicked his legs out, and rose behind a concrete support column. He swore while the hunters entered the corridor.

Their red optics swept over the pipes.

"K-9," one called. "Your neural lock is at nine percent. Stop fighting and Olympus will preserve your core functions."

"They always lie this much?" Jax asked from the floor.

"Only when they're scared."

"They're scared of you?"

"They should be."

The first hunter moved left.

The second covered the door.

I looked at the rifle in my hand. The weapon felt wrong. Too loud. Too slow.

My fingers loosened.

The blade felt better.

Jax saw it. "Kaelen, don't."

"Don't what?"

"Go in there."

"You said you wanted both hands to keep me alive. Use them."

"I'm serious. Your timer is dropping. Every time you trigger those combat reflexes, the lock burns faster."

"Then fix it."

"I can't fix a dead brain."

"Mine isn't dead."

"Not yet."

The first hunter spotted me.

I threw the rifle.

It struck his visor. He fired at the ceiling. I was already moving.

I crossed the distance before the second hunter could turn. My knife caught the barrel of his weapon and shoved it aside.