Chapter 15 · Lies in the Code

"Don't touch that door." Vala caught my wrist before my fingers reached the emergency latch. "Unless you want every gun in this block pointed at us."

"Good. Saves me the trouble of knocking."

She twisted my arm behind my back and shoved me against the maintenance tunnel wall. My cheek hit cold metal. Her forearm pressed between my shoulder blades, hard enough to make my ribs complain.

"You think this is funny?" she asked.

"No. I think you being scared is funny."

Her grip tightened. "I'm not scared."

"Then why are your hands shaking?"

They weren't. Not really. But her breathing changed, just for half a second. Fast in. Controlled out. Vala could hide a lot with that blank face of hers. Her body wasn't nearly as loyal.

She pulled my arm higher.

"Say it again," she whispered.

"You're scared."

"Try again."

"Your hair looks great under emergency lighting?"

Her elbow drove into my back.

"Ow. Okay. You win."

"I know."

The tunnel lights flickered above us. Red security strips painted her face in pieces—one eye bright, one eye dark. A thin line of blood ran from beneath her collar and disappeared into the black fabric of her combat suit.