Chapter 31 · Embers in the Neon

“Kai. Stay with me.”

Vala slapped his cheek once, hard enough to turn his head. His eyes stayed open, but they stared through her like she was a bad reflection on cracked glass.

“Don’t you dare check out now.” She caught his jaw and pulled his face back toward hers. “Look at me.”

His lips moved.

No sound came out.

Behind them, the control-room doors buckled under another impact. Red emergency lights flashed across the dead consoles. Somewhere below, people were still screaming as the tower systems fought to reboot.

Vala pressed two fingers against Kai’s throat. His pulse was there. Fast. Uneven. Real.

“Good,” she muttered. “You’re still alive.”

A rifle cracked through the door.

The round punched into the console beside her head. Metal sprayed across her cheek.

Vala shoved Kai behind the central command pillar and drew her sidearm in one smooth motion.

“Security team!” someone shouted outside. “Step away from the breach subject!”

“Kiss my ass,” Vala called back.

“You are ordered to surrender the hacker.”

“He’s not going anywhere.”

“Then you’re coming down with him.”

Vala glanced at Kai. He was sitting against the pillar with one hand curled around empty air.