Chapter 25 · Freefall Protocol

"Move, Vera!" Kane slammed his shoulder into mine and shoved me under a collapsing support beam.

The beam hit the floor where my head had been. Sparks snapped across my cheek. Behind us, the kill team opened fire.

Rounds punched through the maglev wreckage, chewing metal into bright, screaming fragments.

"You said the tunnel was clear!" I yelled.

"I said it was clear thirty seconds ago."

"That is not the same thing!"

"Keep complaining and I'll make it permanent."

Kane grabbed the back of my jacket and dragged me through a gap between two overturned rail cars. His gloves were gone. His black coat was torn across one shoulder, and blood ran from a cut near his temple. He still moved like the whole tunnel belonged to him.

Mine did not.

My spine had turned into a furnace.

Every step sent a hot pulse from the port at the base of my neck down through my back. The combat core screamed across my vision in broken red text.

CORE TEMP: 91% NEURAL LINK: UNSTABLE MOTOR CONTROL: 63%

"Kane," I said.

He stopped so fast I crashed into him. His hand shot out and caught my waist before I fell.