Chapter 27 · The Man at the Shuttle

Keira didn't look up from the screen.

Taren stood three meters behind her. Close enough to put a round through her skull. Far enough that she'd have to commit to the turn if she went for him.

The footage was paused. Younger Taren. Cleaner uniform. Same cold eyes. Standing right beside the shuttle that was supposed to extract Ghost Seven's team five years ago.

"How long have you known?" Her voice came out flat.

"Keira—"

"Don't." She still didn't turn. Her hand rested on the edge of the console. If he moved she'd hear it. "How long."

Silence.

Then: "Since the sparring match. When you used the throat strike."

Her jaw tightened. That was weeks ago.

"Before that I suspected," Taren said. "Your movement patterns. The way you clear rooms. But that strike—only one unit taught that variant."

She let the words sit there. Her pulse stayed even. Training did that. Even when your world was caving in, your heartbeat stayed smooth as glass.

"So." She tapped the console. The frozen image of him glowed. "You were there."

"I was."

"And my team?"

"Dead. All of them. I saw the bodies."

Her throat closed. She already knew.