Chapter 33 · Ghost Protocol

The lift stopped.

Keira hit the emergency panel with her palm, once, twice. Nothing. The red lockdown strip pulsed along the ceiling like a heartbeat she didn't have anymore.

"They cut the main grid," Taren said behind her. His voice was flat. Too flat. "Selyra's locking down every junction between here and the detention wing."

She turned. He was leaning against the back wall, one hand still pressed to his ribs where she'd caught him in the stairwell. Blood seeped through his fingers. Not a lot. Enough.

"You need a medkit," she said.

"I need you to tell me what the hell we're walking into."

Keira didn't answer. She was running numbers. Three sublevel floors between them and the kids. No working lift. Selyra had the security feeds. She had the guards. She had time.

Keira had a stolen instructor badge and a man who should've shot her ten minutes ago.

"The detention wing's a kill box," she said. "Selyra's not holding those kids for trial. She's cleaning up."

Taren's jaw worked. "You think she's going to execute her own trainees."

"I think she already gave the order. We're just slow."

He pushed off the wall. Came forward two steps.