Chapter 15 · The Thirteenth File

"Put the gun down, Mara."

Eli stood six feet away, both hands raised. The red targeting dot sat over his heart.

The neural key burned in my palm. Every pulse made the weapon jerk higher.

"Tell it to put the gun down," I snapped.

"It doesn't listen to me."

"Funny. It listened when you edited my memories."

His jaw tightened. "I didn't edit all of them."

"You cut out everything that made me trust you."

"I cut out whatever would've made you follow me into a killing zone."

"Same thing."

The archive lights flashed overhead.

One metal cabinet unlocked. Then another. Then ten more.

Doors snapped open down the vault, revealing screens filled with frozen images of me. Different hair. Different scars. Different clothes.

Some versions looked terrified.

Some looked ready to kill.

One had blood on her mouth.

Another was curled against Eli's chest. His arm locked around the back of her head while he whispered into her hair.

He looked younger in that recording. Rougher. Completely wrecked.

The audio had been cut.

"Move away from him," the system ordered through the ceiling speakers.

Eli didn't move. "Mara, listen to me. The gun is linked to the reset command."