Chapter 24 · Don't move

He grabbed her waist and dragged her down behind the console as two more needles ripped through the wall. One struck the floor. Another buried itself in his coat sleeve.

"Don't move," he ordered.

"I wasn't planning to stand there and get drugged."

"You were standing there and getting shot."

"You can complain after you open the lock."

He braced one hand against the floor and reached for the emergency release with the other. Sparks snapped across his fingers.

The camera feed flickered. Elias's face vanished, replaced by a red warning strip.

Mara crawled toward the screen.

"Mara, stay down."

"My brother is on that feed."

"The feed is bait."

"He's bleeding."

"So are we all."

She ignored him and slammed her palm against the monitor. The image returned in broken fragments.

Elias was still tied to the chair. Derrick stood behind him, but the angle had changed. The camera was no longer mounted in the corner.

Someone was carrying it.

"Derrick," Mara said. "Show me the case."

"You don't get to make demands."

"Then kill him."

Dorian's head snapped toward her.

Mara kept her eyes on the screen. "Go ahead. Pull the trigger.