Chapter 65 · Watch Me

"Watch me."

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

"I have the grid!" Celia yelled from the lower console.

A sheet of old projection glass flared above the platform. Blue and white lines spread across it, mapping every tide gate in Briarport.

The east gates flashed red. The council heights burned gold.

The shipyards stayed dark.

I pointed at the map. "There. Open Dock Nine. Reroute the east surge through the old dry docks."

Celia's fingers flew over the console. "Dock Nine isn't responding."

"Use the maintenance line."

"It's been cut."

Ronan lifted his head. "There should be a secondary line beneath the rail bed."

"There is no access point."

"There is one. Behind the old customs wall."

I turned on him. "How do you know?"

"Because I sealed it."

"You sealed a working flood channel and left the harbor with one less escape route?"

"The channel was being used to move weapons."

"And now it can save the city."

"If it still holds."

"Then we make it hold."

The projection stuttered.

A new red line crawled from the east gates toward the shipyards.

For half a breath, I thought we'd done it.

Then every gate on the map snapped open.