Chapter 28 · Warden Access

"Get up." The Arbiter's voice came through my mouth, but I didn't tell it to.

Ada was already moving. Gun aimed center mass. "That's not Victor."

"Half Victor," I forced out. My left hand was mine. My right wasn't. It reached for the console embedded in the wall, fingers I couldn't control typing access codes I'd never learned. "Ada—"

"Shut up." She didn't lower the gun. Around us, fifteen inmates still on their knees, heads bowed like I was something holy. Lane was in front, dried blood on his temple where I'd put him down last loop. He looked up at me with dead eyes.

"Warden," he said.

"I'm not your fucking warden." I yanked my right hand back. It fought me. Tendons stood out on my wrist like cables. "Ada. Shoot me."

"Working on it." Her finger was on the trigger, but she wasn't pulling. "Where's the core?"

"Chest. Left side. Two inches from the heart." The Arbiter was laughing inside my skull, not sound, just the feeling of amusement rolling through me like nausea. "Do it before I stop being able to tell you to."

Lane stood up. So did the others.