Chapter 7 · The File She Can't Remember

"Don't look at it."

Kael's hand slammed down over the datapad and his palm was shaking.

Too late. I'd already seen it.

The file was open. A video, frozen on a frame. Me. Not this me in the dirt with blood on my knees. A cleaner me. Hair pulled back. Syndicate blacks. And my hands around a kid's throat.

"What is that?" My voice didn't sound like mine. It was flat. Dead.

"Zero, don't." Kael tried to swipe it shut. I grabbed his wrist.

He was stronger than he looked. Or I was weaker. My fingers slipped on his sweat.

"Let go," I said.

"It's a fake. It's Syndicate bullshit. They plant this stuff."

"Then why are you hiding it?" I twisted and ripped the pad out of his hands. The drones were still screaming overhead, that high thin whine that vibrated your teeth. Searchlights sweeping the lip of the pit we just crawled out of. We had maybe thirty seconds before they dropped low enough to see us.

And he was worried about a file.

I hit play.

The video stuttered. Grainy security feed. Timestamp: 03.14.87. Location: Lab 9.

Me. I moved like I do now. No wasted motion.