“That’s it,” I whisper.
Vael nods, presses a hand against the final hatch controls. The mechanism hums to life, scanning his bio-sign. The lock gives a heavychunk.
He looks back at me. “Once we’re through, stay low. Run for the ridge. The atmosphere line’s thin but breathable?—”
“Vael.”
He pauses.
I swallow. “If this goes bad?—”
“It won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
He steps closer, the tunnel light catching on the edge of his jaw, turning him half gold, half shadow. “Rynn. Look at me.”
I do.
“We’re getting out,” he says quietly. “You. Me. Nessa. All of us. That’s the promise.”
His voice is steady enough that for a heartbeat, I almost believe him.
Then the console beside the hatch flashes red.Access override detected.
“What the?—”
A new voice cuts through the speaker, smooth as oil.
“Leaving so soon?”
Tarek.
My blood goes cold.
Vael’s eyes narrow. “He’s piggybacking the security net.”
“Of course he is.” I can barely breathe. “He’s in the system.”
The lock disengages on its own. With a soft mechanical sigh, the exit door slides open.
Cold night air rushes in, sharp with ozone and dust. The sudden brightness blinds me. I blink against it, tears stinging. The world outside the tunnel is chaos—sirens painting the sky crimson, smoke curling up from the far hangars, shuttle lights flickering through the haze.
And right there?—
Tarek.
Standing in the middle of the access pad like he stepped out of a nightmare and decided to enjoy the view. His uniform jacket is open, one hand resting lazy on the pistol at his hip. The other lifts a small comm unit that glows faintly blue.
He’s smiling.
Not the fake diplomatic smile he used in the medbay. This one’s wider. Meaner.
“Evening, Doctor,” he calls over the wind. “Commander. Fancy seeing you two here.”
Vael moves in front of me before I can think, his body blocking the glare, the subtle whine of his servos rising like a growl.
Tarek’s pistol clears its holster with a whisper. The muzzle finds us easily.
