“Nope. We’ve got some living in the valley, mostly parents who didn’t want to be separated from their kids, but the Dagger is exclusively a Mod base. We’re not against working with Prime operatives in the wards, but not here. This base is too important to fall.”
“That’s why you won’t let Xavier out of the cells.”
“He’s a massive security risk. If he were to get out—”
“How would he even get out?” I counter. “He isn’t Modified, so he can’t reach out to anyone telepathically. He’s essentially cut off from the rest of the world here. And suppose he manages to break out of the cells, then what? He shoots his way off the mountain? And if he managesthat,now he has to find his way back to the Blacklands, make it through alive, and then scramble to hide in the wards because there’s a red threat on his head. Trust me, he doesn’twantto escape.”
Gray shrugs. “Then he can start cooperating during interrogations. Until then, he remains a prisoner.”
“Speaking of prisoners…” I hesitate for a second. “Why aren’t we trying to rescue the Mods in the labor camps?”
“Because it’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“I linked with Tana last night,” I admit. “My best friend from Z. They marked her, Gray.”
His face goes grim. “They mark them all.”
“So why are we letting that happen?” His lack of righteous outrage irritates me. “I got on that helicopter with you because you said we were going to war. That we were going tofight.And instead, all you guys are doing is training inside a mountain and going dark in the wards. How is that fighting?”
“I’m sorry this war isn’t moving fast enough for you, cowgirl,” he says dryly. Noting my frustration, he softens his tone. “We’re constantly making plans. I know right now everything feels like it’s standing still, but I promise you, once the shit gets going, you’ll be longing for these quiet days.”
“Maybe,” I say, unconvinced. The lack of action is excruciating for me.
The tour continues. He shows me the armory, security booths, and communications wing. Our last stop is tech, and this time we don’tlurk in the doorway. We enter an enormous room full of equipment. Tablets, radios, earpieces, and an array of other devices. A long white table spans the center of the room, littered with random gadgets. My eyes snag on one device. It’s black, narrow, and cylindrical.
I immediately know what it is.
A signal jammer.
It’s almost identical to the jammers that the Command uses, and other than my rifle, I’d consider it one of the most useful tools in an arsenal. It stops cameras from recording, scrambles signals, cripples critical systems, shuts down entire networks depending on its strength…
In other words, it makes you invisible.
Venturing deeper into the room, I approach a glass case that contains various earpieces. “So how does it work? What if I require a piece of tech?”
“Everything is logged in and out, but you won’t have access to everything in here. Clearance depends on several factors. Authority members have full clearance, mission leads have high clearance. Lower-level personnel can usually only sign out comms and redacted tablets, unless you request access.”
Only comms?
Nah. I don’t think so.
“What kind of earpiece is this?” I ask, gesturing to the case. “Can I see it?”
“Sure.” He walks over to unlock the cabinet.
The moment his back turns, I sidle up to the edge of the table and cover the jammer with my palm, the matte surface cool against my skin. In one fluid motion I slip it into my back pocket, and when Gray turns, I shift my feet like I’m just casually adjusting my stance.
He holds out the earpiece for me to examine. “This is similar to the one Silver Block soldiers use, but it works via sat signal.”
“For an earpiece?” I say in surprise.
“Yep. It’s impossible to pick up the signal or be intercepted. There’re only a handful of these in existence—we save them for high-risk missions. We’re careful with our satellites.”
“Wow. That’s cool.”
He arches a brow at me.
“What?” I keep my expression neutral.
