Konstantin built a weapon and a witness. The weapon escaped. The witness defected. Both are in my compound now, and the man who made them is closing the distance.
“We end this,” she says. Not a question.
“All of it.”
She pushes off the wall. What her voice doesn’t carry, the bond does. Resolve. The clean edge of it.
“I need to see the farms,” she says.
“We will.”
She stops. Turns.
“I lead it.”
“We lead it. Together.”
“No.”
The word lands clean. No hesitation.
“Celeste.”
“Alexei just told us Konstantin is closing the distance. He knows what we’re becoming. If both of us walk into that building and it’s a trap, he takes us both. We’re the only people in this compound who can fight in daylight. That’s the biggest tacticaladvantage we have, and we lose all of it if we’re both in the same room when something goes wrong.”
“Then I go. You stay at the compound.”
“No.”
“I’m the stronger fighter. I have more experience with Konstantin’s operations. If one of us walks into that facility, it should be me.”
“Simone was in one of those cages.” Her voice drops. “This is what he does. This is what he did to my sister and what he’s doing to hundreds of people who don’t have anyone coming for them. Alexei didn’t walk into this compound and ask for you. He asked for me. Because I’m the one who got out. I’m the one who knows what his work looks like from the inside.”
“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t be anywhere near his facilities.”
“That’s exactly why I should.” She holds my gaze. “You’ve called me your partner. If you can’t let me operate as one, then it’s just a word.”
The corridor is quiet.
Every argument I have left comes down to the same thing. I can’t stand the thought of her in danger. That has never been a good enough reason to stop her.
“Body cameras,” I say. Quiet. “On you. On Julian. Live feed to the command center.”
Her arms uncross.
“For what?” she asks.
“Operational coordination. Real-time intel. Documentation we’ll need when we bring this to the lords.” I hold her eyes. “And because I won’t survive being blind to you inside one of his buildings.”
She crosses to me. One step. Another.
“I’ll wear it,” she says.
“One more thing.” My voice doesn’t leave room for discussion. “If I see anything on those feeds that tells me you’re in trouble, I’m coming. I don’t care about the tactical logic. I don’t care about both of us in the same building. If something goes wrong, Iwillbe there. That’s not a negotiation.”
She studies me.
“Okay,” she says. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
