Page 315 of Broken Oath

His men were ready.

A siren sounded.

Not an emergency alarm.

The steady, pulsing tone used during internal prisoner movement.

Wade rose.

His heartbeat accelerated.

This was it.

The transfer.

The lie.

The execution.

One way or another, the waiting was over.

In the command center, a technician looked up from his station.

He was frowning.

Madow noticed immediately.

“What?”

The technician hesitated.

Never a good sign.

“We lost Camera Seven.”

Madow stared at him.

“Weather?”

The technician checked the diagnostic feed.

“No, sir.”

“Equipment failure?”

Another pause.

“No, sir.”

Madow stepped closer.

“Then why is it offline?”

The technician swallowed.

“The transmission cable was cut.”

The command center went silent.