Page 146 of Stay Scared

“They got what they needed.”

Ash steps toward the console. “You just surrendered the only live channel currently challenging his version.”

“I’m not spending the next hour proving my sex life to strangers.”

Cade’s shoulders ease, but his hand stays curled against the doorframe.

Owen checks the relay. “Our insertion path still exists beneath his encoder. If you want it again, I can reopen it.”

“Keep the path. Keep the lens closed.”

Rook’s broadcast takes over the monitors again. His beaked mask fills the central screen. The viewer count is still climbing. Comments demand that he show Mark. Others are asking why he edited the stop signal. His clean narrative has cracked. That is enough. Rook knows it too.

The theater feed jerks. He grips the back of Mark’s chair.

“You think three restored clips change what these men are?”

I step closer to the monitor. “No, I don’t.”

Ash looks at me. Owen lifts his head from the relay. Cade’s hand closes around the doorframe. Rook waits.

I smile without feeling anything pleasant. “That is why your edit was unnecessary.”

For a moment, only the relay hums. Rook’s head tilts.

“I know what they are.”

Cade’s breathing changes. Ash turns fully toward me. Owen keeps one hand against the relay and watches me instead of his instruments.

The rest stays mine: why I still want them, how Cade’s hands feel different when I put them where I want them, what Owen looked like when his control finally broke, and the heat of Ash’s bare hand around my wrist after Rook shattered his mask. Rook can choke on not knowing how to package any of it.

His countdown keeps falling.

00:53:41.

Mark twists his wrist again. His thumb clears the restraint. I see it. Owen does too. Rook keeps watching the wrong thing.

Owen turns the relay monitor slightly toward me, hiding the movement from the main camera. Mark works his hand another fraction free.

Ash steps toward the projection map. “We have the west stair.”

Rook’s beak turns toward him on the monitor. “You still think you choose the route.”

Ash ignores him. His finger touches the paper plan instead.

“Projection stairs descend behind this wall. Founder access reaches the counterweight housing beneath the stage.”

I take the founder key off the console. “Can he trigger the curtain manually?”

“Yes.”

“Can we lock him out?”

“If we reach the housing first.”

Cade releases the doorway. He comes toward me, stopping close enough that I can see how badly he wants to put himself between me and every camera in the room.

He looks at the closed lens. “You’re done broadcasting?”