“Who are you?” Breece demanded.

Fuck.

Kade swore as Breece disabled him.

He had no choice now. He dropped control of the body entirely, shifted all of his attention to rummaging through Hiroshi’s mind. Names. Places. Passwords. Who were these people? When was the attempt going to happen? Where? How?

“Breece,” Hiroshi said softly.

“Hiroshi?”

“He’s reading my mind, man.”

“Fight him, Hiroshi. You can beat him.”

His friend shook his head slightly, his temple brushing the muzzle of Breece’s gun.

“Too strong,” Hiroshi half-spoke, half-groaned. “Pull the trigger.”

“Fuck that,” Breece replied.

Kade heard Hiroshi speak. He had to move faster, find out everything the man knew.

“I know more than you think,” Hiroshi said. “I know who you are, Breece.”

Breece caught his breath.

“He’s gonna get it out of me,” Hiroshi said. He sounded urgent now, frantic for Breece to end his life.

“No,” Breece whispered. “No, no.” He looked around. The Faraday cage shielding. If he could get it around Hiroshi… If he could bend it, somehow. There would have to be no gaps. It couldn’t just be a cylinder. He had to close the ends, or make it a sphere or a cube.

“The Nigerian!” Hiroshi half yelled. “I know his name, Breece!”

Breece closed his eyes, tried to concentrate, tried to find a way out of this that wasn’t putting a bullet into the brain of his friend, his friend who’d saved his life more than once.

“Ava!” Hiroshi was screaming now. “I know who Ava is, Breece! It’s her or me! You have to kill…”

Breece pulled the trigger. The boom echoed like a cannon in the small space. The muzzle flash singed his face, so close to Hiroshi’s. Blood splattered on his cheek, his brow, the lids of his closed eyes. Hiroshi went silent.

White noise.

[CONNECTION LOST]

Kade jolted in shock and frustration. Damn it!

Breece stepped back, let go of his grip, opened his eyes. The body of his friend slumped slowly to the ground, his head sliding down the garage wall as it fell, leaving a trail of blood and expelled brain behind it.

The gun fell from Breece’s limp fingers. He barely noticed. He stared numbly down at the body of his dead friend. And then Breece collapsed to his knees, brought his bloodstained hands up to cover his singed and splattered face.

One of the smartest men he’d ever known. One of the bravest. A man who’d fought to give others freedom. To give them the right to become more than human.

A man who’d died to protect his team. His family.

Hiroshi should have lived forever. He should have become immortal and posthuman. He’d earned it. He’d deserved it far more than most. He would have used his intelligence and courage to make the world a better place.