Shiva opened himself wide at Kade’s command, and secrets streamed from his mind.

Kade was still there, minutes later, on his knees, face to face with Shiva, sucking at every bit of knowledge the man had, every detail of the infiltration software they’d written, of the data from the Nexus experiments they’d run, of the access codes to the hidden computing clusters and orbiting satellites and all the other machinery Shiva had planned to use.

He was still there when Feng limped up to the rooftop. Kade turned to look at his friend. Feng’s chameleonware was tattered, faltering. Through it he was bleeding, cut in multiple places, scorched, dirty. His left arm hung limp at his side. In his right was a pistol.

He limped towards Kade. His mind was exhausted, in pain, but grimly satisfied.

Feng stared at Shiva, a frown across his face, and gestured with his pistol. His lips moved, but Kade heard nothing, shook his head in reply.

Ears are ringing, Kade sent to Feng. Can’t hear.

Feng nodded, spoke to him mentally instead. We kill him?

Kade shook his head tiredly. Too much death, Feng.

Then he looked again at Shiva. The man’s awareness was there. He knew what they were discussing. Yet Shiva showed no sign of fear. His mind felt calm, serene almost, at peace with what he’d done. The best he’d known how to do.

Shiva’s eyes burrowed into Kade’s, daring him to do better.

Kade looked back at Feng. He tried to do the right thing, he sent.

Feng just stared down at the man.

Then Sam was there. Kade saw her ascend the stairs to the roof, an uncloaked head atop a body that was little more than a blur. He saw her, but he didn’t feel her in his mind.

She walked with purpose from the stairs towards them. There was an uncloaked pistol in her right hand. Her eyes were cold and lethal. Kade felt a chill go up his spine. Then her gaze went past him, and locked onto Shiva. She strode over until she was above them, staring down at Shiva. Her face was a grim mask.

She raised the pistol, pointed it at Shiva’s head, just inches from his skull, less than two feet from Kade.

“Sam.” Kade forced himself to speak aloud, couldn’t hear himself, stared up at her, his eyes trying to connect to hers. “No, Sam. Don’t do this. He tried to do the…”

Sam pulled the trigger, and death burst out from the barrel of her gun.

EPILOGUE: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3RD, 2040

EPILOGUE

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3RD, 2040

Chapter 88: Safe and Sound

88

SAFE AND SOUND

Saturday November 3rd

Rangan Shankari woke slowly. Everything hurt. His head was spinning.

“Steady there, son,” a voice said. A man’s voice, gruff. “You’re safe now. You did it.”

Rangan blinked, tried to take in his surroundings. Dark. A damp smell. A cellar.