“You son of a bitch—you thought I wouldn’t notice my keys were missing?” she gasps as the knife clatters to the ground.

“You picked up on it much faster than I’d have thought,” he spits, straining against her hold. For a moment they shudder, locked in tension. Then Swift’s arm slips, he kicks her legs out from under her, and all of a sudden she’s on the ground, scrabbling for the knife. Code throws himself on top of her just as her fingers close around the hilt, and she gasps, trying to swing the blade around. He catches her and twists her arm.

Swift bellows in pain. The wound on her side is starting to stain her shirt. “Where’s Cas?” she hisses through gritted teeth. “What did you do to her?” The muscles in her arm strain as she tries to bring the knife around.

“I didn’t—” Code chokes.

I force myself to stop thinking. I’m not going to sit here and let Swift save me all by herself.

I’ll save me too.

And so I plunge from the shadows and sprint for them, grabbing Code by the shoulders and yanking back with all of my might. He lets go of Swift and swings at me, but she lunges up and locks her free hand around his throat as together we shove him back against the trainer deck wall.

“Please,” he croaks, but Swift presses the knife against his neck, and he falls silent, his arms going slack.

“You stupid little shit,” she growls.

My arms are shaking, but I keep them fisted in his windbreaker, ready to hold him back if he tries to make a move again. I’m not sure if I can. He’s skinny and wan, but he’s bigger than I am.

“Kill me now then,” Code whispers, and he starts to lean forward against us, letting his throat jut into the knife.

Swift tilts the blade so that it presses flat against his skin. “I’m not going to do that. I’m going to march you right to the captain, and we’re going to see what she does with you.”

I didn’t think it was possible for Code to get paler, but he does.

She nods down to the radio on her belt. “Cas, call her up.”

I let one hand slide from Code’s jacket and pluck the radio from her hip. Still shaking, I skim past the all-call channel, bring up the captain’s private line, and hold the device up to Swift.

“Hey, boss. Just caught Code trying to kill our pup. Had the serum and everything. I’m bringing him up to you in a minute.”

“Is he subdued?” Santa Elena asks, and I can’t miss the pleased note that echoes in her voice.

“Yeah, I’ve got him.”

“Bitch,” Code spits.