“You were the one who went the farthest,” she continued, acting as if she hadn’t heard a word he just said. “Of all the ones we programmed and placed into the Deep. The Path wasn’t just a test, Michael. It changed you, developed you, tied you to the Mortality Doctrine. It was all part of the programming. The complexity of it all is…it’s beautiful. Awesome. Horrifying. It’s everything.”

Michael shook his head. What she said—it made sense on some level. But none of that mattered now. She obviously needed him alive. It had to be the reason he was still breathing.

“You told me you were going to kill them all,” Michael said, spitting out the last three words. “I’m not sure how you plan to do it, but I can’t let it happen.”

Weber folded her arms. “Your body is safe and sound in a Coffin somewhere. Like I’ve said, I need you alive. But here, in this beautiful place that your generation calls the Sleep, we can pretty much do anything we want to you. I know you know that. Look around, Michael. Do you really think all of these good agents and soldiers standing here with the VNS today are going to let you take even one step toward me?”

“Nope,” Michael said. What was taking Kaine’s people so long? “I really don’t think that at all. Looks like you’ve got them pretty brainwashed.”

There was a commotion in the back of the room. What started as murmurs of conversation became a series of startled cries, then shouts and screams. Michael felt a moment of pure joy when he saw the terror that flashed across Weber’s Aura. She turned away from Michael to look, and he could see it, too.

Her people were disappearing.

3

Nothing fancy or pyrotechnic accompanied the vanishings. Michael stood on his toes to watch as, one by one, the agents and soldiers Weber had mentioned with such pride ceased to exist within the room. There, then not there. Not even a pop of sound or wisp of smoke or blur of color to mark the instant transition. Torn from the Sleep, Lifted. The four Tangents Kaine had sent him were breaking every rule in the book back at the cavernous skyscraper.

Weber turned back to Michael, not even trying to hide her anger or shock.

“What have you…,” she began, then seemed to realize that she was mere seconds away from losing her army. “Quick!” she yelled to her posse. “Before they get to you! Grab Michael, take him down, kill him! Hurry!” Her Aura couldn’t hide the lunacy that blazed behind her eyes. She was breaking from the inside out.