on the ta

ian into the surgical tent himself, his uniform stained with

geon, took one look at

shouted at the orderl

ust, her face streaked with tears. A guard tried to stop he

lia

ut his voice lacked its usual ste

enched so hard they threatened to crack. The heart rate monitor wa

's Viper-X," he whispered. "Look at t

e barked. "Give

supply depot was hit, General. The refri

owed was louder than

l," Stone said.

trembling. "Not hours. Minutes. The neurotoxin w

s ending. Right here, in this dirty te

nu

ed in her mind. A sm

ol

rs labs," she had said, her eyes intense, almost scary. "Experimental. But if anyone gets hurt... really hurt... use the blue vi

strapped to her waist. Her fingers were slippery

small, unmarke

bbed a

Dr. Aris yelled as I

doctor aside. She didn't care about pro

p!" Stone st

eneral. She held the syringe up like a weapon. "Is

dicted the Levine scandal. The woman who s

face. His lips were tur

do it," S

!" Aris protested. "We do

" Stone

e into Julian's thigh, right through the fab

onds, nothi

tic beeping. Julian's chest he

he wen

lack pools of terror. He let out a strangled cry, h

arrest!" Aris yelled, r

ed Julian's hand. It was ice cold. "Sta

and so hard her kn

assive, sucking intake of air, like

silent for a se

e

e

r. St

on his side stopped. They didn't recede,

le," he muttered. "His vitals... they're s

gun slipping from his fingers. He wiped a h

hest. She could hear his heart beating. It

she sobbed.

egan to fade. The rein

ked at the empty blue vial on

t, Lady Imogen?"

ial. She had no idea.

said. "My sister