Page 156 of What Remains

I thought it’d be a good idea to leave the plane, get some fresh air and share what I know out here, but I’m walking back that thought and my arse right into the cabin.

Once I settle on the couch, I offer a quick, “Sorry I changed my mind.” Been known to do that a time or two in the last week alone. Nobody blinks an eye when it happens again.

Natasha is next to me, her own rig open and out. Across from us, Easton and Dad sit, silently keeping eyes on us as if we might collide head-on with danger and then vanish if they turn away.

“You were saying?” Carter prompts, hanging back by the galley with Gray.

I rotate my screen toward the room. “Julian must’ve finished the firmware ghost ping.”

“And that means?” Carter squares his stance, his bad mood still lingering, which is totally fair considering a woman he called a kinda-friend betrayed him.

“Julian built a beacon below the operating system at the firmware level. If his rig boots in an environment that doesn’t match its hardware fingerprint—cloned or mirrored—it assumes compromise and fires a hidden signal. Not a normal transmission, either. It disguises itself as electrical noise riding inside other emissions.”

Natasha joins in and translates for me. “What she means is, if anyone tries to clone his rig, Gwen’s sent his location like an emergency signal. They didn’t turn it on like they did with Gwen’s in London, they tried to clone it.”

“So they have no idea we can see them.” I shouldn’t be smiling, but I am. Because Julian’s a bloody genius, and we’ll be able to save his life because of it. “He also hardened the system so it can’t be cloned quickly. Even someone as skilled as Jezebel will need hours to break through.”

Before I can share more, the hatch opens. Cold air and the noise of the storm rushes in, ushering Gideon along with it. His gray coat is soaked, and his inky-black hair rain-slicked. “Tell me you found my brother.”

“He’s a little over an hour outside the city,” I cut to it fast. “Sending coordinates to your mobile now.”

Relief flickers across his hard features as he digs his mobile from his coat pocket and studies the screen. “I know this site. Cold War listening station. Supposed to be abandoned.”

“Signal scatter indicates reinforced concrete and RF shielding, so that makes sense.” I nod. “We’re dealing with an underground structure that someone powered back up. Likely one of The Collective’s older bunkers Molly knew about. She probably repurposed it when they were taken out.”

Carter turns to the side, eyes on Gideon. “Thermal drones an option?”

Gideon shakes his head no. “Shielding will block aerial reads.”

“Can you get me the schematics?” Carter asks, facing me again.

“Already pulling them now,” Natasha says before I can, and rotates her display. “Surface admin building, generator sheds, primary underground access should be here if they weren’t moved. Lots of sublevel cable tunnels that’ll be a nightmare.”

“But I’m sure the place has been reoutfitted,” I note.

“We’ll have to breach by ground,” Carter says steadily. “They don’t know we’re still alive yet, and they have no clue we’re coming. That’s our advantage.”

“I need to be close by when you breach.” I raise a hand before Dad or Easton can break a blood vessel. “Nearby, not part of the op.”

“She’s right.” Thank you, Natasha, for having my six on this. “If Julian’s beacon was able to get out, signal can get in. We can work the same pathway and support comms.”

“But you have to be within range,” Dad says in understanding, leaning forward to prop his elbows on his jean-clad thighs.

“How many bodies do you have for this?” Gideon asks, gaze on Carter.

Carter lists everyone off. Himself, Constantine, Gray, Sebastian, Griffin, Jesse, Jack, Mason, and Nash. Then he pauses and looks at Easton.

“I’ll be staying with my wife and daughter.” Dad eyes Easton. “You’re good to spin up.”

Easton slips his gaze from Dad to me, then over to Carter before nodding his OK.

“With my people, that makes sixteen in total,” Gideon says.

Easton and Zoey took fifteen on their own on the island. Based on the way his jaw shifts, he’s remembering that, too. He rests a hand over his heart and stares at me. “We’re going to save him, I promise.”

And I believe him.

No doubt in my mind.