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me with a
muffled click. I let the next door sensor scan me, then stood with
my eyes closed, breathing and counting down the long thirty seconds
until the next latch released.
    My knees wobbled at
the sight of the featureless concrete tunnel of stairs, and I
sucked in a shallow breath that tried to turn into panicked
panting. With an effort of will, I let my breath out slowly and
hurried down, clutching the handrail. At the bottom of the stairs,
I snatched the door open.
    I managed to contain a
jerk and a yelp at the sight of Kane, Spider, and Sam clustered
near the door. Kane scanned my face and immediately stepped away,
pulling the other two men with him. They stood a couple of paces
down the hallway and three sets of eyes surveyed me anxiously.
    “Fine, I’m fine,” I
gabbled breathlessly. “Let’s go. Where’s the lab?”
    Kane eyed my shaking
hands. “You don’t look fine. You look like you’re on the verge of a
panic attack. I told you, don’t be a hero.”
    “I’m fine,” I
repeated, trying to convince myself. “It’s just that damn time
delay and the stairwell that gets me. I’m okay down here with all
the glass and the air moving.” I forced myself to concentrate on
the white corridor, the openness of the glassed-in labs, the flow
of air from the cooling system. Fine. I was fine.
    I took another deep
breath. “Let’s go.”
    “This is stupid!”
Spider’s eyes were dark with distress. “This isn’t going to work,
we know it won’t work, and Aydan’s going to end up getting hurt. Or
killed…” He turned a beseeching face to me. “Aydan, just say you
can’t do it.”
    “I can do it for the
short term. And the sooner we get started, the sooner I can get out
of here, so let’s go do it already! You guys are just making this
worse!” My voice came out tight and shaking, and I gulped back my
agitation. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
    “It’s all right.” Kane
turned to Sam. “We’ll try it. For a while. Lead the way.”

Chapter 6
    In the lab, Sam
ushered me to a chair surrounded by electronic gadgets I couldn’t
identify. I probably didn’t want to know anyway. More adrenaline
spiked into my system at the sight of the sturdy straps on the
chair arms and at the feet.
    “I’m not sitting in
that.” I backed toward the door, my hand reflexively twitching
toward my concealed holster.
    Sam made calming
gestures. “It’s okay. The electronics just look a little
intimidating.” He eyed me worriedly. “I just need you to sit here
while I attach some electrodes to your forehead…”
    “I’m not sitting in
that. I don’t care about the electronics, I’m not sitting in a
chair with restraints. No fucking way.” I jittered in the doorway,
ready to fight or run while cold sweat drenched my armpits.
    “Oh! No, I’m sorry,
those aren’t for you!” Sam’s face cleared, and he detached the
straps from the chair and tossed them into a drawer.
    “Who are they for,
then?” I glared suspiciously around the room. “I’m not doing this.
I could go into the network and never know you were tying me up
until I came out.”
    “Aydan, I wouldn’t do
that to you. Don’t you trust me?” Sam’s brow was furrowed, a
sorrowing Santa.
    “Fuck, no, I don’t
trust you. I don’t even know you. I haven’t seen you in what,
thirty years? Why the hell would I trust you?” I could feel my
composure slipping as my voice rose, and I held onto it with
difficulty.
    I twitched when Kane
made a move toward me, and he stopped and took a slow step backward
instead.
    “Aydan, if you can’t
do this, let’s go. Just turn around and go out.” His voice was deep
and soothing. “It’s okay. You don’t have to do this. You’re not
trapped here. You can just leave.”
    I brought my breathing
under control again and clasped my hands in front of me to still
the tremor. “Can I just sit somewhere else?”
    “You can sit anywhere
you like,” Sam replied quickly, his tone