Chapter 17
Myra
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
The word repeated like a drum in Myra’s skull as she walked down the hall and towards the security wing. The more she thought about Doc’s plan, the more impossible it seemed. And yet, it wasn’t as though she had a choice. She could either risk everything or sit here and watch Jace die.
For the first time in years, fear bit at her.
Years of training with Prometheus had made her an expert at masking emotion, and she wore that mask well.
No one she passed dared so much as glance at her, whether that was from fear or respect she couldn’t say.
Normally, their silence might have stung but today she welcomed it.
If they couldn’t see the turmoil stirring inside her, then she still had the upper hand.
The closer she drew to the security wing, the heavier her chest felt.
Cameras dotted the ceiling above, following her every move.
She forced herself not to look up because her instincts knew that even one misstep was enough for Prometheus to notice, and if they noticed, it wouldn’t just be her blood that was spilled.
When she reached the metal door, she steadied herself with a deep inhale before she keyed in the code with trembling fingers. A loud beep broke the silence, followed by the click of a lock disengaging. Relief flooded through her.
But the moment the door slid open, the illusion of calm shattered.
Cipher sat hunched at the desk inside. Blue light from the screens painted his face.
For a heartbeat, Myra froze in the doorway as every ounce of panic she’d buried clawed its way back to the surface.
Then she forced herself forward and shut the door behind her.
Cipher’s head jerked up the second the door shut behind her, his fingers hovered uselessly over the keyboard as his eyes glazed over with confusion.
“Myra,” he said, “you don’t have clearance to be in here.”
“Yeah, I know,” Myra cut him off quickly. Her voice was calm even as she felt her pulse in her throat. “But it’s an emergency.”
Cipher blinked twice as if he was looking for answers. “Are you okay?” he finally asked.
Myra gave a weak nod. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She crossed the room and let her eyes drift to the glowing screens before she took a seat at the edge of his desk. “Just listen. Don’t ask questions yet. Hear me out, and then think about what I’m about to say.”
Cipher leaned back in his chair, searching her expression with cautious eyes. He didn’t argue or tell her to leave. Instead, he folded his hands together in front of him and waited. “Alright,” he said. “I’m listening.”
Myra didn’t waste any more time, she leaned in closer, lowering her voice until it was just above a whisper. “There’s something I need to do,” she said firmly, locking her eyes with his. “And I need your help. But it’s dangerous — more dangerous than anything we’ve ever done.”
Cipher blinked, confusion flashing across his face. His gaze twitched toward the console as though instinct told him to check the cameras again, to make sure no one was near.
“Dangerous how?” he asked carefully as his brow furrowed.
She shook her head, refusing to elaborate yet. “I’ll explain, I promise. I just need to know you’re with me before I involve you.”
Cipher stared at her for a long moment, and though worry lingered in his eyes, he leaned back slowly and his expression softened. “Myra…you don’t have to convince me of anything,” he said, sounding more sure than ever. “Whatever it is — whatever you need — I’m with you. No questions asked.”
The knot in her chest loosened just a little at his words. He didn’t understand yet, not fully, but he trusted her anyway. And while she wasn’t sure if she deserved that trust, she was grateful for it.
Myra nodded softly. It was now or never. “Do you remember how we used to talk about running away?” she asked, her voice quieter now.
Cipher tilted his head. “Is that what this is about? Did something happen?”
She shook her head and words began tumbling out of her before she could stop them.
“No — I mean, kind of.” She swallowed hard.
“When Alex asked me to go with them to deliver Luci to Arizona, I…I made a deal. I only agreed if Luci could find a way to move Jace higher up on the transplant list.” Her throat tightened as she spoke but she forced herself to meet his gaze.
Understanding sparked in his eyes.
“But they figured it out,” she continued, her voice catching as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.
“They’ve taken him off the list. And now — ” Myra dragged in a shaky breath, pressing her lips together until the words forced their way out.
“There’s a lot more going on than I realized.
Doc says our best chance is to take Jace and find Luci before she reaches AZ-7.
” Her voice cracked as she pressed the heel of her hand against her eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling.
“It’s my fault, Cipher. If I hadn’t asked for this, if I hadn’t dragged him into it, none of this would be happening. So now I have to fix it.”
“Okay,” Cipher whispered at last. His mind was clearly spinning in its familiar, logical way.
Myra could almost see the calculations behind his eyes, the way he was trying to dissect every word she’d confessed.
“I guess…I’m still not following. What does any of this have to do with Luci?
Is she supposed to help us once we find her? ”
Myra leaned forward. “They’re not counting on her making it to Arizona.
And if she does? Doc says it won’t end well.
But if we find her before then…There’s a place across the border.
” Her voice softened, as if speaking what she knew out loud might shatter the fragile hope she was clinging on to.
“Doc says it’s different there. It’s safe, and they can treat Jace.
Luci can keep working on the vaccine, and we could finally breathe, Cipher.
We could finally live, not just survive.
We could love each other without looking over our shoulders. ”
Cipher’s eyes widened and his hand reached across the space between them to brush her knee. “What did you just say?”
“It’s safe. It’s in Sonora, and they can take care of us.”
Cipher shook his head. “No not that, the other part.”
Oh — that part.
Myra didn’t respond, she simply froze and swallowed the lump in her throat.
“You love me?” he asked.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Of course I do.”
A smile tugged at his lips, soft at first and then fuller, filling Myra with a warmth she hadn’t dared welcome in years. It was fragile and unfamiliar but she clung to it as though it might vanish if she blinked for too long.
“Okay. Tell me what to do,” Cipher said at last, looking more determined than she’d ever seen him before.
Relief swept through her as she slid off the desk and into his lap, looping her arms around his neck while his hands instinctively wrapped around her waist. “I need the security system down for at least ten minutes. That’s enough time for me to raid the pharmacy, grab what Jace needs, and get him to the sewer route.
We’ll move at night, when the patrols are light.
And we’ll need guns, ammo — whatever else we can scrape together.
Once we’re outside, we’ll figure out how to get a car after the sun rises. ”
Cipher glared, but he never looked away from her.
He weighed every word before replying. “It’s risky, but we’ll manage.
I can slip into the energy bay and pull some Plasma for a car, no one will suspect me.
That buys us time, and once we’re out, I can track Luci’s signal.
Then it’s just the three of us and open ground. ”
Doc had been right. Cipher wasn’t just who she trusted, he was the only one who could turn this reckless gamble into a real chance. She only prayed she wouldn’t regret dragging him into it.
“You’re a genius,” she whispered with a tired but genuine smile as she brushed her lips against his. “My genius.”
Cipher kissed her back. His lips curved into a grin even as a laugh rumbled in his chest. “We’ll get out of here, Myra. I promise.”
And though promises had long since lost their worth in this new world, Myra found herself desperate enough to believe him.