Page 426 of Scars of Fate

“Biometric access was erased,” he said.

Lucas removed the original tag from the Aegis controls.

“The network is gone.”

“Not the independent physical-security system.”

Minser pointed toward the sword symbol on the control panel.

“Place the tag there.”

“Kane’s Meridian protocol?” Hawk asked.

“It also controls his private access routes.”

Hawk caught Lucas’s wrist.

“Aegis destroyed the network. Activating that control could restore it.”

“No,” Minser said. “The tag’s command sequence was erased when Aegis completed. It can only operate local physical locks now.”

“How do we know?”

“You don’t.”

Roth grabbed the tag from Lucas.

“My sister is bleeding to death.”

He pressed it against the sword.

The wall opened.

A narrow staircase climbed through the darkness.

Roth entered first.

Adam followed.

Hawk moved behind them.

Lucas reached for me.

“You stay here.”

I stared at him.

“We already settled this.”

“You can’t put weight on your leg.”

“I can still shoot.”

“Wynn.”

“Elena has information Kane doesn’t want exposed.”

“So do you.”