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“Seriously?” Anna gave a huy?”

“What we are facing here is et to decide that, Hank,” Anna said, stabbing at the radio as if it were theLook at who you’re working with, and tell ht thing”

“Argument by association?” Cortez said “Really? God’s tools have always been flawed We are a fallen people, but that we have the strength of will to do e must, even in the face of s And you of all people—”

The feed went silent for a moment

“Cortez?” Anna said But when Cortez’s voice ca?”

Clarissa sounded calm, almost half asleep “I opened the doors”

Chapter Fifty: Holden

N

aomi had taken an access panel off the wall next to the command deck airlock She’d crawled halfway inside, and only her belly and legs were visible Holden had planted hisinstructions froain, but every atte down the elevator shaft through her gunsights They’d seen a quick flash of light down there a fewSo now moved on to his second last stand of the day, had co with a weary sense of humor As far as places to die went, the small platforood as any other It was a niche in the wall of the shaft about ten feet on a side The floor, ceiling, and bulkheads were all the same ceramic steel of the ship’s outer hull The back as the airlock door The front was empty space where the elevator would normally sit At the very least, when Ashford’s people ca up the shaft at them, the floor of the niche would offer so Holden could hear her over the radio as she grunted with the effort of grabbing so just out of reach

“Gotcha,” she said in triumph “Okay, try it now!”

Holden hit the button to open the outer airlock doors Nothing happened

“Are you trying it?” Nao”

“Daive hi

The truth was, Holden was out of eh his existentiala last stand at the elevator to buy Naoiven a reprieve when the attackers chose another path, but Nao line, which was actually worse And then she’d shown up a few et the door open while he acted as rearguard

Every plan they’dup at every step And now they were at yet another last stand, with a locked door behind theo It should have been terrifying, but at this point Holden just felt sleepy