“Tap complete," whispered Lyall, adjusting the crude transmitter hidden behind the prayer bell.
Nora crouched beside him, her fingers pressed against the cavern wall. A faint buzz vibrated beneath the stone—barely detectable, but rhythmic.
Morse.
She exhaled. “He got the message."
Sable, arms crossed, frowned. “You trust him now?"
“No," Nora replied. “But I understand him."
“That's worse."
---
Back in the snowy ruins of Crater Post Alpha, Cyrus finished decoding the final sequence of Nora's tap.
VIA VENTS. B-WING. MOONRISE.
Marius stood behind him, jaw clenched. “You really think this isn't a trap?"
“If it is," Cyrus said, slipping a combat blade into his boot, “I'm already dead."
“You were already dead the moment you opened that cell."
Cyrus nodded once. “That's the point."
