Page 112 of Silver Elite

For a moment I’m confused. Then a gasp gets stuck in my throat as it dawns on me, the pieces clicking together.

“Betima.”

Adrienne’s lips curl. “I told them not to send in an empath, but I was outvoted.” She makes a disparaging noise under her breath. “They’re too much of a liability. Extreme emotions can spontaneously trigger their abilities.”

I guess I shouldn’t tell her about my ability to incite, then, seeing as how it only ever happens spontaneously. But I’m not about to blow my chances of getting out of here.

Although from the sound of it, she doesn’twantme to leave.

She wants me to stay.

“If I make it into Elite,” I say slowly, “then what?”

“Then you work for the network. You do what we tell you.”

“And what will you tell me to do?”

“Anything. Everything.”

“I don’t take blind orders.”

“Then you don’t belong in the Uprising.” She starts to turn away.

“Wait.”

She turns back, eyes flashing with irritation. It’s too dark to tell what color they are. “I risked my ass to come here tonight, and I don’tneed some twenty-year-old novice questioning our protocol. You don’t have any say here. None at all. Fucking zero. You don’t get to make a single decision. You don’t get to use your brain to do what you think is right. Unless it’s to improvise on an op so your cover isn’t exposed. But the missions, the objectives—those are handed down to you by the adults, and, like a good little girl, you implement them. Your only job is to do whatever the hell you’re asked.”

I stare at her, jaw tightening.

“Do you support the General, Darlington?”

I recoil at the unexpected question. “Of course not.”

“Well, his reign will come to an end—but only so long as operatives like you do as you’re told. Do whatever it takes to save our people.” She pauses, some of the bite leaving her tone. “Ash spoke about you over the years.”

“Really?”

“He said he’d never seen anybody shoot the way you do. Told us to come find you if we ever needed a sniper.”

I blink in surprise. I had no idea. Jim spent so much time trying to keep meawayfrom the network, grumbling that he didn’t want me running missions for them, and yet he was keeping them apprised of my sniper prowess? Emotion tightens my throat. I guess he always knew that one day I would work for them.

IfI choose to work for them.

I study Adrienne’s face. She’s not the most beautiful woman, but her features are interesting. She’s certainly not forgettable, and I wonder if that’s why I’ve never seen her before. Unforgettable faces aren’t exactly conducive to undercover work.

“You want me to make it into Silver Elite?”

She nods.

“There’s no guarantee I even can. We won’t find out who gets shortlisted until the last section, and my instructors said scores don’t necessarily contribute to the selection process. And if the scoresdomatter, then…” I bite my lip. “That might be a problem.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I’m failing the Program.”

She falls silent several moments. I get the feeling she’s talking to somebody else.

“If you’re trying to talk to Tana or one of my contacts, they didn’t know,” I say. I don’t want Tana to get in shit for this. “I didn’t tell her that I was purposely sabotaging.”

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