Page 148 of Silver Elite

In the mess hall later, we hear some of our fellows discussing the drill. It’s Bryce’s table, and Ivy is there. Since she’s not in the company of the Psycho Brigade, I feel a lot more comfortable intruding on their conversation.

“How do you know that?” I call out.

Ivy glances over, frowning. “Know what?”

“I just heard Bryce say there are two assignments with a mandatory pass. How do you know Fallen Soldier is one of them?”

“Because I’ve already gone through the Program.” Her voice is curt.

“You made it all the way to the end?” For some reason I just assumed she got cut early.

“Yes,” she says stiffly.

“And you failed Fallen Soldier?”

“No.” Her pale eyes flicker with amusement. “Didn’t fail it today, either.”

“Wait, you passed?”

“We all did,” Bryce chimes in with a smug look.

“But none of you got your partners out,” I grumble.

“You know,” Ivy says, “you come off as this coldhearted bitch—”

“Thanks.”

“—yet you have a pathetic amount of compassion.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means they made it clear on the first day what they think about compassion. You’re not supposed to get to the safety zone, at least not both of you. You’re supposed to leave your partner behind,” she explains in a condescending tone.

Shit. Yeah. Seems like something the Command would encourage. The officers here like to promote unity—until they don’t. And then suddenly it’s every man and woman for themselves.

I suppose this is why everyone at the Psycho Brigade’s table is also in a good mood tonight. They all left their partners behind without batting an eye.

But I can’t do that.

We run the same test again the following day. This time I’m paired with Kaine, and I give him a determined look as we wait for our turn.

“There has to be a way to pass this without just abandoning your fellow.”

“You can abandon me,” he offers. “I won’t be insulted.”

Sure, I could do that just to get a check mark on my source next to this drill, but I enjoy the challenge. I feel like I can beat this test. I can’t carry him, and dragging him will be too damn hard, but theremustbe a way to beat it.

There isn’t a way.

Even after memorizing the layout and counting the steps necessaryto get from the starting zone to the safety zone, there’s simply not enough time to pass this damn exercise.

When we’re ordered to switch roles, my dear friend Kaine has zero qualms about deserting me from the wordGo.He smacks a kiss on my cheek and says, “It’s been nice knowing you, cowgirl.” And then the asswit dashes off.

Following suit, Lyddie ditches her partner, Kess, although that’s hardly an imposition. And with Ivy’s prior knowledge of this drill spreading through Black Cell, all our other fellows abandon their partners, too.

Only one recruit fails the drill. Guess who.

I’m not surprised when I’m summoned to Cross’s office later.

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