Page 149 of Silver Elite

At this point, I could get there blindfolded. My boots thud on the polished walkway that leads to the building adjacent to the training center. Several corridors later, and I’m at the familiar door.Captain of Operations.

It buzzes open before I can knock.

My breathing feels a little weak as I step into the office. He’s leaning against his desk, clad in a black shirt and camo pants. I haven’t seen him since the night we ran the UCO together, the night he made my body burn like nobody else ever has.

I swallow, pushing the memory aside. Steeling myself against it.

“You only have one more shot at Fallen Soldier,” he informs me.

I blink. For some reason I expected him to bring up what happened. In this office. On that table. My gaze travels toward it, and when he notices, he offers a slight smirk.

“Tomorrow’s your last chance,” he adds.

“I’m not leaving my friends behind,” I complain. “Pair me with Kess. Or better yet, Anson. I’ll happily dance over his still-living body all the way to the end.”

“That’s not the point. It’s not supposed to be easy to leave your partner.”

The look I give him is loaded with challenge. “In all the time you’ve known me—I sure as hell spend enough time in this damn office—I’m surprised you haven’t figured out by now what matters to me.”

“Yeah?” He raises a brow. “And what matters to you?”

“Loyalty.”

That gets me a snort. “Do you truly believe any of these people are loyal to you?”

“Some of them.”

I know Lyddie is, without a doubt. Kaine, too. Yes, he left me today in the hallway, but I know in a real-life crisis he wouldn’t.

“I think it’s easy to desert your partner when it’s a fake drill, but we’re not here training to be fake. I’m thinking about what I would do, really do, if I was facing this situation in real life.” I shrug. “And I know I would never leave a fellow behind. Not one I cared about or respected. I know you believe compassion is weakness—”

“Itisweakness,” he says bluntly. “And in this scenario, it gets you killed.”

“Then I die with a friend. They don’t have to die alone.”

“You know what I think?” He pushes closer. “I think your confidence is misplaced. Your perceived sense of honor. I think it’s easy to take a stand right now, because the danger to your lifeissimulated, but you might make a very different choice when your life is truly at risk. When self-preservation kicks in.”

“Maybe. But here, inthissituation, with this set of variables, I won’t do it. I’ll run your drill again tomorrow, but I can’t see myself making a different choice.”

“Even if it means failing out?”

Indecision slices through me. I’m the most stubborn person I know. If he pairs me with Lyddie or Kaine tomorrow, I don’t know if I can leave them in that hallway.

But I also promised Adrienne and the Uprising that I would get into Elite.

Is one silly drill worth risking my place in the Program? If this is what keeps me from Silver Block, maybe I do need to set my principles aside and compromise my sense of honor.

But is it honor? Truly?

Honor is Uncle Jim facing his firing squad without flinching or begging for his life. Honor is my parents infiltrating the Company so they could make life better for the Modified.

I know what Jim would say to me right now—do whatever you needto do to survive, little bird.But my parents…I suspect they’d take it a step further.Survive so you can help others do the same.

“Are we done here?” I ask Cross.

“No.”

It was too much to hope that he’d let me go without addressing it.

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