Page 127 of Jump or Fall
She reached for another one, but he retracted them.
Her armor beeped in warning and a new wave of fear pierced through her.
The power was draining.
Mara was going to die.
She had been right the first time she entered this room ten years ago. She just hadn’t known when.
Pounding and shouting rattled the door as Gordon fought to get through.
Dawson grinned, blood smeared across his teeth. “All that work, just to die like a stupid whore.”
One of his hands tore free and he went for her belt clasp. His voice rose, cruel and mocking. “Since the boyfriend’s listening, maybe I’ll fuck you one last time.”
The pounding outside grew more frantic. Dawson made a move for her chestplate. If he got it off, that would be the end.
“That’s what I should’ve done with the first boyfriend.” He slammed an elbow into her shoulder. “I should’ve kept him alive so he could watch you break.”
Mara’s rage ignited, hot and blinding. She couldn’t let him win. She pulled his head down and sank her teeth into the flesh of his cheek.
He howled and thrashed, trying to break her hold, but she clamped down harder.
The taste of copper flooded her mouth. She could feel his skin breaking between her teeth, the wet warmth of his blood coating her tongue. She gagged as some slid down her throat and finally released him before taking hold of his hands again.
“You crazy fucking bitch!”
A tingling sensation moved through her head. Her vision flickered, then went black in her false eye.
Something was wrong with her implant.
Sharp pain pierced her skull and suddenly there was something new she could feel.
Agony shot through her head again and Dawson’s claws extended. His eyes widened as he looked down at his hands in confusion.
Her chip had synced to his implants.
Pain burned through her head like a live wire, but she focused, forcing the bizarre appendages to move.
Fear was plastered across Dawson’s face, something she had never seen before. But now, it was carved into every hard feature.
He yanked at her grip, desperate.
“Let go!” he roared.
She thrust his fingers up under his chin.
With a scream, she drove his claws straight into the tender flesh.
A wet gurgle escaped him. Blood burst from his throat, drenching them both in a crimson waterfall.
His body twitched as his struggles weakened. Then finally, he went still.
Mara shoved him off and rolled onto her side, retching onto the floor. The metallic tang and sour bile clung to her taste buds. Her half-blind vision flickered again—shadows forming into faint shapes. The connection was fading, but the phantom sensation of his claws still lingered.
The door cracked under Gordon’s relentless kicks.
Mara reached for Dawson’s gauntlet, forcing her trembling fingers to press the button.
