Page 170 of Daggermouth

It was static. All of it was static.

Whatthefuckisshe planning?

Callum’s mind raced through possibilities, each more terrifying than the last. Her voice had been calm—too calm. The voice of someone who’d already accepted the consequences of their actions. Who’d made peace with them.

He leaned closer to the screens, scanning every angle of the plaza. Security patterns normal. Veyra positions unchanged. Nothing visibly amiss.

Callum’s fingers flew over his keyboard, checking the status of Jameson’s teams. Still in position. No movement. Jaeger’s assassins remained hidden among the crowd, and perched on rooftops waiting for his signal.

He could hear Maximus’s voice through the feeds echoing through every channel. Callum forced himself to focus, to think like the strategist he was rather than the man terrified for the woman he loved.

He reached for his security override panel, the digital interface that controlled his backdoors into the Heart’s surveillance systems. His password flashed red. Access denied.

That isn’t possible.

He tried again. The same error message pulsed on the screen, mocking him.

“No, no, no,” he muttered, fingers flying over the keys as he tried a different approach. Another rejection. A third.

Cold sweat broke out across his forehead. Someone had changed the security protocols. Someone had located him in the system and locked him out.

Callum grabbed his tablet, punching in Farrow’s emergency code with trembling fingers. She answered immediately.

“I’m a little busy—”

“Cut the power grids,” he interrupted, the words rushing out. “Now. Right now.”

“That wasn't the plan—”

“Fuck the plan,” he snapped, his voice rising. “Something’s wrong. Cut the power to the checkpoints now.”

“I’m trying,” Farrow said, her voice tight with concentration. “The access isn’t working.”

“What do you mean it isn’t working?” Panic clawed up his throat. “Use the bypass codes.”

“I am,” she insisted. “They’re not going through. The system is rejecting them.”

Callum’s heart slammed against his ribs. “Try again.”

“Nothing. It’s like someone changed everything. Like someone knew exactly what we were planning.”

His stomach bottomed out.

If Farrow couldn’t cut the power to the internal checkpoints, Jameson’s teams couldn’t move beyond the Entertainment District. They would be trapped there.

He would be trapped there.

“Lira called you,” Callum said frantically. “What did she want?”

“What?” Farrow said, confusion fusing with her panic.

“What fucking plan did she make with you?” His words were a snarl now.

“Tonight. At the final ceremony, she was going to release documents to the public of her father’s corruption. She asked me to help her make copies without the Heart knowing.”

That couldn’t be what she meant. That was too simple, that was too easy. “What else?”

“Nothing, Callum. What is going on?” There was a breath’s pause. “Oh God. Did she—”