Kruze's knuckles whitened on the paragun's trigger.
Deliberately, I took another step.
Just as deliberately, Kruze adjusted his aim.
And there it stood: Beyond all doubt, Controller Alfred Kruze would kill me.
What were the odds, then? How much chance did I have, for all my talk, of charging in to strike him down?
Only I didn't have any choice but to try. Not really. Not with Celeste's very life at stake.
Tight-lipped, I drew a long, deep breath.
Only then, incredibly, off beyond Kruze, by the warp-room's entrance, movement flickered.
The breath caught in my throat. I forced myself to hold my eyes full front on Kruze.