Page 361 of Scars of Fate

“Then thousands of people die.”

Minser looked toward me.

“Mrs. Spencer understands that responsibility.”

“Yes,” I said. “I do.”

Lucas turned.

“No.”

“I didn’t say I would give it to him.”

Minser’s smile disappeared.

“You don’t have another option.”

The countdown continued.

28:47.

28:46.

28:45.

I looked toward the secure terminal.

Ghost’s one-use wafer remained connected to the Fate interface. Hawk’s cached copy of the first encryption sequence had opened the system far enough to identify Lucas and me.

Now it waited for our biometrics.

FATE CUSTODIANS IDENTIFIED.

LUCAS SPENCER.

WYNN SPENCER.

BIOMETRIC CONFIRMATION REQUIRED.

Minser wanted us to complete the authorization and transfer operational control to him.

But control worked in both directions.

“If the second key can activate Fate,” I said, “it should also be able to stop it.”

Ghost’s weak voice came through the private channel.

“It can.”

Everyone turned toward the radio.

He sounded barely conscious.

“Ghost?”

“I’m here.”

Russ must have reestablished contact from Garrison Eighteen.