Chapter 40
Contains spoilersOverview
Wren breaks from Griff Archer's interrogation to answer Tana Archer's urgent telepathic plea and finds Anson dead in Tana's room after an attempted assault. Wren stages the scene to claim she shot Anson in self-defense, but Captain Cross Redden remains skeptical while proceeding with cleanup and sentences: Griff to labor in Ward D and Tana to imprisonment in X. Back at base, Wren grapples with guilt, isolation, and her compromised identity, while Cross confronts her about the inconsistencies and their strained trust.
Summary
While interrogating Griff Archer, Wren receives a panicked telepathic link from Tana Archer begging for immediate help from the inn. Wren excuses herself by telling Captain Cross Redden she needs air and will get coffee, then steals an unattended motorcycle and races to the inn, where the halls are ominously quiet.
At Room 4, Tana lets Wren in, revealing Anson dead on the bed with a gunshot to the head, his pants undone and Tana's dress torn. Tana, shaking and in shock, says Anson attacked her and she shot him while he was distracted. Wren comforts Tana and, to protect her from execution for killing a Silver soldier, decides to claim responsibility. Wren places Anson's gun in his hand and fires her own weapon into the door to create a self-defense narrative in which Anson shot first and she returned fire.
Cross arrives, with Xavier Ford following, and inspects the scene with suspicion, noting Tana's state. Wren states she found Anson assaulting Tana, he fired and missed, and she killed him in response. Cross calls for a sanitation team. When Tana asks about Griff, Cross says Griff revealed the tunnel location and is being transported to labor in the Ward D mine. Cross informs Tana she will be sent to X to serve her sentence as part of the deal Wren secured.
Tana, feeling betrayed, pleads with Wren not to let them take her, but Wren insists this was the only way to save Tana from execution and promises to contact the Uprising to try to free her later. Xavier escorts Tana away as she emotionally shuts down, devastated by the assault and Wren’s decision.
Later at base, Wren repeatedly fails to reach Tana telepathically and wrestles with guilt and identity in her quarters. She rationalizes that preserving her Elite cover is necessary to help the Uprising, even as she recognizes how far she has changed and recalls killing Bryce Granger. She showers, trying to wash away shame.
Cross enters her quarters, comforts her briefly in the shower, then confronts her: he knows ballistics will not support her account. Wren counters that Anson’s death removes a predator and that Tana still faces a harsh sentence, asking what more Cross wants. Cross leaves after saying he came to check on her. Wren ends the night realizing she has no allies left—Jim dead, Tana and Griff condemned, and Betima gone—and feels completely alone.
Who Appears
- Wren (Recruit 56, Silver Elite)
protagonist; answers Tana’s telepathic plea, stages Anson’s death as self-defense, confronts Cross’s suspicion, and struggles with guilt and isolation.
- Tana Archer
Wren’s best friend; assaulted by Anson, kills him, is sent to X to serve a sentence under the deal Wren brokered; feels betrayed and shuts Wren out telepathically.
- Captain Cross Redden
Silver Elite captain and Wren’s secret lover; skeptical of Wren’s staged scene, orders sanitation, confirms Griff’s sentence, assigns Tana to X, confronts Wren about lies, briefly comforts her.
- Xavier Ford
Elite teammate; arrives with Cross, reacts to the scene, and escorts Tana away.
- Anson
Silver Elite teammate; attempts to assault Tana and is killed by a gunshot to the head.
- Griff Archer
Tana’s father; reportedly gives up the tunnel location and is transported to the Ward D mine for labor.
- Hadley
support/operations; receives Cross’s request and dispatches a sanitation squad.