Bystanders are gawking. I see no Ben-David, no Rachel, no Instancer on my side of the station. Where’s Manning? I dash to the center of the platform, peering across the two tracks that separate my platform from the uptown platform on the far side. I’m thinking two things:

1. Don’t shoot anybody not named Instancer.
2. Why would Instancer send that selfie to Ellie Landau? Did he know that Rachel and Ben-David were on their way to the Seventy-Second Street station? How? Did he know that Manning was with Ellie Landau? How? Was the message really for Manning?

Why?

Why would Instancer send it?

I hear a train coming.

There’s Manning. I spot him, across the tracks on the uptown platform.

I see Ben-David but not Rachel.

Ben-David is uptown of Manning, about a hundred feet.

ME

There! There!

I’m pointing across the tracks and shouting to Manning. In the cavernous underground with the din of the approaching train, Manning can’t hear.

I see Instancer.

He’s approaching Ben-David from the downtown side.

ME

Manning! Manning!

I dash to a spot directly across from Instancer and Ben-David. I call Ben-David’s name. I’m shouting, waving my hands and arms.

Ben-David can’t hear me.

I’ve never jumped onto a subway track in my life.

WTF.

I leap. I land. People on the platform are pointing and shouting.

Now Manning sees me.

So does Ben-David.

ME

(shouting to Ben-David)

It’s him! It’s him! Get outta there!

I’m pointing at Instancer. But I’m too far away in too dim a light. Ben-David doesn’t realize it’s me. What is he thinking? Probably that some maniac has jumped onto the tracks.

At that instant, Rachel appears.

She sees me.

She sees Ben-David.

She sees Instancer.

Rachel’s location is a hundred feet downtown of Ben-David. In other words, Instancer is between her and Ben-David.

Manning is on the same side but fifty feet behind Rachel.

Rachel bolts like a sprinter at Instancer.

Here comes the train.

Manning sees Rachel; he takes off, flat-out, after her.

The train is an uptown express, on the second track in front of me. It runs flush to the platform that holds Ben-David, Instancer, Rachel, and Manning.

I’m scrambling over the first set of tracks—the downtown express—dodging the third rail.

I see Instancer seize Ben-David.

He grabs him with one hand by the throat. Manning is racing toward the pair. He’s seventy-five feet away, shouting something I can’t hear. Rachel is twenty-five feet from Instancer and Ben-David, running and shrieking almost as loud as the train.

The subway booms into the station, metal-to-metal brakes screaming.

Instancer clutches Ben-David.

Rachel flings herself onto Instancer from behind.

She attacks like a wild animal, clawing for Instancer’s eyes, seeking his throat to choke him, thrashing furiously, trying to knock him off balance.

Manning is forty feet back, running all-out, weapon drawn.