Moreno was telling the others that he’d overheard Luke making a phone call, one telling someone we were missing. Luke promised he’d “take care of things.” That’s when Moreno had texted Maya to stay away. When Luke lured him into the tent to find the lantern, he knew he was about to get jumped. He’d used his powers to get the jump on Luke instead, wresting the gun away. In the ensuing struggle, the gun went off, and Luke was now dead on the tent floor. Which was not what Moreno had intended, as evidenced by the cursing.

“Can’t interrogate a corpse,” Moreno said.

“Also, he’s dead,” Maya said.

Moreno muttered that anyone who pulled a gun on him shouldn’t expect to live through it, but he added, “Dumb kid,” with an angry shake of his head, and I knew he regretted what happened. Not that he had a problem with killing someone who posed a threat, but neither Luke’s crimes nor his threat potential had warranted the death penalty.

“So, that’s your story,” Maya said.

“Story?”

She gave him a hard look. “Don’t expect us to believe it just because you warned us. That would be a good way to gain our trust. Killing Luke would be a good way to claim he was the leak, since he’s not alive to claim otherwise.”

“You must have heard us fighting in the tent. You heard him jump me.”

“No,” Derek said. “We heard a fight in the tent and a gun go off. We can’t say for sure who started that fight.”

“So you don’t trust me: the guy who taught you everything you know. I’m guessing if you have her”—he jerked his thumb at Rae—“that’s no accident. Luke’s buddies sent her to trap you, and she thought she was doing the right thing, because, duh, she’s already proven she’s kinda gullible that way.”

“Hey!” Rae said.

“You are. Own it. Fix it. Now, you guys have her, which means you escaped whoever sent her after you. You didn’t escape without a fight, given that bruise I see rising on Daniel’s jaw and the scrapes on Derek’s knuckles. But you escaped, and you came back here, and you captured me. Who taught you all that?”

“Daniel and I had already started learning,” Maya said, “during those weeks you were chasing us.”

“Trial by fire,” he said. “Followed by hardcore, hands-on tactical training. You got away scot-free from these guys because of my lessons. And yet now you don’t trust I’m on your side?”

“Nope,” Derek said.

“Sorry,” Daniel said.

Maya crossed her arms and shook her head. I shrugged.