Caleb South climbs into the boat. He pulls me over him so I’m once again blocking Gem’s line of sight. Dave scoots astern and starts messing with the outboard engine.

“Dave, hurry,” Caleb barks.

“I’m trying,” Dave mutters. “That stupid girl shot the motor.”

This makes me happy. I hope the engine explodes in Dave’s face.

Dr. Hewett calls down from the deck, “Caleb, listen to me. This is madness.”

“Yeah, I remember your lectures.” Caleb’s tone is as toxic as his syringe of venom. “Our plans are madness, blah-blah. But the Aronnax is operational now and Harding-Pencroft is gone, so maybe you were the crazy one to leave us, huh?”

I don’t know what the Aronnax is. The name alone makes me shiver. It sounds sharp and heavy like a cleaver’s blade. On the other hand, the fact that I’m able to shiver is good news. I try to move my head. It lolls to one side. Any hour now, I’ll be ready for combat.

“Your new toy is nothing,” Hewett tells Caleb. “Dakkar is everything.”

“Toy?!” Caleb shouts.

“After what you did this morning,” Hewett continues, “to the academy, to Ana’s brother? She’s irreplaceable.”

I don’t like the way Hewett is talking about me—as if I’m a valuable commodity rather than a person. I wonder if he’ll start bargaining, maybe offer to split me in half so they can share the profits.

I can feel Caleb’s fingers trembling on my throat. He’s getting agitated, and he’s holding a needle against my carotid artery. I don’t like that combination.

In the stern of the pontoon, Dave lets out a triumphant “Ha!”

The outboard motor sputters to life.

“Good-bye, Dr. Hewett,” Caleb calls as the pontoon pulls away. “You sucked as a teacher anyway.”

Well, Hewett may not be aiding and abetting the LI students, but he isn’t much help to me, either. I can think of only one thing to do. I gurgle loud enough to get Caleb’s attention.

He tightens his grip on my neck. “What’s that, Dakkar?”

I babble like I’m trying to tell him something important. I sense him leaning in. It’s human nature—he wants to know what I’m saying. I judge my timing and angle. Then I use the only weapon I have. I snap my head backward and hear the satisfying crunch of Caleb’s nose breaking.

He screams and loosens his grip—just for a moment, but it’s enough. His wet fingers lose their traction on my throat as I twist away from his poison palm and limply topple out of the boat.

I take a gulp of air before my head goes under. My limbs are soggy noodles, but I manage to keep my chest upright for buoyancy. I bob to the surface long enough to hear the hiss of a Leyden gun from the Varuna. Dave yelps.

Caleb growls and dives into the water after me. Two shots from Gem’s M4A1 zing off the back of his wetsuit. Caleb grabs me by the hair and starts dragging me after the pontoon, which is rapidly getting away from us.