A mini flat-screen on the back of the passenger’s seat clicks on in front of me. A WGN reporter—someone other than Emi—stands in front of a packed Michigan Avenue.

“. . . calling it a peaceful protest. Of the hundreds of protestors here, some of them are blocking storefronts, preventing customers from entering or leaving. Most of the protestors, however, seem to be gathering around the Water Tower. As you can see behind me, there are so many of them, it’s difficult to move. The police currently are not intervening. While authorities have declined to give us their official stance on what’s happening, they seem to be standing by in case protestors get out of control. Officers are forming a perimeter around the Magnificent Mile . . .”

I lean forward, trying to make out what I can on the tiny flat-screen in front of me. Behind the reporter, protestors hold up “Save the Parks” signs. One sign reads, “Kill Phase Two, Not Our Parks.”

“According to Mayor Henking’s office, Phase One of the Lakefront Project produced nearly five thousand jobs and had an economic impact of over a billion dollars. Phase Two is projected to bring in twice that much, but the protestors here believe that profit isn’t worth giving up more protected lakefront property.” The camera switches to a black woman in a thick tan coat and knit hat. She defames the project in a deep, throaty voice.

Cullen rolls up the window, drawing my attention away from the screen. He looks annoyed. “Turn around. Take Lake Shore.”

The street is gridlocked in both directions.

“They’ve shut down Michigan and are redirecting traffic,” the driver says dryly. “All the roads are like this right now.”

Cullen scowls. He grabs a bottled water from the center console. “Idiots.”

“Why? Because they aren’t supporting your dad?”

“You’d think people in this city would avoid crowds. You of all people should know that.”

A cold sweat breaks out along my hairline. Footage on the flat-screen switches to a bird’s-eye view from the WGN helicopter. Hundreds of people cram around the Water Tower. The police perimeter is too far from the protestors. If there were to be an attack there, anywhere near the center, it would be impossible to rescue the victim in time. The Swarm’s attacks have never been this public. The outcome could be catastrophic. And the victim would be someone else. Not me.

My purse buzzes with a notification. The burner phone from Emi. Every muscle in my body is fraught with tension as I reach in and pull it out.

A tweet from an unknown account.

41.897255–87.62448971

The coordinates. My hands shake as I google them. Zoom in on the location. Michigan Avenue. The Water Tower.