I look up to find the Swarm surrounding the Water Tower—the attack is full blown.

And that’s when I hear the gunshot from somewhere in the middle.

The sound pierces my insides as if I know by instinct he’s gone.

Like Dopney. Adam. My dad.

The Swarm scatters. Cullen takes off running.

Through the jostling and the chaos, I strain to find him, knowing it’s the last time. Amidst the crowd, the silhouette of Ryan’s lifeless body is collapsed against the sidewalk.

Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

Cullen fumbles with his house keys while I glare at the security camera filming us from the corner of his front porch, imagining who might be watching, waiting for us to enter. The lock clicks, and Cullen pushes the heavy door open. I follow behind, scanning his house for the mayor. An electric current pulses through me. It’s the only thing keeping me from falling apart right in front of the ostentatious sculpture in their foyer.

I picture Ryan’s face, his last hard look as he turned to meet the Initiators. The Swarm closing in on him like rabid wolves tearing apart their prey. This attack was quicker, more sudden, more intense, and then there was the gunshot.

My entire body aches to crash, but I refuse to let that happen. Not yet. I clench every muscle and tendon I have, hellbent on finding the mayor, exposing him, destroying him the way he’s destroyed the lives of so many people in this city.

Cullen walks across the open space from the foyer to the living room and turns the television on. He flips to live footage of the scene. The words “Teen Dies in Death Mob Attack” stream across the bottom. Behind the reporter, lights highlight the Water Tower as dusk sinks in. Yellow tape frames the square littered with protestors’ signs.

I turn away, close my eyes, and concentrate on the charge surging inside.

“What just happened?” Cullen grabs the top of his head. He looks ghostly white. He turns on me, eyes full of disgust. “You knew about it.”

Cullen takes a few steps, charging like he’s going to hit me. Instead, he spins around and squeezes his head with his palms. “You stupid, psychopathic . . .” He rips off his tuxedo jacket and throws it across the room.

I’d assumed Cullen was in on it all: the setup, the attack. I thought he’d heard Richard threaten me on the pier—not that any of that matters anymore. “Where’s your dad?”

Cullen’s entire face cringes. “How should I know?”

The driver was instructed to bring us here—a place we’d be safe. I didn’t object. I welcomed it, expecting the mayor would be here too.