Adam’s awake by the time the car parks in front of the abandoned research facility. It took us about an hour to get here, leaving only nineteen minutes before the aperture opens. While we drove, Trent used the laser pen on Adam’s forehead and the skin magically stitched itself together—too bad it won’t work on most of my injuries, though Trent did fix the cut on my face from before.

We haven’t told Adam about Lynne yet. Maybe because we’re all in shock and can’t talk about it, or maybe because, like me, the others have realized that we can stop her death from happening once we return to the present. We’ll tell him later, after we sort everything else out.

The sky is lightening to sapphire blue as we get out of the car, but the sun hasn’t popped up yet. The cool desert air slaps me in the face as we slip through the hole in the chain-link fence, me hobbling like an old lady, Adam stumbling like a zombie. We’re a mess, but at least we made it back.

Once inside the building, we snap on our flashlights. Everything looks the same as when we left, but it’s hard to believe we were here only twenty-four hours ago. We head to the basement level—down more stairs, my body protesting the entire time—and scan the room with our flashlights. Still empty. I check my watch—seven minutes to go.

I’m anxious to go back to the present, to get out of this nightmare that is the future, but another part of me is scared to face what might happen when we return. And what I might do.

“What’s the plan?” Trent asks, his eyes shifting to me. “Now that we know Elena’s going to kill us…”

I open my mouth to protest, but Adam cuts in. “Hey, we can’t rule out the possibility that Elena was set up.”

“It seems pretty clear,” Zoe says with a sigh. “Sorry, Elena.”

“It’s okay,” I say. “I wish I knew what to do or how to stop it…”

Chris crosses his arms, and his voice sounds reluctant. “There’s only one solution. We can’t let Elena go back to the present with us.”

“No!” Adam says, stepping forward.

My first instinct is to argue—I can’t give up my life, my dreams, my future—but then I nod slowly. This is the only solution. Deep down, I think I’ve known for some time that this would have to be my fate. It’s the only way to keep them safe. I just didn’t want to accept it.

“Chris is right,” I say. “I have to stay here.”

Adam takes my hand, pleading with his blue eyes. “Elena, no! This—you can’t do this! I need you, I…”