“There’s only one way to find out,” I said, and jumped down off the platform. Together we walked across the echoing room, and I glanced up at the perfectly intact ceiling. I would never forget the image of those hunks of rock falling around our heads as we ran for the platform. I remembered again why those hunks of rock had fallen and felt sick. Because of us, our friends had Glitched back to their dorm rooms holding explosives. Please let them be okay, I thought, please.

With a sigh, I turned back to see Regan clambering down off the platform. I walked over to join her, and together we walked across the room and both stopped in front of the thick metal door. We stood there, shoulder to shoulder, and stared at it, and I knew that Regan’s mind was churning just like mine was with all the possibilities that could lie on the other side. As long as we stayed in the Glitch room, we could pretend like everything was fine. Like all our meddling in the past hadn’t changed the future, but, of course, it had.

“We have to leave sometime,” Regan finally said, breaking the silence. “If we get caught in here, whatever you did to prevent our arrest will be a waste.”

“Right,” I said, swallowing hard. Regan stepped forward and opened the door, and we slipped out into the darkened hallway.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Regan

As the steel door of the Glitch room locked behind us, I reminded myself that whatever happened, it would all be worth it. We’d saved the Academy, and in doing so we’d done what we’d been trained to do—we’d protected the future of the United States.

We crept quietly down the darkened halls, but they were just as empty as any other night that we’d snuck out to practice. I was just beginning to think that we were going to pull this off when we came around the corner and ran into Callaway.

“Elliot! Regan!” he said in surprise. “What are you two doing out at this hour?” Elliot and I froze, and my mind scrambled for a reasonable explanation.

“We just finished a practice simulation,” Elliot said at the exact same time that I blurted out that we were hungry. I cringed a little as Callaway looked from one of us to the other and back again.

“The simulation training made us hungry,” Elliot said, and Callaway nodded knowingly.

“I have to commend you two on all your extra practice. It will come in handy one day, I’m sure.”

Elliot and I shot one another a look out of the corners of our eyes, because, of course, it had already come in handy.

“Team Worst-Case Scenario,” Elliot said with a smirk, and I grinned back like an idiot.