I turned the corner, crashing into the wall, falling to my knees, her door directly in front of me now.

“Mom!” I meant it to be a shout—heroic, even—to let her know I was there and I was getting her out, but it was a nothing but a lip movement and a wheeze.

The escorts were coming. I could hear them now and imagined their popped veins and red cheeks just around the corner. I scrambled to my feet and lunged for the door.

“Mom.” This time it was a whisper. I put a shaking hand on the silver knob, and it slipped off. I couldn’t even grip it. One of the escorts rounded the corner.

“Stop right there!” He skidded on the slick floor.

I reached out again, two hands this time. And, holy hell, it turned, clicked, and opened. I used what felt like the last breath in my body to push it wide.

A light flickered and hummed to life. My eyes jumped around the space: brooms, buckets, boxes stacked to the ceiling, a metal shelf full of bottles and containers, folded rags and packages of sponges.

“Mom?” No, she had to be here. I’d heard her. She was talking to me. And it was real. If Mitch was real, she was real.

“Mom!” This time it had volume. But there was no answer, no movement. Not even a shadow. Not even a sigh. This was a broom closet, and she was not here.

And then the escorts were on me, tackling me to the ground. And it all went away.

Darkness.

CHAPTER 7

MILES TO GO

Rose

THEY DID LEAVE AT FIRST LIGHT, MAYBE EVEN A moment before. Derrick slept light, so when Rose started moving around, he was up. She’d spent the night in her sleeping bag dragged close to the fire, her tent already tied and ready to go. By the time she’d rolled up her gear and put on her shoes, he was up and on his feet.

“You coulda slept in here,” he mumbled, stretching out in front of his pup tent.

“And you coulda just slept in the cave like normal,” she retorted. “I don’t need a babysitter. Never have.”

“And let you slip off by yourself? No siree.” He laced up his boots and dragged his prepacked bag out of the tent, which he then folded down in two quick movements. Then he scooped up his hair and spun it into a messy bun at the nape of his neck.

“You think anyone’s going to try to stop us?” She looked around nervously.

“Quit doing that. You’re gonna break a molar,” Derrick said.

When she gave him a quizzical look, he continued, “When you get nervous, you clench your teeth, and your jaw muscle gets all twitchy.” He looked away, suddenly shy. “Anyway, no one is really paying much attention these days. Too busy planning and searching. Besides, your spot is pretty secluded.”