The reality felt like drowning with no land in sight. Looking at Jasper, I could feel the water trickling down my throat, one drop at a time, a steady drip drip drip that slowly filled my lungs.

I tore my eyes away from his face and stared at the man holding him down instead.

Can you describe the culprit?

Name: Kyle Turner. Age: at least two years older than us.

Clothing: baggy jeans and a dark brown jumper, remarkably unremarkable. Hair: almost chin length, a dirty blond the same color as the unkempt beard. Eyes: blue. Wide. Paranoid as he twisted his head from side to side to see if any of us were making a move. No one did.

“You bastards,” he ground out. Accent: American. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone! Why did you have to come and ruin everything?”

In the silence, Jasper’s ragged breaths sounded deafening.

Finally, Noelle took a shaky step forward, ignoring Evelyn’s hand that grabbed onto her arm to stop her. “Kyle, please . . . let him go. You don’t have to do this.”

“I do, Ash. I came all this way for you. I won’t let them take you.” His gaze wandered to Evelyn and me. “You two. On your fucking knees. Hands where I can see them. Now!”

Evelyn and I exchanged a quick look before we both sank onto our knees, hands raised.

“Ashley, pick up those ropes. I want you to tie the boy and the girl up,” he said, jerking his chin to indicate Evelyn and me.

“Come on, quick!”

Noelle shook her head, her voice nothing but a whisper when she said, “Please don’t make me do this.”

“Darling, our jet is almost ready. Don’t stall now.” Kyle’s eyes were soft as he looked at her, even as he pressed the knife harder against Jasper’s throat.

A stifled little noise made it past Jasper’s lips. His chest was rising and falling rapidly in time with his shallow breathing, his eyes screwed shut as he forced himself to stay still.

My mind flashed back to him hyperventilating on the stairs at the Welcome Back Party a million light-years ago, to the way he had crumbled in the closet, gasping for breath. Now he lay stock-still as the man’s knee pressed against his chest, holding him down with his entire weight.

I was kneeling close enough to be able to touch him if I reached out; Kyle was still looking at Noelle, so I dared to lower one of my hands and stretched it out, lightly brushing my knuckles against Jasper’s wrist.

His eyes immediately found mine, wide with panic, his cold fingers clutching mine as he tried his best to breathe evenly.

I pulled my hand back and put it up again before Kyle could see but couldn’t tear my eyes from Jasper’s face.

“It’s okay,” Evelyn said, but her voice sounded shaky. “Elle, it’s all right. Do what he says.”

Everything fell silent again. Then, somewhere to my right, I could hear steps as Noelle walked up to the car. They returned, slowly, reluctantly.