Becker drew his gun and opened fire. We ducked down behind the parapet as bullets whistled over our heads, then crouch-ran to the end of the building, where we climbed down a fire escape. By the time Becker and his men got back down to the street, we’d melted into the night.

But now what? We all looked at each other, worried. We were thousands of miles from home, wanted fugitives, abandoned by our country. All of our faces, except Erin’s, were known by the police. Worse, they knew now we were in Berlin, so they could concentrate their search. And with Katharina in custody, we had no place to hide.

We trudged through the city, keeping to the shadows, until we found a group of homeless people who’d made a camp under a railway bridge. We sat down with them, hoping we’d blend in better than if we just stood around on the street. I dug in Erin’s pack and got out the military boots she’d worn in Siberia so that she could finally have something on her feet. “You okay?” I asked as she pulled them on.

She nodded. God, she was so brave. I just wanted to pull her into my arms and hug her tight. But I forced myself to keep my distance.

Gina was glowering at the ground. At first, I thought she was just frustrated: she’s only really happy when she’s flying and she’d been forced to be a fifth wheel ever since Siberia. But it was more than that. “This is all my fault,” she muttered. “We’d have been safe home, if we hadn’t crashed.”

“You did everything you could,” I told her firmly. “We’re all alive.”

“Even if we had got back to the US, Becker still would have killed those guards,” said Gabriel. “We’d have been arrested as soon as we stepped off that flight home and we’d be in jail right now. At least we’re free.”

“If it’s anybody’s fault, it’s mine,” said JD. “You all got into this trying to get me out.”

I looked across at JD. “If I’d spotted that security guard in the parking garage, you’d never have got captured in the first place.” I was still beating myself up for that. Especially because part of the reason I’d been distracted was that I’d been brooding about Erin. None of this would have happened if I’d just forgotten about her when JD warned me off.

I looked at Erin…and however mad I was with myself, I knew that was impossible. I wouldn’t be able to forget about her as long as I lived.

“How about we just agree it’s that motherfucker Becker’s fault?” grunted Colton, and everyone muttered agreement. After what we’d seen him do to Katharina, we all had a new hatred of him.