When we reached the entrance, we stopped. Of the three guards we’d tranquilized, two were stirring. We’d taken too long: they were waking up! I looked helplessly at Colton. He looked at the tranquilizer pistol in his hand, rubbed at his beard, then shook his head. “We can’t dose ‘em again. It could kill ‘em.”

We couldn’t risk that. We’d just have to get out fast and hope we were gone before they raised the alarm.

We hurried past the guards, hauled open the door….and stopped, our hands up in front of our eyes. For a second, I thought the prison had been surrounded by soldiers and they were shining searchlights in our faces. Then my eyes adjusted. Dawn had broken while we were inside and the sun was gleaming off an endless white landscape, overpoweringly bright.

We raced towards the helicopter. It was the first time we’d seen the landscape in the light and it was so huge, so barren, that it made my stomach twist uneasily. In every direction it was just snow-covered hills and frozen forest. There wasn’t a road or even a power line anywhere.

Gina started the engines as soon as she saw us coming. We all started to pile aboard, while Cal hung back and watched the prison entrance through his rifle’s scope.

JD grabbed Erin by the shoulders and turned her to face him. He stared down at her, and I could see anger and love battling for control. Then he sighed and hugged her. “Thank you,” he said.

Erin squeezed him tight. I smiled, but I felt a sudden stab of jagged pain, too. Seeing her hugging JD brought it home: I’ll never hold her again. Never so much as touch her again. “C’mon,” I told them both. “Time for that once we’re safe.”

They jumped aboard and strapped in and I followed. Cal came last of all, leaving the sliding door open so he could keep watching the prison entrance.

“Gina, get us out—” JD broke off awkwardly, looking at me. He gave me a sheepish nod, acknowledging that I was the one in charge.

It meant a lot to me. But I shook my head and grinned at him. “You can have it, mate,” I said with feeling. I’d had my fill of being the leader. “Welcome back.” Then I grabbed hold of him and hugged him, touching my forehead to his.

JD crushed me against him, slapping my back. “Thank you,” he whispered.

A big swell of emotion filled me, sending out fresh waves of guilt. I loved this guy. How could I ever even contemplate risking this friendship?

“Get us out of here,” JD called to Gina, and we lifted into the air. Colton glared disapprovingly at the still-open door and I saw his hands grip his harness a little tighter as the ground dropped away. The poor guy really didn’t like heights.