“I started at the plant yesterday.” He pulled up his long shirtsleeve. A tiny incision marked his wrist. “They made me switch out my chip. It was required in case of an accident. They said they had to be able to find me.”

“And you didn’t think it was worth mentioning?!” How did I not realize… I should’ve felt the tracker frequency, but I’d grown so used to sensing them in everyone around me, that I ignored the tiny hum. I didn’t even know he was getting a new job.

This was so iced. I told myself it didn’t matter—that they would’ve caught me anyway—but I didn’t know that for sure.

I pulled at my hair. “Fucking shit, Roan!” The scream tore through my throat. “How could you not have told me?”

“I forgot! I was a little distracted by the whole beating the shit out of Jason Murtagh thing. And you’ve been MIA lately. I didn’t get a chance to tell you about it. It didn’t seem important in light of what I learned last night,” he said over the growing noise. “You have to get out of here. You have to run. Take my Tykson.” He shoved his helmet at me, but I stepped back.

I’d never lose them. Not now. Not with a ship already in sight. “You go. It’s me they want.” I shoved my bag at him. “Run. There’s a path. Two cars down, take a left. Then fifty-seven steps. Then straight to the trees. You’ll see an “A” marked into a tree. Follow the letters. When you get to Santa Fe, find out what happened to my mom. If Declan isn’t taking care of her, use the money in the next bag.” He was staring at me, not moving. “What are you waiting for? Run!”

“I can’t leave you.”

I gave him a shove so hard that he fell to the ground. “Go! Get out of here! Now!”

He stood and paced for a second as the ship closed in, then strode back to me.

What the hell was he doing? Was my best friend really this stupid?

I was going to die as soon as they realized what I was, but that didn’t mean that he had to join me, too.

“Go. Or we’ll both be worm food.” Tears flowed down my face, but I didn’t care. Not anymore.

He threw his helmet on the ground with a curse and wrapped his arms around me. “Damn it. You can’t cry. You have to show them how tough you are. Don’t give them anything. Maybe they won’t scan you. Don’t you ever give up hope.”