“I hate the Partials as much as you do,” said Jayden, “but Maddy is relying on us. If there’s any chance we can save my sister’s baby, I’m willing to take it.”

“So you’re going to kill her husband instead?”

“Not if he puts down his gun.” Jayden’s eyes were cold. “The rest of you too, put them all on the floor.”

Slowly Haru complied, and the other three men behind him. Xochi gathered their weapons while Jayden kept them covered with his rifle. Kira tried the door, rattling the locked knob, then dug through the pockets of the dead soldier until she found a ring of keys.

“This one’s still alive,” said Marcus, examining the other downed soldier.

“Stable?” asked Kira.

“If we stop the bleeding.”

“Wrap it,” said Kira, standing up. “We’ll lock him in with the others and they can help him after the riot.”

“Speaking of which,” said Xochi, “we need to get out of here. These guys called for backup, and the instant this riot comes even partly under control they’re going to send every soldier they have up here.”

Kira nodded. “See if you can see how they’re doing.” Xochi ran back to the stairs. Kira turned to the door, trying several keys before finding the right one. The room beyond was dark, and Samm was chained to a chair in the middle of it, speckled with cuts and scabs and bruises.

“You look like hell,” said Kira.

“It’s okay,” said Samm, grunting in pain, but Kira could have sworn she saw the hint of a smile. “I have a very advanced platelet system.”

Kira ran forward painfully and searched through her key ring for something to unlock the chains. There were two pairs of manacles and three different padlocks, and she opened each one with a turn and a click.

“You didn’t have to save me,” said Samm.

“You didn’t have to save me.” She opened the last lock, pulled away the chains, and paused there, crouching beside him. He turned his eyes from the door and looked at her for a split second, their eyes only centimeters apart, his breath on her cheek. When she spoke again, it was a whisper. “Thank you.”

Samm stood and followed her into the hallway, squinting at the light and rolling his head back and forth to work out the kinks.

Jayden led Haru and the others into the room as they left it; Haru spit on Samm as they passed, but Samm didn’t respond. Marcus finished binding the soldier’s wound and put him into the dark room with the others, and Kira locked the door tightly.

The door at the end of the hall swung open, and Jayden and Kira spun to face it, guns ready, but it was only Xochi; she ran toward them anxiously.