“I think so.” He started jogging forward. “We have to run.”

“We don’t have time,” said Kira, peering over the edge of the sidewall. It was at least twenty feet down, but the trees were crowded close, and she thought she could reach one. “We need to climb down.”

“We can’t go down,” said Samm fiercely, rushing back to grab her arm. “We have to move forward.”

“The engines are getting closer, we don’t have time to—”

“There are rebels down there,” he whispered urgently.

Kira dropped to her knees, crouching behind the wall. “You’re linking with them?”

“I can’t help it.”

Which means they know we’re here. Kira stared at him, studying his eyes. We don’t have weapons. We can’t fight. The enemy already knows we’re here.

Do they know my friends are here as well?

“How close?” Kira whispered.

Samm grimaced. “It’s not that precise when it’s muffled like this, but I can tell they’re close. Seventy, eighty yards.”

“That’s pretty precise,” said Kira. “You think they heard us talking?”

Sam shook his head. “They’re on alert, but it might not be for us. We have no way of knowing until they’re closer, and then if we’re wrong, it’s too late.”

Kira punched the concrete with the side of her hand, swearing under her breath. I’m not going to let them get captured. She took a deep breath, shaking her head at her own stupidity, and stood up. “We’re going down.”

“We can’t go down.”

She jogged to the spot with the closest tree, looked at the underbrush two stories below, and clambered onto the sidewall. Samm pulled her back, and she shook him off. “I’m not leaving my friends,” she said firmly. “You can either come with me or go for help.” She climbed back up, balancing carefully, and tried to gauge the distance. Seven feet. Maybe ten. That’s long for a standing jump, but I’ll get extra distance as I fall.

Which is not very encouraging.

“Don’t do it, Kira.”

She jumped.

She kept her hands wide and wrapped her arms around the biggest branch she could, catching it with her elbows and swinging wildly beneath it. The tree caught her as she caught it, and the rough branches dug sharply into her skin and clothes. The tree shook with a second shudder, and she saw that Samm had followed her. She smiled. “Thanks.”

“You’re crazy,” he muttered.

“That’s what everyone keeps saying.”