Tyler’s cell phone didn’t work, either. The Guide’s car was still in front of the studio, windows blasted out. The trees along the road had been ripped out of the ground and lay across the parking lot, except for a few taller ones that lay across power lines.

The Guide was on foot, then. Good, in a way, because it would buy them some time.

Tyler had to veer around fallen trees, and every swerve made Nick clench his teeth and grip Adam’s hand. The smaller trees and branches, Tyler drove straight over. That was worse. A few cars had run off the road here and there, and sirens wailed in every direction, but they kept driving. Once they got a mile away, trees were standing and they encountered more vehicles, but traffic lights were still nonfunctional.

No one was talking.

In the silence, Nick could only think of his brothers, and he was going to freak the fuck out if he kept doing that.

“What made you come back?” Nick finally asked, making no effort to keep the distrust from his voice.

“Quinn,” said Tyler. He glanced over at her, sitting curled in the passenger seat. “I realized you were doing it again, pushing me away to see if I’d snap back.”

“No,” she said, “I was pushing you away because you were an asshole.”

“That, then.”

And they lapsed back into silence.

Gabriel, Nick thought. He wished his brother was with them now. He’d know what to do. He’d take charge and organize a plan. He’d figure out a way to find Michael and Chris, or at least a way to warn them.

“They’ll be okay,” Adam murmured. “We’ll find them.”

Nick looked up to find his eyes, warm and worried and intent on his. “You’re taking this well.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure my brain will explode with wtf any minute.”

“I’m sorry,” Nick said. “I should have—”

“Told me?” Adam gave a small laugh, but there wasn’t much humor behind it. “You can fill in the blanks later.” He paused. “Well, maybe you can fill in one now. How exactly did you do . . . whatever?”

“A pressure wave,” said Nick. “You ever see an explosion on television, where it blows people back?”

“Yeah?”

Nick nodded. “Like that. All air pressure. It didn’t stop the bullet, but it stopped it enough.”

Quinn twisted in her seat. “And that blew out the windows?”

Nick winced. “Honestly, we’re lucky it didn’t bring the building down on top of us.”

“You’re lucky you didn’t wreck my truck,” said Tyler, meeting Nick’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “The shock wave ran me off the road.”

“Yeah, too bad,” Nick snapped.

“Hey, dickhead, I’m helping you—”