I’m sorry, Igby, I think. The two of us have to die so the rest can live a little longer.

Igby’s eyes meet Pod’s for a brief moment before he looks to the rising water at his midriff. “Better make it quick,” he says. “Not much time.”

He pushes through the waist-high water and stands at the spin handle.

“Igby …” Malachai says.

“Hey, it’s all right,” he says, his voice cracking. “You guys have to go. Get out of here, okay?”

Pod steps toward his friend, holding out his arms to hug him one last time. As Igby raises his own arms to accept the embrace, Pod clenches one hand into a fist and swings it in a tight hook, connecting with Igby’s jaw.

Igby’s eyes roll back in his head, and as he falls limply backward into the water, Pod grabs him around the middle and hands him to Kina.

“Whoa, what’s going on?” she asks.

“Why did you do that?” Pander yells.

Pod grabs the old pistol off the shelf and points it at us. “Take him and get out of here,” he demands.

“Pod,” I say, stepping toward him. “What are you doing?”

“I’m staying behind. Not Igby, me.”

“We agreed,” Malachai says. “We all agreed whoever—” His words are cut off as Pod fires the gun to the right of our small group. A spray of water spits up from the bullet as it enters the water.

“This is not a debate!” Pod screams. He reaches out one strong hand and spins the handle, opening the door once again. “Get out and get Igby to safety.”

The water, now at chest height, has already taken away our ability to reason with the boy with the gun.

One by one the Loop inmates make their way into the narrow hallway, swimming to the staircase.

Now there is only Pod and me left in the flooding room.

“Pod, what you’re doing is the bravest thing I can imagine.”

“It’s no different from what you’re doing,” he replies.

“What do you mean?”

“Your plan to run from Tyco, it’s bullshit.”

I almost deny it, but what would be the point? “How did you know?”

“A few reasons: First, you’re a terrible liar; second, the plan doesn’t make sense—if you betray Tyco, Happy will kill all of them.”

“You’re right,” I say. “I’m going to go with him. I made a deal: Happy will let the rest of them live if I go quietly.”

“It’s probably a trap, you know?”

I nod. “Yeah, I know, but there’s nothing else I can do.”

“I hope it works,” Pod says.

“You know, when this is all over, when we’ve won this thing, the survivors are going to remember you forever for this,” I tell him, looking around at the submerged panic room.