For several minutes they ran, with seemingly no end to the tunnel, the sound of Steven’s labored breathing in William’s ear.

“Hey,” Quincy said, now completely out of breath. “How much further—”

“There,” Steven pointed. The tunnel abruptly stopped about a yard away. When they reached the end, an iron ladder extended up. “Shine it up there.”

Quincy raised the flashlight. The tunnel reaching to the surface was relatively short and ended in a circular, metal cover.

“We only have a minute or two left,” Steven said.

“Before what?” Quincy asked.

William scrambled up the ladder, grabbing the lever beneath, straining to release the lid. It groaned open, and the sounds of crickets and tree frogs spilled down.

He climbed out, finding himself on a small hill. Through the trees beyond, he could see the lights of the Corcillium house. The floodlights from the helicopters flashed through the branches.

He began to order the others to follow, but already Lily was climbing out. Quincy shone the flashlight with one hand, bracing Steven with the other to help him climb. William reached down and pulled Steven the rest of the way. Quincy was immediately behind, taking a deep inhale of the night air.

“We have to keep going,” Steven whispered. “Turn off the flashlight. I have to go by memory.”

The abundance of moonlight helped, but it also meant that if any of the agents were nearby, they could easily be seen.

Steven led them from the hill down a path. Not nearly as manicured as the rest of the property, it was surrounded on both sides by tall grass. As they saw the glittering of water in the near distance, the earth rocked beneath them. They stumbled, and turned to see the metal cover fly into the air, propelled by flames bursting from the ground.

“Jesus!” Quincy said.

The explosion was followed by another in the distance, so loud and jarring it sounded as if a plane had crashed from the skies. Black smoke ballooned above the treetops, beginning to obscure the stars.

The lights from the Corcillium house were gone, replaced by angry flames.

In the distance, they could hear more helicopters approaching. “Come on,” Steven said, trudging down the path.

“Blue. Where is Blue—?”

“My home is isolated. Rudd is with her. He’ll know to take her and run.”

The path veered off to split the tall grass, leading to a tucked-away dock and a small fishing boat.

“Untether the boat,” Steven whispered, leaning heavily on one of the wood pillars, motioning for them to get inside.

William lifted off the rope as Quincy stepped in, lifting Lily in and helping Steven as he practically collapsed into the boat.

“There’s the oar,” Steven said, slumping into the seat, his head thrown back in exhaustion.

As they drifted into the water, William set the oar in, propelling them away from the dock.

“Which way?” he whispered.

“Head south. The direction we’re heading.”