Ms. Cowan, Wilhelm, Alvarez, Old Man Frypan—everybody had been slowly making their way over to the bridge. Sadina and Trish stood the farthest away, but now they came marching in. Something told Jackie that Sadina had already had quite enough of this crazy lady and wasn’t scared of her anymore.

“Everybody just calm yourselves,” Letti said. She slowly lowered her arm and pointed the gun directly at their newest friend, Roxy, who had the bravery to keep standing tall. “Just stay where you are, exactly where you are, and I’ll explain what’s going on. Sadina, Isaac, don’t get brave on me—I’ve noticed you two these last few days. I know you think it’s time to mutiny, take over the bad lady and her giant friend. I have to say, you should be embarrassed you didn’t try it earlier.”

Isaac was standing a few feet from Jackie, having stayed quiet through all the new developments. But he bristled at this. “Whatever, Letti. We knew our friends were right on our tails and we’re not stupid. Now it looks like you’re the stupid one. What’re you going to do, shoot us one by one until we overpower you? And you choose some lady we don’t even know to be the first one down?”

“That’s not very nice,” Roxy said out of the side of her mouth, her eyes fixed on the end of the gun. “I’m probably the nicest one here, just ask Minho. I think one of you should probably die first, actually. Should we vote?”

Jackie liked this woman. Sense of humor till the very end.

Letti lowered her gun, then dropped it onto the ground with a clatter. “I’m not killing anyone. Relax. I just wanted to get everyone’s attention. I only had one mission in all of this, and Timon doesn’t even know what it was. Let’s just say . . . Well, I’ll use a very old phrase I’ve read about in the history books. Mission accomplished. My job is done.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” the man named Timon asked. “What’re you talking about, Letti?”

Jackie really wanted to hear the answer to that, but she noticed something creep over the railing of the bridge, right above the bank that sloped up to that spot. It was a man, dripping wet, a giant tree branch clutched in one hand. What the . . .

She’d scarcely noticed him before the man became a blur of dark movement. He flashed across the two meters or so between the railing and where Letti stood, who noticed him at the very last second. Too late.