We’re poised on a helipad. We’re not alone. Pru, Theodora, Ansel, and Pippa are already here. And next to them are Jaeger and Bianca. Jaeger’s leg is bandaged, but blood seeps through it, and it looks like standing on that foot is pure agony. Several guards are directing them into the mouth of the copter, and I see now that we’re next.

I feel an immediate rush of relief. They’re not pushing us off this roof. But I also feel a sinking dread, because I know where we’re going: Castor Island. It’s obvious, isn’t it?

Still, if that’s the case, I’ll soon be reunited with Ollie and my dad and Jane.

And that’s what matters. Making sure Ollie knows how much he means to me. My dad too. Doing whatever’s in our power to rescue them.

I follow in a line behind Maude and board the helicopter. I locate a seat belt that’s like backpack straps, and I wordlessly strap it on. I notice the floor I’m sitting on is made entirely of glass. With a lurch in my chest, I realize how disorienting it’s going to be to watch the world below me shrink as we take off into the air.

Levi is beside me, and I feel his constant reassurance. I try to give him the same vibes but, admittedly, I’m scared out of my mind.

There’s a deafening roar as the helicopter’s turbine engines whine, and my heart flips as we head up into the sky, leaving the helipad far below us until it’s a mere speck. I look up; there’s no way I’ll make it through this ride without throwing up unless I refuse to look down. Pru and Theodora are across from me, and Maude’s kitty-corner from where I sit. We try to communicate with our eyes, but what can we really say right now? We all know where we’re headed, for better or worse.

“We talk. You listen,” a guard instructs us. I keep my mouth shut, happy to have it free, even if I can’t use it.

“Help him,” Bianca moans as soon as the tape’s been ripped from her mouth. She means Jaeger. He’s passed out, from pain or loss of blood. “Please. You must have painkillers. Something.”

“What did we just say?” a guard bellows, striking Bianca in the head with his gun. She winces in pain. I take stock of who else is in this helicopter with us: two of the Quarry members who rushed the tent at the rally. At least they’re alive.

“Emma,” Levi whispers to me. “Look.”