“That’s boring. I would take you on a real date.”

“What do you usually do on a real date?”

He considered for a moment. “Back home, I’d probably find something interesting for us to do, like go to a local festival or show or something. Because I’d want to impress you.”

“I’m already impressed,” she said quietly.

He smiled, tilting his head down closer to hers. “Here, I don’t know. A picnic, maybe. Or I’d ask you to take me to your favorite spot in the south, since you know the area better.”

“The rooftop of a building a few streets down from mine,” she said immediately.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s a medical research building, so no one ever goes up there at night. It’s quiet, and you can see practically the whole city.”

“Sounds perfect.”

He leaned in closer, until she could feel his breath against her lips. She squeezed the hand he still had tucked against his chest.

His head snapped to the screen suddenly, breaking the spell. “Did you see that? There’s someone coming out of that building.”

LENNON

LENNON WATCHED AS two men ran out the back door of a building on camera four.

“Do you recognize them?” he asked.

Maisie grimaced. “Yes.”

He glanced at her. Her cheeks were a little pink, and he cursed himself for stopping before he’d kissed her. He should have ignored the movement on the screen.

He wanted to ignore everything. Forget the whole plan and kiss her until it was too late to go to the gate.

Quick footsteps sounded in the hallway suddenly, and they both froze. Maisie put a hand on her gun.

Ethan appeared at the door. “Hey, sorry—”

“They’re already inside,” Maisie said in a rush, cutting him off. She pointed at the screen. “Declan’s men.”

Ethan bolted across the room, frantically glancing between screens. “How? How did they get in? How did they—” He stopped abruptly, pulling his phone from his pocket. He pressed it to his ear, and then turned and took off running. “Come on!” he yelled over his shoulder.

Lennon followed behind Maisie as they raced out of the building and down the street. Ethan lowered his phone from his ear, cursing. He pressed a button and held it up again.

The compound loomed to their right, and Ethan led them across the street. They came to a stop in front of a tall metal-and-wood gate at the front of the compound.

“No one is answering!” Ethan lowered his phone again, and then typed frantically on the keypad. The gate slid open. “The one time I actually want them to talk to me! The one time!” He returned his attention to his phone, fingers flying at impressive speed. “I’m just mass-texting these jerks until someone realizes I’m trying to save their lives here.”

They ran through the gate as Lennon was still processing Ethan calling his family these jerks.

Lennon glanced around as they headed down a street. The compound was made up of homes, almost certainly pre-zone. They were large two-story structures with garages and huge lawns, with wide streets built back when everyone drove a gas-powered car.