Jonathan released him, and Ethan let out a breath, taking several quick steps back. He cast an apologetic look at Maisie.

She felt Lennon’s shoulder brush against hers. The world seemed to tilt slightly as her brain refused to acknowledge that she was about to die. Lennon was saying something to the men, but all she could hear was the buzzing in her ears.

She wished she’d radioed Hadley one more time. She wished she’d told Beto that she thought Lopez was totally wrong to cut them off from the world. Maybe he would think of it on his own.

She was surprised to discover that she was actually really disappointed she wasn’t going to get to lead the south. That possibility hadn’t ever seemed real, but now that she was facing down a gun, she had to admit that she’d been excited about it.

And she would have been good at it. Declan and her dad caused chaos and called it leadership. She could have been different. Better.

A giant crash sounded from above their heads. The men all flinched at once, whirling around to find the source.

Something tumbled from the sky. She didn’t care what it was. She took off, Lennon close behind.

She heard yelling from behind her, and then gunfire, but she didn’t turn.

They ran for the door. The sun was rising high in the sky, casting a soft glow through the windows near the roof of the warehouse.

“Declan,” Lennon panted suddenly.

She glanced over her shoulder. Declan and three of his men were in the warehouse. Ethan had his gun out, but he was rooted in one spot, wide-eyed.

She didn’t care anymore. Let them all kill each other. She was just going to get Lennon to the gate and get the shipment south. She’d deal with whoever was still alive after.

They hit the door. She pressed both hands to it.

Tick-tick-tick-tick.

She stopped. She knew that warning tick.

She turned to find the source of the ticking.

“Is that—”

She didn’t hear the rest of Lennon’s words. She raced for the bomb Declan had just thrown at Ethan’s feet. He looked down at it.

“Ethan, run!” she yelled.

His head snapped up, her panic reflected in his eyes. He stumbled back, tripping over a body on the ground behind him. His butt hit the floor.

Tick-ticktickticktick.

She needed to run the other way. She needed to not be running straight toward a bomb that was about to explode, but here she was, like an idiot.

She grabbed the bomb and launched it at the window. The glass shattered.

The bomb exploded.

The Spencer guys all shrank back at once. Jonathan, standing next to a terrified Ethan, gaped at her.

Maisie sprinted to Lennon, who had a look on his face that was somewhere between bewilderment and fear.

Someone grabbed her shirt suddenly, pulling her away. She yelped as they dragged her away from the door.

Lennon lunged at them, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her attacker raise a gun.