“You didn’t Register me. You’d go to jail.”

“You know I wouldn’t.”

Daniel grimaces. “Zach. Put the guns down,” he says as he slowly starts to stand.

Price quickly takes a step back, shoves one of his guns in his pants, grabs Lynell’s arm, and pulls her flush against his chest. Lynell gasps, her hands instantly going up to grab Price’s forearm. Daniel jumps up, but Price holds the gun against Lynell’s temple, and Daniel freezes. He glares at Price, his teeth bared.

The gun feels like it’s burning a hole where it’s pushed against her skin. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to calm her heart.

You can never outrun your Registration.

She’d barely made it 24 hours.

“Let her go,” Daniel growls.

Price shakes his head, and Lynell feels the motion against her back. “I can’t, you know that. Why are you fighting this, Danny?”

Lynell opens her eyes to see a flash of anger go through Daniel’s eyes and his hands curl into fists. “You know why.”

“The Registration is fair and good.” Lynell can hear a tinge of regret and disbelief in Price’s words. “You know this.”

“Don’t quote that bullshit to me, Zach.”

Price doesn’t answer, and Lynell keeps her eyes trained on Daniel, trying to communicate with him that it’s okay. She’s okay. If it’s her time, it’s her time. She deserves it.

Price takes a step back, pulling Lynell with him. “Don’t follow me, Danny. Go home.”

“Zach!”

Lynell stumbles as he pulls her, keeping her grip tight on his arm. The door to the room closes behind them and Price lets go, pushing Lynell forward. He keeps the gun against the middle of her back. “Walk,” he says.

She starts moving and glances back when the door opens again.

“Zach, leave her!” Daniel yells. “I swear if you hurt her . . .”

“What? You’ll Register me?” Price says, a distasteful mockery in his voice. “You know you can’t.”

Lynell meets Daniel’s eyes again just in time to see him mouth, “I love you.”

“Excuse me,” a conductor says as Price is elbowing his way through the line of passengers getting off at this stop. “No need to push. There’s plenty of time to—” He stops as he notices the gun in Lynell’s back and then looks at Price.

Price instantly pulls a piece of paper and an ID out of his pocket and hands it over. “I’ve Registered her.”

Dozens of eyes turn to them. A mother shields her son’s face from the scene. Lynell wants to scream for help, to run, to drop to her knees. But Price is completely within his legal rights and no one can do anything for her.

The conductor glances at the paper, then at Lynell, trying to match her face with the picture on the Registration form. Then he looks at Price and his eyes widen. He even offers an awkward tilt of his head.