I still have the bracelet around my wrist. It’s been quiet for the last few minutes, but as soon as the agent speaks, it begins to buzz again.

Nine shouts, ‘Hey, I wasn’t kidding about being bored here. I don’t feel like playing nice anymore. It’s up to you, but you should know that you don’t have long before I decide to amuse myself. You can tell us everything you know right now, or I’ll kick my way out of here and make you tell me. Guess which one will make my day a little more fun?’

The man with the crooked nose rises slowly from the bench and aims his cannon directly at Nine. ‘Who do you think you are, kid? You’re in no position to threaten us.’

‘Whatever you’re planning, I promise, I’ve been through worse,’ Nine says.

‘I know exactly where you were before. Don’t you get that? We know.’ The man sounds annoyed by Nine’s bravado.

‘Agent Purdy,’ Walker says to him. ‘Lower your weapon. Now.’

The agent starts to lower it and I decide to have some fun. I guess Nine is rubbing off on me. Using my telekinesis, I rip the cannon out of his hands and toss it to the back of the truck. It hits the back door before landing on the floor with a clang. Just at that moment we take a sharp corner and Agent Purdy stumbles towards me, his right shoulder slamming against my cage. I use my telekinesis to keep him pinned in place.

‘Son of a . . .’

‘Don’t you know you should always wear a seat belt, Agent Pretty?’ Nine laughs. ‘Safety first! Here, take one of mine. You just need to come on in here to get it.’

Agent Purdy says, ‘However you’re doing this, you better stop it.’ He tries to sound scary, but it’s hard to sound threatening in his position.

I lean forward, easily breaking the strap across my forehead. Play time is over. ‘Agent Purdy, do you know where Sam Goode is?’

‘We have Sam,’ Special Agent Walker says, turning towards me. Her voice is casual but her cannon is pointing right at me.

For a second, I’m so blown away by this new piece of information, my mind goes blank, and I accidentally release Agent Purdy. He crashes into the aisle.

They have Sam? Setrákus Ra isn’t torturing him in the cave like I saw in my vision? He’s okay? I’m about to ask where Sam is when I notice the lights swirling in the tube of Special Agent Walker’s cannon. Instead of green, these lights are black and red.