He makes the other side and there’s no fanfare, no showing off. He just looks at Christian, hard, and then turns to look back across the ledge and shoots a cocky grin at Brandon and Evan.

“Come on over, ladies,” he says—

(which is, ugh, not attractive, but w/e)

“Don’t go soft on me now.”

Brandon and Evan look at each other. They’re practically shoving each other out of the way for the chance to go next, even though they’re both obviously scared shitless and probably going to die.

Brandon wins, or loses, or whatever. He goes next. He goes slow. He hugs the wall tight, and his legs are shaking, and at one point he slips and kicks pebbles over the edge and Dawn hears them fall and thinks he’s going next, like she’s about to straight-up witness someone dying, but Brandon regains his balance and pauses to collect himself, and then he finishes the traverse like as fast as humanly possible.

Warden’s waiting on the other side and he gives Brandon a pat on the back and a bro hug, and that’s all Evan needs to go beetling across himself.

Alex takes a deep breath. Closes his eyes and psychs himself up. Then, calm and steady, he sends the traverse like a champ. Hits the other side and turns and looks back and smiles, kind of sheepish, at Dawn and the others.

Lucas looks at Kyla and Dawn and Brielle. “Uh, ladies first?”

The ladies all kind of look at each other.

On the other side, Warden and Brandon and Evan and Alex all yell encouragement.

(So does Christian, but nobody’s listening to him.)

Dawn doesn’t want to go next. She doesn’t want to go at all, but that’s probably not an option. But she’s not ready yet.

Eventually, Brielle straightens. “I’ll go,” she says.

But Kyla either doesn’t hear her or doesn’t give a shit. She’s shaking her head, muttering, positioning herself at the start of the ledge.

Inhale.

Exhale.

“O-kay,” she says, shaking her head. “O-kay, this is crazy. This is really freaking insane.” She looks ashen and shaky. Scared out of her mind.

But slowly—inch by inch—Kyla starts across.

Chapter 42

DAWN SNEAKS A LOOK at Amber.

She’s expecting/hoping Amber will have some words of encouragement, something to tell Kyla and the rest of them that will make this whole ordeal go by easier.

But Amber’s just pale.

Amber can barely watch.

Amber’s got a look on her face like she just knows this is not going to end well.

And the shitty thing is…

Amber’s right.

Chapter 43

KYLA HANDLES THE TRAVERSE like Wile E. Coyote handled running off cliffs in those old cartoons.

Which is to say, she gets like ten feet out and she’s fine, and then she looks down and she’s toast.