“Why should we trust you?” he asked bitterly, his words an echo of Sadie’s.

“Because you have no other choice,” I said bluntly. “I’m your only hope.” Saul looked as though he wanted to argue but could not. “If you don’t come with me, you are all going to die.”

Sadie turned to him. “Saul, Ella is here to help us.” Despite everything, some part of her still believed in me.

“We can’t trust her. We can’t trust any of them.”

“But you trust me, don’t you?” she asked, cupping his cheek with her hand. He did not answer at first. Then he nodded slightly. “Good. I’m telling you we need to go now. Please, Saul. I won’t leave without you.”

“But we were supposed to be married,” Saul said.

“Married?” I was surprised.

Sadie nodded. “Saul asked me just last night. I was going to tell you today.” She took Saul’s hands and looked deep into his eyes. “We will find our wedding canopy somewhere else.” She brought her hand to her chest. “In here, I am already married to you.”

“By tomorrow, you can marry in freedom,” I offered. Thinking of the long, difficult plan Kara had outlined for their escape, I doubted that would be true.

Saul nodded, seeming to soften toward me, as if finally seeing that I wanted the best for Sadie and for all of them. “But...” Saul looked from Sadie to his father, who was stubbornly sitting in the same spot, refusing to acknowledge the truth or to move. If he couldn’t convince his father, then none of them would leave, consigning them all to certain death.

Saul dropped Sadie’s hand and walked to his father. “Please, Papa. I know you brought us here because you thought it was safest. And it has been. But things are changing. You couldn’t save Micah, but you can save me if you come with us now. Please give us this chance.”

His father looked up and I could see him wrestling with his fear and dread of the horrors on the street above. Sadie walked over to the two men. “I promise,” she said solemnly, “that no harm will come to your son.” At first, I doubted he would believe her. But he reached out his hand and I could see the bond they had developed. Sadie helped him to his feet. He walked across the chamber and pulled the mezuzah from the door.

Together we started into the tunnel. I saw Sadie look over her shoulder for a second at this small, awful space that had been her home for several months, which she was now leaving forever, saying goodbye to the place that had been their sanctuary. Then she turned to me. “How? I mean, where are we going? Did Krys arrange some sort of transit for us?” I did not want to tell her the truth about Krys. I feared that if she knew he would not be there to meet us on the other side and guide us away, she might decide not to go after all.