That doesn’t give us much time to figure this out. But we have to make the attempt.

“I’ll go get changed,” Rose says, turning toward the hall. “It’ll only take me a few minutes to get ready and to call my mom.”

“No,” Atlas snaps. “She can’t come, Meri.”

“The hell I can’t.” Rose spins around. “We’re talking about saving my brother.”

“We won’t be talking about anything if you—”

“Stop,” I shout. They both turn toward me. “Atlas,” I say, forcing myself to sound calm. “Can you please give Rose and me a couple minutes alone? I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Atlas closes his eyes and exhales slowly. “Make it quick. We don’t have a lot of time.” He turns toward Rose. Sympathy storms into his eyes. “I really hope we find your brother,” he says. Then he turns on his heel and heads for the door.

“I’m going,” Rose says when the door closes. “You can’t make me stay here because some guy named Atlas says so. What kind of name is that anyway?”

“All the Stewards have names that belong in a library. My mom was Folio. Rose, I’m not asking you to stay here because of Atlas. I’m asking because if you don’t stay here your dad will wonder where you are. He’ll start asking questions about what you are doing and what you know. He has to think you’re still in the dark . . . that you’re on his side. If he does, there could be a way for you to use that to figure out where they’re holding Atlas’s father and Isaac.”

Rose tightens her grip on her brother’s ID card. “You really think that my dad is . . . part of all of this? That he knows about Verify and about your mom’s murder?”

“He has to.”

“That means he’s part of the reason Isaac is gone.”

“No,” I say. “That’s on me.”

“It’s on them,” she says, taking my hand and squeezing it. “They lied. You uncovered the truth. Together we’ll fix it.”

I hope so. “I’ll let you know what the plan is as soon as we figure it out,” I promise. “Can you stay here until then? Please?”

Tears sparkle in her eyes, then harden like diamonds. “I’m counting on you. And don’t do anything stupid.”

“Now you sound like Atlas.”

Rose gives me a small smile. “Maybe he’s not so bad after all.”

Atlas is waiting in the shadow of a tree at the corner. “Is she going to be okay on her own?” he asks. “I know what it’s like to feel helpless.” The concern I see in his eyes tugs hard at my heart.

“Rose is the strongest person I know. You can trust her,” I tell him. “She won’t say anything that will jeopardize us or our chances of finding her brother.”

“And how about you?” He steps toward me. “How are you holding up?”

I start to say I’m fine, but I can’t choke out the words. And when Atlas opens his arms, I don’t shrink back. I walk into them. He pulls me tight against him and I bury my face in his T-shirt while fear and anger and regret fight to burst free. I take several deep breaths to tamp down everything I’m feeling and concentrate on the sound of Atlas’s heartbeat. Strong. Steady. Just like I need to be now.