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Robert said nothing.

She took one step toward him.

“What did you do?”

His silence answered.

Elizabeth’s shoulders shook.

Then she straightened.

“You spent eighteen years making me afraid of you.”

Robert watched her.

She wiped the tears from her face.

“I’m not eight anymore.”

Sirens echoed faintly through the tunnels.

Help was coming.

I squeezed her hand once.

“Stay with Max.”

She looked at the dog.

Max moved beside her without being told.

Mace and I ran toward the eastern exit.

Toward Rylie.

Toward the final name on Evan’s list.

42

MACE

Gunfire changed everything.

Exhaustion disappeared.

Pain disappeared.

The only thing that mattered was reaching Rylie before Evan pulled the trigger again.

Judy ran beside me through the tunnel.

Not behind me.

Beside me.

Exactly where she belonged.

Wolf’s voice came through the radio.