Isabel tried not to grimace as the cords around her wrists were pulled painfully tight. She was sitting in the lone chair the dark room had to offer and through the haze of her mind, she wondered why it had been given to her. Tess was lying on the floor, still unconscious from whatever she had been drugged with to get her into the building. Michael was standing beside her, his arms already bound behind his back. But he didn’t look uncomfortable at all, merely annoyed and more in control of himself than she ever recalled seeing. For the first time, she wondered if she was catching a glimpse of what he might have been like on Antar. And she wished Maria could be here to see it.
To her right, Alex hovered as close as the Skins allowed. It wasn’t close enough to touch, but it was close enough for her to feel his presence and she clung to it as her only lifeline. Another jerk on the cords made her wince, but she tried not to let the weakness show. Her head still felt as if it would split open at any second, and she wondered if she’d possibly overtaxed herself more than she’d even thought. She’d never been this weak before, and even under good circumstances, she hated to seem vulnerable.
Michael let his gaze flicker across the four Skins in the room with them. The only light in the room was a kerosene lamp that sat on a metal shelf in the corner of the room. None of the other rooms they’d passed through on their way had been lit, so he could only imagine that they didn’t trust their captives in the dark. That was good. It meant there was still a chance.
One of the Skins was trying Isabel to a chair. There was something wrong with her that he didn’t think had anything to do with the Skins. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she was drained, but she hadn’t said anything to them earlier. He’d seen that level of fatigue before in Max’s eyes on one other occasion and that had involved bringing Liz back from near death. If Isabel had worn herself out and not said anything he would kill her when he got the chance. For now, he was forced to discount her in any escape attempts.
Tess was still out cold on the floor. He hoped that whatever they gave her could be counteracted easily. If by some miracle he could manage to pull this insane plan off, they would need her at least on her feet rather quickly. Sliding his eyes, Michael found that the only other person in the room that was left to help him was Alex.
Michael had never given much thought to Alex. He was the member of the group that he was least likely to want his life to depend on, the computer nerd that had spent the better part of his life chasing after Isabel’s shadow. But if he wanted to get his family out of that building alive, he was going to have to place not only his life in Alex’s hands, but everyone else’s as well.
One of the Skins that had ambushed them outside of the warehouses entered the room again. He glanced at Michael briefly, then grinned to see his arms still bound. With a smug grin, he moved toward the man in charge at the back of the room.
Michael wanted to destroy him on the spot. He recognized him as one of the three men it had taken to finally restrain him. His only regret is that he hadn’t been able to inflict any more damage than the well placed elbow to the ribs. But it had been a satisfying sound.
Keeping his stance straight, Michael tried not to call any attention to himself. He had spent the car ride and every minute since then sending small jolts of power from his fingertips to the cords that bound his hands. It had been slow, tedious work and it was something Michael had never been good at. But he was learning. Another minute or two and he should be able to snap the cord and be free. Of course, it wouldn’t do him any good if he didn’t have help. At the moment, he was facing at least four Skins. He didn’t like the odds of that alone, not when Isabel was dazed and tied to a chair. There was no way he could keep her safe and take out the Skins all at once. Tess was still out, and he hoped for her sake she stayed there for now.
Alex watched as the rope around Isabel’s wrist tightened and his muscles flexed with the desire to kill the man hurting her. She was trying to hold her head high, but it was drooping slowly. He could hear the two Skins talking in the back of the room, and several words were spoken loud enough for him to hear. And from what he heard, things were not looking good for Max and Liz.
“Max?” Isabel’s voice was weak at first, but then grew louder until the others could hear her. She raised her head to stare at the two Skins. “What have you done with Max?” Seeing that tact wasn’t going to get her anywhere, she changed her mind. “Where’s Nicholas? I want to see him now.”
The man with the darker hair of the two chuckled and moved to stand in front of Isabel’s chair. “Spoken like a true Princess. Don’t worry, you’ll see the boss soon enough. He’s been dying to get his hands on you.”
Isabel knew she should have wanted to shrink back from the lewd words and what was implied by them, but it only raised her chin another notch. “Not as badly as I do.”
Leering at her, the man leaned closer until she could feel his breath warm on her cheek. She tried not to flinch away, knowing it was the purpose of the exercise, but then if they wanted her to act the role of princess, she wouldn’t be expected to tolerate the intrusion either. Slowly, making sure everyone saw the move, Isabel leaned back and away from the Skin. She poured a lifetime of experience into the frosted gaze. “How do you think Nicholas would kill you if he found out you were this close to me?” If there was one thing she had learned following Whittaker’s death, it had been that Nicholas considered her his, and no matter how nauseating it sounded, it was the only thing keeping them alive at the moment.
She was ready for the slap before it connected with her cheekbone.
Nothing could have prepared her for the shift in reality as her head snapped to the side. The pain was bruising and she heard a scuffle to her side where Alex had been. Experimentally, Isabel rotated her jaw and met the cold glare of her attacker. The fierce hatred on his face was preferable to the desire from a minute ago. “I’ll be sure to give Nicholas your love.”
With one last glare, he grabbed for his flashlight and fled the room. Clearly not done with their conversation, the other Skin followed after him.
Michael’s pulse hammered in his ears. There were only two men in the room now and both of them had moved to restrain Alex. Michael had to admit that he was impressed by the strength of Alex’s reaction. The only thing that had held Michael back was the fact that he was almost through the cords now. He was afraid to move too quickly and give himself away.
Now if only Alex would calm down long enough to pull his eyes away from Isabel, Michael might be able to get his attention.
Alex gave one final swift kick to the man holding him, unable to help himself. Logically, he knew there was nothing he could do. They could kill him without batting an eye. But they’d hurt Isabel, dared to slap her. It was beyond anything Alex could comprehend that anyone could look at that smooth skin and not want to simply worship it.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he had the oddest feeling of being watched. The two gorillas released his arms when he stopped struggling. He realized it should have been humiliating to realize that he was the only one not bound in some way. Did they really think that little of him?
Finally, they backed off altogether when it was obvious he wouldn’t try anything. With the slightest tilt of his head, barely more than the sliding of eyes, Alex glanced at Michael. And Michael was watching him with some sort of bizarre interest.
Choosing to obviously confuse Alex even more, Michael’s eyes grew wider and flickered toward the door. Panic gripped Alex as he realized what Michael was planning. How were they supposed to escape when Tess was unconscious and Isabel was weak and tied to a chair? Plus there was the factor of Michael being bound as well. It didn’t equal a successful escape plan. This was precisely the time when one of their friends should come blasting through the walls to save them all. Unfortunately, they were the rescue squad and Kyle and Maria didn’t know where they were. And the full reality of their danger sunk it.
Trying not to drown in self pity, Alex realized that Michael was still making eyes at him. Pointedly, he glanced at Isabel, then to Alex himself. A swift head jerk towards the back wall had Alex’s eyes widening. Michael’s body had twisted slightly, enough for Alex to see the frayed edges of the rope binding him. Michael Guerin had a plan. God help them all.
And to even further a plan so fraught with problems, Alex had a fairly good idea of what his job was supposed to be. A living, breathing body shield for Isabel. Michael was going to do something crazy and he was trusting Alex to keep Isabel safe. The rush of pride was surprising and no matter how stupid the plan, he was in.
Alex didn’t bother to answer Michael’s unspoken question. Instead, he slid closer to Isabel, moving slow to keep the eyes of their captors off them until the last minute. How would Michael do it? Obviously it would be a power blast of some kind, which meant Alex would have to move fast to pull Isabel out of the way. The floor was probably the best way to do it. But it would mean shielding her with his own body.
Even though it was probably the most inappropriate time in the history of inappropriate times, Alex couldn’t help but think about it. He would have to press his body against Isabel’s body, flesh against flesh. Okay, maybe not flesh, but there would have to be some sort of touching.
Alex was so deep in his own thoughts, he almost missed Michael’s lightening fast movement. The two Skins were standing together, slightly aside from Alex and Isabel and Michael had seen a shot too perfect to pass up.
The snapping sound of the cords breaking filled the room. The Skins turned toward Michael, hands raised high automatically. And Alex dove. He didn’t wait to see if Michael had hit his target or if there was trouble. Alex simply went into autopilot and tackled Isabel to the ground. The chair broke under the force of his body and they both sprawled to the floor. Alex pressed her as far beneath him as he could. He counted himself lucky she was too confused, too stunned by his action, to process what was going on. Otherwise, he knew she would have tried to help regardless of the state of her powers.
The room filled with a blinding light. Alex shut his eyes against it and Isabel buried her head in Alex’s shoulder to block it out. There wasn’t even time to scream.
As quickly as it had brightened, the light faded away until it left the room blacker than it had been before. Alex slowly let his heart beat normally and became all too aware of the way Isabel was pressed against his chest. Her long fingers clutched at his shirt and her breath was coming in short gasps against his neck.
Life threatening danger or not, Alex Whitman was never moving again.
“Alex? Isabel?”
Isabel stiffened as Michael’s voice penetrated the thick fog in her brain. She had the distinct feeling something had happened, but the details were fuzzy. The crisp fabric bunched in her fingers tipped off warning bells in her head, and Isabel pulled away slowly from the scent that she actually recognized. Somehow, it was a hundred times scarier that she knew how Alex smelled than anything that had happened to her in the last hour. And it was what forced her to release her grip.
“Michael? Did you get them?”
A flashlight beam provided a single point of light and Michael shined it in the direction of Isabel’s voice. When he saw Isabel and Alex still locked in an embrace on the floor, he couldn’t help but glare at them. “Are you two comfortable?”
Alex flushed and resisted the urge to scramble backwards. It felt like something the old Alex would have done, and he felt like a distinctly new Alex since being kidnapped and threatened. Instead, he crawled away from Isabel and leaned down to offer her a hand up.
Still dazed, Isabel stared at Alex’s outstretched hand. Something was different, changed in a way she couldn’t pinpoint. If it hadn’t been for the blush creeping up Alex’s neck, she’d have sworn he hadn’t just been lying on top of her. And try as she might, there was simply no good reason other than a possible blow to the head for the sudden crazy desire to pull him back down to the floor. There had been something altogether too nice in the brief press of his body, an intimacy she’d never allowed anyone else before. But in the dark with her adrenalin pumping and her family in danger, Isabel decided that when they got out of there, she and Alex were going to have a long talk. Preferably one that involved dating.
Reaching up to take Alex’s hand, Isabel swayed on her feet for a second. Alex steadied her, reaching a hand to her waist. The remainder of the ropes dropped to the floor, forgotten.
“Isabel?”
“I’m fine, Michael. Where’s Tess?” She pushed the pain in her head away. There wasn’t time for it yet.
The flashlight beam swiveled and illuminated Tess’s still form. Michael moved toward her, dropping the flashlight to the ground as he quickly untied her knots. He held a hand to the pulse at her neck and then pulled her eyelids up. With a soft swear, Michael slapped Tess’s cheek lightly.
Before the second slap could connect, Tess’s blue eyes had snapped open and she glared at Michael. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Waking you the hell up. Are you okay? Can you walk?”
“Yeah. I think so.” Tess frowned when her limbs moved too slowly. She tried to look around the room, but it was with a drugged interest. “Where are we?”
“The right warehouse this time.”
Alex snorted. “That depends on your definition of right.”
With longstanding ease, Michael ignored Alex. “We need to get out of here.”
“I’m not leaving Max.”
“Isabel -“
“No, Michael. He’s here, both of them. We can’t leave without them.”
Michael ran a hand through his hair. “Not that I don’t completely agree with you, but how are we supposed to get them out if we’re caught and killed ourselves? We don’t even have a way out of here yet and they took the device from us.”
Alex glanced toward the open doorway. “Guys? Can we possibly take this to another room? One that aliens don’t know how to find us in?”
“We’ll split up.” Isabel glared at Michael from the other end of the flashlight beam, daring him to argue with her. “Two of us will go find the box and a way out of here and two of us will find Max and Liz.”
Michael narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “I suppose you think you and Alex can go find them by yourselves? Alex doesn’t have any powers and you’re weak, which is something we’re going to talk about later.”
“Guys, really. Another room, please?”
Tess threw her hands up in the air, realizing the validity of Alex’s argument. She snatched the flashlight from Michael’s hand. “Fine. You three go find Max and Liz. I’ll find the box and a way out of here.”
“Tess, you can’t do it alone.”
Tess snorted. “Until a few months ago, I was used to doing things on my own. I’m feeling fine now. Besides, if I run into trouble, I can hide myself easier than I can hide anyone with me.” Taking the decision out of their hands, Tess clicked off the flashlight and strode towards the door. “Just find them. Don’t worry about the rest.”
Michael watched in shock as Tess simply left them in the dark. He snapped his jaw shut and realized that she wasn’t coming back. “Fine. What she said. Quietly.”
Alex felt the air shift as Michael left the room as well. “Isabel?” He reached out for her, needing the contact of her skin in the blinding darkness. And his fingers brushed over something that was undecidedly not Isabel’s hand. He blushed what he was sure to be a dark crimson, but it was dark. He mumbled an apology and prepared to cut his losses and follow Michael.
A strong grip found his wrist. “Alex, wait.” Isabel slid her fingers until their palms met. Winding their fingers together, there was a pause that would have been filled with awkward gazes had there been light. And wasn’t it oh so much easier to bridge that step in the complete darkness? Isabel had never reached out before, but she knew that if she was going to have any chance of getting out of this building alive, she needed Alex by her side.
A slow grin split Alex’s face. Isabel was holding hands with him and it was everything he had hoped it wouldn’t be. They were in a life and death situation and he was grinning like a loon because he was holding Isabel Evans’ hand. He was a complete and utter idiot. “Come on. We need to get everyone out of here.”
*~*~
Liz heard the footsteps in the hallway, but she knew immediately something was wrong. The echo wasn’t right, lacking the confident stride she’d come to associate with the Skins as they patrolled the hallway. This was more of a shuffle, as if someone was moving slowly down the darkened corridor.
A burst of hope had Liz whipping her head in the direction of the large window that was too high for her to see out of. Could it be Max? Had he found a way to break free? Was he trying to find her even now?
Liz knew he wouldn’t be able to understand her even if she tried to call out to him. But she’d already made enough noise to call every Skin in her direction. She couldn’t let Max come in the room with her now, not until she found a way to break free of the handcuffs. The safest thing for Max would be to pass by the room Liz was being held in.
The halls were pitch black and there was no way he would be able to determine which room she was in unless she made a noise. And no matter how tempting it would be to see Max’s face again, she couldn’t let him get recaptured just for her.
Before Liz had the chance to shrink quietly into the shadows though, she heard the voices. They were unmistakable and very much in English.
“I’m telling you I heard a noise.”
“Maria, if you don’t shut up, we’re going to die in this hallway.”
Liz’s breathing hitched as she recognized her friend’s voices. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry from the rush of hope or from the wash of despair. Kyle and Maria were in the hall, a hall that was likely to be populated by Skins any second. She had no way of knowing how much time had passed, so it could be any time now. Liz had to get them out of the hallway before they were discovered.
She didn’t dare call out to them, so she did the next best thing. Braced against the wall, Liz kicked out against the metal bookshelves just as she had done before. It had captured Maria’s attention earlier, and now they were standing only a few feet away from the room she was being held in.
Instantly, the hushed whispers from the hallway silenced and the footsteps paused. Liz wanted to scream. They were supposed to come investigate, not pause and be cautious for once. She kicked again, harder this time. She wanted to call out to them, but she of all people knew how easily sounds carried in the empty building.
After what felt like an eternity, she could hear their feet moving again and the sharp scrape of the door handle as it turned. There was no rusty hinge to tell her if the door was open, or if they were even in the room. Deciding she had to take the chance, Liz tried to find a focal point in the darkness and called out to it softly.
“Kyle? Maria?”
A flashlight clicked on instantly and Liz found the sharp light piercing her eyes. She tried to shield her face, losing her sight after so many long hours in the dark. But Maria was by her side in a heartbeat.
“God, Liz! You’re alive! We’ve been looking all over for you and then we heard a noise and-“
Liz shook her head. “There isn’t time,” she hissed even as she glanced back towards the doorway. “You have to hide now. I don’t have time to explain. Just get behind the desk and don’t come out no matter what happens.”
“Liz-“ Kyle’s voice was uncertain as his eyes fell to her bruised and bloodied arm.
Again, Liz could only shake her head. She could hear the footsteps echo down the hall and this time they would belong to a Skin. “Please, Kyle. You have to trust me.”
Kyle heard the footsteps too and grabbed Maria’s arm, hauling her off the floor and in the direction of the desk. He clicked the flashlight off and tugged Maria beside him as the door was pushed open behind them.
Liz heard the audible click before the flashlight beam penetrated the darkness. Squinting as it was pointed directly into her eyes for the second time, Liz fought the urge to shield her eyes.
A chill ran through her when she saw the faint silver handprint glowing on her captor’s face. She had put that mark there, drawing on dark powers, and while it had bothered her before, it gave her an odd satisfaction now.
“You’re beginning to be more trouble than you’re worth.”
Liz managed to find a grin beneath the sharp fear that wanted to paralyze her. She forced herself to forget that Kyle and Maria were in serious danger now. Instead, she focused on the creature that had brought her to this place.
“Rick? Was that your name? I was hoping they’d send you.” Immediately, Liz discarded all of her plans to play sick. She wouldn’t show weakness now. Not after everything she knew.
“What do you want?”
“Honestly?” Liz cocked her head to the side and tried to harden her eyes. “I’d like to give you a matching handprint on the other side of your face. Or maybe one to match the marks on Max’s body. Tell me, was that your handiwork? Because those prints were a little too big to be Nicholas’s.”
Rick leered at her, his eyes dancing with pleasure. “You mean the one you healed? I was proud of that particular mark. He made all sorts of noises when I put it there.” He took a step closer to Liz, keeping the flashlight beam on her face. “Don’t worry. I made sure to put it back where it was after we dragged him out of here. You responded to Nicholas’s test well.”
Liz swallowed, realizing that she had fallen into Nicholas’s hands. Of course he had only allowed Max to be with her to see what else she was capable of doing. And wherever Max was, they had hurt him again. That more than anything else gave her the strength to push forward.
“At least I’m not his lackey. I’m more valuable to him than you could ever be. He’ll kill you when he’s done with you, or maybe he won’t even have to. How much longer until your body gives out? Nicholas will leave you in a rotting body as soon as he doesn’t need you anymore.”
Narrowing his eyes, Rick took another step closer to her, his free hand clenched in a tight fist. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re a child playing in a very dangerous game. I just hope that when Nicholas is done with you, I get to finish you off.”
Liz struggled to find a way to distract him a bit longer. He had taken a few steps into the room but he was still out of her reach. She could already seeing him mentally retreating, and this would all be for nothing if she didn’t get out of the stupid handcuffs.
The slightest of movements caught her eye and Liz’s horror doubled when she saw Kyle slowly rise from behind the desk. He was safely angled behind Rick, but if he turned to leave, Kyle was as good as dead. Already, Rick was turning toward the door and Liz called out swiftly.
“Wait!” Rick paused, watching her. Kyle had frozen in place as well, not sure if he should move forward. Her own heartbeat raced, thumping in her eardrums.
“I…uh…wanted to talk to Nicholas.” Liz forced her eyes to remain on Rick’s face. The glee in his eyes made her nauseous, but she met his eyes and ignored Kyle as he moved forward steadily.
“You’re ready to talk?”
“Yeah. I’m ready to tell Nicholas…everything. But first I wanted to talk to you.” Liz was stalling for time and she prayed that it didn’t actually look as if she were stalling for time. Her words sounded hollow to her own ears and Kyle had moved out from the safety of the desk now. She had no idea what he was planning to do, and she hoped it was something that didn’t get him killed.
“Why would you want to talk to me?”
“Because…because I want to live through this thing. It’s like you said. I’m only a child and this game doesn’t involve me. I want a normal life and I don’t want to die because of some alien war.” Liz almost laughed. How many times had she given this speech? And how did everyone believe her? Was she that convincing of a liar?
Kyle was almost directly behind Rick now, and Rick took another step closer to Liz. “What makes you think we won’t kill you just because we can?”
Raising the large plank of wood in his hand, Kyle spoke up for the first time. “Could have something to do with me.” Not waiting for Rick to turn, Kyle brought the board down hard, catching Rick in the back of the neck. He fell to the ground a foot from where Liz sat and Kyle didn’t wait to see if he was actually out or not. He moved to swing again, aiming for the small button at the base of his spine, but Liz’s voice rang out.
“Kyle, no! Wait!”
Kyle froze, looking at Liz curiously before glancing down to the prone form of the Skin. “Friend of yours?”
Liz glared at him. “See if he has a key on him first. I’d like to get out of here.”
Maria popped up from behind the desk and approached Liz again. “What’s going on? Where’s Max?”
Liz watched as Kyle gingerly searched Rick. “I don’t know. He was in here a little while ago but they took him away again. Nicholas knows about the device, but he doesn’t know what it does. We have to get Max out of here before Nicholas figures it all out.”
“You know, I keep hearing the name Nicholas, but I have yet to meet the guy. Is he like seven feet tall, kind of scary evil? Because otherwise, I’m disappointed.”
“Kyle, look quicker.”
“There’s nothing here, Liz.” Kyle rocked back on his heels, careful to keep the wooden plank away from the Skin in case he woke up suddenly. “Do you have any idea where the key might be?”
“No.” Liz sighed. “But I have another plan. Drag him over here, Kyle.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Kyle, just do it.” Liz knew she was snapping, but she didn’t care. She was tired and worried about Max. Somewhere in the building, he was in pain and he was confused. He needed her.
“Liz, are you sure you’re alright?” Maria watched as Kyle grudgingly dragged Rick closer to Liz.
“Do I look alright to you? No, closer, Kyle.” Liz waited until Rick’s body was lying beside her. It sickened her to be this close, but she knew it was necessary. Not knowing if she needed skin contact to borrow powers or not, Liz placed her hand firmly on Rick’s arm. It had worked with Isabel before, and she was loathe to touch any other part of Rick.
“Liz?”
“Shh.” Closing her eyes, Liz took a deep breath. She tried to remember how she’d done it before. When she’d healed Max, she’d merely been thinking about healing Max, wishing she could. Was that all it took? She thought about the metal cuff at her wrist, turned her hand within it until she could clutch at it with her fingertips. The metal was cool, and she stopped thinking of it as a solid shape. It was made up of millions of pieces, molecules that she could shift if she wanted to. All she had to do was want it badly enough. Beneath her fingertips, the metal shifted, melting away until it formed a cool puddle on the floor beside her.
Liz opened her eyes and found both of her hands free. She released her grip on Rick and rubbed at her raw wrist.
“What the fuck was that?”
Liz turned to Kyle and sighed. “Long story. The short version is that I inherited the ability to borrow powers from aliens. You probably can too.”
“From Max?” Kyle reached out a hand to help Liz to her feet.
“Yeah.” Liz let Kyle hold her upright for a minute. Her legs had all but fallen asleep from the lack of movement and the pain lancing up her wrist was almost too much to think through. But she spared a glance at Kyle, knowing it was part of his worst fears come true. “I’m sorry, Kyle.”
“There’ll be time for that later. For now, we have to get everyone out of here.”
“I don’t know where Max is.”
Maria appeared at Liz’s other side, helping support her. “We have bigger problems than that. Everyone is here. Michael, Isabel, Alex and Tess were brought in here too.”
Liz stared at Maria in shock. “No.”
“Yeah.” Maria tried not to let her own fear show. “We did manage to get the device though. The Skins must not have known what it was. They left it in an empty room.”
Liz noticed the bag in Maria’s hands for the first time. “That’s what hurt Max?”
“What do you want to do, Liz?” Kyle’s voice was soft, afraid that if he spoke too loudly it would send Liz careening off the edge of sanity.
Liz considered the odds. Nicholas had Max. Which meant the Skins were holding the others. Nicholas wanted Isabel, and Max was growing sicker by the minute. “Does anyone know how to work that thing?”
“Alex.”
Closing her eyes, Liz sighed. “There’s no solution. We need Alex to heal Max, but Nicholas wants Max dead. I don’t want to split up again either.”
“Tell us what you want, Liz. We’ll follow whichever way you go, chica.”
With a nod, Liz braced herself. With everything in her, she wanted to find Max now, wanted to kick down the door and save him from whatever they were doing to him. But to do that, she would need help. “Alex then. We need Alex and the others before we can help Max.”
Kyle nodded. “I think I may know where they were being kept, at least the general area they were brought into.”
“Then we start there.” Releasing her grip from Kyle and Maria, Liz stood on her own two feet. By not looking for Max first, she could very well be leaving him in Nicholas’s hands for too long. But if she found him, he wouldn’t be able to move very far. She had no choice but to go ahead with the plan she’d come up with, and pin her every prayer on the hope that it wouldn’t be too late for Max when she found him.
