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"Wolf, you have to promise me you’ll take care of her We don’t knohat kind of condition she’ll be in If they’ve … if she’s hurt … you’ll have to take care of her" Her voice hitched, but there were no more tears Her resolve was complete

Until--"What if she’s already dead, Scarlet?"

Dread settled in her stomach at the words she’d refused to speak, for fear it couldand Scarlet could make out the furious noise of the city: hovers and netscreens and buzzers warning to stay off the tracks It was the ht, but in the city there was never silence

"Do you think she is?" Her voice trembled Her heart throbbed as she waited for him to answer "You think they’ve killed her?"

Everyher, until the only possible word froone They’d murdered her These monsters had murdered her

Scarlet pressed her palh the plastic "Say it"

"No," he"No, I don’t think they’ve killed her Not yet"

Scarlet shivered with relief She covered her face with both hands, dizzy with the hurricane of emotions "Thank the stars," she whispered "Thank you"

His tone hardened "Don’t thankthe truth when it would have been mercy to lie to you"

"Mercy? To tellyou believe she was dead was the only chance I had to convince you not to go looking for her We both know that I should have lied"

The hum of the tracks deepened as the train crawled into a station Voices yelled Machinery clanked and hissed

"It’s not your decision totheir location They’d o after her But you don’t have to come with me"

"Scarlet--"

"No, listen I appreciate your help How far you’ve brought o and I’ll find it myself"

"Maybe I won’t"

Scarlet shoved the port into her pocket, anger burning in her cheeks But then she ers curling and uncurling, again and again

She released hertoward Wolf, she cupped his face in her hands He flinched, but didn’t pull away "They’ll want this information, won’t they?"

His expression was stone

"We’ll offer o soo, I’ll come find you They can’t keep me forever"

She smiled as warmly as she could, and waited for him to return it When he didn’t, she rubbed her thuh he instantly pulled her against hiuarantee they’ll let you go When they’re done with you, theyyour life for hers"

"It’s a chance I have to take"

The train came to a steady stop and sank down onto the tracks

Wolf’s eyes saddened "I know You’ll do what you have to do" Peeling her hands off his shoulders, he placed a sweet kiss against her wrist, where the blood pulsed beneath her skin "And so will I"

Twenty-Six

The underground platfor carts ready to unload the train’s cargo Scarlet followed Wolf into the shadows of another freight train They waited until an android turned away before crawling up onto the platforrabbed her wrist and pulled her across the platfor behind a cart loaded with crates A moment later Scarlet saw an android roll into the car she and Wolf had just abandoned, its blue light seeping back out the door

"Be ready to run when that train leaves," Wolf said, adjusting the bag on his shoulder Not seconds later, the train lifted up off the tracks and began gliding back into the tunnel

Scarlet sprang toward the tracks, only to find herself being pulled back by her hood She let out a strangled cry and slaer to his rasp, but then she heard it too The hu train

It was on the third track out and blew past the into the darkness again as quickly as it had coo"

They reached the other platfored man atched them curiously over his port