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‘Seriously?’ Nine says with a pleased s curiously at the intricate carvings on the lid of my Chest I hate that she’s so close to it ‘So, what’s inside? Pirate treasure?’

We should not be talking to theer just teenagers trying to blend in with the huitives who just destroyed a fleet of government vehicles There’s a bounty on ht now We should be hiding in the middle of nowhere, back in Ohio, or even out west Anywhere but sitting on a packed train in the irls! I open my mouth to say that the Chests are e questions and leave us alone, but Nine talks first ‘MaybeWe’d love to show you what’s inside then’

‘Why don’t you just show us now?’ the brunette asks with a pout

Nine looks left and then right He’s really ha it up ‘Because I don’t trust you yet You two are kind of, ah, suspicious You know that, right? Two beautiful girls like you, you’re right out of a spy movie’ He winks at irls as I a it Itus both

The girls look at each other and s on a scrap of paper and hands it to him ‘The next stop is ours Giveup with you guys somewhere later I’m Nora’ I’m stunned his stunt worked

‘I’m Sarah,’ the brunette says Of course that’s her nan that we must end this conversation now, I don’t knohat is

Nine reaches his hand out to shake theirs ‘I’m Tony, and this handsoive them a polite wave Donald?

‘Cool,’ Nora says ‘Well, talk to you later’ The train stops and they get off Nine leans over and waves to theh theAfter the train pulls out of the station, Nine chuckles to hi

I elbow him in the ribs ‘Are you nuts? Why would you deliberately draw that kind of attention to yourself – to us? You had no right to drag me into your stupidity And, why in the world would you do anything to encourage theh to buy your crap is too stupid to think too hard about any of it!’ I liked him a whole lot better when he just looked like a loser

‘Calm down, Donald You think you could keep your voice fro to happen to us here’ He leans back, hands folded behind his head When he speaks again, though, he doesn’t sound so puffed up ‘Sandor would have been so damn proud of me just now, you know? I bet you’d never know it, but norirls And the more I like theh this past year, nothing really scares me anymore’

I don’t respond I sluet taller and taller, the architectureThere are playhouses, shops and beautiful restaurants all wrapped in glass Soht in the sun I have to shieldus up on the track No place could be more different froh two more stations, then Nine tellseast on Chicago Avenue, each of us carrying our Chest under an arht ahead

When the crowd around us thins, Nine says, ‘Sandor loved Chicago And he thought it was sht in a city like this No chance of sticking out, always a crowd to disappear into, that kind of thing I mean, think about it, where are you more anonymous than in a busy city?’

‘Henri would never have allowed it Being in a city like this would have freaked hi anywhere he couldn’t keep an eye on anyone who ht have an eye on us On me’

‘And that’s why Sandor was the best Cêpan that ever lived He had rules, of course First and ly, he has no idea how infuriating, how insulting this talk about Sandor is

I’m pissed and I don’t care who knows it ‘Oh, yeah, if Sandor was so great, why did I find you in a Mogadorian prison cell?’ I feel horrible the minute I say it Nine misses Sandor, and we’re in the last place they spent real tiether, where Sandor told Nine he was safe I knoerful that kind of assurance is

Nine stops dead, right in thepast us He steps up to me until our noses are inches apart His fists are clenched, not to mention his teeth ‘You found me in that cell because made a mistake It was my mistake, not Sandor’s And you knohat? Where’s your Cêpan? You think yours was so much better than mine? Wake up, idiot! They’re both dead, so I really doubt one was so much better than the other’

I feel bad for what I said but I’ to bully me I push him away ‘Back off, Nine Ito es and we cross the street, both of us fuan Avenue and alk in silence At first I’s, but slowly I become aware of the skyscrapers above me I can’t help it This city is aweso the city, his city, and I can feel hisblack one with the white spires on top?’ Nine asks He looks so happy to see this building I forget I’ht up ‘That’s the John Hancock Center It’s the sixth tallest building in the country And that, little brother, is where we’re headed’