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I grabthrough the door and out into the silent hall without a backward glance There’s no sight of anyone onso hard I’m afraid it can be heard a mile away At the bottolance, the guard looks asleep at the desk, but then you notice his complete and unusual stillness and the odd way his head rests on the surface Sean creeps toward his desk and deposits the keys there that he apparently used to open my door We start to slip past him, but suddenly I stop On impulse, I move back to the desk, my pulse now a feverish throb inSean and Gil to wait, and race back up the stairs At Sabine’s roo tensely beside her bed, her s Her fearful expression eases so out of here," I whisper "You can stay or co a pair of pants and slipping them on over her shorts She stuffs her feet into her shoes, not bothering with the laces I don’t have to warn her to be quiet She follows uard and outside

Sean and Gil are waiting by the door, their expressions anxious until they spot ht of Sabine behindopen the door, Sean ether we dive outside The air hasn’t cooled offI look left and right, scanning our surroundings My heart pounds a frantic rhyth Nothing Not even the purr of the ATV patrolling the grounds

We hug the shadows, rounding the refectory, heading west The saht in his dash for freedo sharpens my chest at the meuides us behind the thick hedge bordering one side of the refectory The four of us crouch down I look at the boys curiously Sean shakes his head at me and motions for me to stay silent He looks back out at the quad in the direction we just caly Hethe word: wait

Then I see her,under her breath as she stomps a hard line I’d know that walk anywhere It’s hard and swift, more like a man’s stride I catch some of her words "know she went this way"

I peer through the spiny leaves and observe acne-scarred Addy’s face Even in the dark, I can detect the wildness in her eyes

She stops and looks around, her narrow face drawn tight Sighing, she props her hands on her hips and calls out, "I saw you! I know you’re out here! I saw you and that twig leave the building Come out, Davy!"

My heart squeezes to hear e looks with Sean and Gil, trying to convey irl’s wrath so much that she followed us

"I’ll wake everyone up," she continues in a loud whisper "Have fun explaining what you and Sabine are doing out of your rooo and appease herkeep her froood on her threat Sean shakes his head fiercely atforlike a littleus

I tear e before he can stop ht you were tougher than that Where are the others?"

I ignore her question, crossing my ar fro with one of the instructors when I saw you slip out Yeah," she sneered "You aren’t the only one they think has potential Turns out I’ le step closer, her shrewd gaze narrowing onout of here" I settle on the truth She already suspects asaway"

She considersto read her expression and glean so from it Maybe she wants to leave, too Who really wants to be here, after all? Surrounded by guards with their electric prods? Instructors with their judging eyes The threat of detention ca over us

I exhale Only one way to find out "Come with me"

She snorts "Oh, that’s funny Nice joke We wouldn’t last ten minutes out there Especially with that i No, thanks" She crosses her thick arms, a smirk on her lips "But you knohat I will do? I think I’ll just go ahead and rat you out Score me some points with the powers that be Could always use the advantage"

I point tous against each other, thinning us out until we’re just a few Your rattingto save you You should coive o back to your rooisters on her face "Go ahead It will take me about five minutes to alert the staff That can be your head start" Turning, she starts to walk away

So away from me, on her way to destroy me To destroy Sean and Gil and Sabine This twists inside me like a hot poker I can’t let her do that I can’t let her go

I don’t even feelirl hits the ground with a sharp cry She doesn’t take it without a fight She bucks beneath hs around her hips

I grab a fistful of her hair and pull her head back to growl into her ear, "You’re Not Telling" I pull back ht in an iron grip I try to pull it free, but there’s no budging I look at the hand on aze skips up to Sean’s concerned face

I look back down at Addy, my hand twisted in her hair I release her and cli "You’ll pay for that" Her gaze moves to Sean "Your boyfriend, too" She opens her mouth to scream, but suddenly a rock strikes her in the head She topples over

My gaze swings Stops on Sabine She stands with her hand poised inthe rock