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It see, his bigger body separating froing with relief

Sean waves an ar in hushed tones, "I found it This way"

We follow hi of boats The only time I ever rode in one was the weekend Zac and his family took me to their lake house They had one of those enormous pontoon boats that you hardly felt move as it purred down the lake I rereen and pink polka dots Every ti, Zac would touch some part of me and I would swat at his hand playfully It really was a lifetih for the four of us No engine, of course The sound would attract too much attention Two oars sit inside, and I wonder who besides Sean will row Ithan Gil He could crack any code and broke through the Agency’s firewall to ht beneath their noses, but I’ve proven myself irl who could barely keep up with the other carriers during training, but that changed Like everything else

The four of us all grab a side of the boat and heft it along the riverbank, hugging the tree line A fingernail cracks from the pressure and h in relief when Sean stops Together er the boat to the ground, angling the nose into the water

Sean faces the river, studying the wide expanse like he can see soaze skiaze In the near darkness, I can’t even see the other side

"We cross here," he announces

I squint at the water In the daylight it looked brown, churned up with silt Sean isas much of it as he can fit under the seat so there will be roo their packs I’ish, slow to act and follow the commands of my brain

Sean holds out a hand for ers

"C’ off my hesitation, I place my hand in his warthe solidness of it fortify me as Gil and Sean push us into the water Their feet slap on the bank, then splash when they meet ater I wince at the sound Even the noise of the cicadas can’t cover that

The boat sways as they ju us We drift out on the slight swell of their final shove My gaze strays to the shore we’re leaving behind,to a new one Will I ever see ain? My brother? Oh God Mitchell What will happen to him? Hoill he ever knohat happened to me? I’m certain Mount Haven won’t tell him the truth--that I escaped If he knew that, he would hold out hope They’ll probably just tell htens as the shore grows farther and darker, iuish from the sky The oar falls limp in my hands

"Davy!"