Chapter 28

I SHOT TO MY FEET AND DOVE FOR THE OFFICER, PAINFULLY aware that I didn't have a

helmet. Addie got there first, grabbing the officer's arm just as he got a shot off. The bullet sailed past her

and through the shed wall.

He fired again and Addie stumbled as the bullet hit her chest. The officer whirled around to me just as

I slammed into him, knocking him into the dirt. Callum scrambled across the ground and wrestled the gun

from the officer's grasp.

The shouts outside meant the other officers in the area had heard the commotion. I stomped on the

human's leg until I heard a crack, and he screamed and clawed at the dirt to get away from me.

I jumped over him and ran through the door, reaching my hand out for Callum's. He grabbed it and

Addie dashed through the door behind him.

We ran across the yard and back to the poorly paved street. I whipped my head around to see a group

of about five officers chasing us. I ducked as one fired, putting my hands over the back of my head like

that would stop a bullet.

Addie's long legs made her a fast runner, and she pulled ahead of us and turned left as she approached

a crossroads. Bullets flew past my ears as we sprinted after her just in time to see her take another sharp

left behind a two-story building. I rounded the building and she was waiting at the far edge, back pressed

against the side as she watched the street we'd just come from. The officers blew past and we waited half

a second before darting back out to the street and running the opposite direction.

We got to the edge of town, where the trees were thick before giving way to the open land in front of

the HARC fence. We stopped in the darkness there, and I turned to look out at the houses in the distance.

The HARC officers were nowhere in sight, but shuttles hovered over the city, spotlights sweeping the

streets.

"This . . . was the entirety of your plan . . . wasn't it?" Addie gasped, putting a hand against a tree as

she tried to catch her breath. "Just grab me and run?"

"You have a better one?" Callum asked with a frown.

"I'm willing to bet I could come up with something."

I rolled my eyes as I pulled the map of Austin out of my pocket. We weren't far from the rebels. We

could make it to their house in about ten minutes, once we were sure we'd lost HARC.

"You feel all right?" I asked Callum.

He nodded. "Okay. Still . . ." He held out his hand to show me how badly it was shaking.

"You should eat some meat," Addie said. "It helps. Especially with the whole 'wanting to eat humans'

thing. It, like, tricks your system for a while or something."

"We'll get you some as soon as we get to the rebels," I said, taking another glance around before I

plopped down on the grass. Callum sat beside me and laced his shaky fingers through mine. I wanted to

climb in his lap and squeeze him until I'd convinced him—and myself—that everything was fine. I

resisted, since Addie would probably not appreciate it.

She was still standing, reading the note from her father again. "Why'd he send you?" she asked, not

looking up.

"Because I wanted a way out and made a deal."

"He helped you if you helped me," she said.

"Yes."

"You could have broken the deal. Just taken off."

"We don't get the location of the reservation until I bring you to the rebels."

She bit down on her lip and sighed. "They don't trust us at all."

"Leb was very good to me," I said, guilt invading my chest as I realized the disappointment on her

face was for her father. "The best officer I worked with. And he said he had other kids, so it made sense

he didn't want to risk everything."

"I guess." She glanced at Callum. "Did you leave because you were going crazy?"

"No, that happened after." He let out a humorless laugh, rubbing a hand down his face. "They were

going to eliminate me because I didn't want to kill anyone."

Addie looked away, clearly uncomfortable, and I squeezed his hand. He'd found something in the

distance to stare at and I wanted desperately to change the subject.

Addie slid down onto the ground and we sat in silence for a long time, listening to the distant sound of

officers and shuttles. Callum's hand was warm in mine, but I was still trembling. I thought it was more

from fear than from the wind whipping across my cheeks.

Callum's face was turned to the ground, and I tried not to look at him, but his distraught expression

was like a magnet. I found myself opening and shutting my mouth as I tried to think of something

comforting to say, but there was nothing.

I'd opened my mouth for the hundredth time when Addie stood up, brushing off her pants.

"I don't hear anything," she said, tilting her head toward the quiet city. "Want to make a run for it?"

I nodded, offering my hand to Callum as I got to my feet. He stood and crossed his arms over his

chest, letting out a big breath of air as he scanned the area in front of us. It was clear, the officers and

shuttles gone.

"You all right?" I asked, lightly touching his arm.

He nodded without meeting my eyes. "I'm fine. Let's go meet these rebels."