“That’s the point. There’s way too much we don’t know,” Nora says. “Sometimes it seems like David’s just making everything up as he goes along. So why can’t we try to come up with some other solution?”
“Preferably one that doesn’t involve us getting blown up or killed,” Zared says wryly.
“Wait a second,” I say. “My dad may not be able to predict everything here, but he knows what he’s talking about. We were able to destroy the Escape, just like he said. Isn’t that enough proof that he can handle this situation?”
“I’m not so sure,” Ayesha says meekly. “There has to be another way out. Something safer.”
I can tell she’s frightened—and I don’t blame her for feeling that way. But if Nora keeps creating more skepticism within the group, there’s a good chance she might splinter off and form another crew that decides to leave Etherworld in search of an alternate way home.
Josh has lost his sister once already—would he ever let her go again?
It’s sort of a selfish worry, but without my dad, Josh is really all I’ve got.
“Exactly. Six of us went on this mission, and only three of us came back,” Nora says.
“Those are some shitty odds,” Zared mumbles.
“Wyatt and my dad will be here any minute,” I say, looking at Josh for some reassurance, but something has changed. The confidence I always see in his eyes—even now that they’re gray—is beginning to dim.
“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have another strategy. Kind of like a fallback,” he says.
I can’t believe this. Josh is second-guessing my dad too?
“So who’s going to come up with that strategy?” I ask, my hands trembling a little. “Who knows Elusion as well as my dad does?”
“Actually, we all do,” Zared says, with an obnoxious level of certainty. “Everyone here was obsessed with Elusion from the beginning. That’s why we went Stealth. That’s how we connected with each other.”
“And got to David’s Escape, and past the firewall,” Ayesha adds.
“Right.” Nora smiles. “And that’s how we’ll get home.”
I wait for Josh to interject, to tell Nora not to disrupt my dad’s plans, but he stays silent. I want to remain perfectly composed right now, but it’s difficult to ignore the bitterness rising inside me.
“I have some ideas on where we could start,” Zared says. “Malik probably does too.”
“I don’t know. He worships Regan’s dad. I doubt he’d try anything that David didn’t approve of,” Ayesha says.
Zared shrugs his shoulders. “That may not be a problem. David isn’t here, and who knows if he’ll ever be back,” he says, in this cold, matter-of-fact way that’s somehow also void of maliciousness.
“Jesus, Zared. Don’t be such an asshole,” Josh says, reaching out to me when he sees my reaction. What I need most right now is some time alone to think—and keep myself together, which is getting more and more difficult every second my dad isn’t here.
“I’ll be right back,” I say, and start walking toward the underbrush and rotted tree limbs that line the pathway to the cavern.
“Regan!” Josh calls out. “Wait.”
Even though I’m momentarily comforted by the sound of his voice, I don’t stop. “I just need a minute, okay?”
He catches up to me and gently grabs my arm, pulling me toward him. I can see he’s upset. “I’m sorry. Nora can be a handful sometimes.”
“It’s fine, whatever.”
“You’re definitely not fine.” Josh lets go of me and steps away.
“None of us are, now that everyone’s doubting my dad,” I say.
“Don’t you think other people deserve a say about this?” Josh asks, not backing down. “You saw what happened to Claire. Your dad said himself he didn’t realize how painful the return could be. Even he doesn’t know what happened to her in the real world.”
“So what’s your solution? You want to stay in here forever? How long do you think our bodies will survive? We have no idea if we’re getting any food. We don’t know how any of us are holding up.”
“No one is arguing that. But people have a right to offer other ideas about getting out. Especially when their lives are at stake.”
In another place and situation, I might agree with him. But not here.
Not now.
“Then I’ll find him myself. He and I can probably pull off the protocol together. No one else has to risk anything.”
He shakes his head. “No, your dad told us to stay at the base.”
I throw my hands up in frustration. “Come on, Josh. Didn’t they tell you in military school to never leave a man behind?”
“Yeah, but I also learned that you can’t make good decisions when you’re scared.”
He’s right. I am scared. I’m terrified by the thought of losing my dad again, and by the threat Elusion poses to users. I haven’t felt this helpless since my mother and I first heard about my father’s death. I watched her spiral into a misery so deep she didn’t leave the house for months. There was nothing I could do to help her. When I began to suspect that my dad was alive, I was determined to do everything in my power to bring him back to her.
But the helplessness I’m feeling now is amplified by new suspicions, suspicions that are directed at my father. As much as I’d like to keep these thoughts to myself, I can’t contain them any longer.
“Is there a chance that what happened in the tunnel wasn’t an accident?” I say.
Josh narrows his eyes at me. “What do you mean? Like he rigged it to blow up or something?”
“No, but maybe my dad wanted to get separated from us on purpose,” I say, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
“Why would he do that?”
“He didn’t want me to go back to Elusion. He didn’t want any of us to, and now he’s gone.” I swallow hard. “My father told me he ran away from the firewall in the Mount Arvon Escape to keep me out of danger, so maybe he’s doing that again.”
“I hardly know him, but I don’t think he’d abandon you like that,” Josh disagrees.
“That’s the thing: I do know him,” I say, my voice strained. “And I don’t think he’s telling us everything. It’s little things, but they add up. Like on our way to the mines, he seemed reluctant to talk to me about Etherworld, and when things didn’t make sense, it was like he just wanted to distract me.”
“What wasn’t making sense?”
“How you and I got here, for one,” I say. “We were able to enter Etherworld through the firewall of Patrick’s Phase Two Escape, but Zared and the others couldn’t—they needed to break an algorithm to get into my father’s domain. How do you explain that?”
“Gimme a second.” Josh paces a little. He’s quiet for a moment, but then out of the blue he snaps his fingers. “What if the Phase Two Escape is connected to your dad’s domain, just like the rest of the system? Your dad’s domain was created first, so maybe it functions like a foundation for the Escapes that are being built. Maybe the Escapes aren’t separated until they’re completed.”
Leave it to the tech master to come up with a rational response.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t explain why my dad has been acting so cagey,” I say. “I have to find him.”
I pivot on my heel and walk in the direction of the bridge that leads to the ammunition piles, but Josh steps in front of me, blocking my path.
“No one knows that tunnel better than your dad. What if he comes out only to find that you’ve gone back in? How much time will that waste?” His voice is calm. Reasonable.
“I can’t just sit here and wait. If someone you loved was out there, you wouldn’t be able to stay either.”
He hesitates, looking into the night sky. “You’re right; I wouldn’t,” he says finally, turning back in the direction of the firewall. “Let’s go.”
“You’re coming with me?” I say, touching his arm and stopping him.
“We’re a team, remembe
r?”
I grin appreciatively as I take his hand. I’m glad I’m not in this alone.
“Regan! Josh!”
The sound of a panicked voice pulls us out of our bubble. We turn back toward the Great Space. Wyatt is on the ground, covered in soot with torn clothes, gasping for air. Malik is on his knees, peering at him.
“I found him at the third entrance,” Malik says. “He’s been screaming for Zared, so Nora and Ayesha went to go get him.”
“He was in the tunnel with my father.” I squat down so that I can meet Wyatt’s frantic gaze. His pupils seem really dilated. “Where’s my dad? What happened to him?”
“Zared, we need Zared,” he mutters. He’s in some kind of trance.
“Wyatt,” I say, placing my hands on his cheeks and forcing him to look at me. “Where is David? Where is my dad?”
“What happened in there?” Malik asks, his voice cracking a little bit.
“The tunnel split, separating us from Wyatt and David,” Josh informs him.
“So your dad is still stuck inside?” Malik asks me.
Before I can answer, Wyatt points over my shoulder, shouting, “Zared!”
I turn around and see Zared, Ayesha, and Nora running toward us. Wyatt tries to stand, but his legs buckle underneath him. “We need to go back, now!”
“Whoa,” Zared says. “Where’s David?”
“He got more ammunition and went back in,” Wyatt says slowly, as if every word is painful. “He’s going to try and destroy Elusion by himself.”
I was right. In an effort to spare us, my dad’s intentionally leaving us behind.
“We have to go back in. We have to get him,” Wyatt says again, pleading with Zared.
“It’s impossible,” Ayesha says. “No one knows the code for the portals to the Escapes besides David.”
“How did Anthony and the others get back into Elusion?” I ask.
“We’re not sure,” Malik says. “David swears he wasn’t followed through the tunnels, but I don’t know how else they would have gotten through the firewall.”
Wyatt is still staring at Zared, who starts backing away from us. Like he has something to hide.
Like he knows something he’s not supposed to.
I narrow my eyes at Zared. “Do you know how to open up the portals?”
He hesitates, glancing toward Ayesha.
“Answer her, Zared,” Josh demands. “Do you?”
He nods.
“How?” Malik asks. “David wouldn’t give those codes to anyone.”
“That’s confidential,” Zared says through a nervous cough.
“Are you kidding me?” I say, outraged.
Zared sticks out his chin, totally defiant.
“You opened the tunnel for them?” Nora says. “When David specifically told us that we shouldn’t leave?”
“They looked like they were getting sick, okay? They were sweating all the time; it was as if their bodies were coming down with some kind of fever,” Zared says, pacing, probably to avoid our stares. Ayesha puts her hand on his back to comfort him, but he shrugs her off and turns away. “I warned them about returning, just like David warned us, but they were so sure they’d be okay.”
Zared stops speaking, too choked up to continue. He feels guilty. But I’m guilty too. I saw how badly my father was sweating down at the mines and in his room, and I didn’t even mention it.
“Wyatt, where did my dad go? Did he tell you?”
He takes a deep breath and says, “To the Red . . . Canyon.”
“Zared, can you lead us through the tunnel and open the portal to that Escape?” Josh asks.
“I think so,” he says.
“I’m coming too,” Malik says, puffing his chest out. I smile gratefully.
“Count me in,” Ayesha says.
“Oh, that’s great,” Zared snarls, and starts pacing again. “You and Malik on a suicide mission.”
“He has a point, Regan.” Nora walks over to me, her face practically wrinkling with worry. “Please, call this off. Before we lose anyone else.”
Josh gently puts his hand on her shoulder. “We can’t, Nor. This is the only way to get home. We should just stick to—”
“The ‘search-and-destroy’ plan? It’s already failed; can’t you see that?” Nora says, pleading with her brother. “There’s no way I’m letting you go back in there after what happened to Claire.”
Josh’s eyes lock with mine. I’m not sure if Nora means to do this, but she is asking him to choose between her and me—a choice he shouldn’t have to make. Although his main motive throughout this ordeal has been to save his sister, he’s already sacrificed so much for me and my dad. The idea of telling him to listen to Nora—to let me go alone—is making my head pound, but I need to try.
“You should stay behind,” I say. “Zared can teach you the code for the tunnels and portals. Just in case—”
“Regan . . . ,” Josh begins.
“It’s okay,” I say. “I’ll come back, and then we’ll finish this together somehow, I swear.”
“Let me be clear: there’s no way in hell you’re going in without me.” He gives me a half grin and then turns back to Nora. “Sorry.”
Nora crosses her arms over her chest. “Do you ever listen to reason?” she asks.
“Guess I take after my big sister,” he says with a shrug.
Nora rolls her eyes, playfully elbowing Josh in the ribs.
“Ouch,” Josh jokes. Nora barely touched him.
“You deserve a lot worse for being so pigheaded.” Nora smiles.
As I watch them laugh off the tension, I can’t help but think about how Patrick and I used to make each other stronger. How we never let anything or anyone come between us. I have Josh now, but I still miss the comfort that comes with having a best friend.
“If you won’t stay here, then I’m going back with you. Even though I think it’s crazy,” Nora says, letting out a great big sigh.
“You don’t have to do that,” Josh reassures her.
“Yes, I do,” she says. “Regan might be the reason you found me, but I’m the reason you came looking.”
SIX
I LEAP THROUGH THE PORTAL OF THE RED Canyon Escape and land on my feet. In front of me is a trail framed by two towering walls of sedimentary rock. Everything is a shade of red, tinged with Elusion’s golden shimmer. There are crimson pine trees and a narrow stream of water that looks like a long ruby ribbon; even the bright, cloudless sky looks like a canopy of rose petals.
I let out a deep, cleansing breath and feel buoyed by a sense of hope. I stand up, noticing that Elusion has automatically outfitted me with deep-treaded sneakers, spandex shorts, and a pair of fingerless bike gloves. In my right hand is a sleek, transparent ball that gives me purpose.
This time, I haven’t forgotten why I’m here.
“Hello?” I call out.
I turn around, searching for the team that came with me through the tunnel that Zared secured for us—Josh, Ayesha, Nora, and Malik. But unlike in the previous Escape, there is no sign of the firewall, nor can I see anyone else. It’s as though I’ve just arrived out of thin air.
“Josh?” I yell, cupping my hands around my mouth. My voice echoes through the canyons, fluttering along on a breeze and then returning to me like a boomerang. If he were in proximity, he would’ve responded. He and the rest of our crew were right behind me when the portal opened. How can I be the only one here?
“Dad!” I shout.
Nothing.
I’m alone, but I feel strangely comfortable, filled with a sense of déjà vu. I head toward a winding trail and follow it down and around the side of the cliff. I glance at the lush, red-hued ravine below. No wonder I feel like I’ve been here before. My dad showed me animated stills of this Escape when he was developing it. But it’s even more beautiful than I could have imagined.
In fact, it’s almost a shame we have to destroy it.
I pause to inhale the comforting smell
of pine, and feel a sense of unbridled gratefulness that the Escape is still intact. My dad couldn’t have found the trigger yet, or else I would have walked into a nightmare. I know he’s around, somewhere.
There’s so much ground to cover, and I don’t have my bearings. I look at my wristband to see if it might help me figure out where I am, but the only thing on the screen of the key pad are two sets of blinking double zeros.
I stop as I see a row of black mountain bikes perched near a swath of blossoming shrubs. I hurry over to them, filled with a sense of relief. This is going to make life so much easier. As I get closer, I notice another bonus: there are pouches connected to the frames, which the bombs will fit in perfectly.
I pick out a bike—the one with the fattest tires—and place the bomb inside the pouch. I grip the handlebars and roll the bike backward. I’m about to hop on when I hear someone calling my name.
“Regan!” Josh is making his way toward me, running from around the bend. He’s holding a glass sphere in his hands and is wearing a similar outfit to mine, the tight Lycra shorts showing off the muscles in his legs. He’s smiling widely, as if he hasn’t seen me in years.
The moment he’s in kissing range, I put my free hand on the back of his neck, my body jolting with a subtle electricity as I gently pull him toward me.
I press my lips against his, closing my eyes, every thought evaporating. All I can think about is Josh and this moment. We’re here, together. And I don’t think I’ve ever felt this good.
Josh moves his mouth to my cheek and then to my ear, covering my face with soft kisses. I’m so distracted, I almost drop the bomb. I catch it in the nick of time and slowly wiggle away. As much as I want to lose myself in him, there are more important things we have to do.
“Check it out,” I say, motioning toward the bikes. “We have wheels.”
“Nice,” Josh says, giving a thumbs-up.
“Where’s your sister?” I ask. “And Ayesha and Malik?”
“They aren’t with you?”
“No,” I say. “When I jumped through the portal, I just materialized here all by myself.”
“Same with me,” Josh says, squinting like he’s putting together the pieces of this mystery.
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