Outside, a man with a gun stepped over a dead body in the street. He said something into his phone, looking both ways with the gun still in his hand. He was clearly searching for someone.

  Maisie cursed. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Where are we going to go?” Hadley asked.

  “Let’s find Beto. He was at his house last we heard, right?”

  Hadley pulled out her phone. “Yeah. I’ll text him to see if he’s still there.”

  “We’re sitting ducks here by ourselves. We need to find them and regroup.”

  Gunfire sounded from outside again, cutting her off. It was distant this time.

  “He’s not responding,” Hadley said, eyes on her screen.

  “Let’s just go. It sounds like they moved to the next street anyway.” Maisie strode to the door.

  “What about—” Lennon began.

  “Just give me a few minutes, okay? I’m thinking about it, I just need…” She trailed off, gesturing to the window, where she could hear more guns being fired. “I need to take one thing at a time.”

  He nodded, but she could see the nervousness on his face. He wanted out of here, and he was going to risk going north by himself, if he had to.

  A plan was beginning to take shape in her head. A plan that was either brilliant or the stupidest idea she’d ever had. She needed a minute to figure out which it was. She needed to talk to Beto.

  She opened the door, pulling her gun out. “Let’s go.”

  * * *

  —

  They stayed on the side streets as they made their way across town. Maisie and Hadley kept their guns out, but they managed to avoid the men combing the streets.

  Maisie had rarely seen the streets of the Q so deserted. It was a ghost town, with everyone’s doors and windows shut tight, despite the nice weather. She wanted to ask Declan how he could have ever thought that causing this type of fear was a good idea.

  Beto’s gate was closed when they approached, and Maisie typed in the code on the screen. It slid open.

  They were halfway up the driveway when Beto charged out with a gun.

  “Beto, what the hell?” Hadley yelled. Maisie raised her own gun, but she didn’t take the safety off.

  “No one is coming inside until I figure out what’s going on!” Beto yelled.

  “What’s going on is Declan betrayed all of us,” Hadley said.

  “And how do I know you two aren’t with him?” He pointed at Maisie. “You’re his girlfriend!”

  “Ex-girlfriend!” Maisie yelled, and then muttered, softer, “Jesus Christ, I make one bad dating decision and it blows up in my face.”

  Beside her, Lennon made a sound like he was stifling a laugh.

  “I hear he’s been running around, bragging about how he’s got you on his side!” Beto yelled.

  “You really think I would betray you like that? Betray the family like that?” She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice. But she’d known him her whole life—had been friends with him since she knew what a friend was—and he was pointing a gun at her.

  Beto’s face softened slightly, but he didn’t lower his gun. “Some of the family has decided to jump ship and join him, so—”

  “Wait, what?” Hadley looked stunned.

  “They want to take the shipments by force. They want to attack the north and I…” He lowered his gun with a sigh. Maisie lowered hers as well.

  “They’ll die,” she said. “Regardless of who wins, a lot of people will die if we attack the north.”

  “Some people think that’s the price we have to pay.” Beto took a step back. “I’m sorry. Go somewhere else.”

  “Beto!” Hadley exclaimed. “You have to do something!”

  “I am doing something! I’m getting some people I trust together and we’re…going to figure something out.”

  “Oh Christ,” Hadley muttered. Beto turned and stomped inside, slamming the door behind him.

  “What are we going to do?” Hadley asked.

  Maisie put her gun back in its holster. “I don’t know. They’re right that we need the shipments. People will start dying without the medical supplies in them.”

  “So we just let them start a war with the north?”

  Tempting. She considered, for a moment, just going home and hiding under the covers. Let Declan get himself killed. Let all the Lopez family members who were siding with him die up north in some stupid war.

  But she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t let Elise die. Or everyone else in the Q who needed the medical supplies on those shipments as soon as possible.

  She was getting that shipment, even if she had to go herself.

  “Beto!” she yelled.

  “I think he’s done with us,” Hadley said.

  “I have an idea.” She lifted her chin, yelling Beto’s name again, louder this time.

  The door swung open and he stepped out, arms lifted in annoyance. “Maisie, go home!”

  “Let’s go get the shipment,” she said.

  He frowned. “What?”

  “You and me. Let’s go get it. We’ll steal it, or we’ll negotiate. I don’t know. But if we found a way to get the shipment peacefully, don’t you think that would bring the Lopez family back together?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “At the very least, it would make Declan look like an idiot and show people in the south that we still have their backs,” Hadley said. “They’re going to need support from the whole south to attack the north.”

  “Yeah,” Beto said.

  “So let’s go get it,” Maisie said.

  “Just the two of us? Are you out of your mind?”

  “Doesn’t have to be just the two of us. We could gather up a few more. Should probably be a small group, though. Easier to travel that way.”

  “Maisie, I am not charging up north with you. At least Declan has a plan. And weapons. You are just going to get yourself killed.”

  “Wow. Thanks for the faith.”

  He shrugged. He had so little faith in her he wasn’t even going to pretend otherwise.

  “I’ll go with you,” Lennon said.

  She turned to look at him. “What?”

  “I’m going north anyway, to get out of here. Help me get to the gate, and I’ll help you get the shipment.”

  “How exactly are you going to help me get the shipment?”

  “I don’t know. But I’m not completely useless, you know.” He gestured at Beto. “And it doesn’t sound like you have any other options.”

  He had a point. She glanced over at Beto, who was regarding them skeptically.

  “You can apologize to me later,” she said to Beto, and then turned to Lennon. “You have a deal.”

  LENNON

  “YOU ARE A terrible influence.”

  Lennon laughed and took the phone from Elise. “Believe it or not, that’s not the first time I’ve heard that.”

  “Oh, I believe it.” She walked across the room and plunked down in a chair. “But I’d just like to state again, for the record, that sending a video outside the Q is a very bad idea.”

  “Noted,” he said.

  They’d gone back to the comms tower, and he’d found the room with the best lighting for their video. It was mostly empty, with just a long table against one wall, and big windows that let the sun shine through.

  He attached the phone to the tripod he’d set up on a table. Hadley and Maisie watched him from the doorway.

  “You seriously have to make a video?” Maisie asked.

  “It’ll help,” he said, with a confidence he didn’t feel. He had no idea what would help. He’d never been in this situation before.

  “The election is tonight, isn’t it?” Hadley asked. “You just want to help your dad’s campaign. They won’t know whether or not you’ve gotten out when they vote.”

  “It’s probably too late to help my dad’s campaign. Most people have already voted.”

  Hadley looked at him skeptically.

  “Fine, yes, it occurred to me that it could help. Early voting isn’t really allowed in most places anymore, so there’s a chance that…” He took a deep breath, shaking his head like he was getting off track. “It doesn’t matter. Just, trust me. I’m really good at this. I change the narrative. Let me change this one.”

  Elise scrunched up her face and mouthed the narrative at Hadley. They both laughed. He pretended he hadn’t noticed.

  “What are you going to say?” Maisie asked.

  “What are we going to say?” Lennon corrected.

  “We?”

  “Yes. They need to see someone from inside the zone, and you’re perfect.”

  “Why am I perfect?”

  “Because you—uh, because you’re the one who is going to get me out. People will want to root for someone. And because you saved me. Which I’ll tell them. Leaving out the part about the cannibals.”

  She hesitated, and then shrugged. “Yeah, all right.”

  He turned away. He’d barely stopped himself from saying, Because you’re very pretty, and confident, and you have this way about you that makes people like you and want to listen to you. He got the feeling that Maisie would not appreciate being told that she was pretty. Or the suggestion that people might like her, come to think of it.

  “We’re just going to be casual,” he said. “Sort of have a conversation. And I’m going to mention Dr. Lopez, but not that he’s passed away.” He glanced at Hadley, silently asking if that was okay.

  “Yeah, that’s best,” she said softly.

  “Good. Mind making sure we’re framed okay?” he asked. She nodded and strode to the tripod.

  He walked around in front of the phone and Maisie did the same. “Let’s just lean against this table.” He braced his hands against it as he leaned back casually. “It gives off the impression that we’re relaxed. No one here is scared.”

  Maisie sighed but did as she was ordered.

  He put his hand up, hovering over her ponytail. “May I?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  He pulled the hair forward, so it fell over her shoulder.

  “Oh yes, that looks cute,” Hadley said.

  “Fix women’s hair a lot for photo shoots, do you?” Maisie asked.

  “Making people appear relaxed when they actually want to punch me is one of my strong suits.”

  She snort-laughed, a grin spreading across her face.

  “See?” He smiled.

  “Impressive,” Hadley said. “Okay, are you guys ready?”

  “Yes,” Lennon said. Making a video pretending that he was happy and everything was going great was the most normal thing he’d done in days. Felt like returning to real life.

  “Aaaand go,” Hadley said.

  “Hey, guys, I’m Lennon Pierce, and I’m here with Maisie Rojas inside the quarantine zone. We just wanted to give you a quick update on how I’m doing, since I know that everyone out there is curious.” He tilted his head toward Maisie. “Maisie here came and got me as soon as I was dropped into the quarantine zone, and she helped make sure I was safe and fed.”

  “You left out the part where you fainted,” Maisie said.

  He gave her an amused look. “In my defense, my kidnappers didn’t feed me.”

  “I’m just saying. You glossed over that part.” A smile twitched at her lips.

  “Anyway,” Lennon said, turning back to the camera. “Maisie and Dr. Lopez made sure to immediately get me a temporary vaccine that Dr. Lopez developed recently. You probably read about it. The antibodies in the vaccine will protect me, temporarily. The CDC isn’t sure for exactly how long, so they’ve given me seventy-two hours to leave the zone. Actually, we’re down to less than forty-eight hours now. But Maisie here has kindly offered to help me get to the designated area where I can exit.”

  “Anything I can do to help,” she said, with a hint of sarcasm that would probably go undetected by anyone who didn’t know her.

  “The CDC has told me that I’ll need to be quarantined in one of their facilities for a month after I leave, to make sure I didn’t pick up the virus in here. Trust me, they will not let me out if there’s even the slightest chance that I might infect anyone.”

  “They’re very good about that,” Maisie said.

  “I’ve seen video of you guys out there supporting me, and I just wanted to take a minute to let you know how much I appreciate it, and to assure you that I am in very good hands. I’m excited to tell you about all the wonderful people I met in here. But in the meantime, keep an eye on your clocks, because I will be getting out in less than forty-eight hours. I can’t wait to see all of you when I step out from behind the wall.”

  He nodded at Hadley. “Okay, that’s it.” He smiled at Maisie. “Thanks for bringing up the fainting.”

  “Anytime.”

  “No, seriously, it makes me more relatable. People will love it.”

  She squinted like she wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic. He smiled, which only seemed to confuse her more. She gave him a deeply suspicious look. “Do you need to do something before we send it?”

  “Give me five minutes to edit the beginning and end, and we’re good.”

  * * *

  —

  Lennon took the satellite phone from Hadley. “I have to call.”

  “Why?”

  They were in the room across from Hadley’s studio, where Elise worked. They’d just sent the video to a news station, and Lennon was trying to convince them to let him call out.

  “Because they’re not going to air it unless I confirm it,” he said. “Someone could easily manipulate old video of me to make something like this. They may want to talk to you too, Maisie.”

  She was sitting a few computers down, boots propped up on the table. “Sure, why not? Let’s call everyone.”

  “There’s still no one to stop us, right?” Lennon said.

  “Technically, I should stop you,” Hadley said. “But Uncle Franco is gone, and so are his rules. So, sure, go ahead.”

  She waved a hand like she’d given up. Wearing people down was one of his many terrible talents.

  Lennon dialed the number and pressed the phone to his ear.

  “It went through, right?” he asked Elise. “The video?”

  She kept her eyes on her screen. “It looks like it, from what I can tell.”

  “Hello?” the voice on the other end said.

  “Hey, Zoe, is Constance around? This is Lennon Pierce.”

  There was a long pause. “I’m—wait, what? Who is this?”

  “It’s me, Zoe. Lennon.”

  Silence on the other end.

  “When I visited the studio, I brought you doughnuts, and we talked about how no one else likes apple fritters, but how they’re our favorite.”

  “Oh my god. Lennon?”

  “Hi.”

  “Hold on. Holy shit. Hold on.”

  The line went silent as she put him on hold.

  Constance picked up a moment later, sounded annoyed. “Who is this?”

  “Constance, are you being mean to your assistant again? I’m sure she told you it was me on the phone.”

  “Lennon?”

  “Yes, it’s Lennon, I already proved it to your assistant, let’s move on.”

  “Jesus. Are you okay? Are you safe? Wait, did you get out of the quarantine zone?”

  “Not yet. Listen, there should be an email in your inbox with a video file. Do you see it?”

  Short pause. “Yes.”

  “Open it. It’s from me.”

  He heard the sound of his own voice playing on the other end of the line.

  “Are you kidding me?” she said as it finished. “Is this for real? You’re getting out of there?”

  “Yes. And you have to run it, okay? I’ve seen what the other networks are saying about my disappearance.”

  “They watch the news in there? I thought they were totally cut off from the rest of the world.”

  “Uh, I struck a deal.”

  “Is that girl there with you? Maisie Rojas?”

  “Yeah, she’s here.”

  “Were you forced to record this video under duress?”

  “No.”

  There was a pause. “If you’re in trouble, can you give me some kind of sign?”

  “I’m not in trouble, Constance. What I said on the video is true. Everyone has been nice to me, and Maisie is going to help me get out of here.”

  “Can I talk to her?”

  “Sure.” Lennon held the phone out to Maisie. “She wants to talk to you.”

  Maisie sighed, standing and taking the phone from him. She held it to her ear. “Hey. Yeah, this is Maisie.” She listened for a moment. “I figured it was time to do my good deed for the year.”

  Lennon bit back a laugh.

  “Yeah, I was born here. Eighteen. Is this an interview?” Maisie listened for a moment, and then handed the phone back to Lennon.

  “Holy shit,” Constance said. “You know who that is, right? You know who her father was?”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Are we talking privately right now?”

  “As far as I know.”

  “Just listen for a second. I don’t know how much you know about Isaac Rojas, but I did a lot of research on him back when the zone first went rogue. Back when people inside could still contact us?”

  “Right,” Lennon said, glancing at Maisie and quickly away.

  “That was a scary asshole, Lennon. He was about to go away for a double homicide when the virus hit. And he only got worse once the city was roped off and the jails emptied out. We think that we can attribute literally hundreds of murders to him. We had reports of him torturing people. He did whatever he could to seize control of the zone, and everyone knew that Dr. Lopez was just a friendly face to put on a dictatorship. I don’t know a thing about his daughter, but you need to proceed with caution.”