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“
No. I won’t leave her here.”

“
Evan,” I beg, my heart hammering with fear. “Don’t do this. Even if you stay, we’re kept separate. I’ll see you tomorrow at the Committee meeting.” But I know he won’t be back.

He stares at me, shaking his head. His cheeks are wet with tears. “No.”

“
Evan, you don’t have any choice. Please.”

His arm is a vise around my back, as if he squeezes me tight enough I’ll meld to his body. “I’ll be back for you. I swear it,” he whispers in my ear.

“
I know,” I lie.

Two men enter the room and grip Evan’s arms, and pull him away from me. I stay in place, fighting my desperation to hold onto him. It would only make it harder for Evan.

“
NO!” he shouts, trying to throw them off.

I suppress my sobs.
Don’t do it. Don’t make it more difficult for him
. “It’s okay, Evan.” I call out to him. “I’ll be okay.”

“
Julia!” he screams as another man joins them and drags him from the room. He’s fighting off the guards as the door closes, his eyes locked on mine.

My tears win out as I collapse to the floor. I want to be brave. I want to be strong, but more than that, I just want to go home and have my mom hold me in her arms and tell me everything will be okay. Everything will go back to the way it was months ago, when the worst thing in my life was Monica and I missing a huge sale at the mall.

Dr. Whittaker finds me rocking on the floor, my arms wrapped around my legs, crying so hard I can hardly breathe.

He kneels on the floor next to me. “I’m sorry.” His words are heavy with guilt and grief. “I tried... but the Committee has decided…”

My head jerks up. The pity in his eyes tells me he tried to plead my case. And lost.

I nod through my tears. “When?”

“
I thought we’d have more time, but the Committee is broken into factions. I told them we need you to study the effects of crossing from one universe to the next, that your input is invaluable. But somehow, rumors of your existence leaked out. People are already curious why the road has been closed for so long. Then there are members who think you’re a spy from your world, sent to bring harm to ours.”

I seal off my heart, refusing to let the terror erupt. “When?”

There’s a long pause. “Tomorrow.”

I wait for my meltdown, to collapse into a puddle of tears, but nothing happens. Emptiness washes away my emotions.

Dr. Whittaker clears his throat. “I really hate to ask this, but is there any way I can ask you more questions? About your parents and other relationships in your world that might be similar to some here? We know that you and the Evan in your world must have the same parents due to DNA, which is astonishing given the extreme differences in our worlds. If we can...”

I laugh with a snort. “You’re going to kill me, yet you still want me to answer your questions? No.” I shake my head. “No, I’m done.”

“
I understand.” Disappointment tinges his voice as he stands to leave.

“
You should have been more careful,” I call after him.

He turns around, surprised.

“
You were careless sharing the information you had with Evan. What did you expect him to do when he found out I existed in my world? He did exactly what you’re trying to keep the rest of the people here from doing, going to find the person they loved and lost.”

“
Don’t you think I know that?” His voice breaks.

I narrow my eyes and steel my voice with anger. “Don’t you let him feel guilty about this. You tell him this is your fault, not his. He’ll never be able to live with himself when he finds out what happened to me.”

His head drops as he takes a breath. “Don’t you think I know that, too?”

“
My blood is on your hands, Dr. Whittaker. I hope you can live with it better than I did.”

He gasps and a tortured sound emerges from his throat. He reaches for the wall.

“
Please go now. I’m done.” I look away, staring at the wall. “Just go.”

He hesitates, his guilt rooting him where he stands. I’m sure he’s searching for the words to smooth this over, to make it easier for the both of us, but the words don’t exist. After a few seconds, he leaves.

Two men come in to escort me to my room. Anger curbs my terror and I latch onto it, kindling the embers of fury. I walk to my cell defiant and strong, even though it’s only a mask for my fear.

I hesitate when the door to my room opens and consider making a run for it. I’ll probably never make it, but my chances are better now than tomorrow.

Before I can decide, one of the men gives me a hard shove on my upper back. “Get in there.”

I stumble into the room and trip on the cot leg, landing on my knees. The door slides behind me.

I am alone and I’m terrified.

Chapter Nineteen

A woman brings a tray of food but hours later, it remains untouched and uncovered. I lay on the bed, thinking about my mom. She has to be sick with worry and wondering where I am. Does my dad even care?

Knowing I disappeared after we fought is a thorn in my side. That’s the last memory she’ll have of me, my stomping off in anger. Will she think I hate her and ran away? Will she blame herself?

Tears burn my eyes. They roll down my cheeks and wet my pillow. I’ve moved beyond sobbing and can only muster silent tears. If someone told me a week ago I would agree to go to another universe to see my dead best friend, only to be put to death for the crime of existing in the wrong world, I would have asked if they were smoking crack.

The ironic part is that I’d gone through all of this and never saw Monica.

I have the worst luck ever.

I fall into a fitful sleep filled with nightmares. Monsters in hazmat suits trap me in the corner of my cell and claw at me with giant hooks. One of them grabs for me and calls, “Julia!”

My gut clenches. The monsters know my name.

“
Julia, wake up!”

I squint my eyes open, disoriented and expecting to see hazmat suits. Instead, a hooded figure is silhouetted in the doorway.

I jerk upright and scream, clutching the blanket to my chest.

They sent a hooded henchmen to kill me
.

“
Shh! They’ll hear us!” A voice whispers in exasperation.

“
Evan?
”

“
Julia, come on!” He wears a jacket with a hood pulled low over his forehead, the rest of his face dark. He turns his head to look down the hall. “We don’t have much time.”

I scramble off the bed. “What are you doing here?”

“
What do you think? I’ve come to get you out. Come on.”

I spring through the door and find the two guards slumped against the wall. “Oh, God. What did you do?” I squeak, my throat tightening.

“
They’re not dead. They’re only asleep. Come on, we only have about twenty more seconds.”

He grabs my arm and we run down the hall toward the elevator, the thud of our footsteps echoing off the corridor walls. We skid to a halt as the ceiling lights flicker. I look up at Evan, who’s glancing around the hall with worried eyes. The elevator doors slide open. A second hooded figure stands in the back of the elevator, holding a tablet in his hand.

I jump backward, thumping into Evan’s chest.

“
Seven seconds, hurry,” the boy in the elevator hisses. His head is lowered as he taps furiously on the pad.

Evan puts his hand behind my back and pushes, following close behind. I stumble and grab the boy’s arm to steady myself.

He looks up and I stare into familiar green eyes.
Reece
.

I gasp and recoil in shock and confusion, wondering what Reece is doing here. Then I realize there are two of them. This is the Reece of this world.

He smiles drily, hurt crossing his face before disinterest replaces it. “I’d hoped you’d be happier to see me, considering I’m risking my life to save you, but maybe now isn’t the right time.” He winks, but it lacks the playfulness it implies.

The doors close and Reece returns to his tablet. The elevator moves sideways.

Evan pulls me against his chest into a hug. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” He brushes the hair off my cheek as he examines my face.

I shake my head. “No, I’m okay. The worst they did was give me crappy food.”

He exhales, burying his face in my hair. His breath blows the strands at my temple. “I was so scared. Dad said it would be later this morning but…” His voice trails off.

The shock of my escape hits as my legs turn to Jell-O. I sink into his chest and take a deep breath to calm my shaky nerves. “I can’t believe you got me out.”

“
We’re not out yet,” Reece says behind me, his words short and clipped. “Here, put this on.”

I glance over my shoulder. He scowls, his eyes focused on Evan’s arm around my back. He tosses a jacket and Evan reaches out, grabbing it before it hits the floor.

Reece searches my face before returning his attention to the tablet in his hands. “We’ve still got to get you outside and somewhere safe until it’s time.”

I turn back to Evan as he holds the jacket out for me to slip my arms into the sleeves. “Time for what?” I ask, thankful my legs can now support my weight.

Evan begins to button the front of my jacket, but I push his hands away, overwhelmed with a need to take care of myself.

He frowns but doesn’t seem to take offense. “Time for our plan. But first we have to get you out of here.”

The elevator slows and starts to ascend.

“What’s the plan?” I look from boy to boy. They shift their eyes away.

“
We’d rather not say yet,” Evan finally says. “Reece is still trying to see if he can come up with something better.” He reaches behind me and pulls the hood over my head. “It’s not much of a disguise, but it will have to do for now.” His hand lingers on my cheek as he tucks my hair under the hood.

“
If you don’t like the plan, Evan, feel free to come up with a better one. It’s still better than yours.” Reece grumbles.

I wonder if it’s smart to put my life into the hands of two seventeen-year-old boys, yet it’s not like I really have a choice.

The elevator slows and Reece focuses on the tablet. “We have twenty seconds to get out of the elevator and into the side stairwell before the cameras pick us up. I’ll say when to go.”

Evan nods with a grave look. He takes my hand and gives me a reassuring smile.

The doors begin to open.

“
Not yet,” Reece warns.

“
I’m not stupid, Reece,” Evan mutters, looking over his shoulder. “I really have no desire to get—”

“
Go.”

Evan pokes his head out to look in both directions.

“
You’re wasting time.” Reece shoves us out of the elevator. “Now we’ve only got seventeen.”

We rush down a hall, Evan’s hand holding tight to my clammy one. I wish I’d thought to wipe it off before he’d grabbed it.

When we reach a door about twenty feet from the elevator, Evan puts his hand up to open it. Nothing happens.

“
Reece.” Evan’s voice raises in pitch.

“
Shit.” He bends over his tablet, swearing more under his breath.

“
How much time? Should we go back?” Evan’s hand tightens around my mine. I can barely feel my fingers.

“
Wait!” Reece growls. “That’s not our only problem. Guards, headed this way.”

Evan’s head snaps around. “Why didn’t you pick them up before?”

Reece ignores him. “The second door down has a lower security access. Try it.”

Evan runs to the door and raises his hand to the panel. It slides open, revealing a janitor’s closet.

We scramble inside and the door slides closed as feet pound in the hallway moments later.

I’m sandwiched between both boys and the air is so thick with tension I wonder how we can breathe.

“
What happened?” Evan’s voice is only a whisper, but it echoes in the tight room.

“
They’ve discovered the guards outside her door and raised the security level. I only gave you a lower level guard status to avoid suspicion. I’ll have to raise it.” Reece is bent over his tablet, his eyes narrowed.

“
What’s he talking about?” My heartbeat pounds in my ears.

Evan leans his mouth to my cheek. His face glows in the pale light from Reece’s notepad. “The hand readers would know it was me so Reece scrambled the system to pick up someone else. He’s got to find a higher security.”

I bite my lip and nod, feeling like I’m going to puke.

“
Reece knows what he’s doing. Don’t worry.”

“
Now!” Reece’s harsh whisper makes me jump. “We’ve only got six seconds this time but more guards are on the way and they’re just going to keep sending more.” The door opens and he pushes us into the hallway.

Evan lifts his hand to the original panel and the door slides open. He drags me through as it’s still opening. Reece crashes in after us, the door closing behind him.

“
Did they see us?” Evan asks, turning around to Reece, his eyes wild with fear.

Reece’s face is hard. “I don’t know, but it was close. I suggest we don’t wait to find out.”

“
Agreed.” Evan takes off running in a sprint, pulling me along with him. I struggle to keep up since my legs are shorter. Reece falls in behind us.

The hall is a long, door-less corridor, darkly lit. It appears to dead-end until we get to the back wall, where two hallways split off to the side in either direction.

“
Go right,” Reece says. “Guards are coming from the left.”

We turn. There’s a door at the end of the long hallway.

“
Stop at the door and wait for me to hook into the surveillance cameras. I’ve got to make sure no one is out there.” Reece works on his tablet, slowing down to a jog.

Evan pulls up short in front of the door, Reece following close behind. Both seem slightly out of breath. It irritates me that I’m more winded. I eagerly latch onto the anger. It helps me ignore my fear.

Reece looks up. “We can go now, but we have to turn to the left, around the back of the building. There’s a patrol in the front, heading this way. But if we wait, we risk getting found by a surveillance team winding its way through this level.” He looks up gravely. “I suggest we exit the building. Now.”

Evan lifts his free hand and the door opens. A freezing wind whips around us as we emerge into the dark parking lot. My breath stops at the unexpected blast. The chill raises the hairs on my arms underneath my thin jacket. I’m also shoeless. In my hurry to leave, I didn’t think to put on my slipper shoes and the pavement is frigid against my feet.

Reece takes the lead. Evan follows and drags me by my hand. My breath comes out in wispy white puffs.

The parking lot is completely empty with the exception of a few scattered streetlights, but shouts and sirens ring out several buildings down. This office is smaller than I remember. It takes me a couple of seconds to realize it’s a totally different building. Confused, I wonder when they moved me.

We reach the edge of the building and stop. Reece checks around the corner, then looks over his shoulder. “They’re still searching the laboratory building, but it’s only a matter of minutes before they realize she’s not there. Stay in the shadows if you can and hopefully we’ll get out of here.” He says before taking off again.

Hopefully we’ll get out of here
rattles around in my head.

Evan and I race after him, hugging the shadows of the building. It’s enormously long. Rather than face the fear of getting caught before we reach the corner, I look to my right. Trees line the back of the lot, but they don’t look like trees from home. For one thing, they have no leaves at all. They create a forest of trunks and with a few thick branches. Some of the trees are shorter stumps, or are toppled on one another. The blowing wind carries a chorus of creaks and groans of the shifting wood. I shiver at the eerie sound.

“
We have to hurry,” Reece calls back.

Evan has an anxious look when he sees my panting, but the worry changes to alarm after he glances at my feet.

“
You don’t have any shoes.”

I know it’s more of a question than an accusation, but I’m defensive anyway. My shoulders stiffen.

“
Reece, she can’t keep up at this pace.”

Reece flashes irritation. “The patrol is going to find us if we don’t hurry. The side of the building is thirty feet shorter than the back. They’ll see us before we round the corner and there’s nowhere to hide back here.”

“
I’m sorry.” Tears spring to my eyes. We’re going to get caught and it’s my fault because I can’t keep up.

Reece grabs my other wrist. “We’ll drag her if we have to. Let’s go!”

They start running. My feet slap frozen concrete until they’re so numb I can’t feel them anymore. I stumble and Evan catches me before I fall on my face.

“
Come on. We’re almost there!” Reece pulls harder.

My legs burn and my left thigh aches so badly I’m not sure how much more it can take, but I push forward. My cheeks burn from the stinging wind.

The corner’s close but the terrified look on Reece’s face tells me we might not make it. I surge forward, a sudden burst of adrenaline spurring me faster.

Reece reaches the corner first, swinging me around the edge. Evan releases my hand and skids around the side.

I see more empty parking lot and my heart sinks. There’s no sign of escape here. Another office edges the opposite side of the parking lot. Reece runs for the building, still holding my hand, while Evan follows. I can’t help but notice the difference in their grips. Reece’s hold pinches as though he wants to punish me.

We reach the front of the other building. Reece ducks into a small alcove, pulling me with him and shielding us from the view of the other building. Evan darts in right behind us. I squat and lean over my legs trying to catch my breath.

“
She can’t go much farther, Reece.”

“
I’m well aware of that, Evan,” he growls. He rubs his face and releases an exasperated huff. “Can you carry her? We can’t drive the car here, it’ll draw attention. We have to go on foot.”

Evan nods, but I notice a satisfied smirk. “Let’s catch our breath for a minute first.”

The thought of being carried is embarrassing. “How much farther is it? I can walk.”

Reece glares at me, his mouth pinched. “Walking isn’t an option. We need to run. The car is about half a kilometer from here. The sun’s going to be coming up soon and we have to get to the car before it gets too high.”

I look up at both boys. “Why?” As soon as I ask, I remember it’s different in their world.

Reece looks at me like I’m an idiot.

“
The sun isn’t harmful in her world,” Evan says, reaching a hand down to help me up. “This is all new to her.”