AARON Elena came stomping down the stairs with Lucas in her arms. He had grown so much since the days when we could cradle him against our chests. At five years old he was already more than half Elena’s height, and the sight of his long arms locked around her neck almost felt unreal. It should have been funny. It was not. My feet hit the steps right behind them. The kitchen swallowed us in noise and tension. The phone left my hand and slapped onto the island as the lieutenant’s voice kept spilling out, calm and sharp at the same time, still trying to talk a group of scared kids out of something terrible. “Did you boys know Miss Keller has connections beyond just you four?” the voice said. “Her uncle and cousins are tied to several anti-government extremist groups.”“They’re freedom fighters,” the girl screamed through the speaker. “They stop deep state dogs like you from enslaving us.” Elena dropped to her knees behind the kitchen island and pulled Lucas down with her. His face pressed into her shoulder. Hands grabbed the refrigerator and every muscle in my body burned as it slid away from the wall. The power cord snapped free. The water line tore loose and sprayed for half a second before going dead. “Freedom fighters with a long record of beating their own families,” the lieutenant replied. “Was your aunt part of the deep state when your uncle broke her jaw?” “Fuck you,” she shrieked. The refrigerator scraped across tile as it was shoved into place, wedged tight between the island and the outer wall. It was not perfect, but it was something solid. Something heavy. A thin promise of safety. “Andy. Marco. Henry. Tim,” the voice continued. “Are you really ready to die for this girl and her family? You are being used.” One of the boys laughed, sharp and nervous. “Man, I’m not dying for her. Not worth it.” A quick kiss landed on Elena’s head, then Lucas’s hair. The phone was back in my hand as I ran for the front of the Lockwood Residence. Elena screamed my name behind me, fear tearing her voice apart. The window waited. The phone screen showed the girl clearly now. Her jaw tightened as she turned toward Andy. Tears gathered fast. “You promised me,” she said. “You said this mattered. You said we were special. They’re just scared of what we’re doing.” Andy said nothing. The fire he had earlier was gone. Color drained from his face. “Miss Keller,” the lieutenant said, quieter now, “you are about to die for people who have lied to you since you were born. They used you. They fed you fear. If they could not respect you enough to tell you the truth, why give them your life?” Tears rolled down her cheeks. For one brief second hope crept in. The kind that makes your chest hurt. Her hand moved to her ear. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m letting you down.” “Who are you talking to?” the lieutenant asked. A flash of light cut across the street through the blinds. It came from the Abandoned Lot House. The Connors once lived there, before the foreclosure, before they were forced back to Nebraska. It was supposed to be empty. The second-floor window stood open. A man leaned out. A long tube rested on his shoulder, aimed straight at the rear of the Siege Crawler. Fire burst from the back of the tube. The rocket never made it.The explosion bloomed a foot from the man’s body. It swallowed him whole and tore the front of the house apart. The shockwave slammed through our home. Windows blew inward. Plantation shutters shattered free but somehow held together, catching glass that would have turned flesh into ribbons. The blast threw me to the floor. Ears rang. The world felt loose and wrong. Elbows dug into tile as vision cleared. Elena was screaming from behind the island, begging for me to crawl back. The phone was still in my hand. The video feed filled the screen. Andy was down. The girl lay beside him. Smoke curled from their chests. Small dark holes marked the cinder blocks behind them at the same height. No movement. No breath. The others were out of frame. It did not matter. Those two were gone.The gate swung open. Two soldiers stepped through, rifles sweeping fast and trained. The drone was spotted almost instantly. The screen went black. “We have to leave now,” Elena yelled. The head shook before the thought finished forming. “We wait until they’re gone.” “They’re here to kill us.” “If we open the Vehicle Bay right now, they will.” She froze. Anger fought fear on her face. Acting was easier for her than waiting. Standing still felt like dying. This moment demanded the opposite. Eyes met hers. “Get Lucas to the car. I’ll watch. The second they leave, we go.”