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I feel both sick to the bone and weirdly, inexplicably excited.

Abby’s missing. She’smissing.

Not living happily on the other side of the world with some Australian farm boy I want to murder.

She’s missing.

I don’t know whether to be relieved or fucking terrified.

“Where are you?” I put him on speaker, pulling the phone away from my face and staring at the article again. “And where the fuck is Leetham?”

“I’m in Perth, Western Australia, which means it’s your lucky day, mate. Leetham is in the same state—although it’s almost a thousand clicks from where I am.”

“I’ll book the first flight out of London.”

“Thought you’d say that. Send me the flight details, and I’ll meet you at the airport. I’ll find out what I can before you get here.”

“Thanks, Luke.”

“Yep.” He hangs up without unnecessary bullshit, one of the reasons I’ve always liked him.

“There’s a flight to Perth leaving in three hours.” Leon is already heading for the stairs. “I’ll have a shower and then giveyou a ride to the airport. If we leave now, you should make it in time.”

“Are you sure?” I glance at him in surprise. “I’ve taken enough of your time already, Leon.”

“Are you kidding?” He grins at me over his shoulder. “This is the most excitement I’ve had in years.”

9

Abby

SK Compound

Present Day

“Oh, look. Noodles. Just for something different.” I twist the noodles around my fork and waggle my brows at Yrsa, trying to make her laugh.

She doesn’t, though. She just sits there, staring vacantly into the distance, her food untouched.

“Yrsa.” I exchange a worried glance with Lucky. “You haven’t eaten in days. Come on, just take a few mouthfuls.”

“Why?” She turns to me, her voice flat and emotionless. “Why should I eat? We’re not leaving this place, Abby. None of us are.”

I look around covertly for the supervisors. Between us, Lucky and I have been taking Yrsa’s place with her contacts, just so she makes target. We’re both worried that if she runs the Loop while she’s so weak, she’ll just drop to the ground and never get up again.

We’ve both seen it happen. Some die from dehydration.

But others, those the guards suspect of having given up, are shot where they fall.

I’m determined that Yrsa won’t be one of them. We may not know each other well, but there’s something about crossing an ocean inside a shipping container that has a way of bonding people. And that means I will fail my own targets and run the Loop a hundred times if it means saving Yrsa from falling or being shot.

“You don’t know that, Yrsa.” I force myself to smile at the Danish girl. “You never know what might be around the corner.”

Who are you trying to convince, Abby?I push my doubts away as I put the best meat from my plate onto hers.

“We never know what tomorrow brings, my friend,” Lucky adds, touching Yrsa’s arm. “To refuse life is to deny a gift.” She nods at the plate. “Eat.”

“There’s no point.” Yrsa turns away from the food listlessly. “Nobody is waiting for me anyway. There’s no reason for me to get out of here, even if I could.”