"Seriously?"

"I told you, he's really nice like that."

"Okay, so he walked you home. Then what?"

A male voice answered my question. "Then I asked her out and she said yes. And that's why I'm the luckiest guy in the world," Jack says.

I look up and see a tall guy with red, curly hair and green eyes.

He waves at me. "Hey, I'm Jack."

"Jack, this is my friend Emmy."

We shake hands. Sara continues, "I was just telling her how we met."

"Did she tell you that I waited for days to get a chance to go up to her?"

"Wow, that's impressive," I say, smiling broadly at Sara.

"I should have gotten you a menu. The service here is kind of slow," Jack says.

"No, it's okay. I'll go get one. You and Emmy sit and talk."

She jumps up out of her seat and almost floats over to the counter.

"So, Jack, what is it about Sara that attracted you to her?"

"You."

"No seriously, why did you approach her?"

"Lucy said it was the only way to get to you."

A pool of ice forms in my stomach. I look in his eyes and the guy who Sara has fallen for is gone. He is still the same, physically, but his eyes are cold and hold no humor. His lips curl with cruelty and disdain. Before I have time to process what's happening, Sara comes back and sits next to the Runner. I can't take my eyes off of him. He puts his arm around my friend.

"The waitress is coming," she says.

"I was just telling Emmy how you've been dying for us to meet," he says with malice.

"Sara, it's getting late. Maybe I should call it a night. I'll take you home since I'm the one who made you stay out so late." I try to sound casual, but my voice cracks.

"What? No, we're seeing a movie. It's not that late, Mom," she mocks.

"No, but we should head to the movie theatre."

We get our coats. All the while Jack keeps his hand around Sara's waist. What she takes as a sign of affection, I know to be a threat. If I run, he's going to kill her. I can't allow that to happen.

We walk out of the cafe, and he takes us through the back alleys. When Sara complains, he says he hates crowds and this is a shortcut. She doesn't like it, but she doesn't want to appear disagreeable.

The whole time we're walking, I'm looking for Jay or Reese. Once Rio sees my onyx color wave, they would be the first ones to get to me.

A slew of questions swirl around my head. How could a Runner be so young? How long has he been watching Sara to get to me? Is he taking me to the Akons? Is he taking me to Lucy? What is she going to do to me? Will he let Sara go if I promise not to put up a fight? Where are the Guardians?

We stop two blocks later, behind a back alley with a huge dumpster. It reeks of trash and gutter water. A rat scurries across our path and disappears behind the dumpster. The wind picks up causing Sara to go cozy up closer to the Runner. I cringe when I see how comfortable she is with him.

"Stop right here." He stops walking.

"What are you talking about?" Sara is upset in addition to being confused.

He turns Sara's arm until it twists behind her. He holds her in place.

"Stop, Jack. What are you doing? This isn't funny, let go of me."

"Sara, it's gonna be okay. I promise, I won't let him hurt you," I rea.s.sure her.

She doesn't understand what's going on, but it hits her that whatever is happening isn't good. She panics and tries to fight him off.

"Move, and I'll break you arm."

"Jack, you're really hurting me."

He takes something out of his pocket that looks like a CD. He throws it at my feet. It's black and hovers a few feet above the ground in front of me. It grows to the size a large Frisbee. It continues to spin at an unbelievable speed. It sounds like a whip cutting through the air.

"Get on," he orders.

"What is it?" I ask.

"It's a Port. You step on it and it takes you straight to Lucy."

"Let her go first."

He takes out a knife and puts it by her throat. "I'm not gonna tell you again."

"Emmy, get on the stupid thing," Sara sobs.

"How can you do this to her? She's in love with you."

"You're the one who's gonna make me cut her throat."

He pierces her skin with the point of his blade. Drops of blood trickle down her pale throat.

"Please, stop. Please," she sobs frantically.

"Get on."

"Emmy, help me," Sara pleads.

I'm trembling. My legs feel like they've been filled with lead. My hands are blocks of ice. I can't take my eyes off Sara. Her face contorts in shock and desperation.

"Get on it, Emmy, please," she cries.

"You promise you'll let her go?"

"Just as soon as you step on the Port."

I go to put my foot up on the Port, when a figure swoops down and takes me into the air.

"No!" I scream.

"It's okay, I got you."

I look up and find Marcus' face looking fearlessly back at me.

Jack is livid and shouts at Marcus from the ground. "You bring her back here, or I'll cut this girl's freaking head off and leave it for the rats."

While he rants and raves, Miku and Rio sneak up on him from either side. Jack sees them and holds Sara as a shield in front of him. He carefully backs himself into the wall so no one will approach him from behind.

"Get any closer and she's dead. I swear." His eyes shift back and forth between the twins.

Jay and Reese are on the rooftop above him. Rio points to the center of his chest and beats on it twice. Marcus sees him and grits his teeth. Why doesn't Jay or Reese just take the Runner down? As if reading my mind, Marcus speaks to me.

"He's not a Runner. He's a p.a.w.n. That means he has a soul. We can't take him."

"Then take me back down. I'll trade myself for her," I shout back at him.

"That can't happen," he says.

He addresses Jack. "Let's work this out, okay? Let Sara go and I will let you walk out of here with the same amount of limbs you came in with," Marcus offers.

"I'm not leaving here without the girl," Jack says.

"Not gonna happen," Marcus states plainly.

Jack looks at his situation and decides to up the ante. He stabs Sara in her side. She lets out a blood-curdling scream that fills the cold night air.

"No!" I scream, almost in unison with her.

Blood soaks through her jacket and spreads quickly. The dark red liquid drips carelessly on to the ground. I lunge toward her but Marcus' inhuman strength holds me back.

I pull, punch and claw at his grip, but it doesn't loosen. My body flails in every direction, hysterically. Every inch of me screams to be set free.

I'm several feet in the air, and if Marcus had let me go, I would most likely break something in the fall. But I couldn't care less. It's me Jack wants and if that's the only way to save Sara, I'm willing.

"Emmy, no," Marcus says.

"You can still help her, Emmy. Don't let her bleed to death. Come save your friend," the p.a.w.n calls out to me. "You promised to help her."

"Let go of me," I scream and punch Marcus so hard the pain from my almost-healed hand flares up. There's a dull ache running up my arm. One of my shoes falls off and plunges to the ground. I twist and wriggle myself so hard my shoulder pops out of its socket. The pain is immense but it doesn't stop me from trying to break free.

"Emmy, no," Marcus barks as he effortlessly holds me to his chest.

"Let me go." My whole body trembles. It's no use. Marcus' hold on me is unyielding. Jay and Reese don't yet have an opening to attack the p.a.w.n.

Sara has pa.s.sed out, her body limp in Jack's hands. He holds two fingers against the side of her neck to take her pulse.

"She's still alive, Emmy. But I don't think she'll make it unless you help her. I thought you were her friend."

I look up to face the angel who holds me. There's no more screaming from me. My voice is nearly gone. I beg him softly as my tears spill over. "Please. Please. Please let me go." Concern furrows his brow; his eyes are pained as they look back at me. But his grip doesn't change.

"Oh, well. Guess you don't care about her after all," the p.a.w.n says, faking concern for Sara.

He lets her drop, and she hits the ground face up. He holds the knife above her body. "It's your fault she's gonna die, Emmy. Remember that," he says as he plunges the knife into her chest.

I scream helplessly as I watch it happen. Jay and Reese finally have an opening to intercept him. They attack Jack just in time to stop him from striking her. Jay picks him up and throws him across the alley. Reese promptly Blinks him to what I hope is h.e.l.l.

Finally, the steel arms of the First Guardian loosen around me, but not completely.

"Let me go!"

"Not while we're still in the air," Marcus says as he swoops down and places me safely on the ground.

I catapult over to Sara. She's lying face up, still and soundless. Rio, Jay, and Miku look on as I kneel down beside her.

"Call 911," I order them. They look at each other. It seems they're having a conversation I can't hear. "Call 911. Hurry!"

Jay says my name with care. "Emmy...."

I don't want him to talk to me. I don't want to hear what any of them have to say.

I just want them to get help.

"Miku, call someone for me, please?" I beg her. She takes the same tone as Jay.

"Emmy..."

"Please do something," I beg her.

"She can't, Emmy," Marcus says.

"Shut up! She's okay. She just needs some help. Please, somebody help!"

I shout out to anyone, everyone, in New York City. If the Guardians won't help, maybe someone else will.

Meanwhile, Rio follows a wave that is invisible to the rest of us. Alarmed, he calls out, "Akons in thirty."

That's when I remember the one person that can dispute the lifelessness in her face.

"Rio, what color is she? What is she feeling?" I ask. Just then Reese reappears without the Runner.