"Well, as you can imagine, John, Twitter is heating up fast. It's still well over an hour before sunrise, but candidates from both parties have already jumped into the fray. The most interesting so far, however, may be a message that appears to come from independent candidate Ron Cregg himself, known to be an early riser.

"As you can see in the screenshot the tweet from @RonCregg reads: @Whitehouse incapable of managing threats in our backyard. Info on this cell provided to DHS by source close to Cregg campaign back in JULY."

Aaron turns the phone off and shakes his head. "He's good. Take the whole fiasco and find a way to make political capital out of it."

When I look up from the screen, I see that Deo has been watching over my shoulder. I didn't even realize he'd come back into the waiting room.

"They didn't mention anything about the shooting, did they?"

"Just that there were reports of gunfire," Taylor says. "But then they moved on to the helicopter. Don't worry. No one saw you running from the scene."

Deo pulls in a sharp breath. Taylor looks the tiniest bit guilty, probably because Aaron is shooting daggers at her with his eyes.

"I didn't mean it that way," she mumbles. "Sorry."

But I kind of think she did mean it that way.

"It's okay," Deo says. "Did you know that nurse is here? The one from The Warren? I passed her in the hallway."

I nod. "She's here to visit Daniel. Said she needed the bathroom."

"If she got out," Aaron says. "I'm guessing she's not the only one. When you say Cregg was on fire when you left the lab, do you mean a five-alarm blaze or . . . ?"

"His clothes. And the cell phone case was kind of . . . melted to him."

"Then we have to assume he made it out alive. Possibly Lucas and Dacia as well. And that means we need to get the two of you out of here before your house parent or whatever shows up. You can't go back there. It's the first place they'll look."

"I tried to explain that to the police," Kelsey says. "But they seem convinced that you wound up with Lucas because you left the safety of Bartholomew House. He said they'd have additional security, and that we shouldn't worry. I think they just want you where they can keep an eye on you in case they have additional questions."

"So . . . options?" Aaron glances around at the four of us.

"Kelsey's beach house is no good anymore. That's where they found me last time, so it's probably the second place they'd look."

"Same goes for my house," Kelsey says. "The State of Maryland is already questioning my ability to be objective where the two of you are concerned." She gives me a stern look. "And that's not a problem for me. I wasn't planning to take on any new patients after this year anyway. A gradual retirement suits me just fine."

"Before all this happened, Deo and I were planning to catch a bus out of town. We had a location all picked out. As much as I hate to admit it, that may still be our best option. Driving is kind of out for me as long as I'm having these visions, and-"

Aaron shakes his head. "Bad idea anyway."

Taylor barks out a laugh. "Now how did I know you were going to say that?"

"I'm serious, Tay. The two of them off on their own, with no backup if Cregg's people do happen to track them down? That's a bad idea."

I'm not surprised in the slightest that Kelsey agrees, but I am a little surprised to hear Deo taking that side. "Aaron's right, Anna. Think about how close we came to not making it out of there. Safety in numbers."

"Maybe you're right," I admit. "And . . . to be honest, I'm not certain we're the only ones at risk. Something that Jaden said earlier has me worried. I think at least a few of the kids in The Warren got enough of a glimpse into my head that they know about Aaron." I feel my face growing hot, so I add, "Taylor, too. Whether they also picked up that you're gifted, I can't say. I'm sorry. I could block Dacia, but . . . it's not possible to keep the walls up 24/7, and some of those kids . . . you would not believe."

Taylor shrugs. "Had to happen eventually. Maybe it's for the best." Her voice rises intentionally as she looks behind me. "Maybe Mom and Sam and Daniel will stop treating us like teeny-tiny babies in the cradle now."

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Sam." Aaron doesn't even look around to confirm it, but I do. Michele Quinn and Sam are a few yards behind us. Porter, too.

"Hello, Aaron." She gives her daughter an exasperated half smile. "Taylor, your claims of maturity would be a lot more credible if you acted like an adult when making them."

Taylor sticks her tongue out. "I have no idea what you mean."

Her mother responds in kind, and even though their coloring is different, I think pretty much anyone would tag them as mother and daughter right now.

Mrs. Quinn turns to me and Deo. "Kelsey, I've already met, but . . ."

"I'm Anna Morgan. And this is Deo Ramos." Deo nods, but he doesn't seem able to meet her eyes. "We are so, so sorry about Daniel, Mrs. Quinn."

"It's Michele. And the fault lies with Graham Cregg. Daniel said it was an accident, that there was no way you could have-"

"He's awake?" Aaron says.

Taylor is already on her feet. "Can we see him?"

"Yes," Sam says. "He's awake, but very weak. You'll need to go in one at a time, but he wants to see you both. It's on the second floor-Room 219."

Aaron gives my arm a quick squeeze before he goes. I don't know if anyone else catches it, but Taylor must get her sharp eyes from her mother. Michele's face isn't nearly as expressive however, and I can't tell if she approves or disapproves.

My inner-Emily says it's neither, that she's withholding judgment for the time being.

Porter sits down in one of the chairs across from me. "Hey, Anna." He gives Deo a little nod. "I'm glad the two of you made it home safe."

"That's actually what we were discussing," Kelsey says. "I'm not sure that their current home is safe, but that seems to be where they're expected to return."

Michele and Porter exchange a look, and then she says, "We may have a solution, but before we get into that, how much do you think Delphi knows about Aaron and Taylor?"

"I don't know." I repeat what I just finished telling the others. "I did my best, but . . ."

"From what you've told us," Michele says, "they could just as easily have gotten information from Daniel. Taking the Delphi position was a risk. I wasn't entirely behind his decision, but Magda wanted more data, more names, before we began. Daniel has put together a pretty solid file over the past two months. I was worried the data might have been lost in the fire, but he slipped this to me when we were in the room." She opens her hand to reveal a flash drive about the size of a Starburst. "So she definitely wants to move forward."

"Move forward with what?" Deo asks.

Kelsey nods. "And who is Magda? I'm kind of lost here."

"She's a very rich lady who has the same grievance toward Cregg and the Delphi Project that I do. That hundreds of parents both here and in Europe do. She wants to establish an alternative treatment facility for the psychically gifted offspring of Delphi subjects. And eventually, she hopes to find a cure. But first, we have to find the kids."

"She's also the new owner of my barely used long-bed pickup truck and fifth wheel," Porter says. "For which I still think she overpaid, especially since I'd have donated it to the cause."

Sam snorts and says, "Hush, Jerome. The woman had Michele flown home in her personal jet. She probably has shoes that cost more than she paid for your camper."

Michele laughs. "Those would be some expensive shoes, Sam. But yeah, she can afford it."

"Camper?" Deo asks, beating me to the punch.

"A damn fine camper," Porter says. "Sleeps eight. Full kitchen, satellite dish. Made two trips in it before Molly's grandma died. Didn't have the heart to use it after that. Or the heart to sell it."

"The original plan," Michele says, "was for Daniel to fly out and investigate each of the cases. But he called me the other night, before he went back to The Warren, and mentioned the camper as an alternative. He was still hoping at that point that Aaron and Taylor would be okay at home, but he thought Anna might be helpful in assessing the cases. Something about your ability to block the Badea woman."

For the next ten minutes or so we discuss the details. It's not a perfect plan, but it's a plan. It's just a matter of looping Aaron and Taylor in to finalize things. And I'm starting to get a little antsy about finalizing things quickly, since I have no clue when our ride back to Bart House might arrive.

Kelsey tugs on my sleeve. "Do you think we should go look for Ashley? I'm a little worried, given how upset she was."

"I'll go," I tell her. "I need a bathroom break anyway."

"Who's Ashley?" Michele asks.

I let Kelsey explain and head down the hallway, realizing that I already know where she is, or at least where she'll be by the time I get up to the second floor. She'll be coming out of Room 219.

And that's exactly where she is. Once again, I startle her and she jumps. She's wearing pink scrubs, with STC on the pocket, and there's a red lanyard around her neck. The clipboard is hiding her badge, and she's sticking her phone in her pocket.

"My God, Anna! You have to stop sneaking up on me. I've had enough excitement for one night."

"I'm sorry. I was looking for Aaron. We need to leave and-"

Ashley looks down the hallway behind me. Her eyes, still pink around the edges from crying, remind me of a frightened animal. "Aaron's not in there. I think he and his sister went back down to talk to their mom. I've-I've got to go. Tell them I said good-bye. I'll be back in the morning."

Ashley hurries off toward the elevators. I tap on the door, then inch it open. "Daniel?"

When he doesn't respond, I nearly close the door, in case he's sleeping. But something feels off.

Yeah. Open it. Something's definitely off.

"Daniel?"

I open the door and breathe a sigh of relief. He is sleeping. He's propped up in bed. There's some sort of tube in his throat.

Except . . .

I don't think he's breathing.

And that line on the monitor . . . I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be flat.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO.

I find the nurse call button. I hit it twice and yell, "We need help in here!"

I grab Daniel's hand and start tapping it, though I have absolutely no idea what that might accomplish. "Daniel! Daniel! Wake up."

Two medics arrive within seconds.

"What happened?"

"There was a woman in the room when I got here," I said. "She had on scrubs like yours. But I don't think she actually works here. I've seen her before. I think she . . . did something."

"Okay, miss. You need to move aside and let us get to your brother."

I start to move toward the door, but my sweater catches on the railing of the bed. As I'm untangling it, my hand brushes against Daniel's arm, and I feel that strange slipping sensation as he comes on board.

"No!" I scream.

"Miss, you need to get out of here." One of the medics grabs me around the waist and pulls me from the room.

"I'm sorry," I tell him. "I was trying to leave, I just . . ."

"It's okay. Can you tell me what this woman looked like?"

"Blonde, curvy. About my height. Wearing what you're wearing."

"And you're sure she's not an employee?"

"Yes!"

"Okay. Stay out here. I'm going to see if we can get security."

He glances back over his shoulder as he walks away, and I can read his expression as clearly as one of Will's salt messages.

He thinks I'm lying. He thinks I'm crazy. And he thinks I did it.

Anna?

It's Daniel's voice, and I don't want it to be in my head.

Anna, come on. He's just realized you're not the sister he saw in here earlier. We need to get the hell out of here before security shows up.

It's the we that gets my feet moving. I run back toward the elevators. The doors have closed and I'm pushing the button when I hear the medic yell for me to wait.

When the door opens again, I bolt for the waiting room. Everyone else is there.

Don't tell my family you've picked me up. They don't need to know that right now.

Okay. But Deo needs to know.

That one's your call.

Deo sees me coming and knows instantly that something is very wrong. Aaron is only a few steps behind.

I grab Deo's arm. "We have to go now!"

"What happened?" Aaron says.