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Tristan toward the end of the car. More shots sounded behind us, but they were less frequent.
    “We’ll go back as soon as we get you out. You wouldn’t want us to fail on our first assignment, would you?” Julian asked.
    “ I’m your first assignment?” I scolded, “My father never hires anyone inexperienced.”
    “Hey, we got you out, didn’t we?” Tristan frowned back at me.
    “Not yet.”
    I heard a low chuckle from behind me as Julian pushed my ass saying, “Faster, K.”
    I liked the way he called me K , like we’d been acquainted for more than fifteen minutes.
    We reached the far end, where Tristan twisted the screws of another hatch. He withdrew something from his pocket, and after a couple of snaps the rooftop opened. Cool wind flattened my hair. The two handfuls of mousse I’d used earlier to keep my spikes up failed. My cheeks felt like they’d been subjected to a cold blow-dryer, and if I opened my mouth I’d look like a clown. Never mind the bugs that could get stuck in my teeth! The air blew through the tunnel like a summoned tornado.
    Tristan led us to the train’s edge where he helped me down a ladder. Julian followed, looking back every minute.
    “We need to get out of the tunnel,” Julian said, taking my hand. Tristan grabbed my other one at the same time.
    “What about my parents?”
    The brothers were both pulling me away.
    “You’re our objective. I promise you the rest of the security team will do everything they can to get them out.”
    Once out of the darkness, we jumped over a steep bank into yellowing bushes. My sight was lost for a moment as it adjusted to the brightness. I lost my footing and tumbled all the way down, pulling both brothers with me. Rocks buried themselves in my flesh, brush thorns scratched my arms and legs, and I didn’t even want to think about my hair that probably looked like a bird’s nest. Elbowed in the ribcage, I wanted to hurl. On the last roll my heel connected with someone’s jaw, and then we finally ended our descent in a ditch.
    At first I thought the landing wasn’t as hard as I’d expected, until I saw that I was actually on top of Julian. He squeezed a smile through his pain but held onto my hips. His eyes beamed upward and that lazy smile that drove me nuts lifted his lips.
    “I’ve got you.”
    And for that moment, I forgot where I was or what had happened. The dust settled around us. I brushed my fingers through my hair, and then noticed my hands were covered with blood. I wasn’t even sure where it had come from. I checked my body for a cut and to see whether anything was broken.
    “Shit!” Tristan moaned from beside us.
    A couple of feet to the side Tristan was lying down, playing with his split upper lip. I wanted to ask him whether he was okay, but Julian interrupted my thoughts.
    “Are you all right?” He drew my attention back to his beautiful mouth.
    “Yes, you?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’m fine too.” Tristan sat up and pulled his hand across his mouth. Blood smeared across his cheek.
    “You’re hurt.” I slowly got off Julian and crawled on my knees to Tristan’s side.
    His upper lip oozed blood, and I was sure he’d need a few stitches. Removing my white scarf, I turned it over to the cleaner side and handed it to him.
    “It’s gonna be messed up,” he protested.
    “Not as much as your lip will be. Just hold it there to stop the bleeding, at least.”
    He hesitated.
    “I’ll let you buy me another one. Just take it.” I reached out to guide his hand, holding my scarf toward his mouth, wondering whether Julian had looked this innocent when he was younger as well.
    “So, what now?” I asked.
    And before either of them could answer, a loud bang echoed through the valley. The ground underneath us shook. Pebbles and larger rocks rolled down the hill we fell. Up above, flames puffed from inside the tunnel as the explosions boomed for the second time.
    “Oh, my God! My parents!” I shot off my legs and started