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counter, clearly worried I was going to steal the stupid phone,
pursed her lips.
    Lewis sucked in his breath. ‘You know? But it only happened a few hours ago!’ He sounded shocked.
    ‘Rachel and I, we are . . . were . . . in touch,’ I said shortly. ‘We were supposed to be online earlier, but Rachel didn’t show.’
    ‘Right, er, okay.’ Lewis sounded confused, as if that was the last thing he’d expected to hear.
    ‘How did you find me?’ I said. ‘I thought all our locations were top secret.’
    ‘There are ways. I always knew you were in Philly and Rachel was on the west coast of Scotland – finding the exact addresses and numbers wasn’t hard after that. Look, I need to
speak to you about Rachel.’
    ‘Like I said, she didn’t kill herself,’ I said again, more quietly than before. ‘There’s no way she would have.’
    ‘I agree with you. But nobody else seems to. She’s gone and her parents think she’s dead . . . but . . . I’m certain it’s Elijah. I’m sure he’s taken
her . . .’
    ‘Or RAGE . . .’
    ‘Possibly,’ Lewis said. ‘It could be RAGE, but I don’t see why they’d fake a suicide.’
    ‘Well, why would Elijah?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Lewis said. ‘I just wanted to warn you that Rachel had gone. And to find out if you’d seen or heard anything suspicious.’
    ‘No, nothing,’ I said. ‘But I’ve been trying to work out how I can get over to Scotland to help find her . . .’
    ‘No way.’ Lewis’s voice was sharp and insistent. ‘There’s no point you putting yourself in danger too, Theo. I can find Rachel. I’m here in Scotland
already.’
    ‘I’m going whether you like it or not,’ I said angrily. What right did Lewis have to stick his nose in? Or assume I couldn’t look after myself?
    ‘Come on, Theo, you’ll be stopped at the airport. The US government won’t let you leave the country. You’re too valuable to them.’
    ‘I can sort that,’ I snapped. ‘I’ll get a fake passport.’
    ‘How?’ Lewis said. ‘How will you pay for it?’
    ‘I’ll manage somehow. And I’ll get the money for a ticket too.’
    ‘You mean you’ll steal the money?’ Lewis said.
    ‘That’s none of your business.’
    There was a pause, then Lewis sighed. ‘I understand you wanting to get involved, but it’s dangerous for you.’
    ‘It’ll be dangerous for you too,’ I said.
    ‘Sure, but I’m trained and anyway . . .’ Lewis hesitated and when he spoke his voice broke over the words. ‘I owe it to Mel to take the risk.’
    That shut me up for a moment. I’d met Mel last year. She was young and beautiful – and she’d looked after me in Elijah’s Washington compound. She was supposed to be
Elijah’s girlfriend but she was really in love with Lewis and worked with him to help me escape. Elijah had killed her when he found out she and Lewis had betrayed him.
    ‘It’s not your decision whether I go to find Rachel,’ I went on. ‘If you won’t help me, I’ll sort it myself.’
    ‘Yeah, by robbing a convenience store and hoping some student friend of yours can create a passport that’ll get you past airport security?’ Lewis gave a sarcastic laugh.
‘I don’t think so, Theo.’
    I hesitated, thrown by Lewis’s apparent mindreading of aspects of my plan and his ability to pinpoint the flaws in it.
    ‘I’d have thought you’d want me with you,’ I said. ‘Whether it’s RAGE or Elijah who’s got Rachel, they must be after me too. I’m like . . .
bait, which makes me an asset. And I’m not a child any more. Not even legally – I’ll be sixteen next month. I’ll find Rachel on my own if I have to.’
    ‘Man, you’re stubborn.’ Lewis let out a low hissing sound. ‘Okay, you’re right. It will help – and I don’t want you here in Scotland without back-up, so
listen. There’s a guy I know who lives near you. He owes me a favour. I’ll get him to sort out a passport. Just wait for my text. Deal?’
    ‘I can sort this