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healthy.
    “ And can we trust her?” Landon asks out the side of his mouth like Jaden can’t hear them.
    Summer glances at Landon then back to Jaden. The years of slavery are etched into Jaden’s skin. This is the girl who gave her advice to stop the beatings—she’s partially the reason Summer’s mute. But beneath the haunted exterior of her eyes, there is a spark of hope. It’s the one thing she lost long ago. She raises her hand slowly and shakily to the rusted metal wall of the hallway and raps once. The noise reverberates eerily down the empty hallway.
    “ Lead the way,” Landon says to Jaden.
    “ We’ve wasted too much time already.” Jaden begins to run down the hallway. “They’re looking for you, Summer. We need to find a place to hide so I can explain what’s going on, and so we can find a way off this ship!”
    Landon gives her instructions on where to go until they stop in front of Summer’s room. She quickly pulls free her key, and he takes it to unlock the door. All three of them enter, and Jaden quickly falls on Summer’s bed like she’s known Summer all her life.
    “ All right,” Jaden begins. “Here’s the deal—apparently these people have been tracking you since you were taken.”
    Hope, for the first time in forever, blossoms inside Summer like a vine reaching toward the sun in a dense forest. People have been looking for me?
    Jaden sees the look in her eyes. “These aren’t people you want to find you, Summer. We’re slaves—considered property. We might as well be a lamp in the corner for all they care, which means I’ve overheard a lot more than they realize. This is some secret society that believes if they terminate you, all will be well in the world.”
    “ They?” asks Landon.
    “ The Secret Clock Society,” answers Jaden with a grim expression. “They have power like I’ve never seen. I don’t know why they want Summer, but she should stay far, far away from them.”
    “ Wait!” Landon cuts in. “Are ye sayin’ they want to kill her?” He quickly wraps an arm around Summer’s shoulders. “No way!”
    Jaden and Landon quickly talk with each other, but Summer can’t seem to hear them. Her blood is pounding in her ears as she remembers back to the last time she saw her mum. When she replays the day again it all starts to make more sense. Her mum wasn’t acting like herself, and they were in the car for quite some time. Was her mum running away from these people? And why are they after her? What is so special about her?
    “ Summer, did you hear me?” Jaden waves a hand in front of her face.
    Summer shakes her head no and tries her best to put on her Apologetic Face.
    “ They bought me from my previous owners.” She shudders and absently rubs her wrists again. “Anyway, they’ve been searching for you, but your captain, Travis Jones I believe it was, has been dodging them, apparently. So this is where I come in—they knew we were in that house at the same time. When they found out I had known you they wanted me to help them capture you.”
    Summer begins to tremble in Landon’s arms, and he pulls her in for an infamous side-hug. “So is that what you’re doing? Keeping us in this room until they come?” he asks vehemently. Summer can feel the tension in his body and only hugs him more. Like always, he is her salvation and protector.
    “ Of course not,” Jaden says smugly. “I’m just playing their little game, when in reality I plan on all of us escaping. You think I like this life as a slave?”
    Summer stiffens and turns around so fast she almost stumbles. What does she mean? Escape? It isn’t possible . . . is it?
    “ No, but maybe you’re doing this so you’ll be free!” he disputes crisply.
    Jaden thrusts her arms out, and in the light you can see even more scars. “I wouldn’t wish this life on my worst enemy. I’m not going to help them with this. They let me free so I could find her.” She points at Summer. “We’re getting