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to her.
    One of Dr. Barrett’s guards finally reaches him, but Dr. Barrett lashes at the guard’s face with his whip, making the guard quickly retreat.
    â€œThe Monk is real!” Dr. Barrett screams at all of us. “I saw him. I know him. You are the ones who don’t know the truth about what the government is creating. You will die back in the United Northern Alliance! Don’t get on those airplanes!” He whips his own back again, writhing in pain. “I cry for each of you! You are already dead. You just don’t know it!”
    One of the guards appears from behind him on the rocks, and yanks him sideways. The two of them tumble off the rocks together. Dr. Barrett is screaming as he claws at the guard’s bare skin. The guard starts screaming too, as Dr. Barrett bites down on his wrist and blood sprays into the crowd.
    â€œThere’s more than one Monk!” Dr. Barrett wails. “More than one of them! They are infinite! And their offspring will decimate the entire earth!”
    Other guards and scientists pile onto him, trying to stop the violence. All of us watch from the stage, somewhat shocked. Alun is in the fray, now joined by Cass. Alun is trying to use his bulk to keep Dr. Barrett pinned to the ground. But Dr. Barrett is struggling, like he has the energy of ten men.
    â€œThis is pretty messed-up,” Gadya remarks. But she can’t tear her eyes away from the scene. Neither can I.
    â€œWhat does he mean by ‘their offspring’?” I ask.
    Gadya shakes her head. “No clue.”
    â€œI don’t think he has long to live,” I tell Gadya. “I mean, despite how strong he seems right now. It’s like his mind has melted. He’s just one step above those drones we fought for the test.”
    â€œAgreed.”
    I watch as the guards wrestle the electric cable from Dr. Barrett’s thrashing hands and hustle him away from us, down a dirt trail and into the forest. He struggles hard against them, whipping his head back and forth. I see the tendons in his neck straining underneath his sagging, mottled skin.
    He finally moves out of view, but we can still hear his deranged cries and screams. They quickly grow fainter.
    â€œNow settle down, everyone,” Dr. Vargas-Ruiz says loudly, trying to restore order.
    It’s obvious that Dr. Barrett is completely insane, and I should put him out of my mind. But despite myself, Dr. Barrett’s words have filled me with dread. Not at the thought of being killed when we get to the UNA. That doesn’t scare me at all. But at the thought of ending up like him.
    I know that if the UNA could somehow turn Dr. Barrett into this shambling madman, then I have no doubt they can break absolutely anyone. The right drug. The right threats. The right torture . Everyone has something that they are afraid of, or susceptible to.
    I wish I knew exactly what Meira and the drones did to him. Maybe some of the spikes on the metal mask damaged his brain when they forced it on him. Or maybe he was slightly crazy from the start, after being trapped in Southern Arc for so many years.
    â€œDon’t think about him,” Liam says softly into my ear, sensing my distress. “Just ignore everything he says. He’s lost it. He’s broken.”
    I nod. “But everyone has a breaking point, Liam.” I turn and look up at him. “Aren’t you afraid that could happen to one of us?”
    â€œNo.” Liam squeezes my hand again. “Not to you or me, because we have each other. Besides, we need to look forward, not backward. We need to focus on our mission.”
    In the distance, I catch a final unexpected glimpse through the trees of the guards, half-dragging Dr. Barrett up the trail. He continues to struggle and rave.
    I glance away.
    â€œWho knows, maybe he’ll get better one day,” Liam says. “We don’t know how this stuff works.”
    â€œDoubtful,” Gadya