KAPOOR: No, you picked it up— Where did you pick it up? It was . . .
She frowns and walks toward the doorway leading to the control room of the bunker.
KAPOOR: We were here.
HARDCASTLE: That doesn’t make any sense.
KAPOOR: Something is messing with our memory.
BAKER: It’s them. It’s their fault. It’s all going wrong because of them. What are you? Why won’t you listen? Just listen to him, little devil, little rebel, little sneak, little thief, little—lit—lit—tell—tell me—
Her jaw works side to side in abrupt movements. She chokes, coughs.
BAKER: No nonono. This one’s not lasting. Oh, God— What’s wrong with me?
KAPOOR: Oh, my God. She’s . . .
NOVAK: No. She can’t be. That would mean— But I—
Baker’s head lolls forward, then snaps up.
BAKER: No, I’m fine. Fine. Fine fellow. Fellows. Fellowship. Ships. Ships on the ocean, all of us drifting. Listen. Listen.
She laughs again—and then lunges for Hardcastle with a shriek. She claws at his chest while Kapoor and Novak try to pull her off.
The newly arrived Sophia looks at the other girl and tugs her hand.
SOPHIA [2]: Come on.
She tugs Sophia toward the open door on the left. With a toddler’s impulsiveness, Sophia grabs the camera, hugging it against her chest as the two girls scurry away from the violent scene playing out before them.
23
I STARED AT Dr. Kapoor, thoughts wheeling through my head, my careful emotional remove fracturing. Footsteps came up the walk. Dr. Kapoor stepped closer and dropped her voice to an angry hiss. “Go home, Ms. Novak. Go home, and never think of this place again.”
The front door opened, and William Hardcastle stepped in. Dr. Kapoor gave me a look—a warning look. And a frightened one. Don’t, she mouthed.
William Hardcastle smiled. “Sophia,” he said in surprise. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Ms. Hayes, I’m sorry for everything that’s happening.”
His voice echoed in my mind. In my memory. I’m sorry.
My eyes dropped to his hands, hanging easily by his sides. They were large hands. Spade-like, I thought. Strong hands with blunt fingers and light brown freckling across the backs. I knew those hands. I was sure of it now.
I’m sorry, he’d said.
They’d been holding me under the water, the day I drowned.
He was still talking, but all I heard were those two words. Those words, and the hollow sound of water closing over my head. He was sorry. He was so sorry for all of this. His regret was suffocating, and I could only pray that the emptiness of my eyes, my inability to speak, could be excused by the circumstances. Two people missing. Maybe dead.
“I know that this is a difficult situation, but we’re going to do everything we can to find Lily and Ms. Ryder,” he said.
I tried to push my fear, my shock away. I needed that numbness. I needed that distance and coldness, but it wouldn’t come, because the cold was the water and the water was all around me, it was in my mouth and it was dragging at my limbs and I couldn’t breathe.
“Thank you,” I managed, a whisper that left my throat raw.
He smiled. It made his blue eyes look flat.
“Liam, why don’t you walk Ms. Hayes back to Mrs. Popova’s?” Dr. Kapoor said pointedly.
“Right,” Liam said. Anger hummed below the syllable, and for a moment I feared that he would lash out. If he demanded answers from his mother now, Dr. Hardcastle would realize we knew the truth—or part of the truth, at least. And he would be able to put together who I was.
I took Liam’s hand to pull him away, and to anchor myself. I had to get out of there, and only my grip on him kept me from running as fast as I could.
I drew him along down the road. We bypassed the car by unspoken agreement. Tension jangled in the air between us. Liam said my name. He sounded concerned. The worrier of the two of us. At least he’d kept it together. Not like me. Not this time.
“Sophia, slow down.”
I realized I was walking so fast that Liam could barely keep up. I halted abruptly. Whatever brief respite I’d earned myself was gone now, my fear tangling around me once more.
The wind stirred my hair, whipping stray strands across my face. I clawed them back behind my ears. There was something wrong with me. Or something wrong with the air. I couldn’t get a deep enough breath.
“You’re panicking again,” Liam said quietly. He started to reach for