Author's Note: so it has taken me a long time to get to this, but the sequel is finally here!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shai's arms were tied behind her back with handcuffs cutting into her wrists. Her shoulders ached from the odd angle her restraints held her in. She was panting as she tried to pull her hands free. The bag over her head obstructed her view. Her laboured breathing heated the bag and caused sweat to build on her forehead.

Jasper was grunting as he tried to free himself from the handcuffs. He whipped his head from side-to-side to try and remove the hood.

Mikko was rolling around the back of the truck. He was yanking on the restraints so hard that the blood was trickling down his skin.

"You can't do this!" Mikko screamed. "We saved your precious prince. You can't do this!"

"If they bring us to a camp," Jasper said, "Teagan will get us out in a minute."

"They're not bringing us out to camps," Mikko said. "They're sending us to our deaths. I can't believe I ever worked with dumb rats. I knew it would be my end. I am not ready to be executed in front of a crowd."

"Mikko, be quiet!" Shai cut him off from one of his usual rants.

Shai rolled onto her stomach. She stumbled as tried to pull her body up so that she was on her knees. She tipped her head down and then shook her head. The sack slipped off of her head. Blonde strands of hair were suck to her forehead. She looked around the van to see that they were locked into the back. They van shook as they drove down the street.

She saw Mikko rolling around and shaking his body. Jasper's back was to her, and he kept fidgeting with his restraints. Ren's frail body was in the corner. She had managed to sit up and lean against the wall. Shai shimmied across the rocking truck over to Jasper. She turned her back to him, and her hands fumbled with the hood. Jasper kicked his leg out, but missed Shai. She pulled the bag off of his head. Jasper swung his leg back, but stopped when he saw Shai.

"This is how it ends," Mikko said. "This how they are going to get rid of me? I survived those damn slums, but now a piece of rope is going to murder me."

"Shai, can you reach my hands?" Jasper asked.

"Probably," she said.

Jasper rolled onto his stomach. Shai's bare knees dragged across the floor. The skin around the handcuffs was raw and red.

"Jasper, I can't take these off," Shai said. "I don't have a key."

"Screw the key, Pie!" Mikko yelled. Even in a time of panic he could not remember her name. "Get us out of here!"

The truck came to a hard stop, and Shai lost her balance. Pain shot across Shai's shoulder as she collided with the floor. The two doors of the back of the truck were whipped open. A bright light blinded Shai and Jasper. Shai squinted to see a group of guards. One reached down and grabbed Shai's ankle. He pulled her forward until he could reach her restrained wrists. He hauled her onto her feet. She kicked her foot back and hit the guards shin. The man gasped, and she pulled her hands away. The guard snatch her wrists and pulled her arm at an odd ankle. Shai screamed when the pain shot up to her injured shoulder.

"Shai!" Jasper yelled.

Two guards were behind Jasper as he fought to free himself. One of the guards pulled his gun out and pressed it against Jasper's temple. Shai screamed, and it caused the Officier to twist her arm at a worse angle.

"These two somehow got their hoods off," the Officer holding Shai said.

Two Officers came of the back of the truck. One was holding onto Mikko and the other held Ren.

"Take their hoods off," one of the Officers ordered.

Mikko's hood was removed. He was panting for breath as his eyes darted around. The faint sound of cheering was in the air. Shai tipped her head to see past the truck. A crowd of well dressed people were in front of a stage. There was a large metal beam. A rope dangled from the beam and was tied into a noose.

The Officer ripped Ren's wig off when he removed her wig. The Officer raised an eyebrow when he saw her short bristles of hair. He tipped her head forward and pulled down the collar of her dress.

"This one has a number," the Officer said.

"Check the others," one of the Officers said.

Shai grit her teeth as the Officer ripped out strands of her hair. He pulled of her hair up to see if she had a number burnt into her flesh.

"This one is clear," the Officer said.

"These two do not have a number either," another guard said.

An Officer walked in between all of them. Shai recognized him by the red stripes on the one sleeve of his jacket. He was Lieutenant Brooks. He was the man that apologized to Teagan and escorted them to the car.

He walked toward Ren. She looked down at herself, and Shai could see her body shake. Brooks had his hands behind his back as he took a few slow steps toward Ren.

"Someone managed to get out of our camps, I see," Brooks said. "How did you do it?"

Ren glance up and took in a deep breath. Shai looked over to see that Jasper was distracted by the large buildings, mostly made of of glass, was towering over them. Ren opened her mouth to speak, but she fought with her tongue and could not get any words out.

"I did not hear that," Brooks said with a smirk. "Say it again?"

' "I...I..." Ren tried to say. She squeezed her eyes shut as she attempted to focus on the words. Brooks kept that sickening smile on his face.

"Leave her alone," Shai said. "It ain't her fault she is out of the camp. We found your precious Tegean. Why are you doin' this?"

"Your grammar is more painful than what is going to happen to you in ten minutes," Brooks said. "We are doing this for justice. Kidnappers returning the Prince is not finding him. Now, we should be going. Royale is so excited to watch justice unfold."

The Officers pushed them forward. Shai tried to dig her heels into the ground to try and slow down the Officer. Jasper's jaw hardened as he was pushed forward.

"Listen, listen here buddy," Mikko said as the Officer pushed him. "If you let me near a computer I can show you that we did not kidnap him! We saved him!"

"This one will not shut up," Brooks said. "You are going second. Coleman, your girl is going first."

The Officer holding onto Shai, Coleman, pulled her around to the other side of the truck. There was metal railings that seperated the crowd in two different sections. The crowd was full of well-dressed women and men. There were a few children clinging to their mother's leg or sitting on their father's shoulders. They were all shouting derogatory comments.

Brooks lead the line. His posture was straight, and he had a wide smile on his lips. Shai knew she looked like a wreck. Strands of her blonde hair was stuck to the sweat on her face. Her dress was ripped and dirty.

A boy ran to the edge of the railing. His father lifted him so that he could see past the railing. The boy had an egg in his hand and threw it at Shai. She yelped when it hit her injured shoulder. The yolk ran down her arm. Eggs were something extremely rare. Most Brighties could not even afford them. This little boy threw it at her like it was nothing.

There was a stand to the side of the execution stage. A middle-aged women with a large dress covered in jewels. A gold crown was sitting on the top of her curly red hair. Shai recognized her from the money she used to steal. It was queen Cambrie. In the plush chair beside her was her son Cyrus. He had the same red hair and was under a smaller crown made of silver. A couple was standing behind the large plush chairs.

"Remember me!" Mikko screamed behind her. "I was one of you. I found Teagan! I found the prince. You are not supposed to kill us. That is not how it goes!"

Shai rolled her eyes. Of course she was going to have to spend the last minutes of her life listening to Mikko. She wanted to be next to Jasper. She was selfishly glad she was being executed first. She did not have to watch Jasper's body hang from the rope until all the life was gone from his body.

Her chest ached when she thought about what Jasper said to her at Mikko's house. He confessed his love to her, but she only replied with a thank you. She was going to die without being able to tell him how much he meant to her.

Brooks walked up the steps onto the stage. The crowd cheered louder when they saw him. Brooks raised his arms before taking a bow. The Officer had to push Shai harder to get her to go up the stairs. He dragged her up onto the stage.

The crowd cheered louder as each of them got onto the stage. The Officer's hooked their handcuffs onto a large metal chain. The Officers moved to the other side of the stage after they secured them to the stage.

"Attention everyone!" Brooks' voice boomed. The crowd silenced to the a few quiet whispers. "You may have already heard, but I have some exciting news. Over twelve years ago, we had lost most of the Dyer family to one fateful night. We have all been mourning the loss, but tonight we get closure. We have found Teagan Dyer, but have also found his captors."

The crowd returned to cheer. Mikko fell to his knees. He let out a loud sob, and looked down at the stage to hide his tears. Shai looked over at Jasper to see him staring at her. She wanted to tell him now while she still had her time, but she could barely hear herself think over the sound of the audience.

Ren's eyes were wide as they darted up from the towering skyscrapers and the audience. Her jaw hung open. She was used to the same few people on Brenner's farm. When she looked up at the buildings it looked like they were bending and threatening to topple over

"Everyone!" Brooks silenced the crowd. "I have brought these four on stage so that they can see what punishment looks like. One-by-one they will be hung until they are dead."

"Shai," Jasper said.

She turned to look at him. He let out a deep breath. Shai could see him fidgeting with the chain between his fingers.

"I'm sorry about this whole revolution thing," he said. "I just wanted the camps to stop."

"Let's meet our first captor," Brooks said. "Coleman, bring her forward."

Shai let out a shaky breath as the one Officer approached. He unfastened the chain. He grabbed Shai's throbbing shoulder. She gasped in pain as he squeezed her shoulder to push up to the front. She took a look behind her to see Jasper's head hung low. The crowd booed as she came closer to the edge.

"What is your name, young lady?" Brooks asked.

Shai bit down on her lip. She was not going to put on a show for these people. She would rather be hung than beg for her life in front of a crowd that would kill her answers.

"She grew up in the Slums," Brooks said. "I apologize folks. She may not be intelligent enough to answer. The poor thing never stood a chance."

Shai had to fight to stop herself from giggling. Brooks was treating her like she was dumb, but she knew that she successfully broke into a camp. She was just a Rat, but she rescued two people from the secured camp.

"Do you have any last words?" Brooks asked.

"You all got outsmarted by two Rats," Shai said.

Brooks sneered before grabbing Shai's other arm. Brooks and Coleman pulled her back and under the metal beam. Brooks secured another one of the bags over her head. She could not see through the thick material and was submerged in darkness. The Officers pushed her back one more step.

The thick coil was wrapped around her neck. She struggled to breathe as they tightened the noose. Brooks leaned in close to her ear.

"I hope you dangle when the floor drops," he whispered to Shai. "I hope this is long and painful. That is what Cambrie wants."

Brooks and the Officer stepped back. Shai's heart was pounding in her chest. She could hear the rattle from the handcuffs as her body shook. She may be dying now, but she got Todd to Royale. She had to keep reminding herself. She got Todd here, so he can get rid of the camps. If she had to die, she was relieved that it was something that would save hundreds of lives.

Shai squeezed her eyes and let out a deep breath. Her body tensed as she waited for the floor of the stage to come out from below her feet.

The audience gasped. A mixture of soft chatter mixed into the crowd.

"Stop! I demand you to stop right now!"