"Daniel," I say, chasing after him. "Daniel, wait." He stops just outside the white sitting room. George Washington watches over us from his boat in the painting.

"What?" he asks.

"I was just trying to snap him out of it. It didn't mean anything."

"You don't just snap out of an implant, Isla. Why would you think that would work?"

"Because it did on Nate," I say, and I catch his lip quiver. "I know it was a different implant on him, but it worked on Nate, so... I tried."

"Even if it could have worked, he would have had to be in love with you..." Daniel sighs and looks away. "Have you seen Joe?"

"No, why?"

"Isla... Joe's the same as Ian. Cooper ordered the conversions to go more quickly since the Council's surprise visit is tonight, and Joe was included in that."

"What?" I ask. "What are we going to do?"

He looks around, and pulls my arm, "Go to the lab."

I follow him into the other wing of the estate, and close the door behind us in the Physics lab. We search the room to make sure we're the only ones here before he turns back to me, and says, "The New World Council is Roberts and Cooper, just re-imagined as an actual governing body. It's a bunch of leaders from around the world, and they're coming to assess our progress. They heard about Captain Jones, and were finally told about the Deathless attack and the bunker. They are nervous. They're coming to make sure we're still in control of things here, and here control means installing more implants."

"Why didn't you tell me before class? I just got blindsided by Cooper questioning me about what we've been doing at night."

"What?"

"Yeah. Thank God Celia and Nina were there to back up my story. But then they left and Cooper strangled me."

"He did what?" he yells.

"He grabbed me by the throat with his pincer, Daniel. I thought I was going to die."

"I'm going to kill him." He clenches his fists and turns on his heels, but I pull him back.

"No you're not. You're going to stay calm so you're not converted too."

He cups my face in his hands, and kisses me like he's saying goodbye. "What are you doing?" I ask as soon as I pull my lips from his.

"I didn't tell you about Ian and Joe, because... they're done converting the soldiers. They're going to start on the Workers and the Caregivers next. Then the Comforters and then the Scientists. We're all going to be converted. And there's something else, too...."

The slashing pain in my stomach returns, followed quickly by dread. "...What?"

"They found Ava at Lake McConaughy in Nebraska. She didn't have the pod, and my mom was gone. She told the soldiers she sent them both into the lake. She and my mom must have known they were following them, and created a diversion. But they got Ava."

"Well, where is she? Is she back in the Carrier's quarters?"

"No, Isla... they never brought her back. They left her there." I don't want to hear this, but Daniel says it anyway, "She's at the bottom of the lake. I thought it could be a lie, but Ian confirmed it last night before he was taken. I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't even know we lost Joe until about an hour ago when I went to visit him while you were in class." He looks at the floor and says, "I was coming to tell you when I saw you with Ian. I snapped."

"They're still with us," I say, trying to suppress my own anger and sadness. "They are—"

"—No, stop saying people are deathless," he erupts. "No one is deathless, all those people are really gone, and at the end of the day, the Deathless is just a bunch of glorified scientists."

"What's your problem?" I ask, feeling the pressure build in my chest.

He's in my face now, blushed with anger. "You used to want everyone and everything to have a fair chance at life, what happened to that? Now death doesn't bother you. Alexander explodes in front of you and Ava dies protecting my mom, and you don't even cry? And I didn't want to bring it up, but you shot Nate. I saw it. What happened to the Isla Blume who freaked out over a rabbit?"

"Nate was in pain. I had to do what was right." Acid bubbles in my throat. He's right though. What did happen to that girl? How could I have just showered bits of Alexander and Captain Jones from my body and went on with my day? How am I not crying over Ava right now? She was my friend. I gulp the air, and press my palms to the desk. "I don't know what happened to me."

He lets the anger drain from his face, but his eyes remain wild. "The detectors are set up. We could go off and be our own group. That's all we need, just the two of us." He grips my arms. "Let's go."

I push him away from me. "Are you crazy? We can't leave everyone."

He paces in front of me, apparently searching the room for the words he needs, before giving up and saying, "They're going to convert me soon. Cooper has been holding on to me until the detectors were built, and guess what?" he asks, throwing his hands up like a maniac. "They're built! I used to count on Gunther being able to vouch for me, but you saw him. He's lost it. Completely lost it. Cooper will probably get rid of him tonight. Then what? O'Neil? Yeah, right. Cooper hates him, too. And Mitchell is a joke. The only people we might have had left were Ian and Joe, and now.... That meeting is tonight, and the Council is going to ask that we convert everyone immediately. I'm going to be converted before we can get out of here, Isla. And you will, too. Actually, you'll be converted before me. And I've seen the logistics for the operations. Removing the implants will take a skilled surgeon, and even then, it's not a guarantee that there won't be brain damage. Can you lose your hippocampus? Your frontal cortex?" 

I shake my head. 

"Didn't think so. We have to get out of here. Now. I've been thinking about it all morning. There's no other way."

"But our friends...," I say, trying not to cry.

"They'll have to fend for themselves. They've been training, and the Caregivers are healthy now. You'll have to trust that what you started will be enough for them."

"No. I can't leave them. They've sacrificed everything to help me when no one else would. Celia calls me sister now, did you know that? Sister. And Nina is one of my best friends."

"I feel bad about it too, but you've known them for a few weeks. You've known me all your life."

"Four more days, Daniel. That's it and then we can all leave together. I'm not leaving them, I'm sorry. I'd never be able to live with myself."

"You won't live much longer if we don't leave."

"They can't convert everyone in four days," I say.

"Isla, Joe was converted. He can do as many conversions as is needed in a day."

I dig my heels into the tile floor and straighten my posture. "I may have changed from the girl who wouldn't kill a rabbit, but I haven't changed from the girl who wanted everyone to have a fair chance at life. These girls won't have that if I leave."

"And I won't have that if we stay. They are strong, they can live without you." His face is filled with terror. "Please, let's go."

I take a breath to calm my heart from beating so loudly and I offer my hands to him. He wipes the tears from his cheeks, and clasps my hands. "This is just a game of soldiers, Daniel," I whisper. "This is what you want to do: fight. Right?" 

He nods. 

"Then fight. I'll be right by your side. We will fight if we need to. I don't want to, but I will. We will not lose our minds, literally or figuratively. Cooper is just another Prowler. I've destroyed Prowlers before."

"You'd kill him?" he asks in disbelief.

I remember my dream, and how easily I ripped through his skin then. "Cooper isn't human, Daniel. I could kill him."

The door knob turns a few times, then a pounding knock sounds against the door, and O'Neil's voice carries through, "Crowley? You in there?"

He clears his face, but the whites of his eyes are still bright red. "I'll get it," I say, and push past him to unlock the door. "What's up, O'Neil?" I ask, only cracking the door.

"Isla. Is Crowley in there?"

"Yeah, he's just finishing up. What do you need?"

"Cooper asked that all of the Leaders meet without Gunther. Something is going on," he says, trying to hide the crack in his voice. "You should go upstairs. Nina's there."

Daniel slips past me, and joins O'Neil in the hall. "Stay upstairs," he tells me.

"Yeah," I mumble.

O'Neil pats me on the arm and guides Daniel down the hall toward the ballroom. I follow them in silence until I turn to go up the stairs.

I'm not even at the top of the landing before Celia stops me, smiling genuinely from ear to ear. "You're okay," she gasps.

"Thanks to you," I say, and hug her so tightly, I can feel her muscles move beneath my grip.

She pulls away. "Mitchell's at the meeting. So I can finally show you what he's found."

My heart drops into the pit of my stomach. "In Nate's files?"

She nods, and I follow her into their room. Maybe now I will know what Nate was really trying to say in his last moments. Maybe then at least I can say my goodbyes to someone.