“Did it for attention,” Zeke added.
The idea that someone would willingly subject themselves to a Nox attack just to get the attention of a boy—even if that boy was Nick Fiorino—was so ludicrous, Josie laughed out loud.
Madison whirled on her. “You think this is funny?”
Josie pushed up the sleeves of her sweater, exposing her heavily bandaged arms. “Yeah, these are so funny.”
“Too bad they didn’t attack your face.” Madison turned around and walked toward a sofa.
Josie wasn’t sure if it was her entrenched hatred for the Madison who had betrayed her, or whether this Madison was just grating on her nerves, but something snapped.
“Hey,” she said, spinning Madison around by the arm. “I don’t know how to explain what happened to me or how I got here, but it happened. I don’t particularly like being stuck here with you any more than you like me invading your little clubhouse. But it’s done. Deal.”
“Time out,” Nick said, stepping between them. His voice was calm. “Everybody play nice.”
Josie folded her arms across her chest. “I will if she will.”
Madison stepped right up in Nick’s face. “It’s her mom’s fault your brother is dead.”
Josie gasped. Tony was dead?
“It’s Tony’s fault too,” Nick said through clenched teeth.
Madison shook her head. “He wasn’t the one operating the X-FEL. It’s because of that woman locked away in that loony bin in Annapolis that Tony’s dead. ZZ’s aunt and uncle. Jackson’s dad. My dad. All dead because of her.”
“Wait,” Josie said, turning to Nick. “A loony bin?”
“They’re not dead,” Jackson said through gritted teeth. “They’re missing.”
Madison swung around on him. “What, do you think a micro black hole swallowed them up? Our parents are dead, Jax, and if they’re not they will be before we can get to them. You really think whoever has them will just let them go?”
“I . . . ,” Jackson started. Clearly he had no answer.
“All we can hope for is answers. Answers that she”—Madison jabbed her thumb in Josie’s direction—“might have.”
“Nick, Dr. Byrne’s in a loony bin?”
Nick held up his hand, signaling for Josie to wait. Madison turned her back on them and stood panting, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest. Josie was trying to process all the information she’d just heard—ultradense deuterium, micro black holes, Tony was dead, and everyone else was missing family members—and Dr. Byrne wasn’t traveling for work or on vacation. She was in an asylum. One more thing Jo didn’t tell her.
Nick laid a hand gently on Madison’s shoulder. “Mads, calm down.”
Josie’s stomach clenched. The way Nick touched her, the way his hands lightly grazed the skin of Madison’s bare arms, the softness in his voice. Josie recognized it right away. They’d been intimate, maybe still were. No wonder Madison hated Jo: she was in love with Nick too.
Madison sunk her head to her chest but didn’t say anything as Nick continued. “I know this doesn’t make any logical sense, but I saw the mirror with my own eyes. I saw it morph away at exactly three fifty-nine. Three fifty-nine,” he added for emphasis. “Is that a coincidence? I felt the concrete wall with my own hands, and then . . . I felt something close in on me as the portal closed. I don’t know how to explain it, but Josie’s telling the truth.”
“Don’t defend her!” Madison erupted. “How many more people are going to disappear because of her family, huh? I’m done with this.” She walked to the corner where the generator hummed away. Over the dull noise, Josie could just make out a sob.
Silence fell. Jackson still held the gun, but it hung limply in his hand, forgotten, as his eyes followed Madison to the corner of the room. The twins wandered back to a sofa and sat stiffly side by side. Nick shoved his hands deep into his pockets and stared at the floor, kicking at something in the dusty concrete with the toe of his boot. And Josie just stood rooted in place.
“Nick,” she whispered. “What’s going on?”
“We’ve all lost someone,” he said in a hushed tone as if he were in a library. “Someone who was working on Project Raze. Jackson’s and Madison’s dads, ZZ’s aunt and uncle.”
“And your brother,” Josie added.
Nick stiffened. “There was an explosion at the lab. Tony and your . . . ,” he started, remembering who she was. “I mean Tony and Dr. Byrne were testing a way to eradicate the Nox. That’s what Project Raze is, by the way. It’s a joint project between the Grid and the government. Couple hundred scientists up at Fort Meade doing anything and everything they can think of to get rid of them.”
“The explosion was an accident?”