"Okay, Boss." Tally let herself drop back a bit more, pleased that David knew who was coming for him now.

At top speed, the chase soon reached the factory belt. They all climbed to avoid the automated delivery trucks rumbling through the darkness, orange underlights reading the road markings to find their destinations. The other three Cutters spread out behind her, cutting off any chance of the Smokies doubling back.

With a glance upward at the stars and a lightning calculation, Tally saw that the two were still headed away from the river, zooming toward certain capture at the city's edge.

"This is kind of weird, Boss," she said. "Why isn't he heading for the river?"

"Maybe he got lost. He's just a random, Tally-wa. Not the brave boy you remember."

Tally heard soft laughter over the network, and her cheeks burned. Why did they keep acting like David still meant something to her? He was just some ugly random. And, anyway, it did show some bravery, sneaking into the city like this…even if it was pretty stupid.

"Maybe they're heading for the Trails," Fausto said.

The Trails were a big preserve on the other side of Crumblyville, the sort of place middle pretties went hiking to pretend they were out in nature. It looked wild, but you could still get picked up by a hovercar when you got tired.

Maybe they thought they could disappear on foot. Didn't David realize that Cutters could fly past the edge of the city? That they could see in the dark?

"Should I move in?" Tally asked. Here in the factory belt, she could yank David off his board without killing him.

"Relax, Tally," Shay said flatly. "That's an order. The grid ends, no matter which way they go from here."

Tally clenched her fists, but didn't argue.

Shay had been special longer than any of them. Her mind was so icy that she'd practically made herself into a Special—brain-wise, anyway—breaking out of bubbleheadness with nothing but a sharp knife against her own skin. And Shay was the one who'd made the deal with Dr. Cable, the arrangement that allowed the Cutters to destroy the New Smoke any way they wanted.