Pandemonium breaks out.

At first, the entire room holds its breath as Daisy pulls her wrist free from my hand and examines it like she's unaware what it means. Then, her feet are on the linoleum floor. She's grabbing the hospital bed in her left hand, which is still bound to a metal bar of it.

I reach forward to free that wrist too, but Daisy yanks the bed off the ground like it's no heavier than some grapes.

She swings it like a bat and takes out the first row of Singh's guards.

"Open fire!" someone shouts.

"No!" Singh bellows, "keep the boy alive!" Then she's dragged out of the room with a lot of shouting.

For a moment, I can't even move. I watch Daisy rip a man's throat out with her talons, but the room is standing still.

Tarak stands across from me and we lock eyes as people scream and bullets ricochet around us. He doesn't say anything to me as he stares.

I wonder if I blame him. I'm staring at him, and everything is a little numb. I want to know why he told her. Does he have a good reason? A reason that would make his betrayal worth it? Would I even listen if he tried to tell me? Why does it matter now when I didn't care if it was Ryan? Does it really change anything?

Daisy turns on him and snarls into elongated teeth.

Tarak doesn't move. He turns his eyes to the Infected girl and all I see in his eyes is pain. "This never should've happened to you," he whispers.

She snarls again, hunkers down like a dog with rabies. She puts her hands flat on the linoleum floor and puts her foot back like a runner about to race. Her eyes never leave Tarak's.

Just as she's about to take off, the door swings open and Dion is there, raising the gun I gave him to his daughter's head.

"NO!" I sprint forward.

Daisy staggers out of her runner's position, eyes wild as she tries to get away from her dad.

I slam my hand into Dion's wrist, snapping his hand to the ceiling.

He fires twice and dust rains down around us.

"Stop!" I roar.

His eyes try to find mine, but they're glazed over and lost. He's stronger than I imagined he could be in his state. His arms are pushing down against mine and even with all my Hunter's strength, my arms are trembling. It's all I can do to keep him from murdering his own child.

I'm gritting my teeth so hard; I can feel one of my molars start to crack.

Daisy sobs and buries her head in her hands.

Tarak dashes towards us.

I nearly pull back to stop him, but he presses flush against me and squeezes the trigger of the gun.

He keeps firing until the gun makes a loud click and refuses to fire again.

We both pull away from Dion.

I keep my feet spread; arms ready for an attack.

Dion doesn't wait. He lunges past us, going for the knife I'd abandoned.

Tarak grabs him around the waist.

I crack the gun against the base of his skull until he slumps against Tarak and, eventually, down to the floor.

Daisy lets out a wail that almost sounds like she's crying his name, but it comes out raspy and broken. She falls to her knees at his side, hiss-screeching sobs as she tugs at his shirt like she thinks she can wake him up. She hits his chest before she sobs again and buries her face in his shirt.

I turn to Tarak, who has already turned away. I want to ask why. I want to know if it was worth it. If there was a reason. But I wouldn't be able to take it if he told me he'd chosen her side.

"I'm sorry," he says, glancing at me over his shoulder.

"Go," I order, putting as much malice in my voice as possible.

"I guess you're done giving me chances," he whispers.

Never.

"I don't know," I rasp. "Just... go back to your mother, Singh."

Tarak flinches and closes his eyes.

Without another word, he's gone.