Weeks ago in San Francisco, Millie had started the race on her own. She would end it on her own, wherever the finish line turned out to be.
Not that she was truly on her own. Her new film crew—she’d dubbed them Bert and Ernie—joined her on the flight to Seattle. The two men followed her to Pike’s Market where she tossed fish as the sun came up and to the famous coffee franchise where she prepared drinks for the early morning rush of customers. They rode with her on a helicopter ride to the Mount Saint Helens Recreation Area—she closed her eyes for over half the trip, maybe more—and now they sat in the car as she drove around the volcanic crater. The rules prevented Bert and Ernie from helping her, of course, but Millie didn’t need their assistance.
Or Jace’s.
As the car vibrated on the
