by Ryan Decaria
Misty, Billie, Yoko and Anika all had mics and earpieces. Misty and Billie answered in the affirmative.
Jackie and Hawking were outside in their cars, waiting for their visual signals.
The drone hovered over a tray with several flasks. The drone lowered right over the flask with a high neck. “In position,” Yoko said.
Anika opened Romeo and Juliet to a random page. “Deliver the cargo.”
The drone’s camera angled down. A green liquid spilled from a dropper nested under the drone into the flask.
“Vanderbleek is headed to his room,” Misty said.
The drone flew toward and out the window. “I’m out,” Yoko said.
“And Bolton’s heading back to her room,” Billie added. “With the ketchup bottle.”
“Then we’re on like Donkey Kong.” Anika said.
Yoko groaned. “Leave the quips to Billie, please.”
“What? I can’t quip?” Anika couldn’t help but smile.
“Did you know that Anika once tricked a bully into tossing his own backpack into a fountain?” Billie asked.
“No,” Misty said. “But I believe it.”
Yoko giggled. “I’m glad you are on our side.”
Over the coms, Anika heard both teachers’ doors close. Now they had to wait.
Claire swept into the lobby in her cheerleader uniform, and her beady eyes landed on Anika. She skipped over, sitting on the bench next to her. “Are you ready to talk?”
“Hi, Claire,” Anika said. “I can’t talk now, but I promise…”
“You’re literally sitting here by yourself.” Claire rested her chin in her hand. “What trouble are you getting into now?”
Anika had to get rid of Claire fast. “No trouble.”
Claire spied Linh, who shielded her laptop in turn. Claire slid over and snatched the laptop out of Linh’s hands. “Ooh, who are we spying on?”
The video feed changed to K-pop.
“Hey.” Claire tried to find the video feed among the open tabs, but Linh yanked it away from her and sat farther down.
Anika leaned toward Claire. “Please go away.”
“Here comes Vanderbleek,” Misty said. “He’s got the tray of chemicals. How did you…?”
“Later,” Anika said. “Go, Billie.”
Anika heard the crash from down the hall. Through the earpiece, Anika heard Billie apologize in broken Norwegian.
“The hallway is clearing out,” Yoko said.
“Smells terrible,” Billie said.
“Your mom smells terrible,” Misty said.
“You’ve met her?” Billie asked.
Linh snorted. How could she even hear what they said? Something was definitely going on with Linh, and Anika was going to find out. She added that to the bottom of her to do list.
“Cut the chatter,” Anika said.
“Seriously.” Claire crossed her legs and leaned in. “What’s going on?”
Anika glared at Claire. “Tell Sasha to get ready.”
Claire grinned. “I’ve got no idea what’s going on, but I love it.”
Sena rolled her longboard back and forth across the ground, signaling Pankina’s office exit. Anika fought the urge to look at the woman’s hairy lip.
Claire looked hard enough for the both of them. Sena sped up her feet indicating that Pankina was headed straight for them. This was bad.
Anika couldn’t look at Pankina, so she stared at Claire. Her cheerleader outfit was starched and pressed. Her lipstick was bright red. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. Captain of the Science Olympiad and her mind was cooking faster than normal. She could ruin everything.
Pankina was close enough, based on the large shadow Anika tracked out of the corner of her eye. She couldn’t say a word to the team.
As the shadow inched closer to her feet, Anika put her hand on Claire’s bare knee and leaned closer, locking eyes with her. She spoke loud enough for Pankina to hear. “I think I love you.”
Anika couldn’t believe the words came out of her own mouth. Claire’s monkey grin exploded across her face. The shadow stopped cold. Pankina’s shadow retreated a step. The longboard’s wheels froze.
“The ketchup has splattered,” Billie said.
“Hall is clear,” Yoko said.
Ms. Bolton rushed through the lobby, wiping ketchup from her blouse.
“Why, Anika.” Claire leaned in, staring into Anika’s eyes. “I had no idea.”
The shadow retreated. Pankina wanted nothing to do with that. Unfortunately, neither did Anika.
“Go for it,” Anika said. Claire leaned in a little more, and Anika was almost sure she was going to have to kiss her.
Down the hall, they heard a heavy door being kicked in.
“Sasha’s in the boiler room.” Yoko said.
“Anika,” Misty said. “I got the drawer open, but it’s not here.”
The lights flickered.
“Oh, crap,” Misty said. “There’s a letter with your name on it.”
“Get out of there.” Anika whispered.
“Bolton’s heading back inside,” Billie said. “She must have had an extra shirt in her car.”
Claire put her hand over Anika’s. “This is exciting.”
“Intercept,” Anika said. “Tell her you’re sorry.”
“Tell who?” Claire asked.
Ms. Bolton stormed through the doors, holding a blue blouse away from the mess across her shirt.
“Misty, don’t go out,” Yoko said. “You won’t make it.”
“What do I do?” Misty asked.
Anika closed her eyes, picturing Bolton’s room. The windows that could open were too small to climb through. “Linh, pull up the floor plans.”
Anika finally stared at Pankina, who was gawking down the hallway. Anika pulled her hand away from Claire and dug out her notebook. Something about the layout of the rooms had seemed off before.
Linh’s hands hit the keys, but they weren’t doing any typing. Linh was doing it with her mind. Cool.
The schematic came up. Pankina moved down the hallway, out of sight.
Anika slid over to Linh and held up her drawing next to the schematic on the laptop. They were off a few feet. “Misty, there’s a small room behind the desk.”
“What?”
Anika pictured the room again. Victor had moved throughout the school so quickly, he had to have been using secret passages. Behind Bolton’s desk was a whiteboard, a poster of Shakespeare, a bookcase, and a large vent.
“Try the vent. Push on it like a cabinet.”
“I couldn’t stop Bolton,” Billie said.
“The vent opened,” Misty said.
Anika moved beside Claire. “Get out.”
The lights in the entire school flickered and went out. Someone was screaming, muffled, likely from the basement.
“I can’t see anything,” Yoko said. “Wait, Sasha’s got him. She’s out.”
A phone rang.
A car peeled out of the parking lot.
The longboard wheels rolled again. Pankina returned and was looking their way. The light from the doors was enough to cast the room in an eerie glow. Anika, in a rash decision, slid closer to Claire and grabbed her hand. She stared into Claire’s stupid, grinning face. Anika was never going to live that down.
“I’m clear,” Misty said, “but you’re not going to like what I’ve found.”
“Anika!” Pankina shouted.
She locked eyes with Pankina. The woman’s nostrils flared as she pointed straight at Anika. In her green sweater with the glow from her phone, all she needed was a pointy hat to look like the Wicked Witch of the West. “In my office now!”
“Why?” Anika stood, ready to face whatever wrath would be tossed her way. Flying monkeys didn’t sound so bad compared to the beasts she’d faced already. “I didn’t do anything.”
Pankina tapped her foot to a silent beat and smiled. “We need to have a little one-on-one chat.”
Anika wasn’t sure what to do. Pankina tapped her foot, pointing at the office doors, which, in the dark, were even more menacing. Anika had always avoided school offices on general principle. If she walked through those doors, she’d be at the mercy of a woman capable of kidnapping and torture.
Anika stared at Pankina. Think. She could openly defy Pankina in front of everyone standing around. Would anyone even care? On the other hand, maybe this was an opportunity. Pankina was still being recorded, and her friends were all there as witnesses. Pankina’s office sure wasn’t as scary as the boiler room.
Anika grabbed her things and headed toward the office. “Fine.”
Linh stared at her, mouth agape. Claire moped, perhaps because she’d lost her chance to blackmail Anika into another side-project. Maybe Claire could be an asset, but Anika didn’t want her anywhere near the team. No, that wasn’t going to happen.
Anika followed Pankina into her office. At least Linh had Dravovitch on speed dial. Or the police. Still, the office presented plenty of danger. A secret passage, a secret lock-the-door button, or worse. If nothing else, Sasha could bust down the door and save her.
Pankina closed the door and sat behind the desk, motioning for Anika to sit in the chair across from her.
Anika took a deep breath and sat.
“Anika,” Linh said in her ear. “Sasha drove off with Jackie and Esposito. I’m trying to get her back.”
Oh. Well, Sasha wasn’t coming to save her. Anika cased the room for anything that might make a difference if things got out of hand.
“Anika,” Pankina said. “You are a smart young woman.”
Anika wasn’t sure how to respond, so she waited.
Pankina continued, “I’m not sure how you pulled it off or what you think you know, but I assure you…”
“Let me stop you right there.” Anika leaned forward. Better to lead this discussion. What Anika did know could cause problems. “There are two things I know for sure. One, this town needs to sort out its electrical issues. And two, since arriving in Moreau, I’ve faced off against far worse people than you. If you want to accuse me of something, you should call up my father right now. He’ll be thrilled to be interrupted at work.”
Pankina’s lips pursed together in a straight line. “Your father and I go back a long way. Longer than you could ever imagine. He has powerful enemies, and he has forgotten an old friend.”
Perhaps this was a game about information. Victor had been one of Dravovitch’s old friends, and he’d terrorized the school before Anika had defeated. Was there a link between him and Pankina?
There had to be. What other friends could Pankina be referring to?
Anika took a gamble. “Victor is dead.”
Pankina grinned. Her eyes veered to the left, likely calculating how much to give away about their relationship. “Victor was a pawn.”
So, they were in it together. Why would Pankina let that slip? The hairs rose on the back of Anika’s neck. This didn’t feel like a game any longer.
The power flickered back on.
“This can go two ways,” Pankina said. “You can cry out for help, and we shall see who gets hurt in the kerfuffle. Or we walk out of here together, smiling, and the other students don’t get hurt.”
Anika swallowed hard. Not a game at all. If she could make it out the door before Pankina could get to her… Anika bit her lip. She had to avoid kerfuffle at all costs.
“What is it you want from me?” Anika asked. “You hate my father that much you’d use me against him?”
“Don’t be naïve, child.” Pankina slid open the drawer in front of her. “This isn’t about emotions or petty vindictiveness.”
Great. Emotion and petty vindictiveness were the easiest to manipulate. “What is it about?”
“It’s about power.” Pankina reached into the desk. “And it’s about time we had a little reckoning.”
“Anika!” Linh yelled in her ear. “She’s got a gun.”
Anika didn’t want to play this game anymore. Still, she had a few tricks up her sleeve.
“Sasha isn’t going to make it back in time,” Linh said. “Esposito is dying. They are trying to save him.”
Okay. Not so many tricks as she thought. She needed to stall.
“What I don’t get,” Anika said, “is why you let Victor do your dirty work. He would have betrayed you in the end.”
“Yes.” Pankina returned her smile. “He would have.”
Great. She wasn’t giving anything else up. “If you’re after my father, aren’t we on the same side?”
“And why would that be, dear?”
“Well, he’s planning to kill me, eventually.”
Damn. She shouldn’t have said that.
“Ah, I wondered if you knew.” Pankina smiled. “Why haven’t you tried to run away? Do you think you can change his mind? Show him how clever you are? Do you honestly think you can convince him your paltry life matters one little bit?”
Pankina laughed—the worst laugh Anika had ever heard, shrill with a side of cackle. A true witch at heart. She’d threaten every kid in the hallway outside if Anika tried to run away. Maybe a teacher if one got in her way.
Anika believed her.
She had no way out. Running for the door was stupid. Pankina would chase her down or shoot her in the back. “I’ll join you,” Anika said. “Whatever you’re planning to do to my father, I’ll help.”
“The time for that is past. I don’t need you anymore.”
Anika’s arm hairs joined those on the back of her neck. She didn’t need Anika alive. Anika had no exit strategy, no cards where terror wouldn’t rain down on her school. All that was left was to choose where to die and hope Sasha could get there first.
“Fine. I’ll…”
Claire’s voice blared in her ear. “Tell her to check her email.”
Pankina tapped the desk with her fingertips. “You’ll what?”
“Do it,” Claire said. “Trust me.”
Anika didn’t have an alternative. Claire was acting way smarter than she was two weeks ago. Perhaps, Anika could reap the benefits now. “Check your email.”
Pankina eyed her computer, which hopefully had booted up after the power came back on. “Why?”
Anika stared blankly. Easy enough to do since she didn’t know why either. “Just do it.”
Keeping one hand under the desk, Pankina unlocked her computer and pulled open her email. Her jaw dropped open.
Claire spoke again. “Tell her to play the clip.”
Anika leaned forward, but she still couldn’t see the screen. “Play the clip.”
Pankina clicked. Her eyes darted across the screen. She inspected her cardigan pulling at the button.
Anika could hear Pankina’s teeth grinding.
She grabbed scissors off her desk and cut the button off her sweater. “What did you do?”
“Tell her it’ll go viral,” Claire said. “Tell her the police are on their way.”
Anika pointed at the computer. “That video goes viral if I don’t walk out of here right now.”
Pankina’s arm twitched like she was squeezing the gun handle a little too hard.
“Tell her the police are coming,” Claire repeated.
Anika didn’t want the police involved. Not now. She decided to trust Claire. “The police are almost here.”
Sirens blared nearby. Sirens, but not police sirens. A fire truck, but Pankina was from Russia and probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Clever.
“Tell her to answer the phone,” Claire said.
Anika motioned toward the phone with a nod of her head. “You might want to answer that.”
The phone rang.
Pankina pressed her fingers at her temples. “How are you doing this?”
“You think I walked in here unprepared? I killed Victor without blinking an eye, faced down a monster and brought him back from the brink, and am trying to survive high school. Answer the damn phone!”
Pankina picked it up. “Hallo.”
Anika could hear the other side of the conversation in her ear.
“Pankina, darling,” her father said, “So pleased to hear your voice. What can I do for you?”
A bead of sweat ran down Pankina’s face. “For me?”
“Talk to him,” Claire said.
Anika grinned. “Hi, Dad!”
“Anika? What are you doing there? Not getting into trouble, are you?”
Pankina stared, bewildered, her mouth hanging open.
“Depends, I guess.” Anika got to her feet.
“On what?” he said.
“Pankina was afraid to call and disappoint you. She’s found another opportunity. I know you guys go way back, and all, but I know she’s super excited for the opportunity to escape…” Anika paused for effect, “the swamp. It’s murder on her hair.”
“Ha,” Claire said. “Nice.”
“Pankina, I’m disappointed to hear this,” he said. “I need you at the school.”
Pankina tried to speak, but a gurgle stuck in her throat.
“She’s choked up. I guess you mean a lot to her. Still, Dad, she can’t pass this up.”
“Bainbridge Institute, in Richmond,” Claire said. “A research position with the bells and whistles she’s been after. Linh says to trust her on this.”
“Bainbridge called, finally.” Anika ambled to the desk and picked up Esposito’s nameplate, examining the letters. “Can you believe it? After all this time.”
Pankina’s face puckered up, and judging from the quivering of her arm, she clenched the gun under the desk even harder.
“She was still going to turn it down, Dad, for you, but I told her that was crazy. She had to take it. They offered her all the bells and whistles she’s wanted for so long. I convinced her to go for it.”
“Wow,” her father said. “That’s unfortunate, but this is what you’ve dreamed about for so long.”
Carefully. “She has to leave tonight. She starts Monday. Plus, you know, if this whole experiment with the alligator swamp comes tumbling out in the open, she could lose her chance to escape.”
“I see,” he said. “Very well, my dear. Good luck.”
Pankina cleared her throat. “Thanks.”
Anika turned toward the door and reached for the handle. The door opened. Anika hustled out.
