by Lanie Jordan
*~*~*
When we didn’t see Chris the next morning (after Tasha banged on his door for ten minutes straight to no avail), Linc and I both exchanged looks. We were both thinking the same thing: Chris had been suspended, or worse, kicked out.
Tasha was a wreck the entire day, barely participating. When she did, she was a danger to herself and nearly got plowed in the head by the girl Mr. Elliot made her (temporary, I hoped) partner. After that, I switched with the other girl and took over partner-duty. I figured I was quick enough not to hit her if she didn’t do anything and I probably wouldn’t be hurt much if she managed to hit me. It’d still hurt, but at least I wouldn’t have any visible injuries.
As class ended, Tasha walked out, as if in a trance. Linc and I followed closely behind. She went down to the first floor, and as we neared the cafe court, she tossed her tablet into my hands and broke out in a run. We saw why a second later: Chris was sitting at a table.
“Is it good that he’s there or bad?” Linc wondered.
“No idea.” I sighed. “Guess we better find out.”
We wandered over in time to hear Tasha yelling at him. She was rambling—quickly. His eyes darted back and forth, like he was looking for help. He dropped his head to the table with a thud and linked his hands over the back of his head.
“Tell me what’s going on, Chris,” Tasha was saying.
Linc rested his arm on her shoulder. “Give him a minute.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at all of us. ”Fine. I’ll wait.” She took a seat next to him and tapped her fingers angrily on the table.
Chris, when he lifted his head, looked miserable. There were circles under his eyes and his face was drawn, like he hadn’t eaten or slept in days.
I touched his arm to get his attention. “You want something to eat or drink, Chris?” He stared at me blankly which had my heart melting, and not in a good way. “I’ll get you something,” I said, already stepping away. Quickly, I grabbed a few things—snacks, mostly, and a bottle of water—and then set them in front of him. “Eat. Drink.”
He grabbed the bottle first and took a sip, then just rolled it in his hands.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Tasha snapped.
“Tasha.” My tone was sharp but quiet and I gave her a hard glare. “Give him a break.”
For a second, she was livid. Her eyes narrowed at me, her back went rigid. She looked ready to go a round with me—verbally, if not physically—but then she looked at him. Just like that, everything about her changed. Her eyes unnarrowed, her back relaxed. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She reached across and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry, babe.”
“It’s okay.”
Linc and I sat in front of him. “You don’t have to talk about it. But…you’re not being kicked out or anything, are you?” I said, voicing the question I was pretty sure everyone was dying to know.
“No. Not yet, anyway.” He made a face. “It could still happen though.”
“What happened?” was Linc’s question.
“Director Greene—everyone, actually,” he added with a bitter laugh, seeing the looks people were giving him, “thinks I let someone on the property.”
Tasha snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“What?” I half-shouted. I winced. “No way.”
“What do you mean?” Linc asked.
“They found someone on the property and think I brought him here—or told him how to get here.”
“Oh, please. You’ve done some stupid things, but you’d never do that.” After a second, Tasha seemed to realize her words and quickly added, “Okay, that’s not what I meant—”
Chris smiled a little. “No, it’s fine, and you’re right. But I wouldn’t do that. I push the boundaries a little—okay, sometimes a lot. Sneaking fireworks and smoke bombs onto the property. But meeting people here? Never. I wouldn’t even consider that. I’m dumb, and I’ll be the first to admit it, but I know what this place does and I know keeping it secret is important. I’d never meet someone or tell them how to get here.”
Linc shook his head, frowning. “I’m confused. How did you get blamed for someone being here, or meeting you here?”
“Start at the beginning,” Tasha told him.
He took a deep breath, exhaled loudly. “I lost my watch yesterday, remember?” Tasha nodded. “Well, I went to look for it. I was out back where I keep my stash of off-limits stuff. I usually check on it once every few days to make sure no one’s found it. Anyway, I thought maybe I’d dropped it out there. I’m digging around in the dark, looking for my stupid watch, when I see this guy dressed in all black. I almost missed him because he was off the property, on the wrong side of the fence. We kind of stared at each other for a minute, like we we’re both surprised to see someone else. After a second, I turned to leave, to get a guard or an agent—someone—when he calls my name.”
Tasha nodded. “Go on.”
“Okay, so I turn back, thinking it’s someone from here, that maybe they snuck off the property. Then I realize this guy’s older—way older than us. I’d never seen him before, ever. I told him that too, that I’d never seen him before. He tells me Larry—that’s the guy I, er, buy stuff from—sent him with a gift.” His eyebrows scrunched together. “It was off. I see it now. Hindsight, you know? But I didn’t see it then.”
Linc said, “Understandable.”
“Why didn’t you call someone or tell him to get lost?” I asked gently.
“I almost did. I should have. Man, I really should have. But he knew my name and Jerry’s name, so I thought he was legit. Anyway, I asked him what Larry sent him with but he refused to tell me. See, Larry’s a little…crazy. Not the bad kind of crazy. He just goes a little overboard with stuff, you know? Tries to sell me real fireworks—the kinds cities set off—instead of the smaller ones I usually get. Things I know would get me kicked out in a second. Things I’d never bring around here or ever buy from him.” He looked at each of us, his gaze fierce. “Look, I’m not the smartest guy here and I mess up a lot. But I swear on my grandma I wouldn’t bring or meet anyone here, and I wouldn’t tell them how to get here.”
Tasha stroked his arm. “We know you wouldn’t.”
“Okay.” He let out a breath, like he finally believed that she believed him. “Okay. I told John—the name he gave me—no way, that he needed to go because I was going to call a guard. Hell, I did call one. But when the guard showed up, John tossed something over the fence at my feet, then he picked up something in front of him. He was all, ‘Pleasure doing business with you again, Chris’ with a wide smile on his face.”
“What’d he give you?” Tasha asked.
“What’d he picked up?” was my question.
“Real fireworks. And he had money on the ground, like I’d given it to him. He picked it up and waved it at me, just as the guard showed up and saw.”
Linc, who’d been pretty quiet the last few minutes, raised an eyebrow. “What about the fireworks at the start of Phase? Those didn’t seem that small.”
“Larry,” Chris bit out angrily. “He gave those to me last time and I didn’t realize it. They were some new design I’d never seen before. By the time I got back here and spotted them, it was too late to do anything about it, so I just set them aside. I never used them and I didn’t plan to—I was going to give them back the next time I saw him.”
“How’d they go off, then?”
Chris shrugged at Tasha’s question. “I don’t know.” He frowned and his eyebrows scrunched together. “I had some smaller ones set to go off when I pressed a button—like last year’s Halloween deal?—so maybe I grabbed the other one by mistake.”
“How’d the guy find you?” When Tasha glared at me, I let out an exasperated breath. “I didn’t say I don’t believe him, but think about it. Chris said he’d never met anyone here.” I eyed him. “Right?”
Chris shook his head fast and hard. “Never. It took me a while to realize that, actually
. I’ve never met Jerry anywhere near here. It’s always been in New Orlando. I’ve never even mentioned his place to him, not even the general area. He’s never asked, either. Jerry isn’t exactly overly chatty about that kind of thing. He wants to sell shit, but he doesn’t ask questions because he doesn’t want the answers.”
“So how’d John find it, then?”
Everyone tensed but said nothing. A strange silence filled the air. Linc shook his head. “If Chris didn’t tell him how to get here—”
“Then he followed him,” I finished for him. “And that raises a whole list of other questions.”
Linc nodded. “Like why he followed him.”
“And why he wanted on the property.” I frowned and tapped a finger on the table. “This place isn’t the best kept secret. People know it’s a research facility, even if they don’t know what exactly is researched here.”
“Which would be us,” Tasha said.
“And demons.”
I nodded at Chris. “Exactly. So, another question would be: does John know about demons, or did he follow you here for something else? Research? A prank? Maybe he really is a friend of Larry’s?” I shrugged. “Just tossing ideas out there.”
Chris shook his head. “If it was a prank, the guy deserves an Emmy. And I don’t think Larry sent him. He knows I’m underage. He knows if I get busted it could bring hell down on him. Why risk that when he’d get in more trouble than me?” His eyes narrowed. “John was…adamant about coming onto the property. I wasn’t thinking about it before, but I asked him what he brought. He kept saying it was a surprise and that he had to set it up.”
Who the hell was this guy? “Where’d he go—John?”
“After the guard showed up and pulled a weapon on him, demanding to know who he was and what he was doing here, John kept smiling and took off running. The guard called for backup and went after him, but I’m guessing they never found him.”
“What about Director Greene?” Tasha asked. “Did he believe you? Are you in trouble?”
Chris shrugged. “He seemed…reserved about my answer. Like he thought it was possible but still thought I was lying.” He frowned again and that miserable look came back, worse than ever. “I’m pretty sure I won’t be going to New Orlando with you guys anytime soon.”
Tasha leaned her head on his shoulder.
I glanced at Linc, hoping he’d get my we-should-leave-them-alone look. He did and rose from his chair. “We’ll see you two later, okay?”
I stood and patted Chris on the shoulder. “Even if Greene doesn’t believe you, we do.”
He tried for a smile, but it didn’t come remotely close to reaching his eyes. “Thanks.”
Tasha waved, and we said our byes and left them alone.
As we left, I glanced over my shoulder. I’d seen my friends upset or scared—that was part of life, wasn’t it?—but I didn’t like it. I liked it even less when everything about a person’s body language shouted misery. And I really disliked it when it was due to someone else.
As soon as we were out in the main hall, Linc shot me a look. “You believe him?”
“Yeah. He’d probably lie to Greene to save his butt. Greene’s kind of scary when he’s mad.” I tore my gaze from Chris and Tasha and looked to Linc. “But I don’t think he’d lie to us—or to Tasha. He was too shaken up.”
Linc nodded slowly. “I agree.”
“I wish I didn’t. Believe him, I mean.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s bad news if he’s not lying. Chris is too shocked to think about it now, and Tasha’s too worried about him to, but assuming he’s telling the truth—and I am—then he was watched. He was watched and followed, and…”
“And what?” Linc said.
“There has to be a reason. Getting Chris kicked out does what? Nothing to us or the CGE. Sure, it’d cause trouble for him, but what’s the other reason?”
“Why do you think there is one?”
“Because Chris is easy to get along with—it’s hard not to like him, even when he does crazy stuff. He spends ninety-nine percent of his time here. We’re in New Orlando, for what? A few hours a month? And since last year, he’s been with Tasha. You know they do stuff in New Orlando together, because she wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Linc chuckled but nodded. “True.”
“She’s said he’s gone to meet someone a few times—this Larry guy, I guess—but he’s always back in ten minutes.” I frowned. “I don’t know. This feels…”
“Like a set up. A big one.”
“But again, why? Why Chris? Is it personal?”
“I doubt it,” Linc said, his tone dark and eyes narrowing.
I pulled him aside, away from a small group of Prospects. “Now what are you thinking?”
“This John guy was smart. He had info on Chris only his closest friends would have—info we didn’t have. He knew what Chris bought, who he bought it from, and he came here with a good plan in case he got caught.”
I tried to laugh, but even to my ears the sound was strained. “You’ve watched too many spy movies.”
“Do you think I’m wrong?” His eyes locked with mine. “You’re the one who brought it up.”
“I know I did, but it doesn’t mean I’m not hoping I’m wrong.” I let out a heavy sigh. “I think we’re right, and that’s what scares me.”
“I’d be willing to bet this guy—John, if that’s his real name—will try again.”
My body went cold. “Why?”
Linc’s eyes were dark now. “Because he went to a lot of trouble to get here. Like you said, the CGE isn’t exactly hidden. So why try to sneak onto the property in the first place? If it was a prank, why try to get Chris in trouble? I can’t see some thirty-something year old trying to get a not-quite-eighteen year-old in trouble, especially if they don’t even know each other.”
He had a point. A lot of them, actually. None of them left me with any particularly good feelings, though.
“The whole thing bugs me. But…”
His eyes narrowed. “But what?”
“Why Chris? More importantly, why here? If he doesn’t know what this place is, why’d he try to sneak in? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“You think John knows what this place is.”
“Don’t you?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah, yeah I do.”
“Which brings us to another question: how?”
He shrugged. “Demon Coalition, maybe? Or another research facility? Director Greene’s mentioned them before. Maybe it was one of their people.”
Other facilities were one of the reasons the exams had, apparently, been changed during our first Phase. Instead of having a normal competition, Greene had set me up by telling people I’d stolen information, and the whole CGE had come after me. He did it, he’d said, because there’d been break-ins before and that the guards, agents, and Prospects needed to be prepared for it. I’d brushed it aside and never given it another thought. Until now. I hadn’t doubted Greene or anything, but I couldn’t imagine anyone breaking in or even trying.
Now it seemed someone had tried again.
“Okay,” I said, speaking slowly. “If we’re right and he does know about this place, then he knows about us, too. Because he followed Chris and used him as a scapegoat.”
“It’s worse than that.”
“How?” I asked, even though I was sure I didn’t want the answer.
“Think about it for a minute, Jade. He used Chris, specifically. John not only knew who Chris was or where he was from, but he knew Chris bought fireworks from a guy named Larry.”
“But he’d have to know when we go to New Orlando and it changes month to month.”
“Exactly. He had to have followed us from here to New Orlando, which means a lot of surveillance.”
“You mean he wasn’t alone.”
Linc nodded. “And they’re good, because they didn’t get caught doing it. They’re smart,” he mu
rmured. “They might not have known about Chris in the beginning, but they knew or found out just enough to use him in case John got caught. They planned ahead.”
I nodded now. “And what’s the perfect excuse? Selling off-limits stuff to Chris.” I shook my head. “He makes the perfect scapegoat.”
“He does. Whatever John’s reasons are, he went to a lot of trouble to set Chris up.”
“Which is why you think he—or they—will try again.”
He nodded.
“Ah, hell.” I shook my head. The knot that’d formed in my stomach last night when we found out Chris was in trouble tripled in size. “So where does that leave Chris? Do you think Greene believes him? We can’t be the only ones who do. We can’t be the only ones who’ve thought of this.”
Linc’s eyes were dark. “I’m betting Greene knows, which is why Chris wasn’t suspended.”
I didn’t doubt him, unfortunately, and I almost wished I could. Not about Chris, because I was glad he hadn’t been kicked out. But the whole situation was beyond extreme. I really didn’t like the idea of some weird guy (or guys) following us around and trying to sneak onto the property for…whatever they wanted. I really didn’t like that they’d used one of my friends for it.
I hated that everything Linc said made sense. I hated that I agreed with him. And I especially hated that Greene had been right all along.
Because this Phase just got a hell of a lot more complicated.
CHAPTER 11
Later that night, Greene ordered everyone to the auditorium. Linc and I expected the speech to come—and so did half the other Prospects it seemed. The tone in the room was muted, like everyone knew they weren’t going to like what they were about to hear. Considering rumors had been flying since last night about Chris—some true, some not—it didn’t surprise me.
Greene stormed to his podium and dropped his tablet down. The sound had most of the Prospects jumping or wincing, including me and Linc. Chris, who’d been busy trying to make himself seem smaller, jumped more than anyone else. Tasha clutched his hand between hers.
