Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Maverick shrugged dismissively. “We know a few loopholes and have a couple of connections.”
That sounded rather ominous. Judging by the way Lana was staring him down, she wasn’t okay with that reply either. “Are one of you going to key us in on those connections, or?”
“I’d like to know too,” Mel seconded.
“A Game Maker for starters,” Kyrous revealed.
“You know the Game Maker?”
“We know a game maker,” Ciaran corrected me. “There’s at least a dozen per location.”
Location? I started to question what he meant by that, but Mel spoke first.
“If you’ve got the need for someone like that in your corner then I’m assuming we can’t avoid the games altogether.”
“Your assumption would be correct,” Charon confirmed. “We can forge our own path, somewhat. We’ll still have to continue playing along. Half the board committed to the show of the century. Getting out of here scotch-free? We would sooner be shot dead and guns are one of the few weapon exclusions they have.”
Lana’s brow furrowed. “Exactly how long have you all been participating in these shows?”
When no one volunteered to answer, Ciaran swiftly wrangled the conversation. “Listen, it would be great to stand around and tell campfire stories, but this short reprieve was only possible because HQ needs to cover their asses and figure out how to handle us. If it makes you feel better the games will be a little simpler now.”
“What is your definition of simple, Ciaran? Dodging grenades?”
Maverick and Brody both laughed.
“No, smartass. What I meant was we had a bit of assistance in choosing our route.”
“From whom?” Mel asked, glancing around the table.
“Well,” he began smugly. “It just so happens that we’ve got our Game Maker’s son here with us. He’s actually proven to be somewhat useful.”
There was only one person inside the warehouse he could’ve been referring to.
Almost instinctively all of our heads swiveled in Dion’s direction. He must have been paying more attention than I thought because he was staring right back, glasses no longer spinning between his fingers.
CHAPTER TWO
There was another stretch of silence as the revelation settled over us. No one seemed all that shocked by it other than me. I never would’ve guessed that was his connection to all of this, but it made sense. Dion was quick-witted and thus far a riddle guru. I could picture him in his father’s same position, behind the scenes and away from all the bloodshed.
“Sorry, man,” Brody remarked, sounding as if he meant it.
Dion lifted his broad shoulders in a lazy shrug. “Why would you be sorry? I already started piecing it together.”
Maverick cleared his throat.
“If you need a moment to break down or anything, take it when we aren’t getting ready to go back out there.”
I frowned at the same time Lana and Mel turned toward him with nearly identical glares. We had somehow unanimously decided that Dion was ours for the long haul. Maverick took in our expressions and had the decency to look somewhat apologetic. It was more than the other three offered.
“That came out wrong. I meant to say take all the time you need.”
“Better,” Mel sniped. “Even if it lacked any sincerity.”
He shook his head, causing a few strands of dark hair to fall onto his forehead as he stalked off towards the Mustang. Lana circled the table and walked to where Dion was sitting. I moved closer to Mel and went with her to join them.
“Please don’t lie to me,” I implored in a hushed tone. “How bad is it?”
Her gaze met mine, a flicker of vulnerability shadowing her usually unyielding eyes. She was tough, always the one to shoulder pain of every kind without a whisper of complaint, but this time, even she couldn’t completely hide the truth.
“It’s not great, Grace,” she admitted, her voice tinged with a rare hint of weariness. “But I’ll survive.”
As she spoke, I could see the subtle signs of her struggle she was doing her best to conceal. There was a slight tightness around her eyes and a barely perceptible grimace that appeared every time she moved. The severity of her injury was a grim reminder of the harsh reality we were facing. None of us were invincible. We could die just like anyone else.
“It was at the school?”
We reached the sofa, and I caught the tail end of Lana’s question, seconds before a sudden wave of dizziness crashed over me.
It hit with such an unexpected force that for a moment, the world around me--the dimly lit warehouse, and the faces of my friends--all blurred into a disorienting swirl of colors and shapes. I managed to steady myself, ensuring my expression remained as normal as possible. They didn’t need to see this; I wasn’t ready for them to know. There were so many other things to worry about, like staying alive.
With a forced casualness, I murmured about needing to use the restroom. No one stopped me, but I could feel their eyes on my back, their unvoiced concerns hot on my heels. In my heart, I hoped they’d simply think I needed a moment alone--a small reprieve consistent with my usually sunny disposition. Once inside the tiny bathroom, I shut the steel door and leaned against it, my hands dropping to my knees as the room seemed to spin.