Countdown

I crossed my arms. 'You were serious when you said you didn't know Jonathan.'

He shook his head. 'No, I'd never met him before.'

'It still doesn't explain why you have that folder on your desktop,' Rogan said evenly.

'Ever since my virus failed …' He blinked. 'Or since I thought it failed, I've been a bit obsessed with all things Ellis, especially anything to do with The Countdown. I even reapplied for a job there a couple years ago. Gareth interviewed me personally and offered me something great. Then he told me about the implants. Still sounded cool, so I got fitted with one while I made my decision on the job offer. I got to actually watch a few levels of The Countdown. Man, I was so stoked.' He licked his lips. 'But… but then I saw somebody get eliminated. They killed him on camera. Gareth laughed it off like it was nothing. Told me that this was the future and I should get used to it. He showed me the contract. Practically had to sign that fucker in blood. Then.. somebody approached me. Told me that they'd help me get out before it was too late. He removed my implant and told me to run. I did.'

Rogan and I exchanged glances. So Joe had met Jonathan after all; he just might not have known his name.

'What happened then?' Rogan asked.

'I've been in hiding ever since. I know The Countdown is a big secret. I know I know too much. My father died in a car crash a week later. I've convinced myself that Gareth arranged for his death, but I don't have any damn proof. That's what that folder is. It's research. I know about the game, the levels, how they select competitors. I know about the implant linking.' He shook his head. 'It's just so horrible. You don't know what The Countdown is really like now.'

'Yes, we do,' I said. 'We've been playing it for three days against our will.'

Joe's mouth dropped open. 'You're lying. Then how did you get here?'

'We escaped.'

'If you have an antivirus,' Rogan said, and I could hear the strain in his voice, 'then we need it. It must be the only way to stop the virus now.'

I heard a door shut as Colin returned to the room. 'What arc you guys talking about now?'

I walked over to him. 'Colin, I know you're pissed at me. I can understand that. But if you trust me at all, I need you to leave here. Go somewhere safe.'

'What are you talking about?'

I pressed my lips together and felt a tear slip down my cheek. I didn't want Colin to be pulled into this any more than he already was. 'Look, you said you had a cool new job lined up, right?'

'That's right.'

I forced a smile. 'I want to hear all about it. Soon, okay?'

He looked at me strangely. 'Okay.'

I gave him a hug. 'Just take off. Come back here tomorrow or something.'

'If… if you say so. Sure. Okay. I'll go. Um … I'll leave right now.'

I frowned. Why did he sound so scared?

I pressed my hand against the back of his neck and concentrated long enough to flex a little.

It was all I needed.

I pulled back from him to look at his face. 'What kind of a job did you say you got?'

He smiled, but it was a little shaky. 'I'm going to be working with computers.'

I nodded slowly, still close in the hug with him.

'What's going on, Kira?' Rogan said from behind me.

'I'm not sure.' I slid my fingers into the hair at the back of Colin's head, hoping I wouldn't find what I was looking for.

But there it was.

Colin had a freshly installed implant.

He took a step back from me.

'I'm sorry, Kira,' he said.

My throat felt thick. 'You're sorry?'

'I'd already had my interview with them before I saw you at the mall. I had no idea you had anything to do with the game. They took me and fitted me with an implant so I could watch.' His expression shadowed. 'They told me that if I saw you again then I… I had to contact them.'

Rogan now stood beside me. 'Where have you been for the last few minutes?'

He wouldn't make eye contact with either of us. 'They're going to be here in two minutes.'

My eyes widened and my heart started pounding hard-a sensation I hadn't had for a little while, but I recognized it well enough. A familiar sensation of fight or flight.

I was voting for 'flight.'

Another countdown commences.

'I'm sorry,' Colin whispered again.

I opened my mouth to say something to him-to scream at him for selling us out-but Rogan took a step toward him first. That was enough. Colin staggered back from him and tripped on a wire. He fell and hit his head against the side of the computer table, managing to knock himself out.

I grabbed Rogan's tense arm.

'What are we supposed to do now?' I managed.

Joe's eyes had grown very large. 'They're coming here? Shit. Somebody go up the stairs and lock the damn door.'

Without anyone asking me to, I did just that. I thundered up the stairs as fast as I could, still favoring my sore ankle, and turned the dead bolt. I went back downstairs.

'We have no time,' Rogan said. 'We need the antivirus and we need it now.'

Joe's entire body was tense, and I was certain he was going to try to run away. I was equally certain that Rogan wouldn't let him, but we didn't have time for a physical confrontation. Not here. Not now.

Joe finally nodded his head sharply. 'Okay. Let me think.' He turned and sat down heavily in front of his computer and put his fingers on the keyboard. 'I know it's around here somewhere. It's been a while, man, like, over four years. I hope I didn't trash it.'

The idea made me feel like throwing up.

'But will an antivirus actually work?' I asked. 'I don't know shit about computers, but wouldn't it have progressed too far for that by now? Like, evolved?'

Joe shrugged with one shoulder as he whipped through folder after folder, which appeared and disappeared in flashes of light and color. 'That's entirely possible. But you won't know unless you try. If you can get to the main artificial intelligence server, shove the antivirus in, and launch it, then you might be able to do some damage.'

Rogan gripped the back of Joe's chair and he watched the scrolling files appear on-screen. 'I wish like hell I knew where the AI server was now. It used to be on the second floor, but that was years ago.'

'It's in the subbasement,' Joe said absently. 'It was mentioned in passing during my orientation tour. Some employee told me by mistake, and Gareth changed the subject quickly, so I figured it was a big secret.'

'What room?' I asked.

'Shit, I can't find it.' The files scrolled down the screen faster than I could read them. 'Where the fuck did I put it? I'm so disorganized.'

'The room?' I repeated louder. By my estimation we had less than a minute left to get the hell out of there.

'Uh … I thought it was strange at the time, but now I guess it makes perfect sense. It's marked as Gareth's office, even though I know his real office is on the top floor. The room has a computerized lock that only certain employees can access. The only people who are able to get in have a red name tag, if that helps. I remember that because it made me think of blood. My blood. And I didn't want to spill any of it either, then or now.'

Just then I heard a bang and I nearly jumped out of my skin. At the top of the stairs somebody was knocking loudly on the outer door.

'It's a strong door.' Joe's voice shook a little. 'Trust me, paranoia will take you places. Especially dark, well-locked places. We have a minute.'