Still aware of the cameras, Lara reluctantly said, “Sure. Thanks for asking.” She’d beg out of it later. “Do you have a chaperone?” Contestants could only leave the arena and hotel area in groups, and they had to take a chaperone to ensure no one watched the broadcast version of the competition.
Makil nodded. “We’re all set to meet at seven in the hotel lobby.”
“I’ll see you then. You’ll have to excuse me for now. I need to rest for a while.”
“You earned it.” He gave her a nod of approval.
After a hot shower and a small protein and vegetable shake, Lara lay down. Her body was exhausted but she didn’t sleep well even at night, so she would only meditate for a while, then get back up. After a few minutes, the desk NetCom beeped. Lara grudgingly got up to check it. The corner app flashed Video Message.
She tapped to answer and the box enlarged. Michael Quince and Rob Schakowski, her old homicide-unit partners, grinned and shouted their congratulations. Quince did an end-zone dance that made her laugh. She recognized the conference room in the Eugene Police Department, and it warmed her weary bones to see them. Schak had retired the year before, so he’d made a special effort to join Quince. She was a little sad Jackson wasn’t there.
“Hey! It’s good to see you guys. Thanks for checking in.”
“You killed on the first section,” Schak shouted. “In fact, you’re the first woman to finish the Challenge in less than an hour.”
Lara hadn’t realized that. Trust Schak to have the stats. “It’s wickedly complex. I was going on instinct.” They had to be vague when they talked about the contest. Special software monitored the contestants’ conversations with the outside world to ensure they weren’t hearing advance details. “I mostly got lucky.”
“Bullshit. That save was amazing,” Schak said.
Quince, going gray but still gorgeous, cut in. “I about had a heart attack when you went down, but you were so quick to correct it.”
“You were fast in the tunnels too.” Schak still sounded excited, but a beeping noise cut him off. The software didn’t want him talking about tunnels. If Lara hadn’t already competed, their message probably wouldn’t have come through.
“I hated every minute of it. My knees still hurt. Did you know there were reptiles in there?”
“That’s disgusting.” Schak tried not to laugh.
“I’m surprised you were both able to watch the live feed. How did you know when I was going to compete?” They only announced each Challenge a few hours in advance. The software also blocked viewers from the competitor’s state from voting when their representative ran the course. It kept populous states from having an advantage.
“I was watching at home and waiting,” Schak said. “When I heard them announce your name for the first round, I contacted Jackson and came down here. He watched with us, then had to go out on a lead. He’s working a missing persons case.”
The job always came first for Jackson. She loved that about him. “This means a lot to me, guys.” Lara struggled to keep her voice from cracking. “I appreciate the support.”
“When do you compete again?”
“Not until Wednesday. They’ll run Challenges all day tomorrow and post my time for the Puzzle sometime after five.”
“Good luck. Show ’em how smart you are.”
“Thanks.” Emotions she never thought she’d feel again were bubbling to the surface. “I have to go now. Say hello to everyone for me.” She blew a kiss for fun, then felt foolish and signed off.
At six-thirty, she considered going out to dinner with the group who’d invited her, then decided against it. Her inability to eat solid food meant that most social gatherings were awkward for her. People always pushed her to eat and she never did. She also didn’t bother to explain why. Jackson was the only person who knew for sure about her condition and he understood without being told. Guilt was something he lived with too, even though he had no reason for it. Lara’s guilt was well-earned.
She made another small shake with a banana, milk, and protein powder and drank it while surfing the net for news. She felt like a junkie in need of a fix. She normally tuned in to the news intermittently throughout the day, but now she was going on twenty-four hours without any. The headline was a deadly flash flood in Illinois. She thought about Jason Copeland and wondered if he knew. If he did, would it affect his performance? The civil war in Syria was still going on, a tornado had hit the southern states, and summer temperatures were predicted to be in the 115-120-degree range for most mid-Earth locations. On the bright side, a Chinese doctor had implanted an autologous-liver into a patient.
As Lara read the details, the door burst open and Kirsten stormed in. Her roommate stopped between the desk and the couch and blocked the path to Lara’s bedroom.
“You little old bitch.” Kirsten’s face twisted with bitterness and her breath reeked of alcohol. “First, you get lucky in the tunnels, then you earn the sympathy vote. It’s pathetic. I should have won the Challenge.”
Lara started to laugh, then remembered the cameras. Had Kirsten forgotten about them or did she no longer care? “It was a fair competition. I’m sorry you’re going home.” It was the best Lara could do. Without the cameras, she would have told her to fuck off.
“Fair? They handicapped me at every phase because I’m younger and better looking.”
“Get real. I’m sure every male viewer in the audience gave you a constant thumbs-up.” Lara didn’t want this fight, but it wasn’t in her nature to roll over either. She knew it was best to isolate herself now. She started to go around her roommate, but Kirsten stepped in her way.
“I could’ve taken you in the Battle for sure.”
Lara bit the inside of her cheek. “I have twenty years of martial arts training. I don’t think so.”
“Let’s find out,” Kirsten taunted. “Let’s do battle.”
“No thanks. I’m saving it for the contest.”
Lara started past her again, and Kirsten leaned over, causing Lara to brush against her shoulder. Kirsten spun around, grabbed the back of Lara’s hair, and yanked. The pain and aggression sent a white-hot ball of fury into Lara’s brain. Her reaction was primal, beyond her control. She had sensed the move as Kirsten made it, so she threw herself in the direction of the pull, body slamming Kirsten and forcing her off balance. Lara released a quick jab from her waist and connected with her roommate’s soft spot in the hollow of her ribs. Kirsten made a strange grunting sound and went down to her knees. Lara forced herself to step back, rather than deliver a second blow.
“Don’t touch me again.” She spun and headed into her bedroom, where she locked the door. Lara checked her iCom: 7:59 p.m. Crap! The cameras had caught the physical exchange and would now shut off. She sat on the bed and took long slow breaths. Would Minda boot her out for striking Kirsten? It had been self-defense as far as she was concerned, but the director might not see it that way. Her fate depended on how the viewers reacted, Lara realized. This might be one of the circumstances in which Minda polled voters before making a decision.
Lara waited until Kirsten went into her own room, then she pulled on running shoes. She had to get out and work off some steam or she would never get to sleep, even with her meds. Lara strapped on her 9-millimeter, grabbed her room card and her mini-flashlight, and headed out. She would have liked to run through the neighborhood on the other side of the expressway, but she didn’t have permission to leave the property. She crossed the empty lobby and noticed the hotel clerk reading on his Dock. He didn’t look up.
She took an easy run and circled the outer perimeter of the arena property several times, losing track of the count. Her knees ached from the Challenge, so she didn’t push herself.
She re-entered the hotel and stepped on the elevator, thinking about how she would spend her free time the next day. The idea of sightseeing in the middle of the contest seemed weird now, and she decided to hang around the hotel and arena, in case something important about the competition came up.
On the third floor, Lara slipped her card into the slot and pushed open the door to her room. She flipped on the light and let out a startled grunt. Kirsten was on her back on the floor and appeared to be dead.
Chapter 13
