A guard sits at the desk, playing on his phone.
Of course there is. We need to get by him to get to the other side of the building. “What are we going to do?”
“Something we don’t want to.” Christina sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Your brother showed you how to knock someone out without leaving marks right?”
My eyes widen. “What?” Is she for real?
“We need to make it look like he fell asleep on the job.” She glances around. “Can you do it?”
This was not on my “To-do List” this morning, but I guess I’ll be taking one for the team. “Yeah. If that’s what I need to do.”
“Either that,” she says, tilting her head, “or we head back home.”
Well played. “All right. Let’s just get him sleeping.” I rub my hands together. What’s the best way to handle this? Looks like I’m winging it.
We both take silent steps toward the guard. He’s still unaware of anything going on, still immersed in his game.
One of the best things about being a reaper is the hunt.
I wrap my arm around his neck before he’s even aware that someone is there with him. I press my forearm into the area of the neck where I can feel his pulse beat against my skin.
He turns his head, but Christina grabs it holding it straight. Thank God we can hide ourselves from the security cameras. However, when a person is in direct contact with us, they can see us.
I increase the pressure and place my hand in the elbow of my other arm.
Soon, he goes limp and falls forward. I keep hold, wanting to make sure it’s not a fake out. His head hits the desk and his phone hits the ground with a plastic crack.
There’s no way he’d let the phone drop like that if he wasn’t completely knocked out.
“Let’s get going.” Christina takes off back down the hallway.
There’s no telling when this is going to go down. It could be any second and we have no clue where they are. “What are we going to do? We might still miss it.”
“Just wait.” Christina closes her eyes.
“What the hell are you doing?” I’m about to smack her. “We need to find them.”
“I am finding them.” She growls out. “Come on.”
Oh, shit. “Are you doing your special location thing?” She’s told me about that.
“Yeah.” She turns her back on me. “We need to hurry. It’s getting close.”
That’s what I was afraid of. I rush to keep up.
We turn down another freaking hall, but we head to another area where the lights are off. “Hey, I thought we were going to find the others.”
She turns to me and whispers. “We are.” She slows down as we approach a set of double doors that are already open. The main lights aren’t on, but every third light fixture is. It’s a huge open gym that is bare.
There are the reapers all huddled together leaning over a map. Their bodies are tense, and Christina’s parents are standing in the center.
Charlie points to something on the map and his jaw clenches. “It makes sense if we all stay together and just go to the cell block area together. That’s where it would make the most sense.”
“Are you challenging my decision?” Frank, Christina’s father, glares and clenches his hands. “I’m the lead on this mission and you will listen to what I have to say.”
“Wait…” I turn to her. I don’t understand. “Your parents are in charge of this?” Why didn’t she tell me? “You could have been here and instead you snuck in with me?”
Her mouth is hanging open. “I … I didn’t know.” Her eyes find mine. “They didn’t want me here.”
Oh … shit they didn’t tell her.
10
“This can’t be happening.” Christina takes a few steps back, she begins rubbing her hands together.
I swear her parents are the biggest assholes on Earth. Maybe even all the realms. “Maybe it just happened.”
“Really?” She turns to me and crosses her arms. “That’s your argument?”
Yeah, she’s got me there, but we’re in the middle of a prison, hiding from guards and our people. I’d say we have enough on our plate without adding a hurt best friend to that list. But I can’t be a jerk. Her parents did her wrong. She should be out there with them. “Just trying to help.”
She rolls her eyes. “I can’t believe they didn’t tell me.” She runs a hand through her dark hair. “I mean, if they kept this from me, what else are they hiding?”
That’s a question she probably doesn’t want the answer to. “Hey, we still got here.”
“You know that’s not the point.” She paces the small area we’re in. “But why?” She holds out a finger. “I’m passing all my classes.” She raises a second finger. “I’ve done extra work to get to the top of my class.” Then she drops her hands and closes her eyes while shaking her head. “And I’ve done every freaking thing they’ve ever asked.”
All of that is true, but those jackasses still don’t care. It’s not enough for them. “Girl, I don’t know.” I have no idea what to say. “Maybe it’s not what it seems.”
“Not what it seems?” Her body begins shaking and her voice begins to raise. “When am I going to be enough for them?” She falls back against the wall and takes a deep breath. “Am I ever going to be enough for them?”
Now is not the time for a melt down and it seems to be setting in fast. “They just have high expectations.” That’s putting it mildly.
“How about impossible expectations?” She kicks her feet at the ground. “Some days I just feel like there isn’t a point in trying.”
How I want to tell her what I think, but right now isn’t the best time. We broke into a prison to watch a mass reaping. We should probably shelve this conversation till tomorrow. “I
