“Do you believe him?”
Helen arched a brow. “I terrified the boy, but he might have a backbone strong enough to withstand me. I’m putting him in the gray column.”
Our new system for ranking threats has ten students and staff in the black column. They’re all being quickly and quietly detained as we speak.
“Very well. I’m heading down to the gym to make sure the garrison is secure and ready.” Rising, I run my hands through my hair, pulling it back with an elastic. The movement reminds me of Mala, how much she loves gripping handfuls of my hair. Particularly when I’m inside her.
“Has Mala reported back to you?” I ask, “She mentioned something about trying to figure a couple of things out.”
Helen’s eyes are sharp as always, as if she’s attempting to drill into my soul before she answers. “Miss Chandler has not attempted to contact me. If I send someone to check on her, it could rouse suspicion.”
“No need,” I say, “I’ll keep in contact.”
“If this was a regular year, and you were in my faculty, I would have already put a one-inch diameter hole in the palm of your hand with my Dewalt power drill.” She’s standing, hands on her desk and nearly vibrating with the need to fire up that Dewalt. “You will look after that young woman’s best interests because it is clear that her family will not. But should said best interests include being away from you, I expect you to make the right decision.”
“Understood.” I nodded and took my leave. She was right. And there was nothing else to say.
Professor Zimmerman hurried up to me before I even stepped foot in the gym. His jaw was tight, he could barely get the words out in his fury. “We’ve lost another student, JuanMuñoz.He's in the south weight room. I just found his body.”
I push through the students as Zimmerman orders them to return to their suites.
Juan is sprawled over a weight bench, throat cut and staring sightlessly up at the ceiling. He has defensive wounds on hishands. They must have come up from behind while he was bench-pressing. Even on his back, he managed to fight them off- initially, at least. It looks like the second assailant held him down with his own barbells.
With a sigh, I reach down and brush my hand over his lids, closing his eyes. Pulling out my phone, I call Laosie.
“MacTavish. What do you know.”
“We have another fatality. It’s time to call in the reinforcements. We’ll need at least fifty men.”
“With pleasure. This shite has gone on long enough,” she snaps. “They’ll be on the ground in three hours. You might want to prepare Helen.”
My gaze darts to the left, there’s a shadow wavering in the hall by a supply closet. Dropping the phone and leaping to my feet, I bolt down the hallway, seeing a quick glimpse of blonde hair turning the corner towards the exit. Putting on a burst of speed, I slam them into the wall next to the door, and they slump bonelessly to the floor.
Rolling them over with my foot, I see it’s a woman, Claudia something. She’s followed me around a lot, cackling with the other hens. But she wasn’t here for me this morning. Pulling her jacket open, I find the knife.
Splashing the bucket of water in Claudia’s face, I bark, “Wake the fuck up.”
She startles back into consciousness, spitting and shrieking like a wet cat. “Pr- Professor MacTavish, what happened? I was-”
Gripping her by the throat, I nearly lift her out of the chair she’s strapped to. “I have very little time. You murdered JuanMuñoz-”
“No, no it wasn’t me!” She’s crying prettily as if I could give a shite. “I was forced into this I never wanted to- they were going to kill me!” Her protesting dies off and I realize my grip is a little too tight.
“If that’s the case, Claudia, help me.” I look deeply and intensely into her eyes and she melts.Who the hell are these idiots recruiting?“Help me stop them. You don’t want anyone else getting hurt. I know you don’t. This is your chance to prove it.”
“I- I don’t…” She’s still doing that fucking sniffling thing like I’m going to melt with her mascara-stained tears and I want to shake her head right off her body.
“You know. You do know and you need to tell me now. Give me names. You’re saving yourself or you’re going down with them. Who’s next on the list?”
Her face crumples. “Everyone.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
In which Mala is an excellent spy.
Mala…
Earlier that day…
