“I do. Gerald had made it well known that he was a supporter of mine. His bank had just closed a deal with a bank in South Africa that some greedy Kings were trying to ink a deal with. Gerald swooped in and closed the deal first. So I can imagine there were some irate Kings after that.”
“You think he was killed for that?”
There was a long silence while my mind raced.
“I wouldn’t put it past some of them.”
“Do you need?—”
“Extra security? I’m way ahead of you, Atlas.”
I laughed. “Of course you are. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
“Since we’re on the topic of you doing something for me, how are we doing on a potential Omnia for me? Are we on target for him to start the January term?”
Despite the fact that Ryder hadn’t accepted his invitation yet, I still replied with, “We’re getting there, yes.”
“Perfect.” I closed my eyes. Will had expectations, and if there was anyone I never wanted to let down, it was him. “That’s what I want to hear. I need to get going, but I wanted to talk to you today. Please take necessary precautions and be vigilant.”
“I’ll do so. You do the same.”
After we ended our call, I set the phone beside me on the couch. I must have sat there for hours watching the news on TV and reading news stories on news apps. A few emails had gone out from the Omnia Academy Council, but nothing at all hinted at the possibility that this “random act of violence” could have been done from someone within the society. I began to wonder if Will was being paranoid as he prepared to make bigger changes within the society.
While I was brushing my teeth before bed, I heard a text come in on my phone. I quickly finished up in the bathroom, shut the lights off, and went to the nightstand to pick up the phone. I was surprised to see it was from Ryder, and even more surprised by the content.
Hi, Atlas. I wanted to let you know that I started the semester at Lancaster Community College. I really appreciate the opportunity and your time, but Roger and Pam want me to attend college close by so I can help at home.
“Fucking hell,” I said out loud as I let my arm with the phone drop down by my side.
I set the phone on the nightstand and got into bed. I stared at the ceiling for a while, my mind racing with several thoughts. Louis, Will, Gerald Blanc, Jesse, the notion that a King might have been responsible for Gerald’s and Jesse’s deaths, and now Ryder. I closed my eyes, hoping the noise in my head would settle. I would take care of Ryder tomorrow.
9
Ryder
December
Since Thanksgiving, I’d been planning on talking to Pam and Roger about wanting to try Omnia Academy. Though I’d stuck out the semester at Lancaster Community College, I really hated attending class there.
For one, it was such a far commute, and I had to stay on campus all day instead of leaving and coming back for the classes that were spaced far apart. The one benefit was that there were some students who would practice music outside in the courtyard of the campus. I often sat there hoping to catch some music. But being there all day meant that my work schedule during the week was almost nonexistent. And that was bad because I wanted to start saving some money for a place of my own. Since I was eighteen now, Pam and Roger didn’t have to let me stay. I gave them $250 twice a month on my paydays to help with bills. Plus, I worried that at any moment, Roger was going to bounce me out of the house. We had continued to argue all through the fall semester, and he’d become less restrainedaround me. Since graduating high school, what would start out as verbal arguments nearly always ended in a physical bout. He’d thrown a few punches, and I was unable to control my anger and would punch back.
On top of hating the commute and depleting my work schedule, Lancaster Community College didn’t offer a true college experience. There weren’t dorms or activities planned for college kids. There weren’t any sporting events to attend. It was uneventful and almost depressing.
I’d thought about Omnia Academy all semester long and kept in contact with Atlas. Even though I wasn’t attending the academy, anytime I sent him a text asking him something about the academy, not only did he answer me, but he was always quick to respond. He’d been keeping me informed about some of the activities going on during the fall at the academy. Last week he told me about the end of the year event he’d attended for the fourth-year students and some of the Kings of Jupiter. The students were challenged to try to please or impress the Kings by carrying out different tasks. It sounded as though that party was the students’ last attempt to make a good impression on the Kings before the end of the year and their graduation. He told me about some of the tasks that the students had to complete.
Each time I spoke to Atlas, I liked the way Omnia Academy sounded even more. There seemed to be a lot of camaraderie and genuine friendship among the students and staff there. It sounded like there was really a sense of belonging, and what I envisioned a fraternity might feel like. Being a part of something without the fear of being kicked out or removed was something I craved deep down, but I’d never brought it up to anyone. It was one of the reasons I wanted to attend a big university with other kids my age.
I hadn’t even told Atlas that I was heavily considering going to Omnia Academy in January. I was hesitant to do so until Iknew for sure that I was going to go, because I didn’t know if Atlas would start applying pressure or what. I didn’t know a ton about these guys other than they were powerful and rarely heard the word “no.” Time was running out, though, and I had to tell Atlas soon, to make sure there was still a spot for me.
I had been looking for the right time to tell them, but the moment hadn’t presented itself until after dinner tonight. I was in the living room helping Robbie and Zack with their homework while Pam and Roger were in the kitchen going over bills and their budget. Even though I was trying to help the boys with their math, I was paying close attention to the conversation that Pam and Roger were having.
“I talked to the agency this morning,” Pam said.
“And?” Roger asked.
“They said they can’t approve us for another child at this time due to the square footage of the home and the number of bedrooms we have.”
“Christ. What if we had bunk beds and a regular bed in one room?” Roger questioned.
