That did the job. They’d been at the gym a year ago. No need to go into details.
“Well…maybe we can hide out somewhere else? We could grab this lot and run.” Raya gestured at the now useless pile of bedding. “What about the pool, or the reception area?”
“Have you forgotten that the whole motel is wired to explode? The bus was our only safe bet.”
“Out of the fire into the frying pan. We just can’t catch a freaking break,” Raya muttered.
Jade could taste the vomit now; she swallowed hard, folding her arms tightly in an effort to steady herself. There were bad pictures and ugly thoughts circling in her head. The reality of her situation was both obvious and terrifying. She could actually die. She could be dead soon—dead, like Benny.
Footsteps momentarily pulled her up. Ana—the mastermind of this shitshow, had finally bothered to show up. Alex caught her up on the situation, pointing to the bus, talking in a low voice. Probably explaininghow spectacularly Ana’s shelter plan had failed, how someone was going to die because of her.
Maybe it should be Ana. It seemed only fair.
Jade was considering the politics of suggesting this when Ana stepped forward.
“I found something.” Ana spoke directly to Ellis. “I think someone’s inside the circle with us.” Jade only half-listened to the mumbled story about a cleaned microphone and soap, how if they weren’t alone, maybe they could find Bates andblah,blah.
She was relieved when Ellis called it.
“Juststop! We don’t have fucking time for another of your stupid ideas,” he snapped. Ana recoiled, shocked. “We can’t make another shelter. We can’t go on the hunt for some goddamn microphone-cleaning psycho. Don’t you get it? If someone doesn’t cross the fucking line when the timer runs out,we are all going to die.”
Oh, god. Did he have to say it like that? Jade sniffed, desperately holding on to herself, trying to be strong, trying to be brave.
“Listen, we have no choice.” Ellis turned to face them, arms spread wide. “There’s only one option left. I know this is fucking hard, but we have to do what we have to do if we want to survive this and go home.” His handsome face was sincere, honest. He was their leader—no question, and he was right. There was only one way this was going to play out. Only one terrifying, horrific way.
Everyone knew what was coming next.
“Like it or not, if we want to live past the hour…we have to play the Balloon Game. When the hour’s up, we vote. The loser crosses the line.”
Jade dug her nails into her palms, willing herself not to cry.
So, this was it. No way out. In less than fifteen minutes, they weregoing to decide who was guiltiest, and then another one of them would be dead.
The problem was…it could be her. If anyone here remembered what she’d posted a year ago on the day of the fire, she could lose the vote. She could be the one.She could die.
She pictured the red truck. Oh, god, the truck. Those men, grabbing her by her toned ankles, slinging her body onto the flatbed like a piece of meat. It was just too real. Too close.
Panic smacked her viciously in her gut. Whatever happened next, she couldn’t survive this alone. She needed help.
She turned to look for Jax, but he was squatting in the shade of the bus staring at his beloved phone screen, seemingly oblivious to their predicament. Useless. Delusional. The stakes were too high to rely on Jax.
No, she knew what she needed to do. She needed strength and power on her side. She needed to win this game, and to do that—she needed a winner.
***
11:18
Ellis had already gone to the reception area to collect a random assortment of pens and drink coasters from the desk drawer. They would use them to vote. Jade sprinted after him, slamming the door so hard she almost smacked him in the face.
“Ellis. We need to talk—now.”
Ellis was irritatingly calm, as though he was above all this. Normally it would have annoyed the hell out of Jade, but his arrogance implied confidence, and confidence meant he could help her. He nodded.
“Go on.”
“Ellis, I can’t do this. I can’t justdie. You have to help me,” she said, her voice low and urgent.
He watched her dispassionately, his pale gray eyes giving away nothing. How could he be so damn cool? The minutes were counting down and herlifewas on the line.
