“Then they catch us,” Jeremiah said with a shrug. “We're not letting you face this alone, Vee. That's final. And for god’s sake, pull your hood up. It’s already started, remember?”
I stared at them, overwhelmed. “Thank you,” I finally whispered, pulling my jacket hood up to cover my hair. “I don't... I don't know what to say.”
“Say you'll let us help,” Cherry said, squeezing my shoulders. “Say you won't try to ditch us and go it alone.”
I managed a weak smile despite the terror still coursing through my veins. “I won't ditch you.”
“Good.” Jeremiah straightened up and snapped his fingers. “Okay, I’ve had a long time to think about what I’d do differently if I ever got a do-over with the hunt like this, so I’ve already got some stuff figured out. The first problem is our phones. Remember how we got Cal a burner last year but kept our own?”
The others nodded.
“Yeah,” Ginny said, tilting her head. “Do you think hunters track the phones of friends and family as well?”
“It’s possible. So, here’s what we need to do. Ginny, I want you to take all of our phones—except Violet’s—to Lost and Found in the student admin building. That way, if any hunters are tracking us to get to Violet, they’ll hit a dead end there,” he said. “When you’re finished with that, go to the prepaid phone store on Merchant Street, where we got Cal’s burner last year. Get one for each of us. It’s important we can communicate if we get separated at any point. Oh, and use cash to pay. Meet us at the theater when you’re done.”
Ginny nodded. “Got it.”
Jeremiah removed all the cash from his wallet and handed it to Ginny. Then he turned his focus to Dylan. “Dyl, doyou remember how to get to my cousin’s place down in Harborview?”
Dylan nodded. “Yup. 17 Seabird Avenue, right?”
“Yes. Take Violet’s phone there. He’s on vacation right now, so he won’t be able to see you skulking around,” Jeremiah said. “Just ditch the phone anywhere on the property, or around the house somewhere. It’s a big place, so once any hunters arrive, they’ll probably waste at least half an hour searching for Violet. Plus they have to drive twenty minutes to get there in the first place. So that buys us more time.”
“Got it.” Dylan briskly nodded. “I’m assuming you want me to meet you at the theater afterwards too?”
“Yeah. Cherry and I will get Violet disguised while we figure out our next moves.”
Dylan and Ginny raced off in opposite directions, and Jeremiah put his arm around me. “For the next five to ten minutes, I’m your boyfriend walking across campus with you,” he said, pulling his jacket hood high over his head so that it drooped over the top half of his face. “And yes, I said walking. That’ll attract way less attention than a single girl running around.”
Cherry nodded. “I’ll walk slightly ahead. Scope things out on our way to the theater.”
We started moving, Jeremiah's arm tight around my shoulders, his pace deliberately casual despite the tension radiating through his body. I tried to match his energy, acting like we were just another couple heading to class, but it was impossible to ignore the crawling sensation between my shoulder blades, or the hyperawareness of every person we passed.
They're looking at me. They all know. They can see right through this.
“You're doing great,” Jeremiah murmured, low enough that only I could hear. “Just keep walking. Don't make eye contact with anyone.”
A group of girls walked past us, laughing about something. One of them glanced at me, and I was certain that recognition flashed in her eyes.
She knows. She saw the List. She's going to say something.
But the girl just kept walking, her attention already back on her friends.
“Breathe, Vee,” Jeremiah whispered.
I forced air into my lungs, but it felt like I was trying to breathe through a straw.
Ahead of us, Cherry moved with practiced ease, her posture relaxed, her gait unhurried. Every few seconds, she'd glance back to check on us, then continue scanning the paths ahead and to either side.
We passed the humanities building. The library. The student union. Finally, the theater building loomed ahead, its pale facade a beacon of relative safety. We were almost there.
“Oh shit,” Cherry hissed.
She'd stopped dead about ten feet ahead of us, her body rigid. Her gaze was fixed on something to our left.
I followed her line of sight and felt my blood turn to ice.
A figure in all black stood near a fountain. Black jacket, black pants, black mask covering the upper half of his face. He was scanning the area with methodical precision, his head turning slowly as he surveyed the students walking past.
