Gone (Gone #1)(117)

Drake was back. Drake was a monster.

Diana stroked his cheek with her fingertips. He felt a shiver go up his spine. Then, jus! ever so softly, she slapped his cheek.

"I asked if you remembered your promise" He was mute. Too contused to be able to find his voice, too aware of her beside him. loo terrified of what she might want. He nodded-

"Get dressed, lust your clothes. Nothing else" "What time is it?" he temporized.

"Time to do the right thing" Her soft mouth twitched a wry smile. "Even if it is for the wrong reason."

Jack climbed out of bed, very, very glad that he had found a pair of pajama bottoms to wear. He made her turn away and dressed quickly.

"Where are we going?"

"You're going for a drive"

"I only drove once and I almost ran into a ditch "

"You're a very smart boy, Jack. You'll figure it out"

They crept from the room imo the darkened hallway. Down the stairs, careful. Careful. Diana inched the outside door open and looked at the courtyard. Jack wondered if Diana had an excuse ready if someone stopped them.

The sound of sneakers on the gravel of the driveway was amplified in the foggy night air. It was as if they were trying to make noise. Like each step was delivered with a sledgehammer.

Diana led him to an SUV parked haphazardly on the grass. "The keys are in it. Get in. The driver's seat." "Where are we going?"

"Drive to Perdido Beach. And its not we. lust you"

Jack was alarmed. "Me? Just me? No, no, no! If I go, Caine will think il was all my idea. He'll send Drake after me."

"Jack, either obey me or I'll stand here and scream. They'll come and I'll say I caught you trying to escape."

Jack felt his resistance crumble. It was all too plausible. She would do it, and Caine would bekeve her. And then ... Drake. He shuddered.

"Why?" Jack pleaded.

"Find Sam Temple. Tell him you escaped."

Jack gulped and bobbed his head.

"Better yet, find that girk Astrid." Diana recovered some of her mocking attitude. "Astrid the Genius. Shell be desperate to save Sam"

"Okay. Okay." He steeled himself. "I better go" Diana touched his arm. "Tell them about Andrew" Jack froze with his hand on the key. "That's what you want me to do?"

"Jack, if Sam blinks out, Drake wilt turn on me, and Caine won't be able to stop him. Drake is stronger than before. I need Sam alive. I need someone for Drake to hate. I need balance. Tell Sam about the temptation. Warn him that he'll be tempted to surrender to the big jump, but maybe, maybe, if he says no . . " She sighed. It was not a hopeful sound. "Now: go."

She spun on her heel and marched back to the school Jack followed her with his eyes till she reached the door. Now was her chance to escape, too. She could get away from Caine and Drake and all they represented. But she was staying. Was it possible that Diana really did love Caine?

Me drew a deep, steadying brealh and turned the key. The engine roared. He'd given it too much gas. Too much noise. "Shh, shh,"he said-He moved the gear to "U" for drive-He pushed the gas pedal down. Nothing happened. He almost panicked. Then he remembered: the emergency brake. He released the brake pull and tried the gas pedal again. The SUV crunched across the gravel at a creeping pace. "Hey. Where are you going?"

Howard. What was he doing out here in the middle of the night?

Of course: still looking for his bully friend Ore. Always looking out for Ore.

Howard's expression went quickly from puzzled to questioning to alarmed.

"Hey, man, stop. Stop."

Jack drove past him.

In the rearview mirror he saw Howard racing back into the school.

He should drive faster. But driving was terrifying for Computer Jack. Too many decisions to make, too much attention demanded, too dangerous, too deadly.

He came to a stop at the iron gate. It was closed. He jumped out and quickly swung the gate open.

He stood still for a moment and listened. The sounds of the woods. Condensation dripping from leaves and tiny animals rustling and a faint breeze that barely pushed the leaves. Then the sound of a car's engine.

Back to ihe SUV. Into gear and a lurch forward through the gate-Leave it open and go. It's not like the gate would slow anyone down. But it had slowed him down. They were already alter him. Panda would be driving, no doubt, he was the most experienced driver, much more experienced than Jack.

Panda. With Drake beside him, Drake and that monstrous arm of his.

Jack felt the fear rising within him. He squeezed the steering wheel. Too tight. The top of it broke off in his hands.

He threw the six-inch arc of plastic away and whinnied in fear. He forced himself to hold the wheel more carefolly, control the panic> focus on the driv ng. Focus on the road as it wound down the mountain, from dense woods to more open terrain and round the spur.

Lights in the rearview mirror.

Oh, God. Oh, God.

They would kill him, Drake would use that whip hand on him.

"Think, Jack," he screamed with sudden, shocking vehemence. "Think"

This was not a programming issue. It wasn't technological. It was more primitive. It was force and force, violence and violence, hate and fear.

Or was it?

Maybe it was just about clearance. The SUV sat high oft* the road. The car now rapidly closing the distance was low to the ground.