Uninvited (Uninvited, #1)(71)

We set out at a steady pace. Before I dive into the trees, I pause and look out across the quad, searching for the blue team. My gaze lands on them. They’re heading in the opposite direction. Sean follows at the rear, his face turned in my direction, and I know he’s kept a bead on me this whole time.

I drag a breath deep into my lungs, wishing I could close the distance between us. Wishing we were on the same team. Stupid, I know, that I can still wish for anything in a world, a life, I’ve ceased to hold any control over. I should know better than to wish for anything anymore.

He nods at me once, his gaze sharp, the smoky blue bright and penetrating with a message I’ve heard from him time and again: Watch your back.

Turning, he disappears with the rest of his team, leaving me with mine.


Thankfully, Felix and Richard don’t break into a sprint and I’m able to keep up with them. Or maybe I’m just faster than I was a week ago. I can only have gotten better, faster, stronger. At least I tell myself this, determined to keep up and prove myself. If it kills me, I will. I’ll show them I’m not someone to be overlooked.

Felix moves with one eye on the GPS. We hear shouting in the distance, other carriers acting like morons, crashing around like a herd of elephants in the deepening night. With all that racket, the target will easily evade them. I motion for us to move away from the worst of the noise. Felix nods, agreeing. When Richard starts to speak, Felix punches him in the arm and motions for him to shut up. Apparently, we’re on the same page regarding the need for stealth. The quieter we are, the better our chances.

Leaves rustle nearby and we still.

Richard brandishes his pocketknife, twirling it in his fingers. He’s one of the youngest of us here. Maybe thirteen or fourteen, but he holds the knife with such ease, like it’s an extension of his arm.

The blade glints in the moonlight and I wonder why the weapons were even put in our packs to begin with. A bunch of armed carriers doesn’t strike me as such a great idea.

Initially, I assumed it was a tool, like the flashlight and rope . . . something we might need to use out here in the woods. Now I don’t know. Are we expected to use it on the target?

On each other?

A knot of unease settles into the pit of my stomach as I walk one pace behind the two boys, scanning the press of foliage around us. Knowing we’re not alone out here, the sudden hush is eerie. My skin prickles. Moving as quietly as possible, I slide my pack around and remove my knife, palming the slight weight of it.

Something snaps to our left, and branches rustle again. This time louder. We form a wall and face the direction of the sound.

Three bodies burst through the undergrowth. My stomach lurches at finding myself face-to-face with Zoe and two other boys from her team. In the moonlight, her green eyes are as wild as ever. Of course, they’re armed with their knives. At the sight of me, she lifts hers in a menacing manner.

Felix holds up his hands. “Hey.” His voice is calm, placating. “Easy, there.”

“This is our area,” Zoe hisses, lifting her chin and shaking back her bright red hair as though she wants to make sure he sees her imprint. “Move on.”

Richard snorts. “I didn’t see a sign.”

Zoe’s eyes flash. “Keep moving, runt.” She motions an arm behind them, to the area they already covered.

“How generous,” I mutter, moving past them, Felix and Richard following.

We continue to walk, stepping stealthily, but we’re still too loud. Our boots crack over leaves and twigs. The whoops are few and distant now. Maybe the others have finally figured they have to try for stealth to capture the target.

Richard steps on a branch and it cracks loudly on the air. Blowing out a frustrated breath, I place a hand on his arm, stopping him. Felix turns, silent question in his eyes.

Bending, I unlace my boots and slip them off, leaving my feet clad only in socks. Soundlessly, I tuck my shoes inside my backpack. Felix’s eyes gleam in approval and he and Richard follow suit. On the move again, our steps tread silently. Everything around us is quiet. Too quiet, and I wonder at that. The crickets aren’t even talking anymore.

Somehow, I end up leading the way. Wincing at a sharp rock beneath my foot, I step behind a small copse. Squatting, I motion the boys down low to the ground with me, figuring we have better odds lying in wait and seeing who makes an appearance.

For several minutes, nothing happens. Clouds drift over the moon, plunging us into heavy gloom. We wait, draped in darkness, silence pulsing all around us.

The clouds part suddenly and the moon breaks cover. Once again, a dim glow suffuses the forest. I spot movement ahead. A shadowy shape drops low into some shrubbery, obviously trying to stay clear of the moonlight. I nudge Felix. He nods, seeing the figure, too.

I don’t breathe, waiting for him to make a move again . . . for his sense of security to return. For him to think that he’s safe. That no one watches him.

Just as I begin to doubt whether he’s even still there, he rises. My chest lifts high on an excited breath. My pulse hammers fiercely against my throat.

Our target hunkers lows, inching toward the west. A quick glance at the GPS in Felix’s hand reveals that the perimeter wall is closest in that direction. He’s headed that way, of course. If he gets over the wall, he’s free. He wins.

Richard starts to move, but I stall him with a hand on his arm. Shaking my head, I try to convey that he needs to wait until he comes closer. Watching the dark outline, I carefully remove the rope from my pack. I face forward again and peer through the branches. I hold my hand up, ready to give the signal.