Paint It All Red (Mindf*ck #5)(37)

“What?” I ask, arching an eyebrow.

“Times like these remind me why I can’t give up women. Something about a girl with a gun, and right now, you’re every nerd’s comic-book-sexy fantasy girl.”

I roll my eyes.

“Seriously! The tight pants, all the guns, the sleeveless shirt—”

“All meant for functionality,” I state dryly.

“Still doesn’t shatter the illusion.” He mocks a dreamy sigh, and I laugh despite the impending madness I’m close to stepping into.

“You ready?” he asks more seriously as I finish clipping on the last knife.

“As I’ll ever be.”

“Then I’ll get your theme song ready.”

“You’re really going to play music?” I muse as I walk to the door.

“Every epic climax needs a good theme song,” he quips, forcing a smile.

He crosses the room in a few quick, long strides, and his arms go around me, tugging me to him as he kisses the top of my head. I return the embrace, steeling my nerves and my breaths.

“I love you, little sister,” he says softly.

“I love you, big brother,” I say back, clutching him tighter.

He pulls back, cupping my chin in his hand as our eyes meet.

“Now go kill them all while I burn the town to the ground.”

I nod. “Phase ten.”





Chapter 14


The attempt to combine wisdom and power has rarely been successful, and then only for a short while.

—Albert Einstein



LOGAN



“Why isn’t anything happening?” I ask Hadley, watching the monitors that have been flipping at random for the past hour on the completely evacuated town.

A screen pops up; the heat signature screen from earlier that Jake shut down. It has the entire town on the screen, but the only heat signatures are all coming from one building.

“Town hall,” Hadley says to herself, echoing my own thoughts. “They cleared out the entire town with the exception of the deputies.”

“What are these?” I ask, pointing to the few near the side of the town, and the one right on the border but still inside the town.

“That’s probably Jake or Lana, just like this one,” Hadley says, motioning to one that is moving through the streets like it’s walking.

My stomach clenches as my eyes train on the moving ones.

“These here are probably some officers who were sent to the edge of the town border for some reason,” Hadley goes on, gesturing to the three dots off to the side.

A message box pops up before I can ask any more questions.



You ready for this? Or do you want to look away? It’s going to get messy.



Hadley sucks in a breath, staring at the message box.

“Is that Jake?” I ask, leaning forward.

“Yes,” she says as she types back.



Why are there officers outside of town?



Immediately, another message pops up.



Because I sent them there. They’re innocent.



Hadley’s eyes meet mine, a question in their depths.

“I need to see her, Hadley.”

She nods, then types back.



Logan is with me. He wants to see Lana.



The monitors flip to a whirl of dark hair from the back, guns loading her down as she carries a backpack through town. But I can’t see her face from this angle.

My heartbeat drums in my throat, and another message box comes through.



He should probably look away. Lana isn’t the sweet girl right now.



“I’m not looking away,” I say to Hadley.

She blows out a breath and nods.



We’re in.



Another message.



Check your email, and I’ll give you a front row seat to the show when you’re finished.



Hadley flips screens on her laptop immediately, and I see an email to her from a weird address. She opens it, and my stomach churns when I see a video download there. I also see tons of files to be downloaded, a complete gathering of evidence.

The computer dings like it has a new message, and Hadley pulls up the message box.



All you have to do is download it. The files will do the rest.



Hadley doesn’t even hesitate. She downloads the files, and within a matter of moments, we hear the commotion outside.

I go to look through the blinds, seeing everyone standing and moving toward the monitors. On the screen, I see the same footage I saw earlier at Delaney Grove, only this time, there’s also a lot of footage of the behind the scenes, including all the guys who were tied up and confessing their sins from that night.

I peek out the door, cracking it just a little.

“You’re supposed to fight for the truth. Not fight for the corrupt,” the Saw voice says from behind the mirrored mask.

Everyone exchanges wide-eyed horror as the video continues playing.

“Be careful of the eyes you never see on you,” the voice adds, bringing up a new screen with familiar faces.

Director McEvoy rushes in, his eyes panicking when he sees himself on the screen talking to Johnson ten years ago inside Delaney Grove.