Code(27)

Shelton shuddered. “I don’t like thinking about what happens at zero.”

“Me either.” I shoved the iPad back into my bag. “Which is why we have to find the Gamemaster first. We can work the clue and try to catch him at the same time.”

“Sounds fantastic,” Hi deadpanned, “but how do we do it?”

“Analyze everything. Every scrap of material we have. Hope the Gamemaster made a mistake.”

First bell pealed. Students began filing into the building.

“Shall we?” I headed for the doors, the boys at my heels.

Classmates pressed close as we funneled through the entrance. Without warning, I found myself shoulder to shoulder with Madison.

Startled, I nodded and smiled, as if greeting her was the most natural thing in the world.

Madison’s eyes widened. She rabbit-stepped backward, expensive jewelry rattling as she bumped the students behind her. Then she lowered her head and wormed through the mass of bodies with undignified haste. Casting one backward glance—red-faced, eyes nervous—her brunette curls disappeared into the river of identical Bolton Prep uniforms.

I suppressed a sigh. Maybe things were better this way.

“She’s still not over that beat down,” said a voice behind my ear.

This time, the sigh escaped. “Hi, Jason.”

I turned left down the hallway. Jason hustled to walk beside me, bumping into Ben, who had moved to occupy the same space.

The boys glared like stray dogs squaring off in an alley. Shelton and Hi kept moving past us, oblivious, or choosing to avoid the awkward scene.

“Watch where you’re going,” Ben snapped.

“I am,” Jason said dryly. “I’m going to chat with Tory.”

Ben snorted. “I’m sure that’ll make her day.”

Jason’s eyes flicked to me, momentarily uncertain.

“Enough, both of you.” What was it with these two? Oil and water. “Jason, I need something from my locker before class. Talk later?”

“Sure, Tor. I just thought you’d want to know first.”

That stopped me. “Know what?”

“That Chance will be back at school this week,” Jason said. “Probably tomorrow morning.”

“Oh.” Oh my. “Thanks.”

“No problem. See you later.”

Jason straightened his tie, then turned and reached as if to fix Ben’s. Ben flinched, then flushed scarlet, eyes growing hard.

Jason smirked as he headed off down the hall, ignoring Ben’s icy look.

My legs resumed walking, but my mind wandered. Chance. Back tomorrow. A plan was needed.

Ben stomped at my side, his face a thunderhead. I knew that flinch was gnawing at him. He’d lost that round. Meatheads.

Shelton and Hi were waiting outside class.

“Everything cool?” Hi asked, eyeing Ben.

“Fine,” I said. “But we have to make a stop after school.”

Ben’s head whipped my way. “You can’t be serious.”

Shelton frowned. “Serious about what?”

“Claybourne Manor.” I ignored their protests. “It’s past time we settled our debt.”

“We’ll have to hit the bank first.” Hi sounded despondent. “Raid our deposit box.”

“It’s his share, guys. We’d never have done it without him. Plus, Chance saw way too much last summer. We need to feel him out. Find out how much he remembers.”

No one bothered to protest. We’d had this out before.

“Who knows,” I said hopefully, “maybe he can help ID the Gamemaster.”

Three incredulous faces.

“Not directly, of course. But we need a forensic examination of the cache. Chance has serious connections. He might help.”

To say the boys were unenthused is an understatement.

“Help screw us again?” Shelton snarked.

“Did you get hit in the head?” Hi asked.

“Dumb dumb dumb.” Ben wagged his head slowly.

“Whatever,” I snapped. “We’re going, so man up.”

The second bell sounded.

We trooped into class and found our desks. I dove into my calculus book, hoping to conceal my own uncertainty.

Last time, I’d barely escaped Claybourne Manor with my life.

Was I making a huge mistake?





CHAPTER 15





We met by the gates after last bell.

Though reluctant, the boys offered no further argument. They knew it was pointless once I’d made up my mind. Leaving our jackets in lockers, we headed east down Broad Street.

The guys sulked through our quick stop at the bank.

At Meeting Street we turned left. Claybourne Manor was a few blocks ahead, in Charleston’s prestigious, hoity-toity quarter known as South of Broad. The neighborhood screamed of privilege, old money, and tradition. Ostentatious wealth. We couldn’t have been more out of place.

Hi whistled, pointed to his right. “Look at that palace. Four stories, maybe five.”

“These houses are insane.” Shelton’s head was swiveling nonstop. “My dad couldn’t afford a parking space down here.”

“He’s better off.” Ben’s scowl was firmly in place. “The less time spent around blue-blooded jerks, the better.”