They didn’t want to tell us anything? Fine. That was on them.
But we weren’t going to live with anybody’s lies any longer. As best we could, we were going to play Magnum’s game by our own rules.
15
Appearances Were Worth a Steaming, Stinking Pile of Shit
Though the campus was relatively small compared to many other schools, it was large enough for its roads to snake around and wind up and down hills bordered by the forest. At least Magnum hadn’t used his fortune to level the building site, a blessing which afforded us some discretion as Brady tailed Fanny.
With Don at the helm, the cart sped across the freshly paved roads, taking turns without slowing much, so that the buggy’s wheels caught air several times. Whatever—whoever—Fanny was straining to reach, it was obvious that seconds mattered.
Every time Bonnie popped around a bend and we saw the buggy just about to disappear from sight, I thought Fanny would surely make us.
But she must not have looked back. Too preoccupied with the emergency, too certain we’d follow her barked orders like brainless minions.
“There isn’t supposed to be anything out this way,” Layla said from my right.
Once again, I was in the middle, squeezed between her and Griffin in the back, with a very restless pittie on my lap. Bobo’s claws were digging into my thighs, and I was grateful I’d decided to wear jeans that morning.
We’d already passed the physical training facilities and the staff residential building and were now heading toward what appeared to be undeveloped, densely forested land—with asphalt roads cut through it. Not sus at all.
“Fanny said the buildings she showed us were all there was to the place,” Layla added.
I snorted. “And you thought she’d be straight-up with us? That the team that killed and has practically kidnapped us wouldn’t keep any secrets from us?” Another snort, then, “Also, remember they’re listening to everything we say as we make our way to thelab.”
“Oh,” Layla muttered a bit miserably. “Yeah, right.The lab.”
“We’re so screwed,” Brady said with a glance at us in the rearview mirror. “No way can Lay remember we’re being monitored before she speaks every time. To do that, she’d have to think before she opens her fat mouth, and we all know that ain’t gonna happen anytime soon.”
“Hey,” Layla protested, but then didn’t bother denying it. Even she knew it was the truth:discretionwasn’t in the girl’s vocabulary. We were super screwed, deep-fried and extra crispy.
“It’s gonna be hard for any of us to remember constantly,” Griffin said, looking out the window. “Basically, we can never let our guard down. Nowhere inside anyway. I foresee us going for a lot of long runs.”
“Till they chip our clothes or sneaks or something,” Hunt said with a huff from the passenger seat. “You know they fucking will too. They chipped Fanny’shead.”
I slid Bobo’s foot a little to one side from where it was majorly digging into the flesh of my thigh. “You really think so?”
“From what we just saw in the house, yeah, I do. The advancements in nanotech recently have been totally sick. I won’t even tell you how easy it’d be for them to chip us too and we’d probably never even know it.”
The dread that had been pretty much a constant in the pit of my stomach for the last several weeks grew heavier, churning like indigestion. “Great. Just fucking dandy. If you’re listening to us right now, Magnum, I will fuckingmurderyou if you chip me or my friends without our permission.”
“Which you’ll never have,” Griffin chimed in.
“Never,” I confirmed. “So keep that in mind,” I continued speaking to the invisible microphone and maybe also camera inside the Mustang. “Having more money than God doesn’t actually make you a god. You can still die.”
I grimaced as Griff and I exchanged looks. The whole point of this campus and Magnum’s power play was essentially to buy immortality like ours.
I plunked my head against the back of the seat. “Shit. We’re so fucked.”
“That much we can all agree on,” Griffin grumbled.
“Yup,” Brady commented from up front.
I’d just let my eyes close when I felt the vibration beneath my head. “Please tell me that’s the car humming a little extra right now.”
“No, def not,” Layla said, her pitch strung tight. “I think it’s another shake as we make our way to thelab.”
I rolled my eyes at her and sat up, hugging Bobo close. “What—?”
