I assess the bodyguard with Allers. It’s going to be my job to drag Allers to Pandora’s specially designed murder hall.
I don’t want to wait. I want to grab him right here and now, fuck whoever sees us.
This is the man responsible for Rachel’s death.
He needs to be the one cut up into pieces and tossed into a landfill like so much trash.
My hands fist at my sides, and my jaw clenches.
I have to follow the plan. We all have to follow the plan. There will be plenty of time for payback soon, as long as we all do what we’re supposed to do.
“You ready, Anastasia?” Asch asks. “Wait until he’s about… a minute into his speech.”
“I know,” Anastasia says, sounding exasperated. “We talked this to death. I know when I’m supposed to do all the things.”
“Yeah, Asch-face. Ass-face,” Kratos mutters. “Don’t bother Anastasia.”
“Assface,” Ares repeats with a small laugh.
“Shut up!” Pandora shouts. “Oh my god, you dickbags. This isn’t the time to be laughing!”
Pandora is cracking.
I don’t have to see her to know. I can hear it in her voice; I can sense it from everything leading up to this moment. If she’s not careful, she’ll blow everything.
We can’t let that happen.
We’ll never get another opportunity like this.
“They’re going to shut up and listen for the signal,” I say, trying for steady. “It’s fine, Pandora. We’re on track.”
The crowd is clapping for Allers as he makes his way to Blaze, guided by Asch. Allers waves to everybody, that same fake smile that might as well be copy and pasted from his internet headshots on his lips.
Bobbi slinks in behind him, but rather than follow directly, she heads toward the bleachers. I lose sight of her there, but I need to focus on Allers anyway.
“Thanks so much for having me, Blaze,” Allers says when he reaches the center. “Wow. When the Bouchards themselves reached out to me to collaborate on this, I was honored. One of the founding families of Kappa Alpha Omega Sigma!”
Blaze claps Allers on the shoulder. “I’m just glad you could take time out of your busy day!”
I wonder what Blaze did, exactly, to get Allers here.
It couldn’t have been a simple invitation.
It doesn’t matter.
“I’m sure he needs no introduction, but for those of you who have been living under literal rocks! He’s one of our most esteemed Kappa Alpha alumnus, and he single-handedly changed the face of the tech industry. So please, give it up for John Allers!”
The crowd applauds, and Blaze takes the opportunity to step away from Allers.
Allers’s bodyguard is tense, surveilling the room.
“Well, I’m so happy to see how many Kappa Alpha brothers made it out to this event,” Allers says. “It’s true what they say about brotherhood: no matter how many miles apart we are, we’ll always be connected through these bonds.”
I can tell he’s the kind of man who likes to hear himself talk, and left to his own devices, he might drone on for ages.
Good thing we don’t have to hear his smarmy voice go on for long.
The lights turn off.
