I reach forward and snatch it up, turning it around in my hand. It looks like an earpiece—Sanctum tech. “What’s this for?” I ask.
“When the time comes, I’ll be able to communicate with you through that,” he says. “Until then, just sit tight andtryto stay out of trouble.” His eyes swing around the barren room. “Although it doesn’t seem like you have many opportunities to cause it. All for the better.”
“When… how long will I have to wait?”
He blinks. “They plan to kill you in three days. So ideally, sometime before that.”
I grit my teeth. “I’m glad to see you find this amusing.”
He chuckles. “Why, of course. It’s notmylife on the line, after all.”
Anger lights my veins at the man’s flippant attitude, but it’s not like I can do anything about it. I’m at this madman’s mercy until I’m free of this place. Choking down my anger, I bring a hand up, pushing the earpiece deep into my canal. “Will I see you before then?”
“No.” He moves back from the slot, allowing me to catch a glimpse of the man's sinister grin. “This will be the last time we see each other face-to-face.”
“Thank God.”
He laughs again, the sound cold and harsh. “I like you, Seven. I really hope they don’t end up killing you.”
“I thought you said you could get me out of here?”
He just shrugs. “I said Ican. I don’t actually know if Iwill.There’s at least a 73 percent chance you end up in that chair.”
My eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. “Those are terrible odds!”
“Yes. But I quite like rooting for the underdog,” he says, his words tinged with laughter. “Well… This has been great fun, Seven, but I really must be going now.” He reaches up, tapping his ear with a scarred index finger. “Wait and listen for my voice. If you hear me, that means I’ve found a way to get you out. If you don’t…” He shrugs. “May God have mercy on your soul…”
His laughter echoes off the walls as he backs away, finding far too much amusement in this dire situation.
Before he leaves for good, something inside me urges me to call out, “Wait! You never told me your name!”
The corners of his eyes crease in a grin. “Ghost. Just Ghost.”
CHAPTER FORTY
GRACE
1 week later…
I sit at the front of the witness room, twiddling my hands in my lap, barely able to breathe past the crushing anxiety sitting on my chest. The execution chamber is barren now—nothing inside save for a small metal operating table and an IV pole—but I fear that any moment now, they’ll drag Seven through those doors.
I truly can’t believe this is happening. I never thought the day would come. I haven’t been able to visit him, so I haven’t been able to speak to him, to tell him I love him.
Now that I’m here, waiting for them to bring Seven to his death, I’m wondering how she can possibly go on after. But I can’t think of that right now. I can only take things moment by moment and hope for the best.
I lean forward in my seat, getting as close to the glass partition as I can, watching the door handle, praying it stays frozen in place. I haven't heard from Viktor since he agreed to help me, and I originally figured that no news was good news. But as I sit here, waiting, I’m seriously doubting that.
I glance toward the clock, noting that they’re thirty minutes behind schedule. The witness room is full of people—some who wish to celebrate the ending of one of Moriton’s most prolific serial killers, and others who simply want to watch a man die right in front of them.
I’m truly alone in this room. I’m the only one hoping for his survival, wishing that somehow, some way, Viktor was able to free Seven like he promised. Several more minutes go by, and my hope grows. But then, the handle of the door turns, and I’m brought crashing down back to reality.
The door swings open, and two armed guards haul a man into the room. He’s dressed in a bright orange jumpsuit, his hands and feet shackled. He has Seven’s mouth, his cheekbones, hiseyes.
Viktor lied. He couldn’t save Seven. No one could.
I gasp, covering my mouth as a broken sob forces its way out of my throat. For some reason, I thought he would find a way out of this. I thought, somehow, Viktor would be able to help.
He couldn’t.
