Page 123 of Forsaking All Others

“I’ll give you a lift until I find my friend. When I’ve rejoined her I’ll give you the bike. I think she’s probably three keys ahead of everyone so far, or I expect she will be by the time I find her. That means you’ll most likely be at the front of the pack. It’s my final offer. If you don’t take it I’m going to wrestle these guns from you and shoot you in the face.”

“You bitch!” She screams, struggling ineffectually.

I sigh and shake my head. I don’t want to shoot her. She hadn’t done anything to warrant an execution from me at this stage, and ideally if she made it to the final competition she’d be an easy mark. I’m playing one step ahead all the time and it suits me at this point to let her live.

“Silke, I don’t have time to fuck around. Do you want to die here, or further down the track? Someone could still take you out. Hell, I might change my mind and murder you ten minutes from now, but at least my way you’ll have a fighting chance?”

As my words sink in she stops struggling.

“I hate you,” she grunts, “I accept.”

92

Miranda and Vasiliki are, to my surprise, working together just as Starlen said they were, and I watch as they strategize how to proceed.

Miranda has suggested she should double back for weapons while Vasiliki collects their keys. It’s a level of trust and collusion between two women I would have thought to be deadly rivals, given that both had shared my bed.

‘Perhaps Starlen is right. They consider Thorun to be the greater threat.’

“Don’t lose my fucking key though, Vasiliki,” Miranda says as she hands hers over, every word and action recorded through their body cameras.

“You have my word,” Vasiliki nods. “I’ll run, like we said, and get as many clues as I can. I’ll meet you at the sixth. But don’t forget to check all the way along in case I’m slower than I’d like.”

“I’ll check.”

“And now, we have to do it,” Vasiliki smiles.

“What?”

“You know,” Vasiliki raises her hands like claws.

“Not happening,” Miranda snorts, shaking her head.

“For Jaguar, Grrrr,” Vasiliki says into Miranda’s camera, making clawing motions in the air.

“You’re so fucking stupid,” Miranda sighs, turning to jog away.

I couldn’t agree more.

I turn my attention to Cat and Silke, making their way, as Cat had agreed, from clue box to clue box on the bike, and making good time. As I watch they drive past what looks to be a small, abandoned park as they head for yet another clue. They haven’t gone far past the park when Thorun drops down from the single tree still standing and shouts out.

Sona drops down a second or two later.

I can’t help but be impressed as Cat spins the motorcycle like a pro, the vehicle controlled solely by her thighs as she turns a perfect circle to face the girls, both hands now holding guns pointing at her two roommates.

‘Where did she learn to ride like that?’

“Don’t shoot!” Thorun shouts. But she need not have bothered. Cat had already ascertained there was no threat and the guns were, once more, tucked down the front of her zippered suit between her ample breasts.

I shake my head as Thorun rushes to the motorcycle and hugs Cat as she gets off the bike, leaving Silke balancing awkwardly, her plastered leg jutting to the side like a bike stand.

Switching my attention again while Cat explains to the pair where she’s been, I note Amadea catching up fast and realise she has Cherry with her. I hadn’t seen the British girl on top of the building, but I suspect that was because she must have been gathering weapons. Both she and Amadea have rifles, although Cherry is holding hers as though it might bite.

Listening to their low conversations I’m surprised to find they had much the same game plan as Miranda and Vasiliki: to split up, allowing one to get the weapons and one the keys. They’d obviously come up with it the moment the contest began, perhaps even before. In contrast, the Australian and the Greek had collected a couple of keys before deciding there was a better way.

If their plans all work everyone has the advantage of a weapon, or being aligned with someone who does, except Claire and Silke, and Claire won’t need them. A new firework indicates she’s racing ahead towards the finish line and, barring accidents, is unlikely to be caught.

I raise an eyebrow as Cat signals to Silke that she can have the bike, and the girl roars off without a second glance.