Page 179 of The Most Dangerous Games

“Makes sense to me,” Jack says.

Lin Zhi nods his head in agreement. “Congratulations,” he says.

“Thank you. But I don’t feel like The One,” Alek says.

Wyatt’s expression softens for the first time.

“My grandfather believed in The One. I don’t,” Wyatt says.

“Me either,” Jimmy says. “Not anymore.”

Wyatt continues, “One person can start something, but they can’t do everything alone. That’s the lesson of these games.”

Waldrip starts laughing. “Idealistic idiots. You’ll see. When the pressure is real, when the stakes are real, when the decisions are right in front of you, you’ll come to the same conclusions we did.”

Alek clears her throat, “Honestly, Waldrip, shut the hell up.”

The room goes still.

“One last question, and then I promise to stop,” Alek continues. “Where’s Tipton?”

“Still in his room downstairs,” Wyatt says. “I made a brief stop there. When I said I’d let him out if he told me the truth, he couldn’t wait to confess that he was supposed to let me die on Mount Washington.”

“Did you let him out then?” Alek asks.

“No,” Wyatt says.

He puts his hands out helplessly.

“What can I tell you. I told one more lie.”

Wyatt takes a long look around the boardroom.

“Do any of you have anything you’d like to add before I declare this meeting adjourned?” Wyatt says. “Because we all have a lot of work to do.”

“I have one more thing to say, for the record,” Thomas Waldrip snaps. “You’re not half the man your grandfather was.”

Wyatt smiles at the man.

“You know something?” he says. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Alek speaks again. She takes charge. “Guards! Take them away. The former board members. The rest of us have work to do.”

Patrick Arrasmith

124.

When they’re all back inside the lightning-fast, gold-plated elevator, Alek tells them where they’re going. And who they’re going to see.

“Seriously?” Wyatt asks. “You’re sure about this?”

“I’m sure,” Alek says. “This needs to get done.”

The elevator doors open. Then they’re walking back down a long and familiar corridor.

Alek is the one to open the door after Wyatt has pointed the right one out to her.

Ant Tipton is where Wyatt had left him, lying in the corner of the room, half-conscious but breathing, shallowly. The only light in the room comes from the corridor with the door cracked open. It’s enough for them to see that Tipton’s black shirt is loosely wrapped around his right hand, his body is dripping with sweat, his eyes distant, only half present.