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I shook my head. “No, it isn’t.” A gaggle of schoolkids clambered out of a nearby arcade and started toward us like a rampage scene out of Jumanji. I held on to Jason’s hand and moved us to the side of the donut shop. The sugary scent no longer made me hungry; food was the absolute last thing I could think about with how my stomach was twisting.
“We’re getting close to the end of this case,” I said, measuring my every word. I couldn’t tell her outright that I suspected one of her sons to be a serial killer, but I did have to toe around that pit trap if I wanted any useable information. “And it’s imperative that we speak to Derrick. We think he might have some crucial information about the Pegasus.”
“Derrick? Oh God, what is going on, I feel like I’m going to be sick. Is he in any danger?”
That was a very difficult question to answer. “I can’t make any solid assessments on that right now,” I said. “But until we don’t lock this killer up, then I think it’s safe to say we’re all in danger.”
“He’s been acting odd, both of them have. I need to sit down.”
“Did they say anything, anything, about where they’d be today?” I asked. Shock must have been setting in for the mayor, but I needed her as sharp as possible. She possibly held one of the keys to solving this.
“Yes, yes they did. Byron talked about spending time at our old cabin in Lunar Grove. It was where they’d always hang out as kids. He said he wanted to try and update it with his brother.” I heard a sad attempt to swallow down a cry. “Please, promise me they’re okay, Matt.”
Jason suddenly grabbed me, his fingers digging painfully into my arm. His face had gone sickly pale as his eyes darted across his phone, reading whatever message had popped up.
“I’ll do my best,” I said to Emma, keeping things as vague as possible. “I’ll update you the second I get more info. Thank you, you really helped today.” I hung up as she was saying goodbye. Jason’s expression was too urgent. There was terror in his eyes.
“What? What is it?” I asked. I could see the fear spreading over him like a deadly virus replicating at an exponential rate.
“Harry. It’s Harry.”
He handed me the phone, his hand shaking. Jason never got this worked up over anything. What the hell happened? Immediately, my thoughts went to “an accident” and “Harry’s hurt.” I looked down at the phone, surprised at what was on the screen.
The surprise mutated into dread as I read the two simple words that filled up the blue text bubble: “Help Pegasus.”
Harry was taken.
Jason and I had made a fatal flaw, and I saw it clear as day now. The photo we found in the hideout wasn’t a sign that we were the targets.
It meant that Harry was.
29
JASON QUILL
No, no, no, no, no.
My lungs burned as if I’d dropped a vat of acid into each of them. My gut churned back and forth, my head feeling lighter and lighter.
No, not Harry.
How could we have overlooked this? How could we have let this happen?
How, how, how?
“Come on,” Matt said, grabbing my hand and pulling me back to where he’d parked his car. “Emma said they were going to spend time fixing up an old hangout of theirs. I think it might be a new hideout. Harry could be there.”
“Could… it doesn’t mean he is.” I let go of Matt’s hand and ran to the trash can, gripping onto the cold green steel and dropping my head, my entire breakfast and lunch shooting back up. Matt came to my side, rubbing my back for a moment before holding my hand again and tugging me.
“Come, Jace, it’s going to be okay, but we can’t waste any more time. We have to go.”
“You’re right. You’re right.”
I rubbed my face and fought through the crippling fear that rattled my ribs like a prisoner trapped inside my chest, trying to break free. But Matt was right—we didn’t have any time to waste. Every second that passed was another second Harry spent facing down the Pegasus.
My big brother. This wasn’t supposed to happen to him. He was supposed to be safe, happy, celebrating his new marriage, not fighting for his life at the hands of a psychotic killer.
“Where did you say they were?” I asked as we jumped into the car. Matt pulled out of the parking spot with the door still open.
“An old hangout spot of theirs near Lunar Grove. His mom said they wanted to fix it up, how they’d always hang there as kids. It’s apparently an old cabin of theirs.” Matt cut through a yellow light and raced forward, the jagged peaks of the White Mountains in the distance resembling a set of jaws primed to swallow us whole. I got my phone and tried calling Harry again but the calls went straight to voicemail.
