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Blue looks in the mirror again and smiles. “I met Aurelia here,” she says with feigned innocence, like a brainwashed innocent. “We became fast friends. She told me all about her Advocate.” Something vicious was coming over her. I was watching a snake slither out of its den to strike. “Carrick. We were both so happy he recruited us.”
The audience remained silent, the polygraph in unerring steadiness.
Blue continued, rising to her feet, half-naked with voltage pads attached to her thighs. They could, truthfully, trigger them at any moment, rendering her immobile, causing her pain, but then they would be guilty of more than just blackmail here.
She pressed a palm to the window, and I suspected, she was trying to meet Carrick’s gaze even through the reflection. Another smile tugged at her lips. “Aurelia and I have something in common. Both of our fathers are in jail. It’s tragic, really. Just two sad, fatherless girls.” The polygraph began to twitch. “With no hope but for what the games offered us. Carrick was so kind to offer us a chance to win the money.” The polygraph spiked, staying in an elevated position as the lies came from her mouth. “I wonder if Carrick knew our fathers. I wonder whathisintentions are for The Games and its Players.”
The polygraph settled as Blue dropped her hand and took a step away.
“I don’t know anything of the processing center or your intentions with its inhabitants.”
The polygraph spiked high, the alarm sounding as a higher voltage went through, doubling Blue over as she moaned, another mixture of pleasure and pain. She stood straight, and I watched as that snake coiled back.
“I know nothing of the blackmail that happens here.”
The polygraph went off again, and Blue was given another shock. This time she remained straightened, only her head falling back as she moaned, her hands caressing her own breasts as she leaned into the pleasure.
“I know nothing of trick contracts.” Another volt. “Or what happens to disqualified Players.”
Another volt. Blue’s cheeks were brilliantly red, her chest heaving as she smiled again. Her hand traced her torso, trailing between her legs.
“I’ll give you a show as long as you want it, but I won’t do it at the expense of other’s lives.” The polygraph went still for the first time. Blue charged forward, slamming both her hands into the glass. “I’ll come for you a thousand times if I have to. Whatever it takes to free the women you keep on this island for your own benefit.”
My chest felt like it was being squeezed in a vice grip. I decided there and then that I would go to whatever lengths necessary to support Blue.
Just as she stepped away, the lights of the room went dark and the door slammed open.
Chapter Twenty: Eve
The Scheme
“You lying bitch!” Carrick yells as he lunges for me. I don’t know what he thinks he’s going to do, but I brace myself against his crazed attempt to get back at me for exposing him.
His hulking form rushes for me, but before I can even raise a fist, Laurence punches him in the face. Carrick goes stumbling backward, gripping his nose to staunch the bleeding that has already begun. Laurence stands between us, looming over Carrick by at least five inches, keeping his composure calm just as more people show up in the doorway. The first is Vaughn Jamison. He’s busy taking in the scene as Carrick’s raging gaze meets me and Laurence. “You’ll pay for this, you bitch.”
Laurence tenses beside me. Carrick attempts to leave with whatever dignity he has left, but Vaughn blocks him. He shakes his head “This is deeply unfortunate for you, Carrick.”
“What the fuck are you on about?” Carrick asks, his tone nasally from pinching his nose. “These two are clearly liars and cheating. Why amIbeing the one scolded?”
“Because that was essentially your confession, Carrick,” the deep, raspy voice of Terrence Marlowe sounds from the doorway behind Vaughn. The Gamemaker steps aside for his boss to enter. “I’m going to need you to leave the island.”
Tension fell over the room like a heavy blanket. Sensing it, Laurence took a step back to stand at my side, placing a protective hand at my back. Murderous disdain was in Carrick’s eyes as he turned to look at me. Not only disdain, but betrayal as well.
He deserves it.
I do my best to return the look, thinking of Aurelia and all the pain the games have caused her, missing her son’s life all because of whatever scheme Carrick is attempting to cover up. I’m the only continued means for him to do that.
“Terrence, you’ve known me for years,” Carrick tries to argue, pulling his hand away from his nose, a trail of blood seeping over his lips.
Terrence is quiet, a stone-faced pillar of these games. His plain outfit of a white shirt and black slacks couldn’t fool me. The watch on his wrist could to send me to the college of my choosing at least three times over. He catches me looking, and we lock eyes for a moment. Something passes behind his stoic expression.
His attention turns back to Carrick. “We will discuss this in my quarters.”
Ah, I get it, they don’t want to say anything more in front of me. I already know too much.
So, that begs the question… what are they going to do with me? I just threatened them.
Carrick wipes the back of his hand across his nose, sniffling. I can’t tell if it’s from the pain of Laurence fucking up his nose, or it they’re actual tears. I hope it’s both. He follows the old gamemaster out of the room without another word.
