Jaret rummages in his pocket and takes out two paper tickets. “Here. Take this. I got them from one of the distributors. Brody.”
“Brody?” I scream. So Brody is a pawn in this as well?
Jaret puts his hand over my mouth.
“He probably got them from the courier. I had to give these to you, so my best guess is that he got the same order.”
“You want to give these to me? What do I have to do with this?”
“I don’t know, I’m just following orders, trying to get their trust back,” Jaret says with his eyebrows raised.
I frown, while he presses the tickets firmly into my hand. “Don’t look at them until you’re in your room, and I’m gone.”
He gazes at me one more time with a stern look on his face before turning around and walking away as if nothing ever happened.
Baffled, I go back inside and close the door behind me. The scrunched-up tickets in my hand are the only thing I’m aware of right now.
I can’t believe what just happened. Jaret basically told me Hunter’s been doing what he’s doing right now for a long time already, and it’s all because of them. The frat club. Only this time … it’s way, way worse. They even want me to see it.
Whatever it is, I need to find out and get him out of there.
Dammit, if only he hadn’t gone after that boss, he’d be out of trouble now. Why in hell’s name is he putting so much at risk?
“What you got?” Evie asks.
I’m startled, pulled out of my thoughts.
Unwrapping the paper, I walk toward her and sit down on the bed. We both stare at the tickets. They’re entry passes into some sort of event tonight. Big fat letters exclaim the words ‘Hunter,’ ‘V.S.,’ and ‘Killer.’
Chills run down my spine reading those last few letters.
It freaks me out to an impossible level.
“What the …”
“He’s in trouble. Big time.”
“Jaret gave these to you?”
“Yeah.” There are two of them. “I guess he wants me to take you?”
“I guess …”
“Please, don’t make me go alone.” I put up my puppy-dog eyes.
She caves, laughing. “Oh, all right. How can I not go when you look at me like that?”
Her laugh doesn’t make me feel any better. This whole thing is making me feel sick to my stomach.
I hope Hunter is all right.
8 p.m.
We’re walking through the city, our legs shaking from the cold. It’s dark and scary outside. Lampposts barely light the streets, and it’s grown increasingly deserted the last couple of streets. Cars don’t come here. Nobody comes here. This is a place filled with abandoned warehouses.
And I have no idea what the fuck Evie and I are doing here.
I wish I’d never accepted those tickets.
Part of me wants to run back to campus and just wait it out, but my gut is telling me to get over my fear. I need to find Hunter and help him. I know he’s in danger. I can feel it. If I run now, there’s no way I can save him.
“I don’t like this one bit …” Evie mutters.
Her teeth chatter, and she clamps onto her coat for warmth. I’m shivering, but I don’t want to admit I’m scared to death. I don’t want her to be afraid, and if I am, so will she be. I need to be the strong one now.
“Me neither, but we have to,” I say.
“Remind me again why?”
“To find Hunter. For me. He’s in danger.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I just have this feeling in my gut that something is wrong.”
“Oh … well, I hope he’s okay, but I’m more worried about you.”
“I’ve got you with me. I won’t be in danger.” I wink, and she smiles, trying to relax a little.
We cross the street, checking the signs for the way to go. It should be right around where we are now, although I still have no idea what I’m looking for.
“This is it,” I say, as we walk into an alley.
“I don’t see anything,” she whispers, tugging my coat.
“There!” I point at the door, and drag her with me.
It says ‘NO ENTRY,’ but when I pull the door, it opens right away.
“You sure this is the place?” she asks, her voice trembling.
“Yes.”
We both look at each other and gulp away our fears. Not that it helps one bit.
There’s a staircase leading down into a basement. One light is dangling from the ceiling. Spider nests cover the walls. Scary shit.
“Ew … nasty,” Evie says, as we walk through.
We go to the end where there’s another door. I can hear loud noises coming from behind it. I wonder what the heck is going on down there.