Chapter 9 Shane #3
“The test is designed so people don’t figure it out,” Jordan says seriously. “There’s a time limit of two hours, as well as several obstacles that have been built into the room that are designed to go off the closer to the deadline you get.”
“But why create a test that people aren’t supposed to pass?” I ask. “Why set people up for failure like that?”
“Because the test isn’t just to show your ability to work as a team or to see if you can decode the clues that would have been revealed if you hadn’t flown through it the way you did. It’s meant to show us how you react under pressure and how you deal with failure.”
“So we both passed and failed the test?” Jace asks.
“Essentially.” Jordan shoots him a knowing look. “But that’s not surprising. We knew you guys would figure it out, considering the particular skill sets you have. We just thought it would take longer.”
Skill sets? Does that mean the rumors I’ve heard about the Hawthorne cousins are true?
“Was Jace right about the booby traps?” Jax asks.
Axel nods. “None of them are actually dangerous, but they’re designed to test your ability to stay calm under duress, so they’re dramatic and make you think you’re in danger.”
I sneak a quick look at Jace and the others. Am I the only one who thinks this entire situation is ridiculous and unnecessary? I know the frat is steeped in stupid traditions, but testing the future leadership in a booby-trapped panic room is insane, even for the Rebels.
None of the other guys seem all that bothered, and I return my attention to Jordan.
“The other reason we called you here today is because there’s a situation you need to be aware of.” Jordan fixes his gaze on Jax. “How much have you told him about what happened with Myles and the Kings?”
“Nothing.”
Jordan glances at Jace, then Killian.
“Nothing,” Killian says.
“Nada,” Jace adds.
“Does him mean me?” I ask tentatively.
I already know the Hawthornes have access to information the rest of us don’t, but I can’t help feeling salty at being the only one out of the group who has no idea what the fuck is going on.
“It does.” Jordan runs a hand through his hair to push it back from where it’s fallen into his eyes. “I’ll let the others fill you in on the details, but we’ve been dealing with multiple security breaches since the school year started.”
“Is that what happened at Thanksgiving?” I ask. “When the Rapture was moved to the dorms at the last second?”
Nico nods. “We’ve been able to shut most of them down in real time, but a few have managed to sneak past our defenses and have caused some internal chaos in our systems while we rooted them out.
We’ve fixed the issues that allowed them to gain access in the first place, but the fact that so many have gotten past our security is a problem. ”
“If that wasn’t bad enough,” Jordan says. “We were also made aware of a blackmail file the Kings have been compiling on members of the frats for years.”
“A blackmail file?” My stomach goes sour. “Is it as bad as I think it is?”
Jordan nods, his expression grim.
“Am I in there?”
“We’re all in there,” Axel says.
More of that sour sensation fills my stomach as I cycle through the last three years of my memories, highlighting all the times I did something I shouldn’t have or that I regret. How much of that is in the file? How many of my mistakes were captured and stored without my knowledge?
“It’s taken some time,” Jordan continues, and I push those thoughts to the back of my mind and shift my focus back on the conversation. “But Carter was able to track where the original file is being kept in the Kings’ system.”
“Is it still in their system?” Jax asks in a calm voice when Jordan doesn’t continue.
The three of them exchange a look before Jordan nods.
“You might as well just tell us everything,” Jace says in the same tone his brother just used. “Otherwise we’ll figure it out on our own, and probably learn more than you want us to know,” he adds, letting that hang in the air.
Jordan glares at Jace, and I brace for the verbal lashing he’s about to get.
Jordan, Nico, and Axel are damn good at their jobs, and they’ve earned the respect of everyone in the frat, but they have short tempers and love coming up with creative punishments for anyone who steps out of line or pushes back against their “our way or the highway” style of leadership.
They don’t tolerate people who talk back or demand things from them, and I’ve seen them rip people apart for comments far more innocent than what Jace just said.
I can see Jordan’s jaw working as he and Jace get locked in a sort of staring contest, and I can’t hide my surprise when Jordan looks away first.
“We were able to determine that there are actually two separate collections of files,” he says, his voice tight. “Both have been erased from their systems, but there are copies of them on a hard drive hidden somewhere in King House.”
Jace stiffens beside me, and I briefly glance at him. He looks… Pissed isn’t the right word. He’s angry, no doubt, but there’s an eerie calmness under his anger that’s a thousand times more terrifying than if he were raging out.
“And?” Jax prompts.
“The file we don’t have is exclusively filled with information on members of the Rebels.
” Jordan looks between the twins. “And from what we’ve been able to tell, there are no dedicated files for the other frats.
Which brings us to the real threat, and the reason for all the secrecy over the past few months.
” He pauses dramatically. “We have a mole in our midst.”
“A mole?” Jax asks, and the deadly dark calm of his voice sends a shiver up my spine.
Jordan nods grimly. “Someone within the frat has been working with the Kings and feeding them sensitive information, not just about current members, but also past members, for years. Far longer than it takes to get a degree, so this is a systemic issue within the frat and not just a one-off.”
“And you have no idea who it is?” Killian asks.
All three men shake their heads, but something flickers in Jordan’s expression, making me think that isn’t the whole truth.
“Is this why they changed how future leadership is chosen?” Jax asks.
Jordan nods.
“The changes were approved last summer,” Killian says, a hint of suspicion in his voice. “That means this has been going on for way longer than whatever happened at Thanksgiving.”
Jordan and the others exchange a look.
“Might as well tell us the whole story, otherwise we’ll just get the information on our own,” Jax says bluntly, repeating Jace’s earlier words. “And we all know it’s better if we don’t search it out on our own.”
“The alumni first became aware of an issue two years ago,” Jordan starts, his tone icier than it was a moment ago.
“We only know what we’ve been told,” he continues.
“But apparently it took time for them to trace the leak back to the school, and we were only informed about the possibility of a mole at the end of last year. That’s all the information we have. ”
“So what are we doing about this?” Jax asks. “I’m assuming you had to wait until after our appointments were finalized to bring us in on this. Now that you have, what do you want us to do?”
“Right now we need you to keep your ears to the ground and be on the lookout for anything that can tell us who the mole is.” Jordan flicks his gaze to Jace. “And we’ll need you to work your magic and see if you can find anything that might have been overlooked.”
Work his magic? What the hell is Jordan talking about?
“Understood,” Jace says in that same eerily calm voice that sends another shiver through me.
“Once we know more, we’ll come up with a plan to get the files from the Kings. Until then, we need to gather as much information about this situation as possible so we can find the mole before they figure out we’re on to them.” He looks between us again. “Understood?”
We chorus our affirmatives, and all three men visibly relax as Axel gently slaps the black button in the hidden panel we found, silently telling us that the meeting is over.
The door swings open, and we file out of the room one by one. Jordan and Axel head left down the hall, and Nico motions for us to follow him as he heads in the opposite direction.
We don’t say anything as Nico leads us back through the maze of hallways and rooms until we’re once again in the main foyer. Wordlessly, he tosses us a quick wave and disappears back the way we came.
“Well, that was interesting,” Jace says when the door to the western wing bangs shut behind Nico.
“Definitely interesting,” Jax agrees.
The twins exchange a look, and it seems like they have an entire silent conversation in only a few seconds.
I want to ask them what the hell Jordan was talking about back there with the security breaches and how Jax’s boyfriend is mixed up in things, but it feels wrong to bring up anything that we just learned out in the open like this.
“Well, that was fun, but I have class soon,” Killian says, glancing at his watch.
“Really?” Jace asks innocently as the four of us walk toward the main doors. “You consider sixty-five minutes soon?”
“Well, it’s soon if he’s planning on squeezing in a little afternoon delight between now and then,” Jax says casually and holds the door open so the rest of us can step through it.
“True,” Jace agrees solemnly. “That would create a tight timeline.” He glances at Killian. “Are you planning on squeezing in a little afternoon delight?” he asks innocently.
Killian just offers a smirk as we troop down the stairs and head toward the gate.
“That’s totally his plan,” Jace tells Jax in a hushed voice, like he’s telling his brother a secret.
“Definitely,” Jax agrees. “Better put a little pep in your step so you have time to finish.”
“And the only thing worse than having to rush the big finish is skipping it, right?” Jace says casually. “Unless you’re into that sort of thing, of course.”
My head is on a swivel as I ping-pong between the twins and Killian, who doesn’t seem all that bothered by their teasing.
“Have you heard the shit that comes out of their room when they’re getting their freak on?” Jax asks Jace like Killian and I aren’t even there. “They’re definitely not the type to skip the big finish.”
“Oh, I’ve heard it,” Jace says with a grin. “It’s like two bobcats fighting while a banshee screams in the background. Half the time I can’t tell if they’re having a good time or being murdered.”
Killian flips both of his cousins off and taps his ID card on the sensor next to the gate to log his exit.
The rest of us do the same, then pause walking when we’re outside the gate.
“See you assholes later.” Killian flicks his gaze to me. “Later.”
“Bye,” I say as he heads back toward Hamilton House.
“Are we skipping class?” Jace asks his brother.
“We’re skipping class,” he confirms. “Later,” he says to me.
“Later,” Jace echoes, and the heated look in his eyes sends a weird pulse of what feels like electricity through me.
“Bye,” I repeat like a dumbass as they walk toward the woods.
I look between the house and their retreating backs, my head spinning from everything that happened since I got that stupid text.
How the hell am I the only one who seems bothered by the fact that we were summoned to a meeting that was essentially an excuse to lock us in a booby-trapped panic room to test our ability to lead the frat next year?
Then they tell us that there are blackmail files out there filled with sensitive information about us, and there’s a mole in the house feeding that info to our rivals, and everyone is acting like that’s totally normal?
But then again, I was the only one who had no prior knowledge of any of this. And just like every other aspect of my life, I’m always the last to know what the fuck is going on, even when it directly affects me.
Another wave of bitterness sweeps over me as I head back to the dorms. I have class in an hour, but I’ll just get the notes off Paxton later. I need time to wrap my head around everything, and I definitely need a distraction while I do it.