95
“I can’t, Cat, I just can’t. We have to go back.”
“Thorun,” I come to a standstill and sigh heavily, adjusting the weight of the pack on my back and turning to meet her teary eyes.
We’re only two blocks from where we’d left Sona.
Against my better judgement I’d agreed that rather than shoot her, I’d ensure she came last. Tying her up and stashing her underground in a basement cupboard meant no one would hear her scream.
She wouldn’t be found until the end of the competition, where she’d be dealt her punishment for coming last.
This wasn’t the worst idea Thorun had come up with.
The guns each contestant has only hold one bullet, and the rules with guns are the same in this trial as in any other.
We can’t eliminate more than two contestants each with a gun.
By not shooting Sona I was leaving the possibility wide open that I could still take out the evil twin and anyone working with her if I had to.
Or shoot to kill anyone else trying to knock us off.
But even though the basement had been Thorun’s idea, she hadn’t stopped crying about it since we left.
Facing her now I resolve to end this conversation once and for all, or shoot her, Jag’s deal be damned.
“Look, if it makes you feel any better, by coming last Sona’s going to be eliminated by Starlen.”
“Why would that make me feel any better?” She sobs.
“Because,” I frown as I try to think through how to tell her about the bite without revealing anything about myself. “When vampires bite, not the nip you had with Jag, but really bite, like to suck the life out of you, it hurts, it hurts like crazy, but then it doesn’t.”
“What are you saying?” She sniffs, her sobs calming slightly.
“I’m saying,” I put a hand on each of her shoulders and force her to look at me. “That the bite turns from pain to pleasure. Indescribable pleasure, like ten million orgasms all at once kind of pleasure.”
“Really?” She sniffs, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
“Really. So by offering Sona the opportunity to come last, rather than be shot,” I sigh, “You probably gave her what she’s been looking for all along.”
“A sexual experience like no other,” Thorun whispers, shuddering as she considers the idea.
“I guess,” I blush, knowing the bachelor will be watching this. “Not sex, ah, I don’t really know. But something. Something good.”
“Then,” Thorun blows her nose on the inside of her suit, “I don’t feel so bad. If she truly was trying to have you and I eliminated, I guess we did the best we could.
“Yes,” I nod. “We did the best we could. Now, please, stop snivelling; we have to make tracks.”
Turning, I head off at a jog back the way I’d come. The sun’s coming up soon and I’m starting to feel exhausted, but I know we’ll need to continue moving for at least half a day.
“Wait,” Thorun says as she jogs easily beside me, holding the map, “this is the wrong way.”
“No,” I shake my head, “we shouldn’t be doing the keys in order; it’s too obvious. We need to double back for a way and then swing north to get the last key, then double back again and work the others in random order.”
“That’ll take too long,” Thorun huffs, “Sona and I have already seen Claire’s fireworks. She’s got at least seven of the twelve keys already.”
“Silke and Claire have the same colour. It could be either of them.”
“But Silke’s behind, even with the bike.”
“We have an advantage,” I puff as I jog along, “the guns. If we eliminate someone it fast-forwards us three keys, remember?”
“Yes, but Sona, you, and I, only have two each.”
“Plus the potential three bonus ones,” I frown.
“I just think we should race for the finish line like Claire is.”
“It’s not the smartest move, Thorun. You have to trust that strategy is my strength.
And either way, I don’t care who wins. I’m not concerned about coming first and I’m not concerned about coming last now.
What I am worried about is that we might not make it at all because both you and I have targets on our backs thanks in large part to our former roommate. ”
Another two fireworks to our right draw our attention, and we stop to consider the colours.
“Orange and black,” Thorun sighs. “So either Vasiliki, Miranda, Silke, or Claire.”
Shrugging, I turn and continue loping, but stop for a second and decide to change direction.
“Now where?” Thorun asks in exasperation.
“Two teams have just reached that particular box location,” I smirk, “which means they won’t be there when we get there. All we have to worry about is where the others are.”
“Now that makes sense,” Thorun smiles. “And I wouldn’t have thought of it.”