The Rules (21 page)

Praveen was staring at the scrollwork on the gate with her hands tucked under her chin. Shock and longing warred on her features as fog curled around her ankles and blew through the gate as if mocking her: it could go wherever it wanted.

“Whoa,” August said. “I thought my heart had stopped.”

Praveen looked at him suspiciously. “Really. Aren’t you going to MIT to major in electrical engineering?”

“Right,” August drawled sarcastically. “So I powered up the fence, ran into it, and nearly electrocuted myself to make you think I’m not the murderer. Damn, Praveen.”

She narrowed her eyes. “How do we know you
did
run into it? You were just lying there.”

A small rectangle was glowing beside August’s shoe. Robin bent down and picked it up. It was a shattered cell phone, the back crisscrossed with flaps of reflective duct tape.

“August?” she said, showing it to him.

“You’ve had a cell phone all this time?” Praveen shrieked. “So you could call the other killer?”

“No, no, that’s Jacob’s,” August said quickly. “I would know that odd phone anywhere. I found it on the ground behind the warehouse. It’s broken.”

“Jacob?” Kyle said. “He didn’t come.”

“Well, he
texted
me that he wasn’t coming,” August said.

Kyle took the phone from him and examined it. A vast spiderweb of cracks prevented anyone from seeing the display.

Robin was stunned. Her mind began to work. Was August lying? She’d been back there, too, and had never seen it. Had he been holding out on them?

Was Jacob Stein the killer?

The look Kyle gave her said he was thinking the same thing.

“Why are you up here?” she asked August.

He huffed. “Mick and Hiro were staggering around with that idiot crowbar. They kept stopping and arguing and Hiro said forget it and he started down toward the beach. And Mick stomped around and then he yelled and I totally bailed.”

“You didn’t tell them about the phone?” Kyle said.

“I don’t know them,” August shot back. “And I found it after I peeled off. I thought about going after them but I got distracted trying to make it work. Hacker, remember? Then I saw the gates in the moonlight and I went up to check them out. And I nearly died.”

Wordlessly, Robin pulled the piece of green material out of her pocket and held it up to August’s shirt. It looked like a match.

“I found this next to Jackson’s car,” Robin said.

Praveen and Kyle leaned in for a look. Praveen caught her breath, and Robin could see comprehension dawning on Kyle’s face about why she had shown him the fabric in the first place.

“You bastard!” Praveen shrieked, throwing herself at him. He stumbled and fell and she fell on top of him. Grabbing him by the neck, she pressed down hard with all her weight, hollering, spit flying everywhere.

“Praveen, stop!” Robin shouted. She tried to yank Praveen away by her shoulders. Then Kyle pushed Robin, sending her tumbling into sticky, thorny bushes, and he hoisted Praveen up around her waist. She kicked and flailed. He set her down as Robin freed herself and scrabbled over to August, helping him up.

“Kill him, Kyle!” Praveen shouted. “He’ll kill us! You know it’s him!”

Kyle shook August by the collar, shoving his face into August’s. “What did you do, you sick freak?”

August thrashed, arms, head, feet.
“Nothing!”

Praveen pounded on Kyle’s back. “Kyle, throw him against the fence. He’s the killer, I know it.”

“No, don’t!” Robin cried, pushing herself between August and Kyle. Then she was shoved out of the way a second time as Kyle bulldozed August toward the fence. Praveen was helping. Together they backed him up and he grunted, struggling against them like a football player trying to hold the line.

“Robin, help me!” August pleaded. “Oh my God!”

Robin glommed on to Kyle again and tried to yank him away. The powerful muscles in his arms and shoulders moved beneath her fingers but he stayed as he was, on the verge of murdering August.

Praveen just hissed, pounding on August’s chest with her fists. “The cell phone! Your shirt!”

“Look at my shirt! Look at it!” August begged them.

“Let him show us!” Robin yelled.

Kyle let go. August snaked his hands down his sides and pulled the ends of his shirt out of his dirt-encrusted tuxedo pants. Robin took the flashlight and ran the light along it. There were no rips.

“So, okay? There’s nothing wrong with my freakin’ shirt. I can’t believe you people,” August said. His voice was shaking. “So, what’s it going to be, Praveen? Kyle? The sun rises and you’re the last ones standing?”

Praveen turned away. “Shut up. Just shut up.”

“Or what? You’ll electrocute me?”

Fresh screams tore through the darkness.

“They’re dead!” Beth shrieked. “They’re dead!”

A resonant whooshing sound was followed by a sudden, intense flare that rose through the darkness, so bright Robin had to shield her eyes.

She lowered her hand.

On the roof of the warehouse, huge, flaming letters flickered:

DIDN’T FOLLOW THE RULES

Beth’s voice rang out over the brick and stone and shell as Robin started down the hill. When Kyle tried to take her hand, she stuffed them both into her pockets. He had almost killed August and she just didn’t want to touch him for a little while. They jogged, keeping pace with each other, as August and Praveen trailed slowly behind them.

Beth was hunched over sobbing. Robin wanted to rush forward but Kyle grabbed her wrist, nearly dangling her like a string puppet, and forced her behind him. He went up to Beth.

“It was the generators. They’re…they’re…” She completely lost it, sobbing. Robin tried to get around Kyle, not to comfort her but to make her be quiet.

Flashlight on, August darted over to the two black shapes. He bent down beside one and reached out a hand. Then did the same to the other.

“What happened?” August asked Beth. She kept crying. “You have to tell me,” he said sternly.
“Now.”

After she explained, he shook his head. “They were wired. The gas cans. So when Mick put the cap on…and Larson had the knife…”

“So they were
electrocuted,
” Kyle said.

“August!” Praveen shouted, but Robin whirled on her.

“Back off, Praveen,” she said.

Praveen’s eyes grew huge. She stared at Robin as if she, not August, was in her sights.

“And Morgan. We found her….Rats were eating…” Beth couldn’t get out the rest before dissolving into more sobs.

AUGUST’S RULE #3:
Do unto others as they did unto Alexa.

Shit,
August thought.

The flames on the warehouse roof lit up the scene: Beth crying, Praveen spinning herself back up into a frenzy, and Robin very carefully retrieving the knife from beside Larson’s body. The fire gave off thick, oily smoke, but as far as he could tell, there was no blazing inferno. The warehouse was mostly brick, which was fortunate, as August realized that all their stuff was inside. Wallets and purses had not been on anyone’s mind, and probably weren’t on anybody else’s but his.

“We need to figure out where the electricity is located,” he said while Robin worked to calm Beth down. The group moved well away from the generators and the corpses. “That was used to do this.”

“You already know,” Praveen shot back. “There’s a fence up there,” she told Beth. “It’s electrified. August did it.”

Praveen aimed her flashlight straight at him, like she could kill him with it or make him disappear or something. All he could see was the brilliance of the light. He tried to wave her off but she kept doing it.

“I didn’t electrify the fence,” he said. “God, who do you think I am, some supervillain? Listen to me. There’s working electricity here in the cannery. This is
huge.
We just have to find the source.”

“Like you talked Mick into doing,” Praveen said.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.” He took a step forward. “Stop it!”

Kyle grabbed the flashlight from Praveen and clicked it off before stuffing it in the pocket of his jacket.

“He wasn’t there, Praveen,” Robin said. “Remember? We didn’t know where he was.”

“He was making sure Mick and Larson died,” Praveen snapped.

“For the last time, I’m not the one doing this!” August shouted, spittle flying from his mouth.

“You’re lying!” Praveen yelled. “Every word out of your mouth is a lie!”

Arms spread wide, she ran toward the cliff, weaving and bobbing as if someone had shot her in the back. For a moment August thought she had been hit. But Praveen kept running.

“Wait!” Robin yelled at her. “Oh my God, Praveen! Just
stop
!”

She watched in frustration as Praveen headed toward the rickety wooden dock and then into the warehouse. Praveen had been out of her mind most of the night, and now she’d just run into a building whose roof was on fire.

THEA’S RULE #5:
If you hide, you’re less likely to get hurt.

Thea didn’t know how long she shivered in Jackson’s car, Inky clutched to her chest. Jackson had loved the dog even more than her. She kept petting the little thing over and over; if she made it out of this alive, she would take care of Inky forever. So many things had gone wrong so fast. None of this should have happened.

Jackson.

The blood gushing out of his throat.

The shadowy figure looming behind him.

She squeezed her eyes shut and Inky wriggled, sensing her panic. The sight would haunt her until she died, however soon that turned out to be. She had a terrible feeling it wouldn’t be very long.

I didn’t even get to hang out with Hiro,
she thought.

There were lots of noises outside, the most terrifying of which had been Beth yelling that someone else was dead. At least, that was what it had sounded like. Maybe it wasn’t even Beth. Whoever it was and whoever was dead, she wasn’t going to look.

Inky whimpered. Thea could feel her heart pounding out of rhythm. So afraid of everything all the time. Jackson had given her power, real power. People were—
had been
—afraid of him. Her boyfriend. No one messed with her when he was with her. She’d loved knowing that, feeling safe with him.

Just not safe
from
him. His temper. Until now.

Thud.

Something landed on the roof.

The whole car shook.

Thea bit her tongue so hard it started bleeding.

“Woof!”

Thud.

The car shook again.

Inky barked.

This time Thea held his muzzle, muffling the next
woof;
then she panicked. Maybe that had been a mistake.

Scratching sounds came from outside the car, near her head.

She should get up; she should run. The car, which had offered her protection just a short while ago, was a trap. She was lying down like she was in a coffin and that’s where she was going to end up. The killer knew she was here. Her only chance was to run or fight. She couldn’t just let herself be butchered.

She felt in the footwell and her hand wrapped around the tire iron Kyle had made sure to give to her. She had a weapon. She could totally do this.

If she called for help…

…no guarantee that anyone would hear. That they would come.

Tears and sweat soaked her to the bone. She was so scared her fingers could barely hold on to the piece of metal and it started to slip. She readjusted her grip with one hand and tried to push Inky off with the other.

The scratching stopped.

Thea froze. Her eyes were huge as she listened hard. Could it have just been the wind? An animal?

Inky crawled back onto her chest, whimpering.

Crash!

Something smashed into the windshield, showering bits of glass down on the front seat. She cried out, dropping the tire iron, and then frantically felt for it. When she had it, she rocketed up and flung open the door. Her feet had barely hit the ground and she was running. The tire iron slid again from her clammy hand and she didn’t stop to get it. She couldn’t.

The car door slammed shut.

Running steps behind her.

Closer.

Closer.

“Please, no!” She tried to yell as loudly as she could, but the sound was cut off as someone grabbed her hair and yanked, causing her feet to skid. Pinwheeling her arms, she tried to reach behind, to free herself, even as she fell.

She hit the ground so hard it knocked the wind out of her and then she was being dragged backward toward the car. She could hear Inky barking and barking.

Suddenly, whoever had her let go.
Safe, safe, safe.
She struggled to sit up and glanced upward just as the tire iron arced down.

ROBIN’S RULE #13:
Show up when you should.

“Praveen?” Robin called as the group clumped at the warehouse door. She looked at Kyle. “Did you hear that? Was that a scream?”

“I didn’t hear anything,” he said.

“That was me, wheezing,” said Beth. She doubled over coughing, waving her hands in front of her face as she shook her head. “Let’s get Praveen and charge the phone.”

“Praveen?” Robin yelled as she stuck her head in the warehouse. The lanterns they’d left behind were still on. Smoke danced lazily in the light.

Kyle was beside her, clicking on the flashlight. “I’m sorry, Robin,” he said. “About August. I lost it. I really lost it.”

She nodded stiffly. “We’re all under a lot of stress.” Then she cracked a half smile up at him. “To put it mildly.”

“I wish I’d taken you to the winter formal,” he said. He wrinkled his nose, eyes glittering. “Unwritten rule. No dating the coach’s daughter.”

His change of subject caught her off guard. “I’m not the coach’s daughter anymore.”

“He’ll get his job back.” He tentatively brushed his hand against hers. She took it, held it. Made it as right as she could again. Even Beth had said she would kill the killer. Kyle was the captain of the lacrosse team and she had seen him in outright battle on the field. Lacrosse players had tons of testosterone; she shouldn’t be so hard on him for doing what he’d done. “He’s a good coach.”

“It was just such a horrible shock,” she blurted. “Someone
doing
that. And leaving him there. It changed our lives forever.”

“One slipup,” he said softly, “and it’s all gone.”

“You wouldn’t know. You’re the king at school.” She didn’t mean to sound bitter.

“Class president. Lacrosse captain.” He sounded as if he were making fun of himself. “Praveen!” he shouted.

Something shuffled in the hall to the left of the stage. Robin’s fingers seized Kyle’s.

“Praveen!” she joined in, hefting the knife in her hand. If the killer could hear them, maybe he’d stay away.

They hurried together past the stage and were about halfway down the hall. Somewhere back here was where Larson had found Heather’s earring. She shut her eyes against the image of Heather’s body swinging from the rope. Her stomach began to rebel; she had to stop for a second. Kyle stopped, too.

In the space of that moment, she heard a soft groan. She darted forward; almost too late, the flashlight passed over a patch of darkness—a hole—and she wobbled at the edge as Kyle caught up to her and grabbed her forearm.

“Whoa,” he said.

She heard another groan and leaned over. Aiming her flashlight downward, they saw a blur of contrast, a shape. Red, green. Praveen’s bloody clothes. Around the shape, darkness was spreading like a sunset shadow.

Fresh blood.

“She’s down there. Hurt. She must have fallen through.” The floor creaked as she shuffled forward and craned her neck to get a better look. “Praveen! We’re coming!”

Kyle put his hand out. “Move back. Don’t put too much weight on the floor—the wood feels rotted.”

“August! Beth!” she shouted.

They came running. Robin quickly explained what had happened.

August blanched. “The floor looked solid when I checked this place out. I even tested it.”

“Uh-huh,” Beth snapped. “I would never have let that happen. Outside is the wooden deck, right? There were concrete stairs going down. Circular stairs.”

Kyle nodded. “Right. I saw those, too.”

They all went to the dock. Wet ocean breeze slammed against Robin as they found the concrete stairs. She clattered down to the next level first and tried the knob. It was locked.

Kyle looked at August. “Key?”

“Are you kidding?” August threw himself at the door. Then he brought up his leg and tried to kick it in. He swore and limped out of the way as Kyle gave it a shot.

“How come the frickin’ door isn’t rotten?” Kyle muttered. “Like the floor?”

Robin cupped her hands around her mouth. “Praveen, can you get to the door? Can you open the door?”

If Praveen answered, Robin didn’t hear her. Kyle ran his hands through his hair and dropped them to his sides.