Page 44 of If They Knew

“I'm going to be a double agent and report back everything that is happening so we can be one step ahead of Logan and then take him out when we get the chance. To make it look convincing, I let Theo punch me in the face,” answers Karissa before anyone questions why I hit her.

“How do we know we can trust you?” Mary asks.

“Yeah, how do we know you're not doing the same thing for Logan and telling him all of our plans?” Kelly asks, crossing her arms in front of her.

“You can trust me. I want my brother safe, and Logan is going to end up killing everyone if he isn't stopped,” Karissa answers pointedly.

I hope we are making the right decision by trusting her.

“Our plan is for Karissa to return and lie on the ground beside Brent.”

“Who is Brent? Julie asks.

“He’s with Logans group and was patrolling the hallways with Karissa. I knocked him out, but we need to move before he wakes up.” I look over to Karissa. “Karissa is going to go lie down next to him, so when he wakes up, he will think they were both attacked.”

“Okay, how is she going to talk to us without anyone noticing?” Julie asked.

“She is going to leave a note in the closet where Tyler and I found the axes. She is going to explain that the closet needs to be checked nightly because that's the only place they hadn't checked, and that must have been where the attacker—me—had to have been hiding. The plan has some holes, but it’s the best we could come up with.”

Everyone looks at each other, but no one offers any other suggestions, so I carry on.

“Before all that starts, we need to get these people down here. Sara, the group’s leader, is organizing things on their end,” I say.

“Yeah, that makes much more sense. Sara is more of the take-charge type, always has been since we were kids,” says Kelly.

“Chris and I’ll head back down to Paradise Cove to get everyone. We’ll be back as soon as we can. I’ll knock three times so you know it’s us. Be ready.”

Chris, Karissa, and I quietly make our way back to Paradise Cove, constantly checking our surroundings as we go, even though we were told only Karissa and Brent were on lookout. I’d rather be safe than sorry. When we approach the hallway where Brent is still knocked out, Karissa quickly gets into position and lies near him. I consider the possibility that it's already been almost fifteen minutes, and Brent might wake up when we are relocating Sara and her group. I have to decide whether to continue or wait until Brent wakes up and leaves. What do I do? I realize that waiting could prompt Logan to attack sooner than he would seek revenge for us attacking his people. We can't wait. We need to move now.

Paradise Cove remains dark and as Chris and I approach, the guards recognize us, and taps on the door, signaling to remove the barricade. When the door opens, the musty smell and body heat wafts over me, nearly taking my breath away. I can’t help but grimace at the stench. Inside, everyone is ready to move. I quickly instruct Sara to walk with me and tell Tyler to stay at the back of the line to be the last to exit. Together, I silently say a prayer that we are not ambushed by Logan’s group.

We move as a group up the stairs in single file. Sara, Chris, and I make our way past Karissa and Brent. Karissa opens one eye and lifts a hand to us, and I nod my head to acknowledge her.

“What the hell happened here, and who is she?” whispers Sara.

“I’ll explain once we’re inside and safe,” I say, glancing at Brent's body again. Please don't wake up yet.

“What about the girl? She opened her eyes,” Sara asks.

“I’ll explain once we're inside and safe. We're on the same team now, trust me.”

“I don't trust anyone,” says Sara.

This must strike a nerve with Chris, because he quickly responds, “Except for me. Listen to Theo; we can trust him.”

Once we all arrive at the medical center, I knock three times. Shuffling begins behind the door, and the barricade is removed. Julie opens the door and lets us in. Off to the side, Mary stands while Kelly directs the people to sit along the walls until the doors are closed again.

Moments later as I’m helping Julie usher in the last of Sara’s group, Tyler starts to follow then pauses an arm’s length away.

“Tyler, what are you doing?” Julie says in a hushed tone. Tyler doesn't respond. He just stares down the hallway in the direction we just came from.

“Come on, bro,” I say. Again, he doesn't respond. Julie reaches out, grabs his arm, and pulls him inside then quickly before she closes the door and secures the barricade again.

23

LOGAN

The deck doors of the Stardust Lounge are open and the cool, fall air is blowing gently inside, while the moonlight through the clouds casts the deck in dim light. People mill around, taking sips from their water bottles and chatting quietly, almost like they’re on vacation rather than having been trapped on this godforsaken ship for months. It’s a testament to my leadership of this group that they all feel safe. No one here is worried that we’ll be overtaken by anyone from that bitch Chris’s group, so while they all hide and cower like the little roaches they are, scurrying around on the ship, we do what we please. It feels damn good to be king.