“What about the press conference?” Chasm asks, jogging to catch up with me. I give him a look.
“He said now.” I hold my phone up for emphasis. “Now, Chasm.”
Tess is going to fucking kill me for this.
But I bet that’s the point, isn’t it?
Parrish’s kidnapper … he must really be my father. Who else would care what Tess thinks of me? It’s a sobering thought. Even now, I’m trying to convince myself that none of it is true. His kidnapper is some random fan, some Mercy type nightmare that Stephen King dreamt up. I can’t be related to this guy; I just can’t.
And yet … I know that I am. I know it.
“Shit,” Chasm curses as I do my best to think up an excuse. He opens the door for me which I like, but which I can’t think about just now. I flop down on the seat, tapping out a message to Tess on the phone she gave me.
Not going to be able to make it home in time for the conference.
Just that.
She’ll be furious later if I’m lucky. Stone-cold if I’m not. When she asks me where I was—
Wait.
Tess doesn’t have to ask, does she? Because she tracks my phone. She already knows.
“Wait for me?” I query, but before Chas can answer, I’m up and out of the car again, jogging back into the massive stone building that houses the academy and storing the phone in my locker. “Sorry, Tess, but you’re not tracking me today.”
I almost forgot about that. Almost. But I can’t make any oversights, no matter how small, or I’ll lose this game. That’s for damn sure.
“You’re one smart cookie,” Chasm says grimly, watching as I slip back into my seat and hook my belt. I hope he’s right about that, about me being smart. I’m going to need every freaking neuron I have to find Parrish.
Speaking of, after we’ve plugged the address into Chasm’s GPS and turned right on the road leading toward the highway, I get the call that I’ve been waiting for. Finally. I’ve never hit answer so quickly in my entire life.
“Parrish.” The way I say his name gives Chasm pause, and he pulls over to the side of the road. He’s careful to keep out of view of the camera, but close enough to see his friend.
“Dakota,” Parrish replies, his skin pallid and sallow, his lips cracked and dry. I can see the marks on his chest, four marks with a slash through them, another two beside it. There’s so much blood, so much fucking blood. It’s glimmering on his belly, soaking into his pajama pants. He isn’t going to last very long like this. And yet, I’ve found nothing that will help us find him. Nothing. “I’m going to give you the address to deliver the box to.”
“How are you doing?” I whisper, fighting back tears, shaking with adrenaline as I touch my fingers to the screen and wish with all my heart that he was here with me. “Is he feeding you? Giving you water?”
“I really wish you’d stop this,” Parrish whispers, closing his eyes tight. “I wish you’d give up on me.”
“Don’t fucking say that!” Chasm snaps, and Parrish’s eyes fly open. I allow Chas to take the phone—Justin never told me I couldn’t. He did tell me to choose my ‘pawns’ carefully, didn’t he? Well, I have, and I’m putting all my faith in Kwang-seon McKenna. “You have to keep fighting. Dakota needs you back. You can’t just sleep with a girl and take off. That’s fucked.”
Parrish stares at his friend for a moment before managing the saddest, weakest smile I’ve ever seen on another person.
“If I don’t come back, Chas, take care of her for me.”
“Seriously?” Chasm chokes out, his own hand shaking as he holds the phone between us. “Shut the fuck up. That’s ridiculous. Of course you’re coming back. We’re going to find you.”
“Promise me, Chas,” Parrish pleads, closing his eyes again and leaning his head back against the chair. He says something else, but once again, it’s in Korean, and I don’t understand it.
“No!” Chas shouts, but then the video call ends, and he’s throwing the phone on the floor in a fit. He punches the steering wheel and then digs his fingers into his hair, leaning over and putting his forehead against the wheel. “No. No, I won’t accept that.”
“What did he say?” I beg, picking the phone back up and turning to face him. “Tell me. Please.”
Chasm turns his head slowly to look at me, but the devastation etched there is almost too much to handle.
“He said he doesn’t think he’ll last more than a few more days. He wants me to stop you from following Justin’s orders.”
We just look at each other for several minutes before I turn back toward the windshield and, without a single word passing between us, Chas starts the car and off we go.
