Beat the Odds

by Megan Atwood

  CHAPTER 19

  When Ana got home, she wasn't surprised to find a package in the mailbox. She brought it up to her room but was too tired to open it—too tired to do anything but sleep. In the morning, she checked her new email account on her tablet. Colin had sent her a message.

  Ana,

  I’ve just gotten my final tasks. My eighth task is to run away. My ninth task is to give an envelope to one of the other contestants, James. That envelope contains instructions for breaking into a business called SolarStar. And my final task is to pick up you, James, and Maiv (the fourth contestant) at Nicollet Mall and drive down to the Mississippi River. This all goes down tonight. So once we’re all in the van, we’ll drive somewhere safe—nowhere near the river—and compare notes.

  I’m glad we met. Let’s take this guy down.

  Ana quickly went to her computer to see her tasks on the website.

  TASK 8 COMPLETE

  Congratulations! You are approaching the end of your tasks. Tasks 9 and 10 are related. When you finish these tasks, you will receive $10 million in cash.

  Your ninth task is to run away. At this point, you may not bring Izzy. You will be able to take her with you after the Contest is over.

  Your tenth task is to plant the gun under the bus bench on Nicollet Avenue and 1st at exactly 12:45 a.m. Then go to the white van that will be waiting for you. It will take you to your money.

  Finally, Ana opened the package that had shown up last night. In it was a gun that had been taken apart, with instructions for putting it together. The bullets clanked around at the bottom of the package.

  Colin had been right. Everything was coming to a head tonight.

  And she knew she needed to let it play out. She had to let the Benefactor think that she was still his pawn. Otherwise he might hurt her, or Izzy, before she could link up with the others. And they only stood a chance against this Benefactor if they faced him together.

  Ana went into her closet and closed the door. She assembled the gun but decided to keep the bullets out. At least she could prevent one tragedy.

  Next she packed a duffel bag. A few changes of clothes. Her pepper spray grenade and her Swiss army knife. Her money. Her tablet and her phone, and their chargers. She thought for a minute. Was that it? Was that her whole life?

  Just about. Add in Izzy, and she’d have everything she needed.

  That evening, after dinner, Ana hugged Izzy hard. Izzy said, “You’re acting so weird.”

  Ana tousled her hair. “You’re going to Amy’s house tonight, right? That’s still on?” Izzy nodded.

  Ana felt herself relax the tiniest bit. At least Izzy would be away from the Davenports. And if Ana needed to grab her, she could just head to Izzy’s friend’s house. She squeezed Izzy one last time and whispered, “Soon. Keep your iPad on.” Izzy squeezed her back. Ana breathed in the Izzy-scent that was home to her and then let her go.

  Ana knew she was ready.

  *****

  With Izzy at her friend’s house, Ana sat in her closet, waiting until she could leave to catch the bus. At 10:04, she got a new email at her secret email address. It wasn’t from Colin—this was a handle she didn’t recognize.

  I got your note. I’m part of the Contest too. And I think I know who the Benefactor is. We’ll all be in the van tonight. We’ll talk then.

  Ana’s heart raced with excitement. She had two of the other three contestants on her side. And James Trudeleau was the third. She had a feeling she could trust him too. She remembered his kind eyes the day he’d run into her.

  Together, the four of them might be able to outsmart the Benefactor, against all the odds.

  Maybe this night would work out OK after all.

  CHAPTER 20

  At exactly 12:45 a.m., Ana taped a gun with no bullets under a bench, then walked across the street to hide in a doorway. Her legs shook. Her body hurt. This was it. One way or another, nothing would be the same after tonight.

  At 12:57, she watched Colin Burnett bump into James Trudeleau and stick a letter in his pocket. She watched Colin walk quickly away to a white van parked down the street.

  At 12:58, James pulled out the gun Ana had planted for him.

  She assumed he wasn’t supposed to kill anyone. He couldn’t, anyway, at least not with the gun she had planted. Still, she imagined the fear he felt and couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Her tasks were done. His last one was just beginning. And it couldn’t possibly be easy.

  At 1:00 a.m., James stood up and walked to the SolarStar building. She saw him throw something into a trash can, but she was too far away to see what. After James disappeared, Ana carried her duffel bag to the van at the corner.

  Sure enough, Colin sat in the driver’s seat and Maiv was in the passenger seat. Maiv put her finger to her lips. Ana understood immediately. The van was most likely bugged.

  Ana cleared her throat and said, “Is this the van I’m supposed to get in?”

  Colin answered, “Yes, I’m supposed to pick up three people.”

  Ana was about to toss her duffel into the backseat when Maiv said, “I need to stretch my legs.”

  “Me too,” Colin said quickly. Ana almost smiled.

  When they’d walked a safe distance away from the van, Maiv said, “Ana?”

  Ana nodded. “Nice to meet you, Maiv. You know who the Benefactor is?”

  “I suspect I know. But I need to see how everything plays out tonight. And then we have to find proof.”

  “Yeah.” Ana knew all about proof. “Do either of you know what James is doing in there?”

  “Stealing some sort of file," said Colin. "A project proposal.”

  Ana remembered the EarthWatch file from Nikki Ostero's computer. It had to be part of the same project.

  Maiv added, “I'm guessing that file contains a physical copy of the schematics. The electronic copies are probably ruined by now.”

  Colin made a whoosh sound and swung a hand over his head. “Now you've lost me. What schematics?”

  Ana barely heard him. Something Maiv had just said bothered her. “Wait,” she cut in. “You mean they only have one hard copy and one electronic file? It wasn’t in the cloud or anything? That seems weird.”

  “This technology is all brand-new and super secret, so I don’t think they’re sharing it with anyone,” said Maiv.

  Ana remembered her jump drive—how she’d deleted all that earlier footage from the website. Maybe adults could be just as stupid about keeping their secrets safe.

  Colin threw his hands up. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”

  “All we know for sure is that James just walked into SolarStar with a gun and instructions to steal something,” said Ana.

  Maiv’s eyes went wide. “He has a gun?”

  Before Ana could respond, they heard a siren in the distance. Getting closer.

  CHAPTER 21

  Ana said, “Start the van. I’m going to go get James. If that siren is for him and they see he has a gun . . .”

  Ana didn’t wait for a reply. She started running toward the SolarStar building, her duffel slung over her shoulder.

  When she peeked in through the glass front doors, she saw James standing in the lobby—hands out, his whole body shaking. In one arm, he held a file. Ana guessed it was the schematics. No gun. He must’ve gotten rid of it . . .

  A security guard stood a few feet away from James, pointing a Taser at him. Moving forward . . .

  And the sirens were coming closer. It was time for something drastic.

  Ana rummaged in her bag for the pepper spray grenade. One nuclear option, coming right up.

  She pulled the pin, opened the door nearest to the security guard, and threw the grenade in. Immediately, smoke filled up the hall, and James and the security guards began coughing. Ana ran in, covering her nose and eyes, and pulled James out with her.

  Outside, Ana said, “Come on, we have to get out of here!” She pulled James toward the corner where the van waite
d. They both ran.

  As they got close to the van, Ana saw that it was idling, waiting for them. She turned to make sure James was still behind her.

  James’s eyes met hers. “Whoa. Ana?”

  How did he know her name?

  Colin leaned out of the driver's window and said, “No time, man. Get in.”

  Right. They had to move fast. And focus.

  Ana pulled open the van’s side door and threw her duffel in. “No talking until we ditch the van,” she said to James.

  James gaped at her. “Ditch the—?”

  “The Benefactor set us up,” said Ana through gritted teeth. “We’ll talk more once we’re somewhere safe.”

  James looked torn. Ana’s heart went out to him. Even if he didn’t trust the Benefactor, why should he trust the three of them?

  Ana put a hand on his arm. “Come on. Please. We’re in this together now.”

  James looked at her for a long moment, then nodded.

  Half a second later they were all in the van—Colin and Maiv in front, James and Ana in the back. Together at last, Ana thought grimly as she slammed the side door shut. The sound of the sirens was almost deafening. The police had to be practically on top of them.

  They'd all agreed on the “no talking” rule, but Ana figured one sentence wouldn’t hurt.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Megan Atwood lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she teaches creative writing at a local college and the Loft Literary Center. She has an MFA in writing for children and young adults and was a 2009 Artist Initiative grant recipient through the Minnesota State Arts Board. She has been published in literary and academic journals and has the best cat that has ever lived.