The Bonding Ritual (Girls Wearing Black: Book Four)

by Spencer Baum

  “I just…” she leaned back into the couch. “I just hate to let all the money go. We can do it. We were so close last time.”

  “Do we need to go out and watch Frankie’s training again?” said Winnie. “He’s substantially improved since the last time you saw him.”

  “No, I don’t need to go look at Frankie stab dummies made of hay.”

  “I think maybe you do. I think you don’t appreciate how long the Network has waited for a shot at Sergio Alonzo, and what perfect timing it is to have an exceptional hunter like Frankie available to us.”

  “I do appreciate it. I understood everything you told me last time.”

  “Then you know why I am not willing to jeopardize this mission for anything. Jill, we are talking about a mission that some of us in the Network have been working towards for our entire lives.”

  “I don’t see why it’s an either or,” said Jill. “We could put the assassins in the Bloom house to kill Sergio, and I could organize a crew to steal the clan’s money.”

  “Can we really do both, Jill? Or has this idea of yours already taken valuable time away from the real task at hand? You’ve wasted your whole morning driving out here to pitch this idea to me. You could have been working on those blank names on your spreadsheet.”

  Now Jill was getting angry. As if Winnie had any clue of all they’d tried already to get the missing numbers in the combination.

  “There’s no work left to do,” Jill said. “We’ve bribed them, spied on them, recorded them—it isn’t working! Art, Rosalyn, and Andrea are keeping their mouths shut.”

  “Have you tried asking?”

  “Not directly, no, but I’ve got people in our group at school who have spoken to them.”

  “I’m sure they’re not as persuasive as you are.”

  Jill shook her head. “You don’t understand. I don’t have a good relationship with those people.”

  “You’re not asking them to be your friends, Jill. We’re talking about a simple transaction. They have something you want. You need to bring them into a room and find out what they want.”

  Jill shrugged her shoulders. She regretted coming down here, and wondered if there was a way she could do the hack without help from anyone else in the Network.

  But the truth was she couldn’t do this job without Winnie’s help. A break-in at Daciana’s, even one as simple as Jill was planning, required time and resources that she needed the Network to provide.

  She let out a heavy sigh, resigning herself to the reality that the hack she wanted to do was never going to happen.

  “How’s Annika?” Jill asked.

  “She’s doing well,” said Eve. “We sent her off to safe house a few days after you left. By now, she’ll be a good distance from here, on her way out of the country.”

  “We’ll be sure to put you in touch with her once your work is done and you’re out of the country too,” said Winnie.

  “Yeah, that will be nice,” Jill said. She sat quietly for a minute, thinking about what life would be like after the mission was over. Would she care that she left town without trying the hack on Daciana’s computer one more time?

  The sad truth was, she probably would. She would probably regret it for the rest of her life.

  “I suppose we could try flat-out asking Art and the others for their numbers,” she muttered. “What do we have to lose at this point?”

  “These children of rich parents are quite predictable,” said Winnie, perhaps forgetting that Jill herself was a child of rich parents. “They want funds for their playtime, and acceptance among their peers. I’m sure if you keep trying, you can get these kids to talk.”

  Easy for you to say, Jill thought. You haven’t been working on these clowns for three years. I have, and I’m ready to call Art, Andrea, and Rosalyn a lost cause.

  “I guess I’ll go home and try again.”

  “Please do,” said Winnie. “The whole world is counting on you, Jill.”

  Chapter 36

  As disappointed as she felt to let go of the idea of hacking into Daciana’s computer, on the car ride back to Potomac, Jill was able to adjust her focus back to the Coronation contest, and to the assignment Winnie had given her.

  They have something you want. You need to bring them into a room and find out what they want.

  It was such a simple idea. Get Art, Rosalyn, and Andrea into a room and talk to them. Jill was embarrassed it took a lecture from Winnie to get her to try it. For so long now, Jill had spied, lied, and manipulated her way through Thorndike, and it was hard for her to get out of that mode.

  But maybe now was the time. All her covert attempts to fill in the final question marks on her spreadsheet had failed. Perhaps the better approach was to put her desires out in the open, and see what kind of response she got.

  When she got home that night, she composed a text message.

  Samantha and I would like to speak with you. Meet us at Samantha’s house on Thursday night at nine-thirty. We want to know your numbers, and are prepared to offer you something in return for sharing them with us.

  Jill didn’t know what she had to offer them, but figured all that could be sorted out at the meeting. She sent the message to Art, Rosalyn, and Andrea. She didn’t hear back from any of them, but decided that wasn’t a problem. They all needed to keep their digital footprints clear, and text messages were hardly a secure form of communication.

  On Monday morning, Jill cornered Samantha before second period and told her what was coming.

  “We’re having a secret meeting at your house on Thursday night.”

  “We are?”

  “I’m really close to figuring out all the numbers of the combination.”

  “Seriously? You’re still working on that? I thought the plan was to make sure no one opened the safe and I won by default.”

  “Kim is hard at work on the combination, and I have reason to believe she’s getting close. She’s got three people loyal to her who haven’t been called up to try the safe yet. We need to get the combination before she does.”

  “What makes you think Kim is so close?”

  Jill leaned in and spoke in a whisper. “I have ways of hearing things. That’s all I can tell you.”

  Samantha nodded her head. “Okay, I get that,” she said. “It’s like the Rose Ransom, isn’t it? You’ve got your sources.”

  “I can’t talk about it,” Jill whispered. “Just know that your lead in the contest may not be secure. The only way we can be absolutely certain you win is if we open that safe and give you the money.”

  “It’s not like Kim’s that big of a threat,” said Samantha. “I mean, she may have three people who are loyal to her, but all the rest would give the money to me if they got the safe open.”

  With a stern look on her face, Jill shook her head.

  “What? Who’s left to be called up to the altar anyway?” said Samantha. “Garret and Allistair and Lisa and Mattie…they’re all loyal to me.”

  “Of the people who haven’t been called up to try the safe yet, Ryan is the only one we can fully trust,” Jill said.

  “Not the only one,” Samantha said. “Mattie’s still…”

  Jill shook her head again.

  “What are you saying? Of course I can trust Mattie. Can’t I?”

  “I need you to be smart about this,” Jill said. “You know how Coronation works. You know what’s at stake. Loyalty means nothing at this school, and this game with the safe benefits someone like Kim, someone who likes to play dirty.”

  “Mattie’s with Kim? No, that can’t be. She was at my house this weekend!”

  “Keep your voice down,” Jill commanded. “Mattie hasn’t betrayed you. Yet. But you’ve got to realize that people who are easy to manipulate, people like Mattie, are going to be targets for Kim. And even though you’re sitting pretty right now, everything changes if someone opens the safe. Someone like Mattie has every reason to keep her options open, and give the money to whichever girl i
s offering her the most in return.”

  “In return? What is Kim offering in return?”

  “You know Kim. You know how she frightens people. Her offer goes like this. Give me the money and I won’t kill you when I’m immortal.”

  Samantha brought her hands up to her face in a look of panic.

  “There are other people who might know my number,” she said. “I didn’t start keeping it a secret until you told me to. At Daciana’s party, I was playing keno, and betting on my number every time.”

  “That’s why we’re having a meeting at your house on Thursday,” said Jill. “This contest isn’t over yet, much as we’d like it to be.”

  “Okay. So we’re bringing Rosalyn, Andrea, and Art to my house?”

  “That’s right,” said Jill.

  “And what are we going to tell them?”

  “That it’s in their best interest to give us their numbers.”

  *****

  Three days later, Jill went to Samantha’s house for the meeting. She greeted Samantha’s parents and spoke about the meeting that was soon to happen in the house.

  “Use the dining room,” Samantha’s father offered. “We’ll go upstairs and stay out of your way.”

  Andrea was the first to arrive. She rang the doorbell rang at 9:29. Rosalyn was next, showing up at 9:31. Samantha led them both to the dining room, invited them to sit at the table, and gave them each a glass of water.

  Art arrived five minutes later. Jill greeted him at the door and took him to the dining room with the others.

  “We’ll be brief about this,” Jill said. “You know why you’re here. As soon as you tell us your numbers, we can all be on our way.”

  Art, Rosalyn, and Andrea sat on one side of the table, Jill and Samantha on the other. While Art seemed relaxed, maybe even a bit amused, Rosalyn and Andrea looked around nervously, never making eye-contact with Jill.

  “I have been keeping a list with the names of every person in our class, and the numbers they received at Daciana’s party,” Jill said. “I have only four names left that don’t have numbers attached to them. The three of you, and one of the girls wearing black.”

  Jill always imagined Rosalyn to be a little slow on the uptake, so she paused for a second to give her time to think about what she had just said. When she continued, she spoke slowly and deliberately.

  “We’re not asking you to abandon Kim for Samantha. I know how Kim works, and the fact that the three of you are still loyal to her even now, when the rest of the school is supporting Samantha, tells me all I need to know. Kim has secrets about you or your families, and she’s holding them over your heads. You know she’s not going to win, but still you support her, because you’re terrified of what she might do to you if you abandon her.”

  “What makes you so sure Kim’s ship is sinking?” Art said. “If one of us opens the safe and gives the money to her, it won’t matter that the rest of the school supported Samantha. Just the opposite, in fact. With nearly everyone at school supporting Samantha, if one of the other girls wins, she’ll have a much smaller group of supporters deserving of her gratitude.”

  “Whatever Kim has told you, I promise you she’s not anywhere close to opening the safe,” Jill said. “We, on the other hand, are one number away. The three of you can help us figure out that one missing number. Once I know the numbers Daciana gave to each of you, I’ll have only one name on my spreadsheet with a question mark next to it, and only one number between 1 and 99 that isn’t already assigned to a name.”

  “How do we know you aren’t lying?” Andrea said.

  “How do you know Kim isn’t lying?” said Jill.

  “Kim and her father have a reputation,” said Rosalyn.

  “And Jill doesn’t?” said Samantha. “You’re looking at the girl who figured out the Rose Ransom after everyone else gave up. Jill masterminded a plan to make sure Kim didn’t win Coronation, even though everyone thought she was invincible. Do you remember what it was like last year? Do you remember how certain all of us were that Kim’s victory was a foregone conclusion? Look what’s happened since. I’m sorry to tell you guys, but you’re late to the party. The rest of the school has already sorted out the winners and losers, and you’re on the wrong side.”

  “Then why are we here?” Art said. “You want us to believe we’re losers who chose the wrong side, but you can’t win without us.”

  “We most certainly can win without you,” Jill said. “But I’m getting tired of waiting. I’m ready for this to be over. As soon as we have your numbers, we can wrap this up and be done with all the maneuvering and blackmail and everything else that comes with Coronation. But if you’re not willing to help, suit yourself. Just don’t expect Samantha to be in a forgiving mood when she’s made into the new immortal.”

  Rosalyn and Andrea seemed to shrink in their chairs.

  “That’s right,” said Jill. “You try and act all coy about it, but in the end, you’re terrified of what’s coming, aren’t you? You’re in a no-win situation. If you don’t do what Kim tells you to do, she’ll spill some horrible family secret or whatever it is she’s threatened you with. But if you don’t help Samantha, you’ll be the only three in the class who have made an enemy of the new immortal.”

  Jill turned to Samantha. “What do you think you’ll do to your enemies after you’ve won?”

  “Ruin them,” Samantha said in a casual voice.

  Rosalyn was shivering now. Pretty soon, she’d start to cry.

  “Tell us more,” Jill said. “Let these three know what’s in store for them if they make the wrong choice.”

  “I’d go to their house at night,” Samantha said. “I’d visit them while they slept. And look them in the eye, and put a spell in their mind.”

  She turned and looked at Rosalyn directly. “Whatever it is I think you would hate the most, that’s what I’d make you do.”

  Tears began streaming down Rosalyn’s face. Andrea closed her eyes and began rocking back and forth in her chair. Art, to his credit, seemed unaffected by Samantha’s threat.

  “Maybe I’d make you lose your mind so you land in an insane asylum for the rest of your life,” Samantha said.

  “Please, don’t do this,” Rosalyn whispered.

  “Or maybe I’d do something more subtle, like program you to live a normal life until you’re married with children, at which point you’d go out and do something terrible that lands you in jail.”

  “I’ll talk,” Rosalyn whispered.

  “It doesn’t do us any good unless all three of you talk,” said Jill. “And I don’t know that Art and Andrea are ready yet.”

  “I could make you walk out your own front door and go wandering in the streets,” Samantha said. “I could turn Andrea into a prostitute, and Art into a crack addict. I could make you guys disappear, and wait until the world has forgotten about you, then have you arrive at my mansion so I could look you in the eyes, tell you everything I’ve done to you, and then bite into your neck.”

  “I’ll talk too,” said Andrea.

  “That leaves you, Art,” said Jill. “Where do you stand?”

  Art said nothing.

  “Please, Art. Let’s just do this and go home,” said Rosalyn. “Kim doesn’t know we’re here.”

  “And she never will,” Jill said. “Even though it will be your help that seals Coronation for Samantha, Kim will never even know you talked to us. That’s the beauty of what we’re doing here tonight. You guys get to play both sides. That is, if Art decides he wants to.”

  “Maybe you could leave us alone for a bit,” said Andrea. “The three of us could talk about it with each other, you know, before we talk to you.”

  “Fair enough,” said Jill. “You have five minutes.”

  Jill and Samantha left the dining room and went to the kitchen.

  “I think they’re going to tell us their numbers,” Samantha said.

  “I do too,” said Jill. “Your little brainstorm about all the thi
ngs you might do to them when you’re immortal had them shaking in their boots.”

  “That was fun, wasn’t it?” Samantha said with a giggle. “I love that we’re using Kim’s own methods to make her supporters double-cross her! And they’re the last ones who weren’t supporting me. Can you believe it? The whole class—has anyone ever won Coronation with the support of the entire class?”

  Jill smiled at her. Poor, naive Samantha was out of her element. Having been thrust into the lead without any effort on her part, she was entirely too trusting of the people around her. The notion that Jill might be using her, that there was still one double-cross left, wasn’t even on Samantha’s mind.

  “Your victory will be historic, that’s for sure,” said Jill. “You’re already way ahead of everyone, and when we open the safe for you, it will be the biggest blowout in the history of the contest.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Samantha said. She nodded her head as she grinned, lost in the joy of whatever glorious future she was imagining.

  Jill let Samantha relish her pending victory for a moment, then she led her back to the dining room, where Art, Rosalyn, and Andrea were still seated at the table. They each had a small scrap of torn paper in front of them.

  “I had a napkin in my pocket,” Art said. “We used it to write down our numbers. Go ahead and take them. They’re yours. But please remember we’re doing this in good faith. If Kim ever hears about what’s happened tonight, we’ll deny it.”

  “We hope you’ll remember this gesture when you become immortal,” Rosalyn said to Samantha.

  “We also hope you can recognize the difficult spot we’ve been in all year,” said Andrea. “I can’t speak for the others, but in my case, Kim has used a mistake of my parents to blackmail me into supporting her. I never had a chance. It wasn’t my fault.”

  “I will keep it in mind,” Samantha said.

  “She’ll keep it in mind provided you all were truthful with these numbers,” said Jill. “Now that we have these, I will be able to figure out the final number we need to open the safe. But if any one of you is lying, the safe won’t open for us.”