“Yeah, they caught him,” said Reagan, his lips pressed into a thin line. “But that was really quick. Too quick. It can only mean one thing.”
“What?”
“It means they had some inside help. Boys, I think we’ve got ourselves a ringer.”
Riley’s brows met in a troubled frown. “Who?”
“That’s the scary part.” Reagan knotted his scarf with a jerk. “I don’t have the slightest hunch. Whoever it is, they’re good. Really good. We’ve always been able to pick out ringers before. But this time…” He shook his head. “We’ll just have to keep our ears open. If anybody knows, we’ll be the first to find out. My social web will tell me.”
Reed laughed suddenly. “You sound like a spider!”
“He is,” Riley assured him. “Trust me.”
“Of course! I catch all the shocking and juicy tidbits that wander into my domain.”
Reed grimaced. “Okay, never say that again.”
At the dorm, they found a notice taped on the door announcing that the lockdown was lifted.
“Finally!” Reagan whacked the paper. “But it doesn’t do much good now. The weekend’s over.”
Riley yawned. “Oh, well. I’m going to bed early. There’s work in the morning.”
“Ugh,” moaned Reed, “At least there’ll be something interesting to talk about.”
* * *
When he entered Packing Room Two the next morning, Reed’s eyes fell immediately on Nathan. Friday flooded back into his mind. He’d completely forgotten about his request.
He shut his eyes for half a second. What was I thinking? At least they’ll say no with this whole ringer theory now.
He slipped into his station with a nod to Nathan. The other boy shot him a significant look and arched his eyebrows; he had something to tell him. Reed nodded and tuned in to the buzz of conversation flying around the belt. Everyone was talking about the arrest. No one was surprised that Desrok-Mosler was from the infamous Dorm Eleven, but they marveled at how quickly he had been caught. Reagan’s ringer theory was already circulating, and everyone agreed it had to be true. Nobody knew who it could be or even dared to venture a guess.
The group conversation slacked off when the belts turned on and work began. It was only then that Nathan spoke. He kept his eyes fixed on his hands.
“Before I say anything else, I have a confession to make. I didn’t actually do it, but I set it up.” He paused and blew out his breath. “You’ve been followed for the last two days.”
The piece in Reed’s hand nearly slipped out of his fingers. He blinked. Followed?
Nathan hurried on. “See, when you asked to come to our meetings, I knew we had to know more about you. We’ve been suspecting a ringer. So I got the others’ opinions, and we all agreed to set our best man on following you—just to be safe. Our guy followed you over the weekend and reported what you’d been up to. There, now I’ve told you.”
Reed’s mind raced back over the past two days. It was strange, looking back on things with the knowledge he’d been watched while he did them. He wasn’t sure he liked the feeling at all.
Nathan added a sealed box to his stack and looked Reed full in the face. “Please understand it was only for safety’s sake. I didn’t like the idea, but we had to do it. And our shadow only told us things that might be a concern.”
That was a relief. Sort of. Reed found his voice. “Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Well. That’s okay… I guess.” Though he had his voice, he couldn’t get all of his thoughts back together. He realized he had just wrapped the same part twice.
“So that’s the confession,” said Nathan. “Now for the news. We all prayed about it and talked for a while, and we decided you can come to our next meeting.”
Reed’s few collected thoughts scattered in every direction. He wrapped the same part in a third layer.
“Of course,” Nathan went on, “you have to promise absolute secrecy. You can’t tell anyone anything—where you’re going or names or anything like that—but we’ve decided to trust you. I mean, we didn’t have a whole lot of choice since you were on to us, but still…”
Reed managed to stammer out some sort of thanks and assurance of his silence.
Nathan gave him a final look and seemed satisfied. “Okay. I’ll be waiting at the East Stairs around eight o’clock tonight. You’ll have to figure out how to get away without being noticed if you decide to come. I’d totally understand if you changed your mind after last night, seeing what the Council can do.”
The rest of the day was a blur for Reed. Why did I ask such a dumb thing? He jammed a part into its box. What was I thinking? This isn’t a TV show; it’s a Bible study. What’s happened to me? I don’t even want to go… do I?
He wrestled the question around in his mind, getting no answers and no relief. Perhaps he shouldn’t go. Or maybe he could go just this once, for civility’s sake. There had to be some way to get out of this. What was it Nathan had said? Something about Reed changing his mind. Yeah, he’d said he would understand if Reed changed his mind because of the Council.
Reed’s independence flared, and his mind steeled into a firm resolve. He didn’t care what the Council said; he wasn’t going to back out now. Besides, he might still get an adrenaline rush out of the whole thing. It was settled. He was going.
* * *
Back at the Dorms that night, the roommates idled away the evening in their room. Reed kept an eye on Riley’s alarm clock, blinking away the minutes on the nightstand. When eight o’clock neared, Reed jumped off his bed and grabbed his jacket from its hook.
Reagan looked up from his computer, surprised. “Goin’ somewhere?”
“Yeah,” Reed replied, pulling on his coat. “I’m off to meet a friend from work. I probably won’t be back till late. See ya.” He slipped out the door and shut it behind him. In the hall, he let out his breath. That had come off well. He hadn’t even had to lie. He turned down the hall toward the dorm’s back exit.
He left the hall and clattered down the empty, echoing stairwell, his thoughts churning. What was he getting himself into? This deal hadn’t come with a security guarantee. The Council could easily catch him, couldn’t they? But would they?
He reached the ground floor and pushed out into the cold night. Zipping up his jacket, he glanced briefly upward and paused. The sky had been overcast all day with a low, gray blanket that darkened into boiling black as night fell. But now, a small fissure in the billowing clouds had split open overhead. There was no moon and, through the gap, a few stars shone in the velvety blue-black depths beyond. Reed never paid much attention to stars before. They were beautiful tonight, untouched by the clouds that tried blot them out. Their pure, silvery radiance was enthralling, softly enchanting. It held him spellbound for a moment.
A gust of cold wind tossed the hair off his forehead, bringing his mind back to earth. The clouds rolled over the gap again. He shook himself.
“Quit being stupid,” he muttered. “You’ve got places to be. Besides, I think it’s going to rain soon.”
He turned up his collar and hurried down the sidewalk toward the East Stairs. Hadn’t Reagan said these were scarcely used? Good—less chance of being seen. But then a realization struck him. This was that side of the Hill, the side where the two “shady” dorms were situated. Reed’s confidence came to a screeching halt. How “shady” were they? Desrok-Mosler had been from Dorm Eleven. Were there more like him?
The night shapes and noises around him were suddenly ominous. Every tree had a human-shaped silhouette lurking around its base. The hedges were walls of blackness that hid dark forms. Sighing wind in the bare branches became evil whispers; groans from tree trunks were slow hinges turning in the darkness.
Reed felt cold sweat begin to roll down his back. His shivering doubled, his teeth clenched to keep from knocking together. “Maybe I should go back,” he said aloud. It was supposed to make him feel better, but it didn’t. The wind threw the words back in h
is face for the choked whisper they were.
Yes, he should go back. This was too dangerous, and his senses were giving him a final warning. Every hair on the back of his neck was on end. It wasn’t too late…
One thought alone kept him from turning and running back to the safety of his room: he had to stay in control. If he gave in now, the Council won. He had to go on if only for that reason. He had to.
The head of the East Stairs appeared before him, the trees that overshadowed it looming black against the clouds. He hurried toward them, anxious to make it to the bottom where Nathan waited.
A dark shape stepped from the trees. Reed’s heart leaped into his throat, a stab of terror shooting through his body. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. No one would hear if he cried for help anyway. He was alone. The black figure stepped toward him.
“You’re a little earlier than I expected.”
Chapter 13
Reed nearly collapsed in relief. Never had Nathan’s voice been so welcome. “Oh,” he gasped, heart still pounding, “Sorry.” He took a few deep breaths.
“You’re fine. Come on.”
Nathan led the way down the stairs. They crossed behind the deserted Mushroom and turned onto the sidewalk leading into the city. Neither of them said anything until they were a safe distance from the Dorms.
“Did you get away all right?” Nathan slowed to walk next to Reed.
“Yeah, I told them I was going to meet a friend. I don’t think they were suspicious.” A drop of water landed on Reed’s ear. “Great, here comes the rain.”
Nathan quickened their speed to a jog. The rain held back its full force until they had turned off the main street onto a side road amid the apartments, then it struck in a downpour. Sheets of water dropped from the sky, pounding on roofs, windows, and sidewalks as the boys dodged through innumerable streets and alleys. Reed became hopelessly lost. He had no idea there were so many apartments on the Hill.
Nathan never hesitated or slowed his pace despite the darkness and the blinding rain. They dodged puddles and avoided the occasional streetlights until Reed thought he could go no further. Nathan at last turned into a final alley and flattened himself against a wall beneath a sheltering eave. Reed followed his example, gasping for breath.
Nathan took a quick look around the corner and pulled back. “Somebody else just got here. We’ll wait a few minutes.”
Reed leaned his head back against the wall and slowed his ragged breathing. “So where are we?” He could barely see Nathan through the darkness. Thunder rolled in the distance.
“The apartment of two girls in the group.” Nathan’s voice was low but close. “Sarah and Courtney are hosting tonight.”
Reed shook water out of his eyes. The rain seemed to be slacking off. “Does ‘hosting’ mean they do all the talking?”
“No, it just means we have it in their apartment. Wilson’s usually the leader unless somebody else has something special to say.” After a moment of silence, Nathan stuck his head around the corner again. “Okay, we can go now.”
They crossed the street like shadows. The rain had slowed to a steady, soaking shower that beat rhythmically in the puddles and tumbling gutters. Nathan headed for a door across the road. A single carriage lamp twinkled in the rain. Three brick stairs and a welcome mat—Nathan didn’t bother to knock but cracked the white door open. The two slipped in.
Inside, dim light helped Reed’s eyes adjust from the dark night. He was in a small entry hall filled with wet coats hung on pegs or slung across a white washing machine. Nathan removed his jacket; Reed unzipped his. He was relieved to find it had kept him surprisingly dry.
“Hello, Nathan! You look wet.” A girl stepped suddenly into the hall. Reed jumped.
“Hey, Sarah,” replied Nathan, hooking his coat on an empty peg. “Yeah, it’s coming down pretty hard out there. I hope I’m not getting your floor too wet.”
“It’s seen worse,” she said, smiling. Then she turned. “And you must be Reed. I’m Sarah. Nice to meet you.” She had straight brown hair pulled back in a ponytail that swung as she moved. He glanced at her lightly freckled face but looked down when her friendly but frank eyes met his.
“Same here,” he replied, wriggling out of his wet coat.
“We’ve heard all about you from Nathan,” she said. “You’re more than welcome. Come in, both of you. Almost everybody’s here.” She led the way out of the hall and through a dark kitchen toward an adjoining, peach-colored living room. Dim light filtered through the doorway. Reed saw a handful people moving around inside. He hung back, suddenly shy. Maybe he shouldn’t have come after all; he felt like he had stepped into someone else’s party. Too late now. Me and my stupid curiosity. He swallowed hard and followed Nathan out of the kitchen.
The den was a small room with a pink and white couch, a few upholstered chairs, and a large picture window, heavily curtained. Two lamps diffused a warm glow from cream-colored shades. Eight or ten teenagers were scattered through the room, talking quietly.
Nathan stopped at the edge of the light. “I’m sure you’ll meet everyone eventually,” he said in a low voice, “but I’ll give you a little help with the names. You just met Sarah, and that’s Courtney over there.” He pointed to a girl across the room whose gingery hair curled to her shoulders. “They live together.”
Reed did his best to commit names and faces to memory as Nathan continued pointing around the room. The young man on the couch with brown hair and a hawk nose was Wilson, the group leader. He was talking to Gabriel, or Gabe, the dark-headed one who seemed to keep his lips pressed together. Kara, the light brunette with highlights, stood next to black-haired Krista by the window.
“Well, Nathan! Are we playing hide and seek?” A blonde girl advanced to meet them, a smile teasing at the corners of her lips. “Because if we are,” she continued, crossing her arms and arching her brows in an attempt to look severe, “then I’m really sorry I didn’t give you more time to hide. Just standing there like that makes you look like an unsocial introvert who doesn’t want to be around the rest of us.”
“Maybe I am,” replied Nathan, also folding his arms. “Or maybe we were just standing here having a good time and you interrupted us.”
“Oh, I see!” she laughed. “How are you tonight, Nathan?”
“Wet, but tolerable, thank you.” He grinned at her, then turned. “Reed, I’m sure you recognize her, but this is Lucy.”
Of course Reed recognized her. It was hard to forget the receptionist from the factory, though he had never heard her name. It seemed to fit her well. Funny, he hadn’t noticed before how pretty she was.
“Of course.” She turned to him. “We sort of met on your first day. I think you were nervous about starting… was it as bad as you thought?”
Reed was surprised she remembered him. “Uh… nah, I guess not. I mean, it wasn’t fun, but I survived.”
Another girl and a boy came up just then to greet Nathan. He introduced them in turn to Reed, who was beginning to wonder how many more there were.
“This is Katy.” Nathan indicated the petite, brown-haired girl with a heart-shaped face. “She’s Lucy’s roommate at the Dorms. And this,” he gestured to the boy, “is Alec, our undercover man. He was your shadow for the last few days.”
Reed looked the young man up and down. He seemed about Reed’s age, but he was smaller and shorter. There was something about his boyish face and light brown Harvard cut that seemed familiar. It clicked suddenly; it was the new face Reed had noticed on the hall during the lockdown.
“I think I’ve seen you before,” said Reed.
“You have,” replied Alec, his eyes twinkling. They were unusual eyes, an extraordinary blue-green color that reminded Reed of a Sprite can. “I’m afraid I got a little careless that night. I wasn’t planning on a light saber battle in the middle of the hall.”
“Yeah, those are kinda hard to predict. But how’d you stay out of sight before that? I’d never seen you
at all.”
“I have my ways.” Alec raised his eyebrows mysteriously, but he couldn’t quite banish the laughter from his face. “I almost didn’t the first night, though, thanks to that creep and that stupid cat.”
Reed started. “Cat?”
“Yeah, you remember—the one in the alley? I was shadowing you guys toward the Boulevard when I slipped in there. I stepped on it in the dark.” He laughed. “We were both surprised, and he bolted through a pile of trashcans. Some guy took off from behind the pile, and I thought for sure you were going to come see what was going on.”
Reed was speechless. Two people following them at the same time in the same alleyway? Unbelievable. No wonder his uneasiness had been so strong.
“Anyway,” said Alec cheerfully, “it scared me to death, and you, too, I bet. Thank goodness the street wasn’t more crowded than it was. It wasn’t my best moment.”
Reed decided he liked Alec.
Sarah interrupted the conversation before it could go further. “Does anyone know if the other two are going to make it?” She joined the little circle by the door. “I haven’t talked to them since yesterday.”
“I did this morning,” Lucy spoke up. “They said they would be here if they could.”
“Nobody was at their apartment when I passed it,” put in another girl. Reed went down his mental list and decided it was Kara.
“We’ll wait a few more minutes then,” Sarah decided. “Elijah always comes unless something’s wrong. I hope nothing is wrong,” she added, frowning.
“There’re more?” Reed whispered to Nathan.
Nathan chuckled. “Elijah and Cody. They work for a private marketing company downtown, so sometimes they can run a little late. I really want you to meet Elijah, though.”
Reed eyed him. “Why?”
Nathan shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s just… different. I think you’ll like him.”
When Stars Go Out Page 8