by Lisa Roecker
“Don’t you get it? I was there trying to get information about Bethany. It’s not what you think, and you can believe whatever you want to believe, but I’m going to go try to find her. I haven’t given up yet, Taylor, and neither should you.” She met my eyes, brown versus blue, a standoff, and for a second I didn’t think she’d relent. But then she blinked.
Taylor finally pushed up from the hardwood floor and used a hand to steady herself against the locker. Seth shuffled awkwardly in an attempt to remind us of his presence, and I shot him a look that roughly translated into “Stop staring at her and do something. Now.” For the second time tonight, he proved he was fluent in the complex language of Kate’s angry looks, because moments later he was at Taylor’s side, helping me guide her to his mom’s van.
Taylor continued to stare at her phone, her eyes empty and cold. I was pretty sure she was in shock. Meanwhile I leaned forward, straining against the seat belt. This was it. Our moment. I knew without a doubt that the picture had been taken at the club, and if Bethany was still there, we could end this. Tonight.
“Taylor, since you’re a club member, no one will find it weird for you to be there.” Seth tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to an old-school Celine Dion song while we waited for the light to turn green. “But, Kate, we’ll have to work on blending.”
This coming from the kid with flaming red hair to the girl with bright blue.
Taylor completely ignored him. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice the background first.” The sound of her voice startled me. “This was taken in the billiard room. Those chairs look like the ones that are in there.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that Bethany probably wasn’t gagged and bound in plain sight. Whoever had snapped the pic was probably smart enough to hide her away within the club or, more likely, at an entirely different location.
Seth parked the car, and the three of us ran into the club and up the huge, winding staircase in the center hall. Luckily it was getting late and a light snow had begun to fall, so the place had pretty much cleared out.
Including the billiard room. It was completely empty. I felt the hope wheeze out of my chest in a short whoosh. I should have known better, but I couldn’t help the disappointment. We were so close. Smoke still hung in the air and trailed from the butt of a cigar someone hadn’t stubbed out all the way. A few glasses littered the tables, ice cubes melting into brown liquor. Chairs identical to the one in Bethany’s picture dotted the room. The familiar hunting landscape adorned the walls, slightly faded and tattered looking. I wondered how long ago they’d left, whether anyone had seen them take the picture, and if a girl with cloth covering her mouth drew any red flags for members or employees.
But none of that really mattered, because Bethany was gone. Again.
Taylor slumped into a chair while I searched the ground, on tables, in closets, behind the bar for anything that might lead us back to Bethany. Seth snacked on trail mix and offered a handful to Taylor, who shot him the most disgusted look I’d ever seen one human give another.
And then I saw it. It was almost like divine intervention, as though the clue had been put exactly in this place for me to find.
The map was hand drawn, crumpled after being folded and refolded, shoved into pocket after pocket. It featured the main building and had stars marking stairways at seemingly random locations—the boys’ bathroom, the showers in the gym locker room, the headmaster’s office, a custodial closet, a locker. But contrary to the map of Pemberly Brown we’d uncovered months earlier, these stairs did not lead down.
They led up. And they began exactly at Bethany’s locker.
Chapter 39
It didn’t take Nancy Drew to figure out our next move. The three of us piled into Seth’s mom’s van and were back at Pemberly Brown standing in front of Bethany’s locker before the clock struck seven.
“Now what?” Getting the door open was cake, but the next step had us stumped. Seth had all but climbed into the locker, but it was just a steel and metal box. No key pad. No secret trapdoor. Just a locker.
Taylor elbowed her way past him and wedged herself inside, feeling along the walls for something, anything that would let us in.
“Well, at least we have a motive, right?” Seth squeaked next to me.
“What do you mean?” I couldn’t keep the edge out of my voice. I had no patience for Seth’s questions. I just wanted to get Bethany and be done with this.
“I mean, the Brotherhood had a motive for taking Bethany. She was obviously against Conventus, right, Taylor?”
“Of course she was. All the Sisters should be.”
“But why? Hasn’t all of this gone too far? One girl is dead and another one missing. All of it would stop if you guys just joined forces. One happy secret society.” I’m sure my words sounded naïve to Taylor, but I didn’t care. The answer was so obvious. They both had access to information, exceptional connections, and, of course, the power to do just about whatever they wanted within the hallowed halls of PB and even beyond. If they combined their resources, they would be unstoppable.
The thought gave me pause. The omnipotence of a single society was actually kind of scary. Just like in government, Pemberly Brown needed checks and balances, and like it or not, the two societies kept each other in check.
Taylor stepped out of the locker, blue eyes blazing. “Conventus is just a fancy way for letting them win. For letting them take over. I mean, look at this. They’ve built a new headquarters. You think that we’ll have a big ceremony, sing ‘Kumbaya,’ and then they will hand us the keys to some shared kingdom? Think again.”
I was too tired to argue with her. All this society crap had to stop, but first we had to find Bethany.
We checked all of the other locations on the map with stars, but we couldn’t find the hidden stairs in the locker room, the bathroom, or the custodian’s closet. Soon we found ourselves back in front of Bethany’s locker, and after spending the better part of an hour trying everything short of taking a blowtorch to the metal, we all sat down on the window seat in front of the bay of lockers and stared at the locker blankly.
“Look, this clearly isn’t working. We need a Plan B.” You could always count on Seth to state the obvious.
Taylor leaned across me to give Seth one of her more withering glares. “She is up there. I can feel it. We just have to figure out a way to get to her.”
I nodded thoughtfully. Taylor was right. If we wanted to save Bethany, we had to get up to the headquarters, but we couldn’t just walk right up to Bradley or Alistair and ask them for the key. Nope. The Brotherhood was like a bunch of rats. To find their nest, we’d have to lure them out of hiding and set a trap.
Fortunately for me, I had the perfect bait.
“We need to have a party. Tomorrow night. A big one.”
The look on Taylor’s face made me relieved that she wasn’t holding any sharp objects when I said those words.
“I know, I know,” I said, scooting a little bit away from her. “But think about it for a second. We need the Brotherhood to come out of hiding and play, right? What better way to get them moving than the promise of a keg and half-naked girls?”
“Kate, in case you have not noticed, it is January. And we are not living in a Super Bowl commercial. Last I checked, Pemberly Brown does not have a beach.”
“We’ve got something better than a beach—we’ve got the Underground.”
Although the name might sound like a British rail system, Pemberly Brown’s Underground was something else entirely. Back in the ’50s when the school was originally founded, they had no room on campus for a pool and no budget for a new building. But the poor little rich girls had wanted to swim, so someone’s daddy coughed up the money to convert one of the dormitory basements into an Olympic-sized pool.
Even though PB has since converted the dormitories into classrooms and built a state-of-the-art rec center, complete with a brand-new swimming pool, the alumni kept the Undergr
ound open for the little old ladies who liked to come and swim laps and do water aerobics on the weekends, but it was strictly off limits to students. Naturally, we snuck in every chance we got. Late-night skinny-dipping sessions and impromptu parties in the Underground were practically required activities for all incoming first-years.
I could practically see the lightbulb go off over Taylor’s head. “So we get them to a party and then what? I don’t see how drunk swimming gets us any closer to finding Bethany.”
“Getting them out is half the battle. Once we’ve got them here, we create an emergency. Make ’em scramble. Luckily for the Brotherhood, they’ll know exactly where to go when the shit hits the fan. Even luckier for us, we’ll know exactly where to wait to watch how they get in.”
“And once we are in…it is all over.” Taylor’s voice went up an octave. Clearly she was excited about this plan.
“Well, maybe. We’re still not sure Bethany is up there.”
“Oh, she’s up there. She has to be. You are a genius, Kate!” Taylor threw her arms around me. “I cannot imagine how I would have done this without you.” Her eyes were glassy with tears, and I couldn’t help it. I was touched. It felt good to have Taylor’s approval. Maddie was pissed at me; Liam hated me; and Seth was practically my brother. But Taylor was different.
“And lucky for us, I still have a couple of tricks up my sleeve.” She whipped a cell phone out of her pocket. I recognized the case almost instantly.
“Is that?”
“Bradley’s phone? Why, yes. Yes, it is.” Taylor waggled it in front of my face victoriously.
Seth’s eyes practically fell out of his head. “But how did you get it? And if you’ve had it all this time, why didn’t you—”
Taylor cut Seth off. “I saw it lying on the floor at the country club, but I was not sure what good it would do us. I mean, there is not any new information on here.” She paused to start swiping and typing on the phone. “But I think the boys are much more likely to show if the invitation comes from their king, am I right?”
She was right. Seth and I just sort of nodded dumbly and let Taylor do her thing. Clearly, our work here was done. I mean, sure it was my idea, but when it came to actually planning a party, I was completely clueless. I had a sum total of three friends at this school, and two of them weren’t speaking to me.
Most girls probably would have started an elaborate pity party, complete with tears and tantrums, but I wasn’t most girls. Justice came at a price, and feeling sorry for myself was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I willed it not to be my parents. I’d specifically checked in with them four times already to avoid this exact scenario. But when I swiped my phone to life, an unknown number appeared on the screen. The lump that formed in my throat was instantaneous. I bit my lip as I tapped on the text. The picture of Bethany exploded onto my screen, and I just barely managed to choke back a scream. Seth, who clearly had been reading over my shoulder, let out an actual high-pitched shriek.
Taylor rushed over to us and grabbed the phone out of my hand. Her face froze as she took in the image, pain darkening her features. When she closed her eyes, two fat tears leaked out of the corners.
I gently pried my phone out of her hands. The picture was almost too much to bear. Bethany was collapsed on a dirty floor, her eyes blank, unseeing.
Too late for B. End the Sisterhood or you’re next.
Taylor looked at me, her eyes glassy.
“It is over.”
I put my arms around her and felt her body convulse with silent sobs, and then all at once she grew very still. For a second, I thought she’d passed out, but instead she straightened her legs and slowly stood up.
“This ends tonight.”
“I don’t know, Taylor. I think we need to go to the police. I mean, with evidence like this, surely…” You had to hand it to Seth for at least trying to be the voice of reason, but Taylor was in no mood.
“The only way this will ever end is if we end it. Now.”
“Tonight? But it’s almost eight. There’s not enough time.” I wrinkled my forehead, wondering exactly how Taylor planned to rally anyone on such little notice, posing as Bradley or not.
But sheer determination skewed her features as she texted from Bradley’s phone. Apparently the party was on.
Chapter 40
Three hours later, the scene was set. My hair frizzed in the thick humidity of the Underground as I sat on a wooden bench, straining my eyes to see through the darkness. A line of candles flickered beside me, five or six positioned on each wooden bench lining the perimeter of the pool. In the darkness the effect was almost magical. Every so often, a cell phone illuminated like a firefly, but the only other source of light came from the pool, a blue diamond dazzling at center stage.
The water churned as body after body jumped, splashed, dove, and dunked. A couple flirted in the corner of the pool, the guy splashing water lightly toward the girl, who squealed in delight. I thought of Liam and felt sick. He had said things to me that he would never, ever be able to unsay, and I hated him for it. But in that moment I missed him too. I missed the way I knew he’d sit down next to me in his perfectly broken-in jeans and super-soft T-shirt. He’d tousle my hair and call me “babe,” and I’d roll my eyes just because and he’d laugh. And then we’d laugh. I missed having someone to genuinely laugh with.
I wished I could go back and undo everything. Go back to the other night and delete that email to Grace for good. Go back to Obsideo and save Bethany from the Brotherhood. Go back to the night I lost Grace and find her before it was too late. I wanted so badly to start everything over from the beginning so I could finally get it right. But life didn’t come with a rewind button.
I promised myself that this would all be over soon. When Bethany was found alive, I could get some closure, go back to being normal. Maybe the normal Kate would even be able to figure out a way to forgive Liam for what he’d said. Then I could bow out, back away, wipe my hands of anything and everything society-related, and retreat into a little corner with my amazing boyfriend and friends. But first I had to finish what I’d started. I had to find Bethany.
I finally caught Seth’s eye, and he threw up what looked like some kind of gang sign, curving his fingers into a heart shape across his chest. I guessed this was my signal to get moving. When I’d spoken with him earlier, he’d refused to tell me how I would know when he was about to sound the alarm. He’d only say that it would be super subtle and that I’d know it when I saw it. Well, at least he was right about one thing, the subtlety.
I started moving toward the exit. The plan was that I’d hide next to the window seat in front of Bethany’s locker to watch how the Brotherhood accessed the headquarters. Once we knew how to get in, we’d rescue Bethany. That part of the plan was still sort of hazy, but we’d figure something out. Together. As crazy as it seemed, Taylor, Seth, and I made a pretty good team.
“Kate?” I was so lost in my thoughts that it took my brain a second to place his voice. Or maybe I was just distracted by the way tiny droplets of water clung to his light brown skin, pooling down into the waistband of swim trunks hanging low on his narrow hips. Surely someone this hot couldn’t be a cold-blooded killer. Dangerous, yes. Manipulative, absolutely. But a killer? No way. Wherever he had Bethany, she had to be alive.
“Oh, hey, Bradley. What’s up?”It was a small victory that my voice didn’t crack when I said his name.
His smile took up half his face. Clearly our pool-party trap was doing its job.
His fingers, still dripping water from the pool, closed around my forearm. “I wanted to tell you I did some digging around about Bethany.” I jumped a little when he said her name. It felt like he was reading my mind. He ran a hand over his shaved head and rubbed his jaw. “I hated the idea of someone on my side going to such extremes. I know you don’t believe me, Kate, but I’m doing everything I can to end all this crap.”
“Conventus
, right?”
I was pleased by the look of shock on Bradley’s face.
“How did you…” Shock had quickly been replaced with concern.
“It’s not exactly a secret that you want the Sisterhood to disappear, Bradley. I guess I should really be applauding you for your creativity.”
“You have to believe that we don’t have Bethany. I swear to God, Kate. The Brothers would never do something like that.”
“Not even Alistair Reynolds?” I said his name with such certainty that I shouldn’t have even bothered asking.
Bradley smiled crookedly. “Yeah, you’re right. This is exactly the kind of crap the old Alistair would have pulled. But he’s changed, Kate.”
I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t stop myself. The idea that Alistair Reynolds had changed was just too much. I looked into the pool, where he was chicken-fighting with an all-girls team. Changed, my ass.
“Okay, okay, you’re not buying it. I get it.” Bradley grabbed my hand. “But things are different now. I can prove it.”
His hand should have been shriveled and pruney from the pool, but I felt nothing but heat when his fingers wrapped around mine. A tiny shriek escaped my lips, and I pulled my hand away as though I’d been burned. Liam would have called me on my “telltale squeak.” But Bradley didn’t know me that well. Thank God.
And then the fire alarm ripped through the silence, echoing off the tiled walls and floors. It didn’t matter that I knew it was coming or that it wasn’t real, that Seth had pulled the alarm next to the pool door. It still sent a shot of adrenaline racing through me.
Bradley rolled his eyes. “Why do people feel the need to pull the alarm when everyone’s having fun?” He reached his hand out again. “Come on. We’ve gotta get out of here.”