BRRRRRRRRING!
Josie screamed as a cell-phone ring ripped through the silence.
FORTY-SEVEN
11:49 P.M.
JOSIE AND NICK SPUN TOWARD THE GARAGE, momentarily forgetting the vomit-inducing sight before them. The ring was close by.
“Penelope’s phone,” Nick said.
Josie stared inside, eyes glued to the far wall of the garage in a futile attempt to avoid the corpses. But they were there, clasping each other on the cold, cement floor, leaning precariously against a car, and no matter how ferociously Josie willed her eyes not to glance down and to the left, they did. Just a flicker. But enough to refresh the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Josie tried to focus on the bright, insensitive ring of Penelope’s phone. “It’s in there,” she said.
Wow. That might have been the dumbest observation in the history of this universe, or any other.
The phone stopped. Just as suddenly as it had pierced the uncomfortable silence of the night, it ceased, and the lack of sound felt even more oppressive. Josie and Nick stood still. For what, Josie wasn’t sure, but for some reason, she felt like she shouldn’t move an inch. She even held her breath. Waiting.
As if on cue, the ring started again. This time, Nick didn’t hesitate. He took a deep breath, then marched right into the garage.
Josie followed, her desire to help Nick outweighing her terror of the macabre scene inside. He paused near the bodies and Josie crept up behind him, cowering behind his frame as they listened intently for the ringing phone. It sounded nearby, but not directly in front of them, and the ring wasn’t muffled by layers of clothing but sliced through the silence of the night with its clear, loud toll, cutting off abruptly.
Josie’s eyes scanned the ground. No sign of the phone. She crouched down on her knees and peeked under the car. Nick knelt next to her and together they peered into the ominous darkness beneath the Wangs’ station wagon.
The ringing started again, and immediately a dull blue light glowed from the inside of the wheel.
“There!” Josie cried.
Nick scampered around to the front of the car and reached behind the wheel for the phone. Josie was at his shoulder as he flipped it around and read the name of the incoming caller. Josie’s stomach knotted up.
“Mads!” he said, answering the phone.
No answer from the other line.
“Madison?” Nick said. “Can you hear me? Something’s happened. Where are you?”
Still no answer.
Nick glanced at Josie and his face tightened. “Who is this?” he demanded.
The line went dead.
The color drained from Nick’s face. He tossed Penelope’s phone to Josie while fishing his own from his pocket. He hit a speed-dial button, and they both waited while the phone rang.
“Come on,” Nick said under his breath. “Answer.”
“This is Madison,” said a characteristically flat voice. “Not here. Leave a message.”
Nick ended the call. Then dialed again.
“This is Madison. Not here. Leave a message.”
Again.
“This is Madison. Not here. Leave a—”
“Dammit!” Nick roared. He scrolled back to his call screen and dialed another number. This time, the phone didn’t even ring, just went straight to voice mail. “Jackson’s not here.” He dialed another number. “Is this Zeke or Zeb? Doesn’t matter. Leave a message.”
Nick stood there panting, staring vacantly into his phone. Josie didn’t know what to say. I’m sorry? I’m sure it’s okay? None of it was true. None of it was appropriate. Penelope was dead. Maybe Madison too.
“They’re dead,” Nick said. “All of them.”
Josie gripped his arm. “You don’t know that.”
“Don’t I? You said it yourself: the Nox were sent to attack us. Just like they were sent to attack Penelope.”
The nagging voice in the back of her head. Something had been off about the whole evening. “I don’t—”
“And Penelope and her dad? The lights are on, Josie. Were on when we got here. So how do you explain both of them dead from a Nox attack?” He threw up his hands. “Don’t you see? The Grid. They cut the power and used the Nox. This was intentional.”
Josie squeezed her eyes shut. “They must have happened at the same time.”
“Exactly,” Nick said. “If they targeted us and Penelope, it’s only logical everyone else was on a hit list too.”