“Dude,” Wheeler says, “I told you I was careful. I used Stranko’s computer, and it’s not like the Secret Service can trace his phone. I already told you, the phone’s been deactivated and the battery died a long time ago.”
“And if you do get caught somehow?”
Wheeler puts his hands up in a so what manner.
“I’m a minor. What can they really do?”
I’m no vocabulary wizard, but I think the appropriate word here is naive.
“You said ‘partially,’” Malone says. “What else are you mad about?”
Wheeler says, “Yeah, why did you summon us here, King Max?”
They’re all waiting for my answer, and I’m worried they’re ready to revolt. I need to tread lightly. Because the thing is, I still want to take down the Chaos Club, and to do that, I need their help. At the same time, the pranks bother me, but they already know that.
So how do I handle the situation?
By following Heist Rule #19: Lead with confidence and people will follow.
“Look, what we’ve pulled off this year so far has been amazing,” I say. “No, strike that—your pranks have been amazing. I haven’t even pulled mine yet. So I can’t really sit here and give you crap for who your pranks are against, especially since they’re all damn impressive.”
Everyone seems to straighten a little at this.
“At this point though, I think we need to rethink our strategy. Nothing we’ve done has helped us expose the Chaos Club. And my locker still smells like a bakery. So I don’t think more pranks are going to do anything.”
“What’s the plan then?” Wheeler asks.
“Give me a few days to think that over,” I say. “But no more pranks for now, okay?”
This is the moment it could all go to hell. I’ve basically just given an order. In the movies, the heist crew leader is always dealing with adults, not teenagers. And it’s not like there was ever a vote making me the group Leader with a capital L. The four all stare at me, and I brace myself for the assault of laughter that’s about to begin.
Then Ellie says, “Okay.”
Adleta says, “Cool.”
And Wheeler says, “Whatever you say, boss.”
It takes longer than I’m comfortable with, but Malone finally says, “Got it.”
And just like that, I’m a freaking genius.
“Wait a second,” Wheeler says. “Is this all a setup so you don’t have to pull a prank?”
“No, that wouldn’t be a fair. You did your prank. I’ll do mine.”
“Promise?” Malone says.
“Promise.”
? ? ?
February hits a week later, and let’s be honest, February sucks. It’s freezing cold, perpetually dark, and everyone walks around like their brains have gone cold and dark too. February defenders—of which there can’t be many—argue it’s not the worst month because it’s so short. But if your most redeeming quality is that you’re not around very long, you might as well not be around at all. And don’t get me started on that stupid spelling. Eliminate that dumb R and maybe we can talk.
Maybe it’s because of February’s high suck factor, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out how to continue the investigation into the Chaos Club. I suppose we could go with Adleta’s initial idea of beating his way through the entire student body until someone confesses, but that’s probably our last resort. The others have even stopped asking me what we’re going to do. Ellie pushed the hardest, asking on a daily basis, and then eventually, even she gave up.
Then an envelope.
Like the one I received inviting me to the water tower, this envelope is taped to the inside of my locker at the end of the school day. My pulse pounds in my ears as I tear it open and pull out a folded white sheet of paper.
The picture is grainy and shot from far away, but it’s clear enough that you can tell that it’s me on the football field with a camera. I stand over Ellie, who, thankfully, is safely hidden inside the Zippy the Golden Eagle mascot costume.
Written on the back of the picture:
Meet at Ryder Park Baseball Field 4 tonight at 10.
Tell anyone, we turn you in.
Don’t show up, we turn you in.
Do anything stupid, we turn you in.
CHAOS CLUB
Chapter 17
I go because of the threat.
I go because I’m pissed.
I go because I’m scared.
I go because it’s our first real lead.
I go because what choice do I really have?
But mostly, I go because that’s what a leader does.
I don’t tell the other four. I’m not sure if the Chaos Club knows their identities, but since they shot that picture at the football field, they must know Ellie’s involved, and I want to protect her at all costs.
Does that mean it’s (one-sided) love?
In the time between receiving the note and lying to my parents by saying I’m going to the library to work on—you guessed it—a group project, a hundred questions have come to me: Who took the picture?
Why not just turn me in?
Why do they want to meet?
Is this another setup?