No. I shouldn’t. If I did, it could put him in danger. That’s the last thing I want.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. When I pull it out, I’m extra careful, just in case it’s a text from my mom or dad. It’s not.
UNCLE MATTY: I need you to come to the house right away. The school is already aware. It’s urgent.
My heart pounds hard against my chest as pure fear rushes through my veins with each throb. My face is warm and I am freaking out. What if the terrorists found me? What if they’re on campus?
No. If they were on campus, Uncle Matty and Jake would’ve come to me. But whatever it is, it’s not good.
I hope Dad, Nora, and the baby are okay.
I quickly stand up from the table. “I... uh... gotta go. Family emergency.”
A lame excuse, but it’s the only thing that I can come up with at that exact moment. I leave my untouched food on the table and run out of the dining hall.
I debate running straight to Uncle Matty’s house, but it’s over a mile away. Instead, I run towards the girl’s dorm and get my car, thankful that I have my keys in my pocket.
Before we came, my car was delivered. Uncle Matty and Jake seemed to think it would be for the best if I had a get-away option in case things went south. I have quite a few options, but my car is the best bet. They asked me to bring my keys with me every single day. I have every day, but I almost didn’t today. I feel safe. But, now I see that I should always keep my keys with me. Always. Because no matter how safe I feel, I’m not. Never.
Will I ever be safe again?
I don’t linger on the thought too much, as I throw open my car door and put the keys in the ignition. I barely shut the door before I am taking off, suddenly glad I went for a sports car instead of the Range Rover I initially wanted. I take off fast, shifting through the gears. I’m grateful for the many hours that Charlie spent teaching me how to drive a stick shift. All the hours I sat in horrible LA traffic, all the times I killed the engine in the stop and go traffic... has paid off. I will have to thank him later.
A minute later, I am at their house in the middle of the woods and I am running inside. As soon as I get in there, I nearly collapse on the floor.
“Is it Dad? Or Nora?” I ask. “The baby?”
“Your family is safe,” Jake answers.
With his statement, I relax. But only a little. “What about me? Am I safe?”
“You’re never fully safe,” Uncle Matty says. “But for now, you’re as safe as you can be.”
With his admission, I allow myself to collapse onto the couch.
“Thank God.”
“Something happened,” Jake says.
His words cause me to stiffen.
Something happened.
“What?” I ask.
“First of all, you should know that it’s not your fault,” Jake says, taking a seat beside me. Uncle Matty takes a seat by Jake.
I don’t like that he’s saying these words.
Shortly after I was kidnapped, awhile before coming to East Raven Academy, a girl I went to school with was murdered by the same group who kidnapped me. The girl wasn’t my friend, but she was the closest thing I had in Malibu. She was shy and nerdy, so anytime we had to partner up in class, I would work with her. I guess they assumed that she was my friend because she had come to my house to work on an assignment. They murdered her. I felt like it was my fault. That happened at the end of the school year last year, and that was why they decided it was in my best interest to go into hiding.
“Who?” I ask.
“Nobody you know,” Uncle Matty answers.
“What happened?”
“When we brought you to East Raven Academy, we left a few false trails. One of the trails led to a high school in East Texas,” Jake says. “Earlier today, those terrorists broke into the office of that school. They shot three people. The principal and two students. They ransacked the office, but they found nothing. They got away. The police are looking for them... but...”
They’re professionals. Highly trained. If trained CIA agents can’t find them, obviously a bunch of local cops can’t.
“Are they all dead?” I ask, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“No. The principal and one student is,” Jake answers. “But the other student is alive.”
“Is the alive one going to be okay?” I ask, hope bubbling up. I hate that the other two are dead, but maybe, just maybe, the third victim will survive.
“She’s in critical condition, so we don’t know yet,” Uncle Matty says.
I sit back against the couch, trying not to cry. I look at Uncle Matty and Jake through blurry, tear filled eyes.
“Tell me about them,” I say. “The principal, was he married? Does he have kids? How old were the students?”