“And I need you to do something for me, well, for us. I know you hate me, and that’s understandable, but Dyl and I are going to have to run. So can you go back to your place and get as much food and water as possible? Fill the back of the truck with anything you can think of that’ll help us survive. Dyl and I are going to go seriously off grid, so we’ll need supplies. Please, Juliet. I know it’s not fair to ask this of you, but believe me, it’s my only option. I can’t let them kill him.”
Juliet nods. “I’ll do it.” She smiles wryly. “You know, I wondered if everything happening to me was too good to be true. I kept denying it, but deep down, I knew something weird was happening. No one had ever shown any romantic interest in me before, so I should’ve known it was fake. I should’ve known.”
Ouch. I want to tell her she deserves only good things, but I don’t have time. Dyl needs me more than she does right now.
“So you’ll do it?” I ask.
“I will. I’ll meet you back here in twenty minutes.”
“Make it ten.”
I clamber out of the truck and kick the door closed behind me. Then I tuck my hands into my pockets and jog up the path to the lookout.
Kaylee?
Nothing.
My fingers grip the hilt of the knife. I need to get the implants out, and fast. Now that I’ve decided I won’t let Dyl die, the thought will be racing through my mind constantly. Trying to force the thought away just brings it back stronger. If Kaylee decides to listen to me it’ll take only a second for her to realize what I’m doing.
And then it’s all over.
If I can get the implants out, I’ll buy us some time. Not a lot, but it’s better than nothing. Plus, Kaylee told me they’re not bombs, but since when has the LIC cared about telling us the truth? I’m not an idiot and I don’t trust them. The implants need to come out.
I break out of the forest and reach the top of the clearing.
Dyl is standing on the railing, his back to me, the pointed ends of his shoes hanging over the edge. His arms are stretched wide, and his eyes are fixed on the stars.
“Dyl!” I call.
“Caden?” He looks over his shoulder at me. The wind buffets his hair. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same of you.”
“I’m ending it, Caden. That should be obvious.”
I step onto the platform. “Don’t.”
He turns back to face the town. “Why not? There’s no nobility in letting my owners put me down like a bloody animal. This way I get to rob Craike of his murder boner.”
I step forward. “I said don’t. I told Juliet what I am. What we are. I can’t let them kill you, Dyl. So let’s run. Let’s get in the car and escape from everything. I’m as dead as you are if we don’t run, so get down off that railing and come with me. Please.”
He jumps down onto the platform and walks over to me. He grabs my shoulders. “You rebelled?”
“I did.”
He grins. “You freaking idiot.” The grin fades and he lets go of my arms. “Wait, it’s not because of the, um, gay thing, is it?”
It feels like a punch to the face. I know instantly that what I feared, what I desperately hoped wasn’t true, is in fact reality: he was playing me. Every moment we shared was part of his strategy to take me down. I’ve always known it was a possibility, but here it is, my nightmare confirmed. He doesn’t like me. His late-night visits. The drives in his car. The kiss in the shed. They were all scripted.
I barely suppress a whimper. “What do you mean, the gay thing?”
“The, you know … thing. Judy suspected that you, well, are what you are. And she suggested I play it up in hopes of derailing your efforts to make Juliet fall for you. And it was working, we both sensed you backing away, but Juliet had obviously already made up her mind. I’m not telling you this because I want to hurt you, because I don’t. I just need to make sure you don’t throw your life away because of something that wasn’t real. You’re a great guy, and you’re my friend, but I’m not in love with you. And I … I’m not gay. I like girls.”
A sharp burst of laughter escapes my lips. It’s totally fake, but I’m a good actor and he buys it. “Do you even hear yourself, Dyl? What in the world would make you think that after everything I’ve been through I’d want to be in love?”
He scratches the back of his neck. “I don’t know.”
“I’m rebelling because I’m not, nor do I ever want to be, the type of person who lets a friend die. That’s it. Yeah, sure, I’m attracted to you. I guess that makes me gay. I’m not ashamed of that. Don’t confuse that with this, because I’m not in love with you, Dyl. This is not a romantic gesture. I just don’t want you to die, because you don’t deserve it. Clear?”
Just like that, I’m back to being a liar.
“It doesn’t matter why you’re doing it, Caden. All that matters is that you’re doing it. I … I have no idea how you can be so brave. You’re risking everything to help me. It’s more than I deserve.”
“That’s probably true. Now, shut up and sit down. I need to cut your tracker out.”
He sits down on the bench and I pull the knife from my pocket. He stares at the blade and his lips part. “You’ve thought this through, huh?”
“Not really. But I’m glad it seems like I have a plan.”
I touch the side of his stupidly beautiful face and push his head so it tilts to one side, with his cheek hovering above his shoulder. My fingers press against the skin at the very edge of his forehead until I feel a lump. He winces.
I move the knife up and position it above the bump. “This is going to hurt.”
Dyl grits his teeth and closes his eyes. I raise the knife. It’s going to hurt like hell, yet I don’t feel bad about it. Maybe it’s because I know it needs to be done. Or maybe a sick part of me wants to make him suffer. It feels like vengeance. I—
A harsh sob rings through my mind. It’s a voice. A girl’s, to be precise.
Kaylee.
Oh no.
I … I … I’m so sorry, Caden. I was checking in and I heard everything. I know what you’re doing.
I take a step away from Dyl. My entire body goes slack. No no no. The knife feels cold in my hands. Dyl’s eyes are searching my face.
Kaylee, please …
The Stalker is on its way. I’m so sorry, Caden. Goodbye.
PART THREE
PROTAGONIST
CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT
“What is it?” asks Dyl. He’s leaning against the railing, holding his hair away from the lump where his tracker was inserted. “Why’d you stop?”
My heart is racing and my head feels fuzzy, like everything around me is crashing down. A sound like cymbals being smashed rings in my ears. I press my hands to my temples, trying to make everything shut up for a second so that I can figure out what to do.
I lower my hands. “It’s Kaylee. She knows.”
He turns around and kicks the railing. He moves his foot back and kicks it again.
“That means Judy knows as well; Kaylee would’ve told her.”
“It doesn’t change anything, Dyl.”
But that’s not true. This changes everything. This means there’s no going back for me. This means I’m risking my life for the guy who tricked me into falling in love with him.