Page 28 of Rat Race

“Wow,really?” I asked, skipping up to his side with an excited little jump. “That’s so cool!”

Hiram jerked to the side, his entire body flinching as if he expected me to chop him down right then and there. I could just make out a bit of his face behind the mask from my angle, but it gave me no indication of how he was feeling. Based on his body language, I assumed he was frowning under there.

He upped our pace, and I fell beside him easily.

If that’s how you want it.

If the man felt better with me at his back, I wouldn’t crush his ego so soon. But as an Architect, he should know the most dangerous place for me to be was at his back, not at his side.

He gave me a side-long look before letting out a huff.

“Itwas,” he muttered under his breath. “I had everything. I was the best. They’re fucking stupid for making me?—”

His voice turned to background noise as soon as I sawher.Or at least her hair.

She was hiding around the corner, probably not expecting us to cover so much ground in such a short time.

Is she waiting for us? Maybe even attempting to follow us once we gain enough ground?

It was just like her. Using other people’s talents and hard work and swooping in to take the credit for herself.

But not this time. This time, I caught her first.

A sick, excited feeling sprouted in my chest and sent butterflies scattering throughout my stomach.

Not so impressive now, huh? How will it feel for everyone to find out what a fucking fraud you are before your death?

I had my suspicions since it was almost impossible for her to have always been ahead of me. Seeing her in the maze just proved me right. Maybe instead of being one step ahead of me, she was actually just around the corner, spying and biding her time so she could jump ahead.

“This way!” I whispered excitedly to Hiram.

I didn’t bother to look back and see if he was following me as I took off after her. His footsteps behind me were evidence enough that I had caught his attention.

Him following me didn’t matter much, but what did was that I would have a way out after I finished her.

As soon as I rounded the corner, I regretted it.

“Wait!”

But Hiram’s voice was drowned out by the sound of her scream and the rushing sound of something metallic clanking against the stone beneath our feet.

My eyes widened as I took in the dark hallway. I could make out her shape as she ran toward us along in her glowing yellow mask. What I thought were shadows behind her, were actually moving. Getting closer and closer as she ran.

That's when I saw the glowing red eyes.

She zoomed past me only to turn around and pause when she saw Hiram coming up to my side.

Bulls.There were ten—no,more—mechanical bulls heading right toward us. All of them charging at full speed with no indication that they would be stopping anytime soon.

But that didn’t matter to her. Not when by my side was the world’s most valuable Architect.

“You’re the one with the bounty,” she said, her voice sounding slightly crazed. She took a step toward him, her hands lashing out wildly to grab onto his shirt. “A million dollars.”

This is my chance.

Hiram jerked out of her reach and right into me as I reached for her. I didn't care about the bulls behind us, their iron hooves echoing throughout the small space, sounding more like thunder than hooves. They rattled my brain, drowning out the shrill of the scream I knew I should have heard.

I didn’t care that he was pushing me.

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