Page 97 of Wicked Games

‘Why would the Game Master lie about that?’Jasmine had replied, ever the naysayer.

‘I don’t know. Maybe it’s part of the next game?’Brooke said next. ‘I mean, everything in this place is designed to break us, mentally as well as physically, so it wouldn’t surprise me if a fake death was in his repertoire of nasty tricks.’

I sat up straight, eyes widening.Fake death.Those two words were buzzing in my brain now, heightening all my senses. There had to be a reason for that.

Perhaps that was what Carey got too close to last night. It could be why she left her room in the night and headed to the end of the hall. She suspected that either April or Courteney had faked their death.

I cast my mind back to Courteney’s death. There was absolutely no way she could’ve faked it. I saw that wire cutting into her throat as the collar tightened around her. Saw the blood spilling and the light fading from her eyes.

But April…

“Holy fuck.” I drew in a harsh, guttural breath as the possibilities cascaded through my mind. “No way. No fuckingway.”

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. That was what Carey picked up on during yesterday’s game. April’s body was absent, while all the others were present in some form. April was also the only one whose death could possibly be faked.

But why?The question burned in my mind, begging for elucidation.

I honestly had no idea why she would do something like this. What had any of us done to her to incur such a terrible wrath? Especially Carey. She only met April at the start of the school term a couple of months ago. So what the hell did she do to get dragged into this shitshow?

I leaned back against the headboard, mind whirling. If April was really the Game Master, did it even matter what her motive was right now?

Nope.

All that mattered in the end was keeping Carey safe and getting her home, just like I promised. That meant saving her from April if she was truly still alive… and the more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that shewasstill out there.

After all, whatever April’s motive was, she’d probably want some sort of fall guy to pin this shit on once the authorities finally tracked us down and found all the dead bodies. That was the most reasonable explanation I could think of for why she’d dragged Carey into this, and it meant Carey was definitely still alive.

A small part of my brain told me I was crazy; grasping at straws and making connections that didn’t really exist. A bigger part of me told me I was really onto something. I just needed some sort of proof so the others wouldn’t think I’d totally lost my shit.

I snatched up my phone and opened my text thread with the Game Master. It only contained texts from them, but on the first day here, they’d clearly stated that we could communicate both ways if we wanted to.

I shot off a quick message.Hey. Are you there?

The Game Master responded instantly.Of course. How can I assist you, Maverick?

Me:I want some exercise. Feeling really cooped up. Are we allowed to walk/run through the old gaming rooms, or do I have to stick to the hall and stairs?

Game Master:You can return to the previous gaming rooms if you want. They are all unlocked. The only one I wouldn’t suggest is Gaming Room 7, because there might still be a few loose snakes and spiders in there. Other than that, you have free rein. But if you’re hoping to find a way to escape, you’ll be sorelydisappointed. Those rooms are totally sealed from the outside.

Me:I know. Just need to stretch my legs.

I got up and feigned interest in doing some pre-workout stretches in the hallway outside my room, knowing my every move was being monitored on the extensive array of surveillance equipment in this joint. Then I jogged down the hall, headed downstairs, and did a few laps of the first gaming room.

After enough time had passed to make it seem like I was genuinely interested in exercising, I headed into the sixth gaming room, where April had supposedly died. I pretended to cough while I licked my left index finger. Then I jogged onto the chessboard, headed to a spot where some bloody smears remained, and quickly crouched down, pretending I needed to tighten the shoelace on my right sneaker.

While I did that, I quickly swiped my hand along the floor next to my shoe, gathering up some of the blood with my wet finger. Then I rose to my feet and jogged out of the room.

I did a few more laps of the hall and entered another couple of gaming rooms for good measure. After leaving the last one, I stopped and bent slightly forward, pretending to catch my breath. While I did that, I stuck my finger in my mouth and sucked off the so-called blood. It was sickly-sweet with a vague caramel flavor.

Fuckingcorn syrup.

April wasn’t shot on that chessboard. She was never shot at all.

She was the Game Master.

Maverick

Possessive fury lit in me, filling me with combustible rage. April had to be stopped. Forever. It was one thing for her to hurt me. But not Carey. Not my sweet, brilliant, beautiful girl.

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