Page 20 of War Games

“Perhaps,” she says. “Or he’s simply too cocky to assume he could get caught.”

“It’s possible. I mean, most serial killers aren’t the brightest crayons in the box. It’s the assassins you have to watch your back around.”

“Very true. But no matter which way you look at it, if 343 goes after The Midnight Killer, that puts both of them in the same place at the same time. And even if The Midnight Killer expects to find 343, neither of them will be expecting you. Two birds, one stone.”

Shit. I like the way she thinks.

“Okay. Keep tracking them,” I say, closing my laptop and getting up from the sun lounger. I grab my towel and wrap it around me before scooping up my phone and stepping into my slides. “Let me know if there’s any movement. I need to go get ready for a night out.”

I can picture Mila rolling her eyes so perfectly. “Okay, but if you don’t use that black lipstick again, I’m going to come down there and kill you myself. I think it’s your new signature look.”

I laugh and roll my eyes. “I think you might be right,” I tell her. “Maybe I should go get a little cat-ear headband to match my ring.”

“Don’t even think about it. You’re taking it from sexy assassin to bad Halloween costume, and if that’s the route you wanna go, then unfortunately, I’m going to have to sever ties with you. How am I supposed to be taken seriously as the go-to underground computer hacker when my partner in crime looks like she’s going to her first high school party?”

“Okay, okay,” I laugh. “No cat ears. Message received.”

“Good. Now leave me alone. I wanna figure out The Midnight Killer’s plan before 343 does so you can get there before both of them and have the best vantage point.”

Mila doesn’t bother with a goodbye, just ends the call and leaves me to walk peacefully back to my little villa, and as I do, I glance over my security system, making sure no one has comefor me in the few hours I’ve been gone. Though my motion sensors would have alerted me if they had.

It’s day five of the competition, and since the night I took out The Boston Maneater, no one else has been eliminated, apart from Graves, of course. But I still haven’t been able to figure out who took him out. Either way, it’s one less contender I have to worry about.

There are thirteen of us left in the game, but after tonight, we’ll be down to eleven. Whether 343 and The Midnight Killer take themselves out, or if I have to do it myself. All I know is that I won’t be leaving without two more ID cards.

Reaching my villa, I do a quick sweep of the area, making sure I’m well and truly alone, despite already having confirmation from my security system. I’ve been lucky here. No one has found me yet, and on top of that, while I’m not eliminating losers from the competition, I get to spend my time relaxing by the pool and working on my tan.

With the coast clear, I make my way back inside my villa and get ready for a night filled with fun. I’m sure it’ll still be hours before I have to leave, but I prefer to always be ready, even if it means having to spend the next few hours with weapons strapped to my chest.

I beeline straight for my room before diving through the array of clothes I brought with me, and I can’t help but reach for the same black jeans and combat boots I wore the other night. What can I say? I like to be comfortable, but more than that, I like how these jeans fit my ass, and any girl knows that when something works, you don’t make changes. Why fix something that isn’t broken, right?

As for my top, this is where things get difficult. I must have brought every single top I own, and yes, every last piece of clothing inside my bag is black. But when you’re supposed to be sticking to the shadows and keeping out of sight, black clothingis a necessity. I go simple with a racerback tank, and the moment I’m fully dressed, I turn my attention to my hair and makeup, going for my signature look with my hair up in a high pony and the long strands plaited down to my ass. Then, just for Mila’s sake, I paint my lips black before focusing on my eyes.

After forty-five minutes, I’m completely ready, and I spend the next few hours checking over my weapons before getting back to trying to find anything I can on the ghost otherwise known as Shadow.

I’m not surprised when I come up blank, but just before I can get frustrated at myself, a call comes through from Mila, and I quickly accept it.

“What have you got for me?” I say, already closing my laptop and grabbing everything I need.

“You were right. The Midnight Killer left a trail online to lure out 343, and it’s working like a charm. He’s going to lead him into the old burned-down gym on Tucker Boulevard. There’s a new gym on the right. You’ll pass that one up, and the old one will be on the left-hand side. You can’t miss it.”

“Got it.”

“He always strikes at midnight, hence his ridiculous name, so be ready for that,” she tells me. “But also, if everyone knew my tactics during a game like this, I’d be looking to change things up, so keep that in mind too. He’ll be doing whatever he can to look for an edge. Same for 343, but at least they’re looking for each other and not you. Let them do the dirty work and then swoop in and steal your prize at the end.”

“You scare me sometimes, you know that right?”

Mila scoffs. “Says the best contract killer in the country.”

“Second best,” I remind her, glancing out the window before making my move to my car.

“As far as I’m concerned, Reaper is still a figment of everyone’s imagination. Just because you saw him a few times, doesn’tmake it real. It was just your mind playing tricks on you. I refuse to believe he actually exists.”

“Ahhhh, gotta love a delusional best friend.”

“Shut up,” she laughs. “Just get your ass moving, otherwise, they’ll beat you there.”

“Already leaving,” I say just as the engine kicks over.

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