Page 65 of Knight Moves

Frankie peered over her shoulder. “Worms. Oh, no.”

“Frankie, worms are good for the environment,” I said. “They don’t bite.”

“Nope. Not doing it,” she said.

“We don’t have time to argue,” Bo said. “Hala, go.”

Hala inhaled a deep breath and crawled under the wire. She was small and fast, but when she popped out the other side, she was dripping in mud and slime.

“Ewwww…” she said, shaking her hands.

“Mike, you’re next,” Bo said. “Kira, you’re after him, and then Wally and Jax.”

When Mike started, Bo turned to face us. “Frankie, you’re going to get under that wire.”

“I don’t like worms.”

“I don’t like losing.” He frowned at her. “You’re going to do it.”

“I’m not.”

“Frankie, I’ll go first,” I offered. “I don’t like bugs, either, but I am going to hold my breath, squint my eyes, and just do it. You have to stay calm, because if you jerk up, you’ll set off the wire alarm.

“I don’t think I can be calm.”

“Youcan. You’realwayscalm about everything.”

“Except bugs and worms. Will you do it with me?”

I glanced at Bo. “Is there any reason we can’t do it together?”

He shrugged. “None I can think of. But you run the risk of kicking or flicking mud into each other’s face as you squirm. Plus, if the wire lights up, you both must start over. Time is ticking.”

“I’m not going without Angel,” Frankie said.

“Well, that settles it,” I said. “We’re doing it together.”

We walked to the edge of the pit. Frankie, Bo, and I were the last three. So far, everyone else had made it across without tripping the alarm. Even Wally looked triumphant as he dripped disgusting stuff.

I took Frankie’s hand and knelt at the edge of the pit. “Ready?” I gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.

She looked at me uncertainly but nodded. “I’m ready.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

ANGEL SINCLAIR

“You’re going to wiggle on your stomach, kind of like a snake,” I explained. “Not that there are any snakes in here. Just don’t jerk your head up or you’ll set off the wire.”

She looked alarmed by the snake comment, so I decided it was time to shut my mouth. I got on my stomach and tugged her down. She joined me on the ground.

“It smells,” she complained.

“Of course it smells, Frankie. It’s mud. Come on. Breathe through your mouth and let’s do it.”

As quickly as we dared, we crawled through the mud. Frankie was hyperventilating the entire time. I was scared she would pass out. Everyone was cheering us on, and somehow that helped. At last, we made it to the other side without setting off the alarm.

Jax helped her up and slapped her on the back a couple of times, causing mud to fly and hit Mike in the nose. Mike wiped it off with a good-natured grin.

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