Page 52 of Knight Moves

“How we react in dangerous situations,” Bo offered.

“We already did that in the laser maze and the active-shooter scenario,” I pointed out. “I think Hala’s right. It’s going to be something totally different.”

“Like what?” Wally asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I just think the attacking-and-avoiding-the-adversary thing may have played out already.”

We guessed for a while longer until we split up to finish homework and turn in early so we’d be rested for the trial.

Later, after all the lights were out, I lay in bed staring at the dark ceiling and working myself into a nervous wreck. After tossing and turning for about an hour, I climbed down from my bunk, put some clothes on, and grabbed my shoes, a coat, and a flashlight. I needed some fresh air to clear my head.

The lights were dim in the hallway. Instead of going out the back toward the basketball court and garden maze, I decided to go out the front door. The moon shone brightly in the clear sky. I took a breath of the cool air. I zipped my jacket to my neck and strolled around the grounds, finally sitting on a bench under a tree to the side of the building. Clicking off my flashlight, I sat looking at the stars. I sat in peace, revealing the solitude when I suddenly heard a cracking sound.

Without thinking, I slid off the bench and behind a tree. After a moment, I saw what had made the noise. Someone was creeping through the forest, trying to approach the building as inconspicuously as possible.

There was something familiar about the way the figure was shaped. When it passed closer to me, I clicked on the flashlight.

“Jax?”

He jumped. “Whoa. You scared the crap out me, Red. What are you doing out here?”

“I could ask the same of you.” I looked over his shoulder at the direction from which he’d just come. “Were you just at the UTOP campus?”

He leaned one arm against the tree and grinned, his teeth gleaming white in the moonlight. “You going to tell on me?”

“Don’t you know UTOP is off-limits?” I glared at him. “We’re confined to the KIT compound.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Knock it off. What were you doing there?”

“Oh, I never kiss and tell.”

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. “Do youwantto get expelled?”

“Of course not. I’m just pushing the envelope. No harm, no foul. Unless you tell on me, of course.”

I sighed and sat down on the bench. “I’m not going to tell.”

“Good.” After a moment, he sat down next to me. “So, why are you out here?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Worried about tomorrow?” When I nodded, he tapped my head. “Quit overthinking. It will be fine.”

“It won’t. One more misstep and I’m pretty sure I’m out.”

He laughed. “You? Girl genius? I don’t think so.”

“I’mnota genius,” I said. “Well, my Mensa scores say I am, but a high IQ doesn’t necessarily translate to real-world knowledge.”

He chuckled softly. “Red, I’m going to let you into a little secret. Every single one of us is trying to figure out how to get ahead of you. You, of all people, have the least to worry about.”

“Me?I’ve already lost two trials. Mr. Donovan said the scores are weighted heavily toward those who finish.”

“Yeah, they say a lot of things. This is spy school, remember? Deception, trickery, evasion. They’ll say whatever they want, manipulate us in ways we can’t imagine, until they get or see what they want from us.”

“Which is?”

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