Page 23 of Stop and Seek
Noah knew every square inch of the football field, the outdoor gym, the locker room—
Finding people was his specialty, after all.
Kyran left the floodlights on outside—something about insurance reasons—and anyone moving after their two minutes would be a death sentence.
The first person he planned on hunting down was Benji.
Noah’s fingers tightened around the phone.
Thatlookon Benji’s face pissed him off more than it should have.
Tonight, he’d get some answers.
Dumb and Dumber couldn’t still be lamenting over Callie. She was done with, dusted.
Yeah. Okay.
He hadslipped—messed up and had to have Max clean up his mess—but he was a different person now.
Callie was ancient history and he’dchanged.
“Two minutes on the dot. Time to scatter, babes,” Kyran said, and the sharp crack of the pop gun started the chase.
People fanned out.
Somepaired off, or went searching together in packs.
It wasn’t a bad strategy but Stop and Seek would never be a group activity.
Noah turned off his phone and hung back. He inhaled slowly, willing his thrumming heart to slow and rolling his shoulders as he watched.
Most of the Seekers were heading left out of the double doors, which would be too crowded.
Right it was.
He slipped into the hall, sneakers quiet on the worn linoleum.
To the right was the lunchroom: huge and empty and downright spooky without the usual bustle. Chairs stacked on the round tables—except in the back, beside the little corner stage.
Someone was shuffling, but Noah couldn’t pinpoint if it came from behind him or in front.
He crept forward. Reached his hand into the darkness under the table, and—there, his fingers found a T-shirt. The person hiding smacked into the chair.
Noah grinned.
“So close.”
The guy crawled out, rubbing his head. “You scared me,” he said with a nervous laugh. “I thought this was a good spot, too.” He wrenched the band off his wrist and Noah pocketed it.
One down.
Noah squinted until he could see the huge analog clock hung on the wall; eleven twenty-something.
Less than nine minutes left to make a splash.
There wasn’t anyone else in the cafeteria, and even if there was, the talking gave him away; it wasn’t worth sticking around.
Turning the corner, the flicker of light caught his attention. He wedged himself behind a locker.
