“What game?” Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Have you guys been drinking? Because you’re not very good at it, believe me, and I don’t think—”
“She’s telling the truth.” Ben fist-slammed his palm several times. “Bomb. Here. Now. So either help us search or piss off.”
“I’m with you.” Jason’s voice broke. “My kid sister’s in that ballroom.”
“Then let’s move!” I dashed for the stairs, skirting the mass of debs and escorts waiting for their moment in the spotlight. Most barely noticed. A few shook their heads—the Island Refugees, acting weird as always.
In the first-floor lobby I spun in a circle, looking for some kind of basement access.
“There!” Hi raced to a steel door hidden in the back right-hand corner. “Emergency stairwell. Going down.”
We descended twenty steps to a single door labeled “Electrical.”
Hand-painted below the lettering was a simple yellow image—a rising sun.
“Bingo!” Hi slapped the drawing with his palm.
“A sunrise?” Jason moved closer for a better look. “What does it mean?”
“It means I was right. This is real. Our enemy was here.” I closed my eyes and took a single deep breath. “Time check?”
“Eight fifty-five.” Ben’s voice was tight. “We should hurry.”
Like those upstairs, this door had no lock. Ben went first. Then me. The others brought up the rear.
We entered a long, dark room packed with humming machinery. The air was hot and stale, and smelled of thousand-year dust. Tiny lights flickered on control panels, adding to the weak yellow glow oozing from the ancient halogens overhead.
The chamber had an oppressive, claustrophobic feel.
I knew we were in the right place.
I scanned my immediate area, but saw nothing sinister. “Any ideas?”
Jason was peering ahead into the gloom. “There’s an archway at the far end.”
“That must be the way.”
With Jason leading, we squeezed through a maze of equipment. My eyes were darting everywhere. I was acutely aware of the Gamemaster’s love for traps. This was the final cache location. It was sure to be protected.
In seconds we reached the archway. Beyond it was a short passage, which ended at another filthy door. Metallic shavings littered the floor beneath the jamb.
“Rust flakes.” I brushed an orange hinge with one finger. “This door was opened recently.”
Jason was reaching for the knob when Ben caught his forearm.
“Let me. This psychopath likes nasty surprises.”
Jason stepped aside.
Ben grasped the brass knob. It turned without resistance.
The door creaked open, revealing a dim chamber beyond. Bunched tightly together, we tiptoed inside.
I heard Hi hand-strafe the wall. Seconds later overhead bulbs flickered to life.
“Wow.” Shelton pointed.
This room was smaller than the first, dominated by two massive HVAC units locked inside a chain-link corral. A labyrinth of air ducts and pipes snaked across the ceiling before disappearing upward to the floors above. The only access was the door through which we’d entered.
But none of that had caught Shelton’s attention.
Hanging from a wire in the room’s center was a single red balloon.
CHAPTER 45
“DON’T TOUCH IT!”
Every Viral shouted at once.
“Okay!” Jason raised both palms. “But how can a balloon be dangerous?”
“In this game, everything is dangerous!” Shelton had dropped into a judo stance.
Though fully inflated, the balloon dangled from the ceiling. My every instinct screamed in warning.
“Nobody move.” I tried to order my thoughts. “Where are we?”
“That’s AC equipment.” Ben pointed to the riot of metalwork above our heads. “We’re in some kind of ventilation room.”
The first inkling of suspicion formed in my mind. “Is the AC on tonight?”
Hi shook his head. “If those suckers were running, you’d know it. HVAC units roar like jet engines.”
Shelton jabbed another finger. “What’s that?”
A steel box sat to the left of the corral. Shiny and dirt free, the modern-looking cube stood out from the rest of the grimy machinery. I craned my neck for a better look.
The box was constructed of sheer metal sheets bolted together along the edges. Its exterior was smooth and unmarked, except for the top, which had two rectangular niches cut into its surface. The first niche held a built-in LCD touchscreen covered by a clear Plexiglas shield. The second was empty. Its thick plastic cover allowed a view into the guts of the device.
Curious, I took a step toward the box and rose up on my tiptoes, thankful that Whitney had chosen dressy sandals for my outfit and not murderous high heels.
My neck hairs went vertical.
Above the LCD screen, stamped into the metal, was a single leering clown face.
“This is it!” Adrenaline shot through me. “We found the bomb!”
“How do we turn it off?” Jason started forward before I could stop him. On his third step, I heard a soft snap.
“Get down!” I screamed.
Everyone but Jason reacted instantly.
The balloon dropped from its wire.
Behind me, I heard the screech of metal on metal.
THUMP!
The lights flickered, recovered, then resumed their electric buzz.
I cringed, face pressed to the dirty floor, eyes squeezed in fearful anticipation.
Nothing happened.
I cracked one eyelid. The other. Glanced around.
Jason had frozen in a half-crouch. Ben was lying flat on his stomach, eyes darting. Hi had assumed the airplane crash position, while Shelton was curled into a ball.
“Everyone okay?” I checked myself for wounds, found none. But streaks of brownish grit ran the length of my white silk gown.
“Yeah.” Ben dusted himself off.
“I think so,” Jason said, still rooted in place.
“I’m tired of this garbage!” Shelton whined. “But fine.”
“Ah, guys?” Hi had un-turtled and was staring back the way we’d entered.
The light from the passage had dimmed.
Ben dashed through the door, then cursed loudly. Metal rattled in the corridor.
I lurched to my feet, recalling the room-shaking thump. “What is it?”
“Some sort of … grate.” More harsh clanking. “It dropped from the ceiling and is blocking the entrance.”
“No no no!” Shelton streaked to Ben’s side. “Lift it up!”
I hurried to investigate. Down the passage, Ben was shaking a steel grill similar to those used to secure stores in shopping malls. It had fallen directly between the electrical room and us.
“Won’t budge.” Ben’s arms bulged as he strained to raise the grate. “It’s set on runners. Should lift easily. Something’s jamming the tracks.” Face flushed, he abandoned his efforts. “We’re stuck.”
“Always trapped!” Shelton actually stamped a foot. “Always underground! If we get out of here, I’m moving to a high-rise on a mountain-top. Penthouse! And ya’ll ain’t invited!”
Keep calm.
Stepping back into the ventilation room, I saw Jason kneel, pinch his fingers, and lift a broken wire. “Oops. My bad.”
The balloon was now resting on the floor tiles. I watched it nervously. Was there more to this trap?
“I bet he’s watching us right now,” Shelton whispered. His gaze rose to the tangle of pipes bolted to the ceiling. “A dozen cameras could be hidden up there.”
Something about the whole setup bothered me.
If the debutante ball was the target, why put a bomb down here? This building was a fortress, literally, and these rooms were deep underground. The party was two full floors above us.
The Gamemaster was ruthless. I suspected he’d want the
highest body count possible. Burying explosives in the basement didn’t fit the bill.
“Why’d the Gamemaster want us down here?” I asked. “In this room?”
“To kill us!” Shelton was close to panic. “We can’t get out!”
My mind raced, trying to fit the pieces. “But we almost didn’t find this location. What if we hadn’t?”
Hi started chewing his thumb. “Keep going.”
“According to The Rules, if we fail, innocents will die.” My eyes scanned the room. “An explosion down here might kill the five of us, sure, but only if we’d guessed correctly, and were in the right place.”
Shelton threw up both hands. “Does it matter now?”
“Could an explosion centered here level the building?” Jason asked.
“Not likely,” Ben said. “The Citadel was built to last. It’d take an enormous blast to collapse this whole structure.”
“I’m with Tory.” Hi began pacing. “The Gamemaster plans to hurt a lot of people if we don’t succeed. The deb ball is the obvious target.”
“But he also wanted us trapped in this room.” I pinched my forehead, trying to force my thoughts into logical order. “It all has to connect somehow.”
No one had an answer.
Jason kicked the balloon in frustration.
Pop!
A lime green mist oozed from the torn red plastic. Jason grabbed his throat and began coughing madly. Cheeks flushing scarlet, he stumbled backward, trying to cover his face.
Noxious vapors spread through the room. My eyes watered and burned.
Tumblers fell in my head.
A key turned. Terrible insight followed.
Combine what you’ve learned to uncover The Danger.
“Oh no.”
Hi grabbed Jason and yanked him toward the door. Shelton stripped off his jacket and fanned the vapors. Shielding his nose and mouth, Ben raced forward, scooped the balloon, and tossed it into a corner.
Frantic seconds later, the air seemed to clear.
The sound of Jason’s hacking filled the room. “That … was … cough, cough … pretty dumb, huh?” he rasped.
“Just take it easy.” Hi thumped his back. “And yes, you’re a dumbass.”
I remained rooted, a sick feeling roiling my gut.
Combine what you’ve learned.
Heart pounding, I raced to the Gamemaster’s box, certain I’d identified The Danger. And found what I’d feared most: clear plastic tubing, connecting the rear of the device to the pipes overhead.
As if on cue, the massive HVACs grumbled to life.
My head whipped to Hi. “Time?”
“Oh crap!” Hi swallowed. “It’s nine o’clock!”
“Can we turn these units off?” I asked.
Ben shook his head. “The corral is triple-padlocked. We’ll never get inside.”
Almost out of time.
My eyes shot to the top panel of the box. Through the second niche I could see the inner workings of the sinister device.
Another jolt. I knew why the window was there.
The Gamemaster wants me to see. Now that it’s too late. Now that he’s won.
I saw two silver objects inside the machine. Guessed their evil function.
A cry of alarm escaped me.
Jason grabbed my arm. “Tory, what is it?”
“This isn’t a bomb.” My voice trembled. “At least, not the kind that explodes.”
I pointed to twin silver canisters visible through the glass.
The labels were easy to see.
Jason squinted, then read aloud. “Bromo … bromometh.”
“Bromomethane.” My voice was numb. “A toxic pesticide. The balloon must’ve contained a weak dose. A sample for us to enjoy.”
Hiram’s eyes widened. “We’re standing in the freaking ventilation room.”
Ben winced. Shelton covered his face and moaned.
“So it’s flammable?” Jason didn’t understand. “Explosive?”
“It’s a poisonous gas.” I had to shout over the rumbling AC units.
Jason shook his head in confusion.
“The pipes, Jason!” I pointed at the ceiling. “This device is hooked into the air-conditioning system.”
“The HVACs will pump the gas into the ballroom.” Ben shook the chain-link barrier in frustration. “The debs are still being introduced. Everyone up there is a sitting duck!”
“Poison gas?” Jason took a few steps backward. “That’s crazy!”
Hi grabbed Jason by his lapels. “Exactly! We’re dealing with a lunatic. Got it?”
I thought of the people above us. Kit. Whitney. My classmates. A large swath of Charleston’s wealthiest one percent. All crammed into that ballroom.
With so many bodies in such close quarters, the temperature would’ve risen.
The tightly packed crowd, decked out in stifling formal wear, would welcome the influx of cool air.
Until it started killing them.
“We have to shut this thing down!” Jason shoved Hi aside and started banging the metal box with both hands. “There must be a way to kill the power.”
I caught one of his sleeves. “Let me look.”
The others crowded behind me while I studied the mechanism.
“The outer shell consists of five metal plates bolted at the seams.” Thinking analytically calmed me down. “Each side is riveted to the floor. I see no way to access the canisters inside.”
Shelton smacked a side panel. “Building this took mad effort. The Gamemaster must’ve spent hours holed up in this dungeon.”
“Agreed,” I said. “The exterior must’ve been assembled on-site.”
“We rip it open.” Ben gestured with his hands. “Get inside before the canisters discharge. Simple.”
“How?” Hi ran his fingers along one edge. “This box is fastened tight. We’d need power tools to get under its skirt.”
“There must be a way.” But I couldn’t see it. My panic meter was rising again.
“The Plexiglas.” Shelton smacked his hand on the little window. “Bash it open.”
“No good.” My gut warned against tampering with the box’s construction. “The plastic won’t break easily, and the opening’s too small anyway.”
Shelton reached for his earlobe. “We have to do something!”
I waved a hand in annoyance. “Let me think.”
There must be a way to gain entry. A way to win The Game.
Beneath its plastic cover, the touchscreen suddenly flared to life. Cartoon clowns danced and rolled as a familiar script flashed on-screen, red words burning against a black background.
Ready to play?
“This is it.” Trying to still my shaking hands. “We have no choice.”
Hi nodded. Shelton groaned. Jason had locked up, eyes wide, unable to speak.
“There’s no other way?” Ben glared at the screen in anger.
I shook my head. “We play or they die.”
A look of despair twisted Ben’s features, then vanished so swiftly I questioned having seen it. “Do it,” was all he said.
“Here we go.”
Bracing myself, I tapped the Plexiglas with my index finger. The shield didn’t move or open.
“How do I accept? I can’t reach the screen.”
Before anyone could answer, I heard the scrape of a footfall.
All heads whipped to the door at our backs.
Hi ran to investigate. Froze at the threshold. “What are you doing here?”
“Hi?” I couldn’t see past him into the corridor. “Is someone there?”
“Yes.”
His tone chilled my spine. I sprang to Hiram’s side and peered into the passage.
Locked eyes with the last person I expected to see.
CHAPTER 46
CHANCE SMILED COLDLY from the other side of the grate.
“Trapped in a cage, are we? Seems to be a specialty of yours.”
Ice ran through my veins as I hu
rried through the passage. The others followed at my back.
Chance Claybourne.
Down here in the bowels of the building, where he had no business being.
Where only the Gamemaster knew we’d be.
How could I have been so dense?
“You!” Shelton shouted. “You’re a monster. Let us out!”
Hi covered his face with his hands. “Man, I did not see that coming.”
“What’s going on?” Jason called from behind me. “Claybourne, bust us loose!”
“Chance, why?” I could barely form the words. “All those people!”
His face pinched. “What people?”
I pressed close to grate. “You have to disarm the device!”
“Device?” Chance squinted. “Victoria, I have no idea what you’re talking about. How’d you lock yourself in there?”
“Stop lying, you turd!” Shelton’s voice crackled with fury and fear. “Murderer! Lunatic!”
“A former mental patient, too,” Hi said bitterly. “God, why didn’t I see it? We knew the Gamemaster was no-joke crazy. Plus Chance hates us, and has all that money.” He smacked his forehead. “I’m such an idiot!”
“That’s the last time I’ll be called a ‘murderer’ by you freaks,” Chance snapped. “Or ‘crazy.’ Now what the hell is this? What’s a Gamemaster? Why are you down here?”
Doubt crept in. Chance sounded genuinely confused.
“Why are you down here?” I shot back.
“I followed you. Your exit wasn’t exactly subtle, stampeding past everyone on the stairs. And now I see Jason’s involved too. I want to know what’s going on.”
“Wait.” Shelton pointed with both hands. “You’re not the Gamemaster?”
“Enough, you moron! What absurd game are you playing? Tonight of all nights.”
I believed him. Chance really was clueless. He wasn’t the Gamemaster.
But he might just save our asses.
“Listen up!” I said. “There’s a machine in this room that will poison everyone upstairs. We’re trying to shut it down. You have to free us.”
“Poison people?” Chance’s gaze bounced from face to face. “Like, kill them? Is this some kind of nerd joke?”
“No, you jackass!” Ben elbowed forward and slammed the grate with both hands. “Everyone upstairs could die in the next few minutes. Just do what she says!”