Page 6 of Enter if you Dare: Part Three

I turn to Cipher for help, and he sighs. “If the Jester gets himself admitted, there’s a paper trail. His name goes into the system, and the institution has more of a reason to look into the island and at Cave. That is the exact opposite of what Vincent said we need to do.” I nod as Cipher talks and the Jester pouts. “Also, we have no control over what happens inside those walls. What if they don’t let you go anywhere near Cave? What if Cave’s reaction to you isn’t good? Seeing someone from the island may trigger him. Have you considered what happens if you get in and can’t get out, Jester?”

“I love a challenge.”

“What if I go instead? Everyone already knows I’m unstable,” Vero offers. “All I need to do is stop taking my new meds for a few days and I will be the poster child for that place.”

“Over my dead body,” Brawley says, grabbing the back of his neck and forcing him to look up. “Kayla would kill me if anything happened to you. I know she likes Cave, but she loves you.”

“Don’t know why,” Vesper scoffs. “I would happily send you. Both of you. Divide and conquer.”

“Not helping,” Valli says to Vesper, who just shrugs.

“What? Two birds, one stone. Talking about birds, we can send Rue as well. It solves all my problems.”

“This is not about your problems, Vesper. It’s about Cave,” Valli snaps. “I know why you want to do this, Jester and Vero, and I’m not saying it’s not coming from a good place, but Cipher is right. If we break him out, the island is the first place they’ll look. Then he is taken back for longer. We will lose any progress we make, and I won’t let that happen. We need to do this the right way, and we trust that Nixie knows what she is doing. She got him to the island once before, and I believe she can do it again.”

“Are you sure?” the Jester asks.

“One hundred percent.”

“Fine, we’ll do it the boring way.”

Vero laughs at the Jester, and Valli shakes her head. “No, we do it the legal way.”

“Same thing,” he says, then proceeds to sulk.

I remain quiet because I can see it from both sides. While I think sending someone in could be good, and if that person doesn’t come back out I’m sure Cave could use the help, I would feel guilty that another one of our people is stuck in there too.

Valli leans into my shoulder as people leave. Brawley drags Vero out as he mutters about missed opportunities, and Clay nods at Valli as he follows behind them.

“Cave will know we are coming for him,” I whisper. “He knows we wouldn’t leave him.”

She looks up at me and holds my gaze. “I hope so.”

The Jester is the last to leave. “For what it’s worth. I would have gotten myself out eventually.”

Valli snorts. “I don’t doubt that at all.”

“Three days to be precise. I have a low tolerance for institutional food.”

Valli shakes her head. “Go home. If Vincent can’t help us, I will keep you in mind as our backup plan.”

That makes him smile, and he bounces away. Cipher stands and stretches, then holds his hand out to Valli. She takes it and he helps pull her to her feet. I jump to mine and she reaches out to me, then the three of us leave, the absence of our fourth hanging in the air.

Valli

When Nixie strolls into our bedroom, I’m already awake and staring at the ceiling. Honestly, I don’t think I have slept more than a few hours at a time since Cave was taken from us.

“She’s awake,” Nixie says, and I furrow my brow, unsure who she is talking to.

Both Noa and Cipher wake, each taking in the fact that Nixie is standing in our room rather calmly.

“Good,” Vincent says, his voice echoing out over the speaker. “The assessment period is up. I was on the phone all afternoon yesterday but just got confirmation that they have completed their initial evaluation and filed their report.”

I sit up. “And . . .?”

“It’s not ideal. They recommend an extended observation period. Thirty days to be exact.”

“They want to keep him for an entire month?” I blurt out.