Page 59 of The Most Dangerous Games

Hannah doesn’t look at Alek.

She stares at the screen.

“I want to win,” Hannah says when Wyatt is out of earshot.

“We all do,” Alek says.

“I’m just trying to do it the right way,” she says.

“Hannah,” Alek says, “we’re all trying to do that, too.”

Hannah looks down the row to where Wyatt is standing. He looks away when he sees Hannah staring at him.

“Hannah,” Alek says. “Talk to me.”

Hannah’s eyes stay on the monitor.

“I can’t,” she whispers. Then Hannah, shifting her stare to Wyatt, says, “I just can’t.”

And goes back to staring at her screen.

Alek watches Hannah’s eyes track the cameras, the screens, the staff.

Not nervous. Measuring.

Patrick Arrasmith

41.

They have each been given four games from which they can choose:

Chess.

Checkers.

Go.

Scrabble.

They will all have the same opponent, whatever game they choose: Artificial Intelligence.

A low, unhappy growl comes from Ant Tipton, seated two rows over, dressed in black like he’s still on contract.

“Blazing computer science,” he mutters, “or one of the options would be Charades.”

A few people smother laughs.

As soon as the words are out of Tipton’s mouth, The Host responds. When they’re assembled like this, Big Brother always seems to be watching and listening.

It’s why so many have taken to spending more time outdoors, every chance they get.

“It’s clear you consider yourself quite the wit, Mr. Tipton,” The Host says. “But we’re about to find out how you do when it’s a battle of wits, and you have to rely on your brains and not simply your brawn.”

Tipton doesn’t look up. He keeps his eyes on the menu like he’s choosing wine.

“I’m not worried,” Tipton says. “I run a business built on intelligence. And before that, I topped my class in the Marines.”

Jack McHenry is listening with amusement to the exchange along with everybody else in the room. But thinking he might be far more amused than others.