Page 41 of Mercy & Malice

Focusing back on the game, I pray for it to be over sooner than later. “They’re halfway there.”

But something goes wrong again. They hear something too. I watch as Garrett clutches the side rail and Remy becomes erratic.

Garrett won’t let go of the railing as Remy tries to get him to move. Remy signals us, waving as he leans over the railing and jumps around. His mouth is moving, though I can’t make out anything he’s saying. But I clearly see the anger on his face. As he pivots, the grating gives out and he grabs at the steel beam.

“Oh my God.” I watch as Garrett crawls to him. He doesn’t make it in time. Remy falls, disappearing into the darkness below.

“No. This isn’t real. It’s another trick.” But there’s no way it is. Remy didn’t make it.

Garrett stays on his hands and knees as he makes his way back to the platform.

Ivy says, “Tell me that was fake.”

In a frenzy, Garrett rushes to us. “I tried to help. I couldn’t get to him. I’m so sorry.”

Decider declares, “Challenge complete. Two teams remain.”

That can’t be it. Remy fell. Dare complete. No biggie. “We have to see if he’s alive. He might be down there, waiting on someone to save him.”

Micah stares at the vast black hole that swallowed Remy. “No one would survive that fall.”

It’s true. I know. But we can’t just walk away like nothing happened. Like our friend didn’t just die. “So, we’re just going to leave him here?”

“He’s being retrieved,” Decider matter-of-factly informs us then strolls away.

Ivy is in as much disbelief as me. “Retrieved? You sound like you’re talking about a piece of trash that needs to be fished out of the water.”

“He knew what he signed up for,” Decider motions to the helicopter. “Board within the next two minutes or you will be left behind.”

We follow the heartless bastard to the helicopter, deserting our friend. Nothing will ever be the same. Remy’s dead. And it’s my fault. Maybe if I hadn’t made him go last the grating wouldn’t have been as weak. But then would I knowingly sentence another to death if I changed the order? I don’t want the power to decide anything anymore. The Keepers are built on control and wealth. And that’s who I wanted to be a part of. But why must Mercy take so much from us? Could anything be worth the sacrifice they’re asking? I already know the answer. I just don’t want to admit that this won’t be worth it even if I do win. The price is too high. And it could still cost more.

22

MICAH

How could I ever make this up to her? It’s not possible. She’ll never have the memories erased. It’ll always be me hitting her with a belt.

Brooke tries to hide that she’s sore, but I see her flinch and wince, especially when she sits on the hard floor.

She’s at the shower, filling the water bottles. The bastard drops a sleeve of crackers on the floor periodically, but the first bottles of water were the only we were given.

Slowly, she sits next to me and passes me one. “I’ll never complain about any meal I ever have when we get out of here.”

I study the bottle in my hand, unable to see a way out of this still.

“Micah, this has to be better than nothing, right? Plus, you’ve only eaten the few crackers that I made you consume. I get it. It’s gross and demeaning. But getting malnourished and weak isn’t the answer.” Brooke drapes one of the towels over the two of us, tucking her face against my shoulder. “Do you have a plan? I can’t think of anything except murdering them all and hoping they suffer.”

That is definitely going to happen. Doing it without risking her safety is the problem. But eventually, I’ll have to make a move. Because they’ll escalate it until I have no choice to make a desperate, lifesaving decision. And I’m almost there.

Her head lifts from my shoulder as she looks up at me. “Micah, please talk to me. I can’t sit here alone with my thoughts. I’m gonna go crazy. Worst-case scenarios won’t stop running through my mind.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I admit.

“Tell me it’s going to be okay. Tell me we’ll figure it out even though we have no freaking clue what to do.” She lies her head back down.

I can sense her panic rising. “You’re going to be all right. You will get out of here.”

Her attitude is determined, but her words come out raspy, “We go together, or we don’t go at all.”