Page 47

“This is as far as I remember going. I remember hearing something and asking you to check it out. The closet is the only place we didn’t check,” she says.

“Let’s go tell Logan before anything else happens.”

We start walking down the hall toward Stardust Lounge, which is at the opposite end of the ship from where we are. Before we reach the entrance, a mob of people with their faces and arms smeared with dark red paint appears. It's our people, it's Logan’s group. Why do they have face paint? Then I look down at my hands and realize the color is exactly the same. I grab Karissa to get her attention.

“What the hell is going on? Where are they going?” I ask.

“No idea. Let's get out of their way before we're trampled.”

The crowd rushes past us, screaming and chanting. I watch carefully as they run past me.

“They must be going to Paradise Cove, but the ambush wasn't supposed to happen until tomorrow night,” I say.

“Were we knocked out that long? Is today... tomorrow already?” Karissa asks. I stare at her, confused. How long had we been knocked out?

“Something must have happened,” I say.

The crowd continues rushing past. Once the commotion has calmed, Logan and Xander emerge and walk by. Logan's face has a single red stripe running down it. Xander's face also has a crimson stripe. Karissa looks up and I see her eyes go wide, then she takes off running toward them. I’ve overheard her and Xander talking in the past and put together that they’re related. Xander sees Karissa rushing toward him, and they collide in a hug. Logan stares at both of them with a puzzled expression.

“Looks like your sister is just fine,” Logan says, his tone cold.

“Yeah, it looks that way,” replies Xander. Karissa steps back and meets Logan's eyes.

“I'm not okay. Brent and I were ambushed. How long have we been gone?” she asks. Before Logan has a chance to speak, I walk up and take his attention.

“She is right. We were ambushed and knocked out. My head is killing me. I have a gash where someone hit me.”

“Who did this?” demands Logan.

“Tyler, at least I think it was him,” I answer. Logan looks at me like I have horns growing out of the sides of my head.

“Tyler, as in Theo’s shit-for-brains brother? You mean to tell me that little asshole knocked both of you out and got away?”

“I guess. I don't know,” I answer, not knowing how else to respond. I look over at Karissa and she doesn’t say a word.

“I call bullshit. How do you know it was him?” Logan asks.

“Because when I woke up, I heard people talking, and when I followed the voices, he was there, at the door to the medical center. There was something about the way he looked at me.” I don't know it for sure, but he must’ve had something to do with it.

“So you mean to tell me that Tyler snuck out, attacked you, then ran away? That doesn't make any sense,” says Logan, and I have to agree; he has a good point. It does sound strange.

“Well, when you put it that way, it sounds dumb,” I answer.

“Damn straight. It sounds fucking ridiculous! Why would he do that?”

“I'm not sure, but it's not just the five of them inside there anymore, I think⁠—”

A woman’s voice shouting cuts me off. I quickly turn to see her screaming, running from the direction of Paradise Cove.

“Logan! Logan!”

“What?” answers Logan.

“Paradise Cove is empty. They’re all gone,” says the woman.

Logan slowly turns back to me, and at the same time, we both say the exact same thing.

“The medical center.”