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Bong. "Dahlia and Drake. Please go retrieve weapons. You will hunt down and kill Payton."
Icy fingers gripped my heart. I’d not been expecting that. Not even a little. Drake looked equally distraught and irritated that Sam was flippantly throwing away a life. Not that it was surprising the man didn’t have a moral compass that I’d noticed yet, but still.
"Come on," Drake muttered as he stood. "Let’s get this over with."
There was a moment of hesitation when I didn’t stand to follow. I stared blankly at the plate in front of me. Cake crumbs and a smear of frosting. Could I really kill Payton? The one person in this whole house who seemed at least a little bit decent? Sam shocked me, forcing me to my feet. Elise and Bri stood and headed back to their rooms while Drake and I went upstairs to get the tools we’d need.
Drake and I chose simple knives to do what needed to be done. A heavy blanket of dread overtook me while we walked back downstairs from the weapons room. Dread, but also resolution. As much as I liked Payton, I liked myself more. I wasn’t going to die for him. Whatever Sam asked me to do, I would do it if it meant I received another day alive. Even the immunity card couldn’t help this. I could play it, but then Sam would send Drake out alone to do the deed. That wasn’t something I was comfortable with. Not only was Payton out there armed, but so was a target. No, we’d do this together. I could at least give Payton a quick death. If Sam wanted me to torture him I would disobey that order. Sam could go fuck himself if he didn’t like it.
The forest was dark when we stepped out of the warehouse door. The night rippled with heat, but not as humid as the last time I’d been out. Even then, Drake and I both left our sweat shirts by the door. He went on bare chested, and me in my sports bra.
"Let’s go that way," I said, pointing southward into the forest.
Drake shrugged and gripped his knife. "Okay."
I didn’t tell Drake my secondary plan, but I wanted to see if or when the devices on our wrists might shut off. If we could stay out here long enough, we might get lucky and be here in the woods during the nightly shut down. From what I remembered the night before, it had happened about an hour after dinner.
We walked in silence for over a half an hour before coming to the fence line. The low pulsing hum of electricity from the fence was the only sound.
"Which way from here?" Drake asked.
"No clue. He could have gone anywhere." I checked my device again. Still on.
Drake pointed to the left. "Let’s follow the fence in that direction. Work the perimeter." He looked more worried than I’d ever seen. His shoulders were tense, and even in the moonlight, his face was drawn and pensive.
Nodding, I followed him for a few minutes before speaking again. I asked a question that I needed to know. "Was it like this? When you said he sent you to help me?"
Drake glanced back, a worried look in his eyes. "What do you mean?"
I raised my knife showing him the blade. "Did he actually send you to help me, or were you originally supposed to hunt me?"
He continued walking without saying anything. I followed, waiting, but we kept trudging on minute after minute in silence. I had my mouth open to ask him again when his answer came.
"No. I wasn’t hunting you that time. All Sam said was to help you. But, uh, he also said that if you didn’t go through with it…" He trailed off.
"You were supposed to kill me?"
His head bobbed up and down in the darkness. "Yeah. You have no idea how happy you made me when you killed that guy. Honestly, it’s part of why I was excited. The reason I couldn’t control myself and took you right then and there. You have no clue how relieved I was that I didn't have to do something I didn’t want to do. I had all the faith in the world you’d do it, I’ve watched what you’re capable of, but there’s always a chance."
"Do you think that’s what’s happening here too?"
"I have no idea, actually. Maybe? Maybe not? I worry Payton isn’t long for this place."
"I’ve been thinking the same thing. He’s too gentle. He doesn’t have what we all have."
"And what’s that?" Drake asked, stopping to look at me.
I sighed, not entirely sure how to say it, but deciding to do my best. "A killer’s instinct, I guess. It’s not something I ever would have believed I had until I woke up in this place, but when it comes to doing what needs to be done, I think it’s easier for us than for him."
"You’re right. I’ve seen it before, though. Before you guys got here, there have been others like that. They didn’t last long either."
"Well, I’m glad—" I cut myself off, as I gazed at my device. The screen was black. The power was off. Looking to my right, I stared at the fence. The electric hum had stopped as well. "Drake?" I hissed.
"What’s wrong?" he asked, rushing to my side.
I showed him my device. "Look. Is yours off too?"
His eyes narrowed when he saw that his own device was off as well. "What does that mean?"
