Double Cross by Beth McMullen

Author:Beth McMullen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2019-08-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Owen Elliott Forgives Me.

OWEN ELLIOTT TEXTS ME to see if I will meet him at the docks. I am zombie-level tired and want nothing more than to eat and sleep and wait for Toby to say the photos analysis is done. But maybe Owen Elliott wants to forgive me for blowing him off? That possibility feels surprisingly good, enough so I pull my shoes back on and traipse out the door.

The campus is dotted with kids playing Frisbee and hacky sack, lounging under shade trees and listening to music. The really smart kids, it seems, are the ones who didn’t enter the Challenge. They’re just hanging out and having fun. I crest a small rise and head down to the docks.

But he’s not there. I sit on the dock to wait. Ten minutes later, still no Owen Elliott. Is he getting back at me for leaving him stranded in the game room? That’s cheap.

I wait a little longer just in case he was held hostage by Poppy for some reason, but he doesn’t show up. Well, forget it. I’m out of here. A crescendo of cricket song rises as the sun drops. The pathway lights flicker on. I indulge in a fantasy of my head on a soft, cool pillow, eyes closed, dreaming of victory. The mere idea of bed makes me sigh with pleasure.

I’m so lost in this thought that I don’t notice someone is behind me until it’s too late. In a flash, I’m facedown in the grass, the wind knocked from my lungs, a knee digging into my spine. An involuntary groan escapes my lips. Am I really being mugged on the Briar Academy campus? For what? I’m not even wearing my cool tennis shoes because the right one is still in Tinker Bell’s car.

Veronica says that when you are in a dangerous situation, the first thing you must do is clear your mind, create a blank space where you can envision your actions. I try that. My blank space immediately fills with fury toward Owen Elliott for setting me up. Did he tell Poppy I blew him off and she decided to demonstrate some of her black-belt karate skills on me? Veronica also says your action should never come from a place of fear or anger. Whatever.

I manage to get my palms flat on the ground. The move is called Camel, and it’s one of Veronica’s favorites. I clench my abs and shoot my butt up in the air, using my arms for leverage. The idea is to toss the attacker off my back. Despite my still-strong biceps, it doesn’t work. Whoever it is hangs on and goes for my shorts pockets. The spy phone!

Toby has forgiven me for a lot, but if this silver beauty gets stolen, I’m done for. He will never trust me again. I press my hips to the dirt, feeling the hard outline of the phone dig into my skin. The person grabs my hair and pulls my head back, twisting my neck at an unnatural angle.

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