It felt like the beginning of friendship.
CHAPTER 5
Math class.
Hell.
Ms. Anderson was ten times more annoying than old Riley. If Gabriel had to put up with her asking students to come up to the whiteboard and struggle through problems in front of the class, at least she should have legs to write home about.
He worried about getting called, but she seemed to be going in alphabetical order and the class was almost over. Merrick was safely stationed in the second half of the alphabet.
He glanced to his right. Layne looked equally bored. Then again, she could probably do these equations in her head.
o;I’m not avoiding the question.” Bill leaned back in the chair and shrugged. “I don’t necessarily want to help, but the stakes have changed.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Meaning what? ”
Her father hesitated.
Michael jumped on it. “Meaning, Becca, ” he said. “We’re not the only ones hiding anymore. I’m willing to bet that the only people who know Becca’s a Fifth are sitting at this very table.”
He turned dark eyes to Bill. “Am I right?”
A nod. “Yes.”
Michael leaned in against the table. “And I’m guessing the other Guides wouldn’t be too happy to find out you kept her a secret.”
“Probably not.”
“So you’re protecting yourself,” said Becca. She snorted.
“Typical.”
Her father turned to look at her. “Just what do you think they’d do, Becca? Slap me on the wrist and forget you exist?”
She stared back at him, and Gabriel could see the battle in her expression, that she wanted to know what they’d do but she was afraid of the answer.
“They’d make you kill her,” said Hunter, his voice low. “To prove your loyalty.” He was watching Bill, too, his expression shadowed.
Becca’s father didn’t say anything and that was obviously answer enough. Her face paled a shade, and she glanced at Hunter. “How did you know that?”
He shrugged a little. “My father used to tell me stories. Of how the Guides wouldn’t allow their goals to be compromised.
One death is nothing compared to the greater good, right?”
“Yeah?” said Chris, his tone unfriendly. “And where do you fit into that?”
Hunter met his eyes and didn’t back down. “I’m sitting here, aren’t I?”
“Stop,” said Becca. “Don’t fight.”
Michael cleared his throat. “So what are you proposing?”
“I’m proposing that you lie low. Don’t draw attention to yourselves. They’ll send another Guide if I don’t check in with progress but I can hold them off for a while. Let them know I’m still investigating. If there aren’t continued reports of problems in this area, they’ll stay away.”
“What about Seth and Tyler?” said Nick. “You know it’s not usually us causing the problems.”
“I don’t think we need to worry too much about them for the time being,” said Chris, and for the first time, his voice carried a little satisfaction.