My heart started pumping a little harder, and I stood there, pondering the challenge. Would they do what I suggested?
I wasn’t even going to leave it up to them. They’d pussy out.
I locked eyes with my sister. “How fast can the butcher be here?”
She stared at me only a moment before realization dawned, and a smile spread across her face. She glanced at Kai who looked at his wife curiously and then back to me, digging out her cell. “For us?” she asked, looking excited. “Minutes.”
And then she put the phone to her ear and walked away to make the call.
I glanced at Alex. “See if they have a first aid kit with smelling salts?”
She nodded, looking hesitant, but walked toward the service tent.
And then I taunted Kai. “Still able to knock someone out with a single kick?”
“Want a demonstration?” he shot back.
I laughed, putting the rest of the pieces together in my head.
“What are you going to do?” Michael asked, pulling back and suddenly interested.
“Me? Oh, this will take all of us,” I told him. “You want it or not?”
He rolled his eyes but stood there, Will on his left, Kai on his right, and his pride telling him not to engage with me.
But then he looked over at Rika, and I didn’t know about him, but I knew if her teacher was pulling shit like this in front of her fiancé, what was he thinking of trying one of these days when Michael wasn’t around during one of their research meetings or an after-class discussion?
Of course, Rika could take care of herself, but he was disrespecting Michael, too. Michael needed to check that shit.
He met my eyes. “Fine. What are we doing?”
I quirked a smile and filled everyone in on their part, sending Banks to meet the butcher in the parking lot and Will to grab another prop from inside one of the haunted houses.
When Alex came back with the salts, I told her what she had to do, unfortunately the bulk of the work falling on her for this whole thin
g. She was the only chick here not spoken for, so that came in handy when she needed to lure him.
Banks arrived with a backpack, and she, Michael, and I made our way to the tree line behind the barn, shielding ourselves behind the trunks, while Kai and Will hid around the corner of the barn, waiting.
I stuffed my mask, still hooked onto my wrist, in the backpack, and not two minutes later, spotted Alex rounding the corner with the professor. She looked perfect. Short white dress, top hat, makeup. He didn’t look as enamored as he did with Rika, but he was willing to indulge a little walk around the park with another beautiful student.
Kai looked over at me, twenty yards away, and I jerked my chin, alerting him it was time. He stepped back, giving himself room, got in his stance, and as soon as Alex came around the corner, Kai shot out, swung his leg around, and knocked the dude right in his temple. He didn’t even have time to turn and see who was there.
His head jerked back, his knees gave out, and he fell forward, face planting on the dirt ground.
“Oh, shit!” Will shook with laughter. “He went down like a dead deer.”
A snort sounded from either Michael or Banks, and Kai looked down at his victim, surveying his handiwork with pride.
“You didn’t kill him, did you?” Banks whisper-yelled, looking worried as she crept over.
Michael and I followed.
She crouched down next to the guy, feeling for the pulse on his neck.
After a pause, she pulled away, sighing with relief. “Okay, good.”
“Baby, please.” Kai looked insulted.