Nightfall (Devil's Night 4)

I looked to Will. “It’s all connected. Evans Crist solicited Martin’s help to cripple your parents by sending you all to prison, but he didn’t anticipate that you’d get organized on your own when you got out. In time, you became a threat he needed to deal with, too.”

“My father may have done shit,” Michael chimed in, “for which he will pay, but he’s been quiet for years.”

“But mobile,” I retorted. “What if he sent Will to Blackchurch to cripple you like he did to your parents all those years ago?” I looked around at all the guys. “You haven’t moved forward with the resort in Will’s absence, after all. It worked.”

I shot my gaze to the right, seeing the figure again.

Or someone who looked exactly like him. He was also dressed in the same black jacket and black devil mask with the hood pulled up.

I darted my gaze back to the other one, noticing he still stood in the exact same spot. They were both staring at me.

“What if he knew the moment Will was broken out?” I asked Michael. “What if he enlisted the remaining prisoners and their families and had them brought here? What if Aydin and Taylor have been sleeping right down the road this whole time at your parents’ house?”

No one spoke, the wheels turning in their heads as they exchanged looks. As they came to terms with the possibility that Aydin could win tonight.

“Aydin engages in nothing until he’s sure he can win,” Alex said in a quiet voice. “She’s right. He’s not alone.”

I stepped in closer, our circle tightening. “They were probably at the wedding,” I said, gesturing with my eyes to the crowd. “They’ve been following us the whole time.”

I slid my eyes to the left, seeing another one. And then another one.

Slowly, the devils were all around us, slipping through the unknowing crowd and surrounding us like an army, and our crew averted their eyes, awareness finally written all over their faces that we were already caught.

“The masks,” I murmured. “The devils. It’s how their crew is identifying each other.”

“Shit,” Rika whispered, moving her gaze around the theme park.

We had enough to overcome Evans Crist with the eleven of us, plus Micah and Rory, but we might not now if Evans had Aydin and Taylor’s families behind him. And if he had Martin and a police force behind him?

We were screwed.

Rika grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the warehouse, everyone following as we piled inside, hurrying around a maze of dark tunnels, and slipping behind a prop wall, actors gasping as we found them sticking their hands through the holes to grab patrons and scare them.

Rika whipped off her hoodie and unhooked her mask. “Emmy, switch with me.”

She took my mask and hooked it onto her belt.

“Alex, switch with Banks,” she told her.

I remained still. “They’re coming after all of us,” I pointed out.

It was no use to hide my identity when she was in danger, too.

But she retorted, “Not Aydin and Taylor. They’ll be after you two first.”

Okay, maybe. And if Martin were here tonight, I would definitely be a target.

I slid off my jacket and tossed it to her, taking her hoodie and pulling it over my head as Alex and Banks did the same.

“Get to the underground,” Will told everyone. “Em and Alex will go with Rika and Michael.”

The underground?

But before I could ask questions, Ryen chimed in, “We shouldn’t split up.”

“We’ll move faster and easier that way,” he told her.

I grabbed his face and kissed him, out of breath already. “I want to go with you.”