“Are we going to get in trouble for having this stuff?” I asked, frowning at the thought of campus PD opening my bad to find a slew of contraband electronics.
“Oh, definitely,” he said, trying to play it off with a laugh. “But only if we’re caught.”
I sighed, turning back to my reflection. I barely even recognized the woman staring back, and that scared me almost as much as the crazy stunt we were about to pull.
“Run me through it again,” I said, taking a deep breath to try and calm myself, albeit unsuccessfully.
“You’re going to have the device in your purse while you’re at the party. All you have to do is find Michael. Stand within at least five feet of him for about ten minutes or so. I’ll send him a text message that sets everything off. We’re using a zero-day exploit, and it works fast. Same tricks those hackers used to get all the naked celebrity pics. Anyway, that’s about how long I need to clone his phone. Becky and I will be close by with city PD on speed dial if anything goes wrong. I’ll be able to hear you with the microphone in your choker, it picks up the sounds in your throat instead of the noise around you.”
“What if he sees me?” I asked, swallowing hard as I imagine Michael’s cold eyes turning their gaze on me, that hungry glint burning behind his stare. “What do I do?”
“Keep calm and just wait for my signal to leave. He won’t know what we’re doing so long as everything goes according to plan.”
Less than an hour later, I was walking through the doors of AEΩ, clutching my purse close to me as I scanned the crowd for any sign of Michael. I swallowed nervously as I pushed and wove my way through the crowd of bodies as the base thrummed through my body and down to my bones. The sound reminded me of Richard, the way he’d turned my whole life upside down and shaken me to my core that night at my going away party.
“Everything okay in there?” Greg’s asked over the ear-piece, his voice faint compared to the sound of the stereo system.
“I can barely hear you,” I said, my voice low.
“How about now?” he asked, the sound in my ear a bit loud, but enough that I could hear him over the people and the music in the background.
“Better. I haven’t spotted Michael yet.”
“Just keep looking,” he said. “Knowing him, he’s probably watching over everyone, pretending to be the big man in charge.”
I glanced over toward the main staircase, keeping my head low so as not to attract attention from anyone who might recognize me. As much as I hated them, I could at least owe it to this crowd for keeping my somewhat hidden.
It only took a few more minutes of searching to finally spot Michael, sure enough standing at the top of the stairs, looking down his nose at the crowd below. He sneered, looking down his nose at the people who had called initiated him into their ranks like they were all slugs that he longed to squash.
“I see him,” I said, swallowing around the lump in my throat. “I’m going to try and get closer.”
“Just remember,” Greg said as I wove my way toward the stairs, “you need to get close, Jessica.”
Easier said than done, I thought. Five feet was plenty close enough for him to grab me, to pull me somewhere that he could do to me what he’d done to Becky. After everything that had happened between us in the past, I didn’t expect much in the way of mercy if the worst should happen.
I situated myself against the staircase just underneath Michael as he surveyed the crowd. With my back against the wall I could feel the rumble of the bass with every note, vibrating my skull. I glanced up nervously, hoping that I was close enough to him for the device to do its work.
“I’ve sent the text to his number and I’m starting the process. Just stay close Jessica and don’t let him get away.”
“Yeah, right. 007, out,” I muttered mockingly, forgetting that the microphone could even pick up my slightest whisper.
“I heard that.”
I sighed, shaking my head as I felt the seconds tick by and wishing that Richard were here with me. I only hoped that he hadn’t ignored my warning. We were so close to being free of Michael, and if he even saw a hint that Richard was there, he might ruin everything. I felt awful leaving him out, but I knew it had been the only way.
A loud crash from up above tore my attention from my thoughts and up toward the top of the stairs where the noise had come from.
As I turned my gaze upward, my gaze immediately fell on Michael, watching in horror as his eyes met my own for a lingering moment. I watched his face twitch slightly, though I couldn’t tell if he recognized me. He turned, walking up onto the second floor and out of sight.
I panicked, scrambling over to the steps and trying to pick my way through the party goers that littered the stairs. If I didn’t find a way to get close to him again this entire stunt would have been for nothing.
“Jessica? What’s happened? I lost the signal,’ Greg said, his voice edged with tension.
“He went upstairs,” I said softly, though I couldn’t keep the panic out of my voice. “I’m following him now.”
“Just be careful,” he replied, and I could almost feel the worry in his voice.
Once I’d managed to get up onto the second floor I found myself in an almost deserted hallway, the only occupant was a passed out member of AEΩ sprawled halfway in one of the house’s bedrooms. I looked around, slowly creeping along the hall in the hopes of maybe catching Michael unaware.
“I’ve got the signal again,” Greg said over the earpiece. “He’s close by.”
Those words made my heart skip a beat, worsened only by the smug whisper from only a few feet behind me.
“Looking for someone?”
That cool familiar voice chilled me to the bone, my heart suddenly pounding away at my ribcage like a xylophone. I gulped nervously, steeling myself as I turned around, watching Michael step out of one of the bedrooms, both hands in his pockets as he strolled toward me.
“It’s funny,” he said, his thin lips curling into a cruel smile, “I was just wondering how long it would take you to realize that brother of yours is hardly a match for me. And here you are, crawling back to me dressed like the little whore I always said you were.”
“Jessica? Is everything okay? What’s going on?” Greg asked.
“Michael, I—”
“You don’t have to explain, Jessica,” he said, putting up his hand to stop me from speaking. “I understand. You want a real man—someone who’ll treat you like you know you deserve to be treated.”
“Stop it,” I said, my voice trembling as I took a step back. “Stay away from me.”
“Excuse me?” Michael asked, his head tilting as though he could hardly believe what he’d just heard. “Did you just give me an order you little cunt? There’s no need to play hard to get. I know you didn’t come here for the party.”
“Jessica, get out of there,” Greg said, and I could hear his own panicked voice practically matching my own. “You need to run.”
“I can’t,” I said, taking another step back as Michael advanced. “He’s blocking the stairs.”
“Who are you talking to?” he hissed, lunging forward and grabbing at my purse, pulling me forward along with it. Everything toppled out all at once, the heavy black device slamming onto the floor.
I felt his head on my throat, crying out as my shoulder exploded in pain as he threw me into the wall. I felt his fingers digging at my ear, pulling out the earpiece and throwing it onto the ground.
“What the hell is all this?” he snarled, “Huh? Tell me!”
I tried to cry out, to get any kind of sound past his steely grip on my windpipe. His face was inches from mine, and I could feel his hot, stinking breathing right against my skin. I could barely draw breath, my head already beginning to swim from the lack of oxygen and the shooting pain radiating out of my shoulder.