What happens when a bunch of killers are forced to live together?
BATTLE OF THE KILLERS is a reality show that follows Betinia Woods, a girl kidnapped and forced to live in an underground bunker with twelve other killers. The bunker is equipped wit...
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INHALE. I gulped in air, letting it expand in my chest before blowing it out, slowly watching it cloud the window.
Rucker wheezed, teeth clamping together as he leaned back in the chained chair, red fluid leaking from multiple places as the water continued to rise around him, brushing his knees.
Just hold on for a little bit more. Please.
"You still have a lifeline," Jookie said, pulling up the next statement before grinning.
MY MOTHER PURPORSELY STABBED HERSELF IN THE STOMACH WHILE PREGNANT WITH ME
Whoa, okay. I snuck a glance at Jookie who was rocking his normal smiling poker face, giving nothing away. Okay, the statement was basically saying she stabbed her while pregnant, and a baby could survive that type of trauma, so it wasn't an automatic lie.
But why use the word purposely? That word was staring at me like a bullseye. My gut was leaning toward truth, but it's been wrong three times now. But maybe it was right this time, or maybe I was overthinking again?
"I need my lifeline," I said to Jookie.
Jookie leaned his elbows on the table. "I would ask who, but we all already know who you're gonna pick."
Yeah, the only person in the game who's smarter than me. "Khan."
"Of course," Jookie said, rolling his eyes as he tapped the air, and a live stream of Khan showed up.
With his dark hair swept back into a small ponytail in the back of his head like he was ready to get down to business, his dark brown eyes lightened when our eyes connected, making me feel instantly calm, like everything would be okay.
"Khan," I said his name on a breath. "I need your help. I'm losing here, and I can't lose — I can't."
"First off, calm the fuck down," Khan said in a soothing yet commanding tone. His tone made me sit up straighter. "You're overthinking everything," he said, staring at me.
"These aren't hard," Khan said. "They know you have a habit of overthinking, so they're purposely adding in extra words to trick you."
Well, it was working, a little too well.
"All you have to do is look at the core of the statement and use the previous statements and your personal knowledge of Jookie to figure out the rest of them. If that fails, trust your instincts and use your head like you always do. You did it with Tiran and Layla."
I was trusting my instinct, or I thought I was. The part of me that solved Tiran's and Layla's mysteries was gone. Betinia was gone. I could get her back...— NO. I could and would do this without her. I'd show her that I didn't need her anymore.
