~Alyssa~
"Jason, I'm not joking."
"I know, I know," his tense voice crackled through the cell phone. He sighed and I could imagine him running a hand through his hair.
I tried to take a few deep breaths and steady myself. The dim hotel parking lot lights flickered around me which did nothing to help my rising terror. The air conditioning blasting from the car's vents was like a bucket of cold ice, the only thing keeping me sane and in the moment when all I wanted to do was fall apart.
Alyssa, pull yourself together. Vera, Jordan, Tyler and maybe even Julia had to face Secret Keeper. Why can't you?
"We need to figure out who Secret Keeper is," he said.
"Seriously? A 140 IQ level and that's what you come up with?" I scoffed. I knew I was just snapping at Jason because I was jumpy, but I couldn't help it.
"Alyssa, I'm trying here."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"You weren't at the bridge that day, so any chance of Secret Keeper simply getting involved because they watched what happened is gone. There was no way she could've known that you were involved when you were stationed a mile away," Jason paused before adding, "Secret Keeper knew the entire plan."
And that's why I had been more scared than any of the others. If Secret Keeper sent me a message about Jason, then she knew everything about our plan and what we had been doing. And maybe she'd been there from day one, watching every single move the entire time.
"And another thing," I said. "In the letter, Secret Keeper referred to the Circumvent as other people entirely, so I don't think Secret Keeper is working for them. But the way the rest of the letter was phrased... she could be working with them."
"Like as a partner?"
I nodded before remembering he couldn't see me. "Yeah."
"It's possible," he mumbled and hesitated before saying what neither of us wanted to admit. "If Secret Keeper knows our plan, then it's possible she's one of us. So who would benefit from working with the Circumvent?"
"Lasiya." The answer tumbled out of my mouth before he had even finished the sentence.
There was a small pause before he started. "Alyssa..."
"You know she's the only one with the best advantage. She'd worked with the Circumvent her entire life. What's to say she's not doing it right now?"
"She left that behind."
"Says who?" I argued.
"Says me. She found out what they really did and left."
"But she didn't even fact check it. Lasiya grew up around trained killers and professional liars. She knows exactly how manipulative people can be, how than can take advantage of you. Doesn't it strike you as odd that she just took your word for it? That she didn't even fact check?"
"Maybe she did fact check. We don't know."
"Exactly. We know nothing about her. She could just as easily be feeding information to the Circumvent on the side."
"She is a double agent. Feeding the information we need her to is her job."
"How do you know she's not double crossing us and only pretending to be a double agent?"
"Because she-"
"Jason," I cut him off. "Answer me honestly. Do even you trust her?"
Jason paused and I counted ten seconds of silence before he answered. "No, I don't. Not completely, anyway. But I also don't think untrustworthy."
"That makes absolutely no sense."
"It-" he started, but he was cut off by another girl's voice in the background. Maybe it was Lasiya. I could care less if she overheard the conversation, and I doubted she did either. After all, the people she was used to being around probably did worse behind her back.
"Look," Jason's voice crackled on the phone again. "I gotta go, but I will keep what you said in mind, even if I don't agree with it. Continue with the plan as normal for now. We will figure this out."
"I know," I replied. And after a short bye, the line went dead.
Pushing away the memory of the little red card and the phone call, I stepped out of the car and walked into the hotel, climbing up the stairs to conference room on the second floor. Numerous girls in makeup and dresses lounged in the couches and sofas. I looked around, impressed at how well they'd prepared themselves, although I didn't dare show it.
I walked forward, the off-shoulder dark purple cocktail dress swirling around my thighs and knees. Most of the girls turned their attention, their conversations ceasing. I made my way to the edge of the room, near the window, until I faltered mid-step and cursed myself at my sudden thoughts before continuing as if nothing had happened. I just realized I had forgotten the wine in my car.
What the hell was wrong with me? Alyssa Adler does not forget simple things. The Secret Keeper note was already getting through my head, no matter how much I denied it. I shook my head lightly.
Pull yourself together.
Still, someone had to go get it and all of the people in this room would know something's wrong if I just turned around and got it myself. I couldn't show that much weakness and tip off Avery's killer and Secret Keeper who could easily be in this room. I skimmed the faces around me, knowing Maya and Sophie were the only ones I could trust to send to my car. I couldn't risk anyone else finding something related to my work with Jason. However, I would never send someone like Maya, and she would immediately refuse if I tried. The only option left was Sophie.
I internally cursed myself for putting myself in a position where I would have to order Sophie around while she was in such a weak state.
"You," I pointed at her nonchalantly and tossed her the car keys. "There's a bottle of wine in the back of my car. Go get it."
I softened my eyes, trying to relay the emotion and regret my words could not. She nodded, her expression telling me she had understood my true feelings as she left the room. The fact that she was much more calm and put together now gave me some comfort as I turned and faced the rest of the girls. Maya, who was wearing a stunning scarlet red dress, joined me at my side.
"So, ladies, welcome. I see many of you have dressed properly so none will be kicked out. Yet."
I let the words hang in the air before continuing, "For the first hour, you may enjoy yourselves and enhance your makeup in this room before we leave to a nightclub in the city."
"When will we be back to sleep?" the girl from earlier asked. She was now wearing a black dress and dark makeup which enhanced her green eyes, her best trait, rather than blended with it.
So she's learned. Good girl.
Deciding that her upgraded fashion sense deserved at least some respect, I pushed down a glare and let my lips twist into a wicked smile, "Who said anything about sleeping?"
I looked back around the room and continued, "So, if you want to ha-"
A loud bang cut off my words.
I turned around and looked out the windows. Orange flames licked up at the sky from the parking lot below. Cars were being burned straight through, and although I couldn't see the individual cars, I knew mine was in the middle of the fire.
Numerous others pressed their noses against the glass as I turned and looked at Maya, both thinking the same thing.
Sophie.
Without another word, we turned and pushed past the other girls, quickly walking out of the room. As soon as we were out of sight of the girls, we shoved off our heels and broke out into a sprint, running down the stairs, ignoring curious looks and the general chaos.
We headed towards the back doors, turning around a corner right when Sophie crashed into us at high speeds. Maya and I managed to catch her from falling to the floor and taking us with her. She took a deep breath, standing up straight and I noticed how her blonde hair was all over the place, a heel missing, light blue dress a swirling mess. It vaguely reminded me of Cinderella at midnight, except instead of running away from Prince Charming, she was running from a fiery explosion.
Maya looked Sophie over, holding out an arm to steady her. "Are you okay?"
Sophie nodded, swallowing.
"What happened?" I asked.
Sophie took a few deep breaths, steadying herself, before saying, "I went outside to get the wine from your car. I wasn't too close, but still close enough, about twenty feet away, when the entire car exploded. The cars next to it caught on fire too and the fire started spreading through the entire parking lot. I got out of there as fast as I could."
My mind whirled. "It started at my car?"
Sophie nodded and said the words I had already guessed.
"Someone lit your car on fire. They were trying to kill you."