Jenna hears the distinct hydraulic whoosh and crack of the steel bolt striking home. The arms holding her fall away and Casey drops to the ground; a large red dot marks her forehead, blood trickling out.
She turns back to Haley, who’s in shock at killing her own sister. Jenna aims a kick at her kneecap, hears the telltale crunch of bone, and watches as the woman folds, hitting the dirt hard.
Lying supine, the twin whimpers, the red on her shirt turning dark scarlet. Jenna hears Haley gasping to say something, but she never gets the full word out.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR
Jenna darts through the trees, back to the knoll. She’s taken care of the twins, so that leaves Artemis.
She doesn’t have time to put all the pieces together as she hurries back, but she knows this much: Nico anonymously blackmailed Artemis and the billionaire decided that the easiest way to figure out who was behind it was to kill everyone associated with that night. But he didn’t count on Ben also being blackmailed and learning the truth: that Artemis had tricked them all into killing Mr. Brood.
That he manipulated them to believe it was Brood abusing the girls, then selling them off to the likes of Sabine or other boogeymen. And even tonight he manipulated them: making them think that Mr.
Brood’s son was responsible for the failed efforts to take them out one by one.
Jenna reaches the knoll and she sees no one. But there’s a sound … groaning, it seems. Where’s it coming from? She listens carefully. It’s definitely a groan. Then she realizes it’s coming from one of the holes.
She runs to the edge of the fresh grave and finds the tangled bodies of Nico and Artemis. Both appear to be bleeding. Jenna’s heart jumps when an arm—Nico’s—juts up and out. She’s startled again when a figure appears next to her, extends an arm, and tugs Nico out.
Donnie.
A moment later, all three kneel at the edge of the grave, pushing the dirt back in with their bare hands.
Jenna can’t help but think of that night twenty-five years ago, the rain coming down. Donnie speaking for them all:
What have we done?
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE
ARTEMIS
In the last moments of his life, Artemis has no regrets. His work will live on forever. Did he make mistakes? Every great inventor does. Did he betray friends? Again, show him an innovator who doesn’t do whatever it takes to change the world. He stares up at the sky from the bottom of the hole.
He’s losing blood, losing consciousness. There’s nothing that will save him. As he takes his last breath, dirt raining down on him, his mind retreats to the house where it all started:
“I think you are making a mistake,” Artemis says to Mr. Jones.
They’re in Park Jones’s dining room, which is jammed with computer monitors and equipment.
“Let me worry about that,” he says, tapping on the keyboard. He’s wearing a cardigan and plucking at his mustache. The other kids are right: With his sweater, glasses, and mustache, he looks like Ned Flanders.
“They want you to call Social Services about Marta to report her missing. It’s only a matter of time before they get someone to pay attention. If another one goes missing, someone’s going to realize they’re not all runaways.”
“You’re a smart kid, Artemis, but just do what you’re told. Tell her to come over tonight.”
“What am I supposed to say?”
“I don’t know—tell her what you told the others.”
“Annie’s sharp, she’s not going to—”
“Get it done. Tonight.” Park stares at him over his glasses.
“I think you are miscalculating.”
“No, I think you’re miscalculating. I pick up that phone over there and make one call and the deal will be cratered. I’ll tell my contacts your code is crap.”
“But that would be a lie. The code will change everything. How people communicate.”
Park Jones chuckles, shakes his head. “Created by someone who’s hardly a poster boy for communicating.”
“At least I don’t hurt girls. You and Mr. Brood.”
“Watch yourself.”
“No, I think you’d better watch your self. I know where the bodies are buried, quite literally.”
“You should choose your next words carefully, Artemis Templeton. I’ve spent a lot of time,
money, and contacts helping you, but that can change.”
“It better not. I’m the one who stopped the other kids from asking too many questions, the one who scared them into thinking Mr. Brood is to blame. But if you keep doing this, the truth’s going to come out.”
“You’d better hope not. If it does, you’re going down with me, kid.”
An hour later, there’s a knock on the door. Artemis answers it.
Annie’s there, wearing the cheap necklace Nico bought her. She looks distraught.
“Is Nico okay? Where is he?”
“I think he’ll be okay. Derek beat him up pretty good.”
“Oh my goodness, where is he? Did you call anyone else?”
“I think he’ll be fine. He’s in the room in the back.…”
EPILOGUE
NICO
“Hi, Nico,” the small crowd perched on metal folding chairs says in unison.
He stands at the podium, offers a fleeting smile, and says, “It’s been eight months since I last gambled.”
The room fills with light clapping as he looks at the circle of faces. It’s mostly men, but there are a few women attending the GA meeting. Some of the attendees are in business suits, others in work uniforms, others in shorts and flip-flops. Every color of skin is represented. The draw of the game—
the thrill that your next hand will be the big one—doesn’t care about race, religion, or socioeconomic status. This Los Angeles crowd doesn’t look so different from those who come to GA meetings in West Virginia.
Nico’s in LA to talk to the network about his future. He’s guessing it isn’t so bright. Three years ago, he flew over for the same meeting and they met at Nobu amid celebrities and a thousand-dollar tab for run-of-the-mill sushi. This time, the network set a late afternoon meeting at its offices in Century City, which isn’t a great sign. Oh well.
Nico looks out at the other gamblers taking it a day at a time. He keeps his talk short. He usually tries to be upbeat. Everyone at these meetings has tales of hitting bottom. Few involve the depths of a coal mine, but many are even more bizarre, sadder. Nico can’t tell them the whole story, of course.
That will forever be buried on that knoll in Chestertown, Pennsylvania.
After the GA meeting, he’ll head over to the Hollywood Roosevelt, which is hosting a fan conference for a few of the network’s reality shows. Comic-Con it isn’t—he’ll likely sign posters and participate on a panel about the show—but it’ll make the network happy. Then comes the dreaded meeting with the suits. The Miners is still doing well in the ratings, though the aftershow tanked when the audience revolted against Davis. He wonders if that douche will be in the meeting today.
Whatever.
By two o’clock, he’s wrapping up at the fan event at the Roosevelt. The organizers have shuttled him down to the poolside bar to take photos. The DJ has the music on too loud and Nico can’t wait to get out of there.