The Eye Of The Ankh #Wattys2016

Chapter Thirty-Nine

My phone buzzed. R u gonna go? Along with an attachment. A picture of a flyer for a meeting. My heart dropped. The flyer read: Are you interested in finding out about the killings? Meet in the gymnasium at 6:30 Monday night—and don't be late. Doors lock at exactly 6:31.

I texted back: where'd you get that?

They r everywhere at the school I picked 1 up 4 u. then a second later: where were u? I didnt see u

I called Hugo.

"Hello?"

"You're holding another meeting?"

"Oh."

"Yeah oh. You didn't think I'd find out? I can't believe you'd drag even more people into hell. Hugo, I can't believe you."

"Alice, it's my job. I have to."

"Hugo you don't have to do anything."

"Right, just like I don't have to explain myself to you."

The line went dead.

"You all are going?" I asked the group Monday. It was my first day back at school and Amanda didn't think I was ready. Fuck her. "Why?"

"We just want to know what's going on. Why don't you?" Halle asked.

"Just... promise me you guys won't go."

Halle looked at Marco and Jean. "Okay. We won't." She promised. "Now: you've got some explaining to do. You were gone for a whole week!"

Hugo sat down at the table. "She was sick."

I looked at Hugo. He was lying for me, like I couldn't handle the truth. I lived the truth. "I was mourning. Jude died. I found her dead."

Marco's kind, innocent face dropped into something more sorrowful. Jean looked down at his hands. Halle put a hand on my back, an awkward side-hug. "We're so sorry, Alice,"

I shrugged. "Death follows me. I'm okay."

The bell rang.

Hugo took my hand while the rest of the group dispersed. "I don't want to fight."

I shook my head. "No, Hugo, see that's the difference between you and Ethan: real couples fight. Couples that actually love each other. Ethan and I were all love with nothing to fight about. You and I are different. I'm glad we're fighting."

Hugo smiled. He hugged me.

I was the last person to show up. I kept my hood pulled over my head and made my way up to the top of the bleachers. I sat down, keeping to myself, keeping my eyes off of Hugo as he began the same process as before, picking off people one by one.

I was the only one left.

"Alice," he said, "come down here."

I stood up and walked down the bleachers, sitting down on the first step. Hugo sat down beside me, pulling the hood off of my head. "Why'd you come here?"

"You know why."

"You wanted to stop everyone from joining?"

I looked down. I was hoping he'd be wrong. "I can't say I had a positive experience with the group."

"Alice, what would make you feel better about it? Me quitting?"

"Would you really do that?"

Hugo shrugged. "I've already thought about it. I'm just not sure how to approach Boss."

I nodded. "That'd mean a lot to me, Hugo, really."

He nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Come on, I've got to lock up the school."

Outside the doors to the school, I asked Hugo a question that had been buzzing around my mind for a while. "Hugo, what happened to the knife? You know, the one I was going to..."

"Oh. That." Hugo took a breath. "Well, you see, we've got people everywhere. I'm only one of many recruiting officers for Eota. Well, every once in a while, someone will recruit someone very handy to have on the inside. You got lucky that we had a paramedic in the group. They saw that you had the knife and hid it. Destroyed the evidence."

I nodded. "I thought I dropped it."

Hugo shook his head. "Nope."

"Another question: did you kick everyone out tonight because of me?"

Hugo laughed. "No. None of them were right for the job. I could tell. Wasn't getting the right vibes. Not like with you and Quincy."

I nodded. I was at my car. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

Hugo kissed my lips. His were cold. "Yeah."