Devious Origins

CHAPTER 35

I rocketed from the alley like a guided missile, my eyes darting between the phone and the road as I tried to aim the scooter toward Dee. I wove through traffic with uncharacteristic recklessness, zipping between cars and running yellow lights, taking every opportunity to reduce the gap between me and the SUV. Slowly, the distance displayed on the geo-app shrunk. A cargo van directly in front of me turned right, and suddenly I could see the SUV only three cars ahead of me. I hoped that nobody in that vehicle was looking back, or if they were that they would not recognize the Vespa. To be cautious, I slowed down and kept most of a city block between me and my quarry.

The chase carried us toward the college campus, and as we drew near, I began to suspect where they were leading me. My suspicions were confirmed when they pulled into the alley running behind 'fraternity row', the area where most of the fraternity and some of the sorority houses are located. I hesitated at the end of the alley only long enough to verify they were stopping at the Omicron Upsilon Iota house. As they pulled into a garage facing the alley, I parked Martin around the corner and a few houses down from the frat house.

I jumped off of Martin and began to run toward the fraternity house, realized I'd forgotten my phone, and ran back. Grabbing the phone, I then also thought to look in the scooter's storage compartment. Under the crash helmet I had neglected wear was Dee's backpack. I grabbed that and headed back toward the frat house, dialing Liz as I ran.

"They're at the Omicron house," I shouted into the phone.

"I see that," she replied, "Brian is still a few minutes out. Sebastian and Kate will be even longer."

I stopped in front of the fraternity house. "We should close the trap."

"Not quite yet. They only just got there."

"This is killing me, Liz." I stared up at the impressive colonial revival mansion, feeling helpless.

"I understand," Liz replied, "but, hang tight. It's all... oh... oh crap."

"What? Liz, what's happening?" I was nearly shouting now.

"The GPS track just went dead. It... it could be nothing. The signal might be blocked by the building."

"Why am I not comforted by that? What aren't you saying?"

"We used really good hardware. A wood and plaster building shouldn't block something on the SMS band."

"I'm going in." I started up the steps toward the front door.

"Barry, NO," Liz shouted into the phone, "Wait for the rest of the team."

"They found the GPS. It's the only explanation. She's in real danger now." I reach the front door. "Hell, she was always in danger. This was an insane idea from the outset." I muted the phone and flung the door open.

I was inside. There appeared to be another party going on, though more subdued than the massive bash that Tilly and I had attended. Several people looked my direction.

"Don't mind me," I said, "I'm just here to see John." I didn't actually know the names of any of the fraternity members, but the odds were in my favor that at least one of them was named John. I headed toward the back of the house before anyone could object to my presence.

I pulled out my phone and switched the geo-app back to map mode, then turned on the historical position trace. Dee's path came in from the back of the house and headed toward the southeast corner. I cut through the Hallowed Hall of Alumni, into a hallway on the other side, a part of the house I had never been in before. My position now converged with her path. I followed the trace to a closed door. This had to be the southeast corner of the building. I hesitated only a moment, then threw the door open.