A Girl in the Shadows

Chapter Thirty-One

I gripped the terrified Molly and turned her around.

"We'll find some kind of covering for you and get you out of here, okay? We're going to get on the bus now," I said, using a low, calm voice.

"But...but...what about my stuff?" she asked.

"Your...stuff?"

"My phone? My laptop? My clothes. I need my stuff!"

"Oh, don't worry," Kai said, stepping in. "You won't need any of that where we're going."

"What?" Molly said.

"You're also connected to a crime. Your phone and laptop can be used to track you," I said. "But I'm sure we can get you new ones once we get down there...lot linked to your old information."

"No!" Molly said. "I have all this really sentimental stuff I'm not letting go of. Not yet."

"Do you think we can sneak back to her room?" Kai asked.

"Too risky. We have to leave now," I said.

"Says the one whose done it before," Ace said, looking out over the rest of campus. "It's dead out there."

"Yes, I remember!" Kai said, jumping and clapping her hands. "Our very first Three Amigos mission!"

"Then we'll go," I said, looking towards Tristan. "Hey, come here!" He looked up but didn't answer. "Tristan, it's alright. Come talk with your sister." He walked over, hugging himself. I placed my hand on his forearm. "I'd recommend therapy, but you can't tell anyone what happened here. You'll endanger your twin sister's life, understand?"

I had a view of Ace over Tristan's shoulder. He turned his head at the word I said purposely. Kai nudged him a few times with her elbow. He turned away and started licking what was left of the blood on his knife.

"Can you give us a minute?" Tristan asked.

"Of course," I said, handing Molly over.

I cleaned what blood I could off Life Ender and stuffed it in my backpack with Dolly's blanket. Molly and Tristan were in each other's arms, the both of them in tears. My eyes went to the windows in the front entry doors. There was a perfect view of the road that led to downtown. No sirens. No police. Now was the perfect time. I looked back at Molly in her brother's arms, then at my backpack. The least I could do was give the girl a little bit of sentiment.

On the other side of the room, Ace and Kai were next to each other, almost touching, but not quite. I went over to them. Kai wrapped her arms around me, and there was no point in resisting.

"We're almost there," she said.

I turned to Ace. "Can you get Tristan to his room to gather his belongings, then get him out of here as well?"

"I'll see what I can do," he said.

"I'll take that as a yes," I said.

He took his phone out of his coat pocket, clicked it on, then off, and put it away. "I've got four hours until my flight leaves."

"Flight?" Kai said, crossing her arms. "They gave you plane tickets back? How did you get them to do that?"

"Because one, I'm the shit," he said, holding up one of his talons, "and two, as one of the only drivers, they told me I have to be there to pick you losers up."