Chapter 8: The Chase

When I got close to the eastern edge of the tree garden, hugging by the northern wall, I crouched, seeing what I could see in the darkness.

Two forms, standing right where the path that cut across the quad intersected the path that made up the northern boundary of the quad. They looked to be facing each other, with occasional glances around.

The night was still silent, the smell of earth filling my senses.

I looked at the back end of Jones. The northwest corner of the building was about twenty-five feet away, but it was twenty-five feet of paved path, the mulch and gravel of the tree garden over.

Twenty-five feet of being right in the open where Nikki would see me.

I trusted that Liz would stay silent. But Nikki?

Sure, she’d so far been solid, had helped me, but I still didn’t trust her.

I needed to get behind Jones. Then I could run around the northeastern corner, get into the courtyard with the waterlily pond. I had picked out a hiding place near there, one that would hopefully keep me reasonably safe for a while yet.

If only I had been able to stay in the tree garden for longer.

I took a deep breath. Looked over at Nikki and Liz again. Hoped it was actually just them.

I ran, dashing across the path, trying my best to be silent—difficult, thanks to the concrete I had to run across.

My footsteps felt like they echoed across the entire world.

Both of the forms looked up at me.

And did nothing.

I kept running, around the corner, out of their sight, and continued, quickly turning the northeast corner—not bothering to hide in the small garden there—and heading south, towards the waterlily pond. My watch buzzed twice.

Liz: N saw you told W

Fuck.

Nikki: That was fucking ballsy, but neither Will nor Sylvia saw you, since she’s still posted by Smith and he just finished his rounds of the sunken garden

I was starting to wonder who was telling what to whom. Did Liz not know that Nikki was on my side, actually, and had Will convinced she was helping him?

At least, that was the conclusion I’d drawn from her behavior. He seemed to trust her as someone to seek me out, but so far she had seemed to fall on my side.

Either way, I would take it, but I also knew that I probably didn’t have much time.

I glanced at my watch again, barely comprehending the 12:38 on it.

Okay, too much time.

I slowed down as I reached the southern side of Jones, and peeked around the corner. Two forms still at the intersection: Liz and Nikki. I couldn’t see the far corner of the quad well enough to tell where Sylvia was, and by all accounts Will was on the west side.

This time, I got down low, moving to the grass, creeping up to the wall in the courtyard between the quad and the waterlily pond.

I’d thought about some other hiding places. Behind the columns in front of Science Hall—but that would be too difficult, and too obvious. In the pond itself—but I didn’t want to get wet, and the angle was such that it wouldn’t be too hard to see someone floating on the pond, even under the walkway. The hedges, but they didn’t hide that much.

Liz: Maybe N didn’t tell W??? N to trees

I was also confused, which meant that I needed to just hide and chill.

I peeked out from behind the wall, looking down the northern part of the path. No one. Where had Liz and Nikki gone?

As quietly as I could, I slid around the end of the wall, behind the bushes right there, and sidled down to where two bushes came together, and crouched.

From where I was, I could barely see through the branches of the two bushes, and could see the quad as well as I could in the dark. I had options to run forward through the branches if I needed to, or options to push along either side. Not ideal, but I hoped I could wait out the rest of the game there.

Even though there were still almost twenty minutes left.

I leaned back against the wall, and took a deep breath.

Another buzz, and I checked my watch.

Nikki: Will is pissed that you’re doing this well; he’s said that if he gets his hands on you at all tonight you’re totally going to be raped hard

I had been so caught up in my adrenaline that I’d almost forgotten what the end result of this was going to be. Right. Raped.

Even after all that, the thought of that aroused me again. I bit my lip, forcing myself to concentrate on something else. I didn’t need to suddenly lose my focus this late into the game.

Another minute or two later, another buzz.

Liz: Arguing in trees again but because you hid did N lie?

I took another deep breath. As long as they were dilly-dallying, I was safe.

It took longer than I expected, but the messages came at 12:45.

Liz: N to Jones S to Smith W to chapel

Nikki: Will’s pretty confused, and we’re going to do another sweep. I’m going to be by Jones to alert him if I see you. He and Sylvia will swing the other way around the library and check the fountain and the gardens, then around the chapel with Sylvia on one side and him on the other. She’ll check the bells, then they’ll descend on the waterlily pond assuming you’re there. If you’re able to slip through them, get to the sunken garden. I’ll stand outside and claim I saw you go back to the tree garden.

Nikki: We’re now in the endgame. Give me an exciting end to this!

I rolled my eyes at Nikki’s exhortation, then adjusted my position, waiting.

I felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest. I was so close. So very close!

Nikki was offering me shelter for the end of the game, which I initially doubted—but with how she seemed to be on my side so far, seemed reasonable. She had plenty of opportunity to alert Will to where I was, and hadn’t.

While I could probably pull back around Jones the way I had come, that seemed risky, especially as I’d have to get out of the bushes I was in. I still couldn’t see anyone from my vantage point. I weighed the options: going back, I probably could hide and kill time, and then once they swung to the northeast corner I could run, and there wouldn’t be enough time for Will to catch me. I might also be able to swing around and head back into the tree garden, but I didn’t trust Will not to come from that direction, himself, just in case I tried that—and if he didn’t trust Nikki anymore.