Cold Fire [SAMPLE]

[34]

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

I don’t quite understand all of what happened next.

They talked, Patrick laughed, and then they talked some more. From my spot on the other side of the room, it all looked very casual, very un-dangerous. I stood there, hands by my side, feeling as if gravity had finally caught up and was pushing me down towards the Earth. There was no danger because Patrick has a mask, and he sure as hell knows how to use it.

“What just happened?” I ask Caden after my mother has waved Patrick goodbye and he’s walked out of the massive warehouse door.

“To be honest… I have no idea.”

“Maybe she didn’t bring it up,” Sarah says, but I can hear the doubt in her voice.

“No, she did,” Caden says, “I just think that Patrick had a very interesting way of replying.”

“He’s trying to trick her into thinking he’s innocent,” I say.  “He’s trying to trick us. I bet he knew we were watching.”

“It’s pretty smart if you think about,” Sarah says and I look at her. “He doesn’t want anyone to know that he’s a traitor and he knows that we don’t have any physical proof that he is. He’s not just gonna tell us the truth the second we ask. He may as well just hand himself over. No, he’s gonna pretend he doesn’t know what we’re talking about until it’s absolutely necessary to reveal himself – if it’s absolutely necessary.”

I nod, feeling oddly disappointed that the day I had pinned for action and excitement turned out to be one of the most boring days yet.

A silence settles upon us then as we each stare at nothing and everything, waiting for someone to speak, for something to happen, for a sign that will tell us where to go from here. But as far as I know, Sydney doesn’t have any signs that direct you towards a way to swap back, only ones that tell you to stop, to turn, to watch out for speed bumps. Like many things, they lead you through all the dangers but don’t tell you where you’re going. And right now, I’ve never been more uncertain of where I’m headed.

What will it be: an early death or life inside the body that’s always belonged to my friend?

It seems now that Patrick’s shown he’s unwilling to admit he’s a traitor, we have no direction. Patrick, our sole lead, is not budging. And he knows that every second he stalls is one second less of life for me and for Sarah. It’s his backup plan – if he can’t kill me, he’ll wait for me to die all by myself.  

Eventually, Caden must get sick of waiting for a sign, because he says, “So should we head home now? Since we aren’t getting anything out of Patrick, we should probably consider doing some more research. There’s still tons of books in Rand’s library that we haven’t looked in. You never know, we might find something.”

Sarah agrees and so do I. Maybe we could get lucky.

We turn around to walk off, but just then I remember my mother telling me to stay back after the council meeting and I stop.

“Actually guys,” I say, and they turn to look back at me. “I’m just gonna stay here for a bit. I want to talk to a few people still.” A lie, of course, but for some reason, I don’t want to tell Sarah that I’m spending time with her mother. I feel as though I’m taking too much from her – as if I’m stealing her parents.

“But we’ll be getting a lift back with Rand. There’ll be no one to drive you,” Sarah says.

“Don’t worry. I’ll probably just ask Ethel or someone for a lift. That or I’ll catch a bus.”