had surprised me was his assistant saying he would meet us at this bar at 8:00 p.m. I doubted he would be as receptive as Shane and Bruce had been. I could still remember those last few days of our school year. I remembered some of the things Franklin said. Some of the threats. Trying to cover up everything and make sure everyone was on the same page and trying his hardest to get his diploma and then get far away from all of us.
The phone in front of me lit up, and I thought
There she is
. I couldn’t help my smile as I reached for the phone and glanced down at it.
But the number was unlisted. Maybe it was Franklin after all, apologizing and saying he was on his way.
“Hello?”
A pause, then a deep voice on the other line spoke. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Excuse me?” I asked. “Who is this?”
The man didn’t sound anything like Franklin.
“I know who you are. Think this is some game?”
“Alec?” I asked, knowing it wasn’t him but not sure who it could be.
“Yeah, I know about him. And I know about you. And the little games you played in college. I know about everything.”
“Look, buddy—”
“No, you look. And pay attention. That knot on the back of your head is just a little sample of what’s to come.”
“Who is this?” I shouted, angry now.
“Someone who knows everything.”
“Is that a threat?”
The low voice cursed at me. “You bet it’s a threat. And you better go back home before things get out of hand.”
“Why don’t you tell me that to my face?”
“You don’t want me doing that, Jake Rivers. None of you do.”
The line went dead, and I shut off the phone, fury racing through my body. If the caller had wanted to scare me off, he had only managed to incense me. If this was the guy who banged me on the head, I wanted to see him face-to-face. I wanted him to try that stunt again.
What kind of mess am I stepping into?
I thought of the last thing he had said: None of you do.
Who was he referring to?
A sudden fear cut my anger in half. Alyssa. And I knew I desperately wanted to hear from her.
Did he see us meet at the coffee shop?
I didn’t know and didn’t care. I wasn’t sure if this had anything to do with Alec or Mr. Jelen or any of us.
But with the exhilaration and rush of strapping a bungee cord to my legs and jumping off a bridge, I knew I wanted to face this threat head-on. I was done running away from thethings that scared me the most. I had spent too many years picking out challenges and conquering them. And this would be another one.
I just hoped nobody got hurt in the process.
SEVENTEEN
March 1994
THREE STORIES TALL doesn’t seem that high until you’re standing on the roof ready to jump off.
Jake and Shane only had a few minutes, and they knew it. Shane had said he would go first, but he was rethinking it now. It was windy and cooler up there, and the sun was going down. But the crowd below was getting larger, and they needed either to do it now or call it a day.
“Come on, man,” Jake said. “If we don’t do this we’re going to be ridiculed for the rest of the year.”
“I know. But—this is insane.”
“It was your idea!” he shouted.
Shane just laughed and stood at the edge of the building. The crowd gathering below in a half oval all cheered him on. He looked at Jake.
“Man, I’m telling you—I’m freaking out.”
“It’s not that high,” Jake said.
“Yeah, but that’s all we got to land on.”
Jake studied the landing point and thought for a moment. Then he raised his arms and heard the crowd cheer.
“I’m doing it.”
“Jake!” Shane said as he watched Jake back up.
Jake looked at him and laughed. “If this doesn’t work I’mblaming you.” Then he took off and hurled himself over the edge of the building.
It was the most exciting sensation he’d ever felt. Until he landed.
Shane had come up with the idea during a studying bout in the library. He posed the
The phone in front of me lit up, and I thought
There she is
. I couldn’t help my smile as I reached for the phone and glanced down at it.
But the number was unlisted. Maybe it was Franklin after all, apologizing and saying he was on his way.
“Hello?”
A pause, then a deep voice on the other line spoke. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Excuse me?” I asked. “Who is this?”
The man didn’t sound anything like Franklin.
“I know who you are. Think this is some game?”
“Alec?” I asked, knowing it wasn’t him but not sure who it could be.
“Yeah, I know about him. And I know about you. And the little games you played in college. I know about everything.”
“Look, buddy—”
“No, you look. And pay attention. That knot on the back of your head is just a little sample of what’s to come.”
“Who is this?” I shouted, angry now.
“Someone who knows everything.”
“Is that a threat?”
The low voice cursed at me. “You bet it’s a threat. And you better go back home before things get out of hand.”
“Why don’t you tell me that to my face?”
“You don’t want me doing that, Jake Rivers. None of you do.”
The line went dead, and I shut off the phone, fury racing through my body. If the caller had wanted to scare me off, he had only managed to incense me. If this was the guy who banged me on the head, I wanted to see him face-to-face. I wanted him to try that stunt again.
What kind of mess am I stepping into?
I thought of the last thing he had said: None of you do.
Who was he referring to?
A sudden fear cut my anger in half. Alyssa. And I knew I desperately wanted to hear from her.
Did he see us meet at the coffee shop?
I didn’t know and didn’t care. I wasn’t sure if this had anything to do with Alec or Mr. Jelen or any of us.
But with the exhilaration and rush of strapping a bungee cord to my legs and jumping off a bridge, I knew I wanted to face this threat head-on. I was done running away from thethings that scared me the most. I had spent too many years picking out challenges and conquering them. And this would be another one.
I just hoped nobody got hurt in the process.
SEVENTEEN
March 1994
THREE STORIES TALL doesn’t seem that high until you’re standing on the roof ready to jump off.
Jake and Shane only had a few minutes, and they knew it. Shane had said he would go first, but he was rethinking it now. It was windy and cooler up there, and the sun was going down. But the crowd below was getting larger, and they needed either to do it now or call it a day.
“Come on, man,” Jake said. “If we don’t do this we’re going to be ridiculed for the rest of the year.”
“I know. But—this is insane.”
“It was your idea!” he shouted.
Shane just laughed and stood at the edge of the building. The crowd gathering below in a half oval all cheered him on. He looked at Jake.
“Man, I’m telling you—I’m freaking out.”
“It’s not that high,” Jake said.
“Yeah, but that’s all we got to land on.”
Jake studied the landing point and thought for a moment. Then he raised his arms and heard the crowd cheer.
“I’m doing it.”
“Jake!” Shane said as he watched Jake back up.
Jake looked at him and laughed. “If this doesn’t work I’mblaming you.” Then he took off and hurled himself over the edge of the building.
It was the most exciting sensation he’d ever felt. Until he landed.
Shane had come up with the idea during a studying bout in the library. He posed the
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