Epic Escape (6 page)

The guy shrugged and pulled her closer. Megan turned her head slightly and tried to draw in a breath of air that didn’t include his cologne or his hair product. At the turn, he spun her. She locked her arms so when he reeled her in, he couldn’t pull her quite as close, and leaned back as far as his arms allowed.

Chase frowned over at them and maneuvered his partner nearby, witnesses to her struggle.

Megan said, “It’s Teresa’s birthday and she’s just standing there. We should go over.” Her grabby dance partner ignored her words and tugged her to him. Megan resisted as best she could without making a scene.

Chase nodded. He ended his dance with wet bodice girl and held out a palm to the birthday girl.

Her smile brought a new confidence to Teresa’s face and changed her whole appearance; it even made the crown work. Megan would have thought that was impossible, but it did. The woman with the wet bodice flounced away, no doubt wishing she had a crown.

Megan’s dance partner lowered his lips to her ear. “Want to go outside? With me? In the dark?” His voice lowered on the last question.

“No.”

“I’m a great kisser.”

“N
o,” Megan said again. He dropped his head onto her bare shoulder. She felt the grease of his hair product on her skin, and tried not to shudder.

Chase spun Teresa in a circle. A few men moved closer to the dance floor, their eyes on the birthday girl. Once Chase had danced with her, Teresa suddenly became interesting to the other male hunters. Several circled, but only one moved in, he tapped Chase on the shoulder.

Yay Teresa.

A tug at the back of her gown drew her attention to her dance partner. He’d threaded his fingers into the ribbons at the closure. “How does this unhook?”

“Leave it.”

He lifted her cap sleeve, leaned in, and blew on her skin.

She cringed and turned her head, staring at Veronica with wide
help me
eyes.

Veronica didn’t notice. Her gaze was on Riley, and she was gesturing from him to the piano. Riley crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to touch the keyboard. Megan wanted to smack him from here, and didn’t know how Veronica resisted.

“Megan,” Chase said.

Chase. It was time to make her move.
Say yes when Chase asks you to dance.
Say yes.
Or ask him to dance.
Megan straightened and pulled back as far as her partner’s arms would allow. She took a deep breath. “Would--”

Chase jerked a thumb toward Riley and Veronica. “We need to get going.” The heat of the expression in Chase’s teal eyes made her partner release her.

“Oh, uh, okay.”

“Why haven’t we hung out before?” Chase asked as they walked toward the piano.

Megan shook her head in response, having no clue how to answer that without sounding like an over-eager, fan girl.

Riley and Veronica remained locked in a battle of wills. Veronica tapped her foot at him. He drummed his fingers against his arm.

Veronica turned her frown on Megan. “Why didn’t you push that creeper off you?”

Megan shrugged, and felt her face heat. “I don’t know. I just, I guess I didn’t want to make a fuss.”

Veronica rolled her eyes at her wussy answer, but didn’t call her on it.

Behind her, the violinist’s bow hit the wall curtain, revealing a door.

Megan’s mood jumped and she pointed.

The piano bench scraped against the floor as Riley stood, his gaze on the door revealed by the curtain.

Somehow, they knew the exit was meant for them.

Strains of the violin followed as they pushed through the doorway.

T
hey stood center stage at the bottom of an arena. Chattering voices came at them from a distance, from the hundreds of onlookers staring down at them. Cigar smoke and fancy perfume competed for top spots as arena air-freshener.

A black-suited man wearing a microphone headset moved into view. His eyes held a greedy glint when he scanned the diamond-encrusted crowd.

Megan wished her jacket was even larger, more concealing. She secured the buttons over her camisole and smoothed the hem.

“This isn’t a movie,” Veronica said, “Is it?” Her voice dwindled.

“I saw a poster for
Pawns
. That movie about rich people forcing kids to compete with each other.” Chase held up a ticket. A red smear of punch had liquefied the words. Only the
P
showed.

Veronica gasped, indignant. “You let that ‘ho spill punch on it? Our ticket? We need those.”

Yeah.

The ticket crumpled in his hand. “It’s only the stupid title ticket. I can tell you what movie we’re in without it.”

Murmurs from the crowd grew louder. Riley stiffened and Chase shifted focus to the crowd.

Veronica tried to get his attention. “It’s not the title ticket.” She held up their two remaining tickets. One read,
Pawns,
the other read,
Choose left
.

“Whatever. How do we get out?” Chase’s eyes took on a competitive gleam. “Maybe you have to win.”

Riley’s stance widened and his fists clenched. “I’m no one’s pawn.”

The host, behind a microphone stand, said, “Let’s welcome today’s four contestants. First up is Veronica.” The audience clapped.

Chase gave Veronica a nod. “We play.”

Veronica didn’t move and Chase shoved her forward.

A bimbo with bleached hair, wearing a short sequined dress and a faux tan led Veronica toward a podium. They followed her. The stand had a large red button on the side and a microphone balanced on top.

Chase waved, and the audience roared approval.

The host shuffled a few cards. “Buzz in when you’re ready.” Veronica quickly placed her hand so her palm hovered over the buzzer. Chase saw this and threw his out, too. Megan clenched the sides of the wooden top in her sweaty palms, hoping no one could see her nervousness.

The host said, “The question for today is--”

Buzz.
Chase’s must’ve accidently hit his buzzer.

“We have a quick start out of the gate,” the host said, “Your answer?”

Chase’s mouth twisted. “Carnivore?”

The host used a singsong voice. “That’s incorrect.” He pointed to a red circle in the middle of the floor and the bimbo escorted Chase there, walking way too close to him.

The audience chanted, “Circle of Shame, Circle of Shame!”

Chase threw his fists in the air and bounced on his toes as if he had won something. The audience cheered.

The host held up his hands for silence. “On July 20, 1969, what was the first word spoken from the moon?”

Veronica buzzed in. Megan slapped her button next. Riley didn’t participate. “Time,” the host said, “Riley, as you made no attempt to guess, you may join Chase in the red circle.”

Riley walked, and the audience chanted, “Circle of Shame, Circle of Shame!” Riley took a step outside the circle, his eyes fierce like he wanted to take on the whole crowd.

Chase grabbed his arm. “Wait, I think we have to play this out.”

Riley shrugged off his hold but remained inside the circle.

“Your answers, please.”

Veronica and Megan leaned into the microphone and said, “Houston.”

“Houston’s correct,” the host said, “Veronica, as you rang in first, you win the first round.” The audience clapped. “Megan, join the others to compete in round two. Where we’ll determine who faces off with Veronica in today’s final challenge.

“Circle of Shame, Circle of Shame!” The audience’s chant accompanied Megan’s steps, weighing them down.

Veronica had an easier path. The bimbo led her to a throne-like chair that oversaw the circle while the audience said, “All hail our princess.” Veronica grinned and sank into the red velvet, shifting a satin pillow against her back.

“What time is it?” the host asked gleefully.

“Time to escape the Circle of Shame! Escape, escape!” The excited voices of the audience escalated with each word.

The host eyed them with a malicious gleam in his dark eyes. “How
will
you escape?
Walk the plank
or
Mystery dinner
?”

The bimbo held up a gold-dome covered plate. She waved the dish in front of them.

From inside came a clicking and the soft clatter that can only come from something possessing an exoskeleton.

M
egan, Chase, and Riley responded simultaneously, “Walk the plank.”

After a quick change, Megan re-entered the arena wearing a bikini covered by a t-shirt. Rubbing her arms, to ease the chill, she watched the bimbos roll a large see-through vat, shaped like an old-fashioned Jell-O mold, to the center of the arena floor.

An enormous mass of green gelatin threatened to spill from the top. The green goo wriggled, lapping at three narrow wooden planks, which crossed the top of the vat. Each plank started and ended at a platform. Megan had never seen so much gelatin in one place. She’d never seen so much of
any
dessert in one place.

Chase and Riley joined her, clad in swimsuits and t-shirts. Chase waved at the audience and they cheered. The bimbo motioned them toward the vat. When they reached the top, Chase and Riley pulled off their t-shirts.

Nice.
Megan tugged the hem of her t-shirt lower. She was leaving hers on. She snuck a glance at Chase, and drew in a breath of lime-scented air. His abdomen was bruised and had a red slash. “What happened?” She gently touched his skin. “You’re hurt.”

“You finally talk to me, and it’s in front of a live audience?”

Megan lightly brushed her fingers over the discolored skin. “What happened?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. Car wreck this morning.”

Riley, previously indifferent, now locked in on the conversation. “
Not
the Maserati?
Your parents must be pissed.” Riley raised his eyebrows and stared at Megan’s fingers against Chase’s abdomen. “Getting a good feel?”

Megan dropped her hand quickly and felt her face flush. She didn’t dare look toward the crowd. They didn’t need more of a sideshow.

Riley took his place on the end of one of the platforms, crossed his arms over his chest, and glared directly at the audience.

Chase moved to the center plank and Megan took the other side. Chase did a few deep knee bends, grabbed his foot, and stretched his hamstring. Lastly, he pulled each of his arms toward his chest, loosening up.

Riley stared at Chase as if he was a moron. Megan stared at him for a different reason.

The host said, “It’s simple. The first contestant across wins the round, and joins Veronica.”

Veronica waved from the throne.

“All hail our princess.”

Riley frowned. “That’s not going to get old.” He held on to the bar, stretched out his leg and poked his foot at the gelatin. His toe whipped easily into the transparent green mass.

“Oh, dear God, it’s not solid.” Megan didn’t know why she thought the stuff would be like a rubber landing pillow. Instead the vat was a suffocation pit: a lime green, airless pit.

“At the sound of the buzzer, prove you belong on the throne.”

Veronica waved.

“All hail our princess!”

Riley winced.

Buzz.

Immediately, Chase started across his wooden plank.

Megan tested the board with her foot, slowly adding more weight. The board held.
Okay. Go
.

She kept a slow and steady pace with Chase ahead of her and Riley not too far behind her, but Riley struggled with each step.

Chase had no balance problems, and he had speed. He got a quarter of the way, and lifted his arms to wave at the audience.

His next step missed.

C
hase threw his arms up and caught the plank, suspended half in and half out of the mold.

“Gelatin, gelatin,” the audience chanted.

Megan looked over at the audience and her stomach sank. “They’re rooting for the Jell-O.” She passed Chase, shaking her head.

Riley wobbled forward. “I am, too.”

Chase kicked his leg up and used his foot as leverage to pull himself toward his plank. During the struggle, the tenacious gelatin pulled his swim trunks precariously low. He tugged them to a modest level and waved from his position flat on the board. The audience cheered and Chase bounced up to continue forward.