Chapter 20
Nicky stood up from the bar and went to the back of the mansion, thinking about the mission, thinking about her role in it all. She saw Jill standing there, staring blankly at Annika Fleming, who was walking away.
It didn’t look good.
Nicky nodded in Jill’s direction, guiding her with her eyes. There was a hallway in the south corner of the ballroom that led to the restrooms. Having given Jill a cue to join her there, Nicky stepped into the hall, but instead of turning towards the restrooms on the right, she turned left, then left again, finding herself in a short corridor just outside the kitchen. It was the one spot in the ballroom that was suitable for Nicky and Jill to get together and talk shop. Not only was it removed from sight of the party, but it was also a rare blind spot for the many security cameras in Renata’s mansion.
Jill showed up a few seconds later.
“How’s it going out there?” Nicky asked.
“Terrible. Annika is angry at me and has absolutely no interest in your after-party. She’s scared to death of betraying Kim and wants me to stay away from her.”
“It’s Shannon, isn’t it?” said Nicky. “Annika’s afraid she’s going to end up dead.”
“Seems that way,” said Jill. “What’s weird is that she’s got this other side of her that’s totally rebellious. The secret boyfriend in Brazil, the forbidden Chinese movie…”
“The secret boyfriend is the reason she’s scared,” said Nicky. “There’s a reason she’s hiding him. There’s more to Annika and this Hong guy than we know, and whatever it is, she’s scared that Kim will find out.”
“So scared that she wants to be as far away from us as possible,” said Jill. “It sucks. I felt like I was getting so close to figuring her out.”
“Don’t get discouraged now. This angry rejection she gave you is the final piece of the puzzle and now we know what we have to do.”
“Is that so? Then maybe you should enlighten me what it is we have to do now, because I have absolutely no idea. I’ve just spent the last three months chasing Annika Fleming only to have her flip out on me.”
“Jill, you’ve spent the last three months getting to know Annika Fleming on an intimate level. You have the intel you need to make this happen. Annika is staying with Kim because of a secret she doesn’t want revealed. But we already know that secret. We hold all the cards.”
“All I know is that she’s got some secret boyfriend who shares her love for a weird foreign film.”
“That’s enough. Once Annika learns you know that much, she’ll be eager to do as you ask.”
“You’re suggesting I should blackmail her?”
The look on Jill’s face was baffling. It was as if Nicky had asked her to commit murder or something.
“Of course that’s what I’m suggesting,” said Nicky.
“But…that’s just what Kim would do.”
Nicky sighed. “I don’t know what you were expecting when you signed up for this, but this game we’re playing – it’s for keeps. The immortals eat people. At the end of this contest, if I don’t win, I’ll be put in a cage so the winner can eat me. Blackmailing your new friend might not be an appealing idea to you, but it’s our best option. Our only option, really. You have everything you need to march right up to Annika and demand that she comes to my after-party and that she brings everyone with her. It’s a strategy that works. Just ask Ryan Jenson.”
“What? Ask Ryan?”
“Yes, Jill, you’re not the only one who’s having a tough night. Ryan said he isn’t coming to my party either. Kim has something on him and he’s committed to her through the bitter end.”
“Holy shit,” Jill said. “I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t know. Nobody knew.”
“Now what?” said Jill.
“We’re going to regroup and get back out there,” said Nicky. “You’re going to keep working the crowd, and the minute you see Annika take a break from the dance floor you’re going to follow her and make her come to the party.”
“But without Ryan?” Jill began, “What good is Annika without Ryan? Without Ryan we don’t stand a chance.”
“Ryan’s not the only guy in this school who has money, and I’ve already worked out a backup plan. But I’ll need your help to pull it off.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to find Art Tremblay and talk me up while you dance with him. If we can’t have Ryan, Art is second best. He’s got plenty of money.”
“But just a few minutes ago Art Tremblay was trying to spill wine all over your dress!”
“Exactly,” said Nicky. “And he failed. Kim just took Art outside and whipped him like a dog. You should have seen the look on his face when he came crawling back to the ballroom. That guy is so beaten down I don’t think he could get much lower. A guy like that is vulnerable. He’ll be open to anyone who is willing to build him up again. And it’s going to start with you. By the time you turn him over to me, we’ll have him ready to listen.”
“Nicky, this is crazy. I have no idea what I’d even say to Art.”
Out in the ballroom, the musicians began tuning up, which was everyone’s cue that the dancing was about to start again.
Nicky put her arm around Jill and began leading her out of the hallway.
“You’re going to tell Art a story that makes him rethink the ramifications of what happened when he tried to push me into Rosalyn. The first words out of your mouth will be, ‘I saw what you did earlier.’”
“What he did?”
“That’s right, what he did. In your story, Art wasn’t a victim in the great wine spill fiasco. In your story, Art knew exactly what he was doing.”