Rachel kicked herself for letting her guard down. Everything had been going so well. Alongside Zack, she had infiltrated the Alpha House. They had found and retrieved the Magnometer. They had nearly completed their mission.

The only person who stood in their way was Scott.

Rachel should have scanned the darkness for signs of a mind. Maybe she could have picked up on his thoughts before he found Rachel and Zack.

Maybe.

The truth was, Rachel had been far too distracted for that. Having Zack so close brought back a stirring deep within her belly she could hardly ignore. She only barely lucked out, happening on two frat bros so deep in their hard liquor she could pick the location of the passage behind the closet without much effort.

Having Zack here reminded her of old times. In spite of everything he’d done over the past week, he showed signs of old self, kindness masked with swagger. She wanted to reach out to him on the fire escape, but too much had happened and too much was riding on this. Maybe after this all was over they could find some patch of normalcy.

Maybe.

Scott approached them, wielding his electric light like a sword. Rachel didn’t need to be a psychic to pick up the anger and suspicion dripping from Scott’s mind.

“What. Are. You. Doing,” Scott said, repeating every word.

“We came here for this,” Zack said, holding up the Magnometer. “It’s what caused the quakes. Kaine’s been using it this whole time.”

Scott chuckled. Rachel could sense bitterness wash over him.

“Kaine said you might try something like this,” Scott said. “I told him you wouldn’t stoop so low.”

Zack continued to reach for him. “Buddy…”

Scott jerked back. “Don’t ‘buddy’ me. We’re not friends. Friends don’t abandon each other for two years without a word.”

Rachel felt Zack recoil, as if Scott’s words were a dagger plunged into his stomach.

Scott’s eyes widened. “And friends definitely don’t plant evidence.”

Rachel moved forward. “Scott . . . that’s not what’s happening here. You need to hear him out.”

Rachel felt Scott’s eyes fall upon her. Regret. Sorrow. Bitterness. They all swirled within Scott’s mind. Rachel knew how Scott felt about her. She’d always known.

But Scott never acted on those emotions.

Zack was the one who asked her out. Zack was the one who studied with her all night. Zack was the one who stayed with her all night when her parents split.

Rachel had thought she had lost that Zack a long time ago. Now . . . now she wasn’t so sure.

Scott just shook his head and let out a mirthless laugh. “So he dragged you down into this mess with him. Figures. Zack has that effect on people.”

“Scott,” Rachel said. “That’s not fair.”

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His eyes flashed at her in response.

“Fair?” he said. “I bust my ass here, twenty four seven. All while you land TA jobs and cushy scholarships. And you have the gall to lecture me about fair.”

“Scott, you’re never here,” Rachel stepped towards him. “We’re friends. We could have helped you. Friends are here for one another.”

Scott shook his head, pointing at Zack. “And when was he here for any of us in the last two years?”

Rachel shifted uncomfortably. She felt Zack’s eyes fall upon her, trying to get a read on her, searching for her next move. Rachel’s eyes never left Scott.

“It’s complicated,” Rachel admitted.

“Everyone’s favorite phase,” Scott said. “When they can’t take responsibility.”

Zack pushed forward. “We’re not planting this. We’re taking it. After we turn this in, this will be over….things can go back to how they used to be.”

Rachel could feel Scott searching Zack’s face. She knew there was some part of him that wanted to believe him. Scott wanted this to be real. Just like her, some part of Scott wanted to see the old Zack.

But that part of Scott quickly retreated.

“Then tell me this. How did Kaine get this so-called earthquake device?” Scott said. “Did he steal it?”

Zack looked away.

Scott made another chuckle, hollow and humorless.

“I see it now,” he said, looking from Rachel to Zack. “You two are made for another. You’re not complicated. You’re compromised.”

“Scott…” Zack stated, but Scott gave a dismissive wave of his hand.

“I’m going to tell Kaine about your plot. Then I’m going to tell Max,” Scott said. “And then he’ll see what a royal piece of shit you are . . . and always have been . . . “

Rachel moved out of sight. She let Scott continue his tirade, as her hands fell on the nearby Sword of Kid Achilles.

“Zack Kestler always gets what he wants,” Scott started to move away. “But soon Zack Kestler’s going to get exactly what’s coming to him.”

He started to turn, but before he could do Rachel dropped the hilt of the sword right onto the back of Scott’s head. He dropped like a particularly large bag of potatoes.

“Rachel!” Zack cried.

“He’s fine,” Rachel said. She knew how to knock someone out without causing serious damage. It was the first thing covered in Saber’s class. “But we need to move.”

The shock faded from Zack’s eyes as he nodded.

The two of them pushed back the way they came, the Magnometer in hand. They exited the closet door. Rachel noticed the Alpha bros were thankfully no longer in the doorway after they arrived in the back bedroom. She followed Zack down the fire escape, and back into the campus.

“That was close,” Rachel said as their feet hit the pavement.

“Very,” Zack turned to her. “But you did good.”

His eyes held a warmth Rachel hadn’t seen in a very long time. There was so much she wanted to say to him now.

But the mission came first.

They started to move past the alleyway, with the Promenade already in view. As they did so, however, Rachel knew they were being watched. She could feel the semblance of a mind somewhere, but every time she reached for the psyche it was gone.

She turned the corner to see a large bald man in combat gear. When she turned to Zack, she looked back to see the man completely vanish into thin air.

“You left without saying good-bye,” she heard a voice say. “I’m hurt.”

She turned to Zack with a confused look. Only one thought coursed through his mind.

Kaine.

She steeled herself for an attack. They were about a block away from the Alpha House, having arrived at the adjacent brick building they’d first used to survey their objective.

“At least I’m not the only one that’s hurt,” Kaine’s voice boomed.

Rachel continued to scan for any sign of a threat. Finding none, she started to move.

“Rachel!” she heard Zack cry. “Watch out.”

Before she could turn around, Rachel felt powerful hands fall upon her shoulders. She struggled against the grip, only to be propelled towards the wall. She remembered her face hitting the rough brick corner before everything went to black.