Milan’s eyes expanded, and his mouth was left open. This was the last thing he expected. Sure, he had prepared for it, but to see Eli in the flesh, not… dead. But not okay either. Blood twirled down her forehead and cheeks, divided into two streaks on each side of her face. Her hands trembled, along with the gun in her hand.

“He’s right,” she said. Her voice sounded more confident than she looked. “We’re tryna find the true killer. You needa let him go.”

Leonia’s eyebrows puckered, and her lips pinched together.

Milan let out a shaky breath. He turned to the detective. “Take your gun out and throw it in Eli’s direction,” he said. “Or she’ll shoot. Right, Eli?”

Eli nodded.

Leonia Knight stood still as if contemplating her life. After what felt like minutes, she let out a “tch” and did what she was told. Eli picked up the gun, never taking her eyes off her. Good idea. Leonia was stronger than she looked.

“Now, unlock these handcuffs,” Milan said. “No sudden movements. Or she’ll shoot. Right, Eli?”

Eli nodded again. The detective slid her hand into her pouch. She looked at him with sharp eyes, pulling out a hand-held radio in a rash movement.

“Code eight-”

Milan lurched up. He kicked the radio out of her hand and smashed it against the ground, splinters of plastic flying around.

He locked eyes with the detective. “You were wrong.”

“About what?” Her eyes seemed to darken.

“You should’ve shot me when you had the chance. Now look.” Milan swayed his head. “I escaped. Again.”

“Do not push your luck,” she sneered. “You’ll run out soon enough.”

“Keys,” Milan said.

Leonia flitted her glance around. Was she waiting for someone to show up? They had to act fast before it was too late.

Eli sent a shot toward the sky as if she’d read Milan’s thoughts. “Unlock his cuffs. Or I’ll shoot.”

The detective’s eyes burned. She yanked Milan’s cuffs to her body. Milan stumbled. Tripping once was more than enough for one day. He didn’t need to trip again.

The cuffs unlocked, and he wrapped his fingers around his wrists. Words couldn’t express how much hate he harbored for these restraints.

“See?” Milan said. “Always go for the kill.”

Air pushed through the detective’s nose. “Perhaps I will.”

Milan didn’t get to answer. Wheels glided across the asphalt, speeding toward Milan at full speed. Shit, were they already here? The yellow light blinded him, and he froze in his place. The car braked inches away from him.

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“Get in!”

The tension left Milan’s body when he grasped who it was. No time to hesitate. He jumped into the back seat. Milan’s brain couldn’t comprehend how they were all not only safe, but also about to escape. They had made it. He almost burst out laughing, but realized it was too inappropriate.

Eli walked backward to the car, still pointing the gun at Knight. She opened the door, with her back turned, and hopped in beside Amica. The wheels bit into the gravel as Amica made a U-turn and drove away.

Leonia’s frame became smaller and smaller, but her eyes were set aflame, boring into Milan’s soul. Those were the eyes of someone who refused to give up. Milan knew. He was glaring at her with the same eyes.

He turned his back. Rain lashed against the windows.

Amica gasped, her eyes shifting between Eli and Milan in the front mirror. “You two look horrible.” She paused for a few seconds, and then murmured, “I thought you had died.”

“We did,” Eli said. “Almost.”

“Close call,” Milan admitted.

Amica nodded with a stiff movement. She steered left and parked her car on the sideway in front of a random house.

“What are you doing?” Milan snapped.

Amica tapped her slender index fingers against the steering wheel. “There was something important I never got the chance to say.”

This is it, Milan thought. An icy sensation stabbed his insides. This was where Amica would double-cross them, reveal she was actually working for the police and that her plan was to capture them all along.

“I wanted to return the chessboard I borrowed from you. Remember we played chess together during the break time and you always won? That’s why you told me to borrow it so I could practice.” Amica intertwined her fingers and looked down. “And I did. But I still suck.”

Milan’s head felt dizzy, as if a thousand daggers sliced through his brain. What was she saying? What chessboard? He’d never gotten to know Amica before today, and now she was telling him they played chess together?

“The thing is-” Amica opened the door. “I thought I’d return it since now’s a good chance. What if I never get to return it to you? What if you die before I have the cha-”

Milan’s instincts took over and he seized her upper arm before she could rant further. Too many things didn’t make sense, but none of it mattered if they didn’t escape.

“Just drive the hell away,” he said. “Please.”

Amica took a second before she closed the door. “… I’m sorry,” she said, as she set the car into gear.

Maybe she could see the perturbation in Milan’s eyes. Sure, their biggest concern right now was to get away, but the ‘minor’ problems kept creeping up in the background. And now, another mystery had been added to Milan’s list of things that didn’t make sense. Amica’s words nigged at his mind. He used to play chess as a hobby when he was younger, so she obviously wasn’t completely off the mark. The problem was, he’d never talked to her before in his life (except for when he called her a klutz). There was no way what she’d said fit with the facts logically. Except…

What if all those things, like his teacher acting weird, the exam question not matching with the curriculum, and the release date of Damien and Travis’ stupid game, playing chess with Amica, had all happened?

If Milan simply didn’t remember?

They drove for what felt like hours.

“Where’re we even goin’?” Eli asked.

“I know a place where we can wash up and rest for a few hours.” Amica cast a glance in the front mirror. “I don’t think the police will find us there.”

“They will when you’re drivin’ like a snail.” Eli slammed her foot on the speeder, and the car pushed forward with a start.

Milan stared out of the window. The moon lit up the night, enveloped by the stars illuminating the sky. From this distance, they looked like thousands of white dots.