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Before I can ask any more questions, a late-model Toyota truck pulls in front of Riale’s Suburban. Instinctively, I reach for the Glock in the side compartment, but Riale mutters, “It’s him. Get out,” and he’s out of the car in less time than it takes me to rack the chamber. “And leave your cell phone or any other device behind.”

All right. I guess we’re on to phase two of the stroll to the Wizard.

The first thing I notice when I slide into the short back bench of the pickup is that it smells like old leather and McDonald’s French fries.

“Whose grandpa did you jack to get this, Axel?”

He grunts and slides the vehicle into drive.

“Wanna tell me where we’re going?” I ask, and Axel gives Riale a short look.

“Storm, you don’t need to know where we’re going. In fact, it’s better if you don’t know. But I promise when we get there, we’ll tell you everything. Okay?” This comes from Riale, who turns from the passenger seat to speak.

I’m supposed to just trust this?

“Fine,” I bite out. “But if either one of you tries to kill me, know that I’m killing you first.”

Riale grins. Axel sighs and shakes his head.

“I don’t doubt that at all, kid,” Riale says.

We drive for what seems like hours until Axel makes a sharp left onto a dark road. I hold on to theoh shithandle as we bounce over the rocks, and I’m a little worried about us driving off a cliff or something.

Right when I’m about to start asking a lot more fucking questions, Axel makes another turn, and we’re in front of a small cabin in the middle of a clearing.

Axel kills the engine.

“Not a word until we’re inside,” he grinds out before jumping out of the truck.

Riale and I sit in silence as we watch him hop up the short stairs and turn on a porch light.

“You gotta do all this to talk to me?” I say.

Riale just shrugs and opens the door. “You heard the man.”

And with that, I’m alone in the truck, in the middle of the woods, wishing I were anywhere but here.

Like with Shae.

When Riale locks the front door behind me, I stand stunned in the entryway for almost a full minute, taking in the high-tech set-up Axel’s created in what looks like a shack outside.

The cabin is one big-ish room with a bathroom off to the side. On the opposite wall from the entrance, Axel has set up a wall of monitors and even more tech than I saw at his home all those months ago.

Also, there are more weapons. The open gun cabinet on the adjacent wall looks like Axel’s preparing for the real-life zombie apocalypse or some shit, and not just the ones he builds in his games.

Axel faces the screens, his fingers flying over the keyboard and Riale flops into a worn loveseat that looks like it may have come with the cabin.

“Okay, now I really need you to start telling me what the fuck is going on,” I say to Riale, and he shakes his head and nods toward Axel.

With a few taps of his keyboard, Axel sighs and leans back into his chair.

“Now we’re totally secure,” he says. He sounds tired, like he’s been up for days trying to solve some unsolvable problem.

“So we can talk now?” I ask, a slight edge of sarcasm in my tone.

“This might seem like we’re doing the most, but trust me, with the shit you and your family have me in right now, it’s necessary,” Axel says, each word sounding more and more angry.

“Me? What are you talking about?” I look between Riale and Axel, waiting for them to open their fucking mouths and explain what the hell is going on.