Page 105

Chapter 35
Poison
All black
“Merry almost Christmas, GenCre. Tonight is the night of the dance that our very gracious Headman granted to us, so let's make the most of it, students and staff. Reminder Rampages, no interference with the party, you have your own celebration to attend to after Stygian day.
Now, let's start the night off with our chant...”
––––––––
Iadjust my tight asfuck tuxedo tie while I burst through the command room. Bedford is standing up from his seat wearing a Navy-blue suit and chunky sneakers. I glare at his outfit.
“The color code was black, and silver; didn't you get the memo?”
He shrugs. “You know me, I don't conform with the society's ideals and limitations set for a single person or group. I will not be confined because the rules say so. I'm as free as a bird, dear father.”
My brows crunch as I tug my tie again to loosen it. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He jerks his hand out to my suit. “I mean, look at you, you're an uncomfortable Neanderthal just to please someone.”
Anita, actually.I only agreed to this because she said to be my date. Speaking of, I should've seen if Anita knew what to do about this tie situation, but she was nowhere to be found this morning or afternoon. She’s been distant, and now I’m worried, after our unexpected moment, that I scared her off. What if she doesn't want me now because of my fucked up trauma?
“Did you just call me a Neanderthal?”
He scoffs. “Here.” Bedford takes my tie and my brows pinch deeper. I could shove him off, and handle it myself, but it's clear that I can’t.
I raise my chin. “You speak anything of this to anyone, I’ll kill you, then fire you,” I say with a deadpan expression as he finishes.
Bedford snickers and flies to his seat. “Aye, aye Headman.”
I tug my suit jacket and nod. It does feel better. “Did you find anything on the chip I gave you?” I made sure to investigate Richard's brains, even though brain matter was splattered everywhere. He was reaching for something with his knife, and my curiosity grew. What was he doing?
While Anita and Mal handled the cameras, I found a little black fragment, attached to the cerebral cortex of Mr. Mayor's head, that remained intact despite the explosion of brain matter.
Bedford looks at me with a sly grin. “I did. It took some testing, and I even had to bring in the neuro-tech team to investigate it since it was so fried.” The close-up image of the chip shows on his screen, black arrows pointing at different parts of the tiny device that looks like a torch got to it. “There's no trace of where it came from or who's made it. No initials, nothing.”
The image turns and flips around to show dents and burns on its surface. “Not even a company.” I shake my head. “I haven't heard of anything of chip implantation besides a few who have tried but failed.”
This makes me question everything. Even Henley's death when he jumped from that window. Was he trying to escape? Or did he know that the chip would siren in his head and that why he offed himself before us and the chip could?
Then why run from us if he was as good as dead?
“It's remarkable that one small device can blow up someone's head. Which made me wonder...”
He narrows in a piece that's burned and teeny tiny wires are sticking from the edge of where it is snapped apart. “If it was set off by someone.”
“Like some controller?”
Bedford nods, pointing his finger at me. “Correct.” I shake my head, trying to piece everything together.
He picks up his pen and taps it on his chin. “My only question is who would willingly have a chip implanted in their brain if it would kill him?”
I chew on the inside of my mouth. “Feels like a suicide mission.” I tilt my head. “Or the initiation is so deep that it's the only way to be accepted.”