Page 58 of Artifice

In two seconds flat, Simon placed himself in front of Olive, separating her from whatever was happening.

But she hardly had time to think as screams sounded around her.

The cafeteria erupted into chaos.

Olive peered around Simon’s protective stance. She caught glimpses of overturned chairs and students scrambling away from the far corner of the room.

A boy—she recognized him as Peter from one of her earlier interviews—stood on a table.

His body looked rigid, his eyes wild and unfocused. Blood trickled from his nose as he convulsed, knocking over trays and pitchers.

“Get them out! They’re in my head!” Peter screamed, clawing at his temples. “Make it stop!”

Three staff members rushed toward him. But Peter grabbed a metal tray and swung it, connecting with a cafeteria worker’s shoulder.

The man dropped with a cry of pain.

“Everyone remain calm.” Director Ingraham’s voice cut through the panic, amplified by the PA system. “This is a Code Indigo. All students return to your dormitories immediately. All visitors and nonessential personnel report to the administrative offices.”

Code Indigo? Olive had read about the protocols during her research. Medical emergency with potential violence—standard procedure in institutions like this.

But something about Peter’s behavior struck her as odd. It wasn’t even his actions. It was the timing.

Everything had happened so suddenly, so violently.

Almost as if he’d been triggered.

Simon gripped her arm. “We need to move. Now.”

Students streamed toward the exits in orderly lines, their expressions a mix of fear and—strangely—resignation. As if this wasn’t entirely unexpected.

“What’s happening to him?” Olive allowed Simon to guide her toward the door while still keeping her eyes on Peter.

The boy had fallen to his knees now, still screaming but growing hoarser. His movements remained jerky and uncoordinated.

“Reaction to his medication, most likely.” Simon’s tone indicated he didn’t believe that explanation any more than she did.

Dr. Wells appeared with a medical bag, flanked by two larger staff members Olive hadn’t seen before. Security, based on their stance and the way they positioned themselves between Peter and the remaining students.

“Ms. Bettencourt.” Director Ingraham materialized at Olive’s side, her face composed despite the chaos. “Please, come with me. For your safety.”

Before Olive could respond, a piercing alarm began to sound—three long blasts followed by a short one, repeated in an endless cycle.

“Lockdown,” Simon whispered, so only Olive could hear. “No one in, no one out.”

She didn’t like the sound of that.

CHAPTER 30

Director Ingraham’s expression tightened as she gripped Olive’s other arm, pulling her away from Simon. “I’ll handle our guest, Mr. Long. Please, go to your assigned room.”

Simon hesitated. His eyes locked with Olive’s a beat too long before he nodded and moved away. He disappeared into the stream of staff members now entering the cafeteria.

As Margaret led Olive through the corridor, she caught a final glimpse of Peter.

Dr. Wells injected something into the boy’s arm while the security staff held him down.

Peter’s eyes rolled back, his screams fading to whimpers.